The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-08-27
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT BAccAlAuREATE
SERMON BY PRESIDENT
HAOlEY, OF YALE.
Theme: Faith In Man.

his baccalaureate sermon before the
faculty and students In the chapel IN
New Haven. His subject was Faith
in Man" He took his text from
Psalms 1918: Lord. who shall
abide In Thy tabernacle' Who shall
dwell in Thy holy hill! Re that
waiketh uprightly. and worketh
Righteousness. and speaketh the truth
In his heart. He that backbieth not
with his tongue. nor doeth evil TO his
neighbor. nor taketh up a reproach
against his neighbor." In the course
OF his sermon President Hadley said:
In order 10 accomplish anything
great man must have two sides to
his goodness a personal side and
social side. He must be upright him
self and he must believe in the good
intentions and possibilities OF others
about him.
We recognize the first OF these
things. We know that the leader
must have principles OF his own;
that he must stand for something
definite. which he is prepared To
maintain through evil report and
good report. We do not, think.
recognize the second OF these things
to an equal degree. We do not ap-
preciate how necessary IL Ia for
man 10 believe in those about him
Just as far as he can and cooperate
with them just as fully as he can.
Yet this also Is condition OF leader
ship. No matter how high the ideals
for which we stand. we cannot expect
others 10 follow us unless we have
confidence in them. We cannot ex-
pect devotion II we return IL with
distrust. We cannot expect cooper
alton unless we are prepared 10 give
freely OF our confidence. The man
who lacks faith In other men loses
his best chances TO work. and gradu-
ally undermines his own power and
his own character. The man who
has this faith In other men gets his
work done and impresses his own
personality and ideals upon his age
and his nation. IL was this faith in
men which made David. with all his
faults. a worthy forerunner OF Jesus
Christ. II was this faith In men
which marked every stage OF the
work OF Jesus Christ Himself
II is not hard to see this when we
study the history OF religion. II IL
had 10 realize its decisive Importance
In the incidents OF our daily life.
Yet IL IL just as essential to-day as II
ever was.
Now we. as ambitious men, are not
only ready, but anxious, TO go into
honorable competition. We believe
that we can do something for the
world, and we are ready TO stand by
The results; 10 make what we do the
test for leadership. But while we
are engaged in this work-whether
Il be In law or In business. I'm poll
lies or I'm scientific discovery-there
comes a tempter who SAYS: You are
making n mistake TO put your atten-
lion solely upon your work. You
will never get on In this way. You
are intent upon doing what In TO be
lone. This would be all right II all.
others were doing the same thing.
But they are not. They are bending
their energies toward getting credit
Tor what is being done--not only the
credit that belongs 20 them. but the
credit that belongs TO you. Insensi-
bly,. we begin TO believe these insima-
tions: insensibly we pay little less
attention to our work and n little
more To keeping ahead OF our fel-
lows. Suspicion takes the place OF
cooperation. We enter into n con-
friends. Sometimes we win the con-
test, sometimes we lose II. Whether
we win or lose, the work itself ia
sacrificed. We remain at best leaders
OF cause where there is nothing
worth leading.
The man who ia cynical. whether
about women. or business, or poll
tics, IL assumed-and in nineteen
l..tI
to be immoral in his relations 10
women or business or politics. The
man who has faith in the integrity
OF others In the face Of irresponsible
accusations IS assumed-and in nine
teen cases out OF twenty Justly as
sumed-to have the confidence in
others goodness because he is a good
man himself. This IN why people will
follow the optimist even though he Is
sometimes wrong. and shun the pes
simist even though he Is sometimes
right.
IL does not make much difference
what IS the law or what is the creed
Of the church, in comparison with
the question what IS the habitual at
titude OF men toward their neigh
bors. Not only the man who origin
hUeH kitnnsIH, UuL TIC man WIZ iblF
repeats them. or even lends ready
credence 10 them, is poisoning the
sources OF public opinion. One OF the
first things that is prohibited In war
fare as soon as nations begin 10 be-
come civilized is the poisoning of
wells. Yet we too often allow In
times OF peace the poisoning Of the
wells OF public opinion by the light
repetition OF unfounded reproach
against ones neighbOr.
The prophets who preceded Jesus
criticised the evils Of their time Just
az unsparingly as did Jesus Himself.
and at far greater length. The thing
that He had and that they had not
was the belief I'm the essential good
ness OF humanity, which would re-
,pond positively 20 the gospel OF self
sacrifice. He that would follow In
the footsteps OF the Master must be
prepared. not simply 20 stand upright
himself. but TO have faith that others