If there is one tree that man needs to eat of, it is the forbidden tree of
the knowledge of good and evil; and if any knowledge will keep him alive
and make him happy and perfect, it is just this knowledge which God forbid
him to acquire. We are dying to-day from ignorance, not from
knowledge,—dying because we do not know the good from the evil; and we are
dooming ourselves and future generations to premature death because we do
not eat more of the tree of knowledge.
To _know_ more is what we need. Let us look into things and find out what
the world means. If this universe is only an illuminated deception, the
man who discovers the fact will be a public benefactor. If things which
exist around us are lying to us,—if the stars that shine out through the
deep space above us are only fire-flies of the night, let us know it.
Knowledge will not hurt us so much as ignorance and deception. If the
flowers that uncover their beauty for our delight have but a phantom
loveliness, and nought is real in the enchanting world about us, then let
us be told the truth. The soul can bear it better than to be deceived. We
may be trusted with the knowledge of good and evil and of right and wrong,
ye God of Genesis! and praise be to the first-created man for breaking the
command to remain in ignorance and taking the first step toward solving
the riddle of life!
We learn everything by living. The truth is not revealed to us: we must
discover it. It is seen when we climb high enough to see it, or live wise
enough to feel it, or act true enough to utter it. When we hear the truth,
we hear only the echo of the universe. The last thing that we have to fear
is the truth and the consequences of knowing it. Let us not fear to speak
it or to hear it. And let us go with it whenever found. They who are
keeping the world from the knowledge of good and evil, who are trying to
discourage the preaching of truth, are the enemies of mankind.
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If man had no knowledge except what he has got out of the Bible he would
not know enough to make a shoe.
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The great work of man has ever been to rescue the present from the past;
to turn the mind from what it has left behind to the opportunities and
duties which are around it. For this has genius toiled down the ages, sung
its song of love, carved its dream of beauty and whispered to the world’s
dull ear its bright message of hope.