The Irish standard., 1902-07-19

Goa Ill the highest, and peace to men
OF good WILL And yet, i'll religions
name how often families and COM
munities have been divided whole ma
tions driven into bloody warfare! In
Religions name how often such pas
siolls are awakened that the pursuit Of
religious truth is made absolutely i'm.
possible.
This is what happens in religious
controversies. We refuse to hear the
other side. We are convnc,d d before
hand that We understand our oppo-
nents better than they understand
themselves; and the dispute must be
wa2ed on our statement of the case.
Then. we mistrust and misconstrue
their motives; Il priori they are the un-
just, and we are the just; they have
no truth, ard we have all truth. Why,
ask, should it be thus? Why not
assume that others are as honest as
we are, and obey their conscicnces as
we think we arc obcying ours? And
why not always, before we decide one
way or another, bid our opponents give
us their statement of the case, instead
of taking us the exclusive ground OF
our Judgment, our own statement Or
one received from those who are noted
as partisans OF our own opinions?
With precautions of this kind, such
as simplest justice should ever make
Imperative, we could argue with Il de,
gree of reverence for our intellect, and,
before we finished, we should most
likely have discovered, that at least
there is something to be said on either
side, and that there is between us and
our opponents much common ground,
upon which to labor for the common
good, i'll peace and in love, and with
due respect for the consciences even
of those from whose principles we may
otherwise believe ourselves obliged to
differ.
And so, too, i'll our adherence
whether to science or to revealed re-
ligion. Why the misgivings, the irri-
tations, the reproaches and counter
reproaches. which distigure so often
two noble sources of knowledge, each
one worshipfrl in it's own province,
neither one warning on the Cthsr except
when misunderstanding arrive and
undue conclusions are formed? You
are the student, the uphDlder Of
science; admirable is your work,
praiscworthy your carnestness. For,
science, the unravelling Of the phe-
nomena Of nature, is the voice Of
truth regarding the laws and work.
ngs cf the universe. But, be single
minded in your invest cations; have
but one purpose, the search of truth;
sully not this purpose by the wish Of
the heart to discover arguments
are complete and thorough bef4re you
venture upon il conclusion drawing
none not fully warranted by your
premises; never daring to make phe-
nomena speak fer principle or 10 push
material observation into the spiritual
field of causality and linality, which
reason can alone survey. You are the
disciple, the defender Of revealed re-
ligion; cling With whole-souled eager
ness to the cardinal facts upon which
it bases it's right to speak and to the
teachings which it eMts; it is Gods
extraordinary and supernatural m;ui-
ner Of manifestati n. But do net de-
feared the conclusions of science, as
if you doubted it's right to penetrate
into natures secrets; do not dO science
the injustice OF assuming that the
pronollncement Of every scientist is
that Of science itself, CT that the dis
sertations and opinions of every theo-
logian are the responsible declarations
of revealed religion. Careful and cor
rect thinking will prevent on one side
as well as on the other misunder-
standings and unjustitiable conclu-
sions, which are nearly always the
occasion Of the so-called warfare be-
tween Science and Religion. And,
then, throughout, let ones tempe" be
unruffled; and let ones respect for the
conscience of an opponent be never
abatcd.
Truth is impregnable; it is the real
ity Of things; nought can alter 1T;
noucht, remove it. These who know
truth partake of its security, and have
no fear for it or for themselves.
They confde in it's beauty and JUS
tice and scorn other methods Of de-
fence. they who lend themselves to
passion, expose themselves to the
peril Of irrational or unfair warfare,
make confession of the weakness Of
their position. Truth and its friends
are patient; tomorrow belongs to
them. 1t may be to-day only as the
weak dawning of the early sun
through cloudcd skies; but it will
grow in splendor, it will rise high in
the heavens, Frightening even the
surrounding clouds, dispelling them
with it's light and heat Truth is
mighty, and it will prevail.
And why do l talk before coll
vention of Amcrica's teachers Of the
perils that crowd tile pathways to
truth? Do not know, beyond 4