Ethianism

Preface

Philosophy philosophizes on the facts known to the vulgar ; if the vulgar were to turn about and philosophize on the facts of philosophy and religion, it would be most presumptions in the vulgar, and no doubt both religion and philosophy would be disgusted. Yet, a little of the every day common sense of the vulgar, thrown into religious and philosophical discussion, might have a salutary effect.

But the man who does this runs great risk, or rather he runs no risk at all, for it is morally certain he will be called shallow, superficial, commonplace and all that. Mystery, or mysticism, seems the measure of profundity in religious discussion; great words and intricate logical formula, to which no reader, perhaps, attaches the same meaning as the writer, is the measure of profundity in philosophy. And this is all natural enough, for since no writer is capable of anything profound, his only chance of attaining unto profundity is to so express himself that the reader has room to imagine it. Just so soon as the writer expresses himself in a way to be understood, he is superficial and commonplace.

If perchance there is anything in this little work at all approaching profundity, it will he found in the iv PREFACE.

thoughts, and not in the language. The writer offers the reader no idea lie has not himself, which is, perhaps, additional proof of a lack of profundity. And he aims to so express himself that the reader will have the idea and retain it. Hence the unorthodox "we" is used, which means both the writer and reader, since the writer aims for the reader to go with him; hence some slang is used, and even ungrammatical expressions, if thought best, to fix the attention of the reader. The writer's purpose is to give the reader certain concepts, and to prevail with him to accept them as objectively true; whatever policy he has thought would produce the result has been adopted, regardless of what literary critics may think about it. This affront, no doubt, the critics will resent in approved style, if they give me any attention; and it is right they should do so, since it is their special business to see to it that the English language is not imposed on, and that all writers are orthodox.

An original Mss. of 2,000 pages was simmered down to 600 and that down to this. As so much is attempted in so small compass, necessarily the style is jerky and somewhat dogmatic; like the dictionary it changes the subject often without always an apparent connection, since there is not space to lead up from one position to another in a proper deference to the reader's mental processes.

As to the why of this concentrated presentation the writer is unknown, and on all such the publisher looks

PREFACE. v

with a decided askance. After two efforts by letter to submit the Mss. of 600 pages for examination, which were not even answered, the writer became discouraged; and, not being a man of any great patience nor withal gifted in soliciting charitable contributions, he decided to bring the work out on his own responsibility. But to do this he had to make the thing mighty small; for that was the size of his pocket-book.

The price is pretty steep for the amount of paper and printer's ink invested, but the thing is not sold by pound, neither by the yard. It is my judgment that a work of this kind is worth a cent a page if it is worth a centipede. As the book will be left to make its own way of its own "heft," without the puff of advertising and the halo of a publishing house to illuminate its merits, the purchaser is likely to see the size before purchasing the book; and if the buyer does not buy, perhaps he will not be seriously damaged by the price.

Ripley.

CONTENTS:

Chapter I. Ether And Systems Of Existence In Ether

Ether unknown : Systems of existence known to the intelligences of the system. The infinite God of Ether ; the Local Gods of systems and parts of systems. A foundation laid for something more concrete and perhaps more interesting.

Chapter II. The Individual

Is some great Noumenon Manifesting itself to our Capacities. If manifested in any space in physical qualities it is then the physical individual ; if manifested in spirit attributes it is then the spirit individual. All men believe this but differ as to what the noumenon or God is.

Chapter III. Ethia

The Impending Contest among the Gods. One wants an infinite absolute God for all existence ; not finite Gods for local areas. Ethia, the Infinite Absolute God, is the God of the higher order of Religion, Philosophy and Common Sense.

Chapter IV. Ethia As A Creator And Preserver

Creation; Evolution; The Ethian Plan. Was the world made for Man ; How about Evil ; is the Devil any good ? The "Fall. " Europe and America on the same track the East has already passed over ; Terminus the same. Theology and Philosophy arrive at the same conclusion, but war about terms and avenues of approach.

vm ( ONTENTS.

Chapter V. Government Of The World

The Noumenon of Movement in the thing acting. All things have the Intelligence and Will of their own acts. They act voluntarily, and not on compulsion. The Sun mass. A straight line. Laws of Nature. Providential Government.

• CHAPTER VI.

WHAT SHALL WE DO TO BE SAVED?

The Materialistic and Pantheistic Plan ; The Religious Plan ; The Ethian Plan of Salvation. Boodhs. One Life at a time. AVill Man have another life? Heaven and Hell. How they come about and the conditions there.

