,,my ,,path ,,to ,,atheism  ,by ,annie  
,besant  ,third ,edition  ,london3      
,freethought ,publishing ,company1  #fc1
 ,fleet ,street1 ,e4,c4  #ahhe4  ,,to   
,,thomas ,,scott1  ,,whose ,,name ,,is  
,,honored ,,and ,,revered ,,wherever    
,,freethought ,,has--  ,,whose ,,wide   
,,heart ,,and ,,generous ,,kindness     
,,welcome  ,,all ,,forms ,,of ,,thought1
 ,,provided ,,the ,,thought  ,,be       
,,earnest ,,and ,,honest2  ,,who ,,knows
 ,,no ,,orthodoxy ,,save ,,that ,,of    
,,honesty1 ,,and  ,,no ,,religion ,,save
 ,,that ,,of ,,goodness2  ,,to ,,whom ,i
 ,,owe ,,most ,,grateful ,,thanks1  ,,as
 ,,one ,,of ,,the ,,earliest ,,of ,,my  
,,freethought ,,friends1  ,,and ,,as    
,,the ,,first ,,who ,,aided ,,me ,,in   
,,my ,,need2--  ,,to ,,him  ,i          
,,dedicate ,,these ,,pages1  ,,knowing  
,,that1 ,,although ,,we ,,often ,,differ
 ,,in ,,our  ,,thought1  ,,we ,,are     
,,one  ,,in ,,our ,,desire ,,for        
,,truth4  ,,annie ,,besant4             
,,preface ,,to ,,first ,,edition4  ,the 

,essays which form the present book have
 been written at intervals during the   
last five years1 and are now issued in a
 single volume without alterations of   
any kind4 ,i have thought it more       
useful--as marking the gradual growth of
 thought--to reprint them as they were  
originally published1 so as not to allow
 the later development to mould the     
earlier forms4 ,the essay on            
,inspiration is1 in part1 the oldest of 
all2 it was partially composed some     
seven years ago1 and re-written later as
 it now stands4  ,the first essay on the
 ,deity of ,jesus of ,nazareth was      
written just before ,i left the ,church 
of ,england1 and marks the point where  
,i broke finally with ,christianity4 ,i 
thought then1 and think still1 that to  
cling to the name of ,christian after   
one has ceased to be the thing is       
neither bold nor straightforward1 and   
surely the name ought1 in all fairness1 
to belong to those historical bodies who
 have made it their own during many     

hundred years4 ,a ,christianity without 
a ,divine ,christ appears to me to      
resemble a republican army marching     
under a royal banner--it misleads both  
friends and foes4 ,believing that in    
giving up the deity of ,christ ,i       
renounced ,christianity1 ,i place this  
essay as the starting-point of my       
travels outside the ,christian pale4    
,the essays that follow it deal with    
some of the leading ,christian dogmas1  
and are printed in the order in which   
they were written4 ,but in the gradual  
thought-development they really precede 
the essay on the ,deity of ,christ4     
,most inquirers who begin to study by   
themselves1 before they have read any   
heretical works1 or heard any heretical 
controversies1 will have been awakened  
to thought by the discrepancies and     
inconsistencies of the ,bible itself4 ,a
 thorough knowledge of the ,bible is the
 groundwork of heresy4 ,many who think  
they read their ,bibles never read them 
at all4 ,they go through a chapter every

 day as a matter of duty1 and forget    
what is said in ,matthew before they    
read what is said in ,john2 hence they  
never mark the contradictions and never 
see the discrepancies4 ,but those who   
study the ,bible are in a fair way to   
become heretics4 ,it was the careful    
compilation of a harmony of the last    
chapters of the four ,gospels--a harmony
 intended for devotional use--that gave 
the first blow to my own faith2 although
 ,i put the doubt away and refused even 
to look at the question again1 yet the  
effect remained--the tiny seed1 which   
was slowly to germinate and to grow up1 
later1 into the full-blown flower of    
,atheism4  ,the trial of ,mr4 ,charles  
,voysey for heresy made me remember my  
own puzzle1 and ,i gradually grew very  
uneasy1 though trying not to think1     
until the almost fatal illness of my    
little daughter brought a sharper       
questioning as to the reason of         
suffering and the reality of the love of
 ,god4 ,from that time ,i began to study

 the doctrines of ,christianity from a  
critical point of view2 hitherto ,i had 
confined my theological reading to      
devotional and historical treatises1 and
 the only controversies with which ,i   
was familiar were the controversies     
which had divided ,christians2 the      
writings of the ,fathers of the ,church 
and of the modern school which is       
founded on them had been carefully      
studied1 and ,i had weighed the points  
of difference between the ,greek1       
,roman1 ,anglican1 and ,lutheran        
communions1 as well as the views of     
orthodox dissenting schools of thought2 
only from ,pusey's ,daniel1 and         
,liddon's ,bampton ,lectures1 had ,i    
gathered anything of wider controversies
 and issues of more vital interest4 ,but
 now all was changed1 and it was to the 
leaders of the ,broad ,church school    
that ,i first turned in the new path4   
,the shock of pain had been so6 rude    
when real doubts assailed and shook me1 
that ,i had steadily made up my mind to 

investigate1 one by one1 every          
,christian dogma1 and never again to say
 ,i believe until ,i had tested the     
object of faith2 the dogmas which       
revolted me most were those of the      
,atonement and of ,eternal ,punishment1 
while the doctrine of ,inspiration of   
,scripture underlay everything1 and was 
the very foundation of ,christianity2   
these1 then1 were the first that ,i     
dropped into the crucible of            
investigation4 ,maurice1 ,robertson1    
,stopford ,brooke1 ,mc,leod1 ,campbell1 
and others1 were studied2 and while ,i  
recognised the charm of their writings1 
,i failed to find any firm ground       
whereon they could rest3 it was a       
many-colored beautiful mist--a cloud    
landscape1 very fair1 but very          
unsubstantial4 ,still they served as    
stepping stones away from the old hard  
dogmas1 and month by month ,i grew more 
sceptical as to the possibility of      
finding certainty in religion4 ,mansel's
 ,bampton lectures on ,the ,limits of   

,religious ,thought did much to increase
 the feeling2 the works of ,f4 ,newman1 
,arnold1 and ,greg carried on the same  
work2 some efforts to understand the    
creeds of other nations1 to investigate 
,mahommedanism1 ,buddhism1 and          
,hinduism1 all led in the same          
direction1 until ,i concluded that      
inspiration belonged to all people      
alike1 and there could be no necessity  
of atonement1 and no eternal hell       
prepared for the unbeliever in          
,christianity4 ,thus1 step by step1 ,i  
renounced the dogmas of ,christianity   
until there remained only1 as           
distinctively ,christian1 the ,deity of 
,jesus which had not yet been analysed4 
,the whole tendency of the ,broad       
,church stream of thought was to        
increase the manhood at the expense of  
the deity of ,christ2 and with hell and 
atonement gone1 and inspiration         
everywhere1 there appeared no raison    
d'etre for the ,incarnation4 ,besides1  
there were so many incarnations1 and the

 ,buddhist absorption seemed a grander  
idea4 ,i now first met with ,charles    
,voysey's works1 and those of ,theodore 
,parker and ,channing1 and the belief in
 the ,deity of ,jesus followed the other
 dead creeds4 ,renan ,i had read much   
earlier1 but did not care for him2      
,strauss ,i did not meet with until     
afterwards2 ,scott's ,english ,life of  
,jesus1 which ,i read at this period1 is
 as useful a book on this subject as    
could be put into the hands of an       
inquirer4 ,from ,christianity into      
simple ,theism ,i had found my way2 step
 by step the ,theism melted into        
,atheism2 prayer was gradually          
discontinued1 as utterly at variance    
with any dignified idea of ,god1 and as 
in contradiction to all the results of  
scientific investigation4 ,i had taken a
 keen interest in the later scientific  
discoveries1 and ,darwin had done much  
towards freeing me from my old bonds4   
,of ,john ,stuart ,mill ,i had read     
much1 and ,i now took him up again2 ,i  

studied ,spinoza1 and re-read ,mansel1  
together with many other writers on the 
,deity1 until the result came which is  
found in the essay entitled ,the ,nature
 and ,existence of ,god 4 ,it was just  
before this was written that ,i read    
,charles ,bradlaugh's ,plea for ,atheism
 and his ,is there a ,god84 ,the essay  
on ,constructive ,rationalism shows how 
we replace the old faith and build our  
house anew with stronger materials4     
,the path from ,christianity to ,atheism
 is a long one1 and its first steps are 
very rough and very painful2 the feet   
tread on the ruins of the broken faith1 
and the sharp edges cut into the        
bleeding flesh2 but further on the path 
grows smoother1 and presently at its    
side begins to peep forth the humble    
daisy of hope that heralds the spring   
tide1 and further on the roadside is    
fragrant with all the flowers of summer1
 sweet and brilliant and gorgeous1 and  
in the distance we see the promise of   
the autumn1 the harvest that shall be   

reaped for the feeding of man4  ,annie  
,besant4 #ahgh4     ,,on ,,the ,,deity  
,,of ,,jesus ,,of ,,nazareth  ,,what    
think ye of ,christ1 whose son is he8   
,humane child of human parents1 or      
divine ,son of the ,almighty ,god8 ,when
 we consider his purity1 his faith in   
the ,father1 his forgiving patience1 his
 devoted work among the offscourings of 
society1 his brotherly love to sinners  
and outcasts--when our minds dwell on   
these alone1--we all feel the marvellous
 fascination which has drawn millions to
 the feet of this son of man1 and the   
needle of our faith begins to tremble   
towards the ,christian pole4 ,if we     
would keep unsullied the purity of our  
faith in ,god alone1 we are obliged to  
turn our eyes some times--however       
unwillingly--towards the other side of  
the picture and to mark the human       
weaknesses which remind us that he is   
but one of our race4 ,his harshness to  
his mother1 his bitterness towards some 
of his opponents1 the marked failure of 

one or two of his rare prophecies1 the  
palpable limitation of his              
knowledge--little enough1 indeed1 when  
all are told1--are more than enough to  
show us that1 however great as man1 he  
is not the ,all-righteous1 the          
,all-seeing1 the ,all-knowing1 ,god4    
,no one1 however1 whom ,christian       
exaggeration has not goaded into unfair 
detraction1 or who is not blinded by    
theological hostility1 can fail to      
revere portions of the character        
sketched out in the three synoptic      
gospels4 ,i shall not dwell here on the 
,christ of the fourth ,evangelist2 we   
can scarcely trace in that figure the   
lineaments of the ,jesus of ,nazareth   
whom we have learnt to love4  ,i        
propose1 in this essay1 to examine the  
claims of ,jesus to be more than the man
 he appeared to be during his lifetime3 
claims--be it noted--which are put      
forward on his behalf by others rather  
than by himself4 ,his own assertions of 
his divinity are to be found only in the

 unreliable fourth gospel1 and in it    
they are destroyed by the sentence there
 put into his mouth with strange        
inconsistency3 ,if ,i bear witness of   
myself1 my witness is not true4  ,it is 
evident that by his contemporaries      
,jesus was not regarded as ,god         
incarnate4 ,the people in general appear
 to have looked upon him as a great     
prophet1 and to have often debated among
 themselves whether he were their       
expected ,messiah or not4 ,the band of  
men who accepted him as their teacher   
were as far from worshipping him as ,god
 as were their fellow-countrymen3 their 
prompt desertion of him when attacked by
 his enemies1 their complete            
hopelessness when they saw him overcome 
and put to death1 are sufficient proofs 
that though they regarded him--to quote 
their own words--as a prophet mighty in 
word and deed1 they never guessed that  
the teacher they followed1 and the      
friend they lived with in the intimacy  
of social life was ,almighty ,god       

