APPENDIX. 245 



you can find ; and if other people profess to believe what seems to you 

 absurdities, don t be so sorry for them as not to let them enjoy the ben 

 efit of what light they have got ; don t yourself be so foolish as to shut 

 your eyes to what of God s word is plainly enough set before you in 

 Christ, because you have not turned over the next page and can t see 

 through the whole book at once. I don t want you to try to force upon 

 yourself any belief that is unnatural, and which honestly appears illogi 

 cal to you. No kind of heresy is so bad as hypocrisy. I think those 

 Christians were exceedingly wrong that felt that the sacredness and 

 chief power of their religion consisted so much in the doctrines which 

 they had agreed together to stand by, that they must summarily ex 

 clude you from their fellowship when you began to question the sound 

 ness of them. On the other hand, I must tell you that I think you are 

 equally wrong to hold them and their opinions in contempt, and to have 

 such entire confidence, as you seem to, that you are yourself right. The 

 fact that so many men differ with you, whom you cannot help respect 

 ing as having equal powers of mind and equally good spirit with your 

 self, should at least make you hold your opinions with humility.&quot; 



&quot; Well ! Now let s go and see them heave the log. She s going a 

 bit faster ; the fog isn t so thick as twas either. Hallo ! there s that 

 old Irishwoman again. She always gets in behind the harness cask to 

 say her prayers. You will hear her muttering there for two or three 

 hours every night.&quot; 



&quot; She must have strong faith.&quot; 



&quot; Faith in the devil ! Fear and ignorance, I call it. She s a good 

 old thing though, I must say. She takes care of that sick woman s 

 child as if it were^her own ; and last night she asked the doctor to let 

 her darn his stockings, and he did, the conceited old dandy.&quot; 



&quot; She has a good deal of true religion, then, for all her ignorance 

 and fear.&quot; 



&quot; Then it s true religion to believe in the Pope and the Virgin Mary !&quot; 

 &quot; Oh no ! oh no ! True religion before God is this : to visit the 

 widows and fatherless in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted 

 in the world. Yet it may be worth your while, Mr. C., to consider 

 whether she would have been as likely to pity that sick mother, and 

 take care of her child, if she hadn t been in the habit of praying in this 

 way every night, although in her ignorance she addresses the mother 

 of Christ instead of the Father. Good-night.&quot; 



21* 



