eaf, in every cell of every leaf, there are a
hundred problems. There are ten good years of a man's life in
investigating what is in a leaf, and there are five good years more in
investigating the things that are in the things that are in the leaf.
God has planned the world to incite men to intellectual activity.

Thirdly: _The instrument with which we attempt to investigate truth is
impaired._ Some say it fell, and the glass is broken. Some say
prejudice, heredity, or sin, have spoiled its sight, and have blinded
our eyes and deadened our ears. In any case the instruments with
which we work upon truth, even in the strongest men, are feeble and
inadequate to their tremendous task.

And in the fourth place, _all religious truths are doubtable_. There
is no absolute truth for any one of them. Even that fundamental
truth--the existence of a God--no man can prove by reason. The
ordinary proof for the existence of God involves either an assumption,
argument in a circle, or a contradiction. The impression of God is
kept up by experience, not by logic. And hence, when the experimental
religion of a man, of a community, or of a nation wanes, religion
wanes--their idea of God grows indistinct, and that man, community or
nation becomes infidel.

Bear in mind, then, that all religious truths are doubtable--even
those which we hold most strongly.

What does this brief account of the origin of doubt teach us? It
teaches us

GREAT INTELLECTUAL HUMILITY.

It teaches us sympathy and toleration with all men who venture upon
the ocean of truth to find out a path through it for themselves. Do
you sometimes feel yourself thinking unkind things about your
fellow-students who have intellectual difficulty? I know how hard it
is always to feel sympathy and toleration for them; but we must
address ourselves to that most carefully and most religiously. If my
brother is shortsighted I must not abuse him or speak against him; I
must pity him, and if possible try to improve his sight, or to make
things that he is to look at so bright that he cannot help seeing. But
never let us think evil of men who do not see as we do. From the
bottom of our hearts let us pity them, and let us take them by the
hand and spend time and thought over them, and try to lead them to the
true light.

What has been

THE CHURCH'S TREATMENT OF DOUBT

in the past? It has been very simple. "There is a heretic. Burn him!"
That is all. "There is