,himself4 ,as has been well pointed out1
 if they believed their ,master to be   
,god1 surely when they were attacked    
they would have fled to him for         
protection1 instead of endeavouring to  
save themselves by deserting him3 we may
 add that this would have been their    
natural instinct1 since they could never
 have imagined beforehand that the      
,creator ,himself could really be taken 
captive by ,his creatures and suffer    
death at their hands4 ,the third class  
of his contemporaries1 the learned      
,pharisees and ,scribes1 were as far    
from regarding him as divine as were the
 people or his disciples4 ,they seem to 
have viewed the new teacher somewhat    
contemptuously at first1 as one who     
unwisely persisted in expounding the    
highest doctrines to the many1 instead  
of--a second ,hillel--adding to the     
stores of their own learned circle4 ,as 
his influence spread and appeared to be 
undermining their own1--still more1 when
 he placed himself in direct opposition1

 warning the people against them1--they 
were roused to a course of active       
hostility1 and at length determined to  
save themselves by destroying him4 ,but 
all through their passive contempt and  
direct antagonism1 there is never a     
trace of their deeming him to be        
anything more than a religious          
enthusiast who finally became dangerous3
 we never for a moment see them assuming
 the manifestly absurd position of men  
knowingly measuring their strength      
against ,god1 and endeavouring to       
silence and destroy their ,maker4 ,so   
much for the opinions of those who had  
the best opportunities of observing his 
ordinary life4 ,a good man1 a deceiver1 
a mighty prophet1 such are the recorded 
opinions of his contemporaries3 not one 
is found to step forward and proclaim   
him to be ,jehovah1 the ,god of ,israel4
  ,one of the most trusted strongholds  
of ,christians1 in defending their      
,lord's ,divinity1 is the evidence of   
prophecy4 ,they gather from the sacred  

books of the ,jewish nation the         
predictions of the longed-for ,messiah1 
and claim them as prophecies fulfilled  
in ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,but there is   
one stubborn fact which destroys the    
force of this argument3 the ,jews1 to   
whom these writings belong1 and who from
 tradition and national peculiarities   
may reasonably be supposed to be the    
best exponents of their own prophets1   
emphatically deny that these prophecies 
are fulfilled in ,jesus at all4 ,indeed1
 one main reason for their rejection of 
,jesus is precisely this1 that he does  
not resemble in any way the predicted   
,messiah4 ,there is no doubt that the   
,jewish nation were eagerly looking for 
their ,deliverer when ,jesus was born3  
these very longings produced several    
pseudo-,messiahs1 who each gained in    
turn a considerable following1 because  
each bore some resemblance to the       
expected ,prince4 ,much of the popular  
rage which swept ,jesus to his death was
 the re-action of disappointment after  

the hopes raised by the position of     
authority he assumed4 ,the sudden burst 
of anger against one so benevolent and  
inoffensive can only be explained by the
 intense hopes excited by his regal     
entry into ,jerusalem1 and the utter    
destruction of those hopes by his       
failing to ascend the throne of ,david4 
,proclaimed as ,david's son1 he came    
riding on an ass as king of ,zion1 and  
allowed himself to be welcomed as the   
king of ,israel3 there his short        
fulfilling of the prophecies ended1 and 
the people1 furious at his failing them1
 rose and clamoured for his death4      
,because he did not fulfil the ancient  
,jewish oracles1 he died3 he was too    
noble for the role laid down in them for
 the ,messiah1 his ideal was far other  
than that of a conqueror1 with garments 
rolled in blood4 ,but even if1 against  
all evidence1 ,jesus was one with the   
,messiah of the prophets1 this would    
destroy1 instead of implying1 his       
,divine claims4 ,for the ,jews were pure

 monotheists2 their ,messiah was a      
prince of ,david's line1 the favoured   
servant1 the anointed ,jehovah1 the king
 who should rule in ,his name3 a ,jew   
would shrink with horror from the       
blasphemy of seating ,messiah on        
,jehovah's throne remembering how their 
prophets had taught them that their ,god
 would not give ,his honour to another4 
,so that1 as to prophecy1 the case      
stands thus3 ,if ,jesus be the ,messiah 
prophesied of in the old ,jewish books1 
then he is not ,god3 if he be not the   
,messiah1 ,jewish prophecy is silent as 
regards him altogether1 and an appeal to
 prophecy is absolutely useless4  ,after
 the evidence of prophecy ,christians   
generally rely on that furnished by     
miracles4 ,it is remarkable that ,jesus 
himself laid but little stress on his   
miracles2 in fact1 he refused to appeal 
to them as credentials of his authority1
 and either could not or would not work 
them when met with determined unbelief4 
,we must notice also that the people1   

while glorifying ,god1 who had given    
such power unto men1 were not inclined  
to admit his miracles as proofs of his  
right to claim absolute obedience3 his  
miracles did not even invest him with   
such sacredness as to protect him from  
arrest and death4 ,herod1 on his trial1 
was simply anxious to see him work a    
miracle1 as a matter of curiosity4 ,this
 stolid indifference to marvels as      
attestations of authority is natural    
enough1 when we remember that ,jewish   
history was crowded with miracles1      
wrought for and against the favoured    
people1 and also that they had been     
specially warned against being misled by
 signs and wonders4 ,without entering   
into the question whether miracles are  
possible1 let us1 for argument's sake1  
take them for granted1 and see what they
 are worth as proofs of ,divinity4 ,if  
,jesus fed a multitude with a few       
loaves1 so did ,elisha3 if he raised the
 dead1 so did ,elijah and ,elisha2 if he
 healed lepers1 so did ,moses and       

,elisha2 if he opened the eyes of the   
blind1 ,elisha smote a whole army with  
blindness and afterwards restored their 
sight3 if he cast out devils1 his       
contemporaries1 by his own testimony1   
did the same4 ,if miracles prove ,deity1
 what miracle of ,jesus can stand       
comparison with the divided ,red ,sea of
 ,moses1 the stoppage of the earth's    
motion by ,joshua1 the check of the     
rushing waters of the ,jordan by        
,elijah's cloak8 ,if we are told that   
these men worked by conferred power and 
,jesus by inherent1 we can only answer  
that this is a gratuitous assumption1   
and begs the whole question4 ,the ,bible
 records the miracles in equivalent     
terms3 no difference is drawn between   
the manner of working of ,elisha or     
,jesus2 of each it is sometimes said    
they prayed2 of each it is sometimes    
said they spake4 ,miracles indeed must  
not be relied on as proofs of divinity1 
unless believers in them are prepared to
 pay divine honours not to ,jesus only1 

but also to a crowd of others1 and to   
build a ,christian ,pantheon to the new 
found gods4  ,so far we have only seen  
the insufficiency of the usual          
,christian arguments to establish a     
doctrine so stupendous and so prima     
facie improbable as the incarnation of  
the ,divine ,being3 this kind of        
negative testimony1 this insufficient   
evidence1 is not however the principle  
reason which compels ,theists to protest
 against the central dogma of           
,christianity4 ,the stronger proofs of  
the simple manhood of ,jesus remain1 and
 we now proceed to positive evidence of 
his not being ,god4 ,i propose to draw  
attention to the traces of human        
infirmity in his noble character1 to his
 absolute mistakes in prophecy1 and to  
his evidently limited knowledge4 ,in    
accepting as substantially true the     
account of ,jesus given by the          
evangelists1 we are taking his character
 as it appeared to his devoted          
followers4 ,we have not to do with      

slight blemishes1 inserted by envious   
detractors of his greatness2 the history
 of ,jesus was written when his         
disciples worshipped him as ,god1 and   
his manhood1 in their eyes1 reached     
ideal perfection4 ,we are not forced to 
believe that1 in the gospels1 the life  
of ,jesus is given at its highest1 and  
that he was1 at least1 not more spotless
 than he appears in these records of his
 friends4 ,but here again1 in order not 
to do a gross injustice1 we must put    
aside the fourth gospel2 to study his   
character according to ,s4 ,john would  
need a separate essay1 so different is  
it from that drawn by the three2 and by 
all rules of history we should judge him
 by the earlier records1 more especially
 as they corroborate each other in the  
main4  ,the first thing which jars upon 
an attentive reader of the gospels is   
the want of affection and respect shown 
by ,jesus to his mother4 ,when only a   
child of twelve he lets his parents     
leave ,jerusalem to return home1 while  

he repairs alone to the temple4 ,the    
fascination of the ancient city and the 
gorgeous temple services was doubtless  
almost overpowering to a thoughtful     
,jewish boy1 more especially on his     
first visit3 but the careless           
forgetfulness of his parents' anxiety   
must be considered as a grave childish  
fault1 the more so as its character is  
darkened by the indifference shown by   
his answer to his mother's grieved      
reproof4 ,that no high1 though mistaken1
 sense of duty kept him in ,jerusalem is
 evident from his return home with his  
parents2 for had he felt that his       
,father's business detained him in      
,jerusalem at all1 it is evident that   
this sense of duty would not have been  
satisfied by a three days' delay4 ,but  
the ,christian advocate would bar       
criticism by an appeal to the ,deity of 
,jesus3 he asks us therefore to believe 
that ,jesus1 being ,god1 saw with       
indifference his parents' anguish at    
discovering his absence2 knew all about 

that three days' agonised search 7for   
they1 ignorant of his divinity1 felt the
 terrible anxiety as to his safety1     
natural to country people losing a child
 in a crowded city72 did not1 in spite  
of the tremendous powers at his command1
 take any steps to re-assure them2 and  
finally1 met them again with no words of
 sympathy1 only with a mysterious       
allusion1 incomprehensible to them1 to  
some higher claim than theirs1 which1   
however1 he promptly set aside to obey  
them4 ,if ,god was incarnate in a boy1  
we may trust that example as a model of 
childhood3 yet1 are ,christians prepared
 to set this early piety and desire for 
religious instruction before their young
 children as an example they are to     
follow8 ,are boys and girls of twelve to
 be free to absent themselves for days  
from their parents' guardianship under  
the plea that a higher business claims  
their attention8 ,this episode of the   
childhood of ,jesus should be relegated 
to those gospels of the infancy full of 

most unchildlike acts1 which the wise   
discretion of ,christendom has stamped  
with disapproval4 ,the same want of     
filial reverence appears later in his   
life3 on one occasion he was teaching1  
and his mother sent in1 desiring to     
speak to him3 the sole reply recorded to
 the message is the harsh remark3 ,who  
is my mother8 ,the most practical proof 
that ,christian morality has1 on this   
head1 outstripped the example of ,jesus1
 is the prompt disapproval which similar
 conduct would meet with in the present 
day4 ,by the strange warping of morality
 often caused by controversial          
exigencies1 this want of filial         
reverence has been triumphantly pointed 
out by ,christian divines2 the          
indifference shown by ,jesus to family  
ties is accepted as a proof that he was 
more than man6 ,thus1 conduct which they
 implicitly acknowledge to be unseemly  
in a son to his mother1 they claim as   
natural and right in the ,son of ,god1  
to ,his6 ,in the present day1 if a      

person is driven by conscience to a     
course painful to those who have claims 
on his respect1 his recognised duty1 as 
well as his natural instinct1 is to try 
and make up by added affection and more 
courteous deference for the pain he is  
forced to inflict3 above all1 he would  
not wantonly add to that pain by public 
and uncalled-for disrespect4  ,the      
attitude of ,jesus towards his opponents
 in high places was marked with         
unwarrantable bitterness4 ,here also the
 lofty and gentle spirit of his whole   
life has moulded ,christian opinion in  
favour of a course different on this    
head to his own1 so that abuse of an    
opponent is now commonly called         
un-,christian4 ,wearied with three      
years' calumny and contempt1 sore at the
 little apparent success which rewarded 
his labour1 full of a sad foreboding    
that his enemies would shortly crush    
him1 ,jesus was goaded into passionate  
denunciations3 ,woe unto you1 ,scribes  
and ,pharisees1 hypocrites444 ye fools  

and blind444 ye make a proselyte twofold
 more the child of hell than            
yourselves444 ye serpents1 ye generation
 of vipers1 how can ye escape the       
damnation of hell6 ,surely this is not  
the spirit which breathed in1 ,if ye    
love them which love you1 what thanks   
have ye8444 ,love your enemies1 bless   
them that curse you1 pray for them that 
persecute you4 ,had he not even         
specially forbidden the very expression1
 ,thou fool6 ,was not this rendering    
evil for evil1 railing for railing8  ,it
 is painful to point out these          
blemishes3 reverence for the great      
leaders of humanity is a duty dear to   
all human hearts2 but when homage turns 
into idolatry1 then men must rise up to 
point out faults which otherwise they   
would pass over in respectful silence1  
mindful only of the work so nobly done4 
,i turn then1 with a sense of glad      
relief1 to the evidence of the limited  
knowledge of ,jesus1 for here no blame  
attaches to him1 although one proved    

