ALTRUISM ECONOMICALLY CONSIDERED. 57 



later, altruism has often been carried to injurious excess, and yet 

 we have had about as good general results as could be expected un- 

 der the circumstances. The early step from justifiable egoism to 

 that which discriminated was a long one. From the mind resting 

 on self to considering the immediate wants of others was a great 

 advance. From altruism performed with selfish motives to disin- 

 terested benevolence was another grand advance. The order of hu- 

 man progress doubtless required a long discipline in indiscriminate 

 altruism before men should learn to differentiate it by observing 

 its results. Again, not only man's mental progress but that of 

 life on the earth has been by pendulum-beats from extreme to ex- 

 treme, by action and reaction, until finally the golden mean of 

 Horace has been reached. The shield was neither silver, as pro- 

 tested by him who viewed it from the east, nor yet gold, as viewed 

 by him in the west ; but, had not each held and proclaimed his 

 opinion, the truth would not have been reached by either. Prog- 

 ress limps and goes by indirections ; but the various stej^s indi- 

 cated have been taken and well taken. 



To Christianity, then, by far the greatest exponent of this in- 

 discriminate altruism, is due the great credit of having taught it, 

 and measurably brought the world from selfishness to disinterested 

 benevolence. It matters not that the race might have traversed 

 this path under some other banner, and that many tribes have 

 found it independently. "Honor to whom honor" permits this 

 willing recognition. Although it overlooked this newer feature, 

 it had enough to do for man of a more primary character. 



The most intense manifestation of the altruistic spirit is in 

 non-resistance to evil and in utter disregard of self. How beau- 

 tiful seem to us those precepts pointing thereto ! 



" Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him 

 the other also. If any man sue thee at the law and take away thy 

 coat, let him have thy cloak also. Lay not up for yourselves treas- 

 ures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where 

 thieves break through and steal. Take no thought for your life, 

 what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body 

 what ye shall put on. Consider the lilies of the field, how they 

 grow ; they toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you 

 that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

 Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall 

 take thought for the things of itself. Give to him that asketh 

 thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 

 Go and sell all that thou hast and give to the poor, and come and 

 follow me, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven." 



And yet however grandly its maxims may ring in our ears, 

 whatever praises we may bestow upon its advocates, and whatever 

 satisfaction we may express with the past, the day for this indis- 



