The Washington herald., 1909-06-19
A New Walk in the New Way.


a few weeks ago a New York college
graduate was carried of TO an insane
asylum because he had become deranged
by one of the new Oriental cults that are
invading America in such profusion- The
episode was a reminder OF the variety and
strsngeness Of the new-fashioned relig-
ions which are claiming the interest Of
the great body Of people. The busy,
everyday men and women do not even
guess the existence OF these so-called ma
hatmas, and transcentalists. and new old
thought Orientalists. whose picturesque
garb and nebulous. mystical speech wins
the attention Of few idle and jaded
spirits
II is no slight matter to establish new
religion There never has been time
when it has been easy to get hearing
from the busy world for the claims OF a
different faith. The inertia Of things as
they are must always be overcome The
triumphs Of Christianity have been tre-
mendous, and argue that this gospel
must have offered a content Of truth
which mankind needed and which ap-
pealed 70 the human judgment.
In this year 1903 Il is rather difficult to
realize how fresh and different and radi-
cal were the teachings OF Jesus and the
apostles which have now been gathered
into the New Testament canon They
were far above the old pagan philosO-
phies, and ran counter 70 many OF the
fundamental doctrines Of the latter They
superseded the Levitical law OF the He
brews and were a marked advance upon
the teachings Of Moses.
A STUDY N CONTRASTS.
The novels Of Farrar. Kingsley and
Slenckwlcz show the sharp contrast be
tween the new life OF the Christians and
the old times into which il was projected
The life Of the early church against
pagan background Is as a shaft OF sun
rise across the nights darkness. The L.
centiousness. selhshness. and general i'm
morality OF the world that environed the
apostolic church makes US shudder as we
view il from our present standpoint The
times in which the gospel first showed its
power seem TO have exhibited the same
characteristics which We may find in the
non-Christian lands to-day.
The reason contemporaneOus Christiani-
y is not more conspicuous in the world
that is to say, the reason why there Is
not a greater difference between Chris
tians and non-C Christians IN civilized lands
lis that we see the latter on a reflected
Christian background. The leaven of
Christianity has influenced the entire
body Of society. We do not see Chris
tianity in contrast with sheer paganism,
but its own radiancS has ilumined its
surroundings 50 that the light merges
into lesser light. It IS a real triumph for
Christianity that the contrast II not
greater The indirect benefits OF the gos-
pei must be accounted to it's credit We
cannot hope for the sharp distinction that
Paul presented as he wrote from corrupt
Corinth TO the church IN the Roman capi-
tai az the time Of Nero.
THE LAW OF THE GOLDEN AGE
The fragment OF PaUl's letter which is
studied this week is an exhortation 10
some OF the characteristics which differ
entiated the Christians from the non
Christians. II viii be noticed that Paul
confines himself largely TO stressing prin-
ciples rather than rules. The Jews were
accustomed to a religion Of definite pro-
scriptions and prescriptions. Now these
old regulations were being superseded
by the dominion Of the love Of Christ in
the bearts OF his disciples The law OF
love had been written as a gloss over
the Mosaic tables.
Somewhat the same truth Is Illustrated
by the fact that IN the United States to-
II was fifteen years ago. yet the principles
for which II stood are stronger than ever.
The lesser has been swallowed up in the
greater. The programme has been outdis-
tanced by the progress Of the principle.
Paul was exhorting his friends TO wake
Up 20 their obligation 10 love. He said
that all that Moses had taught was COM
pretended in the single word Thou shalt
love thy neighbor as thyself"
The Christian may DO much that the
ancient law said he might not do. but
upon one point It is inexorable: he must
love. Now this new law Of the better
day cannot be a formal rite or regulation
II IS an upspringing love from within.
All the lawyers in Philadelphia cannot
draw Up an agreement that Will make the
discordant temperaments Of a man and
wife congeniaL Only a new inner motive
can do that There is not a contract that
can be created to compel men to fulfill
the full measure Of obligation to each
other. Only the spirit Of honor and love
can do that. The most advanced social
lists in the void might write all Of So
cietys laws without improving conditions
any, unless human nature itself was first
improved. only the Golden Rule can
bring in the Golden Age"
THE NEW SOCIAL SENSE
We think that these are wonderful
times in which We live because at last
we are getting some light grasp Of the
conception that the teachings OF Jesus
are q working principle for society.
r. Each Tor all and all for each" is ac-
claimed as a new slogan OF progress
Really 1t is a direct return TO the teach
ings Of Christianity. We are simply
showing that the ideals Of Jesus are
working out in the minds OF men The
law Of neighborliness which Is now creep
ing into political platforms was basic with
the early church II is at that truth that
Paul Is hammering in the present lesson
few evenings ago I sat with a commit
tee OF men 20 promote social cohesion in
their community The gathering was not
the result Of advertisement or agitation.
and no remark was made about II after
ward: It was merely the working out OF
the teachings OF the life Of Jesus which
these men had been studying in q Bible
class. For when the mind OF Christ is
given play as the early Christians sedu-
lously endeavored to give Il play, Il ex-
presses itself in an exaltation Of human
relationships. The old gospel makes new
neighbOrhoods- The social sense OF our
Gay Is but beginning Of an appercep-
ton Of the genius Of the gospel
Here is where the days teaching ap-
plies TO temperance-for this is desig-
mated as a temperance lesson-this new
social impulse OF brotherliness, this con-
stant endeavor to pay the debt OF love, Is
the most insidious foe TO the use Of and
traffic in strong drink There is a world
wide and irresistible movement toward
temperance, because temperance Is mex
tricabiy bound up with the social health
The LIQUOR men may hire renegade
preachers to eSpouse their cause; they
may organize national leagues for the re-
form OF their own business: and IN panic
they may pour Iimitless treasure into