Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-05-17
WITHOUT 4 VISION
THE PEOPLE PERISH
Mastery Sermon by Rev. Paul
S. Phalen of the Unitarian
Church, Inspired by the De-
struction Of the Steamship
Lusitania

Of the sermon delivered Sunday
morning by Rev. Paul s. Phalen.
pastor Of the church. Mr.. Phalen took
for his text: without Vision the
People Perish" and the sermon,
which was inspired by the awful ca.
tastrophe of the Lusitania, was one
Of the strongest that Mr.. Phalen has
vet delivered. The abstract follows.
In the book Of The Proverbs, we
find the significant statement:
"where there is no vision, the people
! perish" or as later versions of the
same give the more exact meaning:
.eWhere there is no vision, the people
cast on restraint" 1t is not hard to
see the picture Of the idea that lies
behind these words. It is Of peo-
pie. who by reason Of thoughtless,
! indifferent. fat existence leading in
yariably into evils and corruptions
which cause the breakdown of those
restraints which go with regard for
the performance Of duty, the love of
Justice, truth and morality, are on the
tich-road to eventual destruction. Or
to reverse the thought, we are led to
believe that a people who seek for
and cling to visions Of goodness, of
truth and beauty, who earnestly
strive to live up to the highest ideal
ism. continually set before them in
the moral and spiritual teaching is
suing from the heart and mind of
their leaders and prophets create
barriers or "restraints.'' which keep
! that people in ways that make for
ration of Israel whose history is the
story of remarkable growth in obedi-
ence to a high moral and spiritual
idealism has given the whole world
n spiritual impetus which in its infiu-
erce upon humanity is without paral-
lei and of immeasurable good.
Israel as a nation. as. a political force,
was never large or important as we
commonly think Of national great
ness: but her leaders were men OF vi
sion. men who believed in God, that
the nation was set to do great spirit
,lal works. They were always dream
ing of the day when Israel by reason
of her spiritual and moral strength
should be supreme among the nations
Of the earth. The best part Of the
record of Israel's spiritual develop
ment as we find it in the Old Tesla
ment lies in the stories of her lead
ers, visions and their effects. the
great spiritual value of the New
Testament lies in it's power to stir
the imagination and stimulate the
dreams and visions which have in
spired men to do SO much in and Tor
> the world. Ihere we Fedo vi
the conversion Of the Pharisee Saul
into the Apostle Paul. through the VI"
sion on the road to Damascus Inc
effect Of that vision is responsible fo'
; the spreading Of Christianity far be-
yond the confines Of ancient Israel
Loyola, fretting away the hours or
the sick bed reads the lives OF chris
! tan saints, dreams OF Transforming
his life from that of a soldier in tins
army of an earthly sovereign 10 tnd'
Of a soldier in the army of CHRIST
; and out Of it all rose the great order
of the Society of Jesus. Joan or Arc
simple village maiden, is aroused os
her faith in the visions OF the SAINTS
,, who called her to deliver her peloVeu
France from the hands of the invader
Turn the pages of history as you Will
, read the secular OF the religious rec
ord. everywhere you will find that
great men rise from the ranks. and
great deeds and reforms spring out Oh
, the tumble of ideas and thoughts oe-
. cause of the attraction and DONNA
ton of great ideals or visions.
. But the vision or ideal which guide!
nations and individuals is not tn
spontaneous happening arising out o
the mists of experience, as the ancieh
, Greek believed Aphrodite, the goodes
or ideal of love and beauty whom the!
worshippcd, sprang full grown iron
the foam of the sea, but the creation
of that power or function OF the mlnt
which we call the imagination. TIT
Phidian Zeus at Olympia called "th'
most august creation Of Greek artistic
ina gination," was not a copy OF an!
one model, but a COLLECTION OF loeai
from many individuals. So any idea
must arise from the work of crea
, tive ina gination. 1t strikes the mine
like a vision, suddenly and full form
:. ed perhaps but always as the result
:. Of previous conscious or unconscious
dreaming. We are told that Ceci
: Rhodes, in all his empire building, il
his money-making, in all the force ant
strength Of his life which he gave TO
: England, and the English speaking
people was guided by an ideal arouset
by certain words Of Aristotle to the eff
feet: THAT virtue is the highest &C
tivity Of the soul living for the high
est objects" Rhodes idealism saved
him from being merely a great com
mercial magnate. He had confidence il
the wisdom and justice of English
rule so he worked for its greatest ad
vancement.
Right or wrong in its effects, 1t ha
been a similar idealism created by mel
! Of great and comprehensive imagina
ton who have added to the greatness
and the power Of England. Toda.
both England and France cherish tn
ideals of democracy, Of freedom AM
equality based upon the rule Of self
/ governing people and for that reason
we see them in life and death strug
gle with German militarism, which al
though also the fruit Of type of ideal
| ism, is the idealism Of the savage VIII
dreams of nothing but his own ad
vancement. 1t is an idealism whicl
has cast off the restraints which