God and My Neighbour

into human form, an

puts the man in it.

d takes part of his

parently, that the m

eh walks in the gar

e even makes coats

in which Jahweh repents that he had made

is over, and Noah s

s a sweet savour, j

d. When men build

o see it-he cannot

. the Jahwist tells

tent. Abraham give

d to eat, and Sarah

altogether, they see

goes on, he leaves

himself. It is J. wh

h some mysterious pers

very strange story i

ning into Egypt, at

lodging-place, and s

said Jahweh took the

we wanted to believ

should resort to the

t J. meant them lit

ulty in thinking of

tion of Sodom and Go

ich, you remember, J

ether they have done

h is come unto me; an

at God was omniscien

Jahwist. Jahweh, lik

know. There is, howe

can move about witho

One might say, perhap

erywhere, he can go

a child's thought. T

ough Santa Claus can

onderful facility, an

us. The Jahwist's tho

stage of the

. William

at one time Jahweh w

gods. The Israelite

emosh was as truly t

and they speak of Ch

rit, just as Jahweh h

es xi

srael would speak o

osh. His god sends

d is angry; if he s

have seen that ther

Chemosh to be as re

ind the same thing

exactly the same thi

ttle, gave defeat or

wever, is very obscu

in for some time af

vid worshipped Jah

e to be driven out of

gods (1 Sam. xxvi.

to Jahweh, for he bu

r deitie

Conceptions of Providence in

ead Judges iii. 15-30

y of Ehud getting at

g him-an act followed

nd is the story of Ja

, and then murdering

oing so, as "blessed

borah. Here, you see

fortunes of Israel;

h brings success to t

orality; nor is it conc

dividual serves

ow one, and that it underwent considerable change. In fact, he says, with great candou

ribe, and we have renounced Him, and are ashamed of Him, not because of any later divine revelation,

rs to worship and believe Him, on pain of torture, or death, or excommunica

Evolution of the Idea of God, by the late Grant Allen. In this book Mr. Allen clearly traces the origins of the various ideas of God

ject of portable siz

criptions in the Pe

r date, and not too

vistic editing-he wa

front during the g

zer; and the Philist

ome into the camp." Bu

e rival god, Dagon,

gend declared-befor

restored the sacred

rim till David, on th

went down to that pl

e god; and as it wen

h on all manner of i

re Jahweh."... The c

bout with them a trib

st was intimately con

ing a stone object o

and could be carried

not know the origin

ut they regarded it e

ed them out of the

ore, how we can easi

h the god of the Heb

ealised into the God

ng more nor less tha

f Israel, however scu

rt of all, the unhewn

mitic sheikh

o tack this tribal fetish in his box on to the Christian religion as the All-Father, and Creator of the Un

l God of the Christians, and see how he comported himself

ah's

ect. When the man turned bad on his hands, Jahweh was angry, and cursed him and his seed for thousands o

n the time of Noah, that he decided to drown all the people on the earth except Noa

lost his temper again, and sent amongst them "fiery serpents," so that "much people of Israel died." But still the des

ve you flesh, and ye

two days, nor five

even a whole month,

t be loathsome unto

ord, which is among

g, Why came we fo

e ate them, and the anger of their angry god came upon th

hweh in his ark from the custody of the Philistines some men of Bethshemesh looked into the ark

stice of

ted few, because he was angry with mankind. In the Book of Samuel we are told that Jahweh sent three years' famine upon the whole nation because of

ow Joshua and the Israelites took "Achan, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses,

e for David's fault. But David he allowed to live. In Samuel we learn how Jahweh, because of an attack upon the Israelites four hundred years before the time of speaking, ordered Saul to destroy the Amalek

rality O

gets Ahab, King of Israel, killed by putt

ho shall entice Ahab

l at Ramoth-gilead?

and another sayin

a spirit, and stood

im. And the Lord said

go out, and be a lyi

And the Lord said,

so prevail: go ou

he following orders

th to war against t

elivered them into

en them

captives a beautif

at thou wouldest ha

g her home to thine

ead, and pa

e raiment of her cap

thine house, and bew

and after that thou

and, and she sh

hou have no delight i

e will; but thou shal

not make merchandise

humbl

n, and he ordered them to kill all the married women, and to take the single women "for themselves." The Lord allowed this brutal act-which included the mur

elty Of

s of Jahweh's cruelty and barbarity and

ing of Hesbon, to resist the Jews, and then "utterly d

l not reform he will "walk contrary to them in fury, and

w Bashan was utterly destroyed, me

k occur the fol

d shall bring thee i

it, and hath cast ou

and the Girgashite

and the Perizzites,

nations greater and

hy God shall delive

em, and utterly des

with them, or sho

pter xx. there are further instr

nto all the cities w

re not of the citi

these people, which

heritance, thou sha

breat

ly destroy them; nam

naanites, and the Pe

as the Lord thy God

s an example of the mercy of Jah

the pestilence cleav

from off the land,

ses

te thee with a con

nflammation, and wit

and with blasting,

rsue thee unt

is over thy head sha

under thee s

the rain of thy la

it come down upon

tro

thee to be smitten

ne way against them

alt be removed into

ea

l be meat unto all f

he earth, and no man

thee with the botc

the scab, and with t

not be

e thee with madness

ment of

e thee in all thy g

e down, wherein thou

he shall besiege t

nd, which the Lord th

he fruit of thine ow

daughters, which t

siege, and in the s

es shall di

is tender among you

il toward his brothe

ward the remnant of

leav

d in mine anger, and

all consume the ear

the foundations

fs upon them; I wil

n t

with hunger, and d

r destruction: I wil

with the poison of

nd terror within, sh

irgin, the suckling

y h

ah is based on fact. But I could, if needful, heap proof on proof, for the b

ading a God of love? Is He the Father of Christ?

error, or vanity, or desire. We tiny, vain feeblenesses, we fussy ephemera; we sting each other, hate each other, hiss at each other, for the sake of the monster gods of our own delirium. As we are whirled upon our spinning, glowing planet through the unfathomable spaces, where myriads of suns, like golden bees, gleam

esert them, for the sake of the lurid gho

ggrandisement, and slew or cursed all who offended him, is the Creator, the same

lygamy, and the debasement of women; and in the pomps, vanities, and greeds of royalty, of clericalism, and of usury and barter-we may easily discern the influence of his ferocious and abominable personality. It is time to have done with this nightmare fetish of a murderous tribe of savages

blinded by superstition, not warped by prejudice and old-time convention. This the God of Heaven? This the Father of Christ? This the Creator of the Milky Way? No. He will not do. H

He is not the King of kings, the Bible is not an inspired book, and i

ible, like the God of the Bible, are immoral savages. That is because the

pure ideal of God. We should not have found in it open approval-divine app

f a few of the Bible heroes

Moses was the meekest man the worl

the second chapte

in those days, when

s brethren, and loo

ian smiting an Hebrew

way and that way, a

slew the Egyptian, an

t the second day, b

ether: and he said

itest thou thy fell

nd a judge over us?

the Egyptian? And Mo

is thing

leaded that the Egyptian was doing wrong; but the remarks of the Hebrew suggest

laws attributed to him, in which the death penalty is

tory. The Lord commands Moses to "avenge the children of Israel of t

nst the Midianites,

they slew a

ings of Midian, bes

mely Evi, and Rekem

s of Midian: Balaam

w with t

f Israel took all

little ones, and t

all their flocks,

their cities wherei

ly castles

he spoil, and all t

f bea

with the officers

ands, and captains

om the

them, Have ye saved

the children of Israe

trespass against the

plague among the con

very male among the

hath known man

ildren that have not

ep alive for

or Mohammedan general were to behave to a Christian city as Moses behaved to

Aaron; how the earth opened and swallowed these men and their families and friends, at a hint from Moses; and how the Lord slew with fire from h

st. I shall express no opinion of the pair; bu

saw that Moses del

eople gathered them

o him, Up, make us

r this Moses, the ma

Egypt, we wot not w

o them, Break off

rs of your wives, o

s, and bring

brake off the golde

and brought t

m at their hand, an

had made it a molten

Israel, which broug

of

t, he built an altar

nd said, To-morrow i

on the morrow, and of

erings; and the peopl

and rose u

o Moses, Go, get thee

t out of the land of

mse

oses why he has done t

aron, What did this p

ght so great a

not the anger of m

le, that they ar

e, Make us gods, whi

s, the man that brou

e wot not what i

, Whosoever hath any

it to me: then I ca

came out

hat the people were

to their shame amo

the gate of the camp

t him come unto me.

themselves tog

m, Thus saith the Lo

by his side, and go

he camp, and slay ev

ompanion, and every

Levi did according t

people that day abou

his meek fath

on Solomon, the greatest of the Bible k

by the king, David lied. As to the nature of his conduct at this time, no room is left for doubt by the story of Nabal. David demanded blackmail of Nabal, and, on its being refused, set out with four hundred armed men to rob Nabal, and kill

ildren. One of his favourite wives

d Uriah from the war, and bade him go home to his wife. Uriah said it would dishonour him to seek ease and pleasure at home

ont of the battle, where the fight was hardest. And Uriah was kil

ple of his humanity. I quote from the twe

ngers to David, and

and have taken t

r the rest of the p

city, and take it:

called aft

l the people together

against it,

ng's crown from off

of gold with the pr

ead. And he brought

great ab

the people that were

r harrows of iron, a

rough the brick kiln:

e children of Ammon.

