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سكسسسسسسسسيجع on our intellect, the conceptions formed of God by the Theist and the idolator are of a finite character though that of the former is far superior to that of the latter. The conceptions, formed by men of God, are all of a finite character but each man should act according to his own light. If a man disbelieve in what is called idolatry i. e. the worship of God who has no image by means of images or symbols or of any created object as the creator, he should not worship idols for such worship is hypocrisy and hypocrisw is the worst form of irreligion. But not worshipping idols himself he should still exercise toleration towards idolators for tho latfer worship the same Being as himself though ignorantly. Idolatry is not a sin but a mistake. 2. The difference between the most ad. vanced religionist’s idea of God and that of the most unenlightened savage is almost imperceptible when the knowledge of God, possessed by the former, is compared with that which God has of Himself. Why then so much intolerance and pride 7 3. Every religion has truth and error mixed in it, even the most advanced. What seemeth to be certain truth to the followers of the most advanced religion now may turn out to be untrue a century afterwards. Religion is a progressive thing. What absurdity is it then the sole judge, arbiter and custodian of reli gious truth 2 Spiritual arrogance can go no further. 4. God seeth the heart of man. He doth not look to the idea which man in his igno rance (with reference to the Infinite, the wisest man is not excluded from the category of the ignorant) hath of Him. He therefore accepteth a leaf or a flower, a fruit or water offered by any man to Him with love though through ignorance of the fact that the flowers of love and veneration and the fruit of good action are the offerings most acceptable to Him. To him who taketh refuge any where in the universe in Him in any manner or mode, He doth devote himself. Not only the devotec devoteth himself to God but God also devoteth Himself to the devotee. 5. eBut He doth so sooner to a devotee who adopteth a straighter path to Him than another. A form of religion may be a straighr path to God tethan another because truer. THE RELIGION OF LOVE. \O6. ==ങ്ങ ജ്. ഈ ബ്, . 6. LIFE is better than dogma. Dogmas do not savo a man. They are stone, not bread. Be good and do good and be God-united and thou art sure to be accepted by God though thou mayst entertain some particular erroneous notions about His nature as no man can be entirely free from such notions. 7. The religious opinions of one man do not exactly coincide with those of another. As the principle of variety prevaileth every wi, re in nature so there must be variety in Llic religious opinious of in.' I, ciduous. Though religion is one, there are as many theologies as faces. “So many faces so many theologies.” aith Parker. 8. It is ini ossible to prevent the existence of sects in the world. A man must attach himself to others with whose opinions his individual religious opinions may mainly correspond and they would form a sect. But belonging to a particular sect, he should still look upon all other sects as God Himself doth, i. e. with eyes of toleration and love. There is some truth in the doctrine of every sect A man may be really more spiritually advanced than another though belonging to a sect inferior to that to which the latter belongoth. God discerneth His true servants under what ever strange guise or colour they may be con cealed. Lord enable us to do likewise. for any sect in the worl to set itself up as 9. God overlooketh the mistakes of man in religion provided they do not tend to im morality. He knoweth that we are dust and will have compassion on us for our errors. We should imitate God in this respect. 10. The followers of a creed, erroneously thinking it to be the only true religion in the world and therefore fit to be the universal one, begin with an attempt to convert the whole world to that creed but end with degenerating into a mere sect, thus adding one sect more to the thousand and one sects already existing in the world ; but this should not prevent a man from propagating what he thinketh to be the truth ın religion, con sidering that it is his duty to do so. 11. What is the cause of the deep and burning animosity between one sect and another, afterwards resulting in the grossest mutual railing and virtuperation, sometimes ending in bloodshed ? Arrogance. Every sect beliaveth its own creed to be the only true religion in the world. Had there not been
