Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-24
MORAL PROGRESS.

Prtneiples-Moralsi in the Early Periods
of the Reformation.
A large audience assembled last night,
many Professionals being among those in
attendance to listen to the fourth and
last OF the advent course of Lectures which
Bishop Ireland has been delivering at tho
Cathedral. The following ia condensed
report Of his remarks:
True progress for man is moral
progress. Intellectual and material
progress serves its purpose in
leading to and assisting neral progress.
The triumphs of the mind demand as their
crown the triumph of virtue in the heart
Confined to themselves they are as likely
to DO means OF death as-of life to individ-
uais and to communities. Before heaven
and earth goodness exssls in value and In
merit above learning, skill or richss.
To the honor Of our age it prizes raorsl
goodness. know that il is ambitious to
control and to possess matter. Gold and sill
yer some say are its gods, and progress in
the means to acquire gold and silver is the
progress which it esteems. This is not coz
rect statement of It's aims and judgments.
Its practlce, no doubt, often falls below it's
principles. But virtue remains it's high
ideal and the good man moro than the
learned man or rich man obtains it's ap-
approval. Neither ia it selfish age, what
ever superficial observer may think of it.
1t responds royalty to the calls of charity.
1t thrcbs with fevarish activity in efforts
to elevate humsnity, to render men purer.
better, happier. The efforts, it is trne,
often lack the proper directions to make
them fruitful. But the high minded mo-
tive which suggest them ID not less Iauda-
bic. There is much that il good
in our age, and I am glad to
recognize and to proclaim the fact.
need net add that the Divine Reform
or Christ Jesus, who is the standard and
the teacher of ali truth and righteousness,
PIT moral progress in the foreground, as
the chief, the ultimate aim of man in the
dsveioPsusat Of the gifts entrusted to him
by the Creator. Seated on the mountain
top-reised above the dark mists Of earth
and the grovsling labors and anxieties
"aicn cling to matter-Ohrist taught his
disciples the beatitudes. They belong e1-
ciusively to the moral order. Blessed are
the poor in spirit; blessed are the meek;
blessed are the msrciful; b,ssssd are the
clean OF heart; blessed are they who
hanger and thirst after justice.
MoRAL PROGRESS TEST OF RELIGION
A true test of g. system Of religion is it's
Influence upon moral progress. The prop
or, immediate ground fer the workings Of
religion is the moral order. To tia bsr
Of this order we will, With all possible 10y
atty to history, summon Martin Luther,
and the religious revolution OF which
he was the author. We can
do this with all the more justice to his
memory thas Luther made the appeal to
the moral order this reason of his revola-
ton. He purports6 TO be rsformer Of
faith ana morals. His revolution has
been styled the Reformation. Lather's
protest against the church has 10 yaiue, is
On its face dclusion and deco option,
unless it has given to the world purar
code of morals than is possessed at the
close of thu fifteenth century unless it made
men better, purer, more virtaous, more
| moral than they had been before he pro-
claimed war against the spiri tual apthor-
ity which had heretofore reigned in Christ
endon.
1t is thsir admiration fer progress that
brings men to day to set value upon the
Lutheran revolution, and to honor Lath-
er's memory. beg leave to say to them
that the ALLIANCES between Lutheranism
and progress is simply imaginary
the true statement of facts
is that between Lgtherarism
snd progress, there is deadly snmity. We
ba7s already studied Luthar's influence
upon progress, intellectual and material;
We will thIs evening study his influence
upon moral progress.
We have first to consider the principles
in Luthsr's teachings which besr upon
morals. Character and conduct in us
are determined by our principles. Morals
are not vague sentiments Of the soul, nor
an instructive growth of habit. They sre
the rational application in practical life
of the dictates or principles Of the intel
lCc:.
How little Martin Luther's teachings
are known in America! This was my YER
diet upon the celebrations in honor Of his
centenary held in America.
LurHHR's PRINCIPLES OF TEE sHav1TUDA OF
TaH WILL.
The Catholic church before Luther's
time, g. in Che present day, taught the
freedom of the human will. This freedom
is the very basis of all morals. We are
weak in tho preseHce of temptation,
but still free to yield or to
resist, and We have 1t in our
power to seek through provisions
made by tho Creator remedies to our weak
ness. Reason applaads this dogma of the
Catholic ehursh. There il No responsible
ity whore thsre is not freedom, and NO
morality where there is not responsibility.
Who speaks of N oral duty to the irration al
animalsor to ths unconscious infant-nan.
L we are but stocks and stones, blindly
inapsllsd to act, obsying in what We say OF
do laws over Which We have no moro COR
trsl than over the laws Of gravitation, the
word morality is tbs vsrisst of mockeries
Where is the room for blanc if I forsibly
do what is called wrong, or, for praise, if I
foroibly do what is called right. Good
and evil, right and wrong, have no longer
a meaning. Why should I, how could L,
strive to overcome passion, to avoid
temptation! I am shrozded in denss
darkness, and care for nothing. What
ever am urged to do by outward pressure
or from inward inclination, be it called
right or wrong, do, and I mind not the
consequences; they are accepted as insvi-
table. To proclaim that man is devoid of
free will that he is mt the mastar or hi.