urned unto

g of it. I quote from the second chapter of the First Book of

also what Joab the son

e two captains of the

and unto Amasa the s

od of war in peace, an

was about his loins,

on hi

g to thy wisdom, and

the grave

o the sons of Barzill

that eat at thy table

because of Absa

ast with thee Shime

, which cursed me wi

to Mahanaim: but he

re to him by the Lor

th the sword. Now th

t a wise man, and know

his hoar head bring

h b

ken by King David. Joab was his best gener

as robbed, and disgraces and exiles a priest, who had been long a faithful friend to David, his father

uch wisdom, builds a temp

But it is now acknowledged that David wrote few, if any, of the Psalms, and that Solomon

nd Solomon should be glorified by Christian men and wom

le heroes is Jacob; but Abraham

other of his birthright by trading on his necessity. He fled from his brother's wrath, and went to his uncle Laban. Here he cheated his un

d he allowed Hagar and Ishmael to be driven into the desert to die. And here is

when he was come near

ai, his wife, Behold

woman to

ome to pass, when th

say, This is his wif

y will save

ou are my sister; th

nd my soul shall l

that, when Abram wa

the woman that

Pharaoh saw her, and

oman was taken int

ram well for her sa

es, and menservants,

es, and

Pharaoh and his hou

Sarai, Ab

ram, and said, What i

st thou not tell me t

is my sister? so I

herefore behold thy

y

his men concerning h

wife, and al

thing again, many years afterwards, and Abimelech King of Gerar, b

ut what are we to think of his offering his dau

rsed the whole of his sons' descendants for

depriving the Egyptians of their liberties and their land by a corner in wheat can be condoned. Jacob ro

and murderer, who in these da

were guilty of treachery and massacre. Ju

a city he murdered every man, woman, and child within its walls.

, and all Israel wi

again

d the king thereof

smote them with th

ed all the souls th

g: as he had done

e king thereof; as

and to h

he country of the hil

of the springs, and

but utterly destroy

God of Israe

m from Kadesh-barnea

y of Goshen, e

ind. After he had mocked the god Baal, and had triu

of Baal. Let not

and Elijah brought t

nd slew t

s of Baal, all of whom Elijah the

reat prophet of the Jews. I quote from the

thence unto Bethel:

me forth little chil

aid unto him, Go up,

bald

and looked on them,

nd there came forth

re forty and two

efused to pay tribute. You may read the horrible story for yourselves in the third chapter of the Second B

he man, and gets two talents of silver and some garments under false pretences. When Eli

f God: what I want to point out is that these cruel and ignorant savage

Elisha by his proper name in an average Christian

y of an "Infidel" who committed half the crimes

er shudders at the name of the "infidel," Tom Paine. But in point of honour, of virtue, of humanity, and

hated Esau. Esau was a man, and against him the Bibl

that Elijah went up in a

ven. Paul speaks of David as a "man after God's own heart"; Elijah and Moses come down from heaven

men, but that, in a book alleged to be th

barbarous kings and priests. Irreverence! It is like ch

only wish to show that these favourites of God were not admirable characters, and that therefore the Bible cannot be a divine revelation. As for animus: I do not believe

d a model of all the virtues for the emulation of innocent children in a modern Sunday school. And I think

can only accept your decision

OOK O

has many books of higher moral and literary value. It would be easy to compile, from the wor

suitable as the rule of life. The moral and intelle

, concubinage, lying and deceit, treachery, incest, murder, wars of plunder, wars of conquest, massacre of prisoners of war, massacre of women an

the sacredness of truth, does not teach religious tol

ern thought has no place in the "Book of Books." F

s the regulation of

hall not be

covers all the moralities of the Ten Commandments, and all the Ethics of the L

t this,

hich are at the sam

f ourselves, and the

And in what part of the Bible shall we find a parallel

freedom of speech, f

ren of men in thei

and Isaiah centuries

country: to do g

her "Infidel," surpass

is to be happy, the

happy is now, the w

other

simism of the King of kings. And again, Ingersoll went beyo

or ever with the ide

s, is a charity. It

mething to be done

than it is to pave

han it is to have a

se of protecting soc

sel

ngs of Pagans and Unbelievers as a

ar of morality, by i

orrible object in exi

truth? Abhor dissim

eak it: that is cowa

, to pass thy life i

sposition, even to l

y acts unjustly to

actice of religion

compassionate heart

-sacrifice. A lovin

oppress, not to de

down others; but to

Like as a mother at

y child, so also let

ngs a bounteous

s is to improve his

is guilty or guilt

r your o

contempt for death.

body? In the eye

r is to benefit one

wish them to treat

deeds, whether good

sha

n full moral stature

ce little children.

ster of sl

emy by force incre

ve and you will h

breeds

mpense-not even to

t of men, to bring

ighten those living

ces of sorrow and

sure while another

to hel

to be invaluable and indispensable to the world, must have allow

r moralist and a better man than Moses; Plato and Marcus Aurelius are wiser than Solomon; Sir Thomas

rable literary and some ethical value in Job (which is not Jewish), in Ecclesiastes (which is Pagan), in the Song of Solomon (which is an erotic love song), and in parts of Isaiah, Proverbs, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and A

tor, the maker of wheat and cotton rings, the fox-hunter, the bird-slayer, the ill-user of horses and dogs and cattle. There is nothing about "cultivating towards all beings a bounteous friendly mind," nothing about liberty of speech and conscience, nothing about the wrong of causing pain

erroneous theories of hist

stories of impossibl

s a low id

account of the relatio

internati

igious pride a

code is

rs in defence of war, slavery, religious persecution

perpetrated massacre and outrage with the bloo

witness of Moses has sent inn

he barbarities of human slavery was needed i

an

tian literature ther

volt, or that tells t

that touches the pr

ses out o

in America slavery was defended by the churches o

aw, which made us a

ity from the New T

edent by returning

ma

of Christian ministers to show the influence of the Bible

ampbell wrote: "Ther

g slavery, but many

we conclude

awder, Methodist, of

d, permitted, and re

ively instituted

hat inhuman institution was defended by the church

century a hundred thousand women were killed for witchcraft in G

urned at Como in on

burg in one year; f

months; eighty were

ine women were burn

e hanged in Suffolk

uring one session

put to death by mo

ht hundred; six hun

g; Bogult burned six

to death by the Lut

ain butchered thous

the death of four t

sentenced to death

ousand died at Treve

onths is declared t

ger places the total

Europe at nine mil

in nearly every tow

alt not suffer a wit

at kindl

he tortures for religion's sake; put to the sum the long tale of witchcraft murders; remember what slavery ha

all the finer motions of the human spirit are retarded, by the hab

place in the hands of children, and it certainly is not a fit bo

AVENLY

ble? shows very clearly the gradual evolution of the idea o

ower conception, let us

This conception credits the Supreme Being with supernal tenderness and mercy-"God is Love." That is a

re is Love, is also the All-knowing

, to create any kind of world He chose. Being a God of Love, He would

w evil to enter the world? Being All-Powerful and All-knowing, He could have excluded evil. Being good, He

, and strife and war. All life is a perpetual deadly stru

did He build a world on cruel lines? Why does He permit evil and pain to contin

o Man, to an earthly father, representing God as more benevole

. And in doing so we shall find that Christ was not justified in claiming that God is a better father to Man than Man is t

t in the great famines, as in India and Russia, God allows millions to die of starva

s, blue seas; music, laughter, love, humour; the palm tree, the h

d the black death. God has permitted famine, pestilence, and war. He has permitted martyrdom, witch-burning, slavery, massacre, torture, and human sacrifice. He has for millions of years looked do

the generations of men prayed to God for help, for co

ccour their fellow creatures. The priests and followers of God perse

rabies and consumption. But not from Burning Bush nor Holy Hill, nor by the mouth of

of men to find a way of escape from the fell destroyers of the human race; and God has allowed the piteous brutes to s

y lays its eggs under the skin of the caterpillar. The eggs are hatched by the warmth of the caterpillar's blood. They produce a brood of larvae which devour the caterpillar alive. A pretty child dances on the village green. Her feet crush creeping things: there is a busy ant or blazoned beetle, with its back broken, writhing in the dust, unseen. A germ flies from a stagnant pool, and t

myriad of God's children, and the Heavenly Father gives neither guidance n

witches. God, our Heavenly Father, has power

at the whole fabric of crime was due to the human reading of His "revelation" to man. He could have saved the women; He could have enligh

mies of poor women to be tortured an

Man to suffer? If a man had knowledge and power to prevent or to abolish war and ignorance and hunger and disease; if a man had the knowledge and the

o regard Him as a Heavenly Father, and a God of inf

That, having created us imperfect, He would punish our imperfections with everlasting torture in a lake of everlasting fire. They used to tell us that this good God allow

he Christians (some of them) have thrown

ight get along; for then the good might be ascribed to God, and the evil to the Devil. And that is what the old Persians did in

s? If God saves, who damn

the Bible, drives its votaries into weird and wonderful positions. For ex

nimal called an aye

d has five fingers.

that the middle finge

e as long as the othe

l sort of insect out

frequents. Now, how

e lengthening would

trees are 2 inches

m the ordinary lengt

other way. Where do

s in scores of othe

ite goodn

God to whom? To the animal whose special finger enables him to catch the insect? Then what about the insect?

