THE question, Under which government do yon prefer to live? does not here refer to a choice between national, state, municipal, or similar governments. It refers to man's true place in the universe, and to the supposed laws, on the one hand, and the real laws, on the other hand, of the universe in which we find ourselves. Is it not perfectly obvious that human intelligence is more or less limited and faulty in its perceptions, and in its opinions based on sense perceptions? and does it not necessarily follow that men are extremely liable to err, more or less, in respect to their true place in the universe, and in respect to the government of the universe and its laws? In fact, does not the history of humanity verify this point of view with an irrefutable array of saddening evidence?
To mistake the divine government and its laws,—thus to believe that we live under a divine government and its laws quite different from the government and laws which exist in reality,—can but be followed by pernicious effects; and the extent and degree of the perniciousness of these effects upon us depend, of course, on the extent and degree of our mistaken notions. Is it not therefore plain that, so far as we are able to correct such mistaken notions, we thereby lessen their pernicious effects? Why, then, are we not making it our prime purpose to correct our mistaken views along this line? So to do, is directly and surely to promote our usefulness to others and to heighten our happiness; for, so to do is to purify, to uplift, and to energize our thoughts and lives. Do we fail to make proper efforts in this direction because unaware of their importance? In that case, the sooner and the more urgently we give our attention to the subject the better it will be.
The ignorance of mortals along all lines is too frequently to be traced to their apathy and indifference. Happily, human experiences furnish an unbroken line of proof that by right efforts persistently followed we can always and in all directions greatly lessen our ignorance. To do this, we must seek to be sure of our conclusions. To be sure of our conclusions, we must first be sure of the bases from which we reason, and be sure that our reasoning is sound. Correct bases of reasoning and correct reasoning thereon are sure to lead its to correct conclusions. In the domain of what is called "matter," which strictly speaking is the domain of human belief in respect to the phenomena (appearances) of what is termed the physical universe, which belief, being constantly subject to change, can never embrace exact and complete truth, we are confronted with difficulties in our efforts to arrive at absolute knowledge and understanding. Human experiences unite in showing that these difficulties are really invincible. Indeed, the physicists have been industriously employed for many centuries in trying to find out what matter is, and now are forced to the admission that they have succeeded only in finding out what matter is not. Such must always be the outcome of their efforts, for they deal only with phenomena, appearances, and not with ultimate truth. Thus forever unsure of their basis of reasoning, they must forever be unsure of their conclusions. For any materialist ever to claim otherwise, in any province of physics (including drug medication), is to betray inexcusable ignorance or arrogance.
