New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-17
RELIEF AND UNBELIEF.

Elizabeth stuart Phelps ia The Atlantic.
II seems TO me that when man exalts the science
~ things which are seen and touched over the
science of that which secs and toHches Wheh ne
prefeIs to mistake conN Oluuon III the pTain IoI
that hy which the cOnvolutIon becomes anlc 10
think feel and act-naV, by which alone II Is en-
abled 10 make the mistake; when Inc selects the
less for the greater the lower for the 0fticr lnatter
for mind bIain fOI soul, lac exhibits the presuiIp-
lion of the servant sent by his master 10 cash q
check of important value, vino struts as IL 'he
money were his own.
oRie.f 10 YOUR claim because, once more, per-
ceive II TO be a degrading one 1t IL not necessary
to be great ourselves to know that the great natures
of the earth have been believing natures. hNel
You and | can remember that nusi', poetry aiI'
nhilosopliy literature nay, physics Itself, owe
something to faith. 1t is not easy 10 IoieeI tha'
Beethoven Mozart, Bach, Handel, Haydn MiltVH'
Dante. Wordsworth Raphael and Michael Angelo
Plato and lmmRnuci Kant and l-elbnitz, uorihe
and Shakespeare. kepleI and Newton, were pc
levers i'll the existence OF God ana the nlnaIclia
nature and immortal deStinT OF the human epult.
II might be comparatively easy TO prove that yo49
and | had no souls; TO deny one 10 ihtSe people L
have mentioned 10 20 as far az anything could
perhaps to pro 70 that you are right, ana tiat We
AT least. are destitute OF any: ,,
IJegradiug. | say.-deg,ading to the decps below
all that is truly fine. all that IS dchgatey ops,f
ant all that is highly reverentla, all that Is noDlY
receptive all that is capable OF asslmliating inc
1Gea. the beautiful the lofty, anG Inc IaIse III
human histOry.--iS that view 81 human nfsiti y
,-b;ch vour claim presents. It may be either the
eausr or the co sequence of this view that YOU hlp
PANTY ignore the testimony OF the great eachers Oh
N an
,rnnhots priests and kings OF the world. lo1
--,ri, vour back upon tie heights on art, on Spl-
rof,on on intuition. on Imagination on ASPIRATION
IN ,opg ON the sources OF all that makes men clear
and keen in brain. refined aud pure Ia heart fOr
rcme,nbor that if YOU seek To share these things
thev are no. lonc~c properly yours. lhcy are not
they never were they never can lie. the pouncts
OF materiG listic philosophy. IL TINS Is not cIeal
In Won if seems To LIE that your location quite rs
well MS your attitude puts hncly and SIMPLY out
lined truth ont of perspective to yon. lie VINO
climbs sees To him, as 10 Moses, SAYS fIonch
scholar. secrets unknown 20 the raODIe are ic-
veoled upon the mountain-t0p"
You SIT then. and adjust yourself 10 the valley
You bur1ow you dig. you descend. Choosing tIe
coupanv OF the lowest forms OF manifestation. you
will find that the influence of their atmosphere Is
mon Won. Ii a human mind keeps the exclusive
society OF vegetables insects and FOSSILS IS II 10
he nde-ed at that II fails 10 see the TRANSPORTED
cloud which wells while defining. the motions OIL
the eternal SUM- If mans corrodinG ambition IL
To lie quoted as an authority OF potato-bugs'" he
NV be sensitive apprecator OF Locke Essay Oh
the UNDERSTANDING or the excursion OF TIC
axe Poet or the Gospel OF John but docs IL sur
prise us if he is not ..u H..
Pardon once more my plainness If tell You that
cannot ccept your claim, because II seems 10 rue
not M ike the scOil OF the demonstrator IN me
dissectipg-rOol.. His business leads MN 10 handIe
flesh How, then, should GOD be spirit