Chapter VII. Idealism

Shall the Process of Knowing Annihilate the thing Known. General Considerations. A Theory of perception. Does the object duplicate its qualities in the senses aud do we properly locate in externality. If so the World is, and is what it appears to be. Don't run to seed.

Chapter VIII. Ideation

Science uses the Senses and Consciousness ; Religion and Philosophy use Ideation. Ideation not altogether reliable in the Science domain where its assertions can be tested by the senses and consciousness ; Is ideation more fortunate elsewhere. The baleful influence of the Hopes, Fears and Vanities, and of obsolete Fundamental principles. Conclu-

Chapter I. Ether And Systems Of Existence In Ether

Ether Unknown : Systems of Existence known to the Intelligences of the System. The Infinite God of Ether : The local Gods of Systems and Parts of S3 T stems. A Foundation laid for Something more Concrete and perhaps more Interesting.

The two great facts of existence are Ether and individualization in that Ether. Ether is infinite, filling all space as well where individuality is as where it is not. Individuality is finite, occupying certain limited space. But in occupying that space it is but super-addition in that Ether, which Ether is the same everywhere. Individuality in nowise displaces Ether; for this Ether is in everything and everything is in it; in it not only we, but also the planet and star move and have their being.

The universe is one system of existence in this Ether. It is a system of existence because possessing certain properties, qualities or attributes; and these qualities or attributes differentiate the universe, not only from the infinite Ether itself, but from all other systems of existence that may be in that Ether. Man, as a part of the universe system of existence, possessing the same qualities as the system, is capable of knowing the system in those qualities. But he is incapable of knowing Ether, or anv other system of existence in that Ether, for thev do not possess the qualities of the universe; therefore, no qualities in which he can realize them. If he undertakes to conceive of Ether, or of any other system of existence but the universe, he must needs impute to them the qualities of the universe, for he is incapable of knowing them in any other qualities. But when he imputes to Ether, or to other systems of existence, the qualities of the universe, he makes them, thereby, a part of the universe, and is not thinking of Ether or of those other systems. Man can only grapple with Ether and external systems in the intellectual way by conditioning them as the universe is conditioned, and, the moment he does that, they are not Ether nor external.

Man knows something of the universe as far as the telescope reaches; he knows not how much farther it may go, or what there is in it. He knows the universe in the qualities he has capacities to realize. The universe may have other qualities, but man knows nothing about them; if there, they are beyond or outside his capacities. If he had other senses he might know more; if he had fewer senses evidently he would know less; for each sense is adapted to knowing the universe in certain qualities. The qualities and attributes in which man realizes the universe are rather limited in number; the great variety of individuality that makes up the universe comes of difference of degree and combination of these few qualities.

If Ether has none of these qualities in any sort of combination, man evidently can know nothing of Ether ;

he cannot see it, he cannot conceive of it, and evidently he is hot conscious of it. If other systems of existence in Ether have none of the qualities of the universe, which qualities alone man can know, evidently we would know nothing about them, even if those systems surround us on every side. A thing six inches from a man's nose would be nothing to that man if it possessed no qualities in which he can realize it; and it possesses not such qualities if it has not the qualities of the universe, and if it possesses such qualities it is a part of the universe, and is neither Ether nor any other system.

Then if there are other systems of existence in Ether man cannot know it; if they are not there, he cannot know it ; for no man can transcend his capacities to affirm or deny. But Ether within the planets and stars is scarcely comparable with Ether between, and if there are no other systems of existence in Ether beside the universe it certainly is not for want of elbow room. It is scarcely supposable that Ether exhausted itself in the creation of the universe, but man is prone to think so since it gives him very great prominence in infinite affairs.

It is believed by many that the universe itself is a dual system of existence conjoined in the same space, physical on one side, spiritual on the other. They believe that there is a seen, tangible universe system realized by the senses in the qualities of solidity, color, form, taste, smell, sound, and that there is also ah unseen, intangible universe system conjoined with the physical,

14 ETHIAJSISM: OR THE

which is realized by consciousness in the attributes of thought, emotion, will. The physical system is realized in physical qualities, through the senses and ideatively ; the spirit system conjoined we know in spirit qualities by consciousness. We can't see spirit in others, nor outside the flesh; for spirit has no perceptive qualities otherwise it would be a part of the physical system, and would not be a spirit system. Nor are we conscious of other men's spirits; for consciousness is self-realization by the spirit that has the consciousness. But we can see the physical side of other men, and through that the spirit conjoined, in a way.

