The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-27
BY REV. FRANK
l.. PHALEN

uaon impressive the
moment when the Man Of Galee stood before the Roman
orator
reply to Pilates interrogation as to His nature and His
mission Jesus declared ITO this end born and for this end
into the world that should bear witness the truth"
"Piate saith unto him. What is TRUTH"
Lord Bacon in his famous essay Truth ntmates that
PLATE jest when he asked the Master tell him what
truth might be- may that Plate was not serious But
man. and serious minded people deep and
sincerity when they ask that profound question: What
is truth ?"
The age-ong quest of the supreme effort of history;
the goal of philosophy the end Of science motive and ideal
OF theology truth Even art and poetry, while appealing pri
mary grace and symmetry beauty offend
ccatue truth Music must also utter the great harmony OF
thought and sentiment OF magi nation and emotion and not
radict the verities and realities of nature.
Truth although abstra ct conception, is not meta
physical gment but the very of things. the
and mode of the divine op Grafton understood by
Truth according to the phloso piers from Plato to Hege and
from Aristotle to Spencer is the conformity of thought with
fact the perception and appreci alton Of reality
In astronomy physics, in biology in psychology the
effort find the facts the the principles the mode OF
existence and the function in tn of nature of the stars
of matter and force, of life, and of mind.
But in the realms of erals and religion where are born
impulses and motives viii govern the conduct of life
that truth becomes of absorbing and vital the indi
vdua and the social organism In and in society the
pursuit and practice of truth the critea OF Christian cl
cation.
In community where truth is held cheaply, commonly
distorted denied the higher virtues of manhood cannot exist
Not only morality but religion, becomes deuson and snare
hypocrisy OF
righteousness Men become like whled sepuchres: Outward
Y fair but inwardy full of dead mems bones-hoow and often
stencil the nosrls of the honest and the true
If the of the twentieth century, and the women who
alive today, would to compromise with lies and
hams and deusons and from this hour and forevermore
speak truth in love- ard live it in sincerity in the home in
social life in business in politics. and sad say must also
add in the church, their rei gon say we should all be-
DIN TO sneak and to live the truth and nothing but the TRUTH
not any spirit like that which animated Shyock but
in upright and downright resolution to have done with
either petty hypocrises conventional iesha revolu-
ton for the better would stir American democracy!
Lord Bacon says: Truth is naked and open daylight
doth show the masks and mummeries and triumphs
of the world half SO stately and daintiy candlelgh
A mixture of lie doth add pleasure Doth any man
doubt there taken out of mems minds vain opin
IONS haering hopes false valuations aginatons as one
would and the like but would leave the minds OF NUM-
Der of men poor shrunken things full of melancholy and in
disposition, and unpeasing to themselves?
The celebrated French essaySt Montague says: IF be
well weighed to say that leh is much say he
brave towards God and coward towards men For lie
faces God, and shrnks from man.
In this of freedom wherein the civil and religious rights
OF all and conditions of men maintained with impair
a equality where Catholic and Protestant Jew and Mosem
Buddhist and Agnostca stand upon the level there
is an opportunity before offered the worlds history for
men to seek and to proclaim and to live, Gods truth
On the entabaure OF the persye in the Court of Honor
at the Columbian Exhibition in Chicago inscribed these
words large and plain and conspicuous that they
the eyes of every who entered that splendid en-
closure Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make
YOU free"
we summon democracy the bar of Judgment we in
rrooate RELIGION shall we find that truth is the mistress and
the sovereign of modern and of contemporary
Christianity? Or shall find that like Plate of old the world
is still inquiring half in JEST half in earnest half doubt half
in fahbu not absolutely and devotedy given up in full
render O the quest,-What is truth!
Truth is an empire wherein there many Kingdoms and
provinces All truth good and valuable But the truth which
relates to mans moral and spiritual life of supreme worth
There many to Pilates question in ancient and
modern philosophy and theology The best the world
far heard judged by the of history and experience
fell from the lips OF Pilates prisoner They are bre but eer-
q am the Truth"