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WW 
 
 i'ifi»'T^S^r*"4 r^'^ce ^ 
 
 DEMOLISHED 
 
 BV 
 
 Judge Utas;^, 
 
 Tin: 
 
 ii 1/ 1/1 Uil 
 
 d\W 
 
 •ftv ^ 
 
 B. Cr. Ingersoll a-:d Judge Black. 
 
 The Great Article from the North american Review 
 
 COMPIjETE, 10 CENTS. 
 
 T( >K( »XT( > : 
 
 MOHTOX ,<• C...; PRfNTKiiS, :{ AM. n AmciAlLK Sr. Ka.VI, 
 
 18S]. 
 
THE 
 
 I \ 
 
 CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 
 
 ROHKRT (!. iNCiKKSOlif,. JkUKMIAH S. Bi.ACK. 
 
 MR. INCIKKSOLL 
 
 In tht! i)res(!iiui; of eternity the mountaiu^ iiro as tniasicnt. u« the olouds. 
 
 A. profound chauRc has taken place in 
 the world of thont,'ht. The pews are try- 
 ing to set tlicniselvoH somewhat above the 
 pulpit. The layman discusses theology 
 with the minister, and smiles. Christians 
 excuse themselves for bolonginj^ lO the 
 church, by denying a part of the creed. 
 The idea is abroad that they who know the 
 most of nature believe the lea.st about the- 
 ology. The sciences are regarded as inti- 
 delH, and facts as scoffers. Thousands of 
 most excellent people avoid churches, and, 
 with few exceptions, oidy those attend 
 prayer-mcetinjjjs who wish to be alone. 
 The pulpit is h)sing because the people are 
 growing. 
 
 Of course it is still claimed that we are 
 a Christian jx .pie, indebted to something 
 called Christianity for all the progress we 
 have made. There is still avast difference 
 of opinion as to what Christianity really 
 is, although many warring sects have been 
 discussing that question, with tire and 
 sword, through centuries of creed and 
 crime. lOvery new sect has been de- 
 nounced at its birth as illegitimate, as a 
 something born out of orthodox wedlock, 
 and that should have been rdlowed to per- 
 ish on the steps where it was found. Of 
 the relative merits of the various denomi- 
 nations, it is sufflcient to say that each 
 claims to be right. Among the evangelical 
 churches there is a substcntial agreement 
 upon what they consider the fundamental 
 truths of the gospel. These fundamental 
 trutts, as I understand them, are ; 
 
 That there is a personal God, the creator 
 of the material universe ; that he made 
 man of the dust, and woman from part of 
 the man ; that the man a"d woman were 
 tempted by the devil ; that they were 
 turned out of the garden of Eden ; that, 
 about fifteen hundred years afterward, 
 God's patience having been exhausted by 
 the wickedness of mankind, he drowned 
 his children with the exception of eight 
 persons ; that afterward he selected from 
 their descendants Abraham, and through 
 him the Jewish people; that he gave laws 
 to these people, and tried to govern them 
 in all things ; that he made known his 
 
 will in many ways ; that he wrought a 
 vast number of miracles ; that he inspired 
 men to write the liibde ; that, in the full- 
 ness of time, it having been found impos- 
 sible to reform mankind, this God came 
 upon the earth as a child born of the Vir- 
 gin Mary; that lie lived in Palestine; 
 that he preached for about three years, 
 going from place to place, occasionally 
 raising the dead, curing the blind and the 
 halt; that he was crucified— for the crime 
 of blasphemy, as the Jews supposed, but 
 that, as a matter of fact, he was ofl'eredas 
 a sacrifice for the sins of all who might 
 have faith in him; that he was raised fron\ 
 the dead and ascended into heaven, where 
 be now Is, making intercession for his fol- 
 lowers ; that he will forgive the sins of all 
 who believe on him, and that those who do 
 not believe will be consigned to the dun- 
 geons of eternal pain. These— it may be 
 with the addition of the sacraments of 
 Baptism and the Last Supper— constitute 
 what is generally known as the Christian 
 religion. 
 
 It is most cheerfully admitted that a 
 vast number of people not only believe 
 these things, but hold them in exceeding 
 reverence, and imagine them to be of the 
 utmost importance to mankind. They re- 
 gard the Bible as the only light that God 
 has given for the guidance of his children ; 
 that it is the one star in nature's sky— the 
 foundation of all morality, of all law, of 
 all order, and of all individual and national 
 progress. They regard it as the only 
 means we have for ascertaining the will of 
 God, the origin of man, and the destiny 
 of the sou'. 
 
 It is needless to inquire into the causes 
 that have led so many people to believe in 
 the inspiration of th ' Scriptures. In my 
 opinion, they were and are mistaken, and 
 the mistake has hindered, in countless 
 ways, the civdization of man. No civil- 
 ized country could re-enac* its laws, and 
 in many respects its moral code is abhor- 
 rent to every good and tender man. It is 
 admitted that many of it" precepts are 
 pure, that many of its laws are wise and 
 just, and that many of its statements are 
 
«l).soIuteIy true. 
 
 '" "'« OJd T(. ;'i: „f ^ J^;',"«'>«^-«. "t least, 
 Ixirbarous peojire '^''^ Product of a 
 
 that 8lav;rv L ind ^ :"°""^*-'^>' ''««"rtecl^ 
 ''•'•"ne; that >^Cv\,f IT ^"« '' ^"deou 
 ,^/'rder;thatp:,;y,^;'^^»;i»f'^^^ « simply 
 
 '''e doHtrucfion of C h "/ "^'^"- "nd 
 "'ore infamous than H,l' /'^''' """i-nff is 
 ^^ropit men, of Cnl '! 'j""«'^'^^' "^ ^e- 
 
 should not l)e stonoHf ""''? ; "'«t wives 
 ? their reliirou^onin^ ''«''«'' »" hccou,' 
 death penaJtyounh^P'^^^^ 'V"l ''^"^ the 
 
 H violation of the Sa 1.H ^' '"^''^^'''^ for 
 f'^'^ttherewasaUmet^^^^^^^ '^""^ 
 
 most everv nnl ; ' ." '"^' his or v of a) 
 
 «a«"y. and^wars f ;. ;'^"^". ^'"^'''O^ oly 
 
 Y^inen were looked uno, ««',""' = '''^^^ 
 t'en, and when • ...n..^ "^ ''^''^^^ts of bui- 
 
 «on«idered he Zty^TT '^/'"J^^^- i' wus 
 "murder the wife for ai^Lf« ^u^band to 
 he subject of relHon ^'m"?-^^"^ ^^'"^ «» i 
 *^i-tain these viewsTo d„ ""' that en- 1 
 f« ««vagt, and, irobab?,^''^„;V''^ regarded 
 'on of the Soi h Sp„ Vi *ho exeep- 
 
 jees. some citizens of DeS"^'''"'" *''^ ^ee- 
 'nbes in Central Afric? no f'' ^"'^ « ^^^ 
 Ciin bo found deSS' ^'""'*"' beings 
 
 the ancient Jews ti., , Jehovah of 
 have, or can have ^J.f.^^^' ^^^i^'cnce we 
 ceased to be savage i's ttf \ "'l""" has 
 Hbundoned these foe .{nt ''%* '^""^ '' has 
 f^cept the theoloWan if*ic*^*'r''''>^°°t", 
 to account for the mSU ' Perfectly eas^ 
 crimes of tl,e nZ '", '^^'^'^^s, atrocities, and 
 "on is a slow S" l''Z?^ '^^' «ivil,^a 
 ;ho moral percepE"^ ^'"'"^^ ' ^hat 
 through age!o{tyT''% «^»Jtivated 
 
 centuries for a man ff' ."'''^* '^ requires 
 ;TJf a«d ho d ?n ?oftv^"^"-"* *^« ^y^« o 
 the scales of jusdie ^^tb^f '° ^lua/poise 
 horn of suffer nsrth'.f ''ouscience is 
 
 of the imagiSfn-of hT"^' ^' *'^^ «'"^^ 
 onoHoi/ :., .. """" or tue nnwnv ♦„ 
 
 ■""^ f-HK-MrAN R,.;uo,ON. 
 
 to 
 
 put 
 
 Of the ImStifnL' f h"^"''^' ^^ * 
 oneself in °u.esj£^f the power ._ ^_ 
 
 ^nan ^'Ivances onlv . J ,? ""?• «"J that 
 qua.nted with hissur'rn.,^-^''"'"*^^ ac- 
 mutual obligations of n • ""^'"^i' ^""h the 
 take advantage of the fil!; ''?^ ^^^''^^ to 
 ^ But the belTev^r in f. -^^ "f nature. 
 Bible is compSled toT?'™""" «f the 
 
 *^- ^ahes. ii/n<^ -me^^oould^se^^^ 
 
 that thoro ii.cio !•* " - -_ 
 
 i^5^''«h;s;^.i^-whenpoWw;;; 
 
 <'[in.e. and w eS &"'' '"'^'^^'on ^i« a 
 i^'tj for having ex,7"^ 
 hougbt. HemL^' '"P^^ «» honest 
 '« J"«t as b"l , '^ " ,,7'»'"in that Jeho"va 
 
 years ago, or that he ts i'u. ""•■ ''^°"««"<l 
 , a« he 18 now, but tLT h^ ''"^'Sood then 
 ''r« «o changed that «,'™"° conditions 
 I '-^hgioufl persmu on "T'^'' '^"Jyffamy. 
 'I'/'^^t are' now "pStlv"' ^"'? «' «o»- 
 they were viir-ht '^ 'devilish. Onco 
 
 mandedbyi;ti''j;T-;^^tbey were com? 
 
 prohibited. There l?n„' °'''^' they are 
 '» the condition ''ofm'rn '^^ ** '''^a'S 
 sent time, the devil is nf ''"''• '^^ the pre- 
 
 iPob'gamy. relig 'us n' T. 'T?' °^ «^a^^ry. 
 of conquest. St kf ''''*'""' and wars 
 
 i^'-tains the nan ^on i^on?' V^« ^^^il en- 
 .hovah hold four ho, iZ 1''"^''^ "^''* '^e- 
 
 I'n he meantime eS ^^°' '^"* 
 
 ofl?^:!;----^'''Slnss:;lj;;: 
 if«!^^^;i'S.rt;Ss^ 
 
 helieved in and mZf; i^""^^ ' that thev 
 Voly;^'imy, m de red ''1 '^'^^^''^ ancf 
 •Iren, and cxtermiW i T"^^^ and chil- 
 ; the extent of tbS ™er \T" "^'^^^hors „ 
 that they received nv!, ^'.'^ "0* claimed 
 
 'flitted 4ttbXVnotf'°i- , ^'^«ad 
 t'»e God. Ancl yet bv "^"T^^^^e of the 
 donee, they practicedTho ST^'- ''^'"^^■ 
 their own motion, that thH' ""'"^S- of 
 the command of Jei^oilf '^p"'" ^^^ by 
 would seem that S c fn d. ^'""^ ""« 't 
 oiU a special revelahvfn '" "''""^ ^ith- 
 
 that t"he p::ZX te^^'lk,'' ""« ^'«^. 
 s'arery, polygamy v„. ^'^ "Pholding 
 «ecutio?, are-^evSces ^f 'Ihf "'"^'"""^ ?«'" 
 that book. 8i, nnni ?i /'®, inspiration of 
 nothing in the gfd ^^ *^!;^there had been 
 these crimes, would nn '"f°' upholding 
 suspect that it^asnot^ ™°'^'/° Christ/an 
 of the omission "a?, '"«P"-ed, on account 
 heen nothing"?n the^S^^'^^^^^ *^«^^ had 
 aws in favor of these J^ Testament but 
 intelligent Christian n?''"^^' ^ould any 
 was the work of the rT '^r?'^"^ that°t 
 ^.^^il had inspired a Ll"' ^ ^^^ « the 
 I'ever in the doctrhje of f ' "^^^ ^^'^^ be 
 in What respect on fhn '"."P^ration tell m 
 polygamy, war\nd^fK^"»^J^°.t« of slavery 
 differed f I'om somr. ^"Z"'^' " ^0"hl have 
 tament ? sTppoTt' Jf ''« °/ the Old Tel! 
 
 «°v;^i- a HinSHoSc oT. ".^'^ °°^^^ " 
 with the Old Testament ^^"f' • '^"tiquity 
 fense of slavery nX'"°*^'"'"« a de!: 
 termination, and reM-^^' wars of ex- 
 
THK CHRISTIAN RKLIGION. 
 
 on polygamy was 
 '-"■i when wars of 
 ''J witl, tlie sword 
 ■* 'oleiatiOD was a 
 '«« the just pen. 
 «P'' an lionest 
 'I'n that Jehovah 
 *'« tour thousau,! 
 J list as good then 
 "nan conditions 
 ^fy. polygamy. 
 ' wars of coil- 
 •'evilisli. Onco 
 J(-'y Were com- 
 now they are 
 -J Mich a chango 
 ''•'It, at (he pre- 
 \or of slavery, 
 *'"n. and wars 
 y^ the devil en- 
 ^■fJay that Je- 
 ■ears ago, but 
 s remained ex- 
 ^^A incapable 
 
 s besides the 
 'as; that thev 
 
 slavery and 
 ■^ and chil- 
 
 neighbors to 
 s not claimed 
 ^- , It is ad- 
 'ledge of the 
 aiige coinci- 
 ?e crimes, of 
 lews did by 
 ^rom this It 
 wrong with- 
 
 ^* this day, 
 '.upholding 
 "gious per- 
 spiration of 
 •e had been 
 
 upholding 
 ' Christian 
 3n account 
 
 there had 
 iment but 
 ^ould any 
 ^d that it 
 
 ? If the 
 some be- 
 on tell us 
 ' slavery, 
 uld have 
 Old Tes- 
 now dis- 
 ntiquity 
 ng a dfi. 
 "s of ex- 
 ecution, 
 that the 
 
 writers were inspired by an infinitely v/iso 
 and meiciful (iod ? As most other nations 
 at that time practiced these crimes, and as 
 the Jews would have practiced thum all, 
 even if left to ttiemselvcfl, one can hardly 
 see the necessity of any inspired commamrs 
 upon these subjects. Is there a buliever in 
 the Bible who does not wish that God, 
 amid the thunders and lightnings of iSinai. 
 had distinctly said to Muses that man 
 should not own his followman ; that wo- 
 man should not sell their babes ; that men 
 should be allowed to think and investigate 
 for themselves, and that the sword should 
 never be unsheathed to shed the blood uf 
 honest men ? Is there a believer, in the 
 world, who would not be delighted to find 
 that every one of ihese infamous passages 
 are interpo' :tious, and that the skirts' of 
 God were never reddened by the blood of 
 maiden, wife, or babe ? Is there a believer 
 who does not regret that God commanded 
 a husband to stone his wife to death for 
 suggesting the worship of the sun or 
 moon ? Surely, the light of experience is 
 enough to tell us that slavery is wrong, 
 that polygamy is infamous, and that mur- 
 der is not a virtue. No one will now con- 
 tend that it was worth God's while to im- 
 part the information to IMoses, or to 
 Joshua, or to anybody else, that the Jew- 
 ish people might purchase slaves of the 
 heathen, or that it was their duty to exter- 
 minate the natives of the Holy Land. The 
 deists have contended that the Old Testa- 
 ment is too cruel and barbarous to be the 
 work of a wise and loving God. To this, 
 the theologians have replied, that nature is 
 just as cruel ; that the earthquake, the 
 volcano, the pestilence and storm, are just 
 as savage as the Jewish God ; and to my 
 mind this is a perfect answer, 
 
 Suppose that we knew that after "in- 
 spired " men had finished the Bible, the 
 devil had got possession of it, and wrote a 
 few passages; -.what part of the sacred 
 Scriptures would Christians now pick out 
 as being probably his work ? Wliich of 
 the following passages would naturally be 
 .selected as having been written by the devil 
 — "Love thy neighbor as thyself," or, 
 " Kill all the males among the little ones, 
 and kill every woman ; but all the women 
 children keep alive for yourselves " ? 
 
