THE COMING ARISTOCRACY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1880, 18 April 1889, Page 4

THE COMING ARISTOCRACY.

The Eev. Eutherford Waddell, M.A., of Dunedin, lectured to a large audience in the North Belt Presbyterian Church, Christchurch, on Thursday night on “ The Coining Aristocracy.” Ho traced the growth of the idea of aristocracy to the ancient belief that men were born into the world in different castes, that some men were born beings of a lower grade than others, citing as an instance, the Hindoo myth, that various classes of men sprang from various portions of the Supreme Being. On this belief was founded the ancient aristocracy of force, a system under which the lower classes were mere slaves. The aristocracy of feudalism was an advance on this, as the over-lord was bound to protect bis dependents, many of whom were freemen. The system of a landed aristocracy, under which the superior and inferior occupied the positions of landlord and tenant, was then referred to, and the lecturer described the aristocracy of the present day as, in the main, a commercial one. The coming aristocracy was that of worth, an aristocracy of which Christ, the truest gentleman,i was the perfect type. That aristocracy would be based on the brotherhood l of man and the unity of the humanJ race. Its sway would be the fulfilment of Christ’s prophecy, “ The meek shall inherit the earth.” The Eev. E. Erwin, M.A., presided during the lecture, and at its close a vote of thanks was passed to Mr Waddell. — Exchange.