The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21
EEL IMITATION.
On Some OF the Possibilities OF Human
Existence.

ter, THE Creed OF Tomorrow, writes: Since
We do not know and cannot know anything
whatever about God Cor the Divine Energy.
| fail to see why We should Worship Mt all.
He closes thus: Those Of us who have appre-
hended the moral lsw-happy are we IL we
obey Il In our hearts and lives"
Has religion then any substance or validity
beyond the Affirmation Of the moral lawf ls
there possible to man any conscious relation
with Q power above himself
Man essential problem lie to ht himself
to the world in which he exists. In Spencer's
phrase, the success Of each creature lies In
adapting itself 20 rs environment. Now
mans knowledge Of his environment must
BEGIN where IL touches him closest. For
example. a motormans first and essential
knowledge OF electricity-"the Juice" as he
calls it's only the practical handling OF
controller and brake and the various gear
Of his car. From that he may work up. IL
he can. till he knows all that Edison knows:
he may 60 on. II his brain ~sufices. as far as
the latest found and subtlest laws Of force.
Or, here 10 an immigrant just arrived at Ellis
Island. vaguely hungry for betterment In
this strange country. Die may NM $50 !
read In TBE SUN OF July a an evening school
where he will be taught erst the Language
and then the rudimentary principles OF Ameri-
can social life. Now he has the key: he
can enter the door of livelihood. security.
loyal citizenship: and he can 20 on just as
far in intelligent comprehension and prac-
teal success as his faculties will let him.
Or. here Is a dog with his master. the dog
unimaginably different and tas we think
Inferior; yet he learns so to understand his
master as to obey, help. and be helped: he
gets into ayectionate companionship with
him. and the closest tie between the higher
and lower creature Ia that which Ia noblest
In both--the power Of loving.
Now. how does man intelli gently adjust
himself to the whole world in which he stands?
Suppose a spirit newly arrived from another
planet: rather. take a fresh young human
spirit coming to full consciousness on the
verge Of maturity. and asking. like the immi-
grant: What does this dwelling place oner me.
and what does IL require OF meY
We might tell him. frst. this world invites
man to put forth every faculty and offers
response TO each. The earth will furnish
food. fuel. shelter; mankind will give SYM
patty and society; encounters with difficulty
will strengthen manhood; curiosity Is lured
on by boundless fields OF knowledge; there
are ample pla y%grounds; beauty. music, the
realm OF INA instion. mystery which for
ever fascinates, moral achievement-these the
world offers you.
Offers you-on conditions. On condition.
nrst, Of intelligent compliance with the re-
quirements set for each prize. If a man
win not work. neither shall he eat: II he robs
the soil without replenishins. earth will deny
him bread; IL he meets his fellows In the
wrong way, they will thwart instead OF help
ing him; and so everywhere. On condition,
further and especially. that the prize is offered
to man In society and not In solitude: he can
not isolate himself In his quest for sstisfac-
ton; he lie In debt. for good and for bad. to
his ancestors. and he transmits a legacy to
his descendants; the community about him
Ankles conditions. and he In turn must help
TO shape those conditions.
We are giving our young pupil a rapid
counsel And now we bring him to the inner
gate. Among the myriad invitations and
opportunities. how Is he to choose? The
senses, the appetites. the various kinds OF
enjoyment, are besetting him and ~jostling
with each other; which snail be his first and
ruling choice. his must have? Here, too,
an answer awaits him.: Its clear working
out is part Of his unreasonable debt TO
those bygone ancestors. Briefly. certain i'm
pulses and desires are so essentially superior
to all others that they act themselves as clear
monitors. shining goals. the rightful law and
Inspiration OF mans life. They are what
we name the virtues such things as truth.
courage. purity, love. See what those well
worn words stand for.
To conform TO things as they sre-to aim at
reality. in thought. word and deed-that Ia
Truth. To face willingly on good occasion
pain. trouble. ~death-that is Courage. To
hold the impulse OF sex-primarily natures
great force for perpetuating life-to hold
this as minietrant solely to the family rela-
ton with Its sanctities Of marriage and par
enthood- that ia Chastity. To practise good
will, widening out self-regsrd TO include
family. friend. neighbor. stranger. till self
Is lost to be found again in a larger and
sweeter w~hole-that Is Love.
Special virtues and graces might be named
along with these. The phases and names OF
goodness are many--fortitude, justice, honor.
service, patience, sentleness. tenderness,
heroism; no need to catalogue the stars OF
the spirit. One word. goodness. will do for
all. That is the keyword for our young
traveller at his entrance on the world. Per-
haps to every one who finds he has really
grasped that key it copes with as fresh a
sense OF discovery as When Columbus first
gazed on the shore Of Hispaniola.
This. We tell our young traveller. is what
your environment primarily and chiefly means
TO you: boundless opportunity and invita-
ton: always under strictest condition of
obedience; always TO be sought for your
fellowB as well as yourself: response offered
to every normal taste and power; but, az
the chief good Of all. the practice Of moral
fidelity. the effort for moral perfection-and
this so supreme that the laws OF goodness
and love take precedence OF all other con-
siderations.
This. then. is the meaning OF man g environ
ment where IL touches him closest. But
his mind cannot end its quest here. The
tiger seeking its prey. the bird building its
nest. may each follow the law of its kind
and look no further. But man, accepting
goodness as his own aim and law. goes on
20 ask: What is the significance of the uni
verse itself. and what is my relation TO its
interior. ruling power? The answer he has
essa aged to give through his religious creeds
has been refined from the savage crude
RECONCILIATION OF natural forces. UP through
various OSCILLATIONS. till our fathers shaped
their conception as an infinite benefcence
welded to infinite power; a goodness like
that displayed in Jesus. but armed with the
resources OF omnipotence. Now. the dis
belief In miracle deprives Jesus Of any cre-
dentials other than belong to simple human
goodness; and the observation OF actual
procedure. with the vast prevalence OF suffer-
ing and wrong. seems to nullfy the idea of A
supreme bene1cence. And 80 we see a pre-
vailins mood Of agnosticism: with some
times a less rational but very human mood
In which some lingering belief In God with
no belief in His goodness prompts fierce re-
volt against a Creator who torments and
mocks His creatures.