Excerpt from A Western Awakening to Islam

Many years ago Mr. Arthur James Balfour, in one of his famous speeches, made use of the aphorism, "There is but one counsellor worse than panic, and that counsellor is despair." It struck me very much at the time and, in reference to the matter contained in the following pages and the animadversions which are sure to follow my openly expressed convictions with regard to the Muslim religion, I would say there is but one companion worse than disbelief, and that companion is fear. The fear of consequences holds many a man to the open profession of beliefs he has no real confidence in. We all like to secure what is best, the best food, best dwelling, best surroundings, and the best friends, but how many of us take any thought about the best religion? Most of us are quite content with that which has been handed down to us, and from a purely selfish point of view, perhaps we are right, as it saves so much "bother, " and we keep steadily on in the path so well worn by our ancestors, refusing to even look at or enquire into any other beliefs.

By a strange coincidence the very morning on which I wrote the above I read an account of Lord Haldane's capital address to the Edinburgh students, November 14th, 1913.

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