ones, as she ought, in her arms and bless them as Jesus did; but (metaphorically speaking) she mechanically leads them with a cord of “red tape" tied about their little necks as calves are tethered with a rope. Though the food allotted them be good enough, the clothing warm enough, the beds soft enough, yet "better a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled ox and hatred therewith." I do not say, that positive hatred of the little ones is shown. Far from it. But the farmers mechanically feeding and fattening his swine and kine is not identical with a mother's self-sacraficing devotion to her children. It is not love. Are the public homes of our State for children, I earnestly ask, (and let our lawmakers answer), the homes of love that Jasus as lawmaker would have instituted on the beautiful and bountiful prairies of Iowa-especially the miserable poorhouses into which hundreds of the little ones are cruelly crowded?

VI. THE STRONG AND THE WEAK.

Respectfully Inscribed To All Lovers of Truth and Freedom the World Over.

(Spoken at Humboldt, Iowa, Oct. 10, 1875.)

"Bear ye another's burdens and so fullfill the law of Christ."-Galatians, vi-2.

"We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak."Romans, xv-1.

"And all that believed had all things common and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need.”. Acts, ii-44, 45.

I. Truth and Love.

To be true to truth has been the paramount objest and endeavor of my life. I have ever believed that to follow my earnest convictions of truth and duty is the only way of safety, and that outside of this path is the only dangerous course. I have spoken what I believed to be truth, no matter how unpopular the word spoken might be at the time of its utterance. "Take no thought of the morrow, but follow truth and duty," is the precept and example of the Master, the grandeur of whose teachings and life has dawned on me to such a degree of brightness as to fill me with unspeakable wonder. How I rejoice that the name of Jesus is spoken with reverence by so many millionseven by those who are far from fully comprehending the sublime meaning of his words and life. Mankind will reach this comprehension some day. Then will result the complete extinguishment of legalized cruelty; and the complete extinguishment of poverty and oppression. The supremacy of the law of love has been acknowledged by the enlightened of all ages and nations. It was the foremost endeavor of Jesus to emphasize this law. Wherever the Jewish law appeared to antagonize love he said of it unmistakably, "Nay." It was his purpose to dethrone hate and enthrone love as the controlling power over individuals, communities and nations. It was this idea that so awakened the enthusiasm of the early Christians. This beautiful love -the "fulfilling of the law" of Moses-was not just a cold, metaphysical dogma, but an efficient law of every day life to the primitive disciples. "Whoso," said they, "hath this world's good and beholdeth his brother have need and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him?" "All that believed," who had

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walked with the Lord and listened to his gracious words, "were together and had all things common, and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need."

Here do we see the literal interpretation of the meaning of Christian love, as understood and practiced by the immediate followers of Jesus. They gave to it this interpretation as the logical outcome of their religious belief. And precisely the same interpretation must follow universally the christian belief, when mankind have become his true disciples, as those unmistakably were who received the baptism of the Holy Ghost on the day of the Pentecost. Here we see Christianity put into institution, as it will yet be crystalized universally in law and government, placing upon the broad shoulders of the strong the burden of the infirmities of the weak.

II. Practical Christianity.

Except in literature, and as a sentiment in the hearts of the common people, Christianity has very little actual foothold in this yet pagan world. Outside of beneficient institutions that assure the equality of men and the abrogation of want, suffering and cruelty, christianity can only be sentimental-it must be practical to be genuine and real. We may see how nearly the governing powers of church and state (not the people; for the people nowhere fully govern) are Christian, by observing how nearly the organized governments of Christendom (church and state) are like the Christian community instituted over eighteen hundred years ago, in providing for the common welfare. Assuredly the institutions and governments of Christendom, both church and state, are Pagan and not Christian, and they will continue to be so until the common people who "heard gladly" the words of Jesus, absolutely rule in both. To the degree of approximation toward absolute control of governments by the people (men and women) will the governments be Christian and not Pagan. Where the people have crystallized in government and law their absolute will, Christian government exists, and there alone. Such government is as careful of the rights, well-being and happiness of each individual as was the primitive Christian society, that had "all things common."

Government of the few over the many is maintained by coercion and robbery. What is the British government today but the strong preying upon the weak? following right along the cruel pathway of ancient, Pagan Rome. How much better off is Ireland to-day under British rule than was ancient Britain under the Caesars? What is England's treatment of India but barbarism itself?

O England, where is thy boasted Christian civilization? The ninetyand-nine of thy subjects are slaves to the one! If the ninety-and-nine controlled, then would Ireland be emancipated, and India would experience the kindly treatment from England that Japan does from the United States.* The United States is not an oppressor. Why? Because the people of America rule to a greater degree than do the people of any other country on earth-and the voice of a Christian people is the voice of love-the voice of God.

