The herald., 1895-04-15
in in PURSUIT OF Or KNOW KiNGGs"HIiLEEDDGG {
Seek the Truth for Its Own Dear
Sake
Two DistinctivcIy Human Attributes which
Give liam His p commence Above
the Brute

At the Church of the New Era the sub
ect discussed yesterday by the lecturer,
W. c. Bowman. was The Worth and
Power of knowledge.
Should you ask me. said the speak er,
what are the true objects to be aimed at
in the DEVELOPMENT of human being.
my reply would be, knowledge and vir-
tue. These are the two distinctively
human attributes comforting upon man
his proper pre-eminence above the brute.
AS an intellectual being, knowledge is
his goal. Asa moral being, virtue is his
only excellence. His true measure OF
worthiness is determined exactly by the
completeness of his development on
both these lines. knowledge without
edge is feeble. The most useful knowl-
edge of all is self-knowledge. There is
profound meaning in Pope's couplet:
''Know thyself-presume not God to
scan;
The proper study Of mankind is man.
1t is pitiable to see how many people
know all about God and so little about
themselves. This is notable weakness
among us preachers. The highest interest
of a human being is doubtless the com
plete and harmonious development OF all
his faculties in relation to the true, the
beautiful and the good.
AS this is to be accomplished through
the intellect, the attainment OF knowl-
edge is q matter Of the first Importance
in the redemption of man and elevation
of the race. The getting of knowledge
will go far towards answering the ques-
ton What shall we do to be saved?''
The knowledge of the few and the ignor-
apce of the many are the two FACTORS
which have reduced the world to maste RS
md ~Iovos frbnuuh the oy kp0wpth hi
master, and the ass his masters crib, the
people have been robbed and are perish
ing for lack of knowledge. But the
awakening has come, and many are
tramping tos and fro and knowledge is
being increased. The brightest hope for
the success of the present uprising OF the
slaves against the masters is in the fact
that the movement is based upon knowl-
edge ON The part of the slaves them
selves ii novelty in the history of con-
ticts between serfs and lords, plebs and
patricans.
There is a prevalent mistake as to. the
true nature and value of knowledge as
mind culture, the comomn idea being
that knowledge is valuable mainly as an
objective utility; whereas its main value
is subjective culture, growth and refine
ment Of thecmnd itself. Our true inter-
est and destiny are not in things and con-
ditions outside of us, but inside. We
SDOtllU TcvdTu our minus uOt iucIciy
instruments to be used but rather subjects
to be perfected. Let us teach our boys
and girls that arithmetic has higher OBJ
ject than the ability to compute dollars
and cents. If men understood this they
would cease to delude themselves in reli-
gion with the wood, hay and stubble'
of external observances. but look to the
gold, silver and precious stones" of in
ternal character. Then would cease our
superstitous hopes and fears of external
bells an heavens. for the mind is its own
place and of itself does make heaven of
hell, a hell of heaven. Besides the sub
jecive culture impaired by knowledge.
there is an exquisite and noble pleasure
in its very pursuit. Aristotle indeed
atfirms that the intellect is perfected not
by knowledge but by activity. Another
philosopher says IF held truth captive
in my hand | would open my hand and
let it fly, that might again pursue and
capture it, This pursuit and love of
truth and knowledge is a grand and holy
thing; and it will be a bright day in this
worlds future glory when all its schools
and colleges, its newspapers and rostrums
even its pulpits, if that were posi- BILE
shall all alike De enthused with the divine
affiatus of truth for its own dear sake
and its own undying beauty.