to feed on man? What of the infinite goodness of God in teaching th

, but only the infinite foolish

ng the infinite goodness of God in giving the shark so large a mouth. The gre

and loving Heavenly Father is v

e is no longer a benevolent God to build our hopes upon; and Jesus Christ, whose glory is a newer r

th: that in face of a knowledge of life and t

derly over us, His children. He is the b

R AND

ayer and

God is just, that He is

not do justice without

happens, will He not know what is for m

, and if He is a just God and a loving Father, will He

justice unless we pray to Him; or will He giv

His grace, or for any worldly

He will give it to us if we deserve it. If we do not deserve it, or do not ne

and begged for his love or for their daily bread? He would think his childre

God answers prayer. Ho

answered prayer? As we learn more and more of the laws of

en plague struck a city, the priests marched through the streets bearing the Host, and the peopl

itious belief in prayer, and most sur

Wilfred Denver, a drunken gambler, follows a rival to kill him. He doe

don and Rugby he jumps out of the train, and, after limping many miles, goes

own and prays to God, for the sake of wi

r reads how the train he rode in caught fire, and how all th

knees, and thanks God fo

to escape from the law, has burnt to death a lot of innocent pass

in some measure. Perhaps, if a man pray for strength to resist temptation, or for guid

ll hear, or answer, but

uch of his excitement is worked off. It is so when a sick man groans: it eas

ail him, and he prays for God's help, believing that he will get it, he will walk his plank with more confidence. If he prays for help against a temptation, he is really appeal

yet I am inclined to think that it is bought too dearly at the price of a decrease in our self-reliance. I do not think it is good

for the general good, to help our weak or friendless fellow-creatures, than to pray for

a strong man value the praise of the weak? Does any man of wisdom and power care for the applause of his inferiors? We make God int

uffering in the world, it is pitiful to see the Christian millions sq

nd neglected each other, or that brother should stand by brother and sis

tian England hundreds of thousands of thieves, knaves, idlers, drunkards,

by well-fed and respectable Christians in the midst of untaught ignorance, unchecked roguery, unbridled vice, and the degradation and defilement and ruin of weak women an

erstand why Christians are not ashamed of it. To me the national affectati

TAMENT THE

THE EVIDE

nd ascended into Heaven. Archdeacon Wilson, in a sermon at Rochdale, described the divinity and Resurrection of Christ as "the cen

s in history. I hold that the evidence for the Resurrection would not be listened to

ome hundreds of millions of human beings is founded. The fact alleged is that nearly two thousand years ago God came into the world as a man, that He was known as Jesus o

important, and the evidence in proof of su

eged to have happened a thousand years ago than we should de

leged to have happened

ged fact which was outside human experience than we shou

he resurrection of a man or a God from th

nt of that fact was of great importance to millions of men and women, than we should

tion is of immense importance to

ave strong political, sentimental, or mercenary motives for proving the fact alleged, than we shou

e strong motives-sentimental, political, or merc

ding the strongest of evidence for the allege

e occurrence, the weightier sho

ptain Webb swam the English Channel,

reported in all the newspapers of the day. It is

ed years ago an Irish sailor had swum from Holyhead to New

redible record of the feat, and we cannot believe an

e statement made by the bel

millions of suns, came down to earth, was born of a woman, was crucified, was dead, wa

vidence produced in support

has seen God? No. Is there any man o

exists or that Christ exists. The most they can s

God has been seen on earth

ligions as to divine visits; and all the other rel

convinced and won over mankind without any such act. He has not convinced or won over mankind by that act. Not one-t

unreasonable, unnecessary, and futile. It is a

nature of

tthew, Mark, Luke, and John; that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were contemporaries of C

New Testament, that any of the Apostles ever existed. We know nothing about Pau

torical evidence of the divinity of Christ, of t

ieve the tremendous story of the Resurrection, we must be show

your miracle you ha

fore a judge. Let us try to

udship. It is stated by Paul of Tars

u intend to call

o, m'lud.

ake a proper sw

of his letters are extant,

s affidavits? Are they

L: No,

Are the

L: No,

the handwriting of

They are copies; the

was Paul

e was the apostle

d to call some o

'lud. There ar

ay-how long has this shadowy wi

two thousand

Can you bring evidence to

ircumstant

tical witness who is acknowledged to have been dead for nearly two th

of resurrection was witnessed by on

is the sol

I don't k

: Cal

He is dea

Depos

L: No,

his evidence. Ca

lud. But I shall show th

old the disciples

statements of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and

e, you intend t

m'lud. He i

resurrection you will have to perform a gr

L: Yes

Who wer

-I don't k

irs, to which you allude: are

n statements, but only as statements "according to them." The statements are really copies of translat

ted, and re-copied and re-tra

do not kn

and revised by the authors?

I don't k

Don't k

e documents had ever been heard of un

nnot allow you to quote these papers. The

L: No,

sses the legal value of the evi

only value, let us now consid

SPEL W

sifting and weighing evidence, what can we

ence outside the New Testament, and the New Tes

to show that the Gospels were writte

ostle Paul was not an eye-

me Gospels were known in the first century, there is no evid

originally composed by men who knew Christ, and that these men were entirely honest and c

f the New Testament, we are bound to scrutinise those books closel

the authors of the Gospels, the Acts,

Christ; but were they? I should say Matthew certainly was not contemporary with Je

going behold some of

nto the chief priest

d when they were asse

, they gave large mon

disciples came by ni

if this come to th

d rid you of care. So

taught: and this sa

and continueth

Now, a man does not say of a report or belief that it "continueth until this day" unless that report or belief originated

, outside the New Testament, that such men as Paul,

Matthew," the Gospel "according to Mark," the Gospel "according to Luke," and the Gospel "according to John." They were, then, Gospels condensed, paraphrased,

toric record whatever. How are we to know that these men ever lived? How are we to know that they were correctly reported, if they ever spo

. Many critics and scholars deny the existence of Peter and Pau

witness is Paul. Paul does not corroborate the Gospel writers' statements as to the life

did not see Him in the flesh after He had quitted the tomb. He was not present when He ascended into Heaven. Therefore Paul is not

ve and many deny, his evidence for the

rection Christ was "seen of about five hundred persons; of whom th

Paul give the name of any one of them, nor is the testimony

ichborne well; and let us also bear in mind that many critics and scholars dispute the authorship of Shakespeare's plays, as to which strong contemporary evidence is forthcoming, and then let us ask ourselves whether we shall b

in the Gospels are full of discrepancies, and are rendere

esh and alive after His Resurrection? Did Matthew see Christ ascend into Heaven? Matthew nowhere says so. Nor is it stated by any other writer in the Testament that Ma

the incidents connected therewith differ

rs by the priests to circulate the falsehood about the stealing of Ch

that there was an earthquake when the angel rolled away the st

is it asserted that any man or

told by some woman, or women, who said they had seen an

were angels. There is not an atom of evidence that they were not men, nor

bable. But if the guard was really there, it might have been as easily bribed to allow the body

red to go to Galilee. Mark says the same. Luke says they were co

on. And it is curious, as Mr. Foote points out, that the two apostles who were supposed to have been disciples of Christ and might be supposed t

he thief on the cross: "Verily I say unto thee, to-day shalt thou be w

pel versions of the Resurrection and Ascension; but as I do no

ws anything about the matter of his own knowledge; that no one of them claims to have himself heard the story of the wom

hat Christ really had risen from the dead, and was miraculously present; we may say that the accounts of His miraculous app

on, the first essential fact to make sure of is the fact of death. Before we ar

as historical, it cannot be said that the

oss for days before they died. Now, Christ was only on the cross for a few ho

ere dead, the soldiers broke their legs

n this wounding with the spear. Neither do they allude to the other story told by John, as to the scepticism of Thomas, and his putting his hand in

roof of death, for John adds that there issued from the wound blood

e cross, it was not examined by any doctor, but was

emember, we are dealing with probabilities in the absence of any exact knowledge of the facts, and consider which is more probabl

there is no evidence at all that Christ was God. Prove that Christ was God, and therefore that He was

te. But is there any reason to regard the Gospel stories of the death, Resurrection, and Ascension on of Christ as historical? I say that we have no sur

ad man, or a madman. There is no fourth alternative possible." That is a strange statement to make, but it is an exampl

the Son of God, and one with God, we should

tive" open to us. For we might say that the person who reported his speech to us had misunderstood him, which would

ings come to us through several hands, and through more than one translation. It

d Ascension of Christ. Many worthy people may suppose that in denying the fac

write them, they probably accepted them at second or third hand. With the best faith in the world, they may not have been competent j

ther ancient documents, what internal evidence do they a

f in miracles impossible. When we speak of the antagonism between religion and science, it is this fact which we have in our mind: that scienc

xley

stens with devout att

er a witch to live,"

sically absurd, a ch

some old woman; th

ubstituted exorcism

but a short tenure o

lity of prayers for

and an outbreak of

but to the drains. In

arms, and Te Deums

talions and keeping

ence of warfare; in

e, as in all other

m, Laborare est or

the only acceptabl

ernature or not, our b

w Arnold, in Literature and Dogma, after saying that we shall "find ourselves inevitably led, sooner or later," to extend one rule to all miraculous stories, and that "the considerations which apply in other cases apply, we shall most su

Ascension of Christ "independent of miracles," we destroy those accounts completely. To make the Re

r disbelieve in the Resurrecti

of any document in proportion to the element of the miraculous which that document contains. The fact that t

ninth hour," and when He dies, "behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake; and the rocks were rent; and the tombs were opene

the earthquake, and the rising of the dead saints from the tombs. Luke tell

nother word from Matthew on the subject. The dead get up and walk into the city, and "are seen of many," and we are left to wonder what happened to the risen saints, and what effect their astounding apparition had upon the citizens who saw them. Did

h chapter of the first volume of Gibbon's Decline and

cuse the supine ina

d to those evidences

otence, not to their

age of Christ, of H

es, the doctrine wh

erable prodigies.