 It may be that the best way to illustrate 
 what I have .said of the Old Testament is 
 to compare some of the supposed teachings 
 of Jehovah with those of persons who 
 never read an "inspired" hue. and who 
 lived and died without having received the 
 light of revelation . Nothing can be more 
 suggestive than a comparison of the ideas 
 of Jehovah— the inspired words of the 
 
 I one claimed to bo the intinite Ood, as ro- 
 ' corded in tiio Bible — with those that have 
 ' been expressed by men who, all admit, re- 
 ! ceived no help from heaven. 
 
 In all ages of which any record lias been 
 preserved, there huvo been those who have 
 given their ideas of justice, charity, liberty 
 love, and law. Now, if the Bible is really 
 the work of God, it should contain th.e 
 grandest and sublimest truths. It should, 
 in all respects, excel the works of mant 
 Within that book sliould be found the bes, 
 and loftiest delinitions of justice; the 
 truest conceptions of human liberty ; the 
 clearest outlines of duty ; the teudorest, 
 the highest, and the noblest thoughts,— 
 not thiit the human mind has produced, 
 but that the human mind is capable of re- 
 ceiving. Upon every page should be found 
 tlio luminous evidence of its divine origin. 
 Unless it contains grander aud more won- 
 derful things than man has written, we 
 are not only justified in saying, but we are 
 compelled to say, that it was written by 
 no being superior to man. It may be said 
 that it is unfair to call attention to certain 
 bad things in the Bible, while the good 
 are not so much as mentioned. To this it 
 may bo replied that a divine being would 
 not put bad things in a book. Certainly a 
 being of infinite intelligence, power, and 
 goodness could never fall below the ideal 
 of "depraved aud barbarous" man. It 
 will not do, after we find that the Bible 
 upholds what we now call crimes, to say 
 that it is not verbally inspired. If the 
 words are not inspued, wliat is ? It may 
 be said that the thoughts are i- >iied. 
 But this would include only the tL. i ,hta 
 expressed without words. If ideas ar ; in- 
 spired, they must be contained in and ex- 
 pressed otily by inspired words ; that is to 
 say, the arrangement of the words, with 
 relation to each other, must have been in- 
 spired. For the purpose of this perfect 
 arrangement, the writers, according to the 
 Christian world, were inspired. Were 
 some sculptor inspired of God to make a 
 statue perfect in its every part, we would 
 not say that the marble was inspired, but 
 the statue — the relation of part to part, the 
 married harmony of form and function. 
 The language, the words, take the place 
 of the marble, and it is the arrangement 
 of these words that Christians claim to be 
 inspired. If there is one uninspired word, 
 —that is, one word in the wrong place, 
 or a word that ought not to be there, — to 
 that extent the Bible is an uninspired book. 
 The moment ic is admitted that some 
 words are not, in their arr-vngement as to 
 other words, inspired, then, unless with 
 absolute certainty these words can be 
 
to it that it vvanX.S'' '"? ^^^'''^ '<> se 
 "^ pretended p -oph 1 /?^™''''«'<^'« 
 
 «•""! text that U V?„r n? n ^'f' "''' «>ri 
 
 ^" ceased au.l wTe, !' rt ' 1" '^" ^1^"'-^' 
 plietH begun >ffi i,, " P^'.^'^''^ »"(! l)ro- 
 
 =S'?-t'a'^~ptS 
 
 ™an; but why Should Go/';'' ^^^''^ '^f 
 b'inau in his prujut ices v \vr^7" '' ''"'' 
 fortify a heatl en inirrri. V "'""'^' ''« 
 
 ^^to eradicato p^ 'Xe ' "'" 'n"''""'"' '' 
 •"in^l- It 8l)ouid be Svi -. '"' ^'"'"^^" 
 raise the human ra,,o '"^if^'V'^'-^'^'^''' '" 
 exhausted their i Snuitv in T?' ^"^^'^ 
 
 c,«esfor.U!%J^a;l^^Sfi 
 
 1'H13 CHRISTIAN HKLIOION. 
 
 soul folJowi^d^i^UrthB Mai,. 77 ' 
 
 ^vho hud never hc.ird , J ti °^"'» '"-f. and 
 ;:vuH KreaUa,on«?.T "^/^r • ^^^^^ (-d. 
 
 ^nur I,rothors tl cdn '"'" !"""' '^V'nati.ro 
 ^Hyin.' tlrit V, Ml ^'"^'^'•"" "f <T0d V T,, 
 
 '-i-i^>wu n^t .t;;; '-"f'" tho™. yo, 
 
 on thewix.teliei ., ''r''"'' '"to the pit 
 gods." "^ ""t tlio laws of the 
 
 ^■hoIen'liipS 'fT) ""'-'"'^i"^' to his 
 bon.lna.r^Ef'uS'^,^^ .tiu...u '''"^ their 
 
 "of the iioatleno.f '"'""'" "'^''^t be 
 
 t'''^'"-" *'0r them-' aiJi''.''"''''!'^ '"'"'" 
 ye h.iy bondmen and h^ • ^'I'ovai,, "siuili 
 
 y^'t C'icero.a,™;ran ',^"^^'"'r'^-'' A"'' 
 boon onligiuScHlbv ,'':?•• ^'!?'"'«' "^'Ver 
 
 fellow-eitizens 4t '; 7^' •':'^"'"J love our 
 t lo .,„; . ' .O'" Hot forcicn(.ru ,J,.„» 
 
 fellow-eitizens fut 3 f ' •''"'"'^ ^'"'^ "^' 
 ■ whieh benevoi!!n!,!!""^, I'^ l^ankincf, 
 
 were so cruel "and ifr. "*' '''"t tlie Jew. 
 
 compelled to jSv^rr'/^''^' "^-^ "'a^ 
 many of their cS;-,.''^*'';^^ *« Justify, 
 influence with them ;) .^tr^"' ^"^ ^'^^° '"^K 
 
 polygamy to be criminal tii ""^""^ ""'I 
 iiave refused to rece ve thl f '^^'^' ^""'^ 
 mentB. They insisrthnl^ '^n command- 
 cumstances, God d d ^ ^ ' ^^^ ''■'^■ 
 that his real intemion wt YV.'^''^^^ ' 
 along slowly, steo bv J/ ^" '^'«'^ them 
 few hundred year^ tW 'P' ,1° ^^'^t. i" a 
 fo admit that^ft ;'; "ffir^'^'' ^"'^"'^^^^ 
 babe from its mother's TriL/^" I" "teal a 
 ;vays seemed reaso" ibip ^h *1 ^* 1^«« «!- 
 God ought to have £'k^) ^" ^"tinite 
 grand enough to know *° "^'^^^ °^«n 
 special revelltion? tSTtir"^ without a 
 right to steal the abor ."°^ altogether 
 
 ehilcl, of another WhenVh/ T.' °^ ^^'« 
 tion IS thoroughly exn^' 7, '''''"'« ^"^8- 
 
 Will find that Jelval?B'tt '''"• f'^^*^ 
 the hatreds, and anntlf -f- "® P^'ejudices, 
 
 , If there ianythiS'^?' °^ ^^' day. 
 I'iberty is the air of f. "''^^^«"^^'^y• 
 sbine of life. W [ho ut > T^' "''^ «»^- 
 prison and the un ver e 1 ^K ''"''^ ^« ^ 
 geon. umverse an infinite dun- 
 
 commanS^lheYewil^i '^'^T^' ^^'^^^al^ 
 children of thp «f . ^""^^^^ '" buy the 
 
 among them.tV SeShit^f) ''^?'^'^^^' 
 thus bought should bpl,^*,*^^ ^^^I'^ren 
 «he childi^a ofThe Jetf ^"^eritance for 
 should be bondmen and h ""!? ^^'^^ ^^^ey 
 ever, Yet FtX, , bondwomen fo, 
 
 revelation wa^s'evr'madr? "" ^^"»'"o 
 '»aae, a nmn whose 
 
 .", "'"»i.-i»ai orothei'lu>,^H e -^'jliuv 
 with whieii benevoi n . " , -"'^ "'ankiucf, 
 perish forever "^''''^"^ J"«tice would 
 
 of'Iif wcS' a:,i;;R''/^'^"^'''^- «o.i 
 
 •"an smite his' s^rl^nt '-"l -^ " ^"'' '^ '^ 
 rod, and he die iindor ?' u" "*'^''l with a 
 be surely pun.ZS' 1''" V^'^- be shall 
 
 be continue^a day o wo T'^'f "" '^»^'. if 
 puuished. for hei^L ' ^'''* "^''^'^ not be 
 
 ?eno. founder oVu^'s^oi"'^- " ^'^'' ^^t 
 fore Christ wnp i .^'oics, centp •-..>, l,,, 
 
 could ?e\t?,„t''^;-«;,«t;^^ that noLt 
 be title was bad wh/ther t^''" ,""'> that 
 
 become so bv con m. if ."','' '^''^^' ha<' 
 
 Jehovah ordered a K.W?,' "'' '^^^ P'"-chase. 
 
 war, and gave, amonrn 1^'°'''^^ *« '"akc 
 mand: '"WhenZi.^ '''''• "'"'^ com- 
 ^IrivethembeSe hee ?h^^' [^'^^^ «'^«" 
 them and utterly destrov , " 'Y^ «"^it« 
 make no covenant wuVh" = *^*°" «1^«^ 
 mercy unto thetS" And^^^'."^- ' '^''"^ 
 whom we have alreadv m,^, , ^'i*'°tetu8, 
 marvellous rule for tW in ''' ^''''^ this 
 conduct • '• Live wi?h ? °- ^''^ ^"'nan 
 thou wouldst have tTivs„n ^- '"^f "'"^^ as 
 thee." "ly superiors live with 
 
 -hnit'SS!^,f*:^/..thatabeingof 
 will heap mischiPf"n. '^^""^ «aid : '-j 
 
 sendmiiLS'/pn^^^^^^ '-"f 
 be burned with hunger 1, ",^^y «hall 
 
 with burning heat, am S iS ''^'^^'-^'J 
 tion. I will send the trm h Jf" '*''' ^^^trac 
 then, With the poison nfe ^^^'^^ "Pon 
 dust. The sword^vUhout S?"'' «*the 
 in, shall destroy both ?he' J'.^'^ ^''"''' with- 
 the virgin, the"*^ suckl u' ^? °^ "^^'^ ««<! 
 man of gray hairs •■whfl-i"' "^^^l^ the 
 ixiHpired Koman. said ' - If '^*-"^' «« "«- 
 will not pardon any crime nf T''" "^«n 
 he punished, hut he^y/iTcoS^jSj.yht to 
 
THE ( HllISTIAN HKLKSION. 
 
 't of nature, and 
 
 "p Jewish (;,jf|, 
 
 " VVill you uof 
 
 itHarebvnutiiro 
 ' of (io(l y j„ 
 
 >l«lit thein, you 
 
 Hi into the pit. 
 
 len long Hinco 
 
 »o laws of tiie 
 
 'enking to his 
 '«m that their 
 i"i(is must bo 
 t; round about 
 ''"vah, "shall 
 iiiKls." And 
 vnohud never 
 ,' the Old Tes- 
 "ir to declare .• 
 ioiild l(jve our 
 {D^i'H, destroy 
 ;»f mankind, 
 justice would 
 
 Bliovah, God 
 
 "And if a 
 
 maid with u 
 Ptl, iie shall 
 'istan.iing, jf 
 
 shall not be 
 And yet 
 entu'"vs be- 
 tiiat no man 
 '". and that 
 ' slave had 
 y purchase, 
 ral to make 
 
 til is com- 
 
 Wod shall 
 slifilt smite 
 
 tliou Shalt 
 ■ iiw show 
 J'^pictetus, 
 
 K'lve this 
 ' ot human 
 f^riors as 
 
 'ive with 
 
 I being of 
 iaid : "I 
 -• I will 
 'Jiey shall 
 devoured 
 • <iestruc. 
 ists upon 
 s of the 
 '■or with- 
 maa and 
 n'th tlie 
 A, an un- 
 ise mail 
 ^"gbt to 
 sli, in a 
 
 nobler way, all that is nought In pardon- 
 ing, lie will spare some and watcb ovei 
 some, bucaurfc of their youth, and others 
 on account of their ignorance. His clem- 
 ency will not fall sliorl of justice, but will 
 f;dtill it perfectly.' 
 
 Cau we believe that God ever suid of 
 any one : " Let his children be fatherless 
 and his wife a widow ; let his children be 
 continually vagabonds, and beg ; let them 
 seek their bread also out of their desolate 
 places ; let the extortioner catch all that 
 he hath and let the; stranger spoil his 
 labor ; let there be none to extend mercy 
 unto him, neither let there be any to lavor 
 his fatherlessi children." If he ever said 
 these words, Hurely ho had never heard 
 this line, thia strain of music, from the 
 Hindu : "Sweet is the lute to those who 
 have not heard the prattle of their own 
 children." 
 
 Jehovah, " from the clouds and dark- 
 ness of Sinai," said to the Jews : "Thou 
 Shalt have no other gods before me. . . . 
 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them 
 nor serve them ; for I, tiie Lord thy God, 
 am a jealous God, vibiting the iniquities of 
 the fathers upon the children, unto the 
 third and fourth generation of them that 
 hate me." Contrast this with the words 
 put by the Hindu in the mouth of Brahma : 
 '•I am the same to all mankind. They 
 who honestly serve other gods, involun- 
 tarily worship me. I am he who partaketh 
 of all worship, and I am the reward of all 
 "Worshippers." 
 
 Compare these passages. The first, a 
 dungeon where crawl the things begot of 
 jealous slime; the other, great as the 
 domed firmament inlaid witli suns. 
 
 H. 
 
 Waiving the contradictory statements 
 in the various books of tb.e New Testa- 
 ment ; leaving out of the duestion the his- 
 tory of the manuscripts ; saving nothing 
 about the errors in translation and the in- 
 terpolations made by the fathers ; ami ad- 
 mitting, for the time being, that the books 
 were all written at the times claimed, and 
 by tlie persons whose names they bear, 
 the (luestions of inspiration, probability, 
 and absurdity still remain. 
 
 As a rule, when several persons testify 
 to the same transaction, while agreeing in 
 the main points, they will disagree upon 
 many minor things, and auch disagree- 
 ment upon minor matters is generally "con- 
 sidered as evidence that the witnesses have 
 not agreed among themselves upon the 
 story they should tell. These ditlerences 
 
 in statement we account tor from the 
 facts that all diil not see alike, that all ilid 
 not have the same opportunity for seeing, 
 and that all hail not i'(pntlly good inemor- 
 ies. But when we claim that tiie wit- 
 nesses were inspired, we w.ist admit that 
 he who inspired them did know exactly 
 what occurred, and (;i)nHr(iuently there 
 should be no contradiction, even in the 
 minutest detail. The accounts should be 
 not only substantially, but they should be 
 actually, the same. It is impossible to ac- 
 count for any dilTerenc-s, or any contra- 
 dictions, except from the weaknesses of 
 human nature, and the-ie weaknesses can- 
 not be predicated of divine wisdom. Wh}' 
 should there be more than one correct ac- 
 count of anything" Why were four gos- 
 pels necessary ? One inspired record of 
 all that happened ought to be onoii<rh. 
 
 One great objection to the Old Testament 
 is the cruelty said to have been commanded 
 by God, but all the cruelties recounted in 
 the Old Testament ceased with death. The 
 vengeance of Jehovah stopped at the por- 
 tal of the tomb. He never threatened to 
 avenge himself upon the dead; and not 
 one word, from the first mistake ui Gene- 
 sis to the last curse of Malachi, contains 
 the slightest intimation that God will pun- 
 ish in another world. It was reserved for 
 the New Testament to make known the 
 frightful doctrine of eternal pain. It was 
 the teacher of universal benevolence who 
 rent the vail between time and eternity, 
 and fixed tlie horitied ga/o of man on the 
 lurid gulfs of nell. Within the breast of 
 non-resistance was coiled the worm that 
 never dies. 
 
