FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151  
152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   >>   >|  
aid, "Mankind is made up of classes of very various mental complexion, as distinct from each other as the colours which meet the eye. Red and blue are incommensurable; and in like manner, a Magian never can become a Greek, nor a Greek a Coelicolist. They do but make themselves fools when they attempt it." "Perhaps the most deeply convinced, the most tranquil-minded in the Christian body," answered Caecilius, "will tell you, on the contrary, that there was a time when they hated Christianity, and despised and ill-treated its professors." "_I_ never did any such thing," cried Callista, "since the day I first heard of it. I am not its enemy, but I cannot believe in it. I am sure I never could; I never, never should be able." "What is it you cannot believe?" asked the priest. "It seems too beautiful," she said, "to be anything else than a dream. It is a thing to talk about, but when you come near its professors you see it is impossible. A most beautiful imagination, _that_ is what it is. Most beautiful its precepts, as far as I have heard of them; so beautiful, that in idea there is no difficulty. The mind runs along with them, as if it could accomplish them without an effort. Well, its maxims are too beautiful to be realized; and then on the other hand, its dogmas are too dismal, too shocking, too odious to be believed. They revolt me." "Such as what?" asked Caecilius. "Such as this," answered Callista. "Nothing will ever make me believe that all my people have gone and will go to an eternal Tartarus." "Had we not better confine ourselves to something more specific, more tangible?" asked Caecilius, gravely. "I suppose if one individual may have that terrible lot, another may--both may, many may. Suppose I understand you to say that you never will believe that _you_ will go to an eternal Tartarus." Callista gave a slight start, and showed some uneasiness or displeasure. "Is it not likely," continued he, "that you are better able to speak of yourself, and to form a judgment about yourself, than about others? Perhaps if you could first speak confidently about yourself, you would be in a better position to speak about others also." "Do you mean," she said, in a calm tone, "that my place, after this life, is an everlasting Tartarus?" "Are you happy?" he asked in turn. She paused, looked down, and in a deep clear voice said, "No." There was a silence. The priest began again: "Perhaps you have been gr
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151  
152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
beautiful
 

Caecilius

 

Perhaps

 
Tartarus
 

Callista

 

answered

 

professors

 

priest

 

eternal

 

odious


shocking

 
believed
 

Nothing

 
terrible
 
revolt
 

suppose

 

gravely

 

specific

 

tangible

 

confine


individual

 

people

 

showed

 

paused

 

everlasting

 
looked
 

silence

 

slight

 

dismal

 

understand


Suppose

 

uneasiness

 
confidently
 

position

 

judgment

 

displeasure

 

continued

 

attempt

 

Coelicolist

 

Magian


deeply
 
convinced
 

contrary

 

Christianity

 

tranquil

 
minded
 

Christian

 
manner
 
mental
 

complexion