This is essentially an age of change. Things which have been established
for centuries are no longer regarded as fixed. That which has been looked
upon as absolute is now respectfully held to be uncertain. The foundations
of old ideas are being disturbed and man finds that he has built upon
sandy bottom. Much which in times past answered the human soul, now
affords no satisfaction. It is plain that a revolution has commenced that
will be far reaching and important in its actions and reactions. There is
to be a general overhauling of matters secular and religious, political
and social and a wholesale clearing out of old words and forms, of
outgrown habits and customs, may be expected. The world of man is about to
take account of stock and to have a universal comparison of estimates of
values. Too long have we been subsisting upon the say-soes of our
ancestors and taking their eyes and ears as infallible.
For many years men have regarded all questions of religion as settled, and
that the whole duty of this and future generations was to accept the
conclusions of the past upon all religious matters. We do not understand
how men ever came to regard such conclusions as final or how they came to
expect the whole human race to receive them as the utmost of human
knowledge. We do not look upon the questions of religion as settled, and
the growing doubts of the infallibility of the common religious ideas
demand that we reconsider these questions. To do this we have not to go
into any theological discussion. No learned authorities are to be
consulted to establish or refute any line of argument. No dictionary of
terms is to be examined to settle the meanings of words. We have only to
decide whether mankind had better facilities for observing and studying
the phenomena of the universe in past times than we have to-day; whether
their eyes and ears were better than ours, and their methods and
opportunities for ascertaining the truth of things higher than those of
this age.
If men in the past had facilities inferior to ours for observing the
phenomena of the universe, it would follow that their ideas of the
universe would be inferior. Now, if we have superior ideas of the
universe, ideas nearer the truth of things, why should we be expected to
surrender these and hold ideas which are false?
It seems to us that the questions of religion may be settled by deciding
whether or not we are to believe our own eyes and ears and trust our own
knowledge and experience. It is certain that if we can trust our senses
and our knowledge, the old ideas of the universe, of the origin of earth,
of life, of man, and of good and evil and the whole catalogue of religious
things are incorrect; and if we accept them we do so contrary to our
reason and understanding.
With faith in the present, and in all that makes it peculiar,—its
scientific tendencies,—and with the belief that out of the doubt and
uncertainty that are now around us will come higher convictions which will
deepen and widen life’s purpose and make humanity a fairer word and a
fairer reality, we say:
“Ring out the old, ring in the new;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.”
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Hell is where cowards have sent heroes.
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A man never fell down stairs that he did not blame the stairs.
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The cross people carry to-day is made of gold or set with diamonds.
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There is nothing in this world of ours that will work harder, fight
harder, wait more patiently and suffer longer than love, unless it be
hate.