Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-17

How shall we make II reSlSter moroA anu
available truth?
Just here, we introduce distinction.
Right and wrong are terms which are used
sometimes in one way and sometimes In
quite another way. IF we may put 1t
in the language of philosophy, and thus get
20 sentences into two words; right and
wrong are sometimes taken absolutely and
sometimes relatively.
Right and wrong. viewed as external
facts, are relative, that is, they may change
places. The same act, wrong in one age
and place and person, may be right in
another. Right and wrong, in this sense,
are simply the best or not best which each
age or society knows. They are decided by
custom.
This, remember, was one Of the points
which Mr.. Beecher made when he lectured
here on Conscience" 1 will borrow some
of his strong illustrations.
WHEN SLAVERY WAS RIGHT.
At the beginning, for example, slavery
was right. It was an act OF benevolence. 1t
was distinct advance upon the old fashion
of killing all the captives taken in time of
war. The first Shareholders were enlight-
ened reformers-men ahead of their time.
They were the wiser and kinder leaders
who spared the lives of their enemies, and
set them to work instead. Slavery then was
right To-day changes in the condition Of
society have made it wrong.
So OF many ancient customs set down in
the Old Testament. They were right in
the days of Abraham. of Joshua, OF David,
simply because they were the best then
known; to-day, they are not the best, and
are consequently wrong. So that it has
been excellently said, that to uphold those
customs as being right for US to follow; or
on the other hand TO say that if they are
wrong for us, they must have been wrong
for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is as absurd
as to say of shoe which you wore when you
were baby, "This fitted me when was
years old; something is wrong because it
doesn't fit me- now!'
We do not need, however, to consult
geography or history to show that the same
external act-the very same act-may be
right or wrong according to circumstances.
The man who sticks a knie into his fellow
is a murderer, said Mr.. Beecher, unless he
is a surgeon. Joseph Cook, IN a lecture on
conscience, tells this story: "When Samuel
Taylor Coleridge was a poor boy and
charity scholar in London, he was wander
ing one day along the Strand, throwing out
one of them came in contact with gentle
mans waistcoat pocket, and the man imme-
diately accused the boy of thievish inten-
tions. No. said Coleridge, I am not in
tending to pick your pocket; l am swim
ming the Hellespont. This morning IN
school / read the story of Nero and Leander.
Nero was on the European side, and Leander
swan the Bosphorus to meet her.
lam INITIATING LEANpER.'
So you have to look beneath the external
act to the motive. The act may he right or
it NAV be wrong, it may be an imitation OF
Leander or an imitation of Fagin. The
morality OF the act depends upon the motive.
And just here we leave right and wrong
relative, and stand face to face with right
and wrong absolute. The world over, and
all the ages through, bad motive is wrong,
and good motive is right. Slavery was
right in the old time, because the motive
was mercy. Stealing was right in Sparta,
because the motive was not THEFT, but the
OF cunning and dexterity. 1t
was right for the Egyptians to say their
prayers to the River Nile, TOR that was the
best they knew, and the motiye was sincere
alteration. The quality of an act depends
upon its motive.
Now conscience has to do with questions
of right and wrong. And according as we
mean right and wrong relatively-that is, the
external actor right and wrong absolute
that is the inner motive-so is conscience
fallible or infallible. Concerning the act,
may make mistakes. 1t deceived
Saul when it told him to persecute the
Christians. But concerning the motive,
makes no mistake at all. So
long as you are doing the best you know
how, conscience approves, although your
best may not be the absolute best. But fall
beneath your own ideal; contemplate an act
which denies your principles, whatever
they are; mediate doing whatever agrees
not with the best you know, then conscience
speaks, conscience forbids. 1t is significant
that the inner voice, to which Socrates
ascribed the guidance of his life, spoke
ONLY TO sAY.No.
The state of the case, then, is evidently
this. When conscience Is silent and inter-
poses no objection, you may be right or you
may he wrong. You are acting up to the best
you know, but you may not know so much as
you ouIht to. Conscience, as we saw, is
the joining together OF two kinds of knowl-
edge-the knowledge OF an act with the
OF principle which determines
its character. There may be some princi- |
pies higher than the one you know, which |
would make your act wrong. So you may |
be wrong instead o. right. But when con-
science speaks and says no, then you are |
wrong. That you may nearly always de- |
pend upon. The affirmations of conscience |
the external act, and may be mis- |
.aken; hut the negations OF conscience con- |
,ern the inner motive; and no man may with |
mpunity disobey when conscience says no. |
The keeping of the conscience, then, in
Tolves two-.old duty.
First, we must keep the conscience
aEn gh it that ris the he p@ss Slssd..: So and md
pest principles that its judgment may
be true. We must try to make our ideal of /
life the wisest and highest which is at
ainable in our age. That is done by inter-
course both in society and in hooks, with the
,est men, with the people of the purest and
oftiest ideal.
Our notions OF right and wrong depend
aryely upon the opinions of our fellows As
'ociate with the bigoted, the narrow-minded, |
he men who take low or lax views of t
LIFE AND DUTY,
md you will lower your ideal, and your
gnorant conscience will mislead you. The
anne result will follow from reading sectar-
an religious newspapers, or partisan politi-
zeal newspapers, or from accustOming>
7ourself to follow the thoughts of any writer
Who takes narrow-minded views of things.
You will certainly have a narrow
minded conscience which cannot
,e depended upon. You may even
,ome to have an immoral conscience.
The afirmations ofconscience, ,as said, ARE
imply the application OF your highest
principles to your conduct. II you wish to
rave a true conscience, you must see to it
hat your highest principles are the highest
,ttainable. The truest and best ideal of life