E. I said, as I believed; but thou wilt understand that belief is not always correct. Thou canst believe because of my saying; but thou canst not know without investigation and tangible facts. The circle, which bids me labor for thy good, walk not by faith but by wisdom. They are not controlled by opinions or faiths, but by actual experiments. It is not actual experiments and demonstrations of facts which weary thy mind, and paralyze thy industry, but it is thy opinions and doubts. They are the messengers of discontent and trouble. If thou wouldst distrust thy distrust, and doubt thy doubts, thy mind would feel the inspiration of hope. When thy mind hopest for good, thy confidence is superior to thy doubts. Then the despondency of thy condition vanishes.
M. But what have I to hope for?
E. Thou wilt ask, what is there which I may not hope for? There is no good, which thou mayest not attain. The wisdom of circles, whose glory thou hast not seen, may be thine by receiving it. But thy doubts cause thee to reject thy own good. When the prize is offered thee, thou refusest, because of thy unbelief. Thy doubts distrust and reject the best good. They rob thee by thy own consent. It is, indeed, no wonder to me now, why thou shouldst not advance, and become more happy. I would advise thee, but thy wisdom apprehends mischief from me. Now, I am not of thy circle, thou fearest some evil intention is with me. The worst evil thou canst suffer, is the evil of resisting wisdom.
M. I would not resist what is wise and good, but I would know that it is wise and good before I receive it.
E. How canst thou know what thy wisdom rejects? When thou askest aid, how canst thou be benefited, so long as the aid is rejected? Must not the aid be received to help thee? Wouldst thou require tangible evidence, or demonstrations of its usefulness before thou wouldst accept what thy necessities demand? Thou askest for the proof of a thing, when thou rejectest the only means which can give thee the required satisfaction. As well might the ignorant say, “I will receive instruction when I am satisfied by experience that it will be for my advantage, and not before,” as for thee to demand knowledge of a subject before thou receivest the lessons, which will make thee know the truth of the subject.
M. Then, I must receive what thou sayest as truth, and test it by my experience.
E. Thou wilt test it in no other way than by thy experience. All thou knowest to be good or bad, thou knowest by thy experience.
M. May I not know from others’ experience?
E. Thou mayest believe, but thou canst not know. To know is to understand by the test of thy experience. The test of experience will not deceive thee. By it thou mayest try the philosophy which we teach. Thy mind will not doubt what it knows; but it will doubt what minds say; because thou hast already found many errors in the sayings of thy friends, but never one in the counsels of thy experience. Experience is true. However bitter it may be from the errors of thy life, yet it is true. Falsehoods even are true, as are facts; but there is this distinction, which experience has established. Falsehoods are wrongs, facts are not. Nevertheless, thou must see that wrongs are true to falsehoods, and falsehood to wrongs. The cause is true to its effect. If the cause be inharmonious with good, the wretchedness must ensue. If the cause be harmonious with mind, the effect can not be wrong. Therefore, falsehood, being a cause, and that cause not being in harmony with the progress and happiness of mind, must beget its true effect when received. That effect is wrong, and wrong because an evil is inflicted. All evil is true to the effect it produces. When a mind is in harmony with error, the error is true to that mind. The error is true to its effect. It is sure to produce its own likeness—to stamp its own image, when received by the mind. No effect, disagreeing with the cause, can ever exist in nature. Consequently, all things are causes of other things, and the cause and effect are true to each other. This is what we may call truth.
M. Then truth is the relation of cause and effect?