The Labor enquirer., 1886-01-02
MEssIAsIsM.

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fidels. ZENo.
4 MEssIAsIsM.
"zenss' Replies t. the Defense ~ IN
4 9Heab1s nux1s,p grhseh vvusofLs
= fsrsa ~ 'ssArassa-"
For the Enquirer.
In commencing q discussion with M
on the .Book of Life, !" "Sarassan as
sumes that I oppose the system known
as 'Messisnism," while stated plainly
that | do not. NY position is this
4 Messianism NAV be the true socia
system, resembling as it does, many
other theories of those most prominen
in sociology But as doctrine it ha,
two aspects: One dealing with earthl,
interests, the other with an lnvisibit
spirit realm. My questions and criti
cisms deal with the last named phase
If the theories be true, I cannot. hur1
them, but will only advertise Messiah
ism. If make them appear doubtful
it is only necessary to dem nonstrate
them.
The reader grows weary of a discus.
sion when the argument: You are ig-
norant, narrow, base. blind, low" etc, il
repeated in every line. A suspicion is
created that the debater is attempting to
Iyanquish an opponent by convincing
him that he is too ignorant to continue
aud had better subside It is decidedly
bluff. game in which I do not excel.
/ want information on spiritual ques-
tions and need discuss nothing else with
"Sarassa." Lam told that the spiritual
philosophy found In the Book of Life"
rests on science. This is not satisfac-
tory. 1t resembles the well-worn argu-
ment that 'self made man, by getting
start from honest labor, is entitled to
all he can accumulate by any scheme
which the power of capital.may open up
to him.
Though admitting that the exact sci
ence found in the .'Book of Life" is all
.truq, I am required to accept ali the con-
cluslons that may reach into realm be-
yond the evidences clear to common
observation, or may not. Thus, we
must accept the correctness of the start,
secure our faith in it. then we are pre-
pared to receive anything that is said to
be based upon the first articles of faith.
'Sarassa" SAYS: "The theories con-
cerning God, the divine government and
the resurrection or reincarnation are
presented in the Book of Life as hy-
potheses, not as scientific, well-attested
facts.n
The language of the book does not ad-
NIT of such a. conclusion. The state
ments pertaining to those subjects are
made in positive, not in doubtful or
conditional manner. If "Sarassa" is
right, in what dilemma is Messianism
involved. 1t is all hypothetical, for on
page 343 we read -.-
"Above man is. the divine realm.
This is the eternal Archetype from
which we have copied the perfect sys-
tenn of human government elaborated in
preceding pages"
In this case science merely corrobor-
ates the design. The Archetype must
have been known in detail, to be copied.
1t was "a well-attested fact,"" or the
whole is only theory.
Let us examine the actual language of
the book: "The great forces of the
earth culminate in man as their crown.
ing center. Science has right to think
that the magnificent forces of the uni
verse likewise center in that majestic
Being who is the object of mans high
est love and alteration"
The inference is that the "magn i6cent
forces of the UNIVERSE are different
from. and excel the great forces of the
earth" What science has to do with
any forces except the latter, has not
been written down except in what is
admitted to be hypotheses. Therefore
deduction from those hypothesis can be
nothing but another hypothesis, and
cannot be fact. God then, is q hvpoth-
esis. Science has no rights" except
the right to prove. Science has as yet,
dealt only with "the forces of the earth.
Then it is the individual scientist, not
science, that claims this right If the
illustration holds, the forces of the uni
verse culminate in many Gods, not one
God, because the forces of the earth cul-
inmate in many men, not in one man.
1t also makes Col q creature like men,
and thus explains nothing. But Mes
sianism is "the Law of Jehovah" there
fore "the magnificent forces of the uni
verse; first eliminated in God, and
God then made laws for society, and
could not apply them until man had
gone through process of evolution and
misery.
Aswe proceed, mark the progress of
this Science" From science has a
right We jump to the positive state
ment: Science reveals God in whom
is no darkness" How much of hypoth-