Correspondence.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5207, 24 September 1885, Page 2

Correspondence.

These columns are open, to all ccrrtsporidence of interest, but we do not hold ourselves responsib'e for tlie opinions of writers. Correspondence must in all cases be authenticated by the real name and address of the writer-^-not necessary for publication, but m . a gUßrrntee of good faith. s

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.)

Sib, —The spirit of 'AtbYtfge is advancemenfi, and a desire to know all that is knpwable, not only pertaining to this world but of things beyond. It would almost seem superfluous to say that any attempt to peer intq^ a, futnre life, any straggle made to get beyond the sphere ire are placed in, cannot but result in disappointment to those foolish enough to essay such tasks; give grim dissatisfaction to the half hearted onlookers who would fain see the champions of a cause they are almost inclined to believe in, succeed without their (the onlookers) intervention; and generally produce a species of chaotic dismay. Poor little man is naturally aspiring; be has giren to him certain faculties^ and those same faculties are productive of others ad ittfinitum. A desire to open up the, whole structure of the world is one of the. things... ibis creature called man has attempted^ Man his mastered a lot of it; ,he has olearjy demonstrated to bis own satisfaction at any tate that whaterer is, is right; and, as far as natural causes are concerned, he has shown a good and sufficient argument for it being so; but as regardsthe future life and his spirituality, man has no right to indulge in argument x>r conjecture. It may seem absurd and oat of place to the quid mines ofj the,present day, to those; with whom infidelity means mere worldly! convenience, to scoff and sneer at beliefs which have'stood tests more formidable than any likely to be no w produced, for nearly two thousand years, to make such a statement, but I challenge its tation v It is not- my wish? dr desire to attempt a demonstration of the truth of that which stands for and by itself, unassailable; but as a peace-toring God fearing member of the human family, I have a horror of being robbed of the consolation which I hare for many, years cherished, viz., that, if J keep the two great commandments, "Thou,sh»!t lore the Lord'thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind; and, Thou shalfc love thy neighbor as thyself," I hare some hope of partaking of the rewards to be giren in a future state, for righteous living in this. I see nothing but' selfishhessih'this brief existence ; yet, to follow thos«; subliihe dictates, more is required of man than following the command for the sake of future preferment alone. Self denial must be exercised to carry out the spirit, if. not the letter, of these precepts, and he who does so for righteousness''sake, to him will inevitably a reward be given. Having in view all the foregoing considerations, I submit* that iit'isT an" act unwarrantable under any pretence, whatever that sophistry, scepticism, or any other of the many "isms" now extant , should be used to rob believing mortals of any spiritual comfort or consolation to which thay have so long and steadfastly clung, and further that it is more than the height of absurdity for a lot' of puny men •—merei mortals"of to-day—to assert that whatever in the matter of ancient history does not suit their particular views as to a convenient belief, must necessarily be— it is of no consequence how ancient the history—a forgery. (as v is frequently;-,»as serted regarding Biblical passages).. The same mortals vrill f persist in knocking down, but they cannot build up; they scatter, but they.cannot gather;, they aay "Away with yon,*' but they know not wko to call. If one man cares to set up a theory with a little fact, Bpdi3j)lausible in this upsetting way of demolishing beliefs, a whole host of adherents fpjlow with parrot cries,from,bis profundities, which when those iame blind of weak apostles are asked to account for, they adopt a tv quoque style of argument, and ask for proof on the other side. Such is mau.—lam, &c, ; Last Coksolatiok.