The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1919-01-16
Of
Man "A CHALLENGE
ermon hy Rev. II. \. Moves, of the
Federated Church on Great
Topic.

acts 17:26-And he made of onl
fcry nation Of men to dwell on al
he face of the earth having deter
ojned their appointed seasons. an(
lie bounds of their habitation.
TIE Apostle Paul here states {
ruth universally taught in Scripture
truth which mas found expression
in well-worn words The Brother
hood Of Man" Pauls great Master
taught this fundamental principle
with untiring emphasis, and fully
eXemplitied ii in his intercourse with
men. In the Sermon on the Mount
he showed that the practice Of broth
erhood is more important than the
performance of religious ceremonies.
IF therefore thou art Offering thy
gift at the altar and there remem-
berest that thy brother hath aught
against thee leave there thy gift be-
fore the altar and go thy way, first
be reconciled to thy brother, and
then come and offer thy gift" He
torbids indulgence in anger or con-
tempt toward a felloWman because
hey destroy the fraternal relation
hin. Il say unto you that every one
who is angry with his brother shall
be il danger of the judgment-and
whosCeyer shall say thou fool shall
be in danger of the hell of fire" The
: III, nt brotherhood is to qualify
cur judgments of men. why be-
hoidest thou the mote that is in thy
b.2ther's eye but considerest not the
cam chat is in thine own cye-thou
aypocrite, cast out first the beam Gu,
thine own eye then shalt thou see
c.sarly to cast cut the mote out OF
,hy brothers eye"
Brotherhood a Moral Relationship
This fact of brotherhood is vastly
more than pleasing sentiment. 1t
is fundamental and vital, is wrought
in the constitution of humanity, and
like every other universal law, ma
terial or spiritual, it cannot be neg
lected or disobeyed without penalty.
The laws of God are self-enforcing,
as the transgressor is sure to learn
to his sorrow. Men often conceive
that they can escape the conse-
Guences of disobedience, but the
Judgment of the Almighty is in
herent in his law, and the offender
chooses his own destiny in his at
Iitude toward the law.
Brotherhood is based upon com
mon origin. Like The children of an
ordinary family, in the larger human
family, we share a common life, are
all alike the objects of paternal love.
God has no favorites. Not one, high
or low, is outside the Fathers love
and care. His sun shines and his
rain falls alike on the just and the
unjust. Brotherhood involves a
common interest and welfare, COM
mon dangers and problems.
Very early in human history a
man was found who defed the law
OF brotherhood Cain slew his broth
er and expressed his attitude in th>
words Am | my brothers keeper.
The spirit of Cain has held awful
sway among men even down to the
present time, and its fruits are mar
der, war, lust, robbery, caste, envy,
hatred and oppression. In depart
!ng from Gods plan men have found
only misery. 1t is sad history and
dark side of human society.
But against the spirit of Cain
jesus las lifted the standard of
brotherhood and never more than
now has this old world hungered for
he brotherhood that Christ taught. |
Between these two conceptions-tha |
II Cain and that Of. JeSus-there Is |
irrepressible conflict. 1t is the oC
battle between right and wrong, ap-l
piled to our relations to one another. |
Shall we live together in helpful
brotherly fashion or shall we bite |
I'D devuur one another like the |
,easts OF the forest? Go where you
Till. in business, in politics, in |
social life, there is brotherly way
II meeting and dealing with fellow !
men and there is the selfish way. and |
we find both classes in the world
Wherever the missionary has gone |
he has met the slave-dealer and the
rum-seler. The legitimate trader
has encountered the pirate. Vast in
sttutions have grown up from
which brotherhood is excluded
where the big fish eat the little ones
and are never satisfied On the
other hand many mighty institutions
have been produced under the in
fuence of christianity where brother
hood is encouraged. Such are the
churches with all their
agencies, charitable and
organizations. Among
democracies which aim
to secure the welfare of all are
crowding out monarchies with their
hereditary ruling and favored classes.
Brotherhood is not inconsistent
with resistance of wickedness and
wrong. We cannot oppose wrong
without being brought into conflict
with the people who champion the
wrong. At the beginning of the war