 ''''■<e great objection to the New Testa- 
 V-K..I is that it bases salvation on belief. 
 This, at least, is true of tlie Gospel ac- 
 cording to John, and many of the epistles. 
 I admit that Matthew never heard of the 
 atonement, and died utterly ignorant of 
 the scheme of salvation. I also admit 
 that Mark never dreamed that it was neces- 
 sary foi a man to be born again ; that he 
 knew nothing of the mysterious doctrine 
 of regeneration, and that he never even 
 suspected that it was necessary to believe 
 anything. In the sixteenth chapter of 
 Mark, we are told that ' ' He that believeth 
 and is baptized shall be saved, but he that 
 believeth not shall be damned " ; but this 
 passage has been shown to be an interpo- 
 lation, and, consequently, not a solitary 
 word is found in the Gospel according to 
 Mark upon the subject of salvation by 
 faith. The same is also true of the Gos- 
 pel of Luke. It says not one word as to 
 the necessity of believing on Jesus Christ, 
 not one word as to the atonement, not one 
 
THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 
 
 And I hero take occasion to sav that n'nl"'-' '"""''^ ''^^ ''*"•''' "' tl'« pi. ('Hf ho 
 
 TS^:l 't-«"^!!- :'^-^:;^4"l ^pr!.S^.S ^tL"a '£,^1'''^ 
 
 f MHtthcw, Murk, ami Luko 1 mom 
 heart.lv a,rc.e. The nurHcui:,.,; ,"S 
 muHt of course, he thrown aside r 
 •fnil timt .he uocosHity of bd f tho 
 
 CuftSKjcr'""'"'-^^''^"-''' 
 
 linstian 
 
 JjeaterthesacritE?;,;ei;i;ilS [ J: 
 greater the alonc.nont. There was Iw. v! 
 
 anSraid'S''*^ '^"^■•^•^'" ^»»'" ^'^'^ o/ tfo 
 
 Accordi,,^, to the" prevuiliuK CI 
 bflief the Christian VeliLMon rests' unm! I iVoL".'" '""/'"« "* ''''^"" '^'""J- i^^ery nri; 
 Ire doctrine =>f the at«i;eut'''^f" ' LtS^ ««nc?u!.y a 
 
 posterity are respond- notS wirls' T?is "t"*' ■. f '■'^''''"^ «'' i^^ocont^^bloo 
 S'S.i'^'\.f'".^^at.we never i^ fal^ blS"ti'?K '!.!'!.^;''r °^ ^'.^rist. His 
 
 anoiuer. God, according to tiie modern 
 
 ug the whole human race. Through what 
 •s Known as the atonement, the Katinn 
 tLfuV^' nmde possible: Th y in fs" 
 tliat the law- whatever that is-demanS 
 S; T'^i^^^ that iustt^lSJ 
 
 suffer ISI'.^^ ?i"''''^"8 *'^« '»n«<=ent to 
 
 "nfa'/iorjrfr^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
 
 The law was satisfi1]'^fh"«L^r:„%^ 
 Torn o "^ ""^'7 °"'' *^'« sclieme, God was 
 born as a babe into this wor d 'M^fo 
 
 fedJe-" TT ""' i"-eased in' know? 
 
 e^arity. and. nobilit'"SterLU g'pr'J 
 ticed every virtue, he was sacrificed as an 
 atonement for man, It is claimerl fhnf 
 
 tice of Uod was sntiBfio^ „„^ .. **. J"^ 
 
 tic. Of Sod „r',atoi°ed S h„VZ SiZ'?f,° " " P— ">• '0 mairr 
 
 blood of ri,r7.f "''"'*"ea, and that the 
 Sation ?. ./ """^ ^" atonement, an 
 
 blood took the placa of all othir It i- 
 uecessary to shed no more The law a? 
 
 del 'tl.Mr^.'^''' '^'''''< ^"'•feited Tie 
 Idea that God wants blood is at tho bottom 
 
 pit^?r^^;srrt£ 
 
 lZ'"i^'T ""'" ^" '^"•'"'^l^- «"^l how can" 
 al^net?tU^?Lr "^ ^-'^ 
 
 discharged by the Saviour TheCt M^a? 
 can possibly be said of such a tranTactfou 
 J,' *^«^ be debt Is transferred, not naid 
 1 he truth ,s that a sinner is n debt to 
 he person he has iniured If a m«n .• 
 jures his neighbour. It is not enoS fo; 
 him to get the forgiveness of God Kt he 
 must have the forgiveness of ht n" Lh 
 an?boJ/°?°"'?^*'^'«^^and in the tire 
 
 exaPt^v t^'""^'''"' ^""' ^^«^and will smm 
 exactly the same. You must after «ii 
 reap what you sow. No god can give von 
 vv^ieat when you sow tares, and S, dS 
 can give you tares when you sow wheat 
 nifr ^'T '"^ ?^*"''« "'^^tber rewarTnor 
 The i?f?'o?'f^h*^r. '"■^' «'>««^<iuence8?l' 
 ,-7«l w ^^"^^ *' worth its examnle 
 
 T^Zl'''- ""' ''' ^''"''"^ "^i benevollnce' 
 To make innocence suffer is the greates 
 
 l^t "t^L ^Vby ahouTd^; TarorwilN 
 jDfe to let the innocent suffer for him •> 
 Dees not the willingness show that h^is 
 utterly unworthy of the sacrifice V Cer- 
 tain y, no man wouUl be fit for heaven who 
 
 shlfd fTV^'^l'"'' '""ocent perln 
 should suffer for his sin. What would 
 we think of a man who would allow an 
 
THE cnRISTIAN RKUOION. 
 
 t would lay JiJB 
 I tlio sin i)t tlio 
 '• Tljen tliH 
 it« pliice of the 
 liUH Hjiud and 
 would be an 
 •ft'hoviih was 
 " crimi;, the 
 TO blood, the 
 rc' was always 
 ■ viiluo of the 
 tho sin. Tho 
 > Kiven iibout 
 *, iind about 
 Every priest 
 e«netuaiy a 
 •uld 1)0 more 
 I fuid lovin/r 
 bii-n better 
 It than this 
 cent blood. 
 '«e(l to have 
 ^'Ijrist. His 
 'ber. It is 
 I'be law at 
 Bited. The 
 the bottom 
 )ii the moat 
 ' be trans. 
 kI how can 
 >f animals 
 
 iinner is in 
 ligation is 
 3 best that 
 ransactiou 
 
 not paid, 
 n debt to 
 a man in- 
 lough for 
 'd, but he 
 lis neigb- 
 Q the lire 
 vill smart 
 after all, 
 give you 
 
 no devil 
 wheat, 
 'ards nor 
 lences. — 
 example, 
 svolence. 
 greatest 
 lake the 
 ition for 
 oe will- 
 ir him ? 
 at he is 
 ? Cer- 
 en who 
 
 person 
 
 would 
 low an- 
 
 other to die for a crinic tlmt lie lilniHcIf 
 hiid coinniittcd V What wduld we think 
 <>t u law thai iilitiwcd the innocent to fake 
 the iilaco of the guilty ' Is it poswiblo to 
 vin(li(,'ate a just law by iiillicting punish- 
 nient on the innocent ? Would not that 
 be a second violation Instead of a vindica- 
 tion ? 
 
 If there was no general atonement until 
 the orucitixion of Christ, what became of 
 the countless millions who died before 
 that time ? And it mu.st be rememncied 
 that the blood shed by the Jews was not 
 lor other nations. .Jehovah hated foreign- 
 tn-H. The (Jentiles were left without for- 
 KivencHs. What has become of the mil- 
 lions who have died since, without having 
 heard of the atonement ? What becomes 
 ()f those who have heard but have not be- 
 lieved ? It seems to me that the doctrine 
 of the atonement is absurd, nnjust, and 
 immoral. Can a law be satisfied by the 
 execution of tho wrong person ? When a 
 man commits a crime, the law demands 
 hi.; punishment, not that of a substitute; 
 and there can be no law, human or divine, 
 that can be satisfied by the punishment of 
 a substitute. Can there bo a law that de- 
 mands that the guilty be rewarded ? And 
 yet, to reward the guilty is far nearer jus- 
 tice than to punish the innocent. 
 
 According to the orthodox theology, 
 there would have been no heaven had no 
 atonement been made. All the children 
 of men would have been cast into hell for- 
 ever. The old men bowed with grief, the 
 smiling mothers, the sweet babes, the lov- 
 ing maidens, the brave, the tender and 
 the ,iust, would have been given over to 
 eternal pain. Man, it is claimed, can 
 make no atonement for himself. If he 
 commits one sin, and with that exception 
 lives a life of perfect virtue, still that one 
 sin would remam unexpiated, uuatoned, 
 and for that one sin he w6uld be forever 
 lost. To be saved by the goodness of 
 another, to be a redeemed debtor forever, 
 has in it something repugnant to man- 
 hood. 
 
 We must also remember that Jehovah 
 took special charge ot the Jewish people ; 
 and we have always been taught that he 
 did so for the purpose of civilizing them. 
 If he had succeeded in civilizing the Jews, 
 he would have made the damnation of the 
 entire human race a certainty ; because 
 if the Jews had been a civilized people 
 when Christ appeared,— a people whose 
 hearts had not been hardened bv the laws 
 and teachings of Jehovah, — theyVould not 
 have crucified him, and, as a consequence, 
 the world would have been lost. If the 
 Jews had believed in religious freedom,— 
 
 in the right of tliougiit and speech, -not a 
 human soul could ever hiivc l)een saveil. 
 If, when Christ was on his way to Calvary, 
 some brave, heroic soul hii(i 'rescued him 
 from the holy mob, hew )uld not only have 
 been eternally damned for Jiis pains, r)ul 
 would have rendered imponsible the salva- 
 tion of any human being ; and, except for 
 the crucitixion of her son. the Virgin 
 Mary, if the church is right, would be to- 
 day among the lost. 
 
 In countless ways tin Christian world 
 has endeavored, for nearly two thousand 
 years to explain the atonement, and every 
 ttTort lias ended in an a(lmission that it 
 cannot be understood, and a declaration 
 that it mURt be bi lieved. Is it not immor- 
 al to teach that nuiU can sin, that hv can 
 harden his heart and pollute his soul, and 
 that, hy repenting and believing sonns 
 thing that he does not comi)rehend, he can 
 avoid the conse(juence8 of his crimes ? 
 Has the pnmiise and hope of forgiveness 
 ever prevented the commission of a sin? 
 Should m<;u be taught that sin gives hap- 
 piness li','re ; that they ought to bear the 
 evils of a virtuous lite in this world for 
 the sake of joy in the next ; that they can 
 repent between the last sin and the last 
 breath ; that after rei)entance every stain 
 of the soul is washed away Ijy the innocent 
 blood of another ; that the serpent of re- 
 gret will not hiss in the ear of memory ; 
 that the saved will not even pity the vic- 
 tims of their own crimes; that the good- 
 ness .^f another cp- be transferred to them; 
 and that sins foi iven cease to atfecf the 
 unhappy wretches sinned against v 
 
 Another objection is that a certain belief 
 is necessary to save the soul. It is often 
 asserted that to believe is the only safe 
 way. If you wish to be safe, be honest 
 Nothing can bo safer than that. No mat- 
 ter what his belief may be, no man, even 
 in the hour of death, can regret having 
 been honest. It never can be necessary to 
 throw away yo^ir reason to save your soul. 
 A soul withoui reason is scarcely wortli 
 saving. There is no more degrading doc- 
 trine than that of mental non-resistance. 
 The soul has a right to defend its castle— 
 the brain, and he who waives that right be- 
 comes a serf and slave. Neither can I 
 admit that a man, by doing me an injury, 
 can place me under obligation to do liim a 
 service. To render benefits lor injuries is 
 tc ignore a'l distinctions between actions. 
 He who treats his friends and enemies 
 alike h.as neither lovo nor justice. The 
 idea of non-resistance never occurred to 
 a man with power to protect himself. 
 This doctrine was the child of weakness, 
 born when resistance was impossible. To 
 
8 
 
 THE CHHIfSTIAN RELKilON. 
 
 allow a crime t^i;;;;;;;;^;— ^^;;j-;;^^ 
 
 tho blood of n,iIii«„i:a/u^^i'l,''^,,riso 
 horsacrc.l vestments have - eamo ?i,o 
 'liiKgors of assassination \Vi7 , h!.^ .,, 
 n.'ug hands slin wnve ho nnn ■ fJ """ 
 
 -y.;^dp,aceciti4J:;rS:!re 
 
 •scorned the princely' on s of to Inf^^'""'" ' 
 -ant ^ fear deno^need ^L^"';., -;? 'g | 
 
 tho^Vinl'^ T/" ^^^> ^'"'l' he knew all I 
 
 jetiyhowhisw.jciri;;;.?jbetiv^ss- 
 S^«hrre-^iSi^^ 
 
 like noi^.n ^''°.^''«">^ that would spring 
 
 he sec 8 w.H^nf ' ^'■^'" ^'^^'^-y ''^'- Hc' saw 
 „ i'ecis waging war affa nst each otho.- 
 
 fellow men' " K'"* """S™' 'or their 
 
 feldsr£l,«tL^- ^^^^^^^^^^ 
 
 jurnjngs.for a thonsand years wi id fc 
 
 knewS"lf, ^•^"°'^^' °f '^^ «ros He 
 Knew that in his name his followers wnnl^ 
 
 or cold tuTvJT"^' "^''^''^ "»»^'^'^cl 
 
 <ll<l ho not tell his discinlo, n„,l fl„ T 
 
 tme"'for"r '• '"»'"»" *Sd nXr 
 hecute, fo • opinion's sake, his felow m«n\ 
 
 the .S„„ „75ed 1 WlT^i","'" ",'*■• ' "^ 
 t he cioetriae ^I'^kTiUl^l "Th'/dYd'te 
 
 i"ot tell the manner of haptism thTTZT. 
 Ph'asini.' t.. him? Why did he nnt 
 
 iHomothing positive, dctii.it' a/, ,Xfa7 
 lory Hbo.it another world ? Whv d d I 
 notlurnthetcai-staincd hope o'f t 
 ) the gad knowledge of another Ife 
 U hy did he «o dnmbl^ to his death eav 
 ing the. world to misery and to doubt '^ 
 He came, they tell us. to make a reyela 
 
 tion, and what did he reveal ' •' T nv-^? 
 
 I he t •' ' " T."'; ' ' ^'''' «"^ ^^'»I^ a thy 
 /; ^'\''^ '^'''" ''' tlJc Old Testament 
 
 Keturn irood for evi! " '? tu ^.'"•"'''"i^^'' 
 
 iius long before : " Whenever thou art in 
 
 o.ibt as to whether an acticm K„o i" 
 
 hud, aostain irom if" Hi,i , " &'J"" '" 
 
 teuehusof an^tT^r orld ' tV'uT "" 
 (tahty of thosoul was taught by^H Sus 
 Lgyptnins, Creeks, and Romans himdrei^ 
 of years before he was born. Long efo, . 
 the world had been told by Soci Sfe'fhat '■ 
 
 th?inhTr " V^T"^ ""Sht not to retimi' 
 
 Lie injury, Jor on no account rnn u i,„ 
 
 I riglit to do an injustice ; andTt "b not rilbf 
 
 o return an injury, or" to do vif o ,?* 
 
 f mm' hi7 •■^'V"r/r. "^ ^'^>' I'ave sui?ere^ 
 ti cm hi Ti And Cicero had said • " Let 
 us not hsten to those who think thnf tl 
 ought to be angry witii our enem ef and 
 who beiieve this to be great and man^v 
 nothing 18 more praiseworthy, notW sci 
 clearly shows a great and noble sou? 2 
 clemency and readipess to forgive '' ' 
 Is there anything nearer perfect than 
 
 benemrfo,""'^"'"^ = " ^"'' l'«"««t?retm^ 
 Denetits ; for injuries return justice witho if 
 any admixture of revenge"' ^"^^^^'"^o"' 
 The dogma of eternal punishment rests 
 ui on passages in the New Testament 
 ri, s mfamous belief subverts eve y fdea 
 
 A ti n o h ■°^' ^'' ^^^^^^ ""« serpent. 
 A tiiuie being can neither commit an 
 mhn.te sin, nor a sin against the^Sflni e 
 
 has""nf tlf ""'''' ^r'^^^^ ^"^ -«"om 
 stand,ml nf •' ^.^^"'•^^^"g ^o the human 
 fw- h^ Ji,"*'^<^' to create any beinc 
 destined o suffer eternal pain. A beinJ o? 
 infinite wisdom would not create a faiK 
 
 agony is not a success. ^ 
 
 How long, according to the universal 
 
 man 'b??r«°' V',' ^'^ Testament 7an"i 
 uian oe reasonnhlv n-inioh--! -•• ii. 
 wnrM t^- f"-',. ^ P'lnishcd m the next 
 
 that any pumshmcM ran endure fSr y 
 
ipti'^'n that was 
 . <lid lio not Kiiy 
 'to, and Hati.sfac 
 •, ^Vliy di.l |,„ 
 hopo of Jieaven 
 <jf . ■mother life ? 
 ' his death, leav^ 
 id to doubt ? 
 * make a rovola- 
 jil ? " Lov(! tliy 
 hilt was in tlio 
 -4od with all thy 
 Old Testament. 
 
