The Colfax chronicle., 1922-09-09
Big Facts in Simple Questions
LIFE. LIBERTY AND LAW
BY Rev. S. S. Began

innate standard of life is ascertained
and judged by its activities and re-
suits, as illustrated and expressed in
physical demonstrations. As tree
is known by its fruits, so is man
known by his deeds. We have abso-
lutely no other basis of judgment.
We speak of man as good or bad as
we see and know him in his daily
walk and conversation. Our opinions
of the quality of his life are based
upon our knowledge of his habitual
behavior and professed attitude to the
great moral questions of the day.
This is always so, when we are called
upon to appraise or judge human life
in the second and third person.
Our conclusions and findings that
standardizes the character of our fell
lowmen may be approximately cor
rect, but they can never be absolute
and exact: "For what man knoweth
the things of a man, save the spirit
of the man which is in him ?" Not
but there is an affinity or kindred
spirit that draws men of like spirit
together, but that there are secret
motives and deep secrets of the heart
and sacred chambers of the soul-life
into which none are allowed to in
trude or enter; no, not even the
closest friend and bosom companion.
There is that in every life that is
known only to himself and the God
that made him. Therefore what is
predicated of our knowledge and
Judgments of our fellowmen in the
second and third person is not ap-
plicable to the first person, IL"
When l investigate and interrogate
myself there is no one to decry or
forbid me access into the most hidden
and most sacred chambers of my
heart, hence my judgment and ap-
praisement of myself, if not bias and
prejudiced by egotism, false concep-
tions and lame conscience, will be
to all intents and purposes true and
reliable. The difficulty is, we may
close the door to our innermost life
even to ourselves, and not only not
heed the voice, of our better judgment
and ignore the appeal of conscience,
but hush the voice of protest and
chain conscience down to state of
inertia and helplessness-while we
walk over them in defiance of our bet
ter judgment and in spite of our
knowledge of the truth. This is the
personal position and attitude of every
man and woman, boy and girl who. in
the face of right and their knowledge
of truth, do wrong and conform their
lives to the principles of evil, ''they
hold the truth In unrighteousness.A
In other words, they admit the right
Of temperance, righteousness and
Judgment in the control and govern
ment of life and conduct, vet deny
them the right of way in their lives
while they give themselves over tc
works or unrighteousness, ungodli.
ness and every conceivable wicked.
ness.
To these, life and its many contin-
gencies are wrongly interpreted anC
misunderstood and its standard OF
values reversed. Truth is hated an6
despised and falsehood is loved anf
honored, the righteous and righteous.
ness are held in shame and contempt
but the wicked and unrighteous are
esteemed and applauded. They shur
the light and court darkness because
their deeds are evil. Their attitud,
becomes the basis of their judgment
to them right is wrong and wrong i.
right, therefore they call evil goot
and god evil! They put darkness.
for light and light for darkness. ant
bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter
They are wise in their own eyes ant
prudent in their own sight, but theil
woe is certain and their judgmen
sure. Such indeed are personal lib
erty folks, who exalt their conceived
and extorted claims of personal right.
and liberties to the greatest magni
tude and the nth power that levies !
tax upon the home, society and th'
state to support and protect them il
the exercise of their assumed preroga
tives, and that, too, regardless of tn,
rights and liberties of others, wht
may think differently and know bet
ter, and who are less selfish and ex
acting of personal rights and NOR,
sane and modest in their interpreta
tion of personal liberty.
Personal liberty in a selfish settinI