mistake is fatal to belief in his       
,godhead4 ,first as to prophecy3 ,the   
,son of man shall come in the glory of  
his ,father with his angels3 and then   
shall he reward every man according to  
his works4 ,verily ,i say unto you1     
,there be some standing here which shall
 not taste of death till they see the   
,son of man coming in his kingdom4      
,later1 he amplifies the same idea3 he  
speaks of a coming tribulation1         
succeeded by his own return1 and then   
adds the emphatic declaration3 ,verily  
,i say unto you1 ,this generation shall 
not pass till all these things be done4 
,the non-fulfilment of these prophecies 
is simply a question of fact3 let men   
explain away the words now as they may1 
yet1 if the record is true1 ,jesus did  
believe in his own speedy return1 and   
impressed the same belief on his        
followers4 ,it is plain1 indeed1 that he
 succeeded in impressing it on them1    
from the references to his return       
scattered through the epistles4 ,the    

latest writings show an anxiety to      
remove the doubts which were disturbing 
the converts consequent on the          
non-appearance of ,jesus1 and the fourth
 gospel omits any reference to his      
coming4 ,it is worth remarking1 in the  
latter1 the spiritual sense which is    
hinted at--either purposely or          
unintentionally--in the words1 ,the     
hour444 now is when the dead shall hear 
the voice of the ,son of ,god1 and they 
that hear shall live4 ,these words may  
be the popular feeling on the advent of 
the resurrection1 forced on the         
,christians by the failure of their     
,lord's prophecies in any literal sense4
 ,he could not be mistaken1 ergo they   
must spiritualise his words4 ,the       
limited knowledge of ,jesus is further  
evident from his confusing ,zacharias   
the son of ,jehoiada with ,zacharias the
 son of ,barachias3 the former1 a       
priest1 was slain in the temple court1  
as ,jesus states2 but the son of        
,barachias was ,zacharias1 or           

,zachariah1 the prophet499 ,he himself  
owned a limitation of his knowledge1    
when he confessed his ignorance of the  
day of his own return1 and said it was  
known to the ,father only4 ,of the same 
class of sayings is his answer to the   
mother of ,james and ,john1 that the    
high seats of the coming kingdom are not
 mine to give4 ,that ,jesus believed in 
the fearful doctrine of eternal         
punishment is evident1 in spite of the  
ingenious attempts to prove that the    
doctrine is not scriptural3 that he1 in 
common with his countrymen1 ascribed    
many diseases to the immediate power of 
,satan1 which we should now probably    
refer to natural causes1 as epilepsy1   
mania1 and the like1 is also            
self-evident4 ,but on such points as    
these it is useless to dwell1 for the   
,christian believes them on the         
authority of ,jesus1 and the subjects1  
from their nature1 cannot be brought to 
the test of ascertained facts4 ,of the  
same character are some of his sayings3 

his discouraging ,strive to enter in at 
the strait gate1 for many1 etc42 his    
using in defence of partiality ,isaiah's
 awful prophecy1 that seeing they may   
see and not perceive1 etc42 his using   
,scripture at one time as binding1 while
 he1 at another1 depreciates it2 his    
fondness for silencing an opponent by an
 ingenious retort3 all these things are 
blameworthy to those who regard him as  
man1 while they are shielded from       
criticism by his divinity to those who  
worship him as ,god4 ,there morality is 
a question of opinion1 and it is wasted 
time to dwell on them when arguing with 
,christians1 whose moral sense is for   
the time held in check by their mental  
prostration at his feet4 ,but the truth 
of the quoted prophecies1 and the       
historical fact of the parentage of     
,zachariah1 can be tested1 and on these 
,jesus made palpable mistakes4 ,the     
obvious corollary is1 that being        
mistaken--as he was--his knowledge was  
limited1 and was therefore human1 not   

divine4       99 ,see ,appendix1 page   
#ab4  ,in turning to the teaching of    
,jesus 7,i still confine myself to the  
three gospels71 we find no support of   
the ,christian theory4 ,if we take his  
didactic teaching1 we can discover no   
trace of his offering himself as an     
object of either faith or worship4 ,his 
life's work1 as teacher1 was to speak of
 the ,father4 ,in the sermon on the     
,mount he is always striking the        
keynote1 your heavenly ,father2 in      
teaching his disciples to pray1 it is to
 ,our ,father1 and the ,christian idea  
of ending a prayer through ,jesus       
,christ is quite foreign to the simple  
filial spirit of their master4 ,indeed1 
when we think of the position ,jesus    
holds in ,christian theology1 it seems  
strange to notice the utter absence of  
any suggestion of duty to himself       
throughout this whole code of so-called 
,christian morality4 ,in strict         
accordance with his more formal teaching
 is his treatment of inquirers3 when a  

young man comes kneeling1 and1          
addressing him as ,good ,master1 asks   
what he shall do to inherit eternal     
life1 the loyal heart of ,jesus first   
rejects the homage1 before he proceeds  
to answer the all-important question3   
,why callest thou me good3 there is none
 good but one1 that is1 ,god4 ,he then  
directs the youth on the way to eternal 
life1 and he sends that young man home  
without one word of the doctrine on     
which1 according to ,christians1 his    
salvation rested4 ,if the ,gospel came  
to that man later1 he would reject it on
 the authority of ,jesus1 who had told  
him a different way of salvation2 and if
 ,christianity is true1 the perdition of
 that young man's soul is owing to the  
defective teaching of ,jesus himself4   
,another time1 he tells a ,scribe that  
the first commandment is that ,god is   
one1 and that all a man's love is due to
 ,him2 then adding the duty of          
neighbourly love1 he says3 ,there is    
none other commandment greater than     

these3 so that belief in ,jesus1 if     
incumbent at all1 must come after love  
to ,god and man1 and is not necessary1  
by his own testimony1 to entering into  
life4 ,on ,jesus himself then rests the 
primary responsibility of affirming that
 belief in him is a matter of secondary 
importance1 at most1 letting alone the  
fact that he never inculcated belief in 
his ,deity as an article of faith at    
all4 ,in the same spirit of frank       
loyalty to ,god are his words on the    
unpardonable sin3 in answer to a gross  
personal affront1 he tells his insulters
 that they shall be forgiven for        
speaking against him1 a simple son of   
man1 but warns them of the danger of    
confounding the work of ,god's4 ,spirit 
with that of ,satan1 because they said  
that works2 done by ,god1 using ,jesus  
as ,his instrument1 were done by        
,beelzebub4  ,there remains yet one     
argument of tremendous force1 which can 
only be appreciated by personal         
meditation4 ,we find ,jesus praying to  

,god1 relying on ,god1 in his greatest  
need crying in agony to ,god for        
deliverance1 in his last3 struggle1     
deserted by his friends1 asking why     
,god1 his ,god1 had also forsaken him4  
,we feel how natural1 how true to life1 
this whole account is3 in our heart's   
reverence for that noble life1 that     
faithfulness unto death1 we can scarcely
 bear to think of the insult offered to 
it by ,christian lips3 they take every  
beauty out of it by telling us that     
through all that struggle ,jesus was the
 ,eternal1 the ,almighty1 ,god3 it is   
all apparent1 not real3 in his          
temptation he could not fall3 in his    
prayers he needed no support3 in his cry
 that the cup might pass away he foresaw
 it was inevitable3 in his agony of     
desertion and loneliness he was present 
everywhere with ,god4 ,in all that life1
 then1 there is no hope for man1 no     
pledge of man's victory1 no promise for 
humanity4 ,this is no man's life at all1
 it is only a wonderful drama enacted on

 earth4 ,what ,god could do is no       
measure of man's powers3 what have we in
 common with this ,god-man8 ,this       
,jesus1 whom we had thought our brother1
 is after all1 removed from us by the   
immeasurable distance which separates   
the feebleness of man from the          
omnipotence of ,god4 ,nothing can       
compensate us for such a loss as this4  
,we had rejoiced in that many-sided     
nobleness1 and its very blemishes were  
dear1 because they assured us of his    
brotherhood to ourselves3 we are given  
an ideal picture where we had studied a 
history1 another ,deity where we had    
hoped to emulate a life4 ,instead of the
 encouragement we had found1 what does  
,christianity offer us8--a perfect life8
 ,but we knew before that ,god was      
perfect3 an example8 it starts from a   
different level3 a ,saviour8 we cannot  
be safer than we are with ,god3 an      
,advocate8 we need none with our        
,father3 a ,substitute to endure ,god's 
wrath for us8 we had rather trust ,god's

 justice to punish us as we deserve1 and
 his wisdom to do what is best for us4  
,as ,god1 ,jesus can give us nothing    
that we have not already in his ,father 
and ours3 as man1 he gives us all the   
encouragement and support which we      
derive from every noble soul which ,god 
sends into this world1 a burning and a  
shining light3       ,through such souls
 alone      ,god stooping shows         
sufficient of      ,his light ,for us in
 the dark to rise by4  ,as ,god1 he     
confuses our perceptions of ,god's      
unity1 bewilders our reason with endless
 contradictions1 and turns away from the
 ,supreme all those emotions of love and
 adoration which can only flow towards a
 single object1 and which are the due of
 our ,creator alone3 as man1 he gives us
 an example to strive after1 a beacon to
 steer by2 he is one more leader for    
humanity1 one more star in our darkness4
 ,as ,god1 all his words would be truth1
 and but few would enter into heaven1   
while hell would overflow with victims3 

as man1 we may refuse to believe such a 
slander on our ,father1 and take all the
 comfort pledged to us by that name4    
,thank ,god1 then1 that ,jesus is only  
man1 human child of human parents2 that 
we need not dwarf our conceptions of    
,god to fit human faculties1 or envelope
 the illimitable spirit in a baby's     
feeble frame4 ,but though only man1 he  
has reached a standard of human         
greatness which no other man1 so far as 
we know1 has touched3 the very height of
 his character is almost a pledge of the
 truthfulness of the records in the     
main3 his life had to be lived before   
its conception became possible1 at that 
period and among such a people4 ,they   
could recognise his greatness when it   
was before their eyes3 they would       
scarcely have imagined it for           
themselves1 more especially that1 as we 
have seen1 he was so different from the 
,jewish ideal4 ,his code of morality    
stands unrivalled1 and he was the first 
who taught the universal ,fatherhood of 

