American Sentinel for 1893
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„ Equal and Exact Justice to all Men, of Whatever State or 'Persuasion, Feligious or Political.” VOLUME 8. NEW YORK, OCTOBER 19, 1893. NUMBER 41. acknowledgment and acceptance of, and much as desiring that which is his broth- American Sentinel. obedience to, all divine truth. Brother- er's, and 'War no false witness against him ; PUBLISHED WEEKLY, BY THE hood with all the children of God would he must in all things give ear and credence PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING COMPANY, then necessarily and inevitably follow. to the Word of the Father, and love the No. 43 BOND STREET, NEW YORK. But if the second clause be first admitted, coming of his Elder Brother. Entered at the New York Post-Office. brotherhood presupposes a common father, EDITOR, - - - ALONZO T. JONES. and he, being All-father, is consequently AT the Parliament of Religions there ASSOCIATE EDITORS, CALVIN P. BOLLMAN. Creator and God. The two clauses of the WILLIAM E. MC KEE. was one gospel that was possible to be expression answer to each other logically, preached to the full, and no warning sign " BROTHERHOOD of man ! "—a phrase as they do rhetorically. The antecedent be given, and that was the gospel of " the full of promise! "Fatherhood of God !"— requires its consequent, and the consequent brotherhood of man." To that all gave a benediction upon humanity! What do its antecedent. Thus the action of the assent, at least in theory. Pagan, Chris- these phrases mean ? Join them : " Fa- human mind by the unavoidable sequences tian, infidel, all struck hands in allegiance therhood of God and brotherhood of of its necessary processes bring man inevit- to that doctrine. Did they realize what man !" They become an exultant paean ably to the statement of the two facts which they were doing ? Did they know to what to the world. require him in their turn to meet and fill they were committing themselves ? The the sphere of their demands and love his pagan put forward this doctrine, supported THESE words, like far echoes heard Creator-father with all his heart, soul, and advocated it, with even more force, from a distance, have heretofore sounded and mind, and his brother as himself, and fervor, and ability than his companions; from place to place here and there around the first and second great commandments, the infidel accepted it with heartiness and the world; but now the wandering refrain on which hang all the law and the proph- gladness, as a sufficient gospel; the Chris- has become a chorus which in full sound- ets, have been received and acted upon. tian received it tranquilly and joyfully, ing harmony essays, from the platform of This being so what more remains ? Noth- as if he thought it the returning dove the Parliament of Religions, to fill the ing; all the conditions have in this been which he himself had sent out. whole earth with the glory of its song. met, for in this the divine comprehensive- • ness of omniscience has condensed all the re- To what necessary course would this BUT is this a new thought ? It is not. quirements of true religion. Of these two commit the pagan? It would require him, It is as old as the world. Its written and commandments the necessary antecedents were he consistent, to give up all his gods spoken expression is as old as the Word are " the fatherhood of God and the and worship the one true God in simplicity of God to man. And its disregard is as brotherhood of man." and truth. To what would it necessarily old as the question, " Where is Abel thy bring the infidel and the atheist ? To an brother ? " and the answer, " I know not: THESE two propositions, then, depend acknowledgment of the existence of God, am I my brother's keeper ?" The very upon each other. One cannot be fully and all which must logically follow. To question was fatherly; implying the as- received without the other. Their entire what must it bring the Christian ? Either sumption of one relationship and asserting significance is comprehended in the one to a denial of his faith, or to self-examin- the other. The reply denied neither, but word " Christianity." For that is the ation as to whether he be in the faith or in express terms acknowledged the broth- message of the Father to man through not. erly tie, while repudiating its obligations. man's Elder Brother. Therefore he who For, if the pagan, the infidel, and the accepts, professes, and practices the doc- atheist, make " the brotherhood of man " So it is that man has always, through- trine of "the fatherhood of God and the an article of their creed, they cannot deny out these thousands of years, accepted the brotherhood of man " must give up all a common Father, and that is an acknowl- relationship of brotherhood with his fel- false religion, put away all false gods edgment of God, and • their unavoidable lows,—when the stronger, reserving to both within and without; all idolatry filial allegiance. And the Christian, by' himself the right and authority of primo- must end, there must be no more service the very terms of his belief, is committed geniture; when the weaker, using the tie of mammon or self ; to no false god, or to this from the beginning. His practical as an evidence of rightful claim to the idol, or selfish desire, must he bow; he application of the doctrine is then a shib- charity and protection of the other. But must remember the name of God to keep boleth by which his brothers may test the the obligations of the relationship, what- it holy upon his lips; he must remember reality or the hypocrisy of his profession. ever acknowledgment they may have re- the clay of God to keep it holy in his life; At the Parliament of Religions, this ceived, have never yet been sufficient to he must care for, love, and honor his test was applied fearlessly by the pagan lead mankind to do each unto the other father and his mother; he must not com- Japanese and Chinese, and by the Chris- as he would have the other do to him. mit the sin of Cain, or even cherish anger tian negro; and by the test popular Chris- in his heart toward his brother; he must tianity, as represented by the popular WHAT must follow the practical accept- do no impurity, or even harbor an unclean Church, and the idea of the " Christian ance by mankind of the fact of the father- thought in his mind ; he must respect his Nation," was found utterly, utterly want- hood of God ? It must necessarily be the brother's property rights, never even so ing. Who could listen to that voice from 322 - SIEINTrINTior„. VOL. 8, No. 41. the negro race, which, reluctantly re- The Independent, in an editorial com- gled out a special generation which should .counting its wrongs at the hands of a ment, characterizes these words of Mr. follow certain phenomena in the heavens professed Christian people, suddenly cried, Moody's as "somewhat startling." Why immediately after a clearly specified expe- as if in pain at the necessity for it, " Do so ? Is it startling to know that in the rience of the people of God, and tell them we not need a different Christianity from providence of God all this sin, wickedness, specifically that that generation should this ?" and. not ask themselves the same violence, crime, disease; want, suffering, not pass away before the 'Son of man question? Who could listen to the cour- sorrow, disaster and terror- by land and should come again in his glory in the teous and gentlemanly plea of the Chinese sea, and even death itself, shall come to clouds of. heaven ?—and emphasize his Minister and not feel that the professed an end and never be heard of more, so - words got only with that beautiful parable Christianity of this people as expressed in that, they shall never again so muck as of the spring-time and the budding fig- the foreign policy of the Nation was un- come into mind,—is it unpleasantly start- tree, but with those words of earnest ex- worthy a place within the pale of common ling to know all this ? Well, indeed, may hortation which follow. What generation humanity? Who could listen to the fear- we look, with Mr. Moody, into the future is this? Does Mr. Moody belong to the less arraignment - of this Government, its with " unbounded delight." And well, generation which, coming after these trib- people -and its Christianity, by the manly indeed, may these others be startled at the ulations and the darkening of the sun and young Japanese, and not feel that the vista of the ages as it looms up before the moon and the falling of the stars, application of the theory of the "brother- their frightened eyes with its progression meets the description which. Christ here hood of man" by the "Christian" United of grisly terrors and never-ending de- gave ? If he does, then why should he States was so far short of its principles, struction. But they are not startled. not look for these things to be even at the as comprehended by pagan Japan, as to Why not? Is it because they would, doors and their fulfillment imminent ? Did merit the pity and the derision of angels rather suffer the ills that they know of the apostles make the mistake, of which and of men ? now, than see the Son of God come to the Independent speaks ? And if the It is evident that there is a fatal incon- claim his own ? Let them stop and think early disciples did,—is that any reason sistency somewhere.