tible, and destined to union with its source. "Capacity to merge his life with that of similar beings," i. e. social life, is a characteristic of man. He alone is sane, natural, normal, who is in union with his fellows. "In failing to follow the fundamental instincts and capacities of his nature, a man becomes at once selfish, sinful, and unsocial."[1] " He loses those powers by which he might become a member of God's family and of the brotherhood of man."[1] Man realizes his true and complete self only in social life. Selfishness is abnormal and degenerate, and shuts one out from those experiences in which alone there is fullness of life. The "tat-twam asi" (this is thyself) of esoteric Brahmanism the affirmation of the One below the many and of identity in the midst of change became in the teaching of Jesus an aspiration, an ideal, a goal of effort and therefore of vast regenerating power.
This doctrine of man requires a religious philosophy that shall afford the requisite substratum for the mystical brotherhood. This is provided in the idea of an All-Father having those social qualities love, goodness, mercy, truthfulness, faithfulness which characterize the soul in its perfect state. He is at once source and goal of man's life. Men are brothers because they are his sons. The vine and its branches symbolize the ideal relation that is possible between men and the Father. To identify this All-Father with the creator, sustainer, or first cause, arrived at in the non-social development of belief regarding the universe, is not difficult. More trouble is met in identifying Him with the stern lawgiver, judge and punisher, evolved in the development of "control by belief." The struggle between "justice" and "mercy," between hell fire and love, marks simply the interference of the two great orders of transcendental ideas by which society has sought to control its members.
If our interpretation is correct, human brotherhood and divine
fatherhood in order to comprehend this brotherhood constitute
