The gold leaf., 1899-07-13
POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY.
FAITH is THE BEST WISDOM AND
KNOWLEDGE.
Subjection to the Supreme
Being Our Small and Reasonable
Service for the Past and Present
Blessings and Privileges of Life and
for our Future Salvation and Immor-
taIitV.
tNirginian and Pilot.)

tVirginian and Pilot.)
1t is the tendency of the positive
philosophy Of this age to ascribe
natural and material origin to all
things. and to accept the theory that
the germ and evolution, or develop
ment, is the ultimate. if not the
efficient explanation of everything
that appeals to our intelligence.
How true soever that may be. in fact.
it is certainly unsatisfactory. We
still find mystery yet uneNplored
that appeals irresistably to our in
satiable curiosity What is the
origin of germs2 Whence come the
force and direction of evolution? Is
anything spontaneous? Is cause
absolutely necessary as a condition
precedent? If so, how could there
be any beginning? Wherever we
look we see mysteries upon. mys-
teries, and are forced to deduce and
infer other mysteries from these
uinendless concatenation and in ever
increasing number; - just as every
advance into space, in effect. expands
the unexplored, and every step in
any direction but adds iilimitable
new spaces beyond, with the beyond
ever receding at an accelerated speed
as we attempt to approach it.
Man is said to be a rational being;
all our alleged conclusions, dis
coveries, beliefs and hopes are based
on this assumption. Yet here he is
for a moment, a castaway on a small
and probably overlooked or forgotten
islet of the universe, claiming and
demanding to know and understand
all things, when he cannot, or does
not know himself, whence he came or
whittier he goes. Yes: this ephemeral
insect of the hour, man, having eaten
of the apple of knowledge and thrown
away the core, is devoured by an
inappeasible appetite, which he mis-
takes for capcity, and which is really
only a symptom of an incurable in
digestion inherited from Eve and the
devil! Perhaps, too, it has developed
a mental tape-worm, in the likeness
of the old serpent that whispered at
the ear of our first mother. Instead
of gratifying our diseased yearning,
or seeking to do so, it would he more
rational and beseeming to apply our
selves to the discovery of remedy
for our malady, the original sin of
desiring to know the unknowable and
to betray the secret whereby chaos is
reduced to order light has conquered
darkness.
Why, in creator matter follow
the example of BlueBeard's wives?
Why endeavor to reach and invade
the inscrutable heavens2 Does the
fate of the Tower of Babel and its
builders teach us nothing? Most of
Us have quit looking for the phil
oSopher's stone, to transmute all
other metals into gold; and but few
of us are trying to concoct an elixir
of life that shall oholish death;
although both of these enterprises
have been revived in Chicago, where
unreason always finds a hospitable
home, if not an asylum. Bat all of
us, everywhere are working on, or
contributing to. another Tower of
Babel. This one Is of gold, and must
succeed. say the prophets of Baal
and Mammon. Even the gods from
high Olympus will meet us half way
and bow to our golden calf, and
wisdom herself has no door that will
not Weld to the golden key. The
only difficulty is an accidental or de-
signed confusion of sign-boards,
maps, routes and surveys, which are
so mixed up that there is already a
dispute as to whether the Tower is
erected on holy grounds. or on the
ashheaps, cinderpiles and Stag
drums of Sheoi. Alas. for the boom,
whose foundations are not on the
solid rock and whose titledeeds miss
the true mctes and bounds of right
Here is case where ignorance is
better than knowledge; and
''Wherp ignorance is bliss,
'Tis folly to be wise
! 1t is a matter of faith and morals;
not of science and testimony; nor of
investigation and report God speaks,
not only by His words of revelation.
but by His acts, His works, His
spirit, and our souls, our conscience5 )
and our very being hear, heed and
believe. hot the teachings Of the
hair-splittiny doymas of creeds, nor
the rapt visions of saints and
mvstics. but the spirit of God in
formed our devout and faitful souls.
Who dared raise doubt, or a ques-
tion of knowledge or = sracity? The
divine truth must be accepted. be-
lieved and observed. to the best of
our nature, faith and ability: for
there is no room for argument or
dispute where Omnipotence and
Omniscience speak together in one
voice, not that OF Jacob, nor of Esau,
but that unmistakable voice which
!. even the devils hear, believe and
tremble.
There is no superstition. nol
fear, nor error, nor ignorance, mol
stupidity, nor humiliation. nor slav.
cry, nor abject subservience in thi.
proud and voluntary subicction IL
the Supreme Being. 1t is our small
and reasonable service for the pas
and present blessings and privilege:
of life and for our future salvation
and immortality. We know Him t.
{ the extent OF our capacity: we hea
and obey: with love and pride; W,
trust, without doubt: we follow with
1 out fear: and we know that neithe
/ reason nor science. nor hate and dis
l belief. can find spot. blemish. o
: error in Him in whom we are. Happ
and blest is the uan who thus SUI
> renders to Him, and thus secure
: the true liberty and indepedence.
j.