The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-04-19

FcAr Aall5's C0LlscEER Leo
TIRES, Entitled LIE ind
Destiny" RegeaIHis
Poetic Nature.

II HE lectures G. Felix Adler have
| long since made his name familiar
TO students OF ethics and social prob
lens. and readers interested in these
things viii welcome the appearance of
little book entitled Life and Des-
tiny" and made up of extracts from
these lectures arranged according TO
subjects. It is an uncommonIy good an
swer to the arguments OF those pessi-
nists sho fear that the broadening OF
religious thought, and its departure from
/ established forms, means necessarily a
iIessening Of religious life. There is moth
ing indefinite, unhealthy. unseientiae or
bigoted in this little volume, It IS sane
and strong and vigorous from beginning
to end.
Here. for example. are a few trenchant
savings which are good examples OF the
general thought OF the book
To understand the meaning OF
! great religious teacher. we must ind n
our own life experiences somewhat akin
10 his To selfish. unprincipled persons
whose heart is wholly set on worldly
ends. what meaning. for instance, can
such utteranees as these have: You
must become like little children If
you would possess the kingdom OF
heaven You must be willing 10 lose
your life IN order TO save it, If you
would be FIRST. you must consent 10
1-1 =
words convey no sense whatever, they
are in fact. rank absurdity-
The Infinite. from which comes ths
impulse that leads US 10 activity, IS
not the highest reason. but higher than
reason, not the highest goodness, but
higher than goodness
Like others Of his kind. Adler is
poet as we'll as religious teacher; and.
indeed. it may be doubted whether any
man can be valuable as q religious
teacher without being more or less
poet He SAYS. for example:
, 1T nav be impossible for a man by
merely willing il to add wings to his
body. but it is possible for any man, by
merely willing it. 10 add wings to his
soul"
: Il is precisely this mysterious uplift
5 Of the moral nature which is the unex-
pIainabIe and unmistakable element in
religious experience. and the idea has
seldom been better expressed.
The trouble with two-thirds of those
, who attempt 10 be moral teachers is that
| they have 20 remedy and no comfort for
r the most glazing evil OF the universe
deliberate and conscious sin Their help
is given. not TO the sinner. but 10 those
who have not sinned gTavely. and in nine
cases out of ten have had little tempta-
ton 10 do So The unfortunate who has
anv serious moral defect is left in a sort
of limbo for the Salvation Army or the
Catholic Church to deal with. The no.
, ton Of any real happiness to be attained
, BY q repentant sinner is practically
secuted But this is what Adler has 70
say about it:
What. then, are the compensations OF
sin? in the first place, truer insight
into the moral order of the universe. a
more adequate realization Of the author
lily of those holy ordinances against
= which we have offended: and then the
conviction that the soul can ever rise
/ again by its own efforts The tree may
, fall. but the root remains indestructible:
, the spring of moral endeavor may appear
TO be dried up, but there are hidden sub
terranean streams from which il can ever
, be fed anew"
: In short. Adler bIInks no facts. neg
lects none OF human nature; be IS a man.
a thinker, and leader, (New York:
lMcClure, Phillips & CO..