The professor of homiletics, who read and criticised all sermons
before they were preached, rather took me to task for my bold attack
upon Unitarianism, but he admitted to me that, although he had
preached and taught it for more than a score of years, there were
yearnings in his soul that it did not satisfy. The sermon was
listened to with great respect and sympathy, especially by the more
conservative students. About ten years later I received a letter from
a young Unitarian minister in Massachusetts who referred to the
sermon, and said he had never forgotten it, but was often reminded in
his experience of how true it was, especially in what I said about
the coldness and fruitlessness of Unitarianism.

Although the matter in this paper and sermon is largely the same as
that in the previous chapter, I present it because, as the line of
thought is out of the ordinary and somewhat difficult to the general
reader, its repetition in this conversational style will help to get
a better grasp of the deadly delusions of rationalism. Truth usually
has to be repeated in various ways before it gets a thorough hold
upon the average mind. Therefore "precept must be upon precept,
precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little
and there a little" (Isa. 28:10).

_A Religious Discussion Between Mr. Liberal, Mr. Orthodox and Mr.
Freethinker_.

SCENE.--Ocean of Life. STEAMBOAT.--Experience.

[The three above-named persons had made each other's acquaintance,
and had engaged in discussions with each other on several occasions.
They now seat themselves in a group on deck and enter upon the