ead and see what
the same life principle that has brought us up to the present point is
capable of doing in the future. We may not see very far ahead, but we
shall see where the next step is to be placed, and that is sufficient to
enable us to move on.

What we have to do, therefore, is to help others to grow from the root
they are already _living_ by, and not to dig their roots up and leave
them to wither. We need not be afraid of making ourselves all things to
all men, in the sense of fixing upon the affirmative elements in each
one's creed as the starting-point of our work, for the affirmative and
life-giving is always true, and Truth is always _one_ and consistent
with itself; and therefore we need never fear being inconsistent so long
as we adhere to this method. It is worse than useless to waste time in
dissecting the negative accretions of other people's beliefs. In doing
so we run great risks of rooting up the wheat along with the tares, and
we shall certainly succeed in brushing people up the wrong way;
moreover, by looking out exclusively for the life-giving and affirmative
elements, we shall reap benefit to ourselves. We shall not only keep our
temper, but we shall often find large reserves of affirmative power
where at first we had apprehended nothing but worthless accumulations,
and thus we shall become gainers both in largeness of mind and in stores
of valuable material.

Of course we must be rigidly unyielding as regards the _essence_ of
Truth--_that_ must never be sacrificed--but as representatives, in
however small a sphere, of the New Thought, we should make it our aim to
show others, not that their religion is wrong, but that all they may
find of life-givingness in it is life-giving because it is part of the
One Truth which is always the same under whatever form expressed. As
half a loaf is better than no bread, so ignorant worship is better than
no worship, and ignorant faith is better than no faith. Our work is not
to destroy this faith and this worship, but to lead them on into a
clearer light.

For this reason we may assure all inquirers that the abandonment of
their customary form of worship is no necessity of the New Thought; but,
on the contrary, that the principles of the movement, correctly
understood, will show them far more meaning in that worship than they
have ever yet realised. Truth is one; and when once the truth which
underlies the outward form is clearly understood, the maintenanc