 That was said 
 yoars before ho 
 r.s as yo would 
 •u"? This was 
 'id iiu come to 
 laster had done 
 iver thou art in 
 tiou is good or 
 d he come to 
 
 The imtnor 
 t Jiy Hindus, 
 nans liuudreds 
 
 I-iong before, 
 'Sociates that : 
 not to return 
 'ount can it bo 
 I it is not right 
 do evil to any 
 liave suflFered 
 ' said : " Let 
 liink tliat we 
 enemies, and 
 t and manly : 
 y. nothng so 
 oble soul, as 
 ■give. " 
 
 perfect than 
 inetits return 
 istice without 
 
 ihment rests 
 
 Testament. 
 I every idea 
 il of immor- 
 this serpent. 
 
 commit an 
 the infinite, 
 md wisdom 
 the human 
 ' any being 
 
 A being of 
 te a faihire, 
 
 everlasting 
 
 e universal 
 ment, can a 
 ^ the next 
 something 
 be possible 
 re forever y 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 
 
 9 
 
 I 
 
 Suppose that every flake of snow that 
 ever fell was a figure nine, and that the 
 nrst flake was multiplied by the second 
 and that product by the third, and so on 
 to the last flake. And then suppose tliat 
 this total should be multiplied by every 
 drop of rain that ever fell, calling eacli 
 drop a figure nine ; and that total by 
 eiich blade of grass that ever helped to 
 weave a carpet for the earth, calling each 
 blude a figure nine; and that again by 
 every grain of sand on every shore, so that 
 the grand total would make a line of nuies 
 so long thai it would require millions 
 upon millions of years for hght, traveling 
 at tliH rate of one hundred and eighty-five 
 thousand miles per second, to reach the 
 end. And suppose, further, that each 
 unit m this almost infinite total stood for 
 billions of ages— still that vast and almost 
 endless time, measured by all the years 
 beyond, is as one flake, one drop, one leaf, 
 one blade, one grain, compared \wth all 
 the flaltcs, and drops, and leaves, aud 
 blades, and grains. 
 
 Upon love's breast the Church has 
 placed the eternal asp. 
 
 And yet, in the same book in which is 
 taught this most infamous of doctrines 
 we are assured that •' The Lord is good to 
 all, aud his tender mercies are over all 'lis 
 works." 
 
 III. 
 
 So FAK as we knew, man ia the author 
 of all books. If a book had been found 
 on the earth by the first man, he might 
 have regarded it as the work of God • but 
 as men were here a good while before any 
 books were found, and as man has pro- 
 duccid a great many books, the probability 
 18 that the Bible is no e.\ceptlon. 
 
 Most nations, at the time the Old Testa- 
 ment was written, believed in slavery 
 polygamy, wars of extermination, and 
 ix^hgions persecution ; and it is not won- 
 derful that the book contained nothine 
 contrary to such belief. The fact that it 
 was m exact accord with the morality )f 
 its time proves that it was not the product 
 ot any being superior to man. " The 
 inspired writers" upheld or established 
 slavery, countenanced polygamy com 
 manded wars of extermination, and order- 
 ed the slaughter of women and babes 
 in these respeotB they were precisely like 
 the uninspired savages by whom the v 
 were surrouuded. Th.ey also tauglit atid 
 commauded religious persecution as a 
 duty and visited the most trivial ofl:enses 
 with the puniKhment of death. In these 
 particulars they were in exact accord with 
 their barbarian neighbours. They were 
 
 utterly ignorant of geology and astron- 
 ! omy, and knew uo more of what had 
 : happened than of what would happen ; 
 i and, 00 far as accuracy is concerned, their 
 I history and prophecy were about equal ; 
 I in other words, they were just as ignorant 
 j as those who lived aud died in nature's 
 j night. 
 
 Does any Christian believe that if God 
 were to write a book now, he would 
 uphold the crimes commanded in the Old 
 Testament ? Has Jehovah improved ? 
 Has infinite mercy become more merciful ♦ 
 Has infinite wisdom intellectually ad- 
 vanced V Will any one claim that the 
 passages ui)holding slavery have liberated 
 mankind ; that we are indebted for our 
 modern homes to the texts that made 
 polygamy a virtue ; or that religious 
 hbeity found its soil, its light, and rain in 
 the infamous verse wherein the husband 
 IS comn led to stone to death the wife 
 for worsiupping an unknown God ? 
 
 The usual answer to these objections 
 IS that no country has ever been civilized 
 without the Bible. 
 
 The Jews were the only people to whom 
 Jehovah made his will directly known — 
 the only people who had the Old Testa- 
 ment. Other nations were utterly ne- 
 glected by their Creator. Yet, such was 
 the effect of the Old Testament on the 
 Jews, that they crucified a kind, loviag 
 and perfectly innocent man. They coulii 
 not have done much worse without a 
 Bible. In the crucifixion of Christ they 
 followed the teachings of his Father. If' 
 as it is now alleged by the theologians, u() 
 nation can be civilized without a Bible 
 certainly God muit have known the fact 
 six thousand years ago, as well as the 
 theologians know it now. Wliy did he 
 not furnish every nation with a Bible ? 
 
 A» to the Old Testament, I insist that 
 all the bad passages were written by men ; 
 that those passages were not inspired. I 
 insist that a being of Infinite goodness 
 never commanded man to enslave his 
 fellow-mau, never told a mother to sell 
 her babe, never established polygamy 
 never ordered one nation to extcninate 
 another, and never told a huaband lo kill 
 his wife because she suggested the wor- 
 shipping of some other God. 
 
 I also insist that the Old Testament 
 would be a much better book with all of 
 these passages left out ; and, whatever 
 may bo said of the rest, the passages to 
 which attention has been drawn can with 
 vastly more propriety be attributed to a 
 devil than to a god. 
 
 Take from the Now Testament all pas- 
 sages upholding the idea that belief i» 
 
10 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 
 
 necessary to salvation ; that Christ was 
 
 wor (I that the punishment of the human 
 soul will go on forever; that heaven s the 
 
 honest investigation; take from it all 
 m.raculous Btories,_and I admit tiiat al 
 the good passages are true. If they are 
 true. It makes no difference whether they 
 are mepirod or not. Inspiration is only 
 necessary to give authority to that w3 
 IS repugnant to human reason. Only ilnt 
 which never happened needs to be su 
 st^antiateU by miLles. The universe i^ 
 
 The Church must cease to insist that 
 the passages upholding tbe institutioS 
 of savage men were inspired of God. 
 The dogma of the atonement must be 
 abandoned Good deeds must take the 
 place of faith. The savagery o eternal 
 puniahment must be renounced. Credulity 
 IS not a virtue, and investigation is not a 
 crime. Miracles are the children if men 
 
 thaT;h.^''^V^^,«'i» be »^ore wondSl 
 than the majestic, unbroken, sublime 
 and^^eternal procession of causes and 
 
 «..!!T°? "","'* ^^ ^^^ fl°»l arbiter. ' ' In- 
 Bpued books attested by miracles cannot 
 stand against a demonstrated fact. A 
 religion that does not command the respect 
 of the greatest minds will, in a little while 
 excite the mockery of all. Every civU' 
 ized man believes in the liberty of 
 
 St*P l' '' ^""''^^t ">^» »«d Is in- 
 tolerant ? Is an act infamous in man one 
 of the virtues of the Deity ? Could there 
 libKf T ^'Jbeaven without intellectual 
 liberty? Is the freedom of the future to 
 exis only in perdition ? Is it not afte? 
 all barely possible that a man acting like 
 Christ can be saved? Is a man to be 
 
 fnl^tll "^^'^f.t^ ^"r believing according 
 to evidence, without evidence, or against 
 
 tlltT^^ ^'^ ^^ ^'^ ^« saved'becaifse we 
 are good or because another was virtuous ' 
 Is credulity to be winged and crowned," 
 wlnle honest doubt is chained and damned? 
 JJo not misun lerstand me. My posi- 
 tion is tbat the cruel passages in the Old 
 lestament are not inspired; that slavery 
 polygamy, wars of extermination, and 
 religious persecution always have been, 
 are, and forever will be, abhorred and 
 cursed by the honest, the virtuous, and 
 the loving; that the innocent cannot 
 justly suffer for the guilty, and that 
 vicarious vice and vicarious virtue are 
 equally absurd; that eternal punishment' 
 IS eternal revenge; that only the natural 
 can happen; tbat miracles prove the dis- 
 honesty of the few and the credulity of 
 the many; and that, according to Mat- 
 
 dPn^;,] '''^' ^°'^,.^""^e. salvation does not 
 depend upon belief, nor tbe atonement, 
 
 ^o.np!', '''''°°^ ^"'^^'" but that these 
 gospels are in exact harmony with the 
 
 thP r T ?^^^' ^.''''^* P^^«^^^= '"i'-^kinl 
 the hist footstep with the good thought 
 
 thfr.r'^r'l/"'*^ the good word, andThe 
 
 dise " ^"""'^ '^'''''' ^ ^^'^^'^^d para- 
 
 The dogmas of the past no longer reach 
 
 !i^t f ""f/ ° ^^« bighest thought, nor 
 
 Sf ^f *:be bunger of the heart." While 
 
 am h;,^t""; ^'"^"bned and sepulchred in 
 
 antent texts, remain the same, the syni- 
 
 pahies o men enlarge; the brain no 
 
 onger kills Us young; tlie happy lips give 
 
 liberty to honest thoughts; the mental 
 
 hrmament expands and lifts the broken 
 
 clouds drift by; the hideous dreams h" 
 
 nS V"!1'-"'T'° '^V'f ■■«" "^ tbe monstrous 
 night, dissolve and fade. 
 
 HOBEET G. IN0KR80I.L. 
 
 MR. BLACK. 
 
 ^^rP^^'^Z^^C^::;!:^!^.^^ or „o.hing. .ore 
 them "rh^ "" >'°" "'"^ '''^'» = ""^ ^'-' Vou have 
 
 The request to answer the foreeoinfr 
 P^P^r comes to me, not ,n the fonn ffi 
 with he effect of a challenge, wldch I 
 
 ledT ttt''?f ^^'^°"* ^^•^•"*°g to acknow- 
 iedge that the religion of the civili/ed 
 
 Zd II ^" "^^'^"^ «aperstirio„''prop^'! 
 gated by imposters, professed bV hyno- 
 crites, and believed 'only by cr^duffus 
 
 But why should I, an unlearned and 
 unauthonzed laymen, be placed iS such a 
 eiouXS' • ^^^ «^P'«"ation is 'easy 
 enough. This is no business of the priests 
 
 4m-d ^rSi'f ,?"^^ '' *« preacV ?be 
 woid, in the full assurance that it will 
 
 CS'Sv if'" *" "'^ -f^"'^ ^^^ bones 
 heaits by its o^yn menifest veracity and 
 
 the singular purity of its precepts. They 
 
 cannot afford to turn away from tlS 
 
 proper work, and leave willing heareJ^ 
 
 with a predetermined opponent. Thev 
 were warned to expect slander, indienitv 
 and insult, and these are among the evU; 
 which they must not resist. 
 
 It will be seen that I am assuming no 
 clerical function. I am not out on the 
 torlorn hope of converting Mr. Ingersoll 
 I am no preacher exhorting a sinner to 
 .eave the seat of the scornful aSd come 
 up to the bench of the penitents. Mv 
 duty II more analogous to that of the 
 
THE CIirTSTIAN IIELIGION. 
 
 11 
 
 alvation does not 
 the atonement, 
 but that these 
 rmony with the 
 ersian: "Taking 
 a good thought, 
 d word, and the 
 I entered para- 
 no longer reach 
 t thought, nor 
 ! heart. While 
 id s-'pulolired in 
 same, the syni- 
 the brain no 
 happy lips give 
 its; the mental 
 'ts ; the broken 
 )us dreams, the 
 f the monstrous 
 
 1. INGKR80I.L. 
 
 al of nothing, more 
 leasons are as two 
 ofchafl"; you shall 
 iiid wlieii you have 
 ^e search."- Mer- 
 
 the foregoing 
 
 the form but 
 inge, which I 
 lingtoacknow- 
 
 the civilized 
 3tition, propa- 
 aed by Jiypo- 
 
 by credulous 
 
 inleamed and 
 iced in such a 
 ation is easy 
 of the priests. 
 
 preach the 
 B that it will 
 
 1 and honest 
 veracity and 
 
 icepts. They 
 y from their 
 illing hearers 
 angle in vain 
 meat. They 
 er, indignity, 
 3ng the evils 
 
 assuming no 
 t out ou the 
 tr. Ingersoll. 
 a sinner to 
 il and come 
 litents. ?,Iy 
 that of tlie 
 
 policeman who would silence a rti - dis- 
 turber of the congregation, by tolling; him 
 that his clamor is false and his conduct an 
 offense against public decency. 
 
