"Equality of Men"—Whose Invention?
Says one of the world's honored scholars, of Dublin, Ireland, Prof. J. P. Mahaffy, LL.D., F.R.S., in the Christian World of July 23, 1896:— "There is no doctrine which is more false, or which has done more mischief, than the invention of the 'equality of men' by Rousseau and his school. It may yet prove the most mischievous lie in all history." Professor Mahaffy does not write in the spirit of a century ago. Neither does he go back far enough to find the origin of the "equality of men." It was not an invention of Rousseau or his school. It had a better, nobler Author. Said our Lord: "One is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren." Matt. 23:8. If this is not equality, what is? Again: "God that made the world . . . hath made of one blood all nations of men." Acts 17:24, 26. "For there is no respect of persons with God." Rom. 2:11. The equality of men is of God; their inequality is of sin and of men. Nearly everybody expects to be saved sometime. But the fact that they expect sometime to be ready to give up to the Lord, makes them satisfied with not being ready. This is what produces the feeling of indifference and lethargy. The Lord will never work with any greater power than he is now using. He is just what he is. He has not two measures of strength. When he works, he works with his own power, and he is working now. Those who are expecting some mighty movement to come and sweep them off their feet, and carry them upward to Zion, will be disappointed. God never can increase in power. He is the perfection of power and goodness. Our part is to recognize the power already here, and to yield to it.