The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-29
snATrLE. SUNDAY, APRIL -.


Much Of tn opposition to the progress
Of scientiic inquiry and critical re-
search has been due to fear lest rev.
erence should die out of the world with
the coming Of knowledge. Men Of high
thought and devout vision have Quaiied
rather before the loss Of the old than
the coming Of the new. For centuries
the most scored and tender thought Of
the world has chung TO It's accepted
faiths It was . mot unnatural trspl-
datson which feared lest Z disturbance
that should shake these or send them
toppiIng down might leave man a mere
animal. With only his higher intelligence.
. dinsrentiats him from the brute.
Ihe loss OF reverence from the world
would ~ irrspavsble. II is the founda-
don Of fsneness ID character ~ courage
h Of strength. The coward 10 no more
pitiabis figure than he whose inner
thought and outer cenduc. have said
farewell 70 the reverential attitude. For
II II the unseen things that are eternal;
and II they are not there 10 no motto
worthy Of life but the old one. 'let US
eat ana drink. for tomorrow we die"
The sirangest thought of all IL that
wtse men. men who knew the human
heart and had looked upon life a. II re-
veais Itself through history. should have
made reverence dependent upon cir
cumstance: should have thought OF It
~ something connected inseparably
with q tradition. theory OF cosmog-
ony. human organisation or creed
For In reality its roots are fixed In the
deepest stratum Of human nature. Man
has been called a religious being. which
10 only another form OF words for a
reverent being. Al long as he admits
that which transcends himself. be II
power or law or energy or truth. there
secret and ecstatic moments. he bows IN
alteration.
In truth the modern advance Of
knowledge. instead OF destroying rever-
snce. has purified and made Il worthy.
There was much lack OF II In the elder
days among the professediy plous. Holy
things may be profaned more easily by
too much than by too little familiarity.
The ancient ease and custom OF ready
discourse upon the souls health con-
aueed at times TO pride rather than
humility. The most intimate pages OF
life are not those which we dick over
sarelessiy under the gaze OF strangers
In every life that 10 worth living there
are hours Of solitary self-eommunion. OF
searching for harmony with the pres
sncs which nils tho universe. that are
worth mere than sermons or genunex-
tcns. No sacrifice has absolute sssur-
apee Of acceptance but that OF the hum
BE ana ccntritr spirit
Reverence 10 unrelated to superstl-
saon. whose government Is Of fear u,
l. Of kin. near or far as the case may
ee. 20 faith. Bat II IL the very chni Of
know ledge and the hrsteoFn % truth
Wherever our searhlags into nature
have displaced a marvel they have set
. miracle Ia It's stead The last word %
science sets US face to face with unit
verse more wendrous. a power more In
scrusaele and infini,s than resides in all
che systsus Of theology. The miracle
II the new ieas OF spring OF the thrust
ing plant. IL the crystal that knoss
its form. OF the unity in diversity %
force and the axity OF law is always
about us Each new block Of fact tina,
we take from the pit OF truth adds TO
the statellness OF the Vorld-es thedral
that towers about and above us.
The modern view Of nfe and all Il.
relations must needs be a very reverent
one. IL = . reverence of consciousness
a.x,asa es wards. pimly We see the