The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-04

1t6tilS siia lhs tnt6sffty 6hd safety Of
the State ana public Af1airs7 Shall
we revert to ancient history 70
point out tho periods In which there
was signal failure and hold UP 20
ridicule those who helped 70 make the
failure? Or shall we hold up - IN
citing examples the heroes, leaders.
sainta? So thought JO-
hannes Muller In his Universal His
tory. and In his History OF Switxer-
land. SO think many today, especially
in addressing the young. But. accord
ing to Hegel, this Ia not wholly true.
In his Philosophy OF History he says:
Experience and history teach US
this: that peoples and governments
never have learned much from the
history OF the past or acted on prin-
ciples deduced from 1t. Each period
In involved In such peculiar circum-
stances; exhibits condition of things
SO entirely idiosyncratic that its con-
duct must be regulated by considera-
tions connected with itself, and itself
alone. It is useless to revert to SINH
pailid shades OF memory struggle in
vain with the life and freedom of the
present"
This is Just where the Jew failed.
and the reason why he was not ready
to recognize the necessity for change.
why he was not prepared to receive
the Christ. Each period and age
must have its own ideal and standard.
What is the standard for this age
for this period in which we live? The
very same which should be the stand
ard for each and every age, and here
in lies its power that II is adaptable
to every age and every people.
Our ideal shall be the reincarna-
ton OF the living Christ In tha thought
and lives and condolences OF the men
and women of today-the living Christ
Jew and Gentle. as he came to each
succeeding age.
He comes not a. . reformer. radi-
cal, reactionary nor progressive, but
he comes primarily a. a revealer. and
his methods are exceeding conserva-
tive. he comes AZ revealer, with au-
thorfty to act and power to heal. And
the ideal which shall direct our
thought, mould our ideas, perfect our
conceptions, further the accomplish
ment Of our task. Is the ideal as en-
bodied in the Christ, AZ he lives and
moves in and out among us today. the
living. throbbing, thrilling, glowing
manifestation OF the revelation OF
God to man. of man to himself. or
man to his brother, in whom Is real
ICED the threefold responsibility i'm
posed upon each individual in the
social order-the only remedy known
which can and will destroy the curse
OF selfishness. which is at the root of
all known evils.
The first question asked by Almighty
God OF the first man was: Where art
thou? What hast thou done? Who
made thee conscious of thy wrong?
/ heard thy voice In the garden"
Consciousness OF Gods presence. rec
ognition Of Gods authority. respon-
sibility to God. Having the power OF
choice. / am responsible to myself
for myself in the choice which is made.
The first question asked by Almighty
God OF the first brother was: Where
Is thy brother?" Responsibility for
my fellowman. This threefold respon-
sibiiity is the ideal which the Christ
would have us make our standard.
He that hath seen me hath seen
the Father" trevelation of God).
My meat is to do the win OF him
that sent me"-the responsibility
which he owes to himself for him
self-integrity of individual Il came
to seek and to save the lost'-respon-
sbility for his fe1iowman
The ideal by which the Church can
best do her work and fulfil her mission
In life is the ideal which clearly sets
forth the Fatherhood Of God. the In
segrity of the individual. the relation
OF the individual to the Father and to
the brothers.
The social order is the product of
the individual: the individual can only
fuifil his destined purpose in the social
order; the idea of fAtherhood can only
be understood in connection with the
family: hence our ideal must seek so
to readjust the conditions of today that
the individual shall have liberty, free
dom and justice, that each child born
into the world shall have a fighting
chance 10 live and grow and develop;
that the integrity and power OF the in
dividual shall mold and shape the So
cfal order. not the social order to be
allowed to squeeze the very life out Of
the individual: that each man shall
know God as his Father, and shall
know and own every man as his broth
er. This In the only ideal by which
we can measure our efforts and pattern
our methods. and hope to fulfil our
mission given to us from God for our
fellowman.
Lecky, in his History 70 European
Morals. speaking Of the cause Of the
success of Christia nifty. has this to
/ say:
I'VE can be at no loss to discover
the cause of this triumph. No other
religion. under such circumstances,
had ever combined so many distinct
7 elements OF power and attraction. I'm
| like the Jewish religion II was bound
| by no local ties, and was equally
adapted for every nation and fol-
1 every class. Unlike stoicism, IL APP
! pealed In the strongest manner to the
affections. and offered all the charms
Of a sympathetic worship. Unlike the
Egyptian religion Il united with its
distinctive teaching a pure and noble
system of ethics: and proved itself
capable of realizing II In action. 1t