| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Mosses From An Old Manse by Nathaniel Hawthorne: recorded of them. There are some individuals of whom we cannot
conceive it proper that they should apply their hands to any
earthly instrument, or work out any definite act; and others,
perhaps not less high, to whom it is an essential attribute to
labor in body as well as spirit for the welfare of their
brethren. Thus, if we find a spiritual sage whose unseen,
inestimable influence has exalted the moral standard of mankind,
we will choose for his companion some poor laborer who has
wrought for love in the potato field of a neighbor poorer than
himself.
We have summoned this various multitude--and, to the credit of
Mosses From An Old Manse |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: honorable members which we have, do not require it. But the most infirm
members, of which we are ashamed, we cover with all diligence; hands,
eyes, and the whole body must help to cover and conceal them. Thus also
among ourselves should we adorn whatever blemishes and infirmities we
find in our neighbor, and serve and help him to promote his honor to
the best of our ability, and, on the other hand, prevent whatever may
be discreditable to him. And it is especially an excellent and noble
virtue for one always to explain advantageously and put the best
construction upon all he may hear of his neighbor (if it be not
notoriously evil), or at any rate to condone it over and against the
poisonous tongues that are busy wherever they can pry out and discover
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Laches by Plato: but only one of the virtues. The terrible is in the future, and therefore
the knowledge of the terrible is a knowledge of the future. But there can
be no knowledge of future good or evil separated from a knowledge of the
good and evil of the past or present; that is to say, of all good and evil.
Courage, therefore, is the knowledge of good and evil generally. But he
who has the knowledge of good and evil generally, must not only have
courage, but also temperance, justice, and every other virtue. Thus, a
single virtue would be the same as all virtues (compare Protagoras). And
after all the two generals, and Socrates, the hero of Delium, are still in
ignorance of the nature of courage. They must go to school again, boys,
old men and all.
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