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The Commoner
VOL;22N0.7
8
wy--v .'vtJCTJHf 'qpiU'W f '7
been a ,greator, and to establish worship of one
God, a religion which has controlled the lives of
thousands of millions since his day. Finally,
out of his faith and his religion came the prom
ised Messiah, with all that Christ has meant to
man and mankind.
LAW GIVER WITHOUT A PEER
Moses gave to history an Inspiring lesson. II is
life is a rohuke, ilung in the face of arbitrary
power, declaring the littleness of all human
aspirations compared with the majesty of the
Creator's purpose.
Born of obscuro parcntago, rescued from a
cruel edict by the foresight of a mother, carried
by chance into the palace of a king, educated in
an environment that ho could not have secured
by any power of his own, called to God's serv
ico by one of the most notable of miracles, sus
tained by the arm of the'Almighty in a contest
between an impotent people and the mightiest
ruler on earth, triumphant by repeated interces
sions on the part of the Omnipotent, ho led his
peoplo out of bondage and within sight of the
promised land. Then he was laid to rest "in a
sepulchre which no man knowoth."
Law giver without a peer, wonder working
man! Who will estimate his influence on the
dostiny of mankind? '
Without the Old Testament wo would not
have tho simple account of creation ..which, "
though expressed in but a few words, has with
stood tho assaults of all tho materialists for thou- '
sands of years. Three sentences from Genesis '
comprehend more of vital truth than has been
written in all the volumes of science issued from
the presses of tho world. '
First: "In the boginning God created the '
heaven and the earth" tho alpha of all history.
It is impossible to go behind it, and no oner'
has yet been able to substitute anything for ft1
or to add anything to it. It mocks tho wisdom of
the worldly wise and baffles the inquiries of the f
curious.
REPRODUCTION ACCORDING TO KIND
Second, reproduction according to kind: "Andy
God said, Let the earth bring forth the living
creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping
thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and -it
was so."
This states the law of reproduction which the
materialists have for centuries tried in vain to
overthrow.
Darwin endeavored to substitute reproduction
nearly according to kind, but with variation
enough to permit of change from species to
species. His hypothesis is based upon the as
sumption shown by experiment to be ground
less that slight variations accumulate until now
species aro developed. Everybody, everywhere,
and at all times sees evidence of reproduction
according to kind, but nobody at, any time or in
any place has ever found any evidence of any
other kind of reproduction.
The latest word on this subject comes from
Professor Bateson, of Great Britain, an eminent
scientist, who recently cr.ossed the Atlantic at
the invitation of tho American Society for the
Advancement of Science. On the 28th of De
cember last he addressed the members of this so
ciety at Toronto on the subject of evolution, his
address being published in the January issue of
Science.
In that address this eminent scientist pathe
tically described all the efforts that had been
made along various promising lines to show the
origin of species. After GO years of effort the
searchers have been unable to find a single case
where they can prove a change in species or find
the origin of species. With something like a
million species (estimated) to work with, and
though they have examined many millions of
specimens, from insects that must be studied un
der a microscope to mammals larger than exist
today, they have yet to find a single living thing
in process of change all are perfect and all re
produce, according to kind:
THE SCIENCE OF HOW TO LIVE
Third: "And God said, Let us make man in
our image."
This is the most important sentence of the
three. Ignorance of the beginning of all things
does not affect the philosophy of life as much as
it is affected by the theory of man's origin. Even
the law of reproduction according to kind is
not so vital to man as his kinship with the Heav
enly Father.
The Bible deals with the science of how to
live, which is a personal matter of supreme im
portance to every human being. While knowl
edge of the age of the rocks is desirable because
valuable, such knowledge is insignificant in
value compared with man's knowledge of the
Hock of. Ages.
