The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-06-08
: ~ George F. Fortier of
Rutland Addressed God
dard Glass Of 1914
DENOUNCED
THE LIFE PARASITE
Vigorous and Clear-cut Ser
mon Heard by Many
People


Goddard seminary's commencement
week began at the Universalist church
Sunday forenoon when students, alumni
and large nun Der of friends of those
who are about to be graduated gathered
to hear Rev. George f. Fortier of Rut,
land preach the baccalaureate sermon
before 4S students, % of whom are COM
pletlng four years course at the SEM
mary and 20 who are completing then
commercial studies in the school The
church was attractively decorated for
the day, wild flowers being used in the
| interior arrangement with excellent eff
feet. Across the front of the altar and
over the rostrum was the class motto
"Ad Astra per Aspera," suspended or
a scroll. The services were especially
impressive and fully in keeping with the
treasured memories of other Goddard
baccaIaureate Sundays Rev. Mr.. For.
tier had a timely message for the stu,
dents and its delivery lacked not mo.
ment for inspirational qualities or coher-
ence. The congregation accorded the
speaker its best attention throughout
the discourse.
! The order of services was carried out
as follows: Organ voluntary, Process.
sional March tMagnus Clark Prof. w.
| A. Wheaton; festival Te Deum Hold
enl, Orpheus quartet; invocation, pas,
| tor; responsive reading; anthem. ZAP
| pear, Thou Light Divine" (Morrisoni
quartet; scripture reading, Rev. j. B
Reardon; prayer, pastor; response, trio
The Lord Is My Salvation" (Verdil
DR.. Jarvis, Mr.. Grant, Mr.. Mackay; ser
mon, subject, Parasites" Rev. Mr.. For
tier; hymn, quartet; benediction, Rev.
Mr.. Fortier; postlude, "Festal March
(Calkinl Prof. Wheaton.
just before the hour for the opening
OF the service arrived. the graduating
class and the juniors, led by the mar.
shal, Lyman Whitcomb, of the 1913
class, marched into the church and were
ushered to seats we'll toward the front.
While the preacher was delivering the
charge to the class, the prospective grad
yates assumed standing positions and
listened attentively. On topic that il
just now engaging the attention OF .
good many thinkers of the day, Mr. For.
tier spoke with clarifying vigor from
Genesis 32d chapter 26 verse; q will moi
let thee 60 except thou bless me- He
said:
q suppose that this text which have
chosen and the illustration or story from
which it is taken has been offered many
times from Christian pulpits as an illus
traton of perfect human faith. / sup
pose that more often than not Jacoi
has been praised for his determination
to win the blessing of the Almighty.
suppose that il is entirely possible that
ii will come as a shock to a good many
Christian people when | state that this
chapter of the old testament is one OF
the most repulsive of the entire Bible
to me. not alone because it draws the
portrait of a beaten and defeated God
as it most certainly does. but also be,
cause it draws an unlovely but alto.
gether truthful and accurate portrait OF
a religious and spiritual parasite, to my
mind one of the most detestable crea
lures in all Gods universe. This pas.
sage is not the sole cause but the culmi
of series of causes, which com.
pei me to class Jacob as one of this most
class. OF course, no mar
may make a statement like that without
at least offering the evidence which
brings him to the conclusion. Will YOU
then be patient with me while we study
solneNudI eAltHSlNtiN thc SuuJeCb pi Pot
asites?
'Gn pursuit of information | must
quote part of somewhat abstruse en-.
cylopediac article. This article informs
us that parasites are organisms which
live at the expense of other organisms
called their hosts. Parasites attached to
the outer surface of their hosts are
known as ectoparasites which. if living
inside and upon the vitals of their hosts,
are known as endoparasites. There must
be careful discrimination between those
organisms which feed entirely upon the
tissues of their hosts and those who
share their food but usually give some
thing in return We have transferred
the simile of certain parasites to human
life and invested them with an almost
sacred meaning. Among the fayorite il
lustrations of this sort are the clingina
vine and the sturdy tree. the oak and
the mistletoe And so while upon the
whole we are inclined to be sure to depre
cate parasitism, in not a few cases WI
welcome it.
even then, il is strange that the oal
and mistletoc, in truth symbol of GER
tain death and decay. should have beer
accepted so often as the symbol of hui
nan marriage; and yet no more strange
han that so many men should not alone
nave been content but considered it
sacred duty to be the strangled oak and
90 many women the strangling mistle.
zoe until natures law has worked itself
nut and death for both,-physical and
spiritual death has come For all too
many years men and women have been
,ontent to die while still less worthy fell
ows lived because they felt that mans
soul must bear even a needless cross
without murmur and suffer with Chris
ian fortitude some parasitical burden
which almighty God never intended his
hild TO bear with equanimity.
Some Parasites.
But in many ways the world is awak
ming. The realization has come that
he parasite is always degenerate. The
ealization ours and the death of the
,arasite is assured. 1t is necessary that
We should know Just what enemies ws
lave to meet. We recognize that society
ias some very powerful and determined
nemies. parasites within and without.
70 enumerate, there is intemperance.