were healed, the dea

e laws of Nature were

the Church. But the

om the awful spectac

of life and study,

n the moral or physi

n of Tiberius the who

e of the Roman Empir

ess of three hours.

o have excited the w

all mankind, passed

history. It happene

der Pliny, who must

or received the ear

these philosophers,

great phenomena of

nd eclipses, which

llect. But the one

the greatest phenom

ss since the creat

f Pliny is designe

e and unusual durat

bing the singular d

r of Caesar, when,

e orb of the sun app

son of obscurity, w

eternatural darkness

ated by most of the

memora

nor scientist mentioned the rending of the veil of the temple, nor the rising of the saints fro

ce of Mark, Luke, and John, what are we to think of the testimony of Matthe

aculousness of the s

the more does the te

ting, the more does t

l us we are in wonder

wn by Mary Magdalene

in another form, a

with him to Emmaus a

His most intimate ap

lee; and presently

gnitions getting ass

final commissions,

f the two to call th

ity and good faith

which they themselv

nd growing un

is placed. What was the "time spirit" in the day when this legend arose? What was the attitude of the general mind towards the miraculous? To what stage of knowledge and science

RIT IN THE F

more doubt than a story emanating from people possessing a knowledge of science, and

smile; a statement of some occult mystery made by a Huxley or a Da

the less credible form of statement. They emanated from a credu

n demons and angels, and in all manner of miracles and supernatural agents. We have only to read the Scriptures to see that it was so. But I shall quote here, in support of my asserti

riod not only belie

of controlling the c

e was possessed by mul

nd evil. Where the p

old the direct Agency

y have interposed an

in the wonderful tr

would condemn the

or the inhuman temp

olical possession. S

committed, which w

these myriad demon

ising their malice i

ins o

hn Lightfoot, D.D., Master

nly be observed: (1)

as given to magical

given to an easine

s beyond measure..

ish nation were more

on, or with supersti

eople upon earth that

they; (2) there was

more used, or were

exorcisms, and all k

a people destitute of the very rudiments of science, as science is understood to-day-it is from this people that the unr

we, on the evidence of such a people, to belie

now. Some of us believe, or persuade ourselves that we be

physical science, are steeped in superstition, or are abjectly subservient to the authority of priests or fakirs. Scientific knowledge and freedom of thought and speech

such cases that the believers have been mentally marred by the baneful authority of the Church. Let a person once admit into his

e of "faith." I mean, then, the deadly principle that we are to

ey are inspired by God. When we ask who says that the Gospels are inspired by God, we are told that the Church says so. When we ask how the Church knows, we a

Carpenter wro

ness lately to inqu

f the individuals w

urrences. I cannot-

regard to that mental

it all fits in per

s studies upon the s

strange to be belie

ir judgment to the e

common sense tells us

y important statement without proof.

is discussion I would, if I could, avoid the imputation of dishonesty to any person concerned in the foundation or adaptation of the Christian religion. But I am b

he accepted canon are regarded as of doubtful origin. In the third place, certain passages of the Gospels have been relegated to the margin by the translators of the Revised Version of th

r known there has been a great deal of fraud and forgery and deceit. I do not say this with any bitterness, I do not wish to emphasise it; but I must go so far

ing on this s

hich was current in

he Platonists, and

s very early recogni

them numerous patro

iness to deceive, wit

were deserving rathe

cen

unto His Glory, why yet am I also judged as a sinner?" I do not for a moment suppose that Paul ever wrote those words. But they are given as his in the Epistle bearing his name. I daresay they may

e Church of the fifth

ose who did not blu

s on the great men

elf and His Apostle

cils and in their bo

thorities against au

, in this century, o

eful fi

s still more st

ion than that of ina

st the writings whic

ry. There can be no d

ritten with no other

ltitude who at that

e Christia

Milma

avowed that to decei

service as to ha

p Fel

the Church, so exte

ulous were the peop

ransactions was g

f the newly-published Amer

ns are true, that p

fly by falsehood, i

y characterise as f

urths of the early

s European Morals, writes in th

t that must be ass

rly apologetic lite

n; and no impartial

merable grotesque an

rse of the Middle Ag

as undoubted facts,

s, and the discussion

serve the complete a

ians have displayed

their opponents, or

ration that can tell

g how serious and ho

which makes it so u

nd impartial thinker

erder) to declare,

istian veracity" des

"Punic

think it necessary. It is sufficient to show that forgery was common, and has been always common, amongst

nts rests the whole f

or Huxl

othing more than a f

ls existed, in the s

version of the Bibl

r words, sixty or se

d between that time

cripts of the Gospe

alterations and int

said that this is a

l more. As competent

ve felt compelled to

even since the date

dest two copies of

e of the sixteenth c

rious, and it is note

not hesitated to i

s His disciples tha

st out

"rejected to the m

hat touching apologu

the woman taken in

ere an infallible g

pical example of th

ers, pitilessly, "

John vii. 53-viii

k himself this qu

ent of the canon of

the fourth or fift

e skill and the au

polations as these,

thought of a canon;

regarded as more

may have existed in

ry? Or, to take th

ally settled the c

hich have come down

their authority, w

tency as criti

e certain that any particular text is genuine, and this circumstance mil

NITY BEF

nearly all the principal events of that life had previously happened in the

at record would seem to us more plausible than it will seem if we discover proof that other and earlier gods have been fab

t is mythical in one narrative may be mythical in another; that if one god is a myth another god may be a myth; that if 400,000,000 of Buddhists have been deluded, 200,000,000 of Christian

re-act the adventures of earlier and spurious gods; nor would His divine teachings be mere shreds and patches m

that there are hardly any acts of Christ's which may not be paralleled by acts attributed to mythical gods before His advent; that there are hardly any impo

otes the following passage from

id, "This is in our

know and also fol

it is affirmed in

e sacred thing itse

sacred thing whic

existed in ancient

the beginning of

ame in the flesh, wh

ed came to be calle

urrection and ascen

ach and many believed

e first called Chr

is is in our time the

ot exist in earlier

received this p

Christian historian, Mr.

Christian religio

be lawful to test

n to the

uddha and Buddhism, quo

ative mythology ar

reeds grow slowly u

nd as if by magic.

nite. A great India

evades us; their e

y the m

talk of "pre-Adamite man," and it will still, by many, be he

tles, and the rites and mysteries of the Christian Church can all be paralleled by similar

opular idea at the time when the Gospels were written. In the Old Testament God makes many visits to the earth; and the insta

God. But the idea of a son-god is very

ded from a line of kings. But the idea of a king's son as

virgin. But many heroes before Him wer

while His parents were on a journey. But this also

very many kings, kings' sons, son-gods, and

n. But thousands and thousands of men before Him had been slain as sacrifi

rom the dead. But that had bee

ended into Heaven. But thi

all the gods and saints of all the older r

t from Heaven, a new message of salvation. B

and peace and good-will to all men. But this ethic ha

ath from Saturday to Sunday. Su

rthday, of Apollo, the Sun God-and had been from time immemorial the birthday of the sun gods in all religions. The Eg

ists and the Egyptians had Holy Trinities long before. But whereas the Christian Trinity is unre

e, "Do unto others as you would that they should do unto you." Bu

s very strong evidence that the Lord's Prayer was used before Christ's time, and still stronger evidence that the Sermon on the

ing God by offering Him the sovereignty of the earth-when God had already the sovereignty of twenty milli

human or animal "scapegoat" had power to purify or to save, the idea that a king or a king's son should expiate the sins of a tribe by his death, and the idea that a g

ha are surprising: so also are the resemblances of forms a

d Buddhism, makes the following

ts of contact betwee

f Christ, the almost

s given to the worl

the human race, the

of the Buddhists and

en a disciple, sugg

rimitive Ch

s B.C., and that fifty years after the death of Christ there existed in Palestine

ent rites: baptism,

of bread." Each had

nts. Each sect had m

Each interpreted t

tical, in fact, tha

oody sacrifice of Mo

ost minute likeness

two sects by all C

et Racine... Was t

ects? It is difficu

wo answers to

y simply. The Buddhists had been instructed by the Devil, and there was no more to be said. Later

s in its prime two hundred years before Christ, the Christian apologist replies that, for all

blance between the Christian life of Christ and the Indian life of Buddha; and the

n the Gospels, it is just possible that the Buddhis

f the mythologies of Egypt and Greece and Rome. And it is as certain that the Christians did borrow from the Jews as that the

ians, the Romans, and the Greeks, why should we suppose that they were copied

any appreciable impression on India or China, there is good reason to suppose that the Buddhists, who were the fi

d by Mr. Lillie. M. Burnouf asserts that the Ind

full light by the re

scholars, and by t

point of fact, for

e resemblances-or,

in Christianity a

and most sincere piet

y these analogies

e then the science o

, and proved that B

us and Jesus. Thus

But a thing may be

vation. So the probl

n the pathway that

step from Ind

ods, son-gods, and saviours before Christ. There were Bibles, hymns, temples, monast

cannibalism. Prehistoric man believed that if he ate anything its virtue passed into his physical system. Therefore he began by devouring his gods, body and bones. Later, man mended his manners so far as to substitute animal for huma

e as I have stated them above,

istorian, and of St. Augustine, the great Christian Father, that the Christian religion is no new thing, but was known to the ancients, and does it not seem most reas

large as the present volume. As I have not room to state the case properly, I shall content mys

ese books I

ugh. Frazer.

