One noble life was all made up of these high
qualities, a present incarnation of these seemingly almost unattainable
ideals, and freely gave itself for man. Some say it was very God; all
acknowledge that such virtue is the divinest thing known, that such
love stands for the Most High, and that to reverence and obey it, is to
obey the very saving principle of human nature; that such obedience, in
fact, is perfect freedom. So that, leaving intellectual dogmas and
theories out of the question, the essence of what is called
Christianity is the natural faith of the human heart, and all men do in
their heart of hearts long to have a Christian spirit and to have that
prevail throughout the world.
But while the spirit of Christ is unity, the material interests of men
are without unity. In the whole body politic of life, the unity of the
human race is not at all implied. On the contrary, everything
contradicts the idea. Every man in seeking his material interests
becomes the rival and antagonist of every other man. To gain his bread
he must sacrifice friendship, generosity and even honor. He must keep
his convictions of nobleness and justice for a beautiful and holiday
idea; he must consign them to the keeping of religion; and she, like
the gentle wife at home, has careful instructions not to show her
beautiful face in the market place.
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