Demop.  But this deception is a conditio sine qua non.  If religion admitted that it was merely the allegorical meaning in its doctrines that was true, it would be deprived of all efficacy, and such rigorous treatment would put an end to its invaluable and beneficial influence on the morals and feelings of mankind.  Instead of insisting on that with pedantic obstinacy, look at its great achievements in a practical way both as regards morality and feelings, as a guide to conduct, as a support and consolation to suffering humanity in life and death.  How greatly you should guard against rousing suspicion in the masses by theoretical wrangling, and thereby finally taking from them what is an inexhaustible source of consolation and comfort to them; which in their hard lot they need very much more than we do:  for this reason alone, religion ought not to be attacked.

Phil.  With this argument Luther could have been beaten out of the field when he attacked the selling of indulgences; for the letters of indulgence have furnished many a man with irreparable consolation and perfect tranquillity, so that he joyfully passed away with perfect confidence in the little packet of them which he firmly held in his hand as he lay dying, convinced that in them he had so many cards of admission into all the nine heavens.  What is the use of grounds of consolation and peacefulness over which is constantly hanging the Damocles-sword of deception?  The truth, my friend, the truth alone holds good, and remains constant and faithful; it is the only solid consolation; it is the indestructible diamond.

Demop.  Yes, if you had truth in your pocket to bless us with whenever we asked for it.  But what you possess are only metaphysical systems in which nothing is certain but the headaches they cost.  Before one takes anything away one must have something better to put in its place.

Phil.  I wish you would not continually say that.  To free a man from error does not mean to take something from him, but to give him something.  For knowledge that something is wrong is a truth.  No error, however, is harmless; every error will cause mischief sooner or later to the man who fosters it.  Therefore do not deceive any one, but rather admit you are ignorant of what you do not know, and let each man form his own dogmas for himself.  Perhaps they will not turn out so bad, especially as they will rub against each other and mutually rectify errors; at any rate the various opinions will establish tolerance.  Those men who possess both knowledge and capacity may take up the study of philosophy, or even themselves advance the history of philosophy.

Demop.  That would be a fine thing!  A whole nation of naturalised metaphysicians quarrelling with each other, and eventualiter striking each other.

Phil.  Well, a few blows here and there are the sauce of life, or at least a very slight evil compared with priestly government—­prosecution of heretics, plundering of the laity, courts of inquisition, crusades, religious wars, massacres of St. Bartholomew, and the like.  They have been the results of chartered popular metaphysics:  therefore I still hold that one cannot expect to get grapes from thistles, or good from lies and deception.