Professor Palmer delivered the last of the William Belden Noble lectures in Brooks House last night. The subject was "Ethics and Religion."

Close consideration of the matter shows that the good man and the devout man are the same in many particulars. We may even say with much reason that the whole substance of morality is religion; yet it is easier to see the truth of this than the cause of it. The secret is this: moral obligations, unlike others, are universal and unlimited; and hence we cannot help feeling the close connection, almost the coincidence, of our moral selves with a higher being that oversees these obligations.

Are there, in like manner, moral implications to religion? This question may best be answered by considering for a moment the fear that forms an essential part of all religions, whether crude or highly developed. This fear of God grows upon us when we are weak, and by its influence we are led to see His power, and to take it into account in our daily life. In other words, it is the beginning of moral wisdom, and here again we find a close connection between the moral and the religious fields.

The word "fear" is in this case rather ambiguous. It is not a degrading terror, but rather an uplifting awe. It should instill in us admiration, not envy or hatred; and our constant effort should be imitation of the Revered Being. In the low forms of religion, the fear is abject, hopeless; and it is only with the help of Christian love that we can avoid this and realize that we are in a measure akin to God, however many feelings we may have.