“No, you mistake.  They require only God, only love for this exalted and lofty Being, whom we call God.  The only proof by which we can know that we can sincerely love God, lies in a steadfast and strong purpose to obey Him.  According to this, we need no other religion than our reason, the good gift of God.  So soon as we know that He has spoken, we should be silent and submissive.  Our inward worship of God should consist in this, that we acknowledge Him and confess our sins; our outward worship in the performance of all our duties, according to our reason, the exalted nature of God, and our entire dependence upon Him.”

“It is to be regretted, sire, that this world is not sufficiently enlightened to comprehend you.  I am afraid that your majesty will bring about exactly the opposite of that which you design.  All these religious sects which, as you say, are so entirely antagonistic, would by this forced union feel themselves humiliated and trampled upon; their hatred toward each other would be daily augmented; their antipathies would find new food; and their religious zeal, which is always exclusive, would burn with fiercer fury.  Not only the priests, but kings and princes, would look upon the carrying out of your plan with horror.  And shall not this daring step bring terror into the cabinets of kings?  A monarch, who has just drawn the eyes of all politicians upon himself, now proposes to take charge of the consciences of his subjects, and bow them to his will!  Alas, how would envy, with all her poisonous serpents, fasten upon the triumphal car of a king who, by the great things he has already achieved, had given assurance of yet greater results, and now stoops to tyrannize over and oppress the weak and good, and cast them among the ruins of their temples of worship to weep and lament in despair!  No, my king, this idea of a Pantheon, a universal house of worship, can never be realized.  It was a great and sublime thought, but not a wise one; too great, too enlarged and liberal to be appreciated by this pitiable world.  Your majesty will forgive me for having spoken the honest truth.  I was forced to speak.  Like my king, I love the one only and true God, and God is truth.”

“You have done well, Jordan,” said the king, after a long pause, during which he raised his eyes thoughtfully toward heaven.  “Yes, you have done well, and I believe you are right in your objections to my Pantheon.  I offer up to you, therefore, my favorite idea.  For your dear sake, my Pantheon shall become a ruin.  Let this be a proof of the strong love I bear you, Jordan.  I will not contend with the priests in my church, but I will pursue them without faltering into their own; and I say to you, this will be a long and stiff-necked war, which will last while my life endures.  I will not have my people blinded and stupefied by priests.  I will suffer no other king in Prussia.  I alone will be king.  These proud priests may decide, in silence and humility, to teach their churches and