The New York herald., 1878-11-04
STANDARD HALL.
THE RELIGION OF CoNscIENCE-LECTURE BY
PROFESSOR FELIX ADLER.

THE RELIGION OF CONsCIENCE-LECTURE BY
PROFESSOR FELIX ADLER.
What we desire, said Professor Adler in Standard
Hall. is religion simple that the most ordinary
understanding shall grasp it; so elevated on the
other hand to satisfy the demands Of the elite
Of intellect. We have found what we desire in the
religion Of conscience. We trust, in series of dis
courses, to define conscience more accurately
than has been heretofore attempted by u.s.
There ore some who assert that there
is no uniform standard Of right; they point to the
fact that the most barbarous actions have been per-
petrated not only without protest but with the ap-
proval Of the conscience of the guilty parties. Mo-
raity the highest expression OF the universal law
1t has been said that . belief in God is the
foundation Of all holiness Let inquire
into the truth Of this proposition. Concerning
. belief in God have had but little
to say but what have said trust, reverential
To us, it seemed far better to with words
which should be like blows upon their torpid souls;
to proclaim real, practical moral commands to our
age rather than to spin out before them customary
threats Of abstruse and abstract philosophy which
few minds fine enough to grasp
If asks me Dost thou believe in God?
am disposed TO resent his insolence Friend shall
/ answer him, "what henious crime have committed
that thou dost put this question: may ask. What
God? There are thousands Of gods in different mems
minds. There is god of the Buddhist. god OF the
jew and god Of the Christian; there is god of
Socrates, another of Spinoza another of Fichtc. If.
emily find himself involved in pathlcss OBSCURE
ties. How often In ii TO be defined this which
men use 80 glibly What they Uean we know and and
above and within us. and more than that
that there is an inevitable law which we
may confde in. That is wise But the
question now is not to the existence
Of God, to the truth of any conception Of
Deity, nor TO whether can be right without be-
leynr in God: but solely whether that belief is nee
essary to make us virtuous. The doing of right for
the rights sake is that which makes right right
T1.- I'M. tn, tha 80
science is in truth plainly shown in the
lives of those martyrs who have yielded their all and
sacrificed their very existence in defence of
great cause Martyrs mean witnesses-real wit
nessesnot to any principle OF truth but to the love
Of principle Times change beliefs , gro grow old and
row of religion.
AFRICA AS WE NOW KNOW 1T.
REV. WILLIAM ). fuckers LECTURE ON THE
UNEMPLOYED AND UNcHRIsr1ANIzED coNTI-
NENT.
The Rev. William }. Tucker d. d., pastor of the
Madison Square Church. continued his lecture yester-
day afternoon. in that church. on Africa We
Know It-Csn II be Reclaimed r. There was large
and intelligent congregation. Dr. Tucker said that
the transition from America to Africa s not very
great. Two centuries ago the state Of thought
existed in Europe relating to America as now the
case with us regarding Africa. As America had
been the unknown continent Africa has been
the inaccessible continent The opening Of Africa
Is timely Christianity being fully armed to fight the
battle of evangozation. Africa is nature wild.
From hvc degrees north TO twenty degrees south is
the new Central Africa that has been opened. Its
population Ia estimated TO be 40000000 about that
OF the United States The obstacles that stand In the
way of the evangezation of this continent first,
in the African himself, his ignorance and vices.
The African IL dhcnlt 70 approach with new reli-
gion. His peculiar modes Of worship tend to
the development Of the highest kind Of super
70 battle against. The utter disregard Of
the value Of life In another stumbling block Every
wherc human sacrifice is 40 common 1t has been
found difficult 10 stop and convince those In power
OF Its great wickedness. Poygamy and slavery are
other serious obstacles In the way OF reclaiming
Africa. Mohannedansm is still another obstacle.
This religion presents strange features ~, while
IL is drying up at the trunk IL IL thrifty in OF
it's branches. India and Africa present the latter
vices but IL stops at the higher vices and is curse
and blight Christianity knows how to repent. but
Mohammedansm
EvAsaELIcAL LABOR.
The battle of African evangclization began with
Wberforce in his great fight against human slavery
The sin of civilization, the greed Of men, ia another
obstacle in the way of this great work. When the
Christian merchant Of to-day will refuse to send car
goes OF rum to the African coast much will have been
further the cause of this evangezation. Missionary
work is the chief secret Already, with everything
against them. heroic men and women have built mp q
structure that Is and recognized by the civil
lied world Churches and schools established and
the work Ia far developed that the Christian colony