The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-27
PERFORMERS, ALL OF US.

Nazareth for the text for his bac-
ca1aureate sermon to the graduating
class of Yale, Arthur T. Hadley. presi-
dent of that illustrious institution, de-
Iivered himself of come observations
that it would be of profit, not only for
those who are leaving the schools and
colleges to enter upon the more serious
business CT hfe but also for all sorts
and conditions of men and women who
are already little way or far on the
same journey, to ponder over.
Gentlemen of the graduating class"
said DIR. Hadley. after he had painted
a well-nigh perfect picture of Christ's
life, his ideals, his endeavors, and his
accomplishments: I'VE also, accord
ing to the measure of our several abil-
tiles, are starting out to do our work
as reformers. Every man here is anx--
ious that when his life is done those
who follow him may be able to write
on his tombstone that he left the
world better for his having lived in it.
We see great evils about us, against
which we are anxious to lead our cru
sades What is going to be the Chris
tan method and the practical method
of dealing with problems like those of
intemperance or divorce, of avarice or
of war?
First. We must take home to our
selves the lesson of the Sermon on the
Mount that virtues like temperance
and morality, industry and peaceful
ness, have their chief source and sup
port in mems hearts. They do not con-
sist in abstinence from certain acts
which can be prohibited by law, or
performance of other acts which can
be compelled by law. They mean
self-restraint and self-devotion. If the
restraint and the devotion are there,
good laws and good government may
help to prevent certain abuses; but
they can never be the starting point
of morality or the measure of duty.
Second. We must ourselves be
prepared to set an example of this
kind of restraint and devotion. We
must not be content with the negative
sort of virtue that simply avoids Of
lenses against the moral code
of the community. We should
not regard ourselves as tenn
perate when we simply abb
face the harder task of avoiding ex-
cesses in word and thought and feel
ing. We should not regard ourselves
as moral when we simply abstain from
violation of the marriage contract, or
of commercial law, or of the rules for
keeping the peace between men and
nations. We must learn to think of
marriage. not as relation entered
into by two people for their own pleas
ure, but as a partnership in the serious
work of life. to be entered into witt
the same intelligence and the same
devotion that we enter upon any other
serious work. We must not regard
our money as our own, to be used in
any way that the law allows, but must
stand ready to be at once more scrup-
ulous in its acquisition and more gem
erous in it's use as we get farther
away from the pressure of immediate
need and have greater opportunities
to decide for ourselves. We must not
be deluded by false visions and the
cries of peace, but must set our hands
to the work OF lessening the actual
danger of war, by understanding
other people and other nations, avoid
ing boastful or self-complacent speech
and preparing to take our part in ma
tional defense if fight is forced upon
US.
| Third. We must make it clear to
| others that they have to take the same
sort of personal responsibility. We
must not yield to the fatal temptation
of being flatterers of democracy. We
|
there is no peace. We must be ready
to suffer abuse for our unwillingness
| to trust short cuts to righteousness
We must be willing to forfeit consider
alton and influence and office which
might be ours if we would sacrifice or
, suppress our convictions We must
| remember that leadership is never
worth having if it comes through sac
rifice of intellectual straightforward
| ness.
Fourth. and perhaps hardest of all,
we must believe in humanity when hu-
mainly deserts us. We must hold to
| our faith in the truth even when we
are compelled to sacrifice our leader
ship because of the truth. That was
Jesus Christs supreme achievement.
The man who can see through this
failure to the success beyond, who can
trust the slow force of character and
example to do things that organized
society has failed to do, who can fight
for cause that appears to be losing,
or die for it if there is no chance to
fight, drinks of the cup Of which the
| Master drank and is baptized with the
| baptism with which he was baptized.
When some one told Abraham Lin
coin that he hoped God would be on
his side, Lincoln answered, I am not