method in most things. For example, I wish to know what will cure a
certain disease. Suppose that I find a medicine that has cured every
case in which it has been administered. Would it not be irrational
for me to refuse to use that medicine because I cannot conceive how
it effects the cure? Of course it might be possible that the medicine
did not effect the cure; that it was the belief in its curative power
that produced the effect. Cases have frequently occurred where a
thing was for a long time believed to be the cause, while future
investigation proved that it was some other attendant circumstance
that was the real cause. But if our experience is that a given
medicine cures a certain disease invariably, and that no other known
medicine will cure it, we would be foolish not to use that medicine.
The same is true in religion. If we wish to accomplish certain
results and we have found a way in which those desirable results
can be brought about, and know of no other way to bring them
about; it would be irrational not to adopt that way, or follow out
the requirements of that theory. I told you, Mr. Liberal, that your
theory or doctrine was too simple. This is still more true of our
friend, Mr. Freethinker. You claim to hold very broad, liberal and
enlightened views. But although they are broad, they are not deep
enough. They are stretched out over the surface merely, and thus hide
from your view the great ocean of reality below. Yes, you have an
abundance of light, but not enough heat. In the polar regions they
have six months of light in one stretch, but no one would think of
starting a garden there, as there is not enough heat. To the cold
reason of some bachelor it is perfectly clear and indisputable that
the young lover is a deluded fool and should follow his reason by
never marrying. But I fondly believe that young lover sees the true
worth of one human soul, and gives us an idea of the worth we shall
see in all souls when we shall cease to see through a glass darkly.