the traits of heathen Deities, and not of our God, the Principle that is Love.
God's wrath vented on his only son, is without logic or humanity, and but a man-made belief. The beautiful import of this hard place in theology is, that suffering is an error of personal sense that Truth destroys, and sin falls, a broken reed, at the feet of Love. The Rabbinical teachings said, “He that taketh one doctrine firm in faith, has the holy ghost dwelling in him.” But this receives a strong rebuke from our Master, who said, “Faith without works is dead.” Faith, as a belief, is but a pendulum between nothing and something, holding on to no foundations; but the advanced understanding that is sometimes misnamed faith, is the evidence gained from spiritual sense that rebukes the belief of personal sense, and brings out of experience the Life that is God. In Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and English, the word “faith” embraces two meanings, viz., “trustfulness” and “trustworthiness.” The first trusts all to another, and the second understands and relies on one's self. “Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief,” expresses the helplessness of a blind faith, whereas “Believe, and you shall be saved,” is self-reliant, trustworthy faith that implies the understanding that brings its own reward. The Hebrew gives the following signification of the verb, “to believe:” “To be firm, lasting, constant,” and this certainly applies to Truth understood; for firmness in error will never save man from sickness, sin, or death. An acquaintance with the original texts, together with a willingness to give up beliefs founded on dynasties and the worst passions of men, for the advanced views of