 Nor is the Church in any diuiger which 
 calls for the special vigilance of its ser- 
 vants. Mr. Ingersoll thinks that the rock- 
 founded faith of Ohristcndom is giving 
 way before his assaults, but he is grossly 
 mistaken. The first sentence of hia essay 
 is a preposterous blunder. It is not true 
 that "a projmml change has taken place 
 in the world of thon<jht," unless a more 
 rapid spread of the Gospel and a more 
 faithful observance of its moral principles 
 can bo called so. Its truths are every- 
 where proclaimed with the power of sincere 
 conviction, and accepted with devout 
 reverence by uncounted multitudes of all 
 classes. Solemn temples rise to its honor 
 in the great cities; from every hill-top in 
 the country you sec the bhurch-spire 
 pointing toward heaven, and on Sunday 
 all the paths that load to it are crowded 
 with worshippers. In nearly all families, 
 parents teach their children that Christ is 
 God, and his system of morality abso- 
 lutely perfect. This belief lies so deep in 
 the popular heart that, if every written 
 record of it were destroyed to-day, the 
 memory of millions could reproduce it 
 to-morrow. Its earnestness is proved by 
 its works. Wherever it goes it manifests 
 itself in deeds of practical benevolence. 
 It builds, not churches alone, but alms- 
 houses, hospitals, and asylums. It shelters 
 the poor, feeds the hungrv, visits the sick, 
 consoles the afflicted, provides for the 
 fatherless, comforts the heart of the 
 widow, instructs the ignorant, reforms the 
 vicious, and saves to tbe uttermost them 
 that are ready to perish. To the common 
 observer, it does not look as if Christian- 
 ity was making itself ready to be swal- 
 lowed up by Intidelity. Thus far, at 
 least, the promise has been kept that -'the 
 gates of hell shall not prevail against it." 
 There is, to bo sure, a change in the 
 party hostile to religion— not " a profound 
 change," but a change entirely superficial 
 —which consists, not in thought, but 
 merely in modes of expression and meth- 
 ods of attack. The bad classes of society 
 always hated the doctrine and discipline 
 which reproached their wickedness and 
 frightened them by threats of punishment 
 in another world. Aforetime they showed 
 their contempt of divine authority only 
 by their actions; but now, under new 
 leadership, their enmity against God breaks 
 out into articulate blasphemy. They as- 
 semble themselves together, they hear 
 with passionate admiration the bold har- 
 
 angue which ridicules and detics the 
 Maker of the universe; fiercely they rage 
 against the Highest, and loudly they 
 laugh, alike at the justice that condemns, 
 and the mercy that offers to pardon them. 
 The orator who relieves them by assur- 
 ances of impunity, and tells them that no 
 supremo authoritj' has made any law to 
 control them, is applauded to the echo 
 and paid a high price for his congenial 
 labor; he pockets their money, and 
 Hatters himself that he is a great power, 
 profoundly moving "the world of thought." 
 There is another totally false notion 
 expressed in the opening paragraph, 
 namely, that "they who know most of 
 nature believe the least about theology." 
 The truth is exactly the other way. The 
 more clearly one soos "the grand pro- 
 cession of causes and effects," the more 
 awful his reverence becomes for the author 
 of the "sublime and unbroken" law 
 which links them together. Not self-con- 
 ceit and rebellious pride, but unspeakable 
 humility, and a deep sense of the mea- 
 sureless distance between the Creator and 
 the creature, fills the mind of him who 
 looks with a rational spirit upon the 
 works of the All-wise Ona. The heart of 
 Newton repeals the solemn confession of 
 David: "When I consider thy heavens, 
 the work of thy fingers, the moon and the 
 stars which thou hast ordained; what is 
 man that thou art mindful of him, or tho 
 son of man that thou visitest him?" At 
 the same time tho lamentable fact must be 
 admitted that "a little learning is a 
 dangerous thing ' to some persons. The 
 sciolist witli a mere smattering of physical 
 knowledge is apt to mistake himself for a 
 philosopher, and, swelling with his own 
 importance, he gives out like Simon 
 Magus, " that himself is some great one." 
 His vanity becomes inflamed more and 
 more, until he begins to think he knows 
 all thingi. He takes every occasion to 
 show his accomplishments by finding fault 
 with the works of creation and ProTi- 
 dence; and this is an exercise in which he 
 eannot long continue without learning to 
 disboheve in any Being greater than him- 
 self. It was to such a person, and not to 
 the unpretending simpletrm, that Solomon 
 applied his often quoted aphorism : "The 
 fool hath said in his heart, there is no 
 God." These are what Paul refers to as 
 "vain babblings and the opposition of 
 science, falsely so called;" but they are 
 perfectly powerless to stop or turn aside 
 t!iC; great current of human thought on 
 'hx*. subject of Christian theology. That 
 majestic stream, supplied from a thousand 
 unfailing fountains, rolls on and will roll 
 
13 
 
 «t lah'tur omme in vohihili 
 
 forover. 
 
 Labihir 
 aevum. 
 
 rises sometimes into -i rnVrin^ ?' ■,. 
 
 ...e Character of' Z'lZ'i^SffT- 
 mounl.ms arc as un.lahlc as clomh "• 
 
 pollieian before ho" t„™,L'sSS" 
 
 a:ipr':i:rs^,ei?„£™ 
 
 the least objectionable of all his nroHnp 
 
 excluded altogether, or else veiled if the 
 de cent obscurity of general term Such 
 a paper from such a man, at a time lik 
 the present, s not wholly unworthy oFa 
 grave contradiction. " ""'"'^'"y or a 
 He makes certain charges which wo 
 
 evidence ; that the facts it pretends^o res 
 on are mere inventions ; that its doctrines 
 are pern.cions; that its requirements are 
 
 cruel. I deny all this, and assert, on the 
 contrary, that its doctrines are divhielv 
 Z"f'^' "« f,"»^a"^ental facts InS;^ 
 ably proved ;) its morality perfectly £e 
 from all tamt of error, and its influence 
 most beneficent upon society n general 
 and upon all individuals who accepf^rand 
 make it their rule of action. ^ 
 
 How shall this be determined ' Not bv 
 what wo call divine revelation for tint 
 would be begging the question not bv 
 
 as likely to be false as true; but by in- 
 
 THE CHRI8TIAN liELlQlON. 
 
 I ductivo reasoning from oVidence 7)f^hTr:ii: 
 the value is to bo mofimirnH o,> "' ."^"'f'" 
 •1.0S. rule, of ,„,.ic wmcK'SiSa" am^ 
 
 want^adeoUiou upon .„„„,! j„;?ei:!l";fi„! 
 Gibson, the groat Cliief-JasUce of P.nn 
 
 monlaw trial; ^nCn^TZlnce'^] 
 
 given to expressions of senUmonta nir v 
 and quite incapable of fii,eakin^ In ?^' 
 
 value upon all Jiis opinions when „ ff p . 
 
 ife, I was honoured with his closr. In 
 
 intimate friendship. ^^ ^"'^ 
 
 Let Christianity have a trial on Mr Inrrr.r 
 
 soli's indictment, and trive us a .w ^ 
 ■secundum alleata ct probaur I wH.l ' «°" 
 myself strictly to t'he record Th ^.^"to 
 say I will meet the accusations coutafneci 
 in this paper, and not those made efse 
 where by him or others "^^' 
 
 ity is ?h'f Se?'nf '"? ^f ^"^* C^"««an. 
 i»y IS tue belief of its d sciples " tho* 
 
 «iere is a personal God, the creator of fhe 
 material universe." If God r^^A^ 11 
 S^d it w«« a most stupe^ndou^mLcf 
 and all miracles, according to Mr Wr 
 
 dacL'''% ''^ • 'H« chfldren of S: 
 dacity. To admit the one great mii^P?« 
 of creation would be an adSfssio^ tSt 
 other miracles are at least pSaSe and 
 that would ruin his whole case R ff* 
 cannot catch the leviathan' of Lf " 
 sm with a hook. The universe L L '" 
 IS natural-it came into beYng of Us o^n' 
 accord ; It made.its own laws it the sJa'Jt 
 and afterward improved itself consider 
 bly by spontaneous evolution. I? wouid 
 be a mere waste of time and space „ 
 enumerate the uroofs ^hieh "how fW .i! 
 universe was coated by rL eXtf^n,? 
 self-conscious Being, of^poSer and wisdom 
 to us inconceivable. Convirt^n nf fi 
 fact (miraculous though it"beftc,.^itS? 
 
THK CHRISTIAN RPJLICUON. 
 
 videncc, of which 
 ii'cd accord iriK to 
 
 enlightened and 
 'five adopeid to 
 ' for trutJi. We 
 
 '■iitionjil love of 
 tion of falsctood, 
 f of good intcUi- 
 joration of other 
 it becomes their 
 ™' In short, I 
 "<i judicial prin- 
 
 •fustice of Penn- 
 «itain skeptical 
 riNtianity a com- 
 Jti evidence pro 
 j"iy under the 
 court, and the 
 in its favour." 
 /rom the most 
 iiiie, not at all 
 itiniontal piety, 
 )eaking on any 
 ggered tJie un- 
 it- 1 did not 
 Ills great repu- 
 'grity, but niv 
 uenoed by his 
 et a still higlier 
 when, in after 
 liis close and 
 
 1 on Mr. Inger- 
 3 us a decision 
 I will confine 
 ^i that is to 
 ons contained 
 le made else- 
 
 inst Christian- 
 'ciples "that 
 creator of the 
 d made the 
 ious miracle, 
 o Mr. Inger- 
 ren of men- 
 great miracle 
 mission that 
 robable, and 
 »e. But you 
 m of athe- 
 rse, he says, 
 ? of its own 
 at the start, 
 If consider- 
 »• It would 
 'd space to 
 owthat the 
 jxistent and 
 md wisdom 
 ion of the 
 forces itself 
 
 13 
 
 on every one whose mental faculties are 
 healthy and tolerably well balanced. The 
 notion that all thingi owe their origin and 
 tneir harmonious arrangement to the 
 fortuitous concurrence of atoms is a kind 
 of lunacy which very few men in these 
 days are afHictcd with. I hope I may 
 safely assume it as certain that all, or 
 nearly all, who read this page wHi have 
 sense and reason enough to see for them- 
 selves that the plan of the univ^ le could 
 not have been designed without a De- 
 "Kner, or executed without a Maker. 
 
 But Mr. Ingersoll asserts that, at all 
 events, this material world had not a 
 good and beneficent creator ; it is a bad 
 savage, cruel piece of work, with its 
 pestilences, storms, earthquakes, and vol- 
 canoes ; and man, with his lialnlity to 
 sickness, suffering, and death, is not a 
 siicccss, but, on the contrary, a failure. 
 I o defend the (Jreaior of the world against 
 an arrangement so foul as this would be 
 almost as unbecoming as lo make the 
 accusation. We have neither jurisdiction 
 nor capacity to rjjudge the justice of God. 
 Why man is made to fill this particular 
 place in the scale of (treation-a little 
 ower than the angels, yet far above the 
 brutes; not passionless and pure, like the 
 former, nor mere machines, like the 
 latter; able to stand, yet free to fall ; know 
 ing the right, and accountable for goinir 
 wrong ; gifted with reason, and impelled 
 l)y self-love to exercise the faculty-thesc 
 are questions on which we may have our 
 speculative opinions, but knowledge is out 
 ot our reach. Meantime, we do not dis- 
 credit our mental independence by taking 
 It for granted that the Supreme Being has 
 done all things well. Our ignorance of 
 tlie whole scheme makes us^oor critics 
 upon the small part that comes within our 
 limited perceptions. Seeming defects in 
 the structure of the world may be its most 
 perfect ornament-all apparent harshness 
 the tenderest of mercies. 
 
 " aI! '"'*'-"?''''> harmony not underslcjocl, 
 All partial evil, universal Rood." 
 
 But worse errors are imputed to God 
 as moral ruler of the world than those 
 charged against him as creator. lie made 
 man badly, but governed him worse- if 
 the Jehovah of the Old Testament was 
 not merely an imaginary being, then, ac 
 cording to Mr. Ingersoll, he was a nroiu- 
 Uiced, barbarous, criminal tvrant.' Wa 
 wiiiaee what ground he lays," if any, for 
 these outrageous assertions. 
 
 Mainly principally, first and most im- 
 portant of all, is the unqualified assertion 
 that the "moral code" which Jehovah 
 gave to his people "is in many respects 
 
 abhorrent to every good and tender man " 
 Does Mr. Ingersoll know what he is talk- 
 ing about? The moral code of the Bible 
 consists of certain immutable rules to 
 govern the conduct of all men, at all 
 times and all places, in their private and 
 personal relations with one another. It 
 is entirely separate and apart from' the 
 civil polity, the religious forms, the sani- 
 tary provisions, the police regulatiouR 
 and the system of internationaf law laid 
 down for the special and exclusive ob- 
 servance of the Jewish people. This ia a 
 distinction which every intelligent man 
 knows how to make. Has Mr.' Ingersoll 
 fallen into the egregious blunder of con- 
 founding these things? or, understanding 
 the truo sense of his words, is he rash find 
 shameless enough to assert that the moral 
 code of the Hiblo excites the abhorrence 
 of good men? In fact and in truth, this 
 moral code, which ho reviles, instead of 
 being abhorred, is entitled to, and has 
 received, the profounncst respect of all 
 honest and eensiblo persons. The second 
 table of the Decalogue is a jierfect com- 
 pcndiuin of those duties which every man 
 owes to himself, his family, and bis 
 neighbor. In a few simple words, whicli 
 he can commit to memory ahno.st in a 
 minute, it teaches him to purify his heart 
 from covetousness; to live decently, to 
 injure nobody in reputation, person or 
 property, and give every one his own 
 By the poets, tlie prophets, and the sages 
 of Israel, thepc great elements are expand- 
 ed into a volume of minuter rules so 
 clear, so impressive, and yet so solemn 
 and so lofty, that no pre-existing system 
 of philosophy can (compare with it for a 
 moment. If this vain mortal is not blind 
 with passion, he will see, upon rellection 
 that he has attacked the Old Testament 
 precisely where it is most impregnable 
 
 Dismissing his groundless charge asainst 
 the moral code, we come to his strictures 
 on the civil government of the .lews 
 which he .'rays was so bad and unjust that 
 the Lawgiver by whom it was estaoliahed 
 must have been as savagely cruel an the 
 Creator that made storms and pestilences- 
 and the work of both was more worthy of 
 a devil than a god, H's language is reck- 
 lessly bad, very defective in method, and 
 altogether lacking in piecision. But, aiiart 
 from the ribaldry of it, which I do not 
 feel myself bound to notice, I find four 
 objections to the Jewish constitution— 
 not more than four— which are dednite 
 enough to admit of an answer. These 
 relate to the provisions of the Mosaic law 
 on the subjects of (1) Blasphemy and 
 Idolatry; (2) War; (3) Slavery; (4) Poly- 
 gamy. In these resflpcts he pronounces 
 
14 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 
 
 cuUv''of'l '"''•""" '}.'l«»l'"n to tliodifli- 
 iWw. 7'«"»'"t' •'ibo'»t JtiHlico with a 
 
 That w ,i,t '''''°'^^- .^'"^t is justice? 
 ■limt whidi uccords w th Jaw anrl th, 
 
 t eahng with an adversary wo does Z 
 admit that there is a G«d.^ Then frhim 
 
 ft8 riglit as another, and all ihiinra uro 
 equally wronc Vviflmnf . """^^ .'"" 
 lultr there can bo no law, and wIuTe 
 
 Hion. It IS the misfortune of the atheistir 
 theory that it makes the mora world an 
 anarchy; it refers all ethical (.uestJons 
 that confuHcd tribunal where c mo sUs a? 
 
