, 1879-02-17
PUBLIC CONSCIENCE.

SERMON ny THE REV. L. I. MERCER.
The Rev. L. r. Mercer, Of the Union Swcdon-
borglan Church, preached yesterday morning III
Hershey Hall Oh "TI,e Public Cunsclcncc,r
taking % bis text tho following words Of Script
uro:
II, Inquire even OF yourselves: Judge 70 not
All theories Of Church anil Stnte IN regard 10
individual rights and responsibilities, said he,
would be found to rest upon the assumption Of
mup's ability TO do justly und TO do right. All
our institutions in this country wcrc founded
distinctly on this acknowledgment. Society vas
nm organic mau, cach human life bciug merely
an incomplete and imperfect fraction. One
man needed otl!er mon to supple
ment his impcrfcctncss, md the per-
fcction Of the whole rested upon the
indlyldual perfection Of each In hs place, the
whole 50 organized being superior to its parts.
The stnbllity Of our Inst tttutions was tnunlcstly
dependent on the Integrity Of the individual and
the public conscience, and tlle latter rested uppn
the cousciences Of this individuals bnBing snce-
ty. Consc!cnco was not merely knowledge Of
tile distinction between right n,,d wrong, but u
preference Of right over wrong, with something
Of pleasure In choosing, tefng, nnu doing right,
and something Of puin in doing and being wrung.
But there wcru several phases Of conscience. Of
which the motives Of scli-intcrcst, loyo
The Kingdom Of Heaven were respectively
the distinguishing characteristics. The true
conscience was the fountain Of 'moral
health and Justice. Law and order dcnondcd
upon the integrity Of the public rona:ieucc, ulul
tic utter upon the intensity OF affection, with
which among thu people the known principles OF
justice ind equity were embraced uud fulfilled
for tlseir own sake. Whom the love Of civil aud
moral order for their own sake was weak, the
motive Of self-tntcrcst led to the recognition of
merely conventional Hta,Mlurd Of nlurul dis
tinctons, which in tts turn dcoascd tho private
conscience.
daily complaint OF pulpit and press, uud thu
source VI this weakness lay In the uebnset stan.
darsl Of public morals. Illu point oil atl this
was counterfeit Of conscience, III which self
interest vas .he ruling motive; A society thus
To thu people Of this country was presented
the alternative Of an increase in the c1fstin,
social complications under srel1 q conventional
stnndard of morality dedicated to eclisincss,
through The fu!iilltnont Of the luwa vi moral
equity. This conventional standard was con-
stantly lowering, mud, II unchecked, must end
IN social conflicts aud TIC dominancy Of the
science was wcak aud the sources Of that Wcnk-
ness was to sec In what Christian duty ay.
Men thought they could do rs they chose, right
Or wrong, provided tI,sy Kept Il to t,smselves,
ialss s'N aud iaiicn a affection w ,uduissi
was MI invitation OF tlcuds into the
body. Wrong was frequently excused
under the plea that 1t could not be helped In
the present statc OF sueety, but there was one
thing thnt could be hclped-thc oxctsllig OF
human WRONG. Every mau WHO called dis:
honesty and evil by their right names ind hated
them accordingly lad co1lsciencu. nlll. by SO
doing, strengthened lta own u' tho public con-
science, In conclusion, tho rcrcrend gentleman
pleaded for tile incoming Of IN cra When every
,nan should do good to others, ehuu evil aB
eiu, md deat justly, faithfully, Rnd squarely
With all men, accord!mg to the principles Of
honesty, and DO oil this, not With selfish mo-
tive, but for The common good.