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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1876)
20 Editor's Chair. II ' H 'I ! !? t i i'i i ' whoso answer is loo well known for us to dwell upon. Wo ourselves have within us a light which shines about our feet. We have a Conscience lint as a guide to purity only when she asks Reason for her compass. With this alone no man may wander around crying for the King's high way, for Reason is our eternal guide. Re sides this we have the words of all the good and wise. For Socrates has said, "If we forget the words of admonition we will also forget those means through which the soul became anxious for self re straint." As the diamond is an example of- nearly nbsolutc purity, and is but the crystalliza tion of the blackest matter, so may man l3' his own reHex action cast off nearly every influence of cartln; matter. Another condition of immortality we believe should be perfect freedom. This, also, like purity. Is the result more or l?ss of the series of life impressions and con ceptions. For absolute freedom means to have been as well as to bo absolutely free. When a limb is tied it loses shape, So when the mind is cramped, the oul be comes abnormal. In what degree it is en abled to cast off this abnormal condition, after it has once become relieved, we can not pretend to say. Rul wo cannot rid ourselves of the conclusion that the soul is influenced, ami if such is the case, how does the influence stop short of eternity? The philanthropist who takes this view of the question, as he looks out upon the world, may well be struck with a higher Reuse of his d ut', for no man is perfectly free. Each one believes something. Each one must reject the opposite of his belief' hence to a certain degree is prejudiced. To such an extent therefore he is a slave to his belief. Of this servitude we have ev ery grade, until we reach the amazing ex treinc where man, si)pl3' for the sake of being saved from a grovious hell, Is torn Asunder upon the rack or tied to the stake and harassed by u lire u thousand times more scourging than hell Itself. Who, even when having granted that a certain belief is right, can look upon its adherents and their opponents and say which shall possess a freer immortality? Rrligior. truly has a holy mission. She has disciplined lh" world. She is a tamer of the souls of men. Rut Free Thought comes, when the discipline is complete, to undo the cords and let the bounding soul go free. Let us not then stand at variance, for Religion has done to.) much to be cried down. She bus held the world too long upon her lap for it to turn now and smite her in the face. Her fostering care is yet too warm ami too like a mother's to bo considered foolish. On the other hand, let us not frown upon an influence that, for the sake of humanity, comes to speak ol freedom. For, if the soul has been stunted and palled by a mother, old and indulgent, then let it quickly respond to the noble call and step forth in Itself n man, that it may " be Irer indeed." There Is room for every influence under heaven, whose forte Is the perfection of the heart. The third condition of our futurity, wo believe to be increasing knowledge. For, we know that it is even the case with our present existence and we cannot conclude that death shuts out all further concep tion. The difference will be that as we reach a higher stale our knowlledge will be of a' more perfect kind. Here there is very little or no positive knowledge. It is relative. There new means of obtain, ing knowledge will be awakened. Hero, in a great measure, we only believe. Rut there many things, in respect to which wo can only now believe, wo will know, and we will believe many things, which to know will be a condition of some still fu ture existence, but for the suite of exist ence, in which wo now live, arutunthink- able. To avoid tills conclusion, it seems to me, is impossible. For, knowledge is the perception of relations. Evciy day wo live, new relations are perceived, and the stock is continually increasing, from which we will derive now ideas ,and so Hem ti ii Uifom ityiMturfffglUMWiy