 Bumptuous eRoism which says 's . iJ 
 
 wiong. Of course I concede nothinrr tni 
 clami hke that. I will not admit tJrft the 
 Jewish constitution is a thinrto he cou 
 demned merely becauso lie curses it i 
 appeal from liis profane maledict on totho 
 couscienco of men who have "11" t" 
 
 ih^?)n'^- ""^f '^^^'^'^"'^ ^viU reacwi'see 
 tliJit Ins specihc obje(;tions to the .states 
 manship which established the civif "ov 
 
 t;'emei;\h',l'" "''^^V l>«opl" hL^cL" 
 lifTK "''<^""w, and do not furnish the 
 
 flicted fo/hln'T"^' "'*; P"»i«hments in- 
 
 ScSdSS^^SSt^li?^ 
 
 Bl^onld notice them nXallXioZ' ' 
 
 oS S.'?f r'-'^' "^i^riousl-'c^Sn" 
 Hotial iiirhts Which It is the duty of the 
 
 ithgious feelings of your neighbour is -i 
 
 ouscenity m the presence of a Chrisfifln 
 
 hiXfa'^'"s;^,'^"^:. ^^'^'^ *o strike S 
 1 tno taee. htill, neither policy nor ius- 
 
 the hiXr' •'^'^'" '^ ''' '•^"'^^d ling 
 ted lit ^""^'V,» a government consti- 
 tuted hke ours. But things were wholly 
 ditferen under the Jewish theocracy 
 
 statr '^;t ^''^1 *^^ P^'-^'^'^'^J head oM^e 
 nS Hn..i r .^la^Pl'emy was a breach of 
 pohtica allegiance ; idolatry was an overt 
 act of reason; to worship the gods of 
 the hostile heathen was deserting to the i 
 pubU« enemy, ai^ giving him !id and 
 
 comfort. These are crimes which evTi^ 
 independent community has aKs du7 
 •Hhed with the utmost rigor In our oir^,' 
 
 cont.inrf ^^'^'^''^^'^^^ t^«a '^"dc"* ever 
 Mr Ingersoll not only ifrnoros tbesn 
 
 tvra M^/ '' ';''^'*^,'""'' persecutor "ind a 
 
 tyrant because he does not encourage and 
 
 I reward the service and devotion pakl by 
 
 woi a. He professes to believe that all 
 kinds of worship are equally mtritorions 
 
 St^^Te^GoS'lt^-'^r^ ac?eSee a 
 lut true God. It is almost ncredible that 
 
 st.ch drivel as this shoul.l be ,Xed bv 
 anybody But Mr. Ingersoll no tonlv ev^ 
 presses the thought plainly-he iiJi^s ft 
 I .Y^^l'/'l'^ most extravagant figures of hs 
 'Ion, rhetoric. IIo .juotes the first com 
 
 mmsut the exclusive worship of His 
 people, and cites, in contrast, the nromise 
 put in the mouth of Brahma 1 at^] eT^^ 
 appropriate the worship of all gocirto 
 I himself, and reward all worshipper^s alike 
 Ihese passages being compaiid he de" 
 
 s;Ku-..^^"v^i-tST^'^ 
 
 God whom Christians b^lie^o'tobrSo 
 Lord of liberty and Father of lights de 
 
 dunS^'^R'' ""'T' «^ ^ ''S"-om« 
 dungeon ? Because ho refuses to encou r 
 age and reward the worshin ot" Mo.^ 
 ;uid Moloch, of BeliaT '3 Baalro" 
 Bacchus, with its drunken orgfcs 'am 
 Venus, with its wanton obsceS W- f „ 
 bestial religion which degraded the ^oulo? 
 Kgypt and the "dark idobitriernf r 
 ated Jiulah," polluted wfth tJ "LomlUth 
 of aJItbe nations round about Let tl 
 reader decide whether this nan omer 
 taming such sentiments and onininn. ■" 
 tit to be a teacher, or at aU likX n , ' 1 
 us in the way we should J;, ''^ ^° ^'^'^ 
 Second. Under the constitution which 
 (.od provided for the Jews they had lit 
 every other nation, the war:mag p^c:4e; 
 Ihey could not have lived a day withoui 
 It. Th» right to exist imphed the r\2\? 
 repel, .snth all their strength the on? «in^ 
 force which threatened their JesKSn 
 It IS true, also, that in the exercise of i^t 
 power they did not cbservelhose rules o? 
 courtesy and humanity which hav"h ^ 
 aiopted in modern times bvJvi.-^^? 
 oelligerents. Why? Sise'thrr'enf 
 mies, being mere savages, did not „„^ 
 stand, and would not^ practice iv'^T 
 whatever; and the Jews were' bound 
 necessitate rei-not merely jSerbytS 
 
lOH Which every 
 ias always pun- 
 or. In our own 
 were ropressnd 
 ban Judcft evor 
 
 ^ iiinoros these 
 es the length of 
 ^rsecutor and a 
 t encourage and 
 uvotlon paid hy 
 ds of the pagan 
 tilieve tiiat all 
 lly mtritorious, 
 (Jceptance from 
 incredible that 
 he uttered by 
 11 not only ex- 
 ^— he urges it 
 hgurcs of his 
 the first com- 
 ah claims for 
 I'siiip of His 
 , the promise 
 I, that lie will 
 f all gods to 
 liippers alike. 
 »ared, he de- 
 where crawl 
 slime"; the 
 I Jirmament, 
 s the living 
 ve to be the 
 3f lights, do- 
 a loatiiHomo 
 OS to encour- 
 » of Mamon 
 i I3aael ; of 
 fii'gitis, and 
 lenities; the 
 I the soul of 
 es of ahen- 
 3 moral filth 
 It. Let the 
 nan, enter- 
 opinions, is 
 teiy to lead 
 
 tiou which 
 y Ijad, like 
 :ing pcTver. 
 ay without 
 be right to 
 e opp iging 
 estruction. 
 3ise of this 
 se rules of 
 iave been 
 ' civilized 
 their ene- 
 lot under- 
 ' any rule 
 bound ex 
 fed by the 
 
 TItE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 
 
 16 
 
 lex taliorih— to do as their enemies did. 
 In your treatment of hostile barbarians, 
 you not only may lawfully, but nuist 
 necessarily, adopt their mode of warfare. 
 If they come to concjuer you, they may be 
 conquered by you; if they give no ((uarter, 
 they are entitled to none ; if the death of 
 your whole population be their purpose, 
 you may defeat it by exterminating theirs. 
 This sufliciently answers the Hily talk of 
 atheists and semi-atheists about the war- 
 like wickedness of the Jews. 
 
 But Mr. Ingersoll positively, and with 
 the emphasis of supreme and all-sufflcient 
 authority, declares that "a war of con- 
 quest is simply murder." He sustains this 
 proposition by no argument founded in 
 prmciple. He puts sentiment in place of 
 law, and denounces aggressive ligliting 
 because it is olfonsivo to liis " tondei- and 
 relined soul": the atrocity of it is there- 
 fore proportioned to tliesensibilities of his 
 own heart. He proves war a desp(;rately 
 wicked thing by continually vaunting his 
 own love for small children. Babes- 
 sweet babes— the prattle of babes -are the 
 subjects of his most pathetic eloqueuco, 
 and his idea of music is enibodierl in the 
 commonplace exi)ression of a Hiiu.u, that 
 the lute is sweet only to those who have 
 not heard the prattle of their own children. 
 All this is very amiable in him, and the 
 more so, perhaps, as these objects of his 
 affection a ; the youug ones of a race in 
 his opinion miscreated by an evil-working 
 chance. But his jyhiloprogeiiUiveneM proves 
 nothing against Jew or Gentile, seeing that 
 all have it in an efjual degree, and those 
 feel it most who make the least parade of 
 it. Certainly it gives him no authority to 
 malign the God who implanted it alike in 
 the hearts of us all. But 1 admit that his 
 benevolence becomes peculiar and ultra 
 when it extends to beasts as well as babes. 
 He is struck with horror by the eacriticial 
 solemnities of the Jewish religion. " The 
 killing of these animals was," he says, " a 
 terrible system," a '-shedding of innocent 
 blood," "shocking to a refined and sensitive 
 soul." There is such a depth of tender- 
 ness in this feeling, and such a splendor of 
 refinement, that I give up without a 
 struggle to the superiority of the man who 
 merely professes it. A carnivorous Ameri- 
 can, full of beef and mutton, who mourns 
 with indignant sorrow bec.iuse bulls and 
 goats were killed in Judea three thousand 
 years ago, has reached the climax of 
 sentimental goodness, and should be per- 
 mitted to dictate on all questions of peace 
 and war. Let Grotius, Vattel, and Puffen- 
 dorf, as well as Moses and the prophets 
 hide th«ir diminished heads. ' 
 
 But to show how inelHcacious, for all 
 practical purposes, a mere sentiment is 
 when substituted for a priciplo. it is only 
 necesBiiry to recolle(;t tiiat Mr. Ingersoll is 
 himself a warrior who staid not behind 
 the mighty men of his tribe when they 
 gathered themselves together for a war of 
 coiuiuest. He took the lead of a regiment 
 as eager as himself to spoil the ]*hilistines, 
 "and out he went a-coloneling." Hovv 
 many Amalekites, and Hittites, and 
 Amorites he put to the edge of the sword, 
 how many wi%es he widowed, or how 
 many mothers he " unbabed " cannot now 
 be told. I do not even know how many 
 droves of innocent oxen he condemned 
 to the slaughter. But it is certain that 
 his relined and tender soul took great 
 pleasure in the terror, conllagration, blood, 
 and tears wUh which the war was attended', 
 and in all the hard oppressions which the 
 conquered people vvc^re made to suffer 
 afterward. I do not say that th< w.-u' was 
 either l)etler or worse for his paitioipation 
 and approval. But if his own conduct 
 (for which he professes neither penitence 
 nor siiame) was right, it was right on 
 grounds which make it an inexcusable out- 
 rage to call the children of Israel savage 
 criminals for carr3,-inip on wars of aggres- 
 sion to save the life of their government. 
 These inconsistencies are the necessary 
 consecjuence of having no rule of action 
 and no guide for the conscience. When a 
 man throws away the golden metewand of 
 the law which God has provided, and 
 tnkes the elastic cord of feeling for his 
 measure of righteousness, you cannot tell 
 from day to day what he will think or do. 
 Third. But Jehovah permitted his chos- 
 en people to hold the captives they took in 
 war or purchased from the heathen as ser- 
 vants for life. This was slavery, and Mr 
 Ingersoll declares that "in all civilized 
 countries it is not only admitted, but it is 
 passionately asserted, that slavery is, and 
 always was, a hideous crime"; therefore 
 he concludes that Jehovah wai a criminal. 
 This would be & non st't/uitur, even if the 
 pn mises were true. But the premises are 
 false ; civilized countries have admitted no 
 such thing. That slavery is a crime, un- 
 der all circumstances and at .ill times) is a 
 doctrine first started by the adherents' of a 
 political faction in this country, .less than 
 ftnty years ago. They denounced God and 
 Christ for not agreeing with them, 
 in terms very similar to those 
 used here by Mr. Ingersoll. But 
 they did not constitute the civilized world- 
 nor were they, if the truth must be told a 
 very respectable portion of it. Politically, 
 they were successful ; I need not say by 
 what means, or witli what effect upon th 
 
16 
 
 '"« «i<l. un.n e CV,*7' ^^^^^^^ "'tft'stH to 
 
 lionis.n was r iLrl.Tr.^ Anionciin Aboli- 
 
 '"itli unci my rcaa ,, j^^, *^'''" Pl«ml, my 
 
 /^rounds wlumUo a tS!" "P"" ^'""'J 
 
 ptTiorH is tlioLrn.u u work lf\"'^''''"''« ^'^ «'»- 
 All i.uprovc:!^^^ t 7 o,^ Immansocioty 
 world ami the iif vf [L ""'^' '" this 
 
 "urnoives. Thr'ro ott,. h. . ''"■''"' ^''*" 
 
 whoi, ft J,.w tool « • ^."°.'l"'''^*'on *l'at, 
 J'i.sl^<).uiservrt ,1 «''Vago for 
 
 /'"I ^'avohim HkHowSinf r,*" '^'''■'*' 
 boon. ^ "''"" 1'"" a 'nost beneficent 
 
 j-SrsttSiS.rr'^'-^^^ 
 
 «• Hay, it is n,rSe "inf r";, ''''™"'''« 
 
 '■"Ht«u,l „f a nuTo" o L ^ ''■''• "■ «''ites„ia„ 
 
 ^-0,1 an,l HUfi"i; t'r S's";,;.' i\:^^^^ '^^^ 
 fince to lecislatc .i;rn«<.T , *- forbear- 
 
 it would be nro^^^^f ^ "^"" *^"' ■^»'^J««t. 
 forth here e'Ev/?' 7^ !« "^^ them 
 •""•'once of ho C n.ht''^'''"'V''y' ^''^t *'»« 
 "»'I without he a^i' J'il/'^""'^''' alone. 
 I'as e.xtirpat<.d this ha f " enactments, 
 manners who Uer i s L f^"''' "^ ^^'atif' 
 
 "'>J- As tl^e Chrfsthn fS''^^^ 
 
 •'I'ly communitv in ri.nf " '' Pievails in 
 
 hia own devotion to fi.„ '• ?"y«'«o]i got 
 
 •'!■ f«nntlo chamiS roS^S'f-^ 'y^' 
 virtue of tidelitv tn ,,„ V" . ''^^ "» tlie 
 example and Seceo^of T'^ wife from tl,e 
 rents. IspeaKonH, *"',^^''"'''''"«n pa- 
 «re sentimTn 8 wZh f '"^\'''"'"''^^ >'•««« 
 lieart of ^ e nat rnl t """^ -^T"^ '« "'« 
 planted. Why tie *"" .'^''^"^ ^'^'"^ 
 ^'umy into tle\S tL^^'V"•™ W 
 abhors it ? Becauso iL • ' '"V,^?"" ^^l^'cli 
 
 political. Th?Emnni', ",'•"""«'' '^ not 
 K'lmy, and Vlt '^^i^^'^^ns believe in poly 
 
 They 'a;e guiUv of"h?'"' "''' ""P«Pniar. 
 
 fonldbehissp, »„ '^ '^'.^"'^ 'f a war 
 might be mo I ,^''''^''n*^"'»' 'ts fruits 
 
 wet do^norcoU;ro 'J."ir^^'it ^'^" 
 
 mancEuvre. this of Jfti .. i^ ** cunning 
 by enlisting a^-.Mormnn^''''"'"-^ '^"^'^'«'» 
 the God of tlic C Sr, '?P'"^'*^ ^««'nst 
 
 '- against ^.^'r7eJo3S?^ 
 
 TtlE CilUISTlAN RELIGION. 
 
 without h,tt^^ hhn hS atT"r" ^'"^ 
 part of the casf on the oThe^siir '' '''^' 
 
 proofs wJich "Zn^/I,''^*^" ^'^^ positive 
 
 will establiSffhe veri i om7 '^/fP^n^ation 
 ;>eing so conne ted oJe2et'th^f7"^''^^« 
 true the other cannotTe fa7«e '^^ '^ ""^' i« 
 
 'nS'^to't'l-hrfst^rt' r"""-'^'' 
 
 i^«tirrs;iS-^^^ 
 biH divinit;;;:/tio.u iosSon 'l^-^^"' i" 
 
 »norningof tI.ecreatifT S; i. '"''^ "'^ 
 red so wonderful naJi.I "^tn.'nS baa occur- 
 
 who were in t e Soon o if T'' ^«" 
 was put to death" s a mal ftr^''," '^''^'^ 
 «eo him worshipped as Si f*' '"'*'^ t*^ 
 'bodies of believero in I'. ' ^'^ !>rgonizod 
 Koman empIrT ^ Province of the 
 
 obange in human society A vi Tf '"^.''' 
 the face of obstacles wi;;]. '' '^"^ ,^^'« ^" 
 
 propensities, tiie sensunl v„;.^ J *''*- ®^'' 
 thevu|.rarcrimp«nfM '^^'^'^°e««. and 
 
 a,« the-polisbe r: ee ^ S"£'t' "^ >^^" 
 
 Huch as patriotism and Sarv hl.n-'*"'' 
 It encoun ti>vfl«i « ♦ , """'aiy neroism. 
 
 tlle world f u ,™r ,,,i,.""= »f tic, of 
 otlier ways to aZunlfo "•,"■'' i"' '"» 
 
 to prove tl,V™Mm!l° ,tr" '?^ ^•"<' Me 
 V « me supeinatwral origin of liiegoa. 
 
 V:. 
 
interests. It is 
 tump oratory. 
 ' of Mr. IiiL'er- 
 ll'o Old Testa- 
 ig, and I im>ht 
 ilose upon him 
 »t loftHt, Bome 
 ■ side. 
 
 lil the positive 
 lutlientlcity of 
 they are at 
 3oau8e the evi- 
 ' (lispeiiHatioii 
 e old—the two 
 that if one is 
 
 3. 
 
 ' announced 
 Q of (iod, in 
 's who heard 
 ' believed in 
 »• Since the 
 'S J'iis occnr- 
 y witlj which 
 ^roml. Men 
 when Jesus 
 tor livei to 
 ' organized 
 •viuce of the 
 
 uiplete pes- 
 n^luntedall 
 'I radical 
 liJ this iu 
 cordinfj to 
 surinouut- 
 11 the evil 
 Inesa, and 
 Je, as well 
 luxurious 
 ►^ opposed 
 habits of 
 virtuou.s, 
 lieroism. 
 ■ance and 
 d philos- 
 id art of 
 tion were 
 "iesthood 
 1 the au- 
 i arrayed 
 together 
 ere over- 
 )f man's 
 ■ation of 
 died hy 
 of their 
 lat this 
 Uion of 
 ut two 
 ier the 
 '•e able 
 'Iiegoa- 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN RELWION. 
 