,god publicly and to the common people4 
,many of his loftiest precepts may be   
found in the books of the ,rabbis1 but  
it is the glorious prerogative of ,jesus
 that he spread abroad among the many   
the wise and holy maxims that had       
hitherto been the sacred treasures of   
the few4 ,with him none were too        
degraded to be called the children of   
the ,father3 none too simple to be      
worthy of the highest teaching4 ,by     
example1 as well as by precept1 he      
taught that all men were brothers1 and  
all the good he had he showered at their
 feet4 ,pure in heart1 he saw ,god1 and 
what he saw he called all to see3 he    
longed that all might share in his own  
joyous trust in the ,father1 and seemed 
to be always seeking for fresh images to
 describe the freedom and fulness of the
 universal love of ,god4 ,in his        
unwavering love of truth1 but his       
patience with doubters--in his personal 
purity1 but his tenderness to the       
fallen--in his hatred of evil1 but his  

friendliness to the sinner--we see      
splendid virtues rarely met in          
combination4 ,his brotherliness1 his    
yearning to raise the degraded1 his     
lofty piety1 his unswerving morality1   
his perfect self-sacrifice1 are his     
indefeasible titles to human love and   
reverence4 ,of the world's benefactors  
he is the chief1 not only by his own    
life1 but by the enthusiasm he has known
 to inspire in others3 ,our plummet has 
not sounded his depth3 words fail to    
tell what humanity owes to the ,prophet 
of ,nazareth4 ,on his example the great 
,christian heroes have based their      
lives3 from the foundation laid by his  
teaching the world is slowly rising to a
 purer faith in ,god4 ,we need now such 
a leader as he was--one who would dare  
to follow the ,father's will as he did1 
casting a long-prized revelation aside  
when it conflicts with the higher voice 
of conscience4 ,it is the teaching of   
,jesus that ,theism gladly makes its    
own1 purifying it from the              

inconsistencies which mar its           
perfection4 ,it is the example of ,jesus
 which ,theists are following1 though   
they correct that example in some points
 by his loftiest sayings4 ,it is the    
work of ,jesus which ,theists are       
carrying on1 by worshipping1 as he did1 
the ,father1 and the ,father alone1 and 
by endeavouring to turn all men's love1 
all men's hopes1 and all men's          
adoration1 to that ,god and ,father of  
all1 who is above all1 and through all1 
and1 not in ,jesus only1 but in us all4 
,,appendix3 ,josephus mentions a        
,zacharias1 a son of ,baruch 7',wars of 
the ,jews1' ,book iv41 sec4 #d71 who was
 slain under the circumstances described
 by ,jesus4 ,his name would be more     
suitable at the close of the long list  
of ,jewish crimes1 as it occurred just  
before the destruction of ,jerusalem4   
,but1 as it took place about thirty-four
 years after the death of ,jesus1 it is 
clear that he could not have referred to
 it2 therefore1 if we admit that he made

 no mistake1 we strike a serious blow at
 the credibility of his historian1 who  
then puts into his mouth a remark never 
uttered4     ,a ,,comparison ,,between  
,,the ,,fourth ,,gospel ,,and ,,the     
,,three ,,synoptics  ,,every one1 at    
least in the educated classes1 knows    
that the authenticity of the fourth     
gospel has been long and widely         
disputed4 ,the most careless reader is  
struck by the difference of tone between
 the simple histories ascribed to       
,matthew1 ,mark1 and ,luke1 and the     
theological and philosophical treatise  
which bears the name of ,john4 ,after   
following the three narratives1 so      
simple in their structure1 so natural in
 their style1 so unadorned by rhetoric1 
so free from philosophic terms1--after  
reading these1 it is with a feeling of  
surprise that we find ourselves1 plunged
 into the bewildering mazes of the      
,alexandrine philosophy1 and open our   
fourth gospel to be told that1 ,in the  
beginning was the word1 and the word was

 with ,god1 and the word was ,god4 ,we  
ask instinctively1 ,how did ,john1 the  
fisherman of ,galilee1 learn these      
phrases of the ,greek schools1 and why  
does he mix up the simple story of his  
master with the philosophy of that      
'world which by wisdom knew not ,god8'  
,the general ,christian tradition is as 
follows3 ,the spread6 of heretical views
 about the person of ,jesus alarmed the 
orthodox ,christians1 and they appealed 
to ,john1 the last aged relic of the    
apostolic band1 to write a history of   
,jesus which should confute their       
opponents1 and establish the essential  
deity of the founder of their religion4 
,at their repeated solicitations1 ,john 
wrote the gospel which bears his name1  
and the doctrinal tone of it is due to  
its original intention1--a treatise     
written against ,cerinthus1 and designed
 to crush1 with the authority of an     
apostle1 the rising doubts as to the    
pre-existence and absolute deity of     
,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,so far            

non-,christians and                     
,christians--including the writer of the
 gospel--are agreed4 ,this fourth gospel
 is not--say ,theists--a simple         
biography of ,jesus written by a loving 
disciple as a memorial of a departed and
 cherished friend1 but a history written
 with a special object and to prove a   
certain doctrine4 ,st4 ,john's gospel is
 a polemical treatise1 echoes ,dr4      
,liddon4 ,these are written that ye may 
believe that ,jesus is the ,christ1 the 
,son of ,god1 confesses the writer      
himself4 ,now1 in examining the         
credibility of any history1 one of the  
first points to determine is whether the
 historian is perfectly unbiassed in his
 judgment and is therefore likely give  
facts exactly as they occurred1         
un-coloured by views of his own4 ,thus  
we do not turn to the pages of a ,roman 
,catholic historian to gain a fair idea 
of ,luther1 or of ,william the ,silent1 
or expect to find in the volumes of     
,clarendon a thoroughly faithful        

portraiture of the vices of the ,stuart 
kings2 rather1 in reading the history of
 a partisan1 do we instinctively make   
allowances for the recognised bias of   
his mind and heart4 ,that the fourth    
gospel comes to us prefaced by the      
announcement that it is written1 not to 
give us a history1 but to prove a       
certain predetermined opinion1 is1 then1
 so much doubt cast at starting on its  
probable accuracy2 and1 by the          
constitution of our minds1 we at once   
guard ourselves against a too ready     
acquiescence in its assertions1 and     
become anxious to test its statements by
 comparing them with some independent   
and more impartial authority4 ,the      
history may be most accurate1 but we    
require proof that the writer is never  
seduced into slightly--perhaps          
unconsciously--colouring an incident so 
as to favour the object he has at heart4
 ,for instance1 ,matthew1 an honest     
writer enough1 is often betrayed into   
most non-natural quotation of prophecy  

by his anxiety to connect ,jesus with   
the ,messiah expected by his countrymen4
 ,this latent wish of his leads him to  
insert various quotations from the      
,jewish ,scriptures which1 severed from 
their context1 have a verbal similarity 
with the events he narrates4 ,thus1 he  
refers to ,hosea's mention of the       
,exodus3 ,when ,israel was a child then 
,i loved him and called my son out of   
,egypt1 and by quoting only the last six
 words gives this as a prophecy of an   
alleged journey of ,jesus into ,egypt4  
,such an instance as this shows us how a
 man may allow himself to be blinded by 
a pre-conceived determination to prove a
 certain fact1 and warns us to sift     
carefully any history that comes to us  
with the announcement that it is written
 to prove such and such a truth4        
,unfortunately we have no independent   
contemporary history--except a sentence 
of ,josephus--whereby to test the       
accuracy of the ,christian records2 we  
are therefore forced into the somewhat  

unsatisfactory task of comparing them   
one with another1 and in cases of       
diverging testimony we must strike the  
balance of probability between them4    
,on examining1 then1 these four         
biographies of ,jesus1 we find a        
remarkable similarity between three of  
them1 amid many divergencies of detail2 
some regard them1 therefore1 as the     
condensation into writing of the oral   
teaching of the apostles1 preserved in  
the various ,churches they severally    
founded1 and so1 naturally1 the same    
radically1 although diverse in detail4  
,the synoptic ,gospels contain the      
substance of the ,apostles' testimony1  
collected principally from their oral   
teaching current in the ,church1 partly 
also from written documents embodying   
portions of that teaching499 ,others    
think that the gospels which we possess1
 and which are ascribed severally to    
,matthew1 ,mark1 and ,luke1 are all     
three derived from an original gospel   
now lost1 which was probably written in 

,hebrew or ,aramaic1 and variously      
translated into ,greek4 ,however this   
may be1 the fact that such a statement  
as this has been put forward proves the 
striking similarity1 the root identity1 
of the three synoptical gospels1 as they
 are called4 ,we gather from them an    
idea of ,jesus which is substantially   
the same3 a figure1 calm1 noble1 simple1
 generous2 pure in life1 eager to draw  
men to that love of the ,father and     
devotion to the ,father which were his  
own distinguishing characteristics2     
finally1 a teacher of a simple and      
high-toned morality1 perfectly          
unfettered by dogmatism4 ,the effect    
produced by the sketch of the ,fourth   
,evangelist is totally different4 ,the  
friend of sinners has disappeared       
7except in the narrative of the woman   
taken in adultery1 which is generally   
admitted to be an interpolation71 for   
his whole time is occupied in arguing   
about his own position2 the common      
people who followed and heard him gladly

 and his enemies1 the ,scribes and      
,pharisees1 are all massed together as  
the ,jews1 with whom he is in constant  
collision2 his simple style of          
teaching--parabolic indeed1 as was the  
custom of the ,east1 but consisting of  
parables intelligible to a child--is    
exchanged for mystical discourses1      
causing perpetual misunderstandings1 the
 true meaning of which is still wrangled
 about by ,christian theologians2 his   
earnest testimony to your heavenly      
,father is replaced by a constant       
self-assertion2 while his command do    
this and ye shall live1 is exchanged for
 believe on me or perish4       99      
,alford4  ,how great is the contrast    
between that discourse and the ,sermon  
on the ,mount4444 ,in the last discourse
 it is ,his ,person rather than his     
teaching which is especially prominent4 
,his subject in that discourse is       
,himself4  ,certainly he preaches       
himself in ,his relationship to ,his    
redeemed2 but still he preaches above   

all1 and in all1 ,himself4 ,all radiates
 from ,himself1 all converges towards   
,himself4444 in those matchless words   
all centres so consistently in ,jesus1  
that it might seem that ,jesus ,alone is
 before us499 ,these and similar        
differences1 both of direct teaching and
 of the more subtle animating spirit1 ,i
 propose to examine in detail2 but      
before entering on these it seems       
necessary to glance at the disputed     
question of the authorship of our       
history1 and determine whether1 if it   
prove apostolic1 it must therefore be   
binding on us4  ,i leave to more learned
 pens than mine the task of criticising 
and drawing conclusions from the ,greek 
or the precise dogma of the evangelist1 
and of weighing the conflicting         
testimony of mighty names4 ,from the    
account contained in the ,english ,bible
 of ,john the ,apostle1 ,i gather the   
following points of his character3 ,he  
was warm-hearted to his friends1 bitter 
against his enemies1 filled with a fiery

 and unbridled zeal against theological 
opponents2 he was ambitious1            
egotistical1 pharisaical4 ,i confess    
that ,i trace these characteristics     
through all the writings ascribed to    
him1 and that they seem to be only      
softened by age in the fourth gospel4   
,that ,john was a warm friend is proved 
by his first epistle2 that he was bitter
 against his enemies appears in his     
mention of ,diotrephes1 ,i will remember
 his deeds which he doeth1 prating      
against us with malicious words2 his    
unbridled zeal was rebuked by his       
master2 the same cruel spirit is        
intensified in his ,revelation2 his     
ambition is apparent in his anxiety for 
a chief seat in ,messiah's kingdom2 his 
egotism appears in the fearful curse he 
imprecates on those who alter his       
revelation2 his pharisaism is marked in 
such a feeling as1 we know we are of    
,god1 and the whole world lieth in      
wickedness4 ,many of these qualities    
appear to me to mark the gospel which   

bears his name2 the same restricted     
tenderness1 the same bitterness against 
opponents1 the same fiery zeal for the  
truth1 i4e41 a special theological      
dogma1 are everywhere apparent4       99
 ,liddon4  ,the same egotism is most    
noticeable1 for in the other gospels    
,john shares his master's chief regard  
with two others1 while here he is the   
disciple whom ,jesus loved1 and he is   
specially prominent in the closing      
scenes of ,jesus' life as the only      
faithful follower4 ,we should also      
notice the remarkable similarity of     
expression and tone between the fourth  
gospel and the first epistle of ,john1 a
 similarity the more striking as the    
language is peculiar to the writings    
attributed to ,john4 ,it is1 however1   
with the utmost diffidence that ,i offer
 these suggestions1 well knowing that   
the greatest authorities are divided on 
this point of authorship1 and that the  
balance is rather against the apostolic 
origin of the gospel than for it4 ,i am1

 however1 anxious to show that1 even    
taking it as apostolic1 it is           
untrustworthy and utterly unworthy of   
credit4 ,if ,john be the writer1 we must
 suppose that his long residence in     
,ephesus had gradually obliterated his  
,jewish memories1 so that he speaks of  
the ,jews as a foreigner would4 ,the    
stern ,jewish monotheism would have     
grown feebler by contact with the subtle
 influence of the ,alexandrine tone of  
thought2 and he would have caught the   
expressions of that school from living  
in a city which was its second home4 ,to
 use the ,greek philosophy as a vehicle 
for ,christian teaching would recommend 
itself to him as the easiest way of     
approaching minds imbued with these     
mystic ideas4 ,regarding the master of  
his youth through the glorifying medium 
of years1 he gradually began to imagine 
him to be one of the emanations from the
 ,supreme1 of which he heard so much4   
,accustomed to the deification of ,roman
 emperors1 men of infamous lives1 he    

