New-York tribune., 1874-04-13
AN INTELLIGENT CONSCIENCE.

The Rev. Joseph May OF NewburypOrt, Mass''
preached at All Souls Church Unitarian, Fourth-aVe'
and Twentieh-s yesterday morning MS suoloc' was
Conscience for TRUTH text being, "What is TRUTH
Jobn chan xyji verse 3s In the OF his sermon
the nreacher said: We cannot tell now whether these
words of PLATE uttered derisivey or despairingy
There was probably little OF both elements In his spirit
But they painfully characteristic OF his tme ana
contain whole history in phrase plato belonged TO
a nation and a civilization which rotten to the core
Religion in Greece and Rome had connected itself
with the life of the worshpcr. The religion of Greece
was beauty; OF Rome, patriotism; but the
glory OF Greek art had departed and the ex-
alted devotion to country which had marked
ancient Rome had ceased TO exist Morals had no real
The highest classes OF society were amused with the
cruel gadatoral shows for the accommodation OF
which the Coliseum was built. But virtue was not
wholly dead; OF the no6est instances OF manly
herosm and Of wOmanly devotion can be gathered from
the the pge without teachers Of virtue The philoso
piers OF Greece and Rome contain prOOaDly every
moral principle which we recognize today. Some OF
them offer us noble types of virtue IN their own char
acters and lives. What was the profound dlinculty III
the Pilates response to Jesusit radical skept
cis peryadng all classes as TO not only the form but
the very existence OF truth Inc trouble was not
that they could not shape 10 themselves intellectual
propositions concerning truth but that they could not
distinguish between truth and error.
Christianity, which in two centuries worked such
wonderful change the moral condition OF society not
strictly because brought truth but because 1t brought
belief in truth. 1t is of the greatest Importance 70
understand the distinction Christianity ,aWOke tne
slumbering faculty OF belief and impressed men with
the idea Of the distinction between truth ana error ana
great value OF this distinction That this proposition
is correct might be shown as matter OF iact Dy
simple examination OF the actual ideas extant IN inc
first century OF Chrlsanlty Inc Chrlstlans OF tnai
age rejected Of the existing supersttiOns, and
added many Of their own; they were ignorant, and
Christianity would to-day be rejected But these men
and women lived life of scrupuous purity and sim
picity, in the midst OF society which was wholly
sensual. aheistic and skeptical. They revived the
best virtue of old Rome, but in a wholly differ
ent type, and finally regenerated society," overthrow
ing the gladatoria shows The reason OF this re-
markabe change of the character OF large portion OF
the population simply the development OF scru-
pnlOus apprehension OF the value ana necessity OF trutn
Of the Importance OF being right III ones life and creed
The Greek and Roman had no clear idea of responsible
iy to higher power, OF immortality and eternal pun
ishlnent. His choice between truth and error was
wholly an arbitrary one made by force OF intellect ana
will The Christian the other hand, tet that eternal
bliss awaited the result OF his decision With
the idea of accountability to supreme Power came an
almost preternauTal apprehension-a sense OF SIN No
pagan ever conceived the idea OF sinner although lie
Then the fear OF punishment the hope of reward
not perhaps see the mere formal distinction between
good and evil more clearly than the pagan Dut ne re.
