The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-19

hold him 70 the right c0urse BY sho
penalty OF suffering and ioss-a man
vno teeis that every right oct done. every
height Of souI attained Is . fulfill
mens Of his earthly mission and .
satisfaction to God-every error made
cause Of sorrow 10 him Who seeks in him
co-hesper: :. il . man bezieve and fesi this
land u be accept and reAiixe the three
propositions I have stated be can do no
iesl .hat he.p can he get from augns b.
his reason . convinced Of being . CO
WORKER OF God for good, responsible TO
him here and foeeyer for his trust, can
gain absolutely nothing from the extra
neous beliefs that have separated religion
from religion and man from man. In
these doctrines, hrmly hesd. he has all
fnas - necessary for she 6rmest faith. ''ths
most devoted serv;cs," the most fsrvens
hope.
II all races. oil religions. are agreed on
shess Fundamentals. how il Il that they
have drifsed 50 far apart ! think the
answer - 70 b largely sought in the At
tempt 70 unite on one platform two din
erent ideas, TO answer from one center Of
authority two different oues.ions: to in
ciuds in the Same form ala religion and
ethics; 70 answer as the same time what
Is mans duty 70 God and his duty to his
ieiiowY But no such relationship exists
Religion is problem in cosmic relations;
ethics problem in social relations. The
one asks VIA: i my position in the uni
possr that rules il !? The other. What il nv
relation 20 my fellow-mau and how may
best get along with himf The two prob
lens arc entirely different. Had man No
curiosity As 20 his source or destiny. ne
would skill have TO ind out the best
else cease to be . social animal and revert
10 . type OF aayagery lower than any
known. But the earliest thinkers did not
speciaisse ~ do Ne moderns- They
solved the problem OF religion for
al time; they only solved the
Alas for humanity, they were TOO specific.
They vere not content to say: Thou
shsit not ind out the way to social har-
mony and keep IL, thus saith the Lord"
They must needs give the authority Of the
Eternal 70 their non-eternal devices. HUI
man relations are psrpetrally shifting.
and clinical ordinances have to shift
with them. The end of ethics il social
harmony And progress. the ways to which
may be many ana diverse The founders
OF religious systems, by giving divine au-
thorsty TO their own particular schemes,
stereosyped human differences. built .
barrier between race and race. and limited
progress by their own capacity. And yet
there 10 connection between religion and
morals. Religion says that man is related
to God by . bond o; Obligation. OblIga-
ton 70 do whatr To develop every faculty
he has: judgment. seif-control. I knowledge.
appreciation OF the beautiful and the good,
10 fit himself here and now, not for life
OF inane idieness, such IS the past pic
tured. but for higher duties. greater USE
fulness. perhaps moro exacting service, to
stand nearer to him. whose children We
are. II this b duty TO God, and / can
conceive Of no other. there il ono condt
m n fI
ment. viz, . condition of social harmony
amongst men. No achievements in learn
ing. no appreciation Of art, no lessons in
self-disciptine are possible except when In
contact and By the aid Of our felIowa The
greater the cooperation. the greater the
possibility Of achievement-she higher
the individual soul may rise. How to At
tain these conditions Il the prob
lem that ethics seeks TO solve.
and here 10 the real point of
contact between religion and morals. Re-
ligion does not teach what 10 moral, but il
has given him. he ind out what 10 moral
(that il. best for his development) he can
not grow; he cannot become that which
God would have him be. Ethics is not
the end Of life, il is the means TO life;
ethics is not the solo concern Of religion.
demands of God cannot b satisfied.
Ethics IL included in religion, but re-
ligion Is not included in ethics. though
ethics takes higher significance when
viewed in the light Of its religious neces-
sity. As mentioned before the confusion
OF thought that has existed In regard TO
this relationship led the founder Of Bud
dhism to lose sight Of tho divine obliga-
ton. He saw. as many see TODAY, that
ethics Is Of the first Importance, but he
did not see its end and OBJECT. He took
for his goal the detachment Of the ind;-
vi uai hA ~ A. ND
missed the growth that results from the
effort to develop perfect man. Today We
are threatened with another error not less
serious: the practical tendencies of the age
concentrate attention on present results
without consideration of the future. 1t is
seen that 70 large exten: happiness is the
direct result OF conduct. That however
important art, science, knowledge and
feeling may be, IL Is your relations with
your neiehbors that determine their and
your happiness. Conduct says Mathew
Arnold. rs three-fourths. probably four
tfths, of life" The truth thus asserted
becomes SD magnided in the minds Of
many. that-to their eyes-ethics occupies
the whole field. The solution Of its prob
lens absorbs their whole attention.
They assume that . perfect social life
would salty the soul and bring happiness
and contentment in place OF the worries
that now afiiiet us. Tho attainment, OF
eyes that religion il either excluded or
gwen back seat. They ask the question
ascribed To Buddha IN the The Light of
Asia: Which of the great or lesser gods
have power or pitys Who hath seen
them? Whog What have they wrought
20 help Tia cir worshipersl How hath 1t
siesdied man TO pray and pay tithcs of
cora and Oil. 10 chant, to rear the stately
fame: to feed the priests and call on VS.
hnu SILVA surya. who save none. not the
worthlest, from the gr.ets that teach those
litanies OF fia:tery and fear ascending day
by day like wasted smoker" And SO they
ask Us 10 concentrate attention on what
can be realized in the near tuture and ex-
elude speculation concerning our destiny
as \ distraction, or. Mt least, q matter of
secondary Importance.
No one would rashly deiract from the
benefits 10 he derived from perfect social
relations. No one harassed BY the multi
tudsaous !gets and evils arising from the
wrong or mistaken conduct of himself and
others would minimize the comfort and
peace that would result from universal
righteousness and good .eei!ng. Let j. tie
granted that such n result may finally b.
brought about toy study. legislation and
culture, and that material comfort soc nj
harmony and general amiay be secured;
shall Ne have attained 10 indiviaua. han
pinessf Far, far from IL Death will stiil
stalk among Us. our deaFes; viii still leave
as ia the shadow the inevitable dis.I.u-
sions and 1lssnpoanimen.s OF li!e viii still
cast Z .oom- The very cessation OF struggle
tha, would result from tae attainment Of
a perfect clinical state would only open the
doors Of sne soal wider 10 pam tia. no
moral perfection In the man or his enyl-
ronmen; could ever sooshe. The more
nearly the end Of ethics xas attained. the
earnestly the sr,s.k ,srs ~