THE SEVEN PURPOSES


      Chapter IV

      April 1st.

      "THIS is the fourth lesson.

      "The world fears purpose that is free and
      fearless. All the forces of humanity are turned
      against freedom. The church imposes its creed,
      the class imposes its caste, the profession im-
      poses its etiquette, the moralist imposes his
      fear, the libertine imposes his folly. All men
      are bound by the conventions of church, caste,
      profession, or moral status. Thus do they throw
      wide the door to forces of disintegration. Each
      man assumes a purpose not his own; a force
      that is his own deserts him.

      "Free development demands free purpose
      and concentrated force. Wherever two or
      three are gathered together to follow the same
      purpose in free and conscious co-operation,
      there force is multiplied. Wherever an hun-
      dred are assembled to be led like sheep by the
      bell-wether, there force is debauched and dis-
      integrated.

      "Because men have huddled together in
      fear, destruction threatens them. Because free [110]
      speech has been debauched to fell purpose,
      free men distrust it. Men, forces of disin-
      tegration, but possessed of glib tongues, have
      played bell-wether to the multitude. Priests
      of purpose, whose counsel was inspired by the
      Eternal, have been thrust aside and stoned.
      Better were it for the immortal man to follow
      his purpose to death and mortal oblivion, than
      to lose his force to the bell-wether. Many
      purposes make great purpose. Many forces
      unite for freedom. But better for immortal
      man to destroy greatly and greatly strive than
      to sink his purpose in the medley disguised as
      brotherhood.

      "A great brotherhood is possible only when
      its component parts are great. Strength lies
      not in numbers, but in purpose. The fit may
      not lie down with the unfit, and their progeny
      survive. The strong may not yield their
      purpose to the weak, and their force remain.

      "A light breaks in the East—Russia, given
      as a sacrifice to the brotherhood of men. A
      light not of star or dawn, but of sacrificial fire.
      Heed it, guard it, ye youths and virgins, for
      by its flaming sacrifice are ye saved.

      "Brotherhood is purpose of progress, not
      purpose of profit. Brotherhood is made beau-
      tiful by unity, not by schism. Brotherhood
      suffereth long, and is kind. Brotherhood re- [111]
      gardeth every brother, great and small.
      Brotherhood waiteth upon brother and grum-
      bleth not. All build together the common
      home of all.

      "Seek ye those of your own purpose. Unite
      together all who fain would build. Master and
      man, architect and mason, financier and farm
      laborer, all work to the same end, and this is
      Brotherhood.

      "To work for the same purpose, in whatever
      capacity may be necessary, this is the only
      true Brotherhood.

      "This is the fourth lesson."
 


      Chapter V

      April 3d.

      "THIS is the fifth lesson.

      "Men have long cherished the ideal of
      Brotherhood, but they have clung to the letter
      of the ancient law and lost its spirit. Before
      the days of liberty, when men were languishing
      in slavery or bound as vassals, sell all thou
      hast and give to the poor had a significance
      lost in a day of free labor and industrial prog-
      ress. The spirit of the law is unchanged and
      unchangeable, but the letter progresses with
      civilization's advance.

      "To-day, the first essential of brotherhood
      is freedom. Freedom to think, freedom to be;
      lieve, freedom to strive, freedom to develop,
      from highest to lowest. And the employer who
      refuses this opportunity to the men who work
      under him is no more truly a force for disin-
      tegration than the laborer who refuses to co-
      operate with his employer and thus proves
      himself unworthy of a place in the procession
      of progress.

      "There can be no house that will stand [113]
      against storm that has not foundation, walls,
      and roof. There can be no society that will
      withstand disintegration that has not labor,
      capital, and market. When capital oppresses
      labor, forces of disintegration are freed. When
      labor dominates capital, forces of disintegra-
      tion are freed. When the people forget jus-
      tice, forces of disintegration are freed. And
      the destruction of one is the destruction of all.
      The rich man who denies his brother freedom
      is a destroyer. The poor man who denies his
      brother freedom is a destroyer in no less degree.
      Each is a part of the other, and each follows
      eternal purpose to one end—construction and
      progress.

      "The man who has freedom of thought,
      freedom of purpose, freedom of action, is free,
      though he be a pauper, and is free to choose
      whether he will build or destroy. The man
      who is bound by any tie that dictates his
      thought, belief, or action is a force of disin-
      tegration, because he may not follow his pur-
      pose freely and with all his force. The man
      who has freedom and wealth, and forgets his
      brother, is a force of disintegration. The man
      who has strength and poverty, and forgets his
      brother, is a force of disintegration. Equality
      of opportunity does not demand or imply
      equality of development. Many men are rich [114]
      who use their wealth to forward the purposes
      of construction. Many there are who waste
      it and invite disintegration. Many men are
      poor, who use their strength to help along
      construction. They are forces of progress, and
      will find their places here. Many there are
      who delay the march, and invite disintegration.
      What shall it profit a man, though he gain the
      earth, if he lose his own soul?

