“There is no use in persuading a person to change an opinion.” “Why not?” “Because the man is neither the better nor the worse for it. If you had told me you were distressed to hear a man in authority speak as Mr. Rackstraw spoke concerning a being you loved, I would have tried to comfort you by pointing out how false it was. But if you are content to hear God so represented, why should I seek to convince you of what is valueless to you? Why offer you to drink what your heart is not thirsting after? Would you love God more because you found He was not what you were quite satisfied He should be?” “Do tell me more plainly what you mean?” “You must excuse me. I have said all I will. I can not reason in defense of God. It seems blasphemy to argue that His nature is not such as no honorable man could love in another man.” “But if the Bible says so?” “If the Bible said so, the Bible would be false. But the Bible does not say so.” “How is it then that it seems to say so?” “Because you were taught falsely about Him before you desired to know Him.” “But I am capable of judging now!” Andrew was silent. “Am I not?” insisted Alexa. “Do you desire to know God?” said Andrew. “I think I do know Him.” “And you think those things true?” “Yes.” “Then we are where we were, and I say no more.” “You are not polite.” “I can not help it. I must let you alone to believe about God what you can. You will not be blamed for not believing what you can not.” “Do you mean that God never punishes any one for what He can not help?” “Assuredly.” “How do you prove that?” “I will not attempt to prove it. If you are content to think He does, if it do not trouble you that your God should be unjust, go on thinking so until you are made miserable by it, then I will pour out my heart to deliver you.” She was struck, not with any truth in what he said, but with the evident truthfulness of the man himself. Right or wrong, there was that about him--a certain radiance of conviction--which certainly was not about Mr. Rackstraw. “The things that can be shaken,” said Andrew, as if thinking with himself, “may last for a time, but they will at length be shaken to pieces, that the things which can not be shaken may show what they are. Whatever we call religion will vanish when we see God face to face.” For awhile they went brushing through the heather in silence. “May I ask you one question, Mr. Ingram?” said Alexa. “Surely, ma'am! Ask me anything you like.” “And you will answer me?” “If I am at liberty to answer you I will.” “What do you mean by being at liberty? Are you under any vow?” “I am under the law of love. I am bound to do nothing to hurt. An answer that would do you no good I will not give.” “How do you know what will or will not do me good?” “I must use what judgment I have.” “Is it true, then, that you believe God gives you whatever you ask?” “I have never asked anything of Him that He did not give me.”