TRUTH.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4637, 14 November 1883, Page 2

TRUTH.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.)

Sin,—lt appears that the old question is revived—what is truth ? A statement has been made that truth is the child of error. If so, truth has nothing to boast of in its parentage; but this is a statement which I dispute as not being true. Error is falsehood, and truth never can spring from it, nor is it in the least depend* ing upon it. Truth itself is unchangeable—the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. If we did not believe there were such places as London or Paris, the facts would remain the same. When Columbus discovered America, he did not make it by discovering it; if he had not discovered it, it would have been there the same. When Harvey discovered that the blood circulated in the veins and arteries, he did not cause the circulation ; and when .Newton discovered the law of gravitation, he did not make the law ; it always was a law. He did not cause the world tq revolve round the sun; so it is with regard to all other truths. Truth is eternal, like God himself. There is a truth or falsehood connected with all the burning questions of the day. It is either true or false that man has or has not an immortal spirit that survives the body; it is either true or false that there is an intelligent force that underlies all phenomena or outward matter, and whatever we say, write or think about it, the truth remains the same; I have had conversations with people lately who argue that there is no such thing as truth, that.what appears true in one generation, is not true in another; what was truth for the jews, is not truth for the Christians, but a falsehood in one age can never turn into a truth In another, and a truth can never be changed into a falsehood. The truth in the present Christian or any other religion always was and always will be true. .

For Truth, as on a diamond rock, erects her throne in beauty vernal; Unmoved by the tremendous shock, and steadfast as the King eternal. There are a few things which prevent people from getting to know what is truth: one thing is prejudice. The prejudices of education are very hard to throw off, when a Protestant is brought np to believe that the Oatholics are a set of deluded'fools, and the Catholic is brought up to helieye the same about the Protestants ; if both parties are taught to keep their eyes shut, it is not likely that they will see anything good in the other. Those of us who have been brought up as Christians, —with what pride and vain glory, we stand upon a high eminence, looking down with pity and. contempt; upon theMahommedans and all other great religions, looking upon them as ignorant, deluded heathens, on the high road to perdition, and we send missionaries to convert them, and sometimes we succeed in making them as cunning, as dishonest, and sensual as we are, but they oftener look upon us as deluded, wicked, and barbarians. Under those circumstances, how can either party know the truth, when they are blinded with prejudice. Another obstacle in the way of getting to know the truth, is dishonesty. ,A wicked person never can see things clearly; one whohates the truth will never find it. Truth often has to be bought-, or at least sacrifices have to be made for it. Some people have had to give up all their worldly interest for it, and we admire them for it; for truth to silver we prefer, and gold is dross compared to it. Another great hindrance to get to know the truth, is a creed: when a creed is in stilled into peoples minds from childhood, what chance have they to get to know what is truth. It is like placing them within the narrow limits of a penfold with high walls, and then tell them they are at liberty to search for all;the knowledge within those walls they can find, but if they look over, their soul's salvation would be in danger. There is nothing more plain than that it is man's duty to do his best to get to know what is truth, although it is so beset with difficulties; with some people treat truth and man's destiny as only a proper subject to jest about. There are people who believe there is no fsuch thing as truth in this life, and others who believe that they are the only people who have it, and that all others are in the dark. They say, " Look what a host of learned men we have on our side," as though no other side could boast of the same thing.—l am, &c, 3. Hobn.