“I am afraid I shall hardly understand myself then,” cried Harrington.  “But let us not be scared by mere words, nor go into hysterics at the sound of ‘logic’ and ‘creed,’ lest ‘sentimental spirituality’ be found, like some other ‘sentimental’ things, a bundle of senseless affectations.”

“But you forget that there is all the difference in the world between Herbert and his deistical successors.  They connected religion with the ‘intellectual and sensational,’ and we with the ’instinctive and emotional’ sides of human nature.”

“If you think,” said the other, “(the substance of your religious system being, as I believe, precisely the same as that of Lord Herbert and the better deists,) that you can make it more effective than it has been in the past, by conjuring with the words ’sensational and intellectual,’ ‘instinctive and emotional,’ or that the mixture of chalk and water will be more potent with one label than with the other, I fancy you will find yourself deceived.  The distinctions you refer to have to do with the theory of the subject, and will make din enough, no doubt, among such as Mr. Newman and yourself; but mankind at large will be unable even to enter into the meaning of your refinements.  They will say briefly and bluntly, ’What are the truths, whether, as Lord Herbert says, they are “innate,” or, as you say, “spiritual intuitions,” (we care nothing for the phraseology of either or both of you,) which are to be admitted by universal humanity, and to be influential over the heart and conscience?’ Now, I suspect that, when you come to the enumeration of these truths, your system and that of Lord Herbert will be found the same; only as regards the immortality of the soul his tone is firmer than perhaps I shall find yours.  But I admit the policy of a change of name:  ‘Rationalist’ and ‘Deist’ have a bad sound; ‘Spiritualist’ is a better nom de guerre for the present.”

“We shall never understand one another,” said Fellowes:  “the spiritual man—­”

“Pshaw!” said Harrington; “you can immediately bring the matter to the test by telling me what you maintain, and then I shall know whether your system is or is not identical with Lord Herbert’s; or rather tell me what you do not believe, and let us come to it that way.  Do you believe a single shred of any of the supernatural narratives of the Old and New Testament?”

“No,” said Fellowes; “a thousand times no.”

“Very well, that gets rid of at least four sevenths of the Bible.  Do you believe in the Trinity, the Atonement, the Resurrection of Christ, in a general Resurrection, in the Day of Judgment?”

“No, not in one of them,” said Fellowes; “not in a particle of one of them.”

“Pretty well again.  You reject, then, the characteristic doctrines of Christianity?”

“Not one of them,” was the answer.

“We are indeed in danger of misunderstanding one another,” said Harrington.  “But tell me, is it not your boast, as of Mr. Parker, that the truths which are essential to religion are not peculiar to Christianity, but are involved in all religions?”