300 PRESENT-DAY RATIONALISM 



is called upon to hate, but his or her want of a truly 

 Christian conscience. 



Again, with regard to nations, in all the past history 

 of the world, love and mercy were practically unknown 

 virtues. To show pity for a conquered foe was thought 

 contemptible. It was not done till Christ came and taught 

 mankind the true nature of brotherly love {Agape in 

 Greek) which lies at the root of the Christian family, race 

 or nation ; as well as international comity. 



It was this which broke down the wall of partition, 

 first between Jew and Gentile, and then between all 

 Gentile nations, respectively. 



The author says that one half of Rationalism, at least, 

 consists of ethical truths and ideals, which he describes in 

 the words of Jesus. It is remarkable that the ethics of 

 Jesus Christ are found to be enforced by Unitarians as 

 Channing and Martineau, by Renan, whose Jesus is an 

 "impossible man"; and now by Monists, Secularists, 

 Rationalists, etc. In fact, Christ's ethics have lived in 

 spite of erroneous creeds and persecutions. They have 

 outlived disbeliefs, and are accepted by modern Agnostics, 

 Secularists, Materialists, Monists, Rationalists and avowed 

 Atheists ! 



Never was a prophecy more completely fulfilled than 

 that even the Gates of Hell should not prevail against 

 them ; for they are the Spirit of His Church ! 



Modern Rationalism here asserts that moral truths 

 and ethics have been ."dimply developed out of the needs 

 of man ; that certain rules of conduct as, " Thou shalt not 

 kill," etc., have been formulated by human societies for 

 their well-being and maintenance. . . . "The Jewish laws 

 of the Old Testament well represent this origin, so does 

 the Roman law, etc. . . ." This is quite true ; but the 

 ethics of Jesus Christ stand on a different level. They 



