98 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS 



era the poet Lucretius wrote as follows: "The nature of 

 the gods must ever of itself enjoy repose supreme through 

 endless time, far withdrawn from all concern of ours ; free from 

 all our pains, free from all our perils, strong in resources of its 

 own, needing nought from us, no favors win it, b)- no anger 

 is it moved." That is an eloquent, awe-inspiring present- 

 ment of the relationship betwixt man and the limitless forces 

 controlling all things, bj'' the greatest philosophic poet of the 

 Roman world. But with the advent of the New Testament 

 came another doctrine, foreshadowed indeed by all the old 

 religions, though never before finding utterance with such 

 directness and such power. Its cardinal teaching, embodied 

 in the Lord's prayer and in the discourse of the Apostle at 

 Athens, is in substance this : The Ruler of the universe is 

 the Almighty Father. And from that axiom comes this 

 corollary : All men are brothers ; and every man born into 

 this world, be he rich or poor, wise or simple, if with lowly, 

 contrite heart he strives to do so, may enter into direct, 

 spiritual, filial relationship with our Father which is in 

 heaven. 



