"You see, sir, I am not one of those simpletons who believe everything they hear. I only believe what I see. For example, I believe I have this coat."
"Indeed! Well, I can tell you that I go farther than you. I believe you had a tailor to make it, although I have not seen him; and to my mind it is easier to admit that your coat was made by a tailor than that it made itself. But tell me, as I see you have a somewhat skeptical mind: is it really true that you only believe what you see? No doubt you have seen Voltaire?"
"No, I have not."
"Then, of course you will be in accord with me when I say to you that no such person as Voltaire ever lived." "What folly! Have I not read his books?"
"But you have never seen him."
"No, but all the world agrees that such a man did live and his works are the evidence of it."
"Ah, then it appears that you believe some things you have not seen. Have you any children?"
"Yes; I have two boys who go to school."
"I believe you, although I have never seen them. I suppose you will bring them up with your way of thinking?"
"Certainly. I say to them: 'My children, look out for the people whom you meet; do as I do! Believe only what you see.' "
"Very well; I shall not ask if your children believe what they have never seen. I would only like to ask you to explain what they will do when their teacher gives them a lesson in history or geography. He will be under a disadvantage if he undertakes to teach them about Charlemagne, or even Napoleon, China, or Australia; and if they follow your principles they will go through life denying that Napoleon ever existed or that the earth is round."
"You carry things to an extreme. This is an age of great enlightenment. Books and papers are being printed and scattered abroad to acquaint us with many things of which our fathers were ignorant. It is against the teachings of religion that one must be on guard. This is what I have taught my children. After all, one cannot believe all that is in your Bible."
"What, for instance?"
"Well, that if one goes to church every Sunday he will go to heaven."
"But the Bible does not say that."
"Another thing: that when we make a multitude of prayers, God will be pleased."
"But the Bible does not say that—where have you read it?"
"I have not read it myself, but someone told it to me."
"You said a moment ago that you only believed what you could see. It seems to me that you believe a good many things besides. You are not only a believing man but a credulous man. You refuse to believe what God has said, and you apparently believe everything that man says or writes, even without any proof of its truth.
"When you read the works of Voltaire, you believe in the existence of Voltaire; but in the face of this marvelous universe you say that it has made itself. You refuse to believe in the One who has created the worlds, because you know that, if you admit the existence of God, you must acknowledge His rights over you and submit to Him. Therefore, in God only do you refuse to believe. Thus you debase your power to reason, and thus you say, 'I must see to believe.'
"If I were you and desired to be consistent, I would use the reasoning power God has given me to accept His declarations, for 'the heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork.' Psa. 19:11<<To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.>> The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork. (Psalm 19:1).
"I would render to Him my confidence and humbly admit that He knows things I do not know and cannot comprehend. That is the only reasonable basis for true knowledge, the 'fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.' "