Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-07-03

The Existence aud Development OF the Idea oi
Right IN the worids History.

I he t>istehceand Development OF the Idea oi |
Right IN the world History.
No one can properly deny the existence of
moral law, any moro than he can deny the
existence of natural law. Man has II moral |
nature, rs is attested by conscience and this |
moral nature must be subject TO law lust rs |
necessarily rs his physical nature What is |
that law and how is no to know 1T? AZ Ia
the first question we may answer, il is the |
determination of right In distinction from
what is wrong. In its principle it il eternal
aud Interchangeable. IL is the divine will.
But in Its application to the relations ofintel-
ltgent and free responsible beings 1t is end
lessly diversified, Just as civil law is one in
iuea and yet comes tO its expression and ap-
picatiun III numerous diversified particular
laws. All laws are based on the idea ot
right or the principle OF right for we use
the word idea in that sense As right is AN
eternal interchangeable principle, there is a
sense or Intuition of 1t in all men. This i'll
Waru sense OF right, we think, is not empiri-
cal !. a., II does not come To man as a result
pi tfAl or experiment 1t is AN intuition,
ana the conscience Is its special organ Al
any rate 1t exists in all men, and this Gtci Is
more important than the question as 10 Eotr
1t got there. Ii some will contend that 1t
comes ~ a result of experience, and that the
principle by which it IL determined il utility
or happiness, or the fitness of things, We
mako no dispute now on that question
Those who hold that IL comes from expert
ence and those who hold that it il an intui-
tiOn can agree as To the Tuct of its existence
in man. All men make a distinction between
what is right aud what is wrong, as really a.
they distinguish between truth aud error.
This tact-lhat all men have a sense of right
implies that there Is an objective principle
Ot right, and the form OF this principle Is
moral law The moral law il, in the nature
OF the case, something fixed and uuchaugo-
able
But il this be so, then why, II is asked,
does the sense OF night in men ditler sim
ply we reply, because men imperfectly ap-
prehend the right Truth, all will allow, IL
something unChan geable, and Yet mems ap-
Preheusiun OF it by the intellect is not the
| same. The moral nature must be cultivated
| III order to apprehend the right, lust rs the
| mind must be cultivated to apprehend the
| truth or the true. Certain customs aud prac-
| uces are considered rlght-iustlued-ln one
age, which are condemned as wrong iii an
| other age. Is the right in itself, then, some
| thing changeable? We answer again, no
| but mans apprehension of it is not always
| the same this apprehension changes but
| right never changes
| HOW TO KNOW THE MORAL LAW.
| How can We learn to know what the right,
as moral law, is We may learn to know it
measurahly by our innate moral sense and
| experience thistorically), or by revelation
| from God, its author. ST. Paul says of the
| heathen that the law is written upon their
| hearts, though darkly, it may be, and as a
| witness OF this their cOn-CienCes accuse or eN.
| cuse them i'll their moral acts. There is an
| innate sense of right that goes logically be-
| fore all experience, but this moral sense de-
| velOpS in the light Ot facts or experience, that
| is, historically. Blackstone may have talent
| to unfold scientifically the idea of law, but in
| reaing his subject he must also have regard
| to the unfolding of tho idea OF right historic.
| ally. The ideal and the historical, theory
| and facts, must be Joined.
| TTurREss IN THE IDEA OF RIGHr.
We think that it may be truthfullv assert.
Ell that there has been steady progress in the
development of the idea of right in the his,
tory of the world. Just as there has boon
progress in SCIENCE and philosophy, In the
unfolding OF the true, through the intel ect,
50 there has been progress in the appreheu,
sion OF the right, through mans moral ma
ture, conscience and will There is a neces
sity tor such progress, not only in the indi
| Viduats moral nature, but also in the devel
| Opment OF society, which requires cOntinu,
ally new application OF right to suit now
relations. Jurisprudence is of necessity
| therefore, a progressive science ; and SO al -
must ethics, or moral philosophy bo pro
gressiye.
But man may also learn to know tho
moral law through revelation. II on account
| Of man 5 weakness through sin God is pleased
to make known to him more clearly and per
ieCtlY his law, then We may eX pect to iind in
this something that is higher aud bet or than
what he has discovered himself Not that
il is a different law from that written upon
the heart, hut it is more clearly and per
| iectiy uufOlded. Such revelation Chris.
| tlans believe they have in the decalOgue
This law, embraced in the Ten Command,
ments, AS explained in the light of Gods
| word, especially by Christ in his sermon on
the mount, As well IA in all his teaching, and
| practically eXemplihed in his life, is the
highest, the purest and best statement OF
| epltOme of the moral law the world has ever
| seen or known. These explanations of the
| Saviour are many and various, sometimes
| taking up particular commands, az the one
| touching murder, or adultery, then again
| giving the key to their meaning as a whole,
as when he SUMMARIZES our duty to our fel,
| low-inen IN tho saying, Whatsoever We
| would that men should do to you, do We
| even so To them" or again where he sum
| marzes the whole law by saying that il con.
| sists III love to God aud love to man. To
| love God SUprenety, and our neghbor as
ourselves, is tho substance of the whole
| moral law.
| DIRECTIONS TO THE DECALoGUE.
Objection has been made to the decalogue
that it is general and vague and not specific,
| but this must be so in the nature of the case,
| for the applications of right are endless, and
| therefore only a summary could be given.
| But take tho decalogue, as we have said, in
| the light OF our SayIour's precepts and life,
| and if the world has ever presented any
where or at any time a purer, more perfect
model OF right, we would like to see II
| pointed out
| And our SayiOr's life Is the only example
of a perfect fultillment of this law that the
| Bible processes To give All others the Bible
| declares arc sinners and no one OF them pre-
| sents perfect model of imitation. Some
| persons are greatly troubled at the sins OF
good men, candidly and truthiully mar
| rated in the Bible. Their sins are nowhere
| justified in the Word of God, but condemned
| aud held up rather as warning. But there
need be no difficulty on this score so long as
the Bible points to one whose life is without
sin and whose precepts embody the highest
wisdom. Let him and his teaching be the
model of right, and we need not 20 farther to
learn 10hdt the mOrdt tdO is. 1t is embod-
lal III hia