68 Swartbmore Xecture.

mankind, including the conception of progress, wasprepared in the asiatic " empires," broke throughin Hellenism , and was taken up by the Stoic andthe " good emperors " of Rome. It was advancedby the conception of the globular form of theearth, which—unknown to the Babylonians andEgyptians—appeared by the Pythagoreans to findgeneral acceptance by Aristotle and Alexander asa commonplace of the cultured minority. 1 Incontrast to the unlimitedness of the flat surface,the ball suggests the idea of unity and preparesthe conception of the " oecumenical."

The founders of Christianity built upon theoecumenical idea: God hath made of one bloodall nations of men for to dwell on all the face ofthe earth. For Jesus the distinctions between Jews and Gentiles, Bond and Free had disappeared—they were all children of God . The Holy Ghostcame down upon the disciples, when they were" with one accord," i.e. when they were togetheras one spiritual fellowship. He spoke throughthem to each people in its own language. Hespeaks still, for the miracle of Pentecost is notdead.

The Kingdom as an ultimate goal is tran-scendent, but its stages are immanent in historyand even in daily life. Wherever two or three ofHis friends and followers are united in His spiritthere is a germ of the Kingdom which, thoughinvisible, is amongst us. From these small groupsof disciples the divine spirit permeates the world.

1 My attention was drawn to this by my daughter, Dr.Ruth v. Schulze-Gavernitz.