Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-05
LIGHT THAT is WITHIN Us ALL.
Conscience the Guide that should d.
rect HumanIty'a Course.


rect Humanity's Course.
At Unity church Sunday morning the
pastor, Rev. N. NJ. Mann. preached from
the text, The true light which iighteth
every man that cometh into the world.
John (. 9.
This text seems to teach that the hui
man being, whoever he may be, whenever
and wherever he was born, has an innate,
i%ntuitive power Of moral discrimination
that from the hrst the race has had a con
science" said he. such a notion, at least,
has been verv widely received. We are
accustomed to assume that every person,
without instruction, knows in a general
way what is right. And, combining the APP
olication to civilized communities, as most
OF US who speak from observation must
necessarily do. 1t seems to be true In gen
ersl that man has by nature and inheritance
a certain light within him, a certain sense
OF moral obligation. A recognition Of this
fact determines the peculiar province Of
preaching in the civilized world. Preach
Ing is sharply distinguished from lecturina
or other form Of public instruction, in this,
that the typical preacher does not teach:
he exhorts. The moral principles for which
ne stands are assumed to be self-evident
he has no need to defend or expound them.
His business, in short. is to bring men up
to the observance OF precepts which are
already sufficiently understood. This is one
OF the reasons why preaching Is proverbially
so dull and dismal. To be reminded OF
duties is almost always ~disagreeable. To
have them urged with endless iteration is
an experience which stirs no other thar
a more or less painful interest. II the
nrinciples of morals were something to be
acqulred by study, like the principles OF
geology or Of arithmetic; II they were
something to be discussed and settled, like
the doctrines OF pathology, or OF political
economy. there would be afforded a mental
pleasures In the pursuit which is now
wanting. Simply because the preacher, AZ
a preacher. has nothing new to tell, and
can only remind the people OF their short
comings, and urge them to act up to the
light within them, his effort has become
the symbol Of all that is most wearisome
and soporihc in human speech.
Il make this reflection at the expense OF
the preachers calling only to indicate how
decidedly the ground is taken that on ques-
lions Of morals there is ordinarily no room
for two opinions. II is held as a matter
Of course that in respect Of plain matters
Of duty everyone knows intuitively what is
IlButs hOW Ihr, ana IN what sense this
view Is correct, are questions Of very great
practical and theoretical interest. Is 1t
true that the moral sense is a universal
human characteristic with what authority
does II speak? Are its dictates on a given
question Of conduct everywhere coincident?
When we have considered these points we
may be better prepared for the further
question concerning the origin and nature
Of conscience.
T one accustomed to regard the con-
science as an Unborn, universal faculty,
making everywhere and at all times the
same respons touching the duties OF life.
1t gives no slight shock to find that this
is after all an error. Choose what COM
pend Of duty you please, the ten command
ments or any other, and II is quite pos
sible to name some race Of human beings
to disallow in turn each one OF your rules.
In some quarters the relations Of the sexes
AFFORD not even a hint OF the restrictions
imposed by our society, and any restrictions
that do exist may be such as we do not
at all observe.
THE motion therefore that every man the
world over is born with the same con-
science, or the same elements Of conscience,
Is not tenable. There is no one light which
lighteth every maj that cometh into the
world"