The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-10
THE RELIGION OF PARADOX.
The Creed of n Protested Believer In Unbe-
lief Frankly Avowed.

To THE FDIToR OF THE SUN-Sir: Somewhat
following your articles and their echoes OF cor
respondents eager to break lance in the easy
tournaments Of ghostly poemics. I dare to
cry across the lists word.
Cnbelief is no longer negaton IL is posi-
tive faith. made so by science and synthesis.
Hence it is the faith Of the century. 1t main
tains. and has the Testaments to quote from.
that Equilibrium is the moral. physical and
logical law OF the universe. all nature. in its
known and unknown realms. being in golden
rule e1uipoise. or live and let live. Otherwise
the spheres are in liberation. as man
ought to be- The swift earth, mere
satellite, is in perfect obedience to its condi-
tons and has run its equation beyond the
time Of all theologies When its term comes
it will be ready, but its composition cannot be
eliminated its matter is as eternal as we can
comprehend. Its order can be calculated for
ward or backward indefinitely. Werather pre-
fer an eternal Something to an eternal Moth
ing. and are disposed. though we do not AFRO
gate. to believe that matter, for all the needs Of
man. was previous to everythinR-indeed. is
everything. We are perfectly willing to be
ths nihilisms in that they believe tho
universe will perish by mere ghostly dictum
Justice or Good or Truth is the object Of re-
lgious strain. Hence to pursue facts and con-
TESS them is not rreIigous. All the religious mas
tcrs altered their standards as they became ma
tlan priest. Constantine Paul, Luther. Ncander.
Pricstley. Briggs. &c.l Since Copernik found
the earth in its due subordinatiOn he church
canon-the inevitable progression acknowledge
has been astronomical and not pOlcmical.
Future rewards and punishments were believed
In before society trusted itself 1t was not
unnatural that churchmen should uphold their
guild. but the clergy is more liberal than
its parshonerS and in this age is shaking
superstition from its consciousness.
Hypocrisy cannot he right or good. The
priest who examines his basis and sees its in
consistence is a subject OF conversion to the
truth. The various faith cures. spirtualisms,
&c. are bottQmed on rs much truth as ortho-
doXy which has no evidence. and their bub-
bling UP at this time bctokcnS the end OF blind
faith. which has become an inhdolity to
knowledge.
Who believes any more in the plan OF
salvation" n scheme set up in Heaven? All
that JarGOnry is meaningless TO modern men
who are resoute as to the facts OF life. not Of
death. The code Of honor, OF government. of
social principle. restraints and regulates the
minor religions. which have run such bloody
and angry course. and which, in solitary eXcm-
Publications.. point their intolerance at this mo-
mcnt toward their scholastic brethren. Super
naturalism is AT the crossways like an old glib
bet. and its rafting Skeletons and its appeal to
the secular newspapers for standing, its bleat
, about "hcresy' are proof OF its grOggineSs.
THE truth shall make ye free" The refor-
nation is here already. Its miracle is tho
plotting out Of the fear OF death. q. A. Il.