The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-24

let az be robust minded enough in the
present situation not to confuse morality
and religion. Morality Is nothing but the
verdict of the highest human experience.
Religion 10 something altogether distinct
and beyond morality. which Is merely the
highest human wisdom resting on the re-
quits Of the highest human experience.
There have been iliusirious pagans Ike
Socrates and Marcus Autoninus, whom 80
devont man as John Wesley. the founder
OF Mcthodlsfn. confessed to have been men
of absolute moral integrity.
Every weil-organized. intelligent man.
M q matter OF practical wisdom. Is a moral
man. because he knows that it does not
paw TO be immoral; he knows that intern
peranee, Iicentionsness and dishonesty do
not pay: that there is soon or late
severe retribu,ion for sins against nature
and the welI-being of society. Therefore,
when public official betrays public
trast it Is neither Justice nor wisdom to
attribute his fall TO his faith or his want
OF faith. Tile man falls not because of bis
faith. but in spite Of it.
Intelligent men. whether they profess
religion or do not profess IL, may bctray
trust. but they do not bctray II because
they profess religion or decline to profess
II. because the whole civilized, commercial
world believes In morality however much
they differ in their capacity TO be religious.
A man may be fairly criticised for his
defiance of morality. which is only the con-
clnslon OF tho highest human experience,
but man cannot be fairly criticised for
incapac.ty to be both a religious as we'll as
q plssai man, because religion is matter
OF faith and feeling. and many honest.
pure and able men. men of conscience. OF
public aud private purity, have been hon.
estly incapable of religious rs distin-
guished from moral sensibflity.
Franklin and Jefferson were both pa
triots. statesmen, philanthropisis, moral
men. but were neither of them religious
men. Huxley, Darwin, Matthew Arnold.
Herbert Spencer. Frederic Harrison,
buckle. Hume and Gihbon were all men
who avowed. like Dr. Briggs, of the Pres
SEPARATION of the Scriptures. and several of
them were as conspicuous for agnosticism
~ Bob IngersolI, and yet all of them were
men OF amiable and correct personal con-
duct.
What would be thought OF the sanity of
a reformed drunkard who should plead
the fact that lie grew up under Huxley,
Darwin or Spencer as conformation of tho
fact that he had been an inebriatef Many
men, who firmly believe in revealed re-
ligion, like the famous scholar Person,
like the poets Campbell and Coleridge,
like Daniel Webster. have been addicted to
the drink habit. or. a. in tho case of Col
eridge and he Quincy. TO the opium habit !;
and many men who are absolute heathens
in philosophy are both sober and chaste in
private morals. Daniel Webster inherited
from his mother, who was the daughter Of
a clergyman. religious natare, but he
lacked the taorai self-rcstraint Of jefferson
and Franklin; he was not a hypoerite; he
simply Anned in spite of his faith. not be-
cause Of IT,
Let ms lie candid and square with our
growing boys Religious feeling is good
,hinr. het il is gif,. and many upright
and honest men have il not. but whether
man have 10 or not, there is no reason
why he should not obey the moral code
which The highest human experience has
decided TO be essential 60 the jus; and de-
cent government of human society.
,.,a.. .-u.e -, l.. -.
aeteT, and Bob ingersoli. because he is an
aguostic. cannot be fairly saddIed with
responsibility foE vices he never practieea
and never defended. In other words, an
agnosllc Who sets an example of temper.
anee and morality Is not responsible for q
man Who says; II am an agnostic and an
inebriate because yea are an sgnostic, al
though never an inehgiate."
A man inirht as well say. II am an sr.
nostio aad therefore insbriste and licen.
tious. because Rob lnxersoH. who il
neither lnebriate nor iiecntiogs and de-
nounccs intempcranco and hcentiousuess
Is an senostie lie might a. vell say IN NJ
Bob lnsefsou is a black Republican he
cause he is an sEnostic. or an asuostsc he-
cause he is black Republican. Common
sense viii rot accept a. an exris.
nation 81 Judas betrayal OF Christ
that he Vas a decent man until
he became one % the tSeive. and then be-.
came deSnosslIssd because ~ his assoe.a A.
ton with the apostles and his contact
with Christianity. The world does uos
think that Christianity denorslisea
Judas. but IL does think that Judas oat.
ragged Christianity, and the worst Zoe II
ssnosticssm viii not pretend TIA, tsex-
plains az excuses iatoxieatton and hoeat.-
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