Christianity. Rob

e Idea of God. Gran

Buddha and Buddhi

d. Parsons

Mythology. Robe

s. Robertson

f Perseus. H

f Jesus. So

y and important books, and

, with regard to the divinity a

w Testament there i

Christ ever lived,

er rose fr

of the New Testame

s loaded with my

o not contain a wo

the fact that Chri

of any eye-witness

ife and qui

ched the Resurrecti

d not see Him arise

m ascend i

upports the Gospel

nd tea

of mixed and doubtf

olation and tamperin

a number of other G

accepted a

e is no real evidenc

esurrection of Chri

show that the Gosp

gends and o

the stories of the miraculous birth and Resurrection of Christ a

CES OF CHRIS

ty and Resurrection as true. The first of these reasons is, the success of the Chr

was God, what does the success of the Buddhist religion pr

God? Was

ligion. But if the spread of a faith proves its miracles to be true, wh

ianity. So did Buddhism. To-day the numbers

t: 450

s, of which only 180 mi

200 mi

ans: 160

gion is older than Christianity, and h

that the Buddhist faith owed a great deal to the fact that King Asoka made it the State religion of a great kingdom, a

t: that the divinity of Christ is proved by th

g statement, for he says that type of characte

e to account f

as spiritual, as gentle, as pure, and

was wiser, more tolerant, more hum

bid slavery; nowhere did they forbid religious into

s of King Asoka was a higher and sweeter type than the

vine? Does it prove that the Buddhist faith is the only true f

Christianity to be true. A most amazing argument. The fact that a man dies for a faith does no

t prove that Christianity was not true? Did the Protestant martyrs pr

t men and women. Does that prove that Christ was divine? No: it only pr

, the author of Buddha and Buddhism? Speaking of the astoni

ected by moral means

igion guiltles

ks wrought by their religion. They are silent about the

ood upon its hands. I submit another ver

of the achievements of

Bhikshus tha

priestly tyranny that

his attack, and the f

India for a t

of caste was assa

the first time ass

onsidered a chattel an

nsidered man's equal,

iritua

her with the knife of

ror, was rigi

time in the religious

itual life of the ind

on by body

eligious propagandism

two great instrument

prea

rsecution; taught temperance, chastity, and humanity; and invented the h

ems to me to prove that Arc

RELIGION WHAT

ongregationalist Sunday schools. But since then I have read many books, and pamphlets, and sermons, and articles intended to explain what Christianity is, and I begin to think there are as many

all these variants, no

most I can pretend to

which all or many Chri

lieve in a Supreme B

They all believe t

and our Heav

tians believe

ve that Man has sinned

eve that Jesus Christ

and that without Chr

e meaning of the terms

ve conflicting or

ieve in the immortali

early all, believe i

ent or

ans believe tha

ieve that after crucif

d ascended

ieve, or think they be

pra

eve in a Devil; but he

of a

eliefs I s

s not a loving Heavenly Father, who answers p

r is not a God, but I deny that there is a

e Will Man could not sin against God, and

ee Will, and possibility o

ry to Man's "salvation," Christia

cessary to Man's salvati

e soul. I know nothing about the soul, and no ma

ur doctrines I will

d, some forty years ago. As that religion seems to be stil

uman race. He was created by God, in the likene

o angry with Adam for his sin that He condemned him and all his

orrible torment in Hell, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, down on earth t

ptised would go to Heaven. All who did not believe on Him, or were

istians believe to-day. That is the old religion of the Fall, of "Inherite

and the serpent, and the hell of fire, but retains the "F

to be God Himself, come down to win back to Himself Man, who had estranged himsel

, old and new, see

short way, with the new

how is it that nineteen centuries aft

is children) wished to forgive us the sin Adam committed ages before we were bor

believe in Him lead bad lives, while many of the best men and women of

) died to win back Man to Himself, i

has persistently and anxiously sought for God, and has served Him, a

od made him; could only act as God enabled him, or constructed him to act,

nce, God is responsible for Man's act.

t of Free Will, and of the need for Christ

he old idea of the F

research, and scientific criticism have disposed of Adam. Adam was a m

we believe in a Fall? When did Man fall? Was it before he ceased to be a monkey, or after? Was it

"Fall." Evolution pr

s a Fall, why should

n, that He allowed Man to develop slowly from the speck of protoplasm in the sea. That at some period of Man's gradual evolution from the brute, G

ect creature, an unfinished work, a building still

ment assume that he was from the first a finished

he Curse, and the Atonement is again

d suppose it to contain millions of millions of suns. Our sun is but

n of the apes that He condemned them all to Hell for two score centuries, and then could only appeas

s never sinned against God. In fact, the whole of this old Christian doctrine is a mass of error. There was no creati

But if, having the power to make Man incapable of sin, God made Man so weak a

to righteousness, and I trained him to w

ct, but chose rather to create a child who was by nature a cr

r All-powerful God, who is Love," would first cre

d so punish man, could you

r," who but He is respo

ponsible, how can Man

cal and unreasonable, the old doctrine

implies that man should not be punished or rewarded according to

moral, to make the go

is sinless? Such a doctrine-the doctrine of Salvation for Chris

e can merit pardon, nor atone for wrong. If, having done wrong, I repent, and a

l not cancel that wrong. An act

her my remorse nor his forgiveness will make the hand grow again. And i

ly when He pardons for Christ's sake. Christ acts unjustly when He asks that pardon be granted for his sake. If one

tonement, but I forgive him." Nor would it be just for you to forgive him because another son of yours was willing to be punished in his ste

or all eternity. Let this awful thought keep us just. It is more moral an

willing to suffer for another man's sin only counts to the merit of Christ, and does not in any way diminish

rong, and if the other offered to endure a flogging i

forgive James because John had been unjustly flogged would be to assert that because John wa

reason and to justice: it i

ERM

SIN AGAI

s that Man could not and

f Determinism, and I

Man's existence, God is

ys God is our Ma

the quality or powers o

sible, for it did not make itself. But

oice in the creation of his own nature, Man cannot be held answerable for the quali

qualities and powers of Man's nature, and

foundation of the doctrine of Free Will.

an chose evil, therefore Man is

ll. The will, then, came from God, a

hristian says, is th

hoose" is of God's mak

has no power of choice but the power God gave him. Then, Man can only choose by

chooses evil by means of the

od makes for evil, it follows that Man must cho

hoice God gave Man is a p

e good because his only powe

t his power of choice, Man cannot b

s, who gave Man a power of c

y use the power God gave him, and can only use th

a faculty, like the faculty of speech or touch. The word will is

When a man chooses between two acts we say that he "exercises his will"; but the fact is, that one motive weighs down the other, and causes the balance of the mind to

ication more than he loves his self-respect, he will drink. If the reasons in favour o

tives. Motives are born of the brain. Therefo

ible for the action of the brain; therefore

for the action of the will. The

kind of separate soul, a "little cherub who

a separate soul or faculty called the will governs the

tly blamed for the

, did not select the cherub, an

n. Therefore God alone is responsible for the acts

for galloping to Monte Carlo? The horse must obey the rider.

and the will followed the beckoning

Adam was made perfect, and that he f

He fell because the

en, the woman had power to overcome Adam's will. As the

made Eve? God made her. Who made

ve seductive, and the Serpent subt

ll than he, or that the Serpent should have a stro

to resist Eve. He could have made Eve strong enough to re

new that Adam and Eve must fall. And if God knew they must fall, how could Ad

own materials, to His own design, and kne

equal to double the bearing strain, how cou

subtle, Eve seductive, and Adam weak, and then damned the whole human

but upon it depends the entir

cannot sin against God, there is no foundation for the d

or all Man's acts, the Old Testament is not true, the New

you will always find that they grew out of the theory of Free Will, and the

, so in Christ are all made whole." If

on the cross, "Father, forgive the

for their acts, and did not know any better. But if they kne

eterminist theory again,

Man's existence, God is

alk about his freedom of choice. But they

do. He knew that Man could do nothing but what God had enabled him to

could have made a man who would be strong enough to resist tem

to the test to which God meant to subject him, surely God could n

e succumbed to temptation. God made Man of His own

God blame Man for

d not made him, Man could never have been, and could never have acte

n was the cause: and God was responsible for the cau

im. Man could not advise nor control God so as to influence his own nature. Man coul

. I am where You put me. You knew when You made me how I should act. If You wished me to act otherwise, why did You not make me differently? If I have displeased You,

hat is only saying that one human thought will outweigh ano

It is not the fault of the short man that he

ill to jump. He can jump over a five-barred

l to resist temptation, but though he may clear

thematically fixed at his birth as ar

the planet, is responsib

nus and Mars upon the Earth, so must the natural forces created by

of Eve than the Earth is blameworthy for deviating in its course

, and therefore no Fall. God, whose act is responsib

an's existence, God is resp

d it until it bit him, would not his parents as

uld bite if it were teased, and if the boy brought the dog in a

adder out of the dust, knowing the adder would bite, and then played with the adder

ld God blame M

with surprise, "Do you really mean that no man is, under any

ircumstances, be justly blamed for anything he may say or do. That is one of

justly blamed for anything he says or does, there is a

, there is a beginning of law and order, and

e may not condemn his acts. Nor that because we do not blame

between good men and bad, that I lump Torquemada, Lucrezia Borgia, Fe

maniac, and Torquemada as a religious maniac. I do not blam

r to mental disease. I do not hate the man who calls me an infidel, a liar, a blasphemer, or a

had saluted had not saluted him in return, the father of philosophy replied: "It is an odd thing that if you had met a

ist in his brain? If we pity a man with a stiff wrist, why not the man with a stiff pride? If we pity a man with a weak

we neither hate nor blame a criminal

sinful than the lady who eats a shrimp. We do not blame the maniac who burns a house down and brains a policeman, nor the mad d

er of State, nor a hypocritical politician: it pities such poor creatures. Yet the Clarion

the tiger; but if he endeavoured to make his dinner off our b

our vines. The blight is doing what we do: he is trying to live.

