Nations, like individuals, pass through the usual form of youth, manhood, old age, and decay.  Religion, like nations and individuals, passes through the regular gradation, first of infancy, when religious ideas and thoughts are crude in the extreme; the age of Puritanism, when innocent women and children are burned at the stake for witchcraft, when with gloomy faces and in unsightly dress the poor fanatics sacrificed every pleasure on the altar of duty; the time when Sunday was a day of horror to children from its gloom, a day when every innocent amusement was forbidden.  After religion’s infancy comes youth.  At that stage, the absurd dress and gloomy faces were not considered essential adjuncts to religion, but free discussion was not allowed upon religious subjects.  Everything must be taken for granted, without any investigation on the part of the people.  After youth comes manhood, the time when reason has full sway, when superstition and credulities form no part of religious teaching and thought.  People are able to think, to reason for themselves.  After the age of manhood, comes old age and that is the stage of agnosticism.  Questions are being asked, and ideas propounded which must not be overlooked nor treated with contempt.  All questions asked in a fair spirit, must be answered in a fair manner.  It is not sufficient to say, “it is so”, but good and tangible reasons must be given to prove the truth of an assertion.  We are now in the stage of “old age.”  Agnosticism and Infidelity are wide spread.  After old age comes decay and the decline of the absolutely orthodox.  From time immemorial, every religion has passed through the same gradation, of infancy, youth, old age and decay finally comes philosophy.

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A Swedenborgian is speaking: 

Down by the sounding sea, in a lonely cottage, lives a woman, so wrinkled, old and bent that even death seems to have forgotten her existence.  It would be difficult to imagine that once she was a beauty, but true it is that many years ago no fresher, fairer maiden could be found than this same strange old woman.  Sixty years ago she had a sailor lover, who loved her truly and well.  On his return after every cruise it was a sight to soften the heart of even the hardest, to witness the joyful meeting, the lovers kiss, in which there was no shame, the tears of joy in which there was no weakness; the heartfelt pleasure of two honest hearts.  But the partings were soon to be over, for after the next voyage the young lovers were to be wedded.  The simple wedding dress was made and all was ready.  With gay snatches of song, and merry feet the young girl flitted about the house, impatiently waiting the day which was to bring her lover.  There was only one more day of waiting and “to-morrow, to-morrow he comes,” she sang.  Early in the evening dark clouds formed in the sky, the wind began to moan, the waves beat