 17 
 
 pel waB overwhelmiug and irresistible, or 
 elae itB propagation was provided for and 
 carried on by the direct aid of the Divine 
 Being himself. Between these two. in! 
 hdehty may make its own choice 
 
 i.inf ♦^^'*' '"'"^^'''" 'li^emma presents its 
 hornB to our adversary. If Christianity 
 was a human fabrication, its authors must 
 have been either good men or bad. It is 
 a moral impossibility-a mere contradic- 
 tion m terms-to say that good, honest, 
 and true men practised a gross and willfu 
 deception upon the world. It is equally 
 ncredible that any combination of knaves 
 however base, would fraudulently concoct 
 a religious system to denounce themselves 
 and to invoke the curse of God upon thei^ 
 own conduct Men that love lies love not 
 such lies as that. Is there any way out of 
 this difhculty, except by confessing that 
 Christianity is what it purports to be-a 
 div.ne revelation? 
 
 The acceptance of Christianity by a large 
 portion of the generation contemporafy 
 with its Founder and his apostles was! 
 under the circumstances, an adjudication 
 as solemn and authoritative as mortal in. 
 telhgence could pronounce. The record 
 of that judgment has come down to us 
 accompanied by the depositions of the 
 principal witnesses. In the coursP of 
 eighteen centuries many efforts have oeen 
 made to open the judgment or set it aside 
 on the ground that the evidence was insuf- 
 ficient to support it. But on every rehear- 
 ing the wisdom and virtue of mankind 
 have rearmed it. And now comes Mr 
 Ingersoll. to try the experiment of another 
 Doid. bitter, and fierce re-argument I 
 will present some of the considerations 
 which would compel me. if I were a judge 
 or juror m the cause, to decide it j/ist S 
 It was decided originally '' 
 
 ti,f^'rvf' ^^^'^ ^^ °^ g°od reason to doubt 
 that the statements of the evangelists as 
 we have them now. are genuine. The 
 multiplication of copies was a suliicient 
 
 nfT^a^^^T^K^'^y "^^^^'i^ alteration 
 of the text. Mr. Ingersoll speaks of inte i" 
 polations made by the fathers of the 
 Cnurch. All he knows and all he has ever 
 heard on that subject is that some of the 
 
 Second. I call these statements deposi- 
 tions, because they are entitled to that 
 kmd of credence which we give to declara 
 tions made under oath-but in a much 
 
 S-n to'^'% ^"^ '^'y ^' °^«'« tSan 
 swoin to. They were made in the im- 
 
 mediate prospect of death. Perhaps this 
 
 [would not affect the conscience of an 
 atheist,— neither would an oath —but 
 these people manifestly beheved in a judtr- 
 ment after death, before a God of truth 
 whose displeasure they feared above all 
 things. ■ 
 
 2'/Urd. The witnesses could not have 
 been mistaken. The nature of the facts 
 precluded the possibility of any delusion 
 about them. For every averment they 
 iiad the sensible and true avouch of their 
 own eyes" and ears. Besides, they were 
 plain thinking, sober, unimaginative men. 
 who, unlike Mr. Ingersoh, always, under 
 all circumstances, and especially in the 
 presence of eternity, recognized the dif- 
 ference between mountains and clouds It 
 IS inconceivable how any fact could be 
 proven by evidence more conclusive than 
 the statement of such persons, publicly 
 given and steadfastly persisted in through 
 every kind of persecution, imprisonment 
 and torture to the last agonies of a linger' 
 ing death. * 
 
 Fourth. Apart from these terrible teats 
 tue more ordinary claims to credibility are 
 not wanting. They were men of unim- 
 peachable character. The most virulent 
 enemies of the cause they spoke and died 
 tor have never suggested a reason for 
 doubting their personal honesty. But 
 there 18 affirmative proof that they and 
 ttieir fellow-disciples were held by those 
 who knew them in the highest estimation 
 for truthfulness. Wherever they made 
 their report it was not only believed but 
 believed with a faith so implicit' that 
 thousands were ready at once to seal it 
 with their blood. 
 
 Fifth. The tone and temper of their nar- 
 rative impress us with a sentiment of pro- 
 found respect. It is an artless, unimpas- 
 sioned, simple story. No argument, no 
 rlietoric, no epithets, no praises of friends 
 no denunciation of enemies, no attempts 
 at concealment. How strongly these qual- 
 ities comnaend the testimony of a witness 
 to the confidence of judge and jury is well 
 known to all who have any experience in 
 such matters. 
 
 Sixth. The statements made by the 
 evangelists are ahke upon every impoitant 
 point, but are different in form and ex- 
 pression some of them including details 
 which the others omit. These variations 
 make It perfectly certain that there could 
 nave been no previous concert between the 
 witnesses and ?' ,i each spoke l-idepend- 
 ently of the otL according w b'- >wn 
 conscience and from his own knowledge 
 In considering the testimony of several 
 witnesses to the same transaction, their 
 I substantial agreement upon the main facts 
 
18 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 
 
 iiJ 
 
 with circumstantial diflferences in dei II 
 
 WHO Of truth and honeety. There in nn 
 ["'« 1 «^Jence more nniv^^rsally adopted 
 than th.8~none better suitainedUZer 
 jd experience, or more immovably fifed in 
 the good sense of mankind. Mr. Ineerso 1 
 bimself, admitB the rule andoonSB Us 
 soundness The logical consequlSce o 
 that admission is that we ore bound ?o 
 take thiB evidence ai> incontestably true 
 
 whl"l ^J"'^ ^" infatuated perversity wtli 
 which he seeks to evade it. He say. that 
 when we claim that the witn^wes were 
 nspared, the rule does not appirbLZe 
 ^he^witnesses then speak wha?rk„oT o 
 
 exSitTv^J'P"'^'* ^^*'^' ^"'^ »" '»u«t "peak 
 exactly the same even to the minutest detail 
 
 Mr Ingersoirs notion of an inspired witness 
 »8 tha he IS no witness at all, but an irre 
 K""' ' ^^dium who unconsclousTylnd 
 ir voluntarily raps out or writes Sown 
 whatever he is prompted to say. Zt 
 ced ir'iS' *^^«"'»P\»°°. «ot cSenan 
 
 taiiecl fn thl^f ''-''f^ ^y '*°J*^'°g con- 
 lainetl m the Scriptures. The apostles 
 and evangelists are expressly declared to 
 
 trTcHZ'' •^*'« proper Ure^o^the 
 word, called and sent to testify the truth 
 
 Stella it'" '"°^i«<'ge^ I? Siy 
 
 uad alJ told the same storv in the same 
 
 us uniformity by declaring that thev wpfa 
 XT^'r^ h*d«poken withouSXg 
 whether their words were true or false 
 where would have been their claim to 
 
 knew ; and here comes an infidel critic 
 impugning their testimony because the 
 
 iieventli. It does not appear that thp 
 atatements of the evangelists were eve? 
 know^'th^ Srr -^« P-^ndedT 
 «.»^ » 5^1^- ^^y tJiwe were in 
 
 belief fll/^^T*' afterward'who resistei the 
 ^f ^H^*^/***^^ ^as the Christ, the Son 
 of Ojd and only Saviour of man ; but Ws 
 
 n'J'i;^-flff"^r^'"'''- '^^ "^i'-aculous purity 
 of his life, the unapproachable loftiness S 
 his doctrines^ his trial and condemnation 
 by a judge who pronounced him innocent 
 his patient suflfering. his death on the 
 cross, and resurrection from the grave - 
 of theso not the faintest contmdictin^as 
 att. , .ed, If we except the false and 
 feeble stoiy which the*^eldere and chfef 
 priests bribed the guard at the tomb to 
 put in oirctflation. 
 
 t Jif n*f j;^*\T« «»"«<* the fundamental 
 tinitns of Christmnitw non'-'-t of - - • 
 
 ?fvl !7t°*e. ^^'"^^ "^'^ sufficientlf T 
 tabhshed by history without special pro^f 
 The value of mere historical evidenceT" 
 
 facts in question, their general notorietv 
 and the magnitude of their visible conso 
 quenoes. Cornwailis surrendered to VVash' 
 ington at Yorktown. and changed the 
 destiny of Europe and America Nobodv 
 would think of calling a witness or S 
 citing an official report to proved jZ. 
 C»flar was aHHassinated. We do not need 
 lo prove that fact like an ordinary murdeJ 
 He was master of the world, and lis death 
 wa« folowed by a war with the conspfra 
 ors, the battle at Philippi, the quarre of 
 the victorious trnimvirs. Actium and hi 
 permanent establishmeni of imperial bov 
 ernment under Augustus. The r/elnj 
 character, the death and resurLl inn , 
 Jesus are just as visibly ronSed^ith 
 events which even an inficlel must ^m^ I« 
 be of equal importance The f 'h„t;^ ^ 
 and armed herself in r.^htJotne's^rorcoT 
 nict with the powers of darkness • inn,, 
 
 rallied to her standard and died in hf! 
 cause ; her enemies emnloved h.« V? 
 and vulgar machinerrof Can gove™ 
 ment against her, and her professofs wp^ 
 brutally murdered in large nuS™ ^ 
 triumph was complete; theSofc^' 
 and Rome crumbled on their altars Th! 
 world was revolutionized aSd hi^i^^ 
 society was transformed. The cour^S 
 these events, and a thousand others whirh 
 reach down to the present hour r'eSd 
 
 Zt'of S r '"^« '^' »'*ns'cenTen1 
 ract ot Christ 8 crucifixion. MorfiovJr 
 
 we find tne memorial monuments of th' 
 original truth planted all al^ng the wav 
 The sacraments of baptism and the «i,n^' 
 constantly point us ba?k to ?he authoS 
 finisher of our faith The mor^ k- ? ■ 
 
 evidence is for theSrealonsrcVstre'r 
 than what we have for nthJ7^)i ^^^ 
 Which are regarded as unden?aWe"wT''' 
 to this is added the cuSttve ' idl^'" 
 given directly and positively 'J^ llf^P,' 
 nesses ot irreproachable charArtl. f,' 
 Wholly uncontradicted, Lfr^otbL^^f. 
 so strong that the disbelief we h^arn? 
 seems likea kind of insanity! ^ °^ 
 
 "It is the very error of the moon. 
 WhKh^^comes more near the earth than she wm 
 And makes men mad ! ' 
 
 Prom the facts established bv this «-,.• 
 
 dence it follows irresistibly that the fll" 
 
 pel has come to us froi God & 
 
 silences all reasoning about the wisS 
 
 I and justice of its doctrines. a,n«« ,-7 „ ^ 
 
 possible even to imagine thatwrOTK ^ '^' 
 
 done or commandwl bv thAt «£ • 
 
 Being whose will ^one^is^L ultlLT 
 
 standard of all justice. ultimate 
 
THE (^HKISTIAN RELKHON. 
 
 jn 
 
 ipoitanceof the 
 neral notoriety, 
 r visible conse- 
 J.lered to VVaali- 
 J changed the 
 erioa. Nobody 
 ivitness or even 
 'ove it. Julius 
 V^c do not need 
 dinary murder. 
 , and hia death 
 1 the conspira- 
 
 the quarrel of 
 ctiura, and the 
 
 imperial gov. 
 
 The life «nd 
 38urrection, of 
 snnectetl with 
 niust aJniit to 
 e Church rose 
 jsness for con- 
 rkness ; innu- 
 «t and wiBeat 
 i died in her 
 ed the coarse 
 iman govern- 
 ofessors were 
 lumbers ; her 
 ods of Greece 
 r altars ; the 
 
 and human 
 he course of 
 )thers, which 
 our, received 
 transcendent 
 Moreover, 
 oents of the 
 ng the way. 
 d the supper 
 9 author and 
 5re historical 
 uch stronger 
 occurrences 
 ble. When 
 ve evidence 
 by eye-wit- 
 racter, and 
 'Of becomes 
 ive hear of 
 
 than she 
 
 Wm 
 
 y this evi- 
 't the Qos- 
 od. That 
 e wisdom 
 
 A it 1A c 
 
 - ■•■ ITT liij. 
 
 Migoanbe 
 
 Soverei^ 
 
 ultimate 
 
 But Mr. InKcrHolj is still diHsatistied. lie 
 riiiHos ubjuciioiiH lus faJHo, fleeting, and 
 basclcHB a8 cloudH and insists Ihiit they 
 are as Htablo as tl.(; mountain.s, whose 
 ev(Mltt8ling fouiidalions arc laid by the 
 hand of Iho Almighty, 1 will compress 
 his propositions iulo plain words printed 
 in ilafics, and, taking a h)ok at his misty 
 creation.s, let thorn roll away and vanish 
 into air, one after another. 
 
 ChrUlianily offem eternal mlvatiou a» the 
 reward of belief alone. This is a misrepre- 
 sentation simple and naked. No such 
 do(!triiic i«i propoi ndod in the Scriptures, 
 or in the ciood of any Christian church. 
 On the contrary, it is distinctly taught 
 that faith avails nothing without repen- 
 tance, reformation, and newness of life. 
 
 The mere failure to believe it in puninhed 
 in hell. I have never known any Christian 
 man or woman to assert this. It is univer- 
 sally agreed that children loo young to un- 
 derstand it do not need to believe it. And 
 this exemption extends to adults who have 
 never seen the evidence, or from weakness 
 of ijitellect are incapable of weighing it. 
 Lunatics and idiots are not in the least 
 danger, and, for aught I know, this cate- 
 gory may, by a stretch of God's mercy, 
 include minds constitutionally sound, but 
 with faculties so perverted by education, 
 habit, or passion that they are incapable 
 of reasoning. I sincerely hope that, upon 
 this or some other principle, Mr. Ingersoll 
 may escape the hell he talks about so 
 much. But there is no direct promise to 
 save him in spite of himself. The plan of 
 redemption contains no express covenant 
 to pardon one who rejects it with scorn 
 and hatred. Our hope for him rests on 
 infinite compassion of that gracious Being 
 who prayed on the cross for the insulting 
 enemies who nailed him there. 
 
 The mystery of the second birth is incom- 
 prehensible. Christ established a new 
 kingdom in the world but not of it. Sub- 
 jects were admitted to the privileges and 
 
 protection of its government by a process 
 equivalent to naturalization. To be born 
 again, or regenerated, is to be naturalized. 
 The words all mean the same thing. Does 
 Mr. Ingersoll want to disgrace his own 
 intellect by pretending that he cannot see 
 this simple analogy ? 
 
 The dMtrine of the atonement is absurd^ 
 unjust and immoral. The plan of salvation, 
 or any plan for the rescue of sinners from 
 the legal operation of divine justice, could 
 have been framed only in the councils of 
 the Omnisoitnt. Necessarily its heights 
 and depths are not easily fathomed by 
 finite intelligence. But the greatest, ablest, 
 wisest, and most virtuous men that ever 
 
 lived have given it their profoundest oon- 
 sideration, and found it to be tot only 
 authorized by revelation, but theoretically 
 conformed to their Ijesl and highest con- 
 coptions of infinite goodness. Neverthe- 
 less, here is a rash and superficial man, 
 without training or habits of reflection, 
 who, upon a more glance, declares that it 
 ''must be abandoned." because it seems to 
 him "absurd, unjust, and immoral." 1 
 would not abridge his freedom of thought 
 or speech, and the arfiunientuni ad rerecun- 
 diam would bo lost upon him. Othorwige 
 I might suggest that, when he finds all 
 authority, human and divine, against him, 
 he had better speak in a tone less arrogant. 
 Jle does not comprelwnd how justice and 
 mercy can he blended together in the plan of 
 redemption, and therefore it cannot be true, 
 A thing is not necessarily false because ho 
 does not understand it ; he cannot anni- 
 hilate a principle or a fact by ignoring it. 
 There are many truths in heaven and earth 
 which no man can .see through; for in- 
 stance, the union of man's soul with his 
 body is not only an unknowable but an 
 unimaginable mystery. Is it therefore 
 false that a connection does exist^between 
 matter and spirit ? 
 