Xow if spirit went out the flesh retaining its concious personality and all its attributes we could not see that spirit, nor be conscious of it, if another man's, however near it might be; and we could only conceive of it as regards form and position. If these spirits went out from Earth to Ether, and other spirits from other planets and stars went out to that Ether also, then they would in that Ether form a system of existence as real as the universe. Yet we would know nothing about it ; for it is a system of existence possessing no qualities in which we can realize it by any capacities we have. At the same time, however, those spirits would realize each other and their environment ; for the intelligences of every system of existence harmonize in nature with the system of which they are a part, and know the system in the qualities they have themselves, just as man knows the universe system in the qualities he has. But

WISE MEN RE VIE 1 1 'ED. 1 5

the query would be whether the intelligences of any one system know anything of another system. Man does not ; he knows nothing of the spirit system of existence that may have gone out to Ether from the Earth and stellar existence. Do the spirits of that system know anything of man's spirit in the flesh? Echo answers. But we suppose they know nothing of his physical side ; for spirit in this life only knows physical things through the physical side with which it is conjoined, and in the spirit system supposed the spirit individual there has no physical side, from the resurrection or elsewhere, and needs none ; for it now knows only spirit things in the spirit way.

AVe repeat that the two great facts of existence is Ether and individualization in that Ether. The universe is one system of existence in that Ether. There may be many other systems of existence in Ether. And outside them all, yet within them all, is Ether itself. All systems of existence differentiate themselves from Ether in the qualities they have as systems: one system differentiates itself from all others by having different qualities from those others. One system, however, is not a system because it is not another: a system is a system because it is itself, and it is itself because possessing certain qualities, which qualities demark it, not only from Ether, but from all other systems not having the same characteristics. A horse is a horse because possessing certain qualities and attributes in certain degree and combination ; a tree is a tree because possessing the same qualities in different degree and combination. Both are of the same system because possessing tht' same character of qualities. Difference of qualities differentiate one system from another, and all systems from Ether. Difference in degree and combination of qualities differentiate one individual from another in the same system. There are but few features in the human countenance, yet scarcely any countenance but that in some respect differentiates itself from all others.

But what is Ether, and what is individualization in that Ether? Science identifies Ether and the universe, both at bottom are the Atom; the universe is the atom of the ordinary species. Ether is the atom of the vortex-ring kind. The Atheist, who refuses to go beyond the element, identifies Ether and the universe ; both are composed of elements. Materialists identify Ether and the universe; all is matter. Pantheists identify Ether and the universe; all is spirit God. Philosophy identifies Ether and the universe in the absolute, which is God. Science tells us the universe came up out of Ether through nebula. Hegel tells us the universe is the self-development of the absolute. So that we may take it that Ether and individualization is abundantly identified. Ether and all systems of existence in Ether are identified in noumenon. But all systems are differentiated from Ether and from other systems by the qualities they have. Ether is that noumenon non-manifested; the universe is the noumenon manifested to man's capacities. The other systems is the noumenon manifested to the capacities of the intelligences of these systems. What man calls phenomena is nonmenon manifested to his capacities in certain qualities. To the intelligences of other systems phenomenon, there is nonmenon manifested to their capacities in certain qualities. But nonmenon in Ether as permeating all existence and filling all space is phenomenon to its own intelligence, and possibly to the "angels," "spirits of light," or such like members of the royal family. We plebiau fellows who have come up through systems of existence, and out of many trials and tribulations, can only know nonmenon as phenomenon on our plane, and we can't know noumenon at all in Ether, nor in any system of existence but our own. That is all man can do now; what he will do later we do not know at this writing.

Of course it will be objected that the identification of Ether with the nonmenon of existence, as outside of manifestation, is outrageously gross, superficial and commonplace; it is not at all profound, mysterious nor learned. Well, just how gross is Ether? Is the grossness in the thing or in your concept of the thing? You perhaps conceive of Ether as very thin air, but is it that? The truth of the matter is that we do not know anything at all about what Ether is; we know just as much, and no more, about it than we do of the noumenon of existence outside our capacities, or where non-manifested; it is not manifested to our capacities in any qualities we are capable of realizing; it is not manifested in physical qualities; it i> not maniiested in spirit aitrL butes. Therefore, it is not matter, nor is it spirit, but it is "something" beyond and antecedent to both. It is unknown and unknowable to man, because possessing neither physical nor spiritual qualities, the only qualities in which man can know anything. It is unknown and unknowable to the intelligences of other systems because it has not the qualities of those systems, the only qualities in which they can know anything. It is only known to itself and the royal household, if such household there be. What the spirits of men will know about it after physical death no living man knows.

