The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-07-12

THOUGHT.
Beginning with the recital of the story of
he discussion at the court of King Darius as
20 which was the strongest thing in the world,
wherein it was finally admitted that neither to
wine, the king or to women did this pre-emi |
nently belong, but to truth, and the other le
gend of ST. Christopher, the speaker declared
than the conviction OF the Jewish captive and
the spirit of the Christian saints devotion ave |
the co-efficients of loyalty to truth. which, |
more than anything else, is needed amot g Inc |
men of this age. This fixed belief that truth |
is the strongest OF all things by virtue OF
absolute and universal authority and this
equally fixed purpose to serve and honor 1t in
all things and at all sacrifices, are the two
fundamental things most imperatvely demand
ed by all personal and public considerations of
our educated men. Whatever Is built in disre-
gard of truth, whether it be financial scheme
or political policy, philosophical system,
social order or form of government, is destined
Lot ouly to be overthrown but to involve mis-
chief and misery in its fall. Whatever one
does or is, the supreme respect of what is true
is the invariable condition of being or doing
anything well. The speaker ccntrasted the
half-finished statue of the Doge upon costly
tomb at Venice, a fair seeming piece of work
from distance but half-done as seen close at
hand, with the thorough, honest work display
cd by the Cathedral of Milan. One was done
Tor pay, and the other for God and as in his
right. So man renouncing the hidden things
dishonesty, should build and adOrn the temple
of his life as the servant of truth. The dispO-
siton to do the truth il more closely connected
with its discovery than is supposed. Bacon
says, "What man wishes to be true. that he
prefers believing"
The difficulties which beset the enquirer at
ter truth, SO far as they are inherent and per-
sonal, are substantially these which stand in
the way of pursuing truthful line of conduct.
The frame of mind which is essential to candid
research is neither easily nor generally attain
ed. Because of their manifold possessions do
men quite commonly see through glass dark
ly rather than on account of the indiscernibili-
ty of the objects or the imperfection of the in
strument.
No periodic efforts to prepare this frame of
mind can hope to be successful. Only per-
manent indwelling and sovereign spirit of
truthfulness, which rules over all our forms of
practice as we'll as forms of thought and ba-
bitually exercises its boundless right over the
entire man, is sufficient for these things
Truth and error do not usually confront in
well-defned and opposing array, but are
strangely shutfled together and complicated,
and the discernment of truth will often require
that quick and almost intuitive perception
which only heart fixed in supreme loyalty to
truth and in complete sympathy with it can
supply. This, then, first of ALL is essential,
that man shall heartily believe in and honor
truth as entitled to absolute rule and authori-
ty over him; and the great need of the times is
of thoroughly educated and disciplined men in
whom the sovereign good of human nature
reigns-men to whom the whelming waves of
shoreless seas is better than the support Of
floating falsehoods.
Commenting upon the great critical move
meut now in progress, the speaker was led
more directly to his subject, and laid down
these propositions: First, the love of truth re.
quires complete freedom of thought and is
also the spirit by which it must be guided.
Second. only as thought is free will the love of
truth flourish, and only as the love of truth
proper limitations.
Opposition to the progress of truth will be
crushed. Indifference will result in selfish
isolation. Things must come to light Com
munism cannot be crushed by brute force.
The religion of humanity has some truth at the
bottom and cannot be sneered to death. All
attempts to appease free thinking are disas-
trOus to the interests of truth, indirectly, as
creating violent reactions, and directly as him
derirg discoveries Of truth. Nothing is SO pro-
life of all forms of error as state of inteliec-
tual stagnation. Lacordaire says the ocean is
only the ocean by virtue of receiving all that
flows into it, Though some things, indeed,
are settled, each generation must fight the old
battles AID revise the old conclusions, else our
Up'nrous wou1d resemble the stuffed birds IN
the taxidermist's cabinet rather than living
principles. Each vigorous mind makes truth
its own. Milton said truths accepted on au.
thority become beresies.
There or two opinions concerning the office
of doubt. Philosophers, scientific men and
some theologans insist that it is the funda
mental condition of knowledge, but its moral
guilt has ever been grimly affirmed. Male
branche said, There is a great difference be
tween doubling and doubling" The spirit Of
universal distrust and suspicion is an evil.
Teachableness is at the bottom of knowledge,
but should not be COMPOUNDED with incredulity.
1t is true there are dangers incident to the
spirit of free inquiry and many adventurous
spirits have been wrecked, but all freedom is
liable to abuse and its exercise is invariably at
tended with some dangers, but the greatest
danger lies in the opposite direction. Re.
actions are not to be judged from, nor is it fair
to Judge the results of free thinking by the
antics of an exeeptionable style of men. There
are men above the necessity of any certain
knowledge. Their Gospel is the everlasting
No" 7'ID
Freedom of thought is not an unmixed, but
on the whole and for the most part, good and
gain to mankind. Compare Germany, Eng
land and the United States where it has pre-
vailed, with Spain, Italy and France. 1t has
helped extirpate superstition; it has given birth
and protection to civil liberty; it has rescued
the religion which prosecuted it from tbraldom,
scattered the abuses which threatened its de-
structiOn, and given it perpetual lease of
larger and nObler power over the hearts and
minds of mankind. Those who are apprehen-
sive of the result of the spirit OF free inquiry
should remember that with intellectual eman-
cipation came the Reformation, and with its
spread Christianity has extended its dominion,
and now, when thought is freer than ever, re-
ligion is more potent, more aggressive, more
fruitful, more Astounding in signs of future tri-
umph than ever before.
Like those poisons which, before thew induce
torpor produce soothing effect, is that policy
which to relieve meh of the duties and dangers
OF intellectual honesty persuades them to re-
celve with unquestiOning credulity the decla-
rations of some of the numerous infallibilities
which still infest the earth. The speaker re-
viewed the history of religious persecution in
the middle ages, and said if that can be called
religious enthusiasm, then it is clear not even
love or truth can safely dispense with freedom
of thought, but without it becomes ignorant
zeal and cruel fanaticism. The policy Of intol.
erence led men into frightful disregard of
truth and dark ways of conduct which the
Heathan Chinee can never hope to emulate,
were traversed by those Jealous churchmen.
What then passed for the love of truth was
what that always degenerates into when com.
PEELED to lansuish in an atmosphere of confne
ment.
There is no doubt SO fatal to truth as that
implied in timid intolerance for intolerance
suspects the truth of being weak and needing
protection. The love of truth is full of conf
dence. Freedom of thought furnishes the cor
rection of its own alterations. Coal-fires of
criticism sweep long fields of knowledge. On
the heads of Mr.. Darwin come Miyert and
Wallace and a host of mighty doubters, whose
fans are in their hands and they will thorough
the garner. Each school of Sophists encoun-
tiers its Socrates. Each crazy Don Ouixote.
too, falls in with his wind mill and rolls
sprawling from his high hobby horse amid in
extinguishable laughter.
AS long as the Delphian oracle was enshrin-
ed IN the sincere reverence of Grecan hearts
no fortlfcations were necessary for its protec-
ton. Let us then build no more unseemIy bull
warks for the protection of the TRUTH but rath-
er level such as have bet n previously built, for
If the Holy Oracle cannot by it's own trinsic
sanctity command from men so much of rev.
erence and love as are necessary for its securi-
ty, all the eternal defences we can erect serve