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that during the last two thousand years, at least, it has only led to wrangling, disputes and bloodshed among men, and has created greater differences among them than all other things put together. This is quite a natural result of the spirit of mysticism which mythology directly fosters, since it gives rise to ignorance which never fails to give birth to the unholy twins, bigotry and fanaticism.
THE KEY OF KNOWI EDGE.
Stories and myths, no doubt, are very fascinating, and do not entail much hard mental work, but we ought not to underrate the difficulties which they create for men. No one will seriously deny that they throw a veil of obscurity over the ideal, which it is the aim of philosophy to set free from the nebulosity of indistinct, chaotic thought, and of religion to bring into realization. Clear thought, not mythology, is needed for salvation.
We recall to mind a certain over-zealous, though cultured Mahomedan gentleman who was very lavish with his praises of the Qur'an, on the ground that it contained many passages which no one could understand. Our friend, however, did not stop to consider what his words signified, and had little or no idea of the practical value of religion. How can that which is not understood by any one be a means of liberation by any possibility? Suppose a scientific work contained formulas which were beyond the comprehension of men, could anyone urge their unintelligibility as an argument in favour of its merit? It is no answer to say that those formulas would disclose important secrets of nature when understood, since cash-value depends on practical good, not on theoretical speculation as to the charm of
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