Dangerous men must be restrained. In cases where they attempt to kill and maim innocent and us

reck a street and murder inoffensive strangers, and yet h

g he does it because he knows no bette

for he did not make his nature, nor did he make

of his birth he has had nothing to do with the formation of his character. As Professor Tyndall says, "that was done for him, and not by him."

at birth, and exactly the nature of the influences to which he would be e

fluences, the result will be as mathematically

onment modifies his nature: environment consists of the operation of forces external to his nature. No man can select his a

horses, and not from the worst. He will tell you

ood companions rather than with bad companions. He will tell you

hall be bred; environment re

heredity and environment have made him. Neither is

has happened to awake his remorse. Someone has told him of t

is because some evil influence has corrupted him

nvironment, both might have been journalists; with baser heredity, or more vicious enviro

that has kept George Bernard Shaw out of a shovel hat and gaiters, and condemned some

arents has a better start in life than the child bor

l palace is at a great disadvantage in comparison with the child happily born am

, born in a thieves' den, and dragged up

n the Cannibal Islands he would never have written As You Like It; had Tor

lism. Well! It seems to me to be tru

nism, which some think must prove so maleficent, and the Chris

on the euphonium, or to contract a baneful habit of reciting "Curfew shall not Ring" at evening parti

denounce the offender's conduct, b

e acts. We do not blame men; we try to teach th

pted method. I shall try to convince you that it is also

(1) Bill Sikes beats his wife; (2

d be the orthodox method of

nd the man in the street would say Bill Sikes w

es had committed a crime, and that he o

in the practical results of the two methods. But that i

will, I hope, agree with me that their results will not be

l Sikes had a free will to choose between right and wrong, and, ha

s what heredity and environment have made him; and that he is not responsible for hi

or the Christian would blame Bill Sikes, and no one but Bill Sikes. But th

Christian, blaming only Bill Sikes, because he had a "free will," would punish

cated, nor morally trained, has been exposed to all kinds of temptation, the fault is tha

an-who is a victim of evil social conditions. The Determinist condemns the evil conditions. It is the difference betwe

minists' protest against the evil social conditions. Perhaps not. L

n. It goes no further than the denunciation of the peer, and the r

t blame him for being what he is. We can only blame his environment. There must be something wrong with a social system which permi

would be followed by the u

, in the case of Sikes and the peer, that the logic of the

it, and I am now going to te

his wisdom into action, b

elming majority who will not touch t

bad system, and helps to keep the bad system in full wor

r the Christian religion, you have only to imagine what would happen if the Dete

ible remedies beyond personal denunciation, the prison, and a few coals and blankets, the Determinist method would result in the abol

e, and the Christian does not. It is because the Determ

le the Christian puts all the wrongs which society perpetrates against the individual, and all t

a mistake. As I have indicated above, a good many evils now rife would cease, because then we should attack the evils, and not the victims of the evils. But it is ab

the fact that environment is so powerful for evil suggests that it is powerful for good. If man is what he is made

w that I can make myself better or worse if I try. I know that becau

tians to open schools and to found charities. But as a Determinist I am bound to say that there ought to be no such things in the

at God gave him, and there

dity and environment have given hi

r the results of heredity and environm

e action of his ancestors and socie

ponsible for his actions,

Man's existence, God is

e Will and human responsibility to God is

f impossibilities erected

ill from their consciousness of continually exercising the "powe

courses. So you have, but that power is limit

oose the one you like best, and you will like best the one which your nat

is not. You may think you have power

your sense of duty a

-Socialist paper. But I know I have not that power. My nature (here

dress and a grey one, and if you knew the lady very

offered a bribe to do a dishonourable ac

much free whisky as he could drink, you w

ing a choice of action to be presented to him, and if you were clever enough to work such a difficult problem, you could fo

your heredity and environment compel you to choose. And y

LOGIES CHRIST

he truth of Christianity is proved, they say, by its endurance and by its p

e, for the simple reason that those

e nominal support of the World's Newspaper Press. They have behind them the traditions of eighteen centuries. They have formidable allies in the shape of whole schools of philosophy and whole libraries of eloq

d. Rationalists' books and papers are boycotted. The Christians will not listen, will not reason, will not, if they can prevent it, allow a

be, that many of its assailants are in their graves, but that some of them are yet alive, and there are more to follow. But the combat is very unequal. If the Rationalists could for only a few years have the support of the Crowns,

t cease to sigh for whirlwinds, and

ligion has done wonders for the world;

e should take account of the evil as well as the go

origin and truth of their religion

good. Mr. G. K. Chesterton, while defend

itted crimes so monst

t them i

an refute th

they reply that those evils were wrought by false Christianity, that they were co

lea as to real and false Christianity, instances the

ord, if he has any

inished his tirade

n Greenwich Observat

cientific quack, on

azers in

aplace or the theory of Copernicus would be reviled as an "Infidel." Let us suppose that the Astronomer Royal claimed infallibility, not only in matters astronomical, but also in politics and morals. Let us suppose that for a thousand years the astrological-astronomical holy government had whipped, imprisoned, tortured, burnt, hanged, and damned for everlasting every man, woman, or child who dared to tell it any new truth, and that some of the no

of cruel persecution of the finest human spirits for fifteen centuries, can anyone believe for a moment that Christians would heed the excuse that the founders of Socialism had no

ialist, or from a Mohammedan? Would a Liberal accept it

e good deeds, and to avoid responsibility

t is the assumption that it is wicked to doubt the accepted faith and the presumption that one religion ought to r

hat lights and fans and feeds the fire. Were all the people in the world of one, or of no, religion to-day, there would be no Jews mur

he supernatural element that breeds the fury. It is the feeling that their religion is divine and all other religions wicked:

good influences of Christ's ethics, and the evil

some moral lessons I admit. But some of the finest and most generally admired of those lessons do not appear to have been spoken by Christ, and for

guide for mankind, is unsatisfactory. For it is based

at all the genius, all the experience, all the discovery and research; all the poetry, morality, and science of the entire huma

were evil. But Christ's message, as we have it in the Gospels, is neither clear nor sufficing, and has been obscured, and, at times almost obliterated, by the pomps and casuistries of the schools and churches. And just as it is difficult to discover the actua

ITY AND C

fend. Every good Liberal knows that bad harvests are due to Tory government. Every good Tory knows that his Party alone is to thank for the glorious certainties that Br

condition of the masses, to Free Trade. Things are better than they were f

he cheap post and telephones; about education and better facilities of travel; about the Factory Acts and Truck Act

humane, the Christians tell us, than any human beings ever were before us. A

rs, the Times newspaper, the Underground Railway, the Adventur

, Newton, Herschel, Hunter, Laplace, Bacon, Descartes, Spencer, Columbus, Karl Marx, Adam Smith; the reforms and heroisms and artistic genius of Wilberforce, Howard, King Asoka, Washington, Stephen Langton, Oliver Cromwell, Sir Thomas

cient Greeks and Oriental Wisdom, and the world's Press count for nothing in the moulding of the nation

lars that we must look for counsel and reform: such secular aid is useless, and we shall be

aws, there were ruthless oppression and insolent robbery of the poor, there were black ignorance and a terror of superstition, there were murderou

t times. Why did Christianity with its spiritua

form. The Church was the enemy of popular freedom, the enemy of popular

gradual spread of humane feelings and the light of knowledge; just as similar iniquities we

le. In America, England, and Germany, where the authority of the Church is less rigid and the religion is nearer Rationalism, the people are more prosperous, more intelligent, and less superstitious. So, again, the rule of the English Church se

in the world. But the French are a clever people, and since their Revolution have not taken their reli

n the form of religion they profess, but upon their native energy and intel

religious peoples the most backward. And this is a strange commentary upon the claim of the Christians,

ANITY A

taught a religion of humanity and universal brotherhood before the Christian era; and not only taught the

d by means of the sword, and the rack, and the thumb-screw, and the faggot; and the B

ity on books. Their testimony is written upon the rocks. N

the State religion of Rome. In the year 251 B.C., King Asoka inscribed his earliest rock edict. The other edicts from which I shall quote were all cut more than two centuries before our

f King Asoka conta

e things [of this lif

t less so is the la

e who would be a pr

God, who is the worth

Tenth R

s little profit, bu

virtue. To toil for

ince, unless by a su

a

m the Fourt

d of the Devas, val

For this alone has

sons and our grandso

not think that con

quests. Let them see

nquests alone are the

ict No.

