, 1872-12-23

renders may remember his reply to James Par-
toms article: E'Does it pay to smoke - pup
lished four or Ave years nso. MessIs. James A.
ozgood Co. haye Just pqostnSha fn The
aMyths iiss 'y md MSythMafers" Ut exhibits the
tent of his learning in one direction quite con
epicuouBly, and is moreover, both entertaining
in matter, and truly pure in style.
JOHN wEIss' ESSAY.
The reader OF the essay to-day WAS John
Weiss. To report Mr.. Weiss without quo11ng
thought is so crystallized in his style that u
seems impossible to render it in any other med
| iurn. He is essentially poet and, when 14 ne
reads his prosiest essays, they are lnstincs ~.
| passionate rhythm, 30 that reporters notes,
| and even the exact language when quoted, seem
to lose half the Significance that vas IN the To5as
when uttered. Tie subject Of his essay to-day |
discriminate faith in its essential character. It
viii be s,1rmised, by all Who know anything OF |
Mr.. Weiss, that his definition Of Faith does
not conform to the theological authors
Faith has played upon the worlds stage, he
said: "Human feeling has put the word into
italics in every European language. Kings may
be as proaigate as they please Only they IN muet a
each one may love each other as Chrlstlans
ought, but they are bound to hate and fight: as
only Christians can, the opposite believers.
Moral and industrial Development mas oee1 posE5
out Of conviction that mans heart may oe
pure, but his soul cannot be- sound unless ms
mind shares the orthodoxy OF one Or the othor
party: Whenever a sincere conviction relgns
that eternal welfare depends upon = holding OF
! certain opinions upon invisible objects, 1t pe.
i comes very grave matter to force the right
opinion,-graver than to insist upon good con
duct,-and any means may be resorted TO-
whether tho soul to be saved relish the proceed
ing or not" will go On to sketch as briefly as
, I c.n, using his own language, Mr. Weiss
thought as developed in this sssay: oact ~
; tenn Of bene6cence to rule the other world
, YOU expect some compensation for the LIS OF
this. But what yo9 have no eVlaenslnt 70 @sJt jst
iect Of Faith. y Faith is not d form OF proba-
bility or instructive likelihood, or mental meth
. Cd built on texts. ** We cannot help letting
t | nres,,mption rise into the most convinced e1-
presson for it is the totaGty Of wonders, and as
valuable as ne are. So we affirm; insist upon
= it squandor upon it thought and fancy; send
it along others hea1tstnngs IN 1nis ,o Gl eh? t;s
. which is the proclamation OF o1r lives. But 1t IS
not the act Of Faith We are seeking, and IN gen,
a eral ne may cay that no presumptions that tend
. toward the invisible, Or undertake to make
inches in it for definite objects can correctly be
0 called achievements Of Faith. An act OF Faith
T. appears to be the expectations which arises
the ana 1a1 ae Of
y Faith is furnished gradually BY discerning how
; this world is constructed, for it is the stem on
Y which our souls blossom; the whole order is
Y destined to feed and keep Us in health.
= We begin By teaching men the whole structure
- Of this world We can afford to leave the next
l. world, and the whole region Of the invisible to
as each mau,-a free pasture, where he may van
al der at will and crop what theories best suit bis
ID disposition. For well-instructed man has
ss such excellent material deposited in his person
for the promotion Of opinions about all accessl'
is BILE objects, that he may safely be let alone'
Init Y1nr
q cor of sectional zeal need touch his perfect
E. liberty to form his own conception OF God, ano
20 to put all his expectations into hls Own state
ts ments. Only one absolute CONDITION should M oe
OF absolutely enforced: that all men ane
O. intelligent for the world needs inhabitants
ae whospend their lives conforming to its laws,
which used to belong'to the domain of Faith. =
OF It is lost time to argue against any susplc1of
ly that the human soul is going to be put out be
cause the stream Of knowledge is turned into it
= I think we might not whimper much about tn
it. soul I should as soon grow melancholy with
is doubt that music, if transferred from the oil
ed four-strnged Tyre of the Greeks to the manifold
ly comn1exitv of the modern orchestra, YVES go1nt
u to fail into decay. 7 anticipate an expansion
r. ike that which will call out Of the soul new com
n binations, and develop her variety With ha1mo
of nioa of truth aud emotion, compared WIN Nnlcl
Of | The Cd music of religious Faith is q twang
ar ing on one string. We cannot keep this nat
nd ural soul Of mankind fasting for it's religion
,d | We went tn teach society how to be more hu
m wa and to make its inevitable distinction
a nnno1tnnitieg for harmonic combinations
pppa5 9o,7, +1a hottom to the ton Of the scale
fnr ant for inetance. to engage the wises
IN - contribute upon the basis Of the la
~ ptanls est;or ~ % ~ adinstnoent of labor an
~ o1 ne, ~, n;oLt hove haen s,,snected
~ capital aiTa. r. haen dscoyered. Like oths
~ ~ nao ~. 9an - r+b Tnan and waits to be u1
oTs to Service u % It vii be sublime day for rego
"a 49, ha1I down over t}a whole Republic farme
~ tnat enaa Laaa ;ated hr;doed and acnueduc
- 1n1ne4, a915 55atha5 sna t;ni-ared hv co-oper
ted t;o3n Win is HE statesman ambitious to put
t1on. mn9 1o ~ ~ h;a fane-to ortlast with
a;d iate posael.5 ,nnnuments of stone and brass
- Ms I5sooe5 ~ 1o1yar in noltics than sou
Fas dayice to persuade the forces Of the world
bv work IN amity. so that tyranny shall be = N
rec tnal blunder and concert mutual success. L
ned moral earnestness leave the poor business