III. The Avarice of the Few.

All that the world now needs in order to be emancipated from the thrall of Pagan hate and selfish cruelty and greed is the overthrow of all arbitrary governments and the inauguration of democratic rule universally. Oppression will then die and the strong will at once (as

*But have we not fallen from our former high estate in our Philippine policy and, too, because the power is passing from the people to the incorporate trusts?

they ought) "bear the infirmities of the weak," instead of preying upon and devouring the substance of the poor and defenseless.

What is the cause of poverty, tyranny, slavery and the conquest of peaceful and happy nations with the sword of barbarity? The avarice of the few is the cause. Where avarice has gained the mastery over the minds and hearts of the controlling few (and avarice always does hold the mastery where the few control) no appeal to justice or right is heeded. The rulers are always despoilers, robbers and tyrants where the few rule. Avarice is the Satan that must be chained, and to chain him the many must govern and not be the governed. All men and all women must declare their independence of the sordid few. The thoughts and actions of mankind will then flow in the broad channel of "good will toward men." Avarice never controlled the majority of a Christian people. In every Christian community on earth, where the community speaks, exalted motives alone move to action. The wicked few have reason still to "fear the people."

No scoffer has ever assailed the divine doctrine of Christian love. Even Robert G. Ingersoll has never found fault with it. The common people hear Colonel Ingersoll gladly only to the extent of his advocacy of love and good will toward men, women and little children-only to the extent that he echoes, repeats, exemplifies and enforces, in his words and acts, the kindly teachings and example of Jesus, and he does this to a great extent. He would, it seems, delude himself into the belief that he has stepped clean outside of Christianity in the direction of good will toward men, which is impossible to do.* On the contrary, not only all of Christianity but "all the law and the prophets" are comprehended in the words "love thy neighbor as thyself."

But in defining his "God," Colonel Ingersoll draws a picture, paints a portraiture of a being by a false personification of beneficient Nature, more heartless, and indifferent to the cry of woe than the annals of pagan literature anywhere show, and compared with which the God of Moses is as the Good Samaritan compared with the Priest and the Levite. Thor and Odin of the Arctic North do not come up to Colonel Ingersoll's "God" in frigidity. And to give more emphasis to the cruel aspect of his "deity," he even places it in the feminine gender,— a terrible Medusa. In his lecture entitled "The Gods," the great Apostle of modern Atheism, says:

"My God is Nature, which, without passion and without intention, forms, transforms and re-transforms forever. She neither weeps nor rejoices. She produces man without purpose and obliterates him without regret. She knows no distinction between the beneficient and the hurtful. Poison and nutrition, pain and joy, life and death, smiles and tears are alike to her.'

*"One article of our faith then is that Christ is the first begotten of God, and we have already proved him to be the very Logos, (or Universal Reason), of which mankind are all partakers, and therefore, those who live according to the Logos are Christians, notwithstanding they may pass with your for Atheists. Such among the Greeks were Socrates and Herakleitos, and the like; and such among the Barbarians were Abriham and Ananias, and Azarias."-Justin the Martyr, (who lived within a century of Christ and who was the first Christian writer after John whose works have come down to us.)

**The rainbow in the cloud is the faith that God is not only powerful, but good; that the forces of nature are, on the whole, not cruel, but benignant; that the true state of mankind is not to be at war with each other in the struggle for exisence, but joined in offices of mutual helpfulness and development.-Rev. Samuel J. Barrows.

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Yet Colonel Ingersoll anathematizes the God of Moses for inhumanity

"Consistency, Thou art a Jewel."

"The God of Jesus," says Renan, " is not the hateful master that kills us when he pleases, damns us when he pleases. He is our father. We hear him when we listen to a low voice within which says 'Father.' He is the God of humanity."

Still, in spite of what is said by Colonel Ingersoll himself to the contrary, I must believe and insist that his God is love, as is the God of St. Paul, and as is the God of every enlightened mind (his not excepted) the world over. The enlightened mind must look on love as supreme and that which the mind holds to be supreme is to that mind essentially God-who is otherwise undefinable. "God is love." This is as far as human language can go in defining deity. I worship the Infinite Love. So does Colonel Ingersoll, and so does every human soul. Reason can rise no higher than to acknowledge love to be supreme. Man can become no better than to live an exemplification of love-as Jesus did, and as Colonel Ingersoll is desirous of doing, I dare say.

