We should be
churchmen, but somewhat lukewarm churchmen, inasmuch as those who care
very much about either religion or irreligion are seldom observed to be
very well bred or agreeable people. The Church herself should approach
as nearly to that of Laodicea as was compatible with her continuing to be
a Church at all, and each individual member should only be hot in
striving to be as lukewarm as possible.
The book rang with the courage alike of conviction and of an entire
absence of conviction; it appeared to be the work of men who had a rule-
of-thumb way of steering between iconoclasm on the one hand and credulity
on the other; who cut Gordian knots as a matter of course when it suited
their convenience; who shrank from no conclusion in theory, nor from any
want of logic in practice so long as they were illogical of malice
prepense, and for what they held to be sufficient reason. The
conclusions were conservative, quietistic, comforting. The arguments by
which they were reached were taken from the most advanced writers of the
day. All that these people contended for was granted them, but the
fruits of victory were for the most part handed over to those already in
possession.
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