must have been almost driven to claim   
divine honours for his leader4 ,if his  
hearers regarded them as divine1 what   
could he say to exalt him except that he
 was ever with ,god1 nay1 was himself   
,god8 ,if ,john be the writer of this   
gospel1 some such change as this must   
have passed over him1 and in his old age
 the gradual accretions of years must   
have crystallised themselves into a     
formal ,christian theology4 ,but if we  
find1 during our examination1 that the  
history and the teaching of this gospel 
is utterly irreconcilable with the      
undoubtedly earlier synoptic gospels1 we
 must then conclude that1 apostolic or  
not1 it must give place to them1 and be 
itself rejected as a trustworthy account
 of the life and teaching of ,jesus of  
,nazareth4  ,the first striking         
peculiarity of this gospel is that all  
the people in it talk in exactly the    
same style and use the same markedly    
peculiar phraseology1 7a7 ,the ,father  
loveth the ,son and hath given all      

things into his hand4 7b7 ,for the      
,father loveth the ,son and showeth him 
all things that ,himself doeth4 7c7     
,jesus1 knowing that the ,father had    
given all things into his hand4 ,these  
sentences are evidently the outcome of  
the same mind1 and no one1 unacquainted 
with our gospel1 would guess that 7a7   
was spoken by ,john the ,baptist1 7b7 by
 ,jesus1 7c7 by the writer of the       
gospel4 ,when the ,jews speak1 the words
 still run in the same groove3 ,if any  
man be a worshipper of ,god1 and doeth  
,his will1 him ,he heareth1 is not said1
 as might be supposed1 by ,jesus1 but by
 the man who was born blind4 ,indeed1   
commentators are sometimes puzzled1 as  
in ,john iii4 #aj-ba1 to know where1 if 
at all1 the words of ,jesus stop and are
 succeeded by the commentary of the     
narrator4 ,in an accurate history       
different characters stand out in       
striking individuality1 so that we come 
to recognise them as distinct           
personalities1 and can even guess       

beforehand how they will probably speak 
and act under certain conditions4 ,but  
here we have one figure in various      
disguises1 one voice from different     
speakers1 one mind in opposing          
characters4 ,we have here no beings of  
flesh and blood1 but airy phantoms1     
behind whom we see clearly the solitary 
preacher4 ,for ,jesus and ,john the     
,baptist are two characters as distinct 
as can well be imagined1 yet their      
speeches are absolutely                 
indistinguishable1 and their thoughts   
run in the same groove4 ,jesus tells    
,nicodemus3 ,we speak that we do know   
and testify that we have seen1 and ye   
receive not our witness2 and no man hath
 ascended up to heaven1 but he that came
 down from heaven4 ,john says to his    
disciples3 ,he that cometh from heaven  
is above all1 and what he hath seen and 
heard that he testifieth1 and no man    
receiveth his testimony4 ,but it is     
wasting time to prove so self-evident a 
fact3 let us rather see how a ,christian

 advocate meets an argument whose force 
he cannot deny4 ,the character and      
diction of our ,lord's discourses       
entirely penetrated and assimilated the 
habits of thought of ,his beloved       
,apostle2 so that in his first epistle  
he writes in the very tone and spirit of
 those discourses2 and when reporting   
the sayings of his former teacher1 the  
,baptist1 he gives them1 consistently   
with the deepest inner truth 767 of     
narration1 the forms and cadences so    
familiar and habitual to himself499 ,it 
must be left to each individual to judge
 if a careful and accurate historian    
thus tampers with the words he pretends 
to narrate1 and thus makes them accord  
with some mysterious inner truth2 each  
too must decide as to the amount of     
reliance it is wise to place on a       
historian who is guided by so remarkable
 a rule of truth4 ,but further1 that the
 character and diction of this gospel   
are moulded on that of ,jesus1 seems a  
most unwarrantable assertion4 ,through  

all the recorded sayings of ,jesus in   
the three gospels1 there is no trace of 
this very peculiar style1 except in one 
case 7,matt4 xi4 #bg71 a passage which  
comes in abruptly and unconnectedly1 and
 stands absolutely alone in style in the
 three synoptics1 a position which      
throws much doubt on its authenticity4  
,it has been suggested that this marked 
difference of style arises from the     
different auditories addressed in the   
three gospels and in the fourth2 on this
 we remark that 7a71 we intuitively     
recognise such discourses as that in    
,matt4 x4 as perfectly consistent with  
the usual style of ,jesus1 although this
 is addressed to his own2 7b71 ,in this 
fourth gospel the discourses addressed  
to his own and to the ,jews are in      
exactly the same style2 so that1 neither
 in this gospel1 nor in the synoptics do
 we find any difference--more than might
 be reasonably expected--between the    
style of the discourses addressed to the
 disciples and those addressed to the   

multitudes4 ,but we do find a very      
marked difference between the style     
attributed to ,jesus by the three       
synoptics and that put into his mouth by
 the fourth evangelist2 this last being 
a style so remarkable that1 if usual to 
,jesus1 it is impossible that its traces
 should not appear through all his      
recorded speeches4 ,from which fact we  
may1 ,i think1 boldly deduce the        
conclusion that the style in question is
 not that of ,jesus1 the simple         
carpenter's son1 but is one caught from 
the dignified and stately march of the  
oratory of ,ephesian philosophers1 and  
is put into his mouth by the writer of  
his life4 ,and this conclusion is       
rendered indubitable by the fact        
above-mentioned1 that all the characters
 adopt this poetically and              
musically-rounded phraseology4       99 
,alford4  ,thus our first objection     
against the trustworthiness of our      
historian is that all the persons he    
introduces1 however different in        

character1 speak exactly alike1 and that
 this style1 when put into the mouth of 
,jesus1 is totally different from that  
attributed to him by the three          
synoptics4 ,we conclude1 therefore1 that
 the style belongs wholly to the writer1
 and that he cannot1 consequently1 be   
trusted in his reports of speeches4 ,the
 major part1 by far the most important  
part1 of this gospel is thus at once    
stamped as untrustworthy4  ,let us next 
remark the partiality attributed by this
 gospel to ,him ,who has said--according
 to the ,bible--all souls-are ,mine4 ,we
 find the doctrine of predestination1   
i4e41 of favouritism1 constantly put    
forward4 ,all that the ,father giveth me
 shall come to me4 ,no man can come to  
me except the ,father draw him4 ,that of
 all which ,he hath given me ,i should  
lose nothing4 ,ye believe not1 because  
ye are not of my sheep4 ,though he had  
done so many miracles before them1 yet  
they believed not on him3 that the      
saying of ,esaias the prophet might be  

fulfilled4 ,therefore1 they could not   
believe because that ,esaias said1 c4 ,i
 have chosen you out of the world4 ,thou
 hast given him power over all flesh1   
that he should give eternal life to as  
many as ,thou hast given him8 ,those    
that thou gavest me ,i have kept and    
none of them is lost1 but the son of    
perdition1 that the ,scriptures might be
 fulfilled4 ,these are the most striking
 of the passages which teach that       
doctrine which has been the most        
prolific parent of immorality and the   
bringer of despair to the sinner4       
,frightfully immoral as it is1 this     
doctrine is taught in all its awful     
hopelessness and plainness by this      
gospel3 some could not believe because  
an old prophet prophesied that they     
should not-,so1 according to ,st4 ,john1
 these unbelieving ,jews were           
pre-ordained to eternal damnation and   
the abiding wrath of ,god4 ,they were   
cast into an endless hell1 which they   
could not avoid4 ,we reject this gospel1

 secondly1 for the partiality it dares  
to attribute to ,almighty ,god4  ,we    
will now pass to the historical         
discrepancies between this gospel and   
the three synoptics1 following the order
 of the former4  ,it tells us 7ch4 i7   
that at the beginning of his ministry   
,jesus was at ,bethabara1 a town near   
the junction of the ,jordan with the    
,dead ,sea2 here he gains three         
disciples1 ,andrew and another1 and then
 ,simon ,peter3 the next day he goes    
into ,galilee and finds ,philip and     
,nathanael1 and on the following        
day--somewhat rapid travelling--he is   
present1 with these disciples1 at ,cana1
 where he performs his first miracle1   
going afterwards with them to ,capernaum
 and ,jerusalem4 ,at ,jerusalem1 whither
 he goes for the ,jews' passover1 he    
drives out the traders from the temple1 
and remarks1 ,destroy this temple1 and  
in three days ,i will raise it up3 which
 remark causes the first of the strange 
misunderstandings between ,jesus and the

 ,jews1 peculiar to this ,gospel1 simple
 misconceptions which ,jesus never      
troubles himself to set right4 ,jesus   
and his disciples then go to the        
,jordan1 baptising1 whence ,jesus       
departs into ,galilee with them1 because
 he hears that the ,pharisees know he is
 becoming more popular than the ,baptist
 7ch4 iv4 #a-c74 ,all this happens      
before ,john is cast into prison1 an    
occurrence which is a convenient note of
 time4 ,we turn to the beginning of the 
ministry of ,jesus as related by the    
three4 ,jesus is in the south of        
,palestine1 but1 hearing that ,john is  
cast into prison1 he departs into       
,galilee1 and resides at ,capernaum4    
,there is no mention of any ministry in 
,galilee and ,judaea before this2 on the
 contrary1 it is only from that time    
that ,jesus began to preach4 ,he is     
alone1 without disciples1 but1 walking  
by the sea1 he comes upon ,peter1       
,andrew1 ,james1 and ,john1 and calls   
them4 ,now if the fourth gospel is true1

 these men had joined him in ,judaea1   
followed him to ,galilee1 south again to
 ,jerusalem1 and back to ,galilee1 had  
seen his miracles and acknowledged him  
as ,christ1 so it seems strange that    
they had deserted him and needed a      
second call1 and yet more strange is it 
that ,peter 7,luke v4 i-ii7 was so      
astonished and amazed at the miracle of 
the fishes4 ,the driving out of the     
traders from the temple is placed by the
 synoptics at the very end of his       
ministry1 and the remark following it is
 used against him at his trial3 so was  
probably made just before it4 ,the next 
point of contact is the history of the  
#ejjj fed by five loaves 7ch4 vi471 the 
preceding chapter relates to a visit to 
,jerusalem unnoticed by the three3      
indeed1 the histories seem written of   
two men1 one the prophet of ,galilee    
teaching in its cities1 the other       
concentrating his energies on           
,jerusalem4 ,the account of the         
miraculous1 feeding is alike in all3 not

 so the succeeding account of the       
conduct of the multitude4 ,in the fourth
 gospel1 ,jesus and the crowd fall to   
disputing1 as usual1 and he loses many  
disciples3 among the three1 ,luke says  
nothing of the immediately following    
events1 while ,matthew and ,mark tell us
 that the multitudes--as would be       
natural--crowded round him to touch even
 the hem of his garment4 ,this is the   
same as always3 in the three the crowd  
loves him2 in the fourth it carps at and
 argues with him4 ,we must again miss   
the sojourn of ,jesus in ,galilee1      
according to the three1 and his visit to
 ,jerusalem1 according to the one1 and  
pass to his entry into ,jerusalem in    
triumph4 ,here we notice a most         
remarkable divergence3 the synoptics    
tell us that he was going up to         
,jerusalem from ,galilee1 and1 arriving 
on his way at ,bethphage1 he sent for an
 ass and rode thereon into ,jerusalem3  
the fourth gospel relates that he was   
dwelling at ,jerusalem1 and leaving it1 

for fear of the ,jews1 he retired1 not  
into ,galilee1 but beyond ,jordan1 into 
the place where ,john at first baptised1
 i4e41 ,bethabara1 and there he abode   
,from there he went to ,bethany and     
raised to life a putrefying corpse3 this
 stupendous miracle is never appealed to
 by the earlier historians in proof of  
their master's greatness1 though much   
people of the ,jews are said to have    
seen ,lazarus after his resurrection3   
this miracle is also given as the reason
 for the active hostility of the        
priests1 from that day forward4 ,jesus  
then retires to ,ephraim near the       
wilderness1 from which town he goes to  
,bethany1 and thence in triumph to      
,jerusalem1 being met by the people for 
that they heard that he had done this   
miracle4 ,the two accounts have         
absolutely nothing in common except the 
entry into ,jerusalem1 and the preceding
 events of the synoptics exclude those  
of the fourth gospel1 as does the latter
 theirs4 ,if ,jesus abode in ,bethabara 