 How, he asks, can the sufferings of an in- 
 nocent person satisfy justice for the sins of 
 tlie guilty f This raises a metaphysical 
 c^uo8tion, which it is not necessary or pas- 
 sible for me to discuss here. As matter of 
 fact, Christ died that sinners might be re- 
 conciled to God, and in that sense he died 
 for them ; that is, to furnish them witli 
 the means of averting divine justice, which 
 their crimes had provoked. 
 
 What, he again asks, would we think of 
 a man who allowed another to die for a crime 
 which he himself /lad committed ? 1 answer 
 tliat aman who, by any contrivance, causes 
 his own offense to be visited upon the head 
 of an innocent person is unspeakably de- 
 praved. But are Christians guilty of this 
 baseness because they accept the blessings 
 of an institution which their great benefac- 
 tor died to establish? Loyalty to the 
 King who has erected a most beneficent 
 government for us at the cost of his life- 
 fidelity to the Master who bought us with 
 his blood— is not the fraudulent substitu- 
 tion of an innocent person in place of a 
 criminal. 
 
 The doctrine of non'resistance, forgiveness 
 of injuries, reconetliation with enemies, as 
 taught in the New Testament, is the child 
 of weakness^ (J^grading and unjuit. This is 
 
 the whole substance of a long, rambling 
 
 diatribe, as incoherent as a sick man's 
 
 dream. Christianity does not forbid the 
 
 I necessary defence of civil society, or th^ 
 
30 
 
 Wii^ CI' 
 
 !| 
 
 
 proper vindioiition of MWtiii, , „ . 
 revenge, to noard p'u*;^,,^ 11?. "^^ ' 
 
 'Ac punithmrnt of miner» in eternnl h.n 
 1* excemve. The fitiir« Xf 'J}"ernal hell 
 
 -ubjecton which wo Hvev'rvlarV'* * 
 Idea excent whaf, in .nn„."^' _ .?^? '« "'> 
 
 't«TfAN ftKIJfjiON. 
 
 Idea except what is con vevedo if fh. " * *"ne8 of curiflt arc 
 
 tho bodily BpnHt,H Aii\:/ ''' ""oinjh harshness AnA „k. -•■o-'—j' ..«« irorn 
 
 the JllTT:.. ;f ' ""; conceptions of spefik with IST' ^' ^■°""'' ^ <•»"""» 
 
 aro derived from some liove .nost Lnfi^ " .*! '"T"""*^' *'"» ' »'<- 
 thintrs. jinf +1,;= „„.,i .7 . '"''"i f^onfident v that »i,«..,. ;, • 
 
 the spiH^u, r wor d Z Z ved ^ "' "' 
 analogy to material things In, S?« f^T 
 ogy must necessarily bo verv rim L "k ^' 
 cause the nature of the suSeotsTnm!: ^% 
 18 so diverse that a close simn:.*™'"""'^'* 
 be even supposed No ?nT*^ ''*""''^ 
 lifted the veil between f^mn'^1'*""" ^^^ 
 but,in shad^vtyXres wcTr^^wttedllfa^ 
 
 sts-ti.-f-£^%j|pn;^ 
 
 (New ToMn^enl. (ri«pl,„„ llmt Mr In' 
 
 person wl'."''^'''^; *'> the(Jospelv ?'he 
 Eis truHtin."''" " * "■ *''" ''"P'^od "P n 
 
 - £'iKpSi-^;' ^^liz 
 
 J-arshnesVaiTir ^';\«;!L"'^_/-« ^-^ 
 
 in^eTsoif enir^htenTsV 'jjL'nT ^-^h" ^^• 
 no standard of right and ^r'^'?'^^'"^ 
 world he can have no ^l '""".^ '^ this 
 
 and punishment's ntL'nST ""tIZ^"'^ 
 done in the body. wZthlr cml^'^ '^^^ 
 are all morally alikp Tn S^ ^^^^ "•" evil, 
 
 there be in tVyef a 'c^'rlS 'S'tb" 
 just, he sees no reason yrhvthrii^.^^ ^^^ 
 should not be a member of i' 'T '''^' 
 posed, however, that man i« '."^" 
 
 well as a body knd tL? J^»5 " * ^^"' «« 
 to certain la^'s. whicj IJ^^o^ T ^"^^''i 
 without incurring the n violated 
 
 accusation, and tbTistn'*' T'*^. *^"« Take the cases mZ *^'"P"'"*' ^^^^^'^^ts 
 
 pereeou ion, l,m Ji.i, ih7°i °,°' ™'.' ' '"'"* « SmiifleM .""^ i?°"''«?'. 'be 
 l^,or .0,. u,, U. No ,„,pS^^;:i. ; 1-- .^»M ^etf S 
 
 or, Zri mv"moS'"M ff'"?"' "^ ""• 
 tearuuce tL„ ohurily and for. 
 
 but Chrt,li,i,?ir " '""■"iHClou, set, 
 smith ^ Alexander the copper- 
 
 ever pretended to find a warrant fi^ 
 
 --__ ^. .„^,.o n, n,^ j^y follower nt r', : "* ""'- 
 
 mdulges in malice eventohinnemV m " °-^^'' « 
 
 out violating the plaineHt r.,il ^/ ,™^;^* ■ ' "lev Colit-^ o^'-T'l-""" »uu-uunsiian 
 
 He cannot I?ve GSdZfhat^"• tl e^^- i-Ie/by an 'ori^er'^i S.^?,dherents were 
 
 „ ..ue luc plainest rule of liia ' ♦ 
 
 bta a |,ar. S brUeTC".^? 
 chanty, ar. tacuIoated?J'e,eS ,toeT( the 
 
 Kt, ^ """ "'« adherents wem 
 
 -.- .„^ by an order of Charles I Y of *i^ 
 mstance of the Gaises wjT^ i aJ ** *^® 
 tile faction, and mS f^JjoS'"^'* .^r^ 
 Louis IV. revoked the ed^nt^^""/^*^**^- 
 banished the Waldenses tnJIi*"*"?'""'^ 
 confiscation and deaT?«LVrdVi 
 
that Mr. In. 
 
 of If ; other- 
 fit ured upon 
 itN <l()otrJn(>H. 
 Ii«h spirit of 
 
 t'licoiiraged, 
 fwpel ? Till! 
 npoHod upon 
 
 l>« given up 
 
 his fellow- 
 
 trry on want 
 t one r nother, 
 
 Hilbj(;f;tB hy 
 menlsl doc- 
 y froo frorn 
 rso I cannot 
 ■, hut I bc- 
 !ro is not in 
 8 century as 
 an be found 
 I's writings, 
 ical preach. 
 ity and for- 
 acious set, 
 responelble 
 
 18 for the 
 the wrongs 
 the copper- 
 
 heen guilty 
 tian. It JM 
 ling Chris- 
 ndamental 
 icting vio- 
 )ng8 upon 
 'Ctrators of 
 r^hristians: 
 •m the be- 
 ■infidels or 
 '68, whose 
 e of them 
 tnt for bis 
 ist or any 
 le wrongs 
 ords have 
 ften aided 
 re willing 
 le enemy, 
 interests, 
 cited and 
 of them, 
 tugal, the 
 whipping 
 
 the out- 
 •christiao 
 ints were 
 i^M at the 
 3d a hos- 
 i of state. 
 ■nte8,and 
 
 pain of 
 ^as done 
 
 THK CHRIV ^AN RELIGION. 
 
 31 
 
 on the declared Rround that the victims 
 were not safe suhjcctH. The brutal atroci- 
 t es ot LromwoU and th.; outragfls oi the 
 Orange Lodges against the Irish Catholics 
 were nr.» perseoutionH by religious people, 
 hut movements as purely political as those 
 of the Know-Nolhings, nuff-UfflTs and 
 
 Hhould be blamed for thoHn acts in opposi- 
 tion to itH prinoinlos, why not also chW'o 
 It with the cruelties o' Norn, or the pro- 
 sent perseoutiou of th.' ,Ie uits by the in- 
 ndel republic i,f rrnnce ;' 
 
 ^f^rUtianitii U >>ppo,cd to freedom of 
 thought, rho kniAlom of (Christ is based 
 upon ceit.iln principles, to which it renuir- 
 es thr rs^ at of every one who would on- 
 ter therein. If you are unwilliog to own 
 his authority ana conform your moral con- 
 duct to his laws, you cannot expect that ho 
 will admit you to the privileges of hiscov- 
 ernment. But naturalization is not forced 
 upon you if you prefer to bo an alien. The 
 C.ospel makes the strongest and tenderest 
 appeal to the heart, reason, and conscience 
 of man— entreats him to take thought for 
 his own highest interest, and bv all its 
 moral influence provokes him to good 
 workB; but heia not constrained by anv 
 kind of dure.ss to leave the service or re 
 hngulsh the wages of sin. Is there any- 
 thing that savors of tyranny in this ? A 
 man of ordinary judgment will say, no 
 But Mr. IngersoU thinks it is as oppressive 
 as the refusal of Jehovah to reward the 
 worship of demons. 
 
 The gospel of Christ does not satisfy the 
 hunger of the heart. That depends upon 
 what kind of a heart it is. If it hungers 
 after righteousness, it will surely be filled 
 It 18 probable, also, if it hungers for the 
 falthy food of a godless philosophy it will 
 get what Its appetite demands. That was 
 an expi jssive phn-we which Carlyle used 
 whenl • j-'iied modern infidelity "the sros 
 pel of dirt." Those who are greedy to 
 swallow It will doubtless be supplied sat- 
 isfdctonly. *^ 
 
 Accoujits of miraclen are always false 
 Are miracles impossible' No one will 
 say so who opens his eyes to the miracle, 
 of creation with which we are surrounded 
 on every hand. You cannot even show 
 that they are a priori improbable God 
 would be likely to reveal his will to the 
 rational creatures who were required to 
 obey it ; he would authenticate in some 
 way the right of prophets and apostlet to 
 
 sneak in his namo • onru>Kn..»,.-.i ., . 
 
 - — — -- I ••••i"! i.-rtniiEi power 
 
 was the broad seal which he affixed to their 
 
 commission. From this it follows that 
 
 the improbabihty of a miracle is no greater 
 
 than the original improbability of afevela- 
 
 tion, and that i« not impioh,iblo at all 
 Therefore, if the miracles of the New Tea 
 tament an proved by gufflcient evidence 
 we boliovo them as we bel.ev. any S 
 established fa. t They booomo den.lhlM 
 only when t .h nmiwu that the great mn 
 aole of making tlio world was never nor- 
 formod. Accordingly Mr. ingersoll a bol- 
 iHhes creation first, and thuseloars the wav 
 to his dogmatic conclusion that all miracles 
 are "the children of mendacity.' "^"""''' 
 ChriHtinnity ix pernicious in Uh moral <■/"- 
 lect (Uirkens the mind, narrows the soul n'r- 
 rents tlie progress of hum,in sncietu, a: Ihin- 
 ders rnnluation. Mr. Ingorsoli; as a zeal- 
 ouH apostle of "the gospel of dirt," must 
 be expected to throw a good deal of mud. 
 aut this IS too much : it injures hima,.lf 
 instead of defiling the object It l2 ^ZuU 
 When I answer tTiat all wo have of vir „ . 
 JU8t,ce intellectual liberty, moral dvvl 
 tion refinement, l)enovolence, and tni( 
 wisdom came to us from that source whicli 
 he reviles as the fountain of evil. lam no 
 merely putting one assertion against the 
 
 itZ^i'V "*'t "*^ ^dvHuUgof'whLh he 
 has not of speaking what every tolerably 
 we ll-informed man knows to be true. bI. 
 fleet what kind of a world this was when 
 the disoiphs of Christ undertook to reform 
 
 wh?nh fh"^'^'""^'-^ "^'^^ "'« condition in 
 which their teachings have put it. In its 
 
 mighty metropolis, the center of its iotef- 
 
 lectual and political power, the best men 
 
 were addicted to vices so debasing that I 
 
 could not even allude to them without soil- 
 
 ing the paper I write upon . All manner 
 
 of unprincipled wickedness was practiced 
 
 in the private life of the whole popul, tion 
 
 without concealment or shame Snd the 
 
 magistrates were thoroughly and uuiversal- 
 
 l^^'^'i^P'Vu ^'°7"'""«« •» any 8hap« 
 was altogether unknown. The helDless 
 
 and the weak got neither justice nor mercy 
 There was no relief for the poor, no succor 
 for the sick, no refuge for the unfortunate 
 In ail pagandom there was a not a hospi- 
 tal, aHylum. almshouse, or organized char- 
 ity of any sort. The order of a successful 
 leader to assassinate his opponents was al- 
 ways obeyed by his followers with the ut- 
 most alacrity and pleasure. It was a special 
 amusement of the populace to witness thf 
 8how8 at which men wore compelled to 
 kill one another, to be torn in pieces by 
 wild beasts, or otherwise "butchered, to 
 make a Roman holiday." In every prov- 
 ince paganism enacted the samn rnld- 
 Dioouea cruelties ; oppre.s8ion and robbery 
 ruled supreme ; murder went rampaginc 
 and red over all the earth. The Churcg 
 carne and her light penetrated this moral 
 darkness like a new sun. She covered the 
 
22 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN RELICION. 
 
 Rlobe with institutions of meroy, and 
 thousands upou thousands of hor disciples 
 devoted themsolves exclusively to works i>f 
 charity at the sacrifice of every earthly in 
 terest. Her earliest adherents were killed 
 without remorse— beheaded, crucified sawn 
 asunder, thrown to the beasts, or covered 
 with pitch, piled up in great heaps, and 
 slowly burut to death. But her faith was 
 made perfec"; through suffering, and the 
 law of love rose in triumph from the ashes 
 of her martyrs. This religion has corae 
 down to us throus;h the ages, attended ail 
 the way by righteousness, justice, temper- 
 ance, mercy, transparent truthfulness, 
 exultmg hope, and white- winged charity. 
 Never was its influence for good more 
 plainly perceptible than now. It has not 
 converted, purified, and reformed all men, 
 tor its first principle is the freedom of the 
 human will, and there are those who choose 
 to reject it. But to the mass of mankind 
 directly and indirectly, it has brought un- 
 counted benefits and blessings. Abolish it 
 —take away the restraints which it impos- 
 es on evil passions— silence the admoni- 
 tioui of its preachers— I'jt all Christians 
 cease their labors of charity— blot out 
 
 from history the records of its heroic ben- 
 evolence—repeal the laws it has enacted 
 and the inBtitutions it has built up— let its 
 moral principles be abandoned and all its 
 miracles of light be extin«uished— what 
 would we come to ? I need not answer 
 this question ; the experiment has been 
 partially tried. The French nation form- 
 ally renounced Christianity, denied the 
 existence of the Supreme Being, and so 
 satisfied the hunger of the infidel heart for 
 a time. What followed ? Universal de- 
 pravity, garments rolled in blood, fantastic 
 crimes unimagined before, which startled 
 the ea,rth with their sublime atrocity. The 
 American people have and ought to have 
 no special desire to follow that terrible 
 example of guilt and misery. 
 
 It is impossible to discuss this subject 
 within the limits of a review. No doubt 
 the effort to be short has made me obscure. 
 If Mr. Ingersoll thinks himself wronged, 
 or his doctrines misconstrued, let him not 
 lay my fault at the door of the Church, or 
 cast his censure on the clergy. 
 
 ' 'Admm qui feci, in me convertite ferrum. " 
 
 J. S. Black. 
 
 'I 
 
 i 1 
 
leroic ben- 
 a enacted 
 ip — let its 
 nd all its 
 ed— what 
 ot answer 
 has been 
 ion form- 
 3nied the 
 ;. and 80 
 heart for 
 'ersal de- 
 , fantastic 
 1 startled 
 uity. The 
 to have 
 . terrible 
 
 subject 
 ^o doubt 
 obscure, 
 wronged, 
 him not 
 mrch, or 
 
 ferrum. " 
 Jlack.