Gopcf "p.ep'ple lived and fulfilled the plan of the
Creator long before any book on geology was
written and before man's attention was turned
to tho study of astronomy. But the science of
how to live began with man; it is of vital con
sideration to all, and it will not cease to be
man's first concern while the human race sur
vives. OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT LINKED
The Old Testament tells us that man was
created by .special act of the Creator; God made
him "a little lower than the angels" and gave
him dominion over land and sea. He was made
a steward and is held responsible for his con
duct. The Old Testament gives us the beginning
of life, while Christ, in the New Testament, re
veals that life to man. He interprets God,
promises to man the abundant life obtainable
through acceptance of His salvation, and gives
the code of morals which He substituted for the
teaching of all uninspired philosophers.
Standing upon the Old Testament and looking
forward to the New, the giants of the olden time
stretched forth their hands to extend blessings
upon the obedient, while their voices solemnly
proclaimed the penalties that sin invited.
In the first quarter of our study of the Old
Testament, Elijah and Elisha occupied the center
of the stage; in the quarter just ending Isaiah
and Jeremiah are in the forefront. Elijah awed
by his rugged strength; Elisha revealed the un
seen forces that fight on the side of righteous
ness. Isaiah foretells the advents of tho Saviour;
Jeremiah arouses all ages to duty by his fidelity
and fearlessness.
Those who arrange the international Bible
lessons are to be commended for the "judgment
they have displayed in selecting the great themes
around which the thought of the Christian world
has been centered thoughts full to overflowing
with the practical lessons that enrich our lives.
"AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER?"
By WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN ,
BIBLE TEXT LESSON FOR JULY 2
(Ezekiel 2:1-6; 3:17-2iy
And ho said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy
feet, and I will speak unto thee.
And the spirit entered into me when he spake
unto me, and set me upon my l'eet, and I heard him
that spake unto me.
And he said unto me, Son pf man, I send thee
to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that
hath rebelled against .me; they and their fathers
have transgressed againb't me, even Unto this very
day.
For they are impudent children and stiffhearted.
I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto
them, Thus saith the Lord.
tuAnd tliy, whether they will hear, or whether
they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house.)
yet shall know that there hath been a prophet
among them. l
And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them,
neither be .tfrald of their words though briers and
thorns bo with thee, and thou dost dwell amoncr
scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor bo dis
mayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious
house. .v.muuo
Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto
the house of Israel: therefore hear tho word at
my mouth, and give them warning from me.
n?yh0,W,say Vnto. 1 wicked, Thou shalt surelv
die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest
to warn the wicked from his wicked way to s-ive
his life; the same wicked man shall die in his in 1
lv; ?fUtM1,s bl00(1 "W1 r?iuire at thine hand
.lcSoK Sff wiclnw
iRorWhySoiiS: hlB iniqUity: bUt thou ,!il &
Again, AVlien a righteous man doth turn from his
r ghteousness,and commit Iniquity and nv
stumbling block before l in,, he sha 1 ? because
thou hast not given him warning, lie shall die in
Ills sin, and his righteousness which he lmth rtono
miTr t iA i, rwvu UUL l,IB D1ou will I ro
I""1' " mini; liilliu.
Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous mnn
hat the righteous sin not, and lie doth not si '
io shall surelv Hvr. imnnncA i, i .."r." 'iOL ,sln
thou hast delivered thy soul. varneu; also
In a very clear and simple way the duty tint
each human being owes to his fellow men is set
torth in the opening chaptersthe second n,i
third of the wonderful book of Ezekiel
Ezekiel, third of the greater prophets wih
sent to the children of Israel with a me wage- he
was comm ssioned watchman to the House' of
Israel and his duty was defined. He was to?d
what to say and informed that ho would share
he guilt of those whom he failed to warn Jut
that he could maintain his innocence if he de
ivered the needed warning, even though the
warning was not heeded.
