T. Not so. I would say, that conditions change. When the conditions
of mind change, that which was true in one relation, may be false in
another, because a thing, not changing with the condition of the mind,
can not be true to it in all conditions. Thou art satisfied within
these walls. To thee, they are necessary and true, being adapted to
thy condition of developed wisdom; but thou wilt not say, that such
confinement would be true to my happiness, or that my condition would
admit of happiness to me therein. When thy wisdom shall be increased,
the things which are true to thee now, will give thee no satisfaction,
because they will not be adapted to thy condition.
C. Then, what is true to me now, will be false when my wisdom shall be
increased.
T. That which is true to thy condition will be eternally true to that
condition; but it will not be true to a different condition. Thou wilt
remember, that thou must be the judge of all things presented for thy
consideration. Laws are eternal; but a knowledge of all the laws of God
must be forever finite. What knowledge thou hast of those laws, is true
to thee, but greater knowledge will show thee, that what thou regardest
as true to thee, will soon not be so regarded; because thy wisdom will
see its falsity. And what thy judgment receives as true, is true to
thee; and what thy wisdom decides is not true, that thou wilt reject as
false. Hence, truth being determined by thy wisdom, must be true to thy
wisdom. It can not be true to thee, contrary to thy wisdom; because
that which thy mind receives contrary to thy wisdom, is false to thy
good, and destructive to thy enjoyment.
C. Thou reasonest well; but the Bible is reasonable, and thou shouldst
not set up thy reason contrary thereto.
T. The Bible is one thing, and thy views another. The wisdom of thy
interpretation is not reasonable to me.
C. What interpretation of the Bible is reasonable?
T. Thou wilt not say, that a mind can impart that which it does not
understand.
C. What then?
T. This will show thee, that what minds have not understood, they have
attempted to interpret, because what is understood, does not need an
interpretation. When a work is so written as to be understood by those
who read, it will not need an interpretation, and when it is not so
written, it is defective.
C. Then, thou sayest the Bible is defective.
T. I say, that if an interpretation be necessary to understand it,
it is defective; and, when minds solicit an interpretation thereof,
they admit the defect. If there were no defects, why ask for an
interpretation?
C. I want what will make it plain and clear.
T. What will supply some defect, I conclude.
C. That will be a saying what infidels allege.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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