and ,ephraim1 he could not have come    
from ,galilee2 if he started from       
,galilee1 he was not abiding in the     
south4 ,john xiii4-xvii4 stand alone1   
with the exception of the mention of the
 traitor4 ,on the arrest of ,jesus1 he  
is led 7ch4 xviii4 #ac7 to ,annas1 who  
sends him to ,caiaphas1 while the others
 send him direct to ,caiaphas1 but this 
is immaterial4 ,he is then taken to     
,pilate3 the ,jews do not enter the     
judgment-hall1 lest1 being defiled1 they
 could not eat the passover1 a feast    
which1 according to the synoptics1 was  
over1 ,jesus and his disciples having   
eaten it the night before4 ,jesus is    
exposed to the people at the sixth hour 
7ch4 xix4 #ad71 while ,mark tells us he 
was crucified three hours before--at the
 third hour--a note of time which agrees
 with the others1 since they all relate 
that there was darkness from the sixth  
to the ninth hour1 i4e41 there was thick
 darkness at the time when1 according to
 ,st4 ,john1 ,jesus was exposed4 ,here  

our evangelist is in hopeless conflict  
with the three4 ,the accounts about the 
resurrection are irreconcilable in all  
the gospels1 and mutually destructive4  
,it remains to notice1 among these      
discrepancies1 one or two points which  
did not come in conveniently in the     
course of the narrative4 ,during the    
whole of the fourth gospel1 we find     
,jesus constantly arguing for his right 
to the title of ,messiah4 ,andrew speaks
 of him as such 7i4 #da72 the           
,samaritans acknowledge him 7iv4 #db72  
,peter owns him 7vi4 #fi72 the people   
call him so-7vii4 #bf1 #ca1 #da72 ,jesus
 claims it 7viii4 #bd72 it is the       
subject of a law 7ix4 #bb72 ,jesus      
speaks of it as already claimed by him  
7x4 #bd1 #be72 ,martha recognises it    
7xi4 #bg74 ,we thus find that1 from the 
very first1 this title is openly claimed
 by ,jesus1 and his right to it openly  
canvassed by the ,jews4 ,but--in the    
three--the disciples acknowledge him as 
,christ1 and he charges them to tell no 

man that he was ,jesus the ,christ      
7,matt4 xvi4 #bj2 ,mark viii4 #bi1 #cj2 
,luke ix4 #bj1 #ba72 and this in the    
same year that he blames the ,jews for  
not owning this ,messiahship1 since he  
had told them who he was4 from the      
beginning 7ch4 viii4 #bd1 #be72 so that1
 if ,john was right1 we fail to see the 
object of all the mystery about it1     
related by the synoptics4 ,we mark1 too1
 how ,peter is1 in their account1       
praised for confessing him1 for flesh   
and blood had not revealed it to him1   
while in the fourth gospel1 flesh and   
blood1 in the person of ,andrew1 reveal 
to ,peter that the ,christ is found2 and
 there seems little praise due to ,peter
 for a confession which had been made   
two or three years earlier by ,andrew1  
,nathanael1 ,john ,baptist1 and the     
,samaritans4 ,contradiction can scarcely
 be more direct4 ,in ,john vii4 ,jesus  
owns that the ,jews know his birthplace 
7#bh71 and they state 7#da1 #db7 that he
 comes from ,galilee1 while ,christ     

should be born at ,bethlehem4 ,matthew  
and ,luke distinctly say ,jesus was born
 at ,bethlehem2 but here ,jesus         
confesses the right knowledge of those  
who attribute his birthplace to         
,galilee1 instead of setting their      
difficulty at rest by explaining that   
though brought up at ,nazareth1 he was  
born in ,bethlehem4 ,but our writer was 
apparently-ignorant of their accounts4  
,we reject this gospel1 thirdly1 because
 its historical statements are in direct
 contradiction to the history of the    
synoptics4  ,the next point to which ,i 
wish to direct attention is the relative
 position of faith and morals in the    
three synoptics and the fourth gospel4  
,it is not too much to say that on this 
point their teaching is absolutely      
irreconcilable1 and one or the other    
must be fatally in the wrong4 ,here the 
fourth gospel clasps hands with ,paul1  
while the others take the side of       
,james4 ,the opposition may be most     
plainly shown by parallel columns of    

quotations3   ,except your righteousness
            ,he that believeth on the   
,son  exceed that of the scribes and    
hath everlasting life4--iii4 #cf4       
,pharisees1 ye shall in no  case enter  
,heaven4--,matt4 v4 #bj4   ,have  we not
 prophesied in           ,he that       
believeth on ,him is  thy name and in   
thy name done         not               
condemned4--iii4 #ah4  many wonderful   
works8   ,then will ,i profess unto     
them444  ,depart444ye that work         
iniquity4  --,matt4 vii4 #bb1 #bc4   ,if
 thou  wilt enter into life1       ,he  
that believeth not the ,son  keep the   
commandments4--,mark          shall not 
see life4--iii4 #cf4 x4 #ag-bh4   ,her  
sins1 which are many1 are        ,if ye 
believe not that ,i am he  forgiven1 for
 she loved much4--    ye shall die in   
your sins4--viii4                       
,luke vii4 #dg4 #bd4  ,these few        
quotations1 which might be indefinitely 
multiplied1 are enough to show that1    
while in the three gospels doing is the 

test of religion1 and no profession of  
discipleship is worth anything unless   
shown by its fruits1 in the fourth      
believing is the cardinal matter3 in the
 three we hear absolutely nothing of    
faith in ,jesus as requisite1 but in the
 fourth we hear of little else3 works   
are thrown completely into the          
background and salvation rests on       
believing--not even in ,god--but in     
,jesus4 ,we reject this gospel1         
fourthly1 for setting faith above works1
 and so contradicting the general       
teaching of ,jesus himself4  ,the       
relative positions of the ,father and   
,jesus are reversed by the fourth       
evangelist1 and the teaching of ,jesus  
on this head in the three gospels is    
directly contradicted4 ,throughout them 
,jesus preaches the ,father only3 he is 
always reiterating your heavenly        
,father2 that ye may be the children of 
your ,father1 is his argument for       
forgiving others2 your ,father is       
perfect1 is his spur to a higher life2  

your ,father knoweth1 is his anodyne in 
anxiety2 it is the ,father's good       
pleasure1 is his certainty of coming    
happiness2 one is your ,father1 which is
 in heaven1 is1 by an even extravagant  
loyalty1 made a reason for denying the  
very name to any other4 ,but in the     
fourth gospel all is changed3 if the    
,father is mentioned at all1 it is only 
as the sender of ,jesus1 as his ,witness
 and his ,glorifier4 ,all love1 all     
devotion1 all homage1 is directed to    
,jesus and to ,jesus only3 even on the  
,christian hypothesis the ,father is    
eclipsed by ,his only begotten ,son499  
,all judgment is in the hands of the    
,son3 he has life in himself2 the work  
of ,god is to believe on him2 he gives  
life unto the world2 he will raise us up
 at the last day2 except by eating him  
there is no life2 he is the light of the
 world2 he gives true freedom2 he is the
 one shepherd3 none can pluck us out of 
his hand2 he will draw all men unto     
himself3 he is the ,lord and ,master1   

the truth and the life2 what is even    
asked of the ,father1 he will do2 he    
will come to his disciples and abide in 
them2 his peace and joy are their       
reward4 ,verily1 we need no more3 he who
 gives us eternal life1 who raises us   
from the dead1 who is our judge1 who    
hears our prayers1 and gives us light1  
freedom1 and truth1 ,he1 ,he only1 is   
our ,god2 none can do more for us than  
he3 in ,him only will we trust in life  
and death4 ,so1 consistently1 the ,son  
is no longer the drawer of believers to 
the ,father1 but the ,father is degraded
 into becoming the way to the ,son1 and 
none can come to ,jesus unless ,almighty
 ,god draws them to him4 ,jesus is no   
longer the way into the ,holiest1 but   
the ,eternal ,father is made the means  
to an end beyond himself4       99      
,voysey4  ,for this fifth reason1 more  
than for anything else1 we reject this  
gospel with the most passionate         
earnestness1 with the most burning      
indignation1 as an insult to the ,one   

,father of spirits1 the ultimate ,object
 of all faith and hope and love4  ,and  
who is this who thus dethrones our      
heavenly ,father8 ,it is not even the   
,jesus whose fair moral beauty has      
exacted our hearty admiration4 ,to      
worship him would be an idolatry1 but to
 worship him--were he such as ,john     
describes him--would be an idolatry as  
degrading as it would be baseless4 ,for 
let us mark the character pourtrayed in 
this fourth gospel4 ,his public career  
begins with an undignified miracle3 at a
 marriage1 where the wine runs short1 he
 turns water into wine1 in order to     
supply men who have already well drunk  
7ch4 ii4 #aj74 ,we may ask1 in passing1 
what led ,mary to expect a miracle1 when
 we are told that this was the first1   
and she could not1 therefore1 know of   
her son's gifts4 ,the next important    
point is the conversation with          
,nicodemus1 where we scarcely knew which
 to marvel at most1 the stolid stupidity
 of a ,master in ,israel                

misunderstanding a metaphor that must   
have been familiar to him1 or the       
aggressive way in which ,jesus speaks as
 to the non-reception of his message    
before he had been in public many       
months1 and as to non-belief in his     
person before belief had become         
possible4 ,we then come to the series of
 discourses related in ch4 v4 #aj4      
,perfect egotism pervades them all2 in  
all appear the same strange             
misunderstandings on the part of the    
people1 the same strange persistence in 
puzzling them on the part of the        
speaker4 ,in one of them the people     
honestly wonder at his mysterious words3
 ,how is it that he saith1 ,i come down 
from heaven1 and1 instead of any        
explanation1 ,jesus retorts that they   
should not murmur1 since no man can come
 to him unless the ,father draw him2 so 
that1 when he puts forward a statement  
apparently contrary to fact--his father 
and mother we know1 say the puzzled     
,jews--he refuses to explain it1 and    

falls back on his favourite doctrine3   
,unless you are of those favoured ones  
whom ,god enlightens1 you cannot expect 
to understand me4 ,little wonder indeed 
that many of his disciples walked no    
more with a teacher so perplexing and so
 discouraging2 with one who presented   
for their belief a mysterious doctrine1 
contrary to their experience1 and then1 
in answer to their prayer for           
enlightenment1 taunts them with an      
ignorance he admits was unavoidable4    
,the next important conversation occurs 
in the temple1 and here ,jesus1 the     
friend of sinners1 the bringer of hope  
to the despairing--this ,jesus has no   
tenderness for some who believed on him2
 he ruthlessly tramples on the bruised  
reed and quenches the smoking flax4     
,first he irritates their ,jewish pride 
with accusations of slavery and low     
descent2 then1 groping after his        
meaning1 they exclaim1 ,we have one     
,father1 even ,god1 and he--whom we know
 as the tenderest preacher of that      