This much we do know about this Ether, however, let it be what it may: We know that it is infinite and absolute, and that the universe and all systems have come up out of it; we know that in this way it has created the universe. When we say come up out of it, and when we speak of Ether as outside the universe, we don't allude to space; for Ether is within everything and everything is in it; nothing is ever outside of Ether, nor Ether outside of anything in the space way; for space, like all our other terms, is lor use in the system and has no application to Ether. But the universe comes up out of Ether and is outside of Ether in the sense that Ether in universe space is manifesting itself to our capacities in certain qualities and combination of those qualities. But the manifestation does not displace Ether non-manifested, which is continuous in all space. This non-manifested Ether is the one thing common to all systems of existence and to all space. Different

WISE MEN BE I r IE WED. 1 9

systems of existence, and different members of the system, the Earth for instance, may have all the local Gods they want inferred from the system, but the one God common to all systems and Ether, and from whom all other and local Gods come, is the infinite, absolute God, represented by the infinite Ether.

Now this Ether is the great fact of existence, the infinite, absolute fact, but at the same time all systems of existence, the universe among the rest, are small facts, finite facts.

But man in his egotism reverses this order. And he does so partly because he is down in the universe, so swamped in it that he can't see out. To him the universe, because he is a part of it and is capable of knowing something about it, is the great fact of existence; and Ether, and other systems of existence in that Ether, are not facts at all, they are "nothing," for the most satisfactory reason that man knows nothing about them. Philosophy speaks of the absolute as "nothing," until it self-develops into the universe; religion has the universe created out of nothing. And to those men who start from such foundation, nothing is about what the universe amounts to ; religion, represented by Bishop Berkeley, says the physical universe is "nothing." Philosophy, represented by Hegel, says the spirit or unseen universe is also "nothing." So that if, in the creation of the universe you start with "nothing," you find that the thing holds its own remarkably well; it is "nothing" all the way through ; nothing in the beginning, and

nothing in the end. But if you start with something a little more substantial, you find that the results are more substantial, and perhaps a little more satisfactory. If von begin with "something" you end with "something." If the infinite absolute, represented by Ether, is a decided " something," although unknown and unknowable to your capacities, then the universe within your capacities, both seen and unseen, is a decided "something," and by no means owes its existence to being within man's feeble ken.

Well, we are very much of opinion that the infinite absolute, represented by Ether is a very great " something" of which the universe is a small "something," equally real, manifested to our capacities. What this great "something" is when not manifested to our capacities evidently we do not know. And the qualities of the universe, whether physical or spiritual, in which the absolute manifests itself to our capacities, gives us no idea of the absolute in Ether not manifested in these qualities; nor does it give us any idea of the absolute as manifested in other systems of existence; for it could not possibly do so. Yet we must suppose that the absolute, as represented by Ether, has qualities and attributes; they are simply a huckleberry above our persimmon; we can form no concept of them; for if we could, then we could know noumenon as noumenon; but as it is, we can only know noumenon as phenomenon, on our plane or in the universe. It is bad on us, but we don't see just bow the thing is to be helped, unless we were "born again" and of a different and higher race.

The only sense in which Ether and other systems of existence in that Ether is ''nothing," is that man knows nothing about them, and he knows nothing- about them because they are not manifesting themselves to his capacities in any qualities he can apprehend. If, for this reason, yon call the absolute "nothing," you make your capacities the measure of existence, and if yon commit that folly yon must needs accept all the errors that follow. And there is no source of error greater than this undue prominence which the wise men give themselves and the universe in infinite affairs. When man has humility enough to accept his proper place in nature, and nature's proper place in the absolute, then he will perpetrate fewer absurdities; he will then be capable of a more correct view of the concatenation, and many of the myteries of existence will fall away. The trouble now is that man, having in his vanity placed both himself and the universe on an high pedestal, by making the universe the whole of existence, and having it created for man's sole benefit, finds it impossible to conform facts with these assumptions, and there is much mystery in the laud, most of which is of his own making. When man looks on himself as a part oi the universe, and the universe as a very small part of infinity, then he will study both himself and the universe in a clearer light; there will be less fog and a better understanding.

Man is as real as the universe, and of the same material; the universe is as real as the absolute, aud of the same material; for both man and the universe is the absolute in certain Ether or part manifesting itself in certain qualities and attributes. Man, as a part of this system, has capacities for its realization, but for the realization of the absolute in Ether and in other systems of existence he has no capacity, aud, like old uncle Ned, he must needs let the corn cake be.

