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Show Virtue ami lleltfrion, Dutte Miner. "Can we havo virtue without religion?" relig-ion?" is a question to which Professor (ioldwiu Smith replies in the April Forum. Tbe Miner is pleased to note the healthful tone of the professor's argument aud to find him sustaining the church in its work of restraining vice, encouraging virtue and ennobling the race. The professor says: "If morality mo-rality lias hitherto been based on religion, relig-ion, there must be reason to fear that the foundation being withdrawn the superstructure will fall. That morality has hitherto been based largely on religion, re-ligion, so far at least as the great majority ma-jority of mankind are concerned, will hardly be doubted, however, wanting want-ing in deliuiteness and vividness the notions of a moral governor and of retribution in many minds may have been, and however men may sacrificed to immediate impulse that which on serious appeal they would have acknowledged to by their real good. 'Virtue,' seas Palev, in his clear and decisive way, 'is the doing good to mankind in obedience to the will of (od anil for tbe sake of everlasting happiness.' So surely thought even the men of the world in Palcy's day. Besides, such genuine Christiau characters as there were ex- -crted an influence beyond themselves , as practical warrants for the observance of Christian morality and pledges of 1 tho happiness attending it. "The presence of the the ic its sanction sanc-tion has been especially apparent in all acls and lives of heroic self-sacrifice or self-devotion. The man who has led a forlorn hope, taken an oar in a life ! boat, risked his own life to save the lives of others.or given up all his personal enjoyments en-joyments to the service of his kind, if he has not definitely placed beforo himself him-self the approbation ol Cod and are-ward are-ward in heaven, has fell assured that in losing his life he saves it, and that it would bo well for him in tho sum of things; an assurance which implied tho existence of a supreme moral power. We are told that acts of heroic self sacrifice sac-rifice and self-devotion will become of less consequence to mankind w hen all is regulated bv a scientilic sociology. It may be so, but hitherto humanity could hardly have advanced without tliera." The church is doing good work. She is a guide and protector for the young and a solace for the aged. Her greatest temptation and most threatening wooer is politics, aud as long as she refuses to wed this worldly rake she will com- . maud the respect of believers and unbelievers unbe-lievers alike. Those who doubt the popularity of the chnrches in the west would do well to visit the numerous houses of worship in Butte. 1 |