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


iigions Of tsss world, and not in the funda-
mental doeSrine they AL sesk 70 express.
Unity Of tso0xht, diversity Of expression,
10 the great and important iesson that .
ccmpara.i,e study Of religions teaches us.
II this the sole underlying princi-
PEI y 4. the only priaespIs that
another shss II very little short Of
II. The by!ief in . human soul and is
continued $exIstence after death has been
factor in te.igion almost - important a
the belief In obligation 20 God. There
have been ? Few nations In which . high
religions idea. existed Without il, - that
81 TIE easiJ Jews; but. in . general way il
has been a,censer OF spiritual DEVELOPMENT
no Iess IMPORTANT. scarcely less universal.
than the bslies in God Itself. Nor vas tbis
belief a mere ousgrowih Of the fi.st. The
human sosl might conceivably be the only
seniieni if{ing IN the universe, and il d~s-
tiny matter Of individual concern of no
snaii uorjens. The Tartar tribes that gave
Use to the psdest nations OF the past-the
early Creek, the Roman. the Egyptian.
whose inirsd dwe.t - much in the sp;rfs
land OF tho departed ~ in his home: the
hindoo, "a whom the soul Vas and aivays
hsd been sesernal. she Zoroasirian. Who
gave 10 Jef, Christian and Moham lnedan
his concephions Of the future li!e--to each
and aIl OF: these the doctrine Of the soul
ana lis csestiny vas . matter OF no less
concern than the present relation Of God
and msn. The universal philosophy Of
Al times sad races 10 thus summed MP in
three PROPOSITIONS: There il Q divine
ond is 3spendsn. on and owes ODE
dience - the first: or. 20 nut
u In tss more exact language Of
the presena day. There is in the universe
center o. thought. power and voli,ion
acting on and through its material basis;
that centei' Ne call God eternal. There -
In the human organism center Of thought,
power ant; voiition acting on and through
IL material body; that center Ne cali the
indsstrucfgose soul. Between those two
centers oi;thought, the human and divine.
there - relationship that the former feels
as an Obligation. and in the attempt TO
fsai ... sh!s obligation sivss expression to
These three propositions are the basis OF
al that tile past has thought, all the pres
ent believes, the sole points upon which
the reiigiins Of mankind are agreed. Are
they trues7 Are they suficientf Can .
religion exist without them? Al this day
those are the first OF oil questions. Are
they true. Theodore Parker staked their
validity I'm the universally OF which I
have spoisen; they we're held for munitions.
Today there - . mistrust Of the intui-
tive, but lft me say that If an intuition 10
not evide3ce II 10 none the less the result
and dislixes bat the expression Of ex-
periences; unrecognixed for the moment.
but pre,ent all the same? Had not
countless, generations Of sheep had the
same experience Of wolves, the lamb would
not now {ntuitively fly its enemy. Had
not thousands OF thinkers thought out the
problem IL existence and come to the same
conciusioas. the religious doctrines Of
which I lavc spoken would not Dc in
tuitivo in.ths race. But judged at the bar
Of science separated from the influence Of
our hops and desires, gagged by their
conformity 70 existing evidence and In
nate probability, they are still the only
conceptions that satisfy the require
ments of 1.-THE case, the only explanation
that giye4 clue to the riddle of existence
Take the Sirst proposition: The universe
Is fact THAT asks for explanation. Agnos-
tics may say it is inexpicab.e. but never
theiess t;e human mind, by the very
nature of:its being. will go on questioning.
There arr but Two alternatives--it Is the
product az thought, or it is not (et that
mot" bste:ther chance or necessity We
know FROM personal experience something
Of what thought can do; We know nothing
Of what shancc or necessity can do, for II
we say that it does this or that We assume
the poin$ at issue. the non-existence Of
thought behind the phenomena that occur.
Therefore. TO choose the ieast-known ex-
planatiots - to choose the moro mprob-
able, and 30 universe under the guidance
Of thougSt, q cosmos under the direction
Of God, " still the only sensible, the only
scientific! explanation Of observed facts.
The whoss course Of nature shows pro-
visions. TIE whole course OF history shows
progress.s Are We not then entitled to say
that u hsneiiccnt providence guides tho
destiny II the worldy But what destiny
can the World have. except a. . training
school fos its inhabitants? Sooner or later,
how muc;, later is Of little moment. il will
cease to sbe the abode OF men. When tho
last OF ouf own race has left its surface,
when all pho works Of his genius. the fruit
OF his TOT, the products Of his sweat and
struggle. sorrow and pain. cucumber .
dead weld; when the Ideals art has
created. che truths for which scientists
have struggled, the principle for which
saints hs;ye toilcd and martyrs suffered
when all fthesc fruits of the spirit are lost
and dead,for want Of an heir TO continue
tho inhefit ance. would il then be possible
To say that the world had been con-
trolled by bcnehccnt providencer
Unless tac individual units themselves
take frHm the earth the product
of their labors: unless each carries
with hsn to further sphere OF
action ihe experiences OF toll and
suffering; the fruits Of his growth aud de-
yeiopmeSs. no transitory glory the race
may attNin to end In final oblivion can
he justification Of the wasted energy of
@ons, this suiferings and tears of unit old
millions. Take away the conception of i'm
mortality and the God ideal is robbed of its
beneieei ee. the history OF the past belied
by its iu.surc and the enigma of lie rem
dcred hopeless. No difficulty an forming
picture: o; y future state. of compre-
bending she connection between body and
mind or ther possible disassociatioD. is so
great a.: the conception of universe
ruled by thought and yet ending in moth
ing: of gproyidence benrsicent in nature
/ aud yeas letting the tolls. the struggles,
the pain. and the achievements of count
less eens5 atoms end in the oblivion o; a.
dead weld. 4 benetcent God implied
the individuality OF the soul. and il is =
faulty ioEic THAI separates them however.
apart 'rctn this connection, the doctrine
has been, strengthened by the ascertained
lndeptru; liability of matter and force. Ii
there ssone conception more than an
other utterly meaningless 20 the scientist
today i,s,s that of creation aud desiruc-
ton. tAanee he knows o. as the conai.
ton oil lie, but destruction nowhere.
IhcFeifre IL would seem that the two
basic ih:,nghts of all religions. the God
eternal snd the eternal soul. are As true
fodsy ~ ever they were-nay. they are
iraor. toy thew no longer res. on unprova-
bic assef- IONS and miracles. but on reason
and evidtfnce that each can examine tor
htms*f.s Is not the tatsi proposition. that
man - ctapsndeat on an4 owes obedience
to God lelt-evs4eutIy iriies Is il proba-
bic. IS is!conesissb.s. that the sll-embyac-
.ng son ot t5e universe can have no
cuncernt no snteresg Nth what. how
ever grtai the disparity between their
greatness and his. are Sill his Kindred.
beings however far removed. stil, Of his
own nat ireF Is j, not eytden, !roga the
course Il human history, which. equally
% 4. ~Asptt- AZ sss-s.