t refectory and temp

evas, many hundred

r the sake of food

ds again and again t

mal shall be

ond Edi

ast possible harm, i

of pity, love, truth

religion

nth Ed

tes, but kindness to

nerable persons, sel

... these and simil

ich ought indeed

hth Edi

ractice of religio

ness, purity, gen

xth Ed

are of all people a

st w

uli Edi

to slavery and ill

elivered by the king

n in this country

containing the com

great

uch wisdom, mercy, and purity two centuries before Christ

says of K

rce in the matter of

ty towards prisoners

the sword into a pru

n, Fichte in their

the all

and purity of life, founded hospitals, forbade blood sacrifices, and in

the Buddhists sent out mis

orrower from the other-B

st, King Asoka had cut up

riety of prayer for

ey, following after

nal salvation. And

bitants of this wor

erit resulteth from s

ict

ns to rise to that level of wisdom and char

existed among forms of life very much earlier and lower than

in his Confessions of Faith of

this maxim has alw

thical instinct it

imal ancestors. It

s of apes and other

with wider scope, it

e communities and am

ages. Brotherly lo

n, and the like-ha

egarious animals as

tinued existence o

h at a later period

ons of society came

st prehistoric source

he social instincts

dogs, horses, elepha

es (ants, bees, term

relations and duties

iving together in or

an also been the mos

tual and mo

its influence has deepened and spread. From the love of the animal for its mate, from the love of parents for their young, sprang the ties of kindred and the loyalty of friendship; and these in time developed into t

or prophet. For countless ages universal brotherhood has existed among the bison,

the reader to two excellent books, The Martyrdom of Man, by Winwood

of love, and mercy, and goodwill to men. That is a grea

the latter I will deal briefly. For a fuller statement, please see the R.P.A. sixpenny e

ey's argument was to

unt. That Luke gives no Sermon on the Mount, but gives what may be called a "Sermon on the Plain." That Luke's sermon differs materially

nclusion is

cento of sayings a

ible to say-to Jesus

might be, records of

ce he thought likelie

ter saw no harm in co

ken, and putting the

s; and I presume that

ve been grievously as

is following the exam

ible t

ment, from the Talmud, and from the recently-discovered Teaching of the Twelve Apostle

takes an attitude towar

s expr

preached at all. It is

ount is a myth. The n

sonable to suppose t

in to speak to them f

n-myth of the Sun God

nother sun-myth, and

Zo

the alleged sermon th

lleged u

might say that he who took flowers from a score of gardens and arranged them into one bouquet produced a new effect o

few pre-Chri

h your neighbours to be to

rds others as you desire

meet with goodness, the not-good

ot cease by hatred at any t

ve happily, not hatin

ollowing Jewish anticipat

and seek it

better to be persecu

n sins?-To him who him

njuries without ret

fied and do not repl

t evils with joy; i

he says the friend

e sun in all

ked we should hat

compassiona

bour when you have n

ges his neighbour sha

G

hat which it would b

that is the main par

only com

estament come

ek to him that smite

y neighbour as thy

spirit shall obtain

nherit the land

r universal brotherhood, did not originate the ideal human character: but checked civilisation, resisted all enlightenment, and

edom, liberty of conscience, and knowledge. These bl

olars, scientists, travellers, inventors, discoverers, authors, poets, philanthropists, rebels, sceptics, and ref

ercely to defeat the advance of humanity, after slaying and cursing the noblest sons and daughters of the ages, the defeated Christians now claim to

ialist, I join my voice to the indig

SS OF CHR

y are proved by the marvellous success of that religion. Bu

ism was made possible by the act of King Asoka in adopting it as the State Religion of his vast Indian kingdom, was the rise of Chri

lot with the ruling powers. It throve because it came with the tempting bribe of Heaven in one hand, and the witherin

ge, and putting a merciless veto on free thought and free speech, and by rewarding philosophers and discoverers with the faggot and t

Motley, the American historian, states that Torquemada, during eighteen years' command of the Inquisition, burnt more than ten

ruments of torture were in use. For some twelve centuries the Holy Church carried out this inhuman policy. And to this day the term "free thought" is a term of reproach. The shadow of the fanatical priest, that half-demented coward, sneak, and assassin, still blights us. Although that holy monster,

-this story, possessed a certain homely beauty and sentimental glamour which won the allegiance of many golden-hearted and sweet-souled men and women. These lovely natures assimilated from the chaotic welter of beauty and ashes called the Christian religion all that was pure, and rejected all that was foul. It was the

r virtue, and their zeal, and their illumination of its better qualities, and charitable an

n of the brilliant, brave, and strenuous races in the world

ir international politics guided by the Sermon on the Mount? Are their noblest and most Christlike men and women most revered and honoured? Is the Christian religion loved and respected by those outside its pale? A

ruit, the Christian religion has s

then, is the saving grace, the compelling power, of this divine religion, which, pl

ing and trimming; after all this prodigal waste of blood and tears, and labour and treasure, and genius

lure proves the Christian religion

PROP

Hundreds of books-perhaps I might say thousands of books-have been written upon these

in the Old Testament. That the Jews had many prophecies of a Jewish Messiah is certain. But these are indefinite. There is not one of them which unmistakably applies to J

self as to His second coming. That prophecy at le

anner that He would return from Heaven with power and

ou, this generation

things be

ay be read in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. They

d prophecies from the Old and New Testa

l come in glory with all His angels befo

Christ uttered His prop

LITY OF RELI

n if it were so, that would show a universal spiritual hunger;

kind, who have never read Bible nor Gospel, who never attended any place of worship; and they are virtuous and cou

y Christian, yet to them Heaven and Hell are meaningless abstractions; God

ree from spiritual hunger. As they are free from spiritual hunger, I concl

ill exclaim, "take away the belief in the Bible, and the service of Go

rselves, and the belief in your fello

sum of happiness on earth. And as for the Hereafter-no ma

blood and fire, to the academic Bishop reconciling science and transfiguring crude translations in the dim religious light of a cathedral, all the apostles of the Nazarene ca

unreasonable to assert that any theology or any saviour is indispensable. He realises that a man may be good and happy in any church, or outside any church. He cannot admit tha

be valid, men cannot be good, nor happy, cannot be saved, ex

is final evidence that Christianity is true." Another tells me that "In Christ alo

s can live well, nor die well, nor bear sorrow and pain with fortitude, d

Christians, and there are none so abjectly afraid of death as Christians are. The Pagan, the B

stians are gloomy with the fears of de

e Viking went to death as to a reward, or as to the arms of a bride. Compare the writings of Marcus Aurelius and of Jeremy

millions of men and women to-day who are not Christians. Do they live worse o

do not believe in the divinity of Christ; we do not pray, nor feel the need of prayer; we do not fear God, nor Hell, nor death. We are as ha

fifty millions of Buddhists. How do they bear

and loving-kindness are not in the exclusive gift of the Chri

es? Were there no virtuous, nor happy, nor noble men and women during all the millions of years before the Crucifixion? Was there neith

Christian churches? Amongst the eight hundred millions of human beings who do not know

w of death? I beg to say we are nothing of the kind. We are quite easy and contented. There is

d, that He is the only Saviour, I must answer sharply that I do not believe that, and I do not think you believe it deep down in your he

lieved that; but

in this world, and shall be as well hereafter, with a goo

ishment you think will be inflicted, here or herea

ou claim that Christ is the Saviour of all manki

sessed? These men had wisdom, courage, morality, fortitude, love, mercy. Can you find in all the world t

then there is some logic in your belief that Christ is our only Saviour. But that is to believe that there never was a good man before Chris

f is monstro

s in. If only Christ can save, about twelve hund

out Christ, then Christ

Assyria, and Greece. It was unknown to Socrates, to Epicurus, to Aristides, to Marcus Aurelius, to King Asoka, and to Buddha. It has opposed science and liberty almost from the first. It has committed the most awful crimes and atrocities. It has upheld the grossest errors and the most fiendish theories as the special revelations of God. It has been defeated in argument and confounded by facts over and over again, and has been steadily driven back and back, abandoning one essential position after another, until there is hardly anything left of its original pretensions. It is losing more and more e

AL DISC

r, as Archdeacon Wilson puts it, "Spiritual truths must be spiritually discerned." Th

enged. What is that assertion or implication? It is the implication that there is a spiritual discernment which is disti

iscernment is a

e acute or less acute; but to invent a faculty of reason distinct from reason, or to suggest that m

s apart from the reason. But the Christian first invents this facul

her more nor less than a mental idea. It is an idea originating in the brain, and it can

t implies that the idea (which Archdeacon Wilson calmly dubs a "truth") is

s answers: "But that is only a rhapsodical expression of a woman's reason: 'I know because I know.' You say your r

ly discerned." Thomas, who believes that all truths, and all errors, mus

of theologians, and it is a very effective weapon against wea

t, is inferior to a postulated "spiritual" faculty which has no existence. We must insist that to make

homas says: "It is not spiritual, and it is not true. It is a mere figment of the brain." John replies: "You are incapable of judging: you are spirit

rather cool of John to invent a faculty of "spiritual discernment," a

me. In a sermon at Rochdale he is

t axiom, the archde

. Blatchford's disqu

ether Mr. Blatchfor

that there was a fac

, was as distinct, as

s origin and in its

mathematics, for mu

might call it the de

ere were men whose

in other regions of

geniuses, geniuses

with God, and from t

the faculty were d

humble, not gentle

rs, one who could l

f belief which had

ture, past and pres

n a religiou

mbols. "There is a faculty-we may call it the devotional or religious facu

of God as if he were talking of the Postmaster-General. He postulates a God, and he postulates a region, and he postulates a communication,

entered that "region"? Who

hers it takes the form of devotion to men. In some it is coloured by imagination, or distorted by a love of the marvellous; in others it is lighted by reason, and directed by love of

a God, and if there is, He does not need my adoration. But I know there are men in darkness and women in trouble

qualified for the expression of any opinion on spiritual truths." This is what John calls "humi

ose reason tells him religion is not true is incapable of believing religion is true. But what he means it to mean is that a man whose reason rejects religion is unfit to criticise religion, and that only those who ac

me faculties as ideas relating to material things. That is to say, man can on

man with a good intellect is a better judge on religious matters than a man, with an infer

eligious, the Saints ought to have been better judges of spiritual truth than other men. But was it so? The Saints believed in angels, and devils, and witches, and hell-fire and Jo

s any longer. The Saints, then, were mistaken. They were mistaken about thes

one. Why? Because science has killed those errors. What is science? It is reason applied to knowledge. The fa

easy to mult

tion, as evidenced in his works, was fearfully at fault. He believed in hell-fire, and in hell-fir

ion. Very well. But I have enough mental acuteness to see that t

witchcraft. Luther believed in burning heretics. Wesley said if w

cernment had led them wrong. Their superstition and

ernment" are really men of abnormally credulous an

e religious plane as a lower one than our own. I think the Christian idea of G

e for food or forgiveness; and I am a mere earthly father. Yet Christ, who came direct from God-who was God-to teach all men God's will, directed us to pray to God fo

owards God? This good man prays: for what? He prays that something be given to h

like sending flowers and jewels to the king? The king is so rich already: but there are many poor outside his gat

es a passage from "Lux Mundi"; and although I ca

n of faith to reason,

st sight to the phil

critical characteri

intellectual defence

osophical apology, a

ovel scientific gen

ionate struggle to re

bandons it, and take

had happened. It di

adapted for its purpo

t, only it has unfo

es on again and agai

growl at those hu

ster bearing upon the Christia

artyrdom, persecution, and torture; we have destroyed the claims for the infallibility of the Scriptures, and have taken the fetters of the Church from the limbs of Science and Thought, and before long we shall have demolished the belief in miracles. The Christian religion has defended all these dogmas, and has done inhuman murder in defence of them; and has been wrong in every instance, and has been final

