Outgoing and Incoming Centuries

1901

The New York Outlook publishes an exceedingly interesting review and interpretation of the century just closing, the distinctive characteristic of which it finds to have been freedom — in science freedom of investigation unhampered by either the scientific or theological theories of the past, in education freedom to teach all the people all truth on all subjects without that fear of universal education which even educators themselves felt in former times, in theology freedom from traditionary dogma, upon which our forefathers believed the whole structure of organized religion rested; in ethics freedom to apply the practical test of ethical result to every problem of conduct and to every man in every station, in politics freedom from despotic control of the many by the one or the few, in industry freedom of the workingman to determine the conditions in which a man's work shall be done, in literature freedom to give expression to life as it really is instead of to life as a little band of writers think it should be.

With freedom as the chief characteristic of the nineteenth century the first duty of the twentieth century, says The Outlook, is to use that freedom in religion, politics, society, art, literature, so as to maintain the highest ideals and minister to the largest life. The work which lies before the twentieth century is as great as that which the nineteenth century has accomplished.

It is impossible to forecast the probable advances in science, whether practical or theoretical, nor is it easy even to indicate what fields remain for it to conquer. Of this we may be sure: The principle of evolution which it has established, which is the basis of moral as well as scientific progress, will not be lost to the world. In education we have to adjust our school system to the rapidly growing sphere of knowledge so that it will deal with all subjects without being superficial in any and will train the moral faculties without giving to the training a denominational or dogmatic character. In politics the rights of men are theoretically recognized in England and America and measurably in all western Europe as the basis of government, but the rights and duties of nations toward each other have yet to be defined by a gradual development and application of international law and a solution of the problem.

What are the duties which the civilized nations owe to those that are uncivilized or semi-civilized? Brotherhood is as yet an academic opinion or an ethical sentiment. The work of the reformer, whether in thought or in action, is to formulate its principles, to learn what are the fundamental obligations of man to his brother man and to apply them to the solution of current social problems.

The Twentieth Century

Nov. 1900

A Proposition For a Universal Religious Celebration of Its Incoming

The century will end on the Monday following the Sunday after Christmas. Why may we not by general consent and mutual understanding mark that day out from common time — aye, even from "kalendared" days — by lifting a wave of united Christian worship that will roll around the world, which "he hath called from the rising up of the sun even unto the going down of the same?"

I would have on that day a celebration of the holy communion in every church and chapel and meeting house throughout all Christian lands, with the use of such special prayers and lessons as the ecclesiastical authorities may see fit to "set forth," and a special collection for missions, writes the Rev. William N. Dunnell in The Churchman. And I would that at midnight of that last day of the century, in every place of worship, the people gather, "young men and maidens, old men and children," to praise the name of the Lord, and as the new century came in I would have every voice and heart and soul, every chime and organ, swell "the great Creator's praise."

Where it is possible I would have the holy places illuminated. Where there is lack of clerical supply I would have some faithful layman lead the devotions of the people. Let no one, in city or country, on plain or mountain, in bondage or free, aship or ashore, be without the opportunity of joining publicly in Christianity's twentieth century "birth hymn."



Saw Nine Generations

Harriet Williams Brand, who died recently in Brooklyn in her ninety-second year, had the rare good fortune to see representatives of nine generations of her family, extending from her great-great-grandfather to her great-great- grandson.