Sprang to his feet each man, and showed,
With eager hand, that purple load.
'See Azum,' said the Turk; and 'see
Anghur,' the Persian; 'what should be
Better.' 'Nay Aneb, Aneb 'tis,'
The Arab cried. The Greek said, 'This
Is my Stapylion.' Then they bought
Their grapes in peace.
Hence be ye taught." [2]
It is said that on one occasion, when Dean Stanley had been explaining his
views to Lord Beaconsfield, the latter replied, "Ah! Mr. Dean, that is all
very well, but you must remember,--No dogmas, no Deans." To lose such
Deans as Stanley would indeed be a great misfortune; but does it follow?
Religions, far from being really built on Dogmas, are too often weighed
down and crushed by them. No one can doubt that Stanley has done much to
strengthen the Church of England.
We may not always agree with Spinoza, but is he not right when he says,
"The first precept of the divine law, therefore, indeed its sum and
substance, is to love God unconditionally as the supreme
good--unconditionally, I say, and not from any love or fear of aught
besides"? And again, that the very essence of religion is belief in "a
Supreme Being who delights in justice and mercy, whom all who would be
saved are bound to obey, and whose worship consists in the practice of
justice and charity toward our neighbors"?
Doubt is of two natures, and we often confuse a wise suspension of
judgment with the weakness of hesitation.
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