      "There are seven purposes. Progress, Light,
      Truth, Healing, Building, Production, and Jus-
      tice. Equally great, save Progress, which
      moves them all. One of these must each man
      serve, if he proceeds toward the Great Purpose.
      Whether great or small, high or low, wise or
      foolish, learned or ignorant, rich or poor,
      powerful or apparently impotent, each human
      individual is a force for construction or for
      disintegration, and follows his purpose to its
      inevitable end: constructive forces to construc-
      tion of great purposes, disintegrating forces to
      the long struggle that can have but one end,
      however distant—construction.

      "There are many phases of development,
      each looking onward to the next. If a man
      climb without envy, forgetting himself in his
      purpose, he shall climb far. If he look with
      envy at his higher brother and with scorn at
      those below him, he shall climb on slipping [115]
      sands and find himself again at the foot.

      "Bear ye one another's burdens is a command
      unchanged and unchangeable. Give unto each
      his opportunity to grow, and to build for prog-
      ress. Freedom to strive is the one right in-
      herent in existence, the strong and the weak
      each following his own purpose, with all his
      force, to the one great end. And he who binds
      or limits his brother's purpose binds himself
      now and hereafter. But he who extends his
      brother's opportunity builds for eternity.

      "Choose ye.

      "This is the fifth lesson."
 


      Chapter VI

      April 3d.

      "THIS is the sixth lesson.

      "Men are afraid of fear. They fear to fear,
      and fall into folly. Fear of disintegrating pur-
      poses makes for wisdom, and wisdom makes for
      construction. Fear is a disintegrating force
      made constructive, when directed against disin-
      tegration.

      "Wisdom in high places has been dethroned,
      and intellectual curiosity usurps the scepter.
      Men who should lay foundations of wisdom
      experiment with fantasies of the intellectual
      dreamer.

      "Brotherhood, to one class, is a defensive
      organization, for protection. Brotherhood, to
      another class, is an offensive organization, for
      pillage. Brotherhood, to another class, is an
      organized attempt to preserve the unfit.
      Brotherhood, to another class, is a dream of
      unorganized following of untried theories.
      None of these know that all men are brothers.

      "Evolution of matter follows evolution of
      purpose, but when material things are left be- [117]
      hind, purpose continues to progress. Why,
      then, lose your purpose in pursuit of material
      gain?

      "Church and state alike urge morality for
      personal ends, and recommend personal punish-
      ments. There is no morality. There is only
      purpose, constructive or destructive. There
      is no punishment. There is only consequence.

      "Personal motives are deterrent forces,
      neither actively constructive nor actively de-
      structive, except as they may be applied.
      These forces crowd in between the contending
      purposes, hindering both and helping neither,
      except when compelled by sheer force of num-
      bers to sweep on with one or the other.

      "Forces of disintegration are frequently
      mistaken for personal motives. They are al-
      ways destructive. Personal motives are always
      deterrent. Self-interest excludes sympathy.
      Purpose demands sympathy. Self-interest ex-
      cludes true unity. Unity is the Great Pur-
      pose. Any morality based on personal interest
      is, therefore, a deterrent force.

      "The time has not yet come when men in
      the mass have vision. The great Purpose to
      the small mind is vague and of no significance.
      Personal motives are more easily recognized
      than purpose, and Church and state emphasize
      and encourage them. But the time is at hand [118]
      when great conflicting purposes will meet in
      combat for control of men. Wake the sleep-
      ers. Cast off little things. Sink personal
      motives. Rouse Church and state to percep-
      tion of force and purpose, and unite together,
      regardless of class, creed, or party, to win the
      world to purposes of construction.

      "Church and state urge unity, and yield
      none. Tolerance, freedom, fearlessness, light
      —these are almost strangers to temple or
      court. Little by little the lines are softening.
      Little by little we gain on fear. Here a toler-
      ant and noble clergyman, there a statesman
      who serves the state. But for one of these, a
      thousand huddle under creed or slogan, and
      fear of freedom impels them all. This is be-
      cause they have not recognized purpose, and
      they impede progress who might be its power.

      "Come forth, then, priests, teachers, and
      leaders! Call upon the people, not to follow,
      not to huddle, not to hesitate, but to choose.
      Set ye the seven purposes clearly before them,
      clearly perceiving them, ye that call, and bid
      them choose, for the life of all, the purpose
      they will serve.

      "Thus may deterrent forces become construc-
      tive, and the Great Purpose known of all men.

      "This is the sixth lesson."