Show philosophy AND THE GOSPEL ali aai interesting and important problem of modern philosophy is ii the c cun n manof noral obligation every rational being feels that there are certain things hinge he ought to do and others that should not be done dodt he be feels under obligation to do what he oer der calves to be right and to refrain from what is wrong whether whet ber his actions ate re actually guided by that rule or not whence this universal ton ston in the abstract at least to the rule of rectitude this Is at present the central cep trill question of ethics it is comparatively easy too to account dt for the development of the sense of moral obligation so ao far as ox ex Veri once goes to recount account for it in the child of idem ideas are formed between gotiong and the consequences following and a disposition to la create J I 1 in a favor of those actions which result in pleasure plea aure this to ii further by the authoritative commands that govern in the home borne too he toe the state and the rewards reward olt of punishments held out abua a genoe of duty Is fastened last ened on the mind and it IN perfected by the discovery that every enactment of law jaw has for it able object the well being of those from whom obedience Is in enacted anti and when this fact la Is recognized submission follow not to avoid arbitrary punish axil ments ts nor to gain promised rewards reward a bot because so of the justice and goodness good af the laws law themselves with all this admitted however the explanation of the origin of the feeling that we ought to do what Is right is yet to find and fear of the bonse may indeed detain moral agents from performing certain sets acta otherwise looked upon as desirable but thin fear cannot originate a sense of obligation to conform to the dictates diot atee of righteousness righteous new the announcement that obedience to certain laws Is to be rewarded in this life or hereafter and that disobedience la in to 0 be punished may indeed awaken feelings of hope or fear and lead to actions in accordance with these feel ings ingo but by that means mean love lore of duty tor for its ita own make eake can never be generated in the human heart experience demonstrates this fully A thorough consideration of the problem in all its phases leads modern thinkers to acknowledge the futility of accounting fur for the abe origin of this wonderful peculiarity nt nf human beins belnap P to the question why ought I 1 to do right the ultimate answer if 4 because it to la right but no further account for its ita source can they give the origin of it like biks the conscious nen of beinor la is incommunicable to othera 1 I ought to do what la Is right in ia an ultimate self supporting self authenticating experience characteristic act of human nature as aa such this thin frank admission of philosophy of its inability to account for one of the most moat important facts regarding human nature is valuable fur for the pursuit of the be inquiry on another and entirely different line philosophy naturally endeavors to trace the origin of the characteristics of human beings as a far back as to what it considers oon sidera the begin ning the infancy if it falls fails in accomplishing its ita object it is because it does not go for far enough if philosophy could penetrate beyond that and trace the conditions under which human spirits existed before their entrance upon this earth many facts now low mysterious would appear perfectly clear the deetion now under Is ia on a parallel pa rollel with the inquiry about the origin of the idea of a god said to be found unive universally aimon among men man numerous philosophers own coo tended that it was waa an innate idea impossible to account for while others argued that no conception of a supreme being wad ever formed ex dept capt through elaborate reasoning the gospel of brigg solved that bat question tion satisfactorily by showing that hat man existed before his entrance upon the earth and that he be came here with ath a strong impression of the father whose presence he for the time being had left the following sweet lines of the immortal post poet were truly lu in in thy holy habitation did my mv spirit once reside in my first primeval childhood was I 1 nurtured near thy side aide they suggest the true irue solution of a question with which philosophy long struggled in vain in the same way the doctrine of the pre existence of the human spirit will be found to account for that obligation which man feels to do right it to la a divine quality which he be has inherited and which as long as it la Is not dot totally destroyed by wrongdoing against the protests of this feeling this conscience makes redemption demp tion possible when the gospel WAS waa prea obad to in the beginning of our oar oris era it was waa benty riven given to the world as the be ys of god gradually it was investigated and found to be all that was claimed for it the gospel restored io in this age claims the flame am high honor As KM ita principles become understood it will be found to offer a solution to all the important questions with which philosophy is ie now concerned without it there will always be b gaps ga pa impossible i no possible tc to bridge to in the road along which men ameri seek for wisdom with its aid these difficulties will be overcome and perfect knowledge attained as far as aa perfection la Is possible in this stage of our existence |