New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-13
PROFESSOR FORSHEY'S LECTURE
Science and Human Duty Illustrated from
1Ieteorology and the Weather.

1 ScIRncs and Human Oupy Illustrated iron
MeteOrology and the Weather.
I 4 rather small audience of the elite 0
! Che city greeted the learned lecturer 2: ~
ceum Hall las: evening.
HE introduction was tasteful anu dig
nifei. az he welcomed .he audience o: j.:
few o! his old frieAds. and tie many Of :hei
children. 20 whom he !ec:ured IL thi. ial
twenty i've years age to-day.
He said be missed the faces o: Peters
and Baldwin. and Hossl;us. and Preston
and Eustis. and Henner. but ne saw il
their places their children and their grand
children. He conpiimented the young me,
O: the association. and said: when you
call upon me FOR ICY contribution. knowing
as you do ,ha: carry a.! my boarded treas
ure in my head and heart, do most cheer
fully place The entire heard At your dis
po.al. :urn my contribution boz upside
down. and shake j. we'll"
After al outline 0! The charities and phi:
lanthropic labe:s o. :he association. :ht
lecturer said:
Think not, yDung men. chae this tribute,
which sou have invited and am SO happy
! 70 render, is prompted in any sectariau or
fanatical spirit. What have 90 say must
be alike suited 70 Christian, jew or Gen.
tile. and it gives me sincere pleasure TO
! know that this very sentimen. pervades
! many of the active members OF your or
| ganization. God bless their labors in the
direct ratio o; their broad !!berality and
! beneticence.
Therefore, gentlemen Of the Young
Mems Christian Association. greet you in
-
| takes Of the 2nimus Of your most exalted
exemplar. Jesus of Nazareth: Come. le:
! US reason together
Here is an appeal TO the faculty God mas
| given 70 cultured man which, ate. all. is
his guide and regulator.
! Religion is a sentiment. Reason 10 its
guide and modulator. AL men have che
| sentiment called religion. Only those who
have cultivated their reason have guided
! the Gcd-given sentiment in the line Of the
highest virtue and morality. For the proper
! exercise OF this reason. and the resultant
practice OF virtue as construed by reason,
| we are told by the monitor within. we shall
be held responsible. Evade it as We may,
all those Of us who have sufficiently cul.
I tared our reason to analyze our conscious
! ness and our intuitions, find an indelible
! writing there that we shall in some way or
! other be held to account for our violation
! Of what We are certain is right and yirtuous.
| This fact is SO often recorded in the history
! Of human conduct that learning would be
I trittered in attempting 20 show its origin
! and its repetltiOns. But nowhere is 10 bet
| ter uttered in ancient or modern times than
! in one OF the older books OF your faith,
/ where it is written that "every work shall
! be brought into Judgment. and every secret
! thing. whether it be good or whether i. be
| evil This utterance has been ratified by
! the leading reasoners o.! every age for the
| past 5000 years. And this was written after
| !. recognition Of the principle by the ances.
| tors of its writer for at least 1000 years
! prior to his time. We sha:! never eradicate
| il from our hearts.
AS votary OF science, have some stores
and as having cultivated its fields, under
the constant influence o: the convictions
jus. uttered 20 you. and have felt the truths
eliminated in my !abOrs. they have per.
petualy modified my convictions Of duty.
therefore have chosen my rather eccentric
tex: as ''Scence and Human Duty"
Science is knowledge. The Latin noun
sciehti0 and the verb srto have the same
idea-knOwledge and to know. All valuable
knowledge is the result OF investigation.
the conclusion OF inquiry and homes. exam
inatiOn.
We will notice our in.uitions, Independent.
Of our teachings. FOR example. we know
that we exist and can acc or not act: that
we have volition. which enables Us TO do o.
not do number of acts we regard as good
or bad: that we can lie or tell truth: can De
crue! or merciful: can be Industrious or
idle; be frugal or profgate: and in all these
acts or neglects we practice virtue or wee.
This we fee! Withou. much reasoning on the
subject.
And hence. with little more culture,
We learn to group these actions OK omis-
siOns, under the head o! figh: and wrong.
Such is the constitution of the human mind.
Next beyond orr 1ntultiOns and primary
conclusions. come our beliefs. These are
tho result Of testimony. and stand next in
rank 70 our knowledge. We know that we
see the sun. and we believe that he sends
US heat and light. We know that We feel
pain. and we believe that the nerves are the
instruments of the sensation.
Absolute knowledge is derived either
from the testimony of on. senses, or from
the internal notice OF our sensations and +,
tbinkings.
Beliefs are the conclusions OF cur reason. |
based upon our absolute knowledge.
Opinions are lghte. sorts o: beliefs. We |
incline ~ opinions, as the weight Of evi- |
dence leans toward a conclusion. which |
opinion may be changed upon further ex.
animation. Al! reasoning people tha: have
intellectual. freedom can change :heir |
as the additlona: evidence enligLteus :he!v !
minds.
Faith. as we understand .:. IS the reliance !
We place upon conclusions not capable in |
their nature of the kind of proof furnished |
by absolute knowledge, often Ho. capable |
OF much examination.
For example, we know bv our conscious.
ness, our intuitions, that We think and rea- |
son. We believe that We have thinker.
spirit, soul. We have an opinion that it
is immaterial, and we have faith that i will
never die--that it ;s immortal.
Now, with this absolute knowledge and
the inductions we have as above. the con-
viction that all we do, and much that we |
do not, will have to be accounted for, then
arises the irresistible impression of human I
duty. The whole of our active lives, short !
or long as we term them. are engaged in !
volumes or millions of actions !
and thoughts, conclusions and resolutions |
for which we have to respond. This nearly
all reasoning men admit. and those " ho do
no. utter the admis sion fee: j. down be- |
meath the weight OF false pride, or obstruc: |
{ by dissipations and sensu2lities.
Thus it is that men weave the web Of
thei: own fate. and knowingly venture /
lPon another sphere of existence which they |
believe in. TO atone to- che nes!ec.s and
'iolations of duty il this.
Now. il is obvious from .Ais showing :ha: |
10 candid human mind is responsible for bis |
,eliets. beyond a sincere etto-: 20 msste:
he truth.
Neither belief nor faith = .he suaiec: o!
-oiitioH. All that can be done is 70 seek. !
" al! known means, TO enlighten the mind
~ extending knowledge. This process vii.
onfiyin the beliefs, al! especially chose
hat relate 20 duty.