Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1907-05-29

the pltlIul SdcrinceS OF many martyrs
before their overthrow. We say, If
we had been in the days of our faith
ers we would not have been partakers
of the blood of the prophets
But we would Good mem of old be-
lieved ia the divine right of kings and
that a despotism and then a monarchy
was the best and wisest the Color
dained form of human government,
Just as we now believe that democ-
racy is the best form.
but now that we live under a
democracy we worship this idol to
whose service we were born; and If
a man tells us Of change. he is a
socialist and therefore dangerous, or
an anarchist and therefore damned!
On the contrary he may be that
prophet for whom the ages wait, the
forerunner of a brighter and better
day. And after his humiliation and
rejection, his stoning the erucifxion,
our children will build the tombs of
the prophet and garnish the sepulchre
of the righteous, and wonder at our
blindness and our folly! oh foolish
man! must it always be SO? Shall we
never recognize the prophet until he
is dead?
I'VE view with equanimity the old
time process Of religious thought that
years, bringing truth and knowledge,
should strip earlier man Of what we
call his superstitions, seems to us
now both proper and proyidential
But remember that he did not call
them 'superstition; they were sacred
to him, the hallowed elements of his
holy religion, And 1t Is proud and
ruthless reading of history and human
hearts to forget the travail and sorrow
of the loss Of nymph. oracle, druid,
and god AS we look back we see
that 1t was best; but then only the
few leaders freed from bondage to
their day and it's prevailing temper,
could see. beyond their day, could join
IN SCATTERING popular idols and commit
themselves to the new order.
"As with paganism so with Judaism
in its fair Those who crueified the
Christ. stoned Stephen, and prosecuted
Paul, were not all bad nren They
were merely the blind adherents OF
the old order, and they took what
means seemed necessary to preserve
the existing order, and oppose the in
noyations. II has become the custom
with us to regard them as peculiarly
reprobate and blind But that is be-
cause now we see the splendor that
has accomplished Judas fall They
saw only the impending ruin and the I
desolatlon, hence the sorrow and the /
bitterness! It was the world-old
struggle between the old and the |
new-the world.old ever-new worship |
Of the idols Of the cave.
IAN progress to our present state
has been over many shattered idols |
once held dear II we inquire why |
progress has been so tragic, We shall
find the reason in the blind worship |
by each man and age and race Of its
own idols OF cave and tribe and |
market place. because the attitude
and act Of worship is both grounded |
In and tends to perpenate mental |
modes which are essentially opposed
TO change. These established mental
modes are commonly lethargy and
fear, and lack OF humility or
teachableness, and lack Of faith.
Lethargy rules the mass OF men, who
eat aud drink and Herewith are con-
tent Fear rules with even wider
sway the minds Of men, and many even
who should be leaders In the march
Of progress look TO the future big-eyed
with some fear Of change. Pride al
lies itself with fear to support the
idols OF the day, and oppose prog.
ress from them 10 better things Each
age and race thinks It's way the best,
and it's creed and practice the culmi.
nation OF the ages. We are unteach-
able either by the lesson OF history or
the prophecy OF hope. Considering
our time and waF the best, We are i'm,
patient OF contradiction and proudly
repudiate the thought OF betterment