Talkative

"This is the sum and substance of TALKATIVE’S idea of religion—'to talk.' And the subject matter of his conversation further discloses the lack of heartfelt, experimental religion; for his topics are such as 'history, mystery, miracles, wonders, and signs.' These subjects, no doubt, are calculated to interest and instruct true Christian students, if, as FAITHFUL says, they are studied to the 'profit' of the soul. But it is not with this view that TALKATIVE indulges in his wordy speculations. His object is simply to get, or, more likely, to display, 'knowledge'—'striving about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.'

To what length men may 'talk' about religion, and how near they may, all the time, keep to the strict propriety of Christian conversation, appears from the circumstance that, till better informed by his more experienced brother, FAITHFUL was altogether deceived by the specious language of this talkative professor. FAITHFUL seems to have regarded him, not with suspicion, but with 'wonder,' and perhaps with admiration, when he thus lightly tripped along the whole permanent way of successive topics, upon which he was ready to discourse: anything on any subject, in heaven or on earth; on morals or religion; on secular or sacred things; on the history of the past, or the mystery of the future; on topics far off, or near home; on everything imaginable; on anything that anybody pleased! Truly, a very encyclopedia of spiritual knowledge was this man, TALKATIVE!"[1]