The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-02-23


tional despair
Another source of light on the path
of human life is goodness. l am not Of
those who believe in the natural per
lection Of man and teach that society
corrupts him. On the contrary, of all
forms of evil the one which most dis
mays me is heredity. But l sometimes
ask myself how it is that this effete
and deadly virus Of low instincts, Of
vices inoculated in the blood the whole
assemblage of disabilities imposed up
on Us by the past-hOw all this has
not got the better of us. It must be
because Of something else. This other
thing is love
Given the unknown brooding above
our heads. our limited intelligence, the
grievous and contradictory enigma Of
human destiny. falSehOod, hatred, cor
"uptiDn. suffering. death-what can we
think. what do? To all these questions
a sublime and mysterious voice has an
sWcrcd, Love your fellow men. Love
must indeed be divine, like faith and
aopc. SINCE she cannot die when so
many powers are arrayed against her.
She has to combat the natural ferOcity
OF what may be called the beast in man.
SHE has 10 meet TuSe. force, self inter
est above all, ingratitude. How is it
that she passes pure and scathless in
/ the midst Of these dark enemies. like
the prophet Of the sacred legend among
the roaring beasts: 1t is because her
enemies are of the earth and love is
from above. Horns, teeth, claws. eyes
full of murderous fire, are powerless
against the swift wing that scars to-
ward the heights and eludcs them.
Thus love escapes the undertakings of
her foes. She does even better-she
has sometimes known the fine triumph
Of winning over her prosecutors. She
has seen the wild beasts grow calm,
lie down at her feet obey her law.
At the very heart of the Christian
faith the most sublime of its teach.
ings, and TO him who penetrates its
deepest sense the most human, is this;
To save lost humanity the invisible
God came to dwell among us in the
| form of 4 man and willCd to- make
| himself known by this single sign
love
Healing, c0nsoling, tender to the IN
fortunate, oven to the evil, love engen
ders light beneath her feet She clari.
fies, she simplifes. She has chosen the
humblest part-to bind up wounds,
wipe away tears, relieve distress,
sOothe aching hearts, pardon, make
/ :,
the greatest need. And as we mediate
on the bestWa to render thought fruit
full simple, really conformablo to our
destiny, the method sums itself up in
these words Have confidence and hope;
be kind
l would mot discourage lofty specula
ton, dissuade any one whGmsoever
from breeding over the problems of the
unknown. over the vast abysses of sci
ence or philosophy; but we have al
ways to come back from these far jour
neys to the point where we are, often
to. place where we seem to stand
marking time with no result. There
| are conditions of life and social com
| plications in which the sage. the think
to see clearly The present age has
often brought us face to face with such
| situations | am sure that he who
meets them with our method Will soon
recognize its worth.
Since | have touched here upon reli-
| ,gious ground, at least in Il general way,
some one may ask me to say in a few
I Ct, bo+ ior;p ie +ha Ioc
and | gladly express myself Oh this
subject But it might be better not to
put the question in this form. All re-
ligionS have Of necessity certain fixed
| characteristics, and each has its inner
ent qualities or defects. Strictly speak
ing. then, they may be compared among
themselves. But there are always in
voluntary partialities or foregone con
, illusions. 1t is better to put the ques-
ton otherwise and ask, Is my own re
! ligiou good, and how may | know it?
| To this question this answer: Your re
| ligiou is good if it is vital and active,
| if it n0urishes in you confidence, hope,
! love and a sentiment of the infinite
! value of existence; if it is allied with
| Will N LleSI III yOu asdlLloL w IldL -
worst and holds forever before you the
| necessity Of becoming a new man; if
| it makes you understand that pain is a
| deliverer; if it increases your respect
! for the conscience of others; if it rem
ders forgiveness more easy, fortune
less arrogant, duty more dear, the be-
| yond less visionary. If it does these
things it is good, little matter its name.
| However rudimentary it may be, when
| it fills this office it comes from the true
source; it binds you to man and to God.
But does it perchance serve to make
you think yourself better than others,
bubble over texts, wear sour looks,
domineer over others consciences or
give your own over to bondage, stide
your scruples, follow religious forms
for fashion or gain, do good in the hope
of escaping future punishment? - oh,
then. if you proclaim yourself the fol-
lower of Buddha, Moses, Mohammed
or even Christ, your religion is worth
less; it separates you from God and
man.
hova Dot nnrhaDS tba RIGHT To sneak