Year: 1879

for Ethics they say treats only OF the relations
between man and man. Religion Is the minister tor
foreign affairs of the human race. ethics the minister
of the interior and the latter is incapable OF per-
forming the duties Of the former. But those VINO
hold such views mistake the true character OF
morality have never given up the conviction tnat
morality can be to us a religion. l have never said
Let the performance of duty--let mutual health.
fulness stand to us in lieu or rehgioh,
but do hold that these are a religion. When can
lift anothers burden and ease another's PAIN then
something really divine transpires, law is fulhlied
whose excellence the planets and the fixed stars ana
the illimiable sea and all things dead and animate
have prophesied before man appeared on the
scene Morality is to me the law universal. 1t Is
greater IN TINS rnan the law OF Maaare sas uos
sible only limited few investigated and for the
rest rely upon the constancy of nature and build
the whole of our science upon that fundamental hy-
pothesis.


THE MORAL LAW.


But there is law, in the very terms Of which
universally is included--the moral lawl The moral
law is the law universal, and because 1t is that IL
brings us into union with the life universal and,
therefore, is religion completely, profoundly,
as truly ever religion that was known among men.
The philosopher Kant "Universaty is the test
of morality. That makes an action moral that is
capable of being adopted universal rule OF action
Falsehood. murder, theft, II we suppose them to be
universally practccd, would defeat their own ends
and issue in selfcontradiction and logical absurdty
But the universal prevalence of virtue would lead to
a. reign of harmony, consistency and concord
The ideal fulflment of the moral law can only be
conceived under the image Of an empire of reason
in which every citizen shall act only according to
reasonable motives. Mankind as 1t is does not pre-
sent to the aspect of such commonwealth Of
reason. But should aspire to make it that Is
our religion. When we say humanity we mean
thereby the commonwealth of reason; when say
religion of humanity mean that religion which
seeks to make real the commonwealth of reason.
From our position as citizens in this ideal common
wealth flow all the practical duties of life We are
moral beings. designed for moral purposes. We are
to regard our physical existence subservient to
immortal ends Hence follows in the first place the
duty OF self-preservation.


THE QUESTION SUICIDE.


Professor Adler here recited the opinions of the
Stoics and especially that OF Seneca the question
of suicide, Life is no just cause OF complaint be-
is obliged to remain in it, Against all
the injuries of life see the refuge DEATH" In mod
ern times, said Mr. Adler it necessary to protest
vigorously against the permssibility OF sefdestruc
ton Plato Is right We are sentinels placed at the
post of duty and dare leave until receive the
message OF the Commander Our life is not our
own here to do service, and it is not for
TO terminate the years OF our service II suffer
grief let help those who suffer as much or more
than do. We shall find that the herb hearts
grows in the soil OF unsehsh care for others. II
helpless to help others at least endure,
son, and by enduring fulfil the law. We shall pre-
serve physical existence and preserve it well.


TEMPERANCE AND PURITY


From this follows the elementary duty of cleanli-
and temperance and purity. What men mean by
temperance in this country is not temperance They
mean abstinence But abstinence is confession that
there is an end of temperance-that the will is too
feeble to carry out temperance. The evils of drunk
enness can hardly be exaggeraedthat the pledge is





ately sick. In some cases OF weakness OF the spine
physicians apply plaster of paris Jackets but that is
no reason why those whose moral backbone is weak
should go about preaching, they constantly
do that should all wear plaster Of
paris jackets. The root of the evil is
deep down. It is not SO much intemperance
that want but want. that is the cause of in
temperance. We must attack, not the symptom
but the disease old, terrible disease-pauperism
Then there the duty of purity. Then
when we think of the army Of the lost. hundreds
of thousands in great cities, them in
their last stages haggard and diseased. shall have
the courage to remember that these
innocent children little daughters playing about
their mothers knees. How came they to be
thus but through the brute law Of superior
force, which degrades them profits by their
degradation. When We have drained the sweet
ness from orange cast it into the mire. when
weary Of horse we have purchased we sell it
to another. But the difference between human
being and brute is that every human being is to be
treated moral agent designed for sacred purposes
even as your own sisters and daughters and wives
You shall not place the black man in the cotton field
and use him as the tool of your profit. We fought
long war to make that plain. And white slavery
Also must be abolished, and one shall be used as
tool for the pleasure of another. 1t is question Of
equal rights, of equal wrongs