Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-02

sitions and in different dominions. Wher
this Is well understood the conflict, apparent
only, will be seen to be apparent and not real
To change the opinions of men TO a new
standpoint requires the lifetime of a genera.
ton. It is contrary to all the general laws
| and influences Of education and tradition that
the mind should "break" with its former
history and experience. The common mind
becomes channeled out and flows on to the
sea within its banks. In any considerable
disturbance OF opinions men Of the present
generation divide up into three classes: A
class that has lost elasticity and become rigid
and fixed class that has los. elasticity and
cohesion also, and so goes to pieces; class
that retains the power Of life and growth.
| adapts itself to new conditions, and receives
new accessions of light and truth-ever old as
the mountains and young as the day. So far
as the influence of new physical knowledge
affects religious opinion, it may be seen in
these three divisions CT mind or classes
of men. Those who stand by their
guns and will not move, declaring
that their position is the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and
that the annunciations of scientific inquiry
are atheistic. Those who. having brittle
minds, have laid easily and without stress of
great conviction, crumble into pieces, and
God is abolished and the universe "runs =
itself. Those who have fine sense of all
truth and the many-sidedness of it, and find
in it new power of life and thought. The
first class noble men, immovabls and ada
mantine, will die in their tracks aud give in
their contribution Of fidelity to lost cause.
The second class will "go up" in the general
confusion and smoke of intellectual catastro-
phe. The third class will move on to new
positions and loftier hights, always re joicing
in "the more things in heaven and earth than
were ever dreamed of, and raising the stand
ards of the living God on all territory new-won
to the realm of mind and spirit. The disturb.
ance is the disturbance of breaking camp. 1t
is exaggerated by those unaccustoned to the
noise Of men and horses. It is hut moment
airy to these with whom " a day is as thou
sand years, and thousand years as one day."
The drift of the religious opinion of our
time is plainly out Of ecclesiastical and theo-
logical ideas, into the sphere of moral and
mold the life. These is less Importance at
tached to merely Intellectual argument, and
to the forms in which the truth may be
stated. The medieval ideaiof The unity of
truth and the union of men in it is giving
way to the feeling, deep and strong, that be-
meath very diverse intellectual conceptions
there are deeper things. Reason, common
sense, simplicity and siDgleness CT mind,
have authority in their own right, and
do not ask to have it conferred on
moral ard spiritual nature of man enriched
by experience, and by all the teachings of the
great and of the humble examples of that
common nature which is the Inheritance of
all. The final authority in religion is the
moral and spiritual nature of man. as in the
world of things the final authority is his in.
telligerce. The Christian belief and opinion
of the present, in its general Grift and ten
dency, may bs GU liusd thus; The man of
good sense, and iighs general motives. who
never has undertaken to state to himself
what he believes, if he thinks of il, will find
that he believes
In the moral nature Of man first, midst ard
last A nature not perfect or complete but
capable of indefinite progress and power. In
the absolute wisdom and goodness of God,
however long time may be required for
their display. In Jesus of MAJ ,reth as the
signal exprs ssion f human nature in It's high
est exaltatiop. and likeness to God and in all
who are like hin. however humbly ike hin.
In Immortality. the enduring life of moral
and spiritual beings; OF caprieious and par
tial Immortality, but for all men. A lie OF
intelligence and progress in virtue and excel
lence. A life of wise and merciful prov.
dences and retributions and final triumph
over evil.
On grounds so simple, life has meaning
and aim. It stands to reason, to common
sense, to common sentiments; and any rel.
eious opinion that does not stand to these,
in the long run cannot stand at all.