re
was more to say about the Jewish law. It is now for his followers to treat
the inherited ethical conceptions of traditional Christianity with the
same combination of reverence and courage with which he treated the Jewish
law.

From the beginning Christianity taught self-control and the mastery of the
spirit over physical desires. It always condemned drunkenness. But ancient
Christianity never demanded abstinence from fermented drink. With modern
methods of manufacturing alcoholic drinks and modern capitalistic methods
of pushing their sale, the danger has become more pressing. With modern
scientific knowledge the physiological and social problems of drink have
become clearer. Modern life demands an undrugged nervous system for quick
and steady reactions. It was said of old time, "Thou shalt not get drunk";
but today the spirit of Christianity and modern life says, "Thou shalt not
drink nor sell intoxicants at all."

In every case in which the interests of woman came before Jesus, he took
her side. At that time woman was the suppressed half of humanity. The
attitude of historic Christianity has been a mixture between his spirit
and the spirit of the patriarchal family. Today Christianity is plainly
prolonging the line of respect and spiritual valuation to the point of
equality between men and women--and beyond.

From the beginning an emancipating force resided in Christianity which was
bound to register its effects in political life. But in an age of
despotism it might have to confine its political morality to the duty of
patient submission, and content itself with offering little sanctuaries of
freedom to the oppressed in the Christian fraternities. Today, in the age
of democracy, it has become immoral to endure private ownership of
government. It is no longer a sufficient righteousness to live a good life
in private. Christianity needs an ethic of public life.

It was said of old "Thou shalt not commit murder." It is said to us, "Ye
shall not wear down life in the young by premature hard labor; nor let the
fear of poverty freeze the fountain of life; and ye shall put a stop to
war."

It was said of old, "Thou shalt not steal." It is said to us, "Ye shall
take no unearned gain from your fellows, but pay to society in productive
labor what ye take from it in goods."

IV

This matter of raising the moral standards of society is preeminently an
affair of the young. They must do it or it will never be done. T