Miscellaneous Papers. 195 



Christians frequently manage their worldly affairs with less 

 judgment than those of lower moral integrity. This being 

 true, we are compelled to say that under God's correctness of 

 opinion there is not a proportion to moral goodness alone; 

 therefore, a good man might be perfect without immunity 

 from mistakes. Hence we conclude that man is not respon- 

 sible for all errors of judgment; that the extent to which he 

 may be held responsible must be governed largely by the 

 knowledge he possesses of secular and divine things. We 

 should receive credit or condemnation, not for what we do 

 or fail to do, but, rather, upon the plan of doing or failing to 

 do our best. Divine law is in perfect accord with this state- 

 ment. 



The old idea that has been rung down through the ages 

 for centuries, that God sends the children of all conditions, 

 preordaining their lives, to me is not consistent with reason 

 or divine law. It is a malicious idea, born of selfishness, and 

 the father of many who are unfortunately born. Parents 

 are responsible for the physical, mental and moral character 

 of the child. The better element of society recognizes this 

 truth and does not longer grope in darkness. It has been said 

 that : "In science and law, ethics and religion, turn whichever 

 way we may, man is bound by ignorance, fettered by pre- 

 judice and imprisoned by sin. Only as he knows the truth is 

 he able to break the chains of ignorance, burst the shackles 

 of prejudice, unlock the prison doors of sin and stand forth 

 a free man." From the creation of man, down to the present 

 moment, we find him through all the ages struggling for free- 

 dom. This condition can only be reached in a degree, and that 

 through brain-building and soul-growth. This work must be 

 persistent and long-continued that we may reach the desired 

 results. Correct brain-building cannot be reached at a single 

 bound. We must study that we may secure definite thinking, 

 as this will produce a close observer and a more perfect 

 thinker. Experience, if it develops a higher sentiment, must 

 be conducive to character-building, and the converse is true 

 when applied to vice or crime. We must continually keep 

 before the child pure thoughts, high ideals and noble aspira- 

 tions; when character is established under such a training 

 these things become the governing factors of the life. Doctor 

 DeMotte says: "The physical basis of a virtuous life is a 

 network of trunk lines where the incoming waves of stimula- 