THER A

d, vastly improved the r

Christianity was at the zenith of its power? How is it we have twelve millions of Christians on the verge of starvation in England to-day, with a Church rolling in wealth and an

ly wars. The wars in the Netherlands were holy wars. The Spanish Armada was a holy expedition. Some of these holy wars lasted for centuri

and ruthless. To-day Europe is an armed camp, and it is not long since t

e under Buddhism. It was King Asoka, and not Jesus Christ or St. Paul, who fi

t by Christian hunger for territory, Christian lust of conquest, Christian avarice for the opening up of "new m

e of character. The answer stares us in the face. How can

are told, origi

wo centuries before Chri

first broke down the barr

ristians treating Jews to-day in Holy Russia? How long is it since

say, applies to the false and

is preaching about Sin, Sin, Sin. It is praying to God to do for Man what Man ought to do for himself, what M

ristian-attitude towards life does not lie in the Christi

ather, and a future recompense that leads the Christian wr

LS OF

nd not a very moral one. Because a moral man would not say: "If I give up my religion, what will you pay me?" He would say: "I will never give, up my religion unless I a

ligiously-minded man could not profess a religion which he did not believe to be true. To him the

but he has no right to ask me for a new promise. Suppose I say this thing is not true, and to believe anything which is untrue is useless. Then, the believer may j

r this queer questio

Heaven," nor that the soul is not immortal. There is not

hose subjects, t

" there may be an immortal soul. And a man might accept all I say about relig

despair" the question puz

cited about it. If there is another innings, we will go in and play our best; and we hope we shall be very much better and kinder than we have been. But if it is sleep: well, sleep is rest, and as I feel that I have had a really good time, on the whole, I should consider it greedy to cry because I could not have it all over again. That is how I feel about it. Despair? I am one of the happiest old fogeys in all London. I have found life agreeable and amusing, and I'm glad I c

hat do you offer them? You offer them an everlasting bliss, not because they were starved or outraged here-not at all. For your religion admits the probability that those who came into

to Heaven will get there, not because they have been wronged and mus

life and there may not be a future life. If there is a future life, a man will deserve it no less, and enjoy it no less, for having

see that all our fellow-creatures ar

nged in this world, for it is immoral and weak so to submit; but hold up your he

man of his hope of Heaven; I am only

and wise to "shake the faith of the poor work

dea? But I do not want the working man to endure patiently the ills and wrongs of this life. I want him, for his own sake, his wife's sake, his

rking-man of his faith: I want

re those "whom we have loved long since and lost awhile," and tha

or pretty children "lost awhile"? It is human love and natural longing for the dead darlings, whose wish is father to the thought of Heaven.

in such a case. The poor, tearful desire lays a pale hand on reason's

not mistake a hope for a certainty. No priest, nor pope, nor prophet can tell you more about that mystery than you

it needful, to abandon a single right, to abate one just demand, to neglect one possibility of happiness here and now, in order to fulfil the conditions laid

us and those we love. No theologian knows, nor

ppy here, try to make others happy here, and

THE PARTING

" why I do not "confine myself to my own sphere and work for Sociali

y I beg

ne out of my way" to a

ligion in my way t

or Socialism when I at

ing So

own before we can buil

ding, if only on

e from a misconception o

ostic, or Rationalist, and I am a Determinist, and I am a Socialist. But if I

ationalism are factors in the

ocialist, a Determinist, and a Rationalist because I believe that S

the Christian religion is beneficial to mankind, and be

tack upon religion. My attack is not wanton, but deliberate; not purposeless, but very purposeful and serious. I am not a

differences between Hu

lf with God and Man, putti

Man, so that Man is its first and las

and punishments; while Humanism embraces Determinist doctrines, with their consequ

on, and the drunkard as men and women who have done wrong. But

ation to "sinners." The Humanist remedy is to remove the causes which lea

relations of Man to God, as well as with the relations between man and man

serve each or both of them as well as

rve Man as effectually as he who give

manity, I claim that it is more beneficial to humanity than is the Chr

. For Christians give a great deal

e is like. Whereas they do know very well that there are men, and what they are like. And, secondly, that if there be a God, that

r loving and serving our fellow-creatures (His children) than by our singing and praying to Him, w

e others needed a friend or a meal. And I speak in the same spirit when I add that to build a cathedral, and to spend our tears and pity upon a Saviour who was crucified nearly t

them deliberately and calmly, because I belie

eal about Manchester and London, and about men and women; and if I did not feel the real shames and wrongs of the world more keenly, and if I did not try more earnestly an

sotted and degraded outcast tramp or harlot matters more than all the

question as to the need of Christ as a Savi

ess so transcendent

resence of God. I ha

d Christ, and men wh

forbid that I shoul

m I would venture to

in the presence of

mselves, but I trem

xceed that of such S

ere Christ is talki

odness, such a purit

ess of God in human

at there is but one

man can be holy and

therefore, upon th

salvation, but as t

which God

s to the questions w

here. It is my bel

through the grave

orld which is still

enough to escape, as

sult from a life of

if you are to stand i

e pure, complete, an

n God's most holy sig

the power of our Lo

f God, who came int

hose no other name

eby we may

word has ever reached us across the gulf of death. And while he rhapsodised, with a congregation of honest bread-and-butter citizens under him, trying hard with their blink

adilly, in Houndsditch, in Whitechapel, i

ster, and in Fleet S

, to conquest, to vanity, to ignorance, to

e of famine, with rich fools and richer rogues lording it

ent of manufactured paupers, cripples,

salms and worship ghosts, while dogs and horses are pampered and groomed, and ch

g for craven fear, for exotistical inebriation, for selfish ret

eamy, self-centred, emotional h

, daring agitators, stern reformers, drains, houses, schoo

ing cheated. The people are being lied to. The people ar

t rascals and most impudent liars in the "

honesty, and a "steady supply of men and

; but to prevent their regular manufacture: their systematic manufacture in

ed, and mean lying, and petty ambitions, and sickly sentimentality. Holiness! I should be

ts ethics are too weak, its theories too u

his much-admired pas

defiled is this befo

less and widows in

lf unspotted

at home in our hearts and on our hearths. And who that is a man will work to keep himself unspot

unspotted from the world, to face the awful eyes o

dangers, and the falls, and the temptations. His duty is to work and to help, and no

ng divine worship. He has not time. All the strength and pluck and wit he possesses are needed in the work of

teous: the ingenuity of man is great. He who defends the claims of the ind

egraded woman, a beggar or pauper child is a reproach to Soc

an is doing his duty when he is n

sphere," and why I made "an unprovoked attack" upon reli

wrongly, I am opposed to Imperialism, Militarism, and Conquest. Rightly or wrongly, I am for universal brotherhood and universal freedom. Rightly or wrongly, I am for union against disunion, for collective ownership aga

manity is ignorance. The

fixed authority, is natur

more knowledge. The humblest of unlettered peasants can teach the highest genius something useful. The greatest scientific a

inality in human knowledge and human progress. Fixed authori

l sin." Man is not born in sin. There is no such thing as sin. Man is inna

him who denies the innate goo

re capable of good, and of yet more good. Environment can move mountains. There is a

and our fellow-creatures, and to leave th

The great cause of unhappiness is selfishness. No m

r reward. As the sun shines alike upon the evil and the good, so in the eyes of justice th

e, pride of pedigree, of caste, of

a cloak of solemn affectations should b

d leadership insults his fellow-creatures, and s

onaires, lords, tenor singers, authors, lion-comiques, artists, beauties, statesmen, and actors are spoiled children who sadly need to be taught their place. They should be treated kindly, but not allowed too many toys and sweetmeats, nor too much flattery. Such superior persons are like the

Pe

umane and civ

nd need be no suc

d need be no such

nd need be no suc

d need be no such

and need be no s

nd need be no suc

and need be no s

and need be no s

nd need be no suc

nd need be no suc

d need be no such

and need be no s

d nation, and never will be while it

to give pain to any Christian, I am sorry, and ask to be forgiven. I hav

ness which only a belief in Christ can give we shall only be good enough to barely escape Hell, and, "after

ent instead into those "dark spaces of the world which is still earthly and sensual" and there to be permitted to fight with all my strength against pain and error and injustice and human sorrow. I know I shall be happier so.

ven. I am a man, and an Inf

men, Christiani