,father's universal love--surely he     
gladly catches at their struggling      
appreciation of his favourite topic1 and
 fans the hopeful spark into a flame8   
,yes6 ,jesus of ,nazareth would have    
done so4 ,but ,jesus1 according to ,st4 
,john1 turns fiercely on them1 denying  
the sonship he elsewhere proclaims1 and 
retorts1 ,ye are of your father1 the    
devil4 ,and this to men who believed on 
him2 this from lips which said1 ,one is 
your ,father1 and ,he1 in heaven4 ,he   
argues next with the ,pharisees1 and we 
find him arrogantly exclaiming3 all that
 ever came before me were thieves and   
robbers4 ,what1 all8 ,moses and ,elijah1
 ,isaiah and all the prophets8 ,at      
length1 after he has once more repulsed 
some inquirers1 the ,jews take up stones
 to stone him1 as ,moses commanded1     
because thou makest thyself ,god4 ,he   
escapes by a clever evasion1 which      
neutralises all his apparent assertions 
of ,divinity4 ,other men have been      
called gods1 so surely ,i do not        

blaspheme by calling myself ,god's son4 
,never let us forget that in this       
gospel1 the stronghold of the ,divinity 
of ,jesus1 ,jesus himself explains his  
strongest assertion ,i and my ,father   
are one in a manner which can only be   
honest in the mouth of a man499 ,we pass
 to the celebrated last discourse4 ,in  
this we find the same peculiar style1   
the same self-assertion1 but we must    
note1 in addition1 the distinct         
tritheism which pervades it4 ,there are 
three distinct ,beings1 each necessarily
 deprived of some attribute of          
,divinity3 thus1 the ,deity is          
,infinite1 but if ,he is divided ,he    
becomes finite1 since two ,infinites are
 an impossible absurdity1 and unless    
they are identical they must bound each 
other1 so becoming finite4 ,accordingly 
the ,comforter cannot be present till   
,jesus departs1 therefore neither ,jesus
 nor the ,comforter can be ,god1 since  
,god is omnipresent4 ,since1 then1      
prayer is to be addressed to ,jesus as  

,god1 the low theory of tri-theism1 of a
 plurality of ,gods1 none of whom is a  
perfect ,god1 is here taught4 ,in this  
discourse1 also1 the ,christian horizon 
is bounded by the figure of ,jesus1 the 
office of the ,comforter is sub-servient
 to this one worship1 he shall glorify  
me4 ,jesus1 at last1 prays for his      
disciples1 markedly excluding from his  
intercession the world he was said to   
have come to save1 and1 as throughout   
this gospel1 restricting all his love1  
all his care1 all his tenderness to     
these1 whom ,thou hast given me4 ,here  
we come to the essence of the spirit    
which pervades this whole gospel4 ,i    
pray for them2 ,i pray not for the      
world3 not for them who are of their    
father the devil1 nor for my betrayer1  
the son of perdition4 ,this is the      
spirit which ,christians dare to ascribe
 to ,jesus of ,nazareth1 the tenderest1 
gentlest1 widest-hearted man who has yet
 graced humanity4 ,this is the spirit1  
they tell us1 which dwelt in his bosom1 

who gave us the parables of the lost    
sheep and the prodigal son4 ,no1 we     
answer1 this is not the spirit of the   
,prophet of ,nazareth1 but 7,dr4 ,liddon
 will pardon the appropriation7 this is 
the temper of a man who will not enter  
the public baths along with the heretic 
who has dishonoured his ,lord4       99 
,for a good work we stone thee not1 but 
for blasphemy2      and because that    
thou being a man makest thyself ,god4   
,jesus      answered them1 ,is it not   
written in your law1 ,i said1 ye        
are gods8 ,if he called them gods unto  
whom the word of ,god      came 7and the
 scripture cannot be broken71 say ye of 
him      whom the ,father hath          
sanctified and sent into the world1     
,thou blasphemest1 because ,i said ,i am
 the son of ,god8  ,this is the spirit  
of the writer of the gospel1 not of     
,jesus3 the egotism of the writer is    
reflected in the words put into the     
mouth of his master2 and thus the       
preacher of the ,father's love is       

degraded into the seeker of his own     
glory1 and bearing witness of himself1  
his witness becomes untrue4 ,i must also
 draw attention to one or two cases of  
unreality attributed to ,jesus by this  
gospel4 ,he prays1 on one occasion1     
because of the people who stand by3 he  
cries on his cross1 ,i thirst1 not      
because of the burning agony of         
crucifixion1 but in order that the      
,scriptures might be fulfilled3 a voice 
answers his prayer1 not because of me1  
but for your sakes4 ,this calculation of
 effect is very foreign to the sincere  
and open spirit of ,jesus4 ,akin to this
 is the prevarication attributed to him1
 when he declines to accompany his      
brethren to ,judaea1 but when his       
brethren were gone up then went he also 
up to the feast1 not openly but as it   
were in secret4 ,all this strikes us    
strangely as part of that simple1       
fearless life4  ,we reject this gospel1 
sixthly1 for the cruel spirit1 the      
arrogance1 the self-assertion1 the      

bigotry1 the unreality1 attributed by it
 to ,jesus1 and we denounce it as a     
slander on his memory and an insult to  
his noble life4  ,we may1 perhaps1 note1
 as another peculiarity of this         
gospel--although ,i do not enter here   
into the argument of the divinity of    
,jesus1--that when ,dr4 ,liddon1 in his 
celebrated ,bampton ,lectures1 is       
anxious to prove the ,deity of ,jesus   
from his own mouth1 he is compelled to  
quote exclusively from this gospel4     
,such a fact as this cannot be          
overlooked1 when we remember that ,st4  
,john's gospel is a polemical treatise  
written to prove this special point4 ,we
 cannot avoid noting the coincidence4   
,we have now gone through this          
remarkable record and examined it in    
various lights4 ,at the outset we       
conceded to our opponents all the       
advantage which comes from admitting    
that the gospel may be written by the   
,apostle ,john2 we have left the        
authorship a moot point1 and based our  

argument on a different ground4         
,apostolic or non-apostolic1 ,johannine 
or ,corinthian1 we accept it or reject  
it for itself1 and not for its writer4  
,we have found that all its characters  
speak alike in a marked and peculiar    
style--a style savouring of the study   
rather than the street1 of ,alexandria  
rather than ,jerusalem or ,galilee4 ,we 
have glanced at its immoral partiality4 
,we have noted the numerous             
discrepancies between the history of    
this gospel and that of the three       
synoptics4 ,we have discovered it to be 
equally opposed to them in morals as in 
history3 in doctrine as in morals4 ,we  
have seen that1 while it degrades ,god  
to enthrone ,jesus in ,his stead1 it    
also degrades ,jesus1 and so lowers his 
character that it defies recognition4   
,finally1 we have found it stands alone 
in supporting the ,deity of ,jesus from 
his own mouth4  ,i know not how all this
 may strike others2 to me these         
arguments are simply overwhelming in    

their force4 ,i tear out the ,gospel    
according to ,st4 ,john from the        
writings which are profitable for       
instruction in righteousness4 ,i reject 
it from beginning to end1 as fatally    
destructive of all true faith towards   
,god1 as perilously subversive of all   
true morality in man1 as an outrage on  
the sacred memory of ,jesus of          
,nazareth1 and as an insult to the      
,justice1 the ,supremacy1 and the ,unity
 of ,almighty ,god4     ,,on ,,the      
,,atonement4  ,,the ,atonement may be   
regarded as the central doctrine of     
,christianity1 the very raison d'etre of
 the ,christian faith4 ,take this away1 
and there would remain indeed a faith   
and a morality1 but both would have lost
 their distinctive features3 it would be
 a faith without its centre1 and a      
morality without its foundation4        
,christianity would be unrecognisable   
without its angry ,god1 its dying       
,saviour1 its covenant signed with the  
blood of the ,lamb3 the blotting out of 

the ,atonement would deprive millions of
 all hope towards ,god1 and would cast  
them from satisfaction into anxiety from
 comfort into despair4 ,the warmest     
feelings of ,christendom cluster round  
the ,crucifix1 and he1 the crucified    
one1 is adored with passionate devotion1
 not as martyr for truth1 not as witness
 for ,god1 not as faithful to death1 but
 as the substitute for his worshippers1 
as he who bears in their stead the wrath
 of ,god1 and the punishment due to sin4
 ,the ,christian is taught to see in the
 bleeding ,christ the victim slain in   
his own place2 he himself should be     
hanging on that cross1 agonised and     
dying2 those nail-pierced hands ought to
 be his2 the anguish on that face should
 be furrowed on his own2 the weight of  
suffering resting on that bowed head    
should be crushing himself inta the     
dust4 ,in the simplest meaning of the   
words1 ,christ is the sinner's          
substitute1 and on him the sin of the   
world is laid3 as ,luther expressed it1 

he is the greatest and only sinner2     
literally made sin for mankind1 and     
expiating the guilt which1 in very deed1
 was transferred from man to-him4  ,i   
wish at the outset1 for the sake of     
justice and candour1 to acknowledge     
frankly the good which has been drawn   
forth by the preaching of the ,cross4   
,this good has been1 however1 the       
indirect rather than the direct result  
of a belief in the ,atonement4 ,the     
doctrine1 in itself1 has nothing        
elevating about it1 but the teaching    
closely connected with the doctrine has 
its ennobling and purifying side4 ,all  
the enthusiasm aroused in the human     
breast by the thought of one who        
sacrificed himself to save his brethren1
 all the consequent longing to emulate  
that love by sacrificing all for ,jesus 
and for those for whom he died1 all the 
moral gain caused by the contemplation  
of a sublime self-devotion1 all these   
are the fruits of the nobler side of the
 ,atonement4 ,that the sinless should   

stoop to the sinful1 that holiness      
should embrace the guilty in order to   
raise them to its own level1 has struck 
a chord in men's bosoms which has       
responded to the touch by a harmonious  
melody of gratitude to the divine and   
sinless sufferer1 and loving labour for 
suffering and sinful man4 ,the ,cross   
has been at once the apotheosis and the 
source of self-sacrificing love4 ,love  
ye one another as ,i have loved you3 not
 in word but in deed1 with a deep       
self-sacrificing love3 such is the      
lesson which1 according to one of the   
most orthodox ,anglican divines1 ,christ
 preaches to us from ,his ,cross4 ,in   
believing in the ,atonement1 man's heart
 has1 as usual1 been better than his    
head2 he has passed over the dark side  
of the idea1 and has seized on the      
divine truth that the strong should     
gladly devote themselves to shield the  
weak1 that labour1 even unto death1 is  
the right of humanity from every son of 
man4 ,it is often said that no doctrine 

long retains its hold on men's hearts   
which is not founded on some great      
truth2 this divine idea of              
self-sacrifice has been the truth       
contained in the doctrine of the        
,atonement1 which has made it so dear to
 many loving and noble souls1 and which 
has hidden its multitude of sins--sins  
against love and against justice1       
against ,god and against man4 ,love and 
self-sacrifice have floated the great   
error over the storms of centuries1 and 
these cords still bind to it many hearts
 of which love and self-sacrifice are   
the glory and the crown4  ,this said1 in
 candi d'homage to the good which has   
drawn its inspiration from ,jesus       
crucified1 we turn to the examination of
 the doctrine itself3 if we find that it
 is as dishonouring to ,god as it is    
injurious to man1 a crime against       
justice1 a blasphemy against love1 we   
must forget all the sentiments which    
cluster round it1 and reject it utterly4
 ,it is well to speak respectfully of   

that which is dear to any religious     
soul1 and to avoid jarring harshly on   
the strings of religious feeling1 even  
though the soul be misled and the       
feeling be misdirected2 but a time comes
 when false charity is cruelty1 and     
tenderness to error is treason to truth4
 ,for long1 men who know its emptiness  
pass by in silence the shrine           
consecrated by human hopes and fears1 by
 love and worship1 and the times of this
 ignorance ,god 7in the bold figure of  
,paul7 also winks at2 but when the      
fulness of the time is come1 ,god sends 
forth some true son of his to dash the  
idol to the ground1 and to trample it   
into dust4 ,we need not be afraid that  
the good wrought by the lessons derived 
from the ,atonement in time past will   
disappear with the doctrine itself2 the 
mark of the ,cross is too deeply        
ploughed into humanity ever to be       
erased1 and those who no longer call    
themselves by the name of ,christ are   
not the most backward scholars in the   

school of love and sacrifice4  ,the     
history of this doctrine has been a     
curious one4 ,in the ,new ,testament the
 ,atonement is1 as its name implies1 a  
simply making at one ,god and man3 how  
this is done is but vaguely hinted at1  
and in order to deduce the modern       
doctrine from the ,bible1 we must import
 into the books of the ,new ,testament  
all the ideas derived from theological  
disputations4 ,words used in all        
simplicity by the ancient writers must  
have attached to them the definite      
polemical meaning they hold in the      
quarrels of theologians1 before they can
 be strained into supporting a          
substitutionary atonement4 ,the idea1   
however1 of ransom is connected with the
 work of ,jesus1 and the question arose1
 to whom is this ransom paid8 ,they who 
lived in those first centuries of       
,christianity were still too much within
 the illumination of the tender halo    
thrown by ,jesus round the ,father's    
name1 to dream for a moment that their  

