The Creed and Modern Thought Author:Benjamin Franklin Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: The initial pronoun of The Creed is " I" throughout The West, while all The East says "We." By this difference, is set forth the characteristic distinction, ... more »that runs through the differing civilizations, of the two great streams of polities and societies, which have flowed out from the region about Jerusalem. Each is supplemental to the other, while both are essential semi-units of one great fact. The oneness of organic humanity, underlying eastern thought, has developed the Eastern Kingdoms and forms of oriental society; while the dignity of the individual has been the idea, ever present but slowly emerging towards power and recognition, through ah1 the political and social institutions of the West. Through all western forms of advancing thought, and expanding character also, may be seen the power of an intense, and irrepressible consciousness of distinct personality. It is true that egotism accompanies this egoism, weakens it, and lays it open to sarcasm. But in spite of the self- sufficiency and self-will, which are growing wildly in this age ; and notwithstanding the pre-eminence, in this regard, ascribed to the American people ; there is under all a fact and a power of personal consciousness, from which evils are certainly arising, but out of which every true man, conscious of his manliness, may hope for the emergence of a higher human dignity, and more resplen? dent personal glory, than the world has ever yet beheld. Some sneer at "faith in man." The fearful trembleat the degradation that may follow self-sufficiency and self-will, when left to operate alone upon possessors of human appetites and passions, amid the opportunities and temptations of this earthly life. The selfish and cunning flatter, that they may destroy. The earnest, and loving and hopeful may dread th...« less