We have thus far used the term Ether to represent the great uoumenon of existence, by way of holding our concept to the rack. If objection is made to this, then we say it is what you all do. If you are an Atheist, then the elements outside the universe are represented by Ether; if you are an Atomist then Ether represents the atom outside the concatenation; it is the same if you are a Materialist, or a Pantheist. You have but two locations for a God, Ether and individualization in that Ether;., you know your God manifested in individuality; you do not kno;v him non-manifested in Ether. You don't know matter except as manifested in the physical individual; you don't know spirit except as manifested in the spirit individual. You don't know the atom except as manifested in its aggegations in the universe ; you never saw an atom and you never will. The melancholy fact was long since announced that you ne'er shall see a molecule; then it is poorly worth while to be looking round for an atom. The most powerful microscope says not one word about them. And one wonders, if the power of the best microscope were taken as a unit,.

just how many microscope units it is supposed we fall short of seeing an atom. Our own private opinion is that if all the microscopes in the universe were strung out in a line, and we looked through them all we would still fail to reach the atom; for the noumenon of existence in Ether is not manifesting itself to our capacities even through microscopes. You can no more see God through any microscope than you can see heaven through any telescope yet invented, and we know of no inventor who is experimenting in either direction.

The Atheist is the only man who knows anything of his God outside his manifestation in the individual. The elements are the Atheist's Gods and they manifest themselves to him in the things they form. If you say, Mr. Atheist show me some of your G >ds, he will set to work and analyze the individual until he has his Gods before your eyes naked as a spring chicken and true to life. No other man can do that; even the Atomist falls short. But the Atomist says we can show you the atom as it manifests itself in the element and the individual. Oh! Lord! Any of us can do that; Materialists can, Pantheists can. If definite proportions is the argument then we all say that it is the way our God has of doing at that point. No doubt about what is done and the way of it; the rub is what God does it. No doubt God manifests himself in the concatenation as science says he does, but what is the true coucept of God outside of such manifestation? We don't think he is an atom; we have no disposition to whittle God down to a tine poiut like that. The atom won't even do as a bridge, spanning the chasm, separating the known from the unknown; for we know nothing of the other end of the bridge nor of the pillars thereof; we know as much of any other bridge whether the material be matter, pan God or what not; Ave only know the manifested end.

The great bother is that we can only know God as manifested in the universe, and that manifestation gives us no idea of God in Ether not thus manifested. In this respect the Atheist is like the rest. He can't look at water, and in that tell anything about O. & H., nor can he tell anything about C. H. & O. by drinking a glass of whiskey. He must needs analyze before he can tell anything of his Gods outside of the individual, and he finds that his Gods outside of water have not the appearance of water. But others of us can't reach our Gods by analysis ; we can't find them out by searching, our tether is too short. If, however, the Atheist can know nothing of the elements by looking at the individual they constitute, then we can form no concept of God by looking at the universe, no matter what part and aspect of it we attend to in the inference. Hence the absurdity which our wise men perpetrate when they name God, the absolute in Ether, from some aspect of his manifestations in the Earth. Hence the absurdity of calling God Matter because of the physical aspect of the manifestation ; or Pantheistic God because of the spirit aspect of the concatenation ; or personal God from the personal aspect. Hence the absurdity of calling him thought, eternal consciousness, mind, love, or any of the nicknames too tedious to mention. The total manifestation gives us no concept of the infinite absolute God in Ether, then what adequacy has a concept formed fioni gome minor aspect of the concatenation. Even were man capable of imagining God, any concept he would form from the concatenation would necessarily he erroneous and fearfully inadequate. Reason alone can apprehend God as the infinite absolute ; and we can only judge of his character, as we would a theater man, by the character of the play he offers us. We can only judge of God's purpose in the concatenation by what the concatenation is, and by what is done in it — not by what is done by the individual, or the actor in the play; for the individual acts on his own responsibility — but by the trend of the thing or general results. If the general results is the production of the higher types, and the highest perfection possible to the type, then we may suppose that this is the God's ultimate purpose in the creation of the concatenations. And we may suppose that when Ave further that purpose we will be doing God's will, and that he will at least reward us with the improved nature we thus give ourselves. He may also take us home to Ether to dwell with him there in our conscious personality , if we are good and faithful servant- here. Otherwise he may keep us "transmuting" and "transmigrating" round in the earth until we are full ready to emigrate. But it is not our opinion scientists will go to heaven so long as they call God an