sppcted it, believed 1t TO be real, II he did not
understand IT, He might nor have been able TO answer
Pilates question whT is Truth but ne oeiyed s ed an
almpOrtant to possess IT, aud this led TO tha dog
matte tyranny from which the ancient world had been
free The vtalizng power OF Christianity is FAITH and
it this which overcame that vicious skeptclsn ana
led men 10 accept truth. On the distinction between
truth and error religion fundamentally depends. 1t in
wolves the duty OF doing what you think true and right
Religion conynces us that it IS OF Importance to
right conduct and in opinion. The teachings OF the
Apostles lea men TO accept Immortality the existence
lusive notion OF the speedy end of the world. From
condition of complete infdety and disbelief IN any
thing they changed into condition OF creduty,
and the Christian church soon assumed an attitude OF
extreme dognatsm which has never wholly LETT it, the
result was that for many centuries dnilng the DARK
ages, Christendom plunged into ecceslastca d0m
nation and popular mental repression, from which
strange and poetic justice caused 10 DC rescued Dy the
revival OF the study OF ancient CLASSICS. -
Now this position OF the Church has been peremptory
opposed 10 conscience In It's second aspect e. the
duty Of persona! conviction as to truth The Church
held and still holds that she IS the sole repository OF
truth aud that all truth Is contained In her DEGREES and
creeds The exercise OF the mind on questions OF truth
has been disseminated that rectitude in respect
to opinion consists S IN Gr passive TSs reception , ot
been to undermine belief in personal responsibility
Conscience pointed TO the acceptance OF the teach
of the church. and not the formation OF scupuOus
lust but independent opinions for oneself Tne rise of
is called Liberal Christianity 10 simply the awaken
scientious 1t is true element OF Christianity
the ethical sense. The whole spirit OF Chrlsts
regard to truth, Enthusiastically those OF seer
and not of dogmatist. o---....-
as much as-I trust we may say more than-0rth0dOx
Christianity, which, though 1t has lasted long must
freedom. The emancipation of thought demands that
il shall have lts rlghtfu exercise We are 10 Gye the
now also we see, with all our mind" The emancpa-
ton or the intellect which has been going ou for
intellect We have discovered that the mind cannot
conform its action to required standard without DONG
the mind is that OF wholly untrammeed
action, and those results OF mental ia movement n1e
valuable We responsible for our opinions as for
process of personal observation and examination.
To be destitute OF opinions is reprehenslble we are
bound 10 feed, educate and develop our minds as well
as our bodies This is the application OF the law
Of conscience But we have not as yet entirely removed
the old spirit OF subserviency TO authority cannot
with COmplaCency the views OF others which are
different from ours. All this must be changed We must
be willing light from any direction that will
assist us finding the truth Ii be objected that all
cannot take time 10 carefully investigate and arrive
at satisfactory conclusions. Business and daily cares
prevent This is true but remember this Cultivate
Independent thought and as far as you co. go right for
the influence Of one has Its effect upon the masses
OF mankind; accept opinion which your MIND does
not and cannot approve Each one Is constituent
member OF a community; lhe agereedte oi the rea
opinions OF the average men ana women l "at constr
tues public opinion MoreOyer Dy a @ sOmewhst more
subtle process the form OF puphc oplhon actuiy ere
ates the practical standard or the moral sense no man
will be considered bad man so long as he uoes hot
lapse into habits ana acts WblGn the aSsldSo puDc
opinion Of his age condemns Wnat would eonuehlh
man almost iend to-day would hardly have been
considered as an act OF malice ID the uS U ,y,
The OF tins Is suggestive statement or NY
present purpose. II public opinion Is lOW tle hoIai
sentiment cannot be refined aud delicate Infanucide
and suicide not considered wrong lSO years ago
hundred years ago man was not less esteemed II ne
rose from his dinner table day In state OF ntoA
cation He not condemned by ms nelghoofs anu
therefore was not sefcOndemned Thus the aggregate
Of the opinions OF men AROUND US not tnc % "a
philosophers aud exact thinkers Is the measure OF cV
lzatiOu Finally, the prcNdltnct ol
vdual reection Is the only efficient protection against
error. In community not accustomed 10 thlnk, uelu-
sOns and false principles spread by sort OF eonag0n
Those who do deuded with dlssOute prn-
cipes aud false reasoning OF the weakest klnd An h
egent community which has been aroused 10 1eel that
IL Is as much Obg OF the indlVdudl 10 correct
his opinions as to rectify his conduct ana whose mem,
beTs have learned diligence IN the formation Oh
OPINION aud to refuse ali opinions not sanctioned Dy the
reason, can never DC the victim OF ialsehoOd'
THE PROFITS OF MISSIONARY WORK.
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