V. The Light of Men.

It is said of the great Jefferson that the distinction which he liked to draw, between the lessons of heathen philosophy and those of Jesus, was "that the former had for their object to teach man to take care of his own happiness, whilst the latter turned his thoughts to the happiness of others." The moral doctrines of Jesus Christ," he adds, "went far beyond those of the philosophers in inculcating universal philanthropy, not only to kindred and friends, neighbors and countrymen, but to all mankind gathering all into one family under the bonds of love, charity, peace, common wants and common aids." And the Revolutionary patriot and Christian philanthropist, Thomas Paine, declares in his Age of Reason: "Nothing that is here said can apply with the most distant disrespect to the real character of Jeus Christ. The morality that he preached and practiced was of the most benevolent kind. It has not been exceeded by any. He preached most excellent morality and the equality of men."*

* *

David Frederick Strauss, in his essay "Vergangliches und Bleibendes in Christenthum," says: "He (Jesus) represents in the religious sphere the highest point, beyond whom posterity cannot go-yea, whom it cannot equal-inasmuch as every one who hereafter should climb the same height could only do it with the help of Jesus, who first attained it. As little as humanity will ever be without religion, as little will it be without Christ; for to have religion without Christ would be as absurd as to enjoy poetry without regard to Homer and Shakespeare. He remains the highest model of religion within the reach of our thought, and no perfect piety is possible without his presence in the heart."

John Stuart Mill, in his "Three Essays on Religion," says, "Religion cannot be said to have made a bad choice in pitching upon this man as the ideal representative and guide of humanity, nor even now would it be easy even for an unbeliever to find a better translation of the rule of virtue from the abstract to the concrete than to endeavor so to live that Christ would approve our life.”

Here is what Ernest Renan says in his "Life of Jesus:" "This sublime person, who each day still presides over the destinies of the world, we may call divine, not in the sense that Jesus absorbd all divinity but in the sense that Jesus is that individual who has caused his species to make the greatest advance toward the divine. In him is condensed all that is good and lofty in our nature. Whatever may be the surprises of the future, Jesus will never be surpassed. His worship will grow young without ceasing: his legend will call forth tears without end: his suffering will melt the noblest heart; and all ages will proclaim that among the sons of men there is none born greater than Jesus. He cannot belong exclusively to these who call themselves disciples. He is the common honor of all who bear a human heart. His glory consists not in being

The essential Christian idea is devotion to the welfare of others and forgetfulness of self. The manifest tendency of this idea is toward the fraternal unification of the family of man. The practical political result will be the establishment of the United States of the World. The only question to be answered, that the world may become one loving Christian Family, is how may love be made the superior law of all institutions, including churches, states, and nations. To the solution of this one supreme question all the thought and effort of every individual of mankind should be constantly directed. The people will, I maintain, work out this problem the moment they gain the mastery. The people of this world are ready now to undertake the glorious task-are ready now to vote an amendment to the Constitutions of all organized governments, making the sermon of Jesus on the Mount the supreme law of every church, state and nation on the earth, thus abrogating forever sectarian hate, war and barbarity thus instituting universal equality of rights and privileges for all men, women and children,-gathering all the helpless and destitute into pleasant homes-the commonwealth becoming the father of the fatherless and the widow's protector-the helper of the helpless and the friend of the friendless outcasts.

VI. Good Things to Come.

I do love these grand ideas; and oh, what an epic poem is embodied in the thought of the United States of the World;-all nations confederated together under one starry flag of Christian brotherhood and sisterhood and declaring "the strong shall bear the infirmities of the weak,"-be eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame!

Yes, I believe it is true of Christianity that so far was it in advance of human development generally speaking at the time of the descent of Jesus upon our planet that for almost nineteen hundred years it has existed as a prophesy or promise of "good things to come,” understood by only a few superior minds-mankind generally being unprepared for the apprehension of the astounding idea of a universal Christian community, like that organized by the primitive Christians of Jerusalem in which the law of love was paramount.

But mankind have wonderfully advanced since the day that Jesus yielded up his life on Calvary. The "little lump of leaven" has almost done its allotted work. The world is now ready for the Second Coming of the Son of God. The present iron policy of the Disraelis and the Bismarcks of the nation is but a continuance down into this Christian age, of the barbarity of ancient Greece, Rome and Carthagea barbarity based on ideas long since given up as heathenish by the masses of mankind, and are as far removed from the popular approval as was chattel slavery twenty-five years ago; and their voice that destroyed chattel slavery will wipe out war, conquest, coercion, wage banished from history; we render him truer worship by showing that all history is incomprehensible without him.”

Theodore Parker says: "He united in himself the sublimest precepts and divinest practices, and proclaimed a doctrine beautiful as the light, sublime as heaven, and true as God.”

Jean Paul Richter says:

mighties among the pure."

"He is the purest among the mighty, and the

Goethe calls him "the divine man" and "the holy one." Thomas Carlyle calls his life a "perfect ideal poem" and his person "the greatest of all heroes."

And here is what Robert G. Ingersoll says of Christ in the North American Review of November, 1881: "For the man Christ-for the reformer who loved his fellow men-for the man who believed in an infinite father who would shield the innocent and protect the just; for the martyr who expected to be rescued from the cross; for that great and suffering man, mistaken though he was, I have the highest admiration and respect."