DOGMATISM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2319, 12 June 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

DOGMATISM.

I Tho .misiiluuvoii.siii'.SH and fully of tloiiiiuitic assi'i-tioiw arts well exemplified ill the following extract from an article on railways which appeared in the quui'teiiy Review ii, 1826 As to those persons who speculate on making .railways generally ■ thron«h(m: the kingdom, and superseding all the ennuis, nil the waggons, mails and stage coaches, post jhaises, and, in short, every mode of cou voyage. liylaml mid by water, we deem them and I heir visionary schemes unworthy of note Wbnti, for instance, can lie more palpably absurd . and ridiculous than, the scheme in which a prospect is held out of locomotives travelling twice as fast us stage coaches 1 We should as soon expect the people of Woolwich to suiter themselves to he fired off upon one of Congreve's rockets as trust themselves to the mercy of such a machine going at siuh a rate, We will hack old Father Thames against the Woolwich railway for any sum. We trust that Parliament will, in all railways it, may sanction, limit thospeed to eight or nine miles an hour, which we entirely with Mr Silvester, is as great as can he ventured upon with safety." 'Asmile of incredulity or amousement • now attends the perusal nf theso lines, and yet a momont's rellectum will show that the same spirit which prompted, their production is now as strong and as active as ever it. was, and that it is always ready to oppose and impede every movement having for its aim the progress and improvement of mankind, •GET ON THE PLATFORM, Sam Jones was talking to a man of weak faith the other day. The dotth ter asked if Mr Jones could not give him a demonstration of religion, ''None" was the reply. "Von must get inside the fold, and the demonstration will come of itself. Humble yourself, have' faith, and you shall know the truth" ■'Jn other-words, I must believe, accept it before it is proved, and believe it without proof." " Now, hold on right there. Out West tlioy have ut place for wittering cattle. The cattle have to mount a platform to reach the trough, They have to get on the platform through faith, and the weight of the cattle on the platform brings up the water for them to drink. You are like a smart steer that slips around to the barn-yard and peeps in the trough, without getting on'the platform, He finds the trough dry, of course, for it needs his weight on the platform to force the water up. He turns away disgusted, and tells everybody there is no water in the trough. Another steer, not so smart, hut with more faith, steps on the platform. The water springs into the trough, and he marches up and drinks. That's the way with religion. You've, cot to get on the platform. It you slide around the back way, you'll find the -trough dry, But step on tlie platform, and the water and faith como together without any trouble-certain, and sure, and abundant,"