The evasive question asked by Cain "Am t
my brother's keeper?" has been asked 'in every
generation since, not so often by those' guilty of
aggressive attack upon the brother as by' those
who And in the question an excuse for SoC'aw!
ing a fellow being when in need. tx -
The matter may bo considered from two.
standpoints. First, one's duty to abstain from
injury to another this is covered by the com
mandments which enumerate the usual forms of
trespass upon the rightB of others. The second
covers failure to offer assistance when to aid is
a moral duty.
AN IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE
The difference between the golden rule of
Confucius and the Golden Rule of Christ brings
out this important distinction.
Confucianism was purely negative Do not
4 unto others as, you would not have others do
unto you. It simply condensed into a sentence
the negative part of the Ten Commandments.
Christ's Golden Rule is positive "Whatsoever
ye would that men should do to you, do ye oven
so to them."
The Commandments enforce a respect for tho
rights of others, but there is no warmth or sym
pathy in thorn. They prevent injustice, but jus
tice, if it can be defined as the antithesis of in
justice, falls far below the standard set by
Christ. The world would be a cold place to live
in if man knew no higher virtue than justice.
I learned in China that Confucianism did not
require one to risk anything to help another. If,
for instance; a man standing on the bank of a
stream saw another fall in, he would not consid
er himself under any obligation to help him out;
his philosophy did -not require that. I was told
that some even went farther than that and feared
that if they rescued one in danger of drowning
they might offend the evil spirit that pushed him
in and thus endanger themselves.
It is a complacent sort of philosophy; it not
only relieves one of exertion, but saves him from
possible risk to himself. The difference between
such a philosophy and extreme selfishness is too
insignificant to be easily discernible.
AN INVESTMENT IN BROTHERHOOD
The philosophy of Christ, however, presents
an entirely different view of life.
While in the larger sense it is selfish, because
it suggests the possibility of one's receiving froni
another ther good that he does to another the
idea embodied in the casting of bread upon the
waters still it is a legitimate kind of selfish
ness. It begins by doing good to others; .it is an
investment in brotherhood which brings a legiti
mate return.
Ezekiel was commanded to do his duty. He
was told not to be afraid of those whom he was
advised to warn "neither be .afraid of their
words, though briers and thorns be with thee,
and thou dost dwell among scorpions." It was
not a pleasant task to which he was called, but
he was to be "not afraid of their words, not be
dismayed at their looks." He was to set before
them the perils which they would encounter and
the punishment's which thej would invite.
Then came ' the words intended for all time;
they set the standard for Gentiles no less than
for the Jews:
"When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt
surely die; and thou givest him not warning,
nor speakest to warn the wicked from his
wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked
man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will
I require at thine hand."
Ezekiel was his brother's keeper in a very
positive sense. If Ezekiel could have saved him
-by a warning and failed to do so, "his blood will
I require at thine hand."
How could Ezekiel escape responsibility? The
next verse tells us:
"Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not
from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way.
he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast de
livered thy soul."
A WEAK EXCUSE
Here we have the two sides of the proposition
stated in unmistakable terms guilt, if one who
can save fails to do so; innocence, if one tries
and fails.
Timidity is sometimes pleaded as an excuse
for failure to warn others, but the excuse will
not bear analysis. We are not timid about other
things. We do not hesitate to impart to others
any information that we have that would be a
benefit to them.
If we see a stranger about to be run over by
a horse or an auto, we involuntarily shout a
warning to him. If we saw a burglar entering
a house, we would reproach ourselves if we did
not notify the owner of tho house, no matter
whether we knew him personally or not. If we
see a pickpocket at work in a crowd, we feel it
our duty to warn others who may become the
"victims; and so it is With other dangers.
In matters of disease wo go farther. We not
' only find pleasure in helping strangers as well as
' " friends to avoid disease, but we go out of our
way to tea or remedies or wmen wo nave mswu
Y,y lu itsu oj. reineuies 01 wmuii wo xiavo m.--If
a now pest appeal's, everybody tells everybody
UAIiOt, I hfotiaH Juf'-i-