d, he at last resigned
himself to destruction, and let go of his support, to fall gently on
the grassy ledge beneath, only a few inches below his feet. So when we
resign ourselves to God's hand, our fall, be it little or be it great,
lands us gently in the everlasting arms that are ever underneath.

Do not fear, then, to wrestle with doubt, or to follow its leadings.
Out of every sincere soul-struggle, your faith shall come forth
stronger and calmer. And do not hesitate to proclaim your new
convictions when they have become convictions. Such is the
encouragement and sympathy that the Church should give the candid
questioner.

On the other hand, it may wisely caution him, not to be precipitate in
publishing his doubt. Let him wait till it has become more than a
doubt; till it has become a settled and well-considered conclusion,
before he inflicts it upon his neighbor. The very justification for
doubting the accepted opinion, the sacredness of truth, commands
caution and firm conviction that our new view is something more than a
passing caprice of the mind, before we publish it. But when the
doubter is sure of this, then let him no longer silence his highest
thoughts.

Again, the Church is justified in cautioning the doubter not to be
proud of his doubt as a doubt. There is no more merit, it is well to
remember, in disbelieving than in believing; and if your opinions
have, as yet, only got to the negative state and you have no new
positive faith or philosophy to substitute for the old, you are doing
your neighbor a poor service in taking away from him any superstition,
however illogical, that sustains his heart and strengthens his virtue.

And further, let me say, I would dislike very much to have you
contented with doubt. Doubt makes a very good spade to turn up the
ground, but a very poor kind of spiritual food for a daily diet. It is
a useful, often an indispensable half-way shelter in the journey of
life; but a very cold home in which to settle down as the end of that
journey.

In all our deepest hours, when our heart is truly touched, or our mind
satisfied, we believe. It is each soul's positive faith, however
unconventional or perhaps unconscious that faith may be, that sustains
its hope, that incites its effort, that supports it through the trials
of life. Any doubt, even, that is earnest and to be respected, is
really an act of faith, faith in a higher law than that of human
creeds; in a more direct revelat