The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-29
RELIGION OF THE HEART.



The life ana writings of Robert Burns,
Scotland's greatest poet. were the sub
jects Of Rev. w. ID. Simonds' morning
sermon at the First Unitarian church yes
terday.
ut has passed into proverb," said Mr..
Slmonds, In part, that Robert Burns IS
fellow once said that of all the poets-and
he had read and studied all Robert Burns
nestled most closely TO his heart WHIT
tiers tribute Is OF similar import
" Give ietterd pornp to teeth of time,
So Bonnie Doom" but tarry;
Blot out the .epic's stately rhyme,
But spare his Highland Mary.
.Yrhe popularity Of burns in all countries
where English is spoken. and with al
classes Of people, Is without parallel Old
and young, rich and poor learned ana ,h ig-
at the shrine of Burns. and each, AFTER
his own fashion, pays homage to this
peasant prince among poets. with solemn
hymn and prayer the devout commemor-
ate the genius and goodness which gave
the world the 'Cotter's Saturday Nignt.
In halls of revelry merry makers sing
heart is sad what can be more divinely
soothing than the world familiar lines OF
Alton Water Patriotism leads to glory
and victory with Scots VIVA Haze, and
the native Independence Of the human
soul breathc in "A Mans Man Tor a
That -. 80 p,.n.. ,,,
the poet Of human emotion. He sings
that which In some measure we all feel.
He is so little of an artlst-in the mere
artistic sense; so much OF man-loVing,
hating. longing, suffering, that we say
almost unconsciously--this is our poet. our
brother, our friend in the spirit. Burns
the poetry OF humanity, his religion was
such as doth become man. for that
reason is 1t of living Interest to you. and
to all.
4 despise the superstition Of a fanatic.
but / love the religion Of a man. said
Burns. What did he despise and what
did he love in religion? He rejected : and NJ
there be any truth he wrote, in the re-
ligion of these churches, am damned
past all redemption. and what Is worse.
Of Jewish scripture, the fall of man. sacri-
fetal atonement, endless punishment
more than a century ago Robert Burns
first superstition to the last error. But he
condemned all this. not on behalf OF athe-
ism. but in the name of religion. Faith
In an all-powerful and equally beneficent
God he regarded as one of the original and
component parts of the human soul.
Writing to friend. ne revealed the
irreligious poet is a. monster
ITO this holy faith in God he added a
high faith In man. He believed in the
natural ability of the human heart. L am
in perpetual warfare he wrote Mrs. Dun
lop, with that doctrine of our reverend
priesthood, that we are born into this
world wholly inclined to that which is
evil. / believe in my conscience that the
case Is Just quite contrary
Believing thus In man as the child of
God, Burns held stoutly, through all the
years Of poverty and pain that fell to his
lot, In life beyond death and the grave.
1T u.s. he said, the only genuine balm for
an agonizing heart, and 1t rests upon the
most intuitive truth in nature, that God
is good
Tenderness toward all living creatures
was the very heart OF Burns religion.
According to his own lines, he held that
g The heart benevolent and kind
The most resembles God.
"'God knows l am no saint, but il
could l would wipe away all tears from
all eyes,
such was the religion Of Burns Such
will yet become the religion of the world"