And if--admitting that Browning, even when writing _La Saisiaz_, possessed the assurance thus expressed--we ask why he should have rested satisfied with the confession of faith contained in its concluding line, the answer must be--that the author of _La Saisiaz_ is to be numbered amongst that small minority of religious teachers for whom it may be claimed that "they cannot fail to recognize that the formulas which express the Truth suggested by the facts of their Creed are themselves of necessity partial and provisional." It is impossible to doubt that with him the consciousness was strongly present, that "Formulas do not exhaust the Truth"; that "the character and expression of Doctrine ... is relative to the age."[102] That in proportion as satisfaction is found in formula does faith lose its life-giving power. Progress being the law of life, he would, therefore, enforce upon no man as binding formulae of which the comparative inelasticity might tend to fetter mental or spiritual development. On the contrary, he would have the seeker after Truth prepared to relinquish in due time definitions once essential, since threatening to become restrictive to growth. Before all things, is to be avoided the danger of resting on that which is not the Truth itself, but merely a necessary introduction to the Truth. Hence, The help whereby he mounts, The ladder-rung his foot has left, may fall, Since all things suffer change save God the Truth.[103] Only through such employment of the means may the end be attained, since whether it be concerning "God the Truth," "the eternal power," or "the love that tops the might, the Christ in God," in all New lessons shall be learned ... Till earth's work stop and useless time run out.[104] INDEX _Abt Vogler_, 52, 78, 153, 190. _Acts, The_, 31, 33, 39. Æschylus, 33, 196, 197. Alcestis, 41. _Andrea del Sarto_, 5, 74, 140, 141, 153. _Apparent Failure_, 159. Aratus, 39. Arnold, Matthew, 3, 4. Art, 11, 49-51, 55, 139-142, 171. Asceticism, 97, 130, 132-134, 168-177. _Asolando_, 7, 203. _Asolando, Epilogue_, 5, 11, 153, 204. Athenians, 31. Augustine, St., 105. _Balaustion's Adventure_, 20. Barrett, Miss (_see_ Mrs. Browning), 160, 161. Berdoe, E., 12, 66, 67, 196-198. _Bishop Blougram's Apology_, 9, 55, 63-91, 127, 131, 134, 141, 160, 162, 163, 172, 199. _Bishop orders his Tomb_, 64. _Book and the Ring, The_, 51. Brooke, A. Stopford, 13. Browning, Mrs., 168, 184. Byron, Lord, 197, 198. Caliban, 5, 11-26, 29-31, 45, 63, 64, 102, 104. _Caliban upon Setebos_, 3-26, 31, 45, 199. Calvinism, 100-103, 160-166. _Camel-driver, A_, 157-160, 190, 191. Caponsacchi, 5, 167, 168. Chesterton, G. K., 12, 68. Christianity, 7-12, 33, 39, 58, 65, 67, 108, 109, 111-116, 121, 125-146, 150-152, 154, 155, 200-202. _Christmas Eve_, 10, 11, 95-122, 199, 200.