The grand law of God, as learned by experience, is that every mind must
_sacrifice_ the lesser for the greater good in gratifying its own desires.
When the interests of others are not concerned, the child must always
choose not what it desires the most, but what is best for itself. It is
the first labor of the educator to make a child understand and obey this
first part of the law of sacrifice.
But where the feelings and interests of others are involved, the law of
God is, that the lesser good of the individual shall always be sacrificed
to the greater good of the many. Each mind of the great commonwealth is to
act, not to make self‐gratification the first thing, but to make the
greatest possible happiness with the least possible evil for the whole
commonwealth the predominant purpose. And such is the system of the
Creator that whatever is for the best good of the whole is for the best
good of each individual.
Thus it appears that _obedience to the laws of God_, _physical_,
_intellectual_, _social_, _and moral_, is to be chosen as the ruling
purpose of each mind. And this is _the mode_ by which all rational beings
are to promote the end or design for which all things are made, (_i.e._,)
happiness‐making on the greatest possible scale for the great
commonwealth.
NOW it is very certain that no human mind is able, by its own solitary
investigations, to discover all the physical, intellectual, social, and
moral laws of God.
Many of these laws we can learn by experience, but for the greater portion
we are dependent on the instruction of others. Therefore _truth_ on the
part of educators, and _faith_ on the part of the learners are as
indispensable to the right action of mind as is light to the right action
of the eye in seeing. Not a “dead,” merely intellectual belief, but a
“saving faith” that controls the feelings and conduct.
We now are enabled to define the kind of _inability_ as to obeying the
laws of God, which inevitably attends every mind that commences its
existence in this world. As yet there have never been perfectly _true_
educators of young minds, while perfect _faith_, that is to say, “saving
faith,” in the teachings that are true is as much wanting. The young child
can not be made to understand, and therefore can not believe, or have
faith in many of the laws of God and the penalties connected with them.
This no one will deny.
Several Classes of Moral Actions.
There are several classes of moral actions. The first class includes those
which _in all cases_ destroy the best good of man. Of these are wanton
cruelty to helpless creatures, and ingratitude in returning needless evil
for good. In regard to such the mind, by its very constitutional impulses,
revolts from them and feels them to be wrong without any process of
reasoning. So also all those actions that in all cases cause enjoyment
without evil, are instinctively felt to be right without any reflection.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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