Here let me observe that I am not at all opposed to subscriptions, for I believe a thousand times more in paying than in praying, and if I were to make a church catechism I would place as the first question, “How much do you pay?” and the very last one, “Do you pray?” In most people the nerves of the pocket are more sensitive than those of the heart, and should be touched first. I said, “I am greatly obliged to you for so good a character, though I do not see where the badness comes in.”
He replied, “That is not it. It is not what you are, or what you do, but what you believe. They say that you do not believe in Jesus.”
“That is a great mistake,” I answered. “I do most profoundly believe in him, that he was the best man that ever lived, the wisest teacher that the world has ever seen, and in that respect the light of the world, the Savior of mankind if they follow his example.”
“That is it, you do not believe that Jesus was the son of God.”
I replied, “That is another error, for I believe that he was the beloved son of God, for the reason that so far as we know, he was the best man ever born, and lived the nearest to God, and so was His well beloved son; that as we are all the offspring of God by creation, and by pure and upright lives all become the sons of God, but as Jesus was the best of all, he was the son of God, our elder brother in the great human family.”
He asked, “Do you not believe that Jesus is God?”
“Most certainly not. I would feel that I was an idolator, and committing sin in accepting such a belief. There can be only one infinite God, without body or parts, one and indivisible.”
“Do you not then believe that Jesus was conceived of the Holy Ghost?”
“Positively not. It is absolutely impossible for me to believe that the Infinite God could be born of a woman, or have a son by a woman. Such an idea was born of paganism, and is a degradation of the Almighty to the notion that the pagans had of their gods.”
“Mr. Japhet!” he exclaimed, “I am really shocked that you should say such things. It is too serious and sacred a subject for such remarks.”