redeemer had ransomed them from the     
beloved hands of ,god4 ,no1 the ransom  
was paid to the devil1 whose thrall they
 believed mankind to be1 and ,jesus1 by 
sacrificing himself1 had purchased them 
from the devil and made them sons of    
,god4 ,it is not worth while to enter on
 the quaint details of this scheme1 how 
the devil thought he had conquered and  
could hold ,jesus captive1 and was      
tricked by finding that his imagined    
gain could not be retained by him1 and  
so on4 ,those who wish to become        
acquainted with this ingenious device   
can study it in the pages of the        
,christian fathers3 it has at least one 
advantage over the modern plan1 namely1 
that we are not so shocked at hearing of
 pain and suffering as acceptable to the
 supposed incarnate evil1 as at hearing 
of them being offered as a sacrifice to 
the supreme good4 ,as the teaching of   
,jesus lost its power1 and became more  
and more polluted by the cruel thoughts 
of savage and bigoted men1 the doctrine 

of the atonement gradually changed its  
character4 ,men thought the ,almighty to
 be such a one as themselves1 and being 
fierce and unforgiving and revengeful1  
they projected their own shadows on to  
the clouds which surrounded the ,deity1 
and then1 like the shepherd who meets   
his own form reflected and magnified on 
the mountain mist1 they recoiled before 
the image they themselves had made4 ,the
 loving ,father who sent his son to     
rescue his perishing children by        
sacrificing himself1 fades away from the
 hearts of the ,christian world1 and    
there looms darkly in his place an awful
 form1 the inexorable judge who exacts a
 debt man is too poor to pay1 and who1  
in default of payment1 casts the debtor 
into a hopeless prison1 hopeless unless 
another pays to the uttermost farthing  
the fine demanded by the law4 ,so1 in   
this strange transformation-scene ,god  
actually takes the place of the devil1  
and the ransom once paid to redeem men  
from ,satan becomes the ransom paid to  

redeem men from ,god4 ,it reminds one of
 the quarrels over the text which bids  
us fear him who is able to destroy both 
body and soul in hell1 when we remain in
 doubt whom he is we are to fear1 since 
half the ,christian commentators assure 
us that it refers to our ,father in     
heaven1 while the other half asseverate 
that the devil is the individual we are 
to dread4 ,the seal was set on the      
redemption scheme by ,anselm in his     
great work1 ,cur ,deus ,homo and the    
doctrine which had been slowly growing  
into the theology of ,christendom was   
thenceforward stamped with the signet of
 the ,church4 ,roman ,catholics and     
,protestants1 at the time of the        
,reformation1 alike believed in the     
vicarious and substitutionary character 
of the atonement wrought by ,christ4    
,there is no dispute between them on    
this point4 ,i prefer to allow the      
,christian divines to speak for         
themselves as to the character of the   
atonement3 no one can accuse me of      

exaggerating their views1 if their views
 are given in their own words4 ,luther  
teaches that ,christ did truly and      
effectually feel for all mankind1 the   
wrath of ,god1 malediction and death4   
,flavel says that to wrath1 to the wrath
 of an infinite ,god without mixture1 to
 the very torments of hell1 was ,christ 
delivered1 and that by the hand of his  
own father4 ,the ,anglican homily       
preaches that sin did pluck ,god out of 
heaven to make him feel the horrors and 
pains of death1 and that man1 being a   
firebrand of hell and a bondsman of the 
devil1 was ransomed by the death of his 
own only and well-beloved son2 the heat 
of his wrath1 his burning wrath1 could  
only be pacified by ,jesus1 so pleasant 
was this sacrifice and oblation of his  
son's death4 ,edwards1 being logical1   
saw that there was a gross injustice in 
sin being twice punished1 and in the    
pains of hell1 the penalty of sin1 being
 twice inflicted1 first on ,christ1 the 
substitute of mankind1 and then on the  

lost1 a portion of mankind4 ,so he1 in  
common with most ,calvinists1 finds     
himself compelled to restrict the       
atonement to the elect1 and declared    
that ,christ bore the sins1 not of the  
world1 but of the chosen out of the     
world2 he suffers not for the world1 but
 for them whom ,thou hast given me4 ,but
 ,edwards adheres firmly to the belief  
in substitution1 and rejects the        
universal atonement for the very reason 
that to believe ,christ died for all is 
the surest way of proving that he died  
for none in the sense ,christians have  
hitherto believed4 ,he declares that    
,christ suffered the wrath of ,god for  
men's sins2 that ,god imposed his wrath 
due unto1 and ,christ underwent the     
pains of hell for1 sin4 ,owen regards   
,christ's sufferings as a full valuable 
compensation to the justice of ,god for 
all the sins of the elect1 and says that
 he underwent that same punishment      
which4444 they themselves were bound to 
undergo4  ,the doctrine of the          

,christian ,church--in the widest sense 
of that much-fought-over term--was then 
as follows1 and ,i will state it in     
language which is studiously moderate1  
as compared with the orthodox teaching  
of the great ,christian divines4 ,if any
 one doubts this assertion1 let him     
study their writings for himself4 ,i    
really dare not transfer some of their  
expressions to my own pages4 ,god the   
,father having cursed mankind and       
condemned them to eternal damnation1    
because of ,adam's disobedience in      
eating an apple--or some other fruit1   
for the species is only preserved by    
tradition1 and is not definitely settled
 by the inspired writings--and having   
further cursed each man for his own     
individual transgressions1 man lay under
 the fierce wrath of ,god1 unable to    
escape1 and unable to pacify it1 for he 
could not even atone for his own private
 sins1 much less for his share of the   
guilt incurred by his forefather in     
,paradise4 ,man's debt was hopelessly   

large1 and he had nothing to pay2 so all
 that remained to him was to suffer an  
eternity of torture1 which sad fate he  
had merited by the crime of being born  
into an accursed world4 ,the second     
person of the ,trinity moved to pity by 
the helpless and miserable state of     
mankind1 interposed between the first   
person of the ,trinity and the wretched 
sinners2 he received into his own breast
 the fire-tipped arrows of divine wrath1
 and by suffering inconceivable         
tortures1 equal in amount to an eternity
 of the torments of hell1 he wrung from 
,god's hands the pardon of mankind1 or  
of a portion thereof4 ,god1 pacified by 
witnessing this awful agony of one who  
had from all eternity been lying in his 
bosom co-equal sharer of his ,majesty   
and glory1 and the object of his        
tenderest love1 relents from his fierce 
wrath1 and consents to accept the pain  
of ,jesus as a substitute for the pain  
of mankind4 ,in plain terms1 then1 ,god 
is represented as a ,being so awfully   

cruel1 so implacably revengeful1 that   
pain as pain1 and death as death1 are   
what he demands as a propitiatory       
sacrifice1 and with nothing less than   
extremest agony can his fierce claims on
 mankind be bought off4 ,the due weight 
of suffering he must have1 but it is a  
matter of indifference whether it is    
undergone by ,jesus or by mankind4 ,did 
not the old ,fathers do well in making  
the awful ransom a matter between ,jesus
 and the devil8  ,when this point is    
pressed on ,christians1 and one urges   
the dishonour done to ,god by painting  
him in colours from which heart and soul
 recoil in shuddering horror1 by        
ascribing to him a revengefulness and   
pitiless cruelty in comparison with     
which the worst efforts of human        
malignity appear but childish mischief1 
they are quick to retort that we are    
caricaturing ,christian doctrine2 they  
will allow1 when overwhelmed with       
evidence1 that strong language has been 
used in past centuries1 but will say    

that such views are not now held1 and   
that they do not ascribe such harsh     
dealing to ,god the ,father4 ,theists   
are therefore compelled to prove each   
step of their accusation1 and to quote  
from ,christian writers the words which 
embody the views they assail4 ,were ,i  
simply to state that ,christians in     
these days ascribe to ,almighty ,god a  
fierce wrath against the whole human    
race1 that this wrath can only be       
soothed by suffering and death1 that he 
vents this wrath on an innocent head1   
and that he is well pleased by the sight
 of the agony of his beloved ,son1 a    
shout of indignation would rise from a  
thousand lips1 and ,i should be accused 
of exaggeration1 of false witness1 of   
blasphemy4 ,so once more ,i write down  
the doctrine from ,christian dictation1 
and1 be it remembered1 the sentences ,i 
quote are from published works1 and are 
therefore1 the outcome of serious       
deliberation2 they are not overdrawn    
pictures taken from the fervid eloquence

 of excited oratory1 when the speaker   
may perhaps be carried further than he  
would1 in cold blood1 consent to4       
,stroud makes ,christ drink the cup of  
the wrath of ,god4 ,jenkyn says1 he     
suffered as one disowned and reprobated 
and forsaken of ,god4 ,dwight considers 
that he endured ,god's hatred and       
contempt4 ,bishop ,jeune tells us that  
after man had done his worst1 worse     
remained for ,christ to bear4 ,he had   
fallen into his father's hands4         
,archbishop ,thomson preaches that the  
clouds of ,god's wrath gathered thick   
over the whole human race3 they         
discharged themselves on ,jesus only2 he
 becomes a curse for us1 and a vessel of
 wrath4 ,liddon echoes the same         
sentiment3 the apostles teach that      
mankind are slaves1 and that ,christ on 
the ,cross is paying their ransom4      
,christ crucified is voluntarily devoted
 and accursed3 he even speaks of the    
precise amount of ignominy and pain     
needed for the redemption1 and says that

 the divine victim paid more than was   
absolutely necessary4  ,these quotations
 seem sufficient to prove that the      
,christians of the present day are      
worthy followers of the elder believers4
 ,the theologians first quoted are      
indeed coarser in their expressions1 and
 are less afraid of speaking out exactly
 what they believe1 but there is no real
 difference of creed between the awful  
doctrine of ,flavel and the polished    
dogma of ,canon ,liddon4 ,the older and 
the modern ,christians alike believe in 
the bitter wrath of ,god against the    
whole human race4 ,both alike regard the
 ,atonement as so much pain tendered by 
,jesus to the ,almighty ,father in      
payment of a debt of pain owed to ,god  
by humanity4 ,they alike represent ,god 
as only to be pacified by the sight of  
suffering4 ,man has insulted and injured
 ,god1 and ,god must be revenged by     
inflicting suffering on the sinner in   
return4 ,the hatred and contempt ,god   
launched at ,jesus were due to the fact 

that ,jesus was the sinner's substitute1
 and are therefore the feelings which   
animate the ,divine heart towards the   
sinner himself4 ,god hates and despises 
the world4 ,he would have consumed it in
 a moment in the fire of his burning    
wrath1 had not ,jesus1 his chosen1 stood
 before him in the gap to turn away his 
wrathful indignation4  ,now1 how far is 
all this consistent with justice8 ,is   
the wrath of ,god against humanity      
justified by the circumstances of the   
case1 so that we may be obliged to own  
that some sacrifice was due from sinful 
man to his ,creator1 to propitiate a    
justly incensed and holy ,god8 ,i trow  
not4 ,on this first count1 the          
,atonement is a fearful injustice4 ,for 
,god has allowed men to be brought into 
the world with sinful inclinations1 and 
to be surrounded with many temptations  
and much evil4 ,he has made man         
imperfect1 and the child is born into   
the world with an imperfect nature4 ,it 
is radically unjust1 then1 that ,god    

should curse the work of ,his hands for 
being what ,he made them1 and condemn   
them to endless misery for failing to do
 the impossible4 ,allowing that         
,christians are right in believing that 
,adam was sinless when he came from his 
,maker's hands1 these remarks apply to  
every other living soul since born into 
the world2 the ,genesis myth will not   
extricate ,christians from the          
difficulty4 ,christians are quite right 
and are justified by facts when they say
 that man is born into the world frail1 
imperfect1 prone to sin and error2 but  
who1 we ask them1 made men so8 ,does not
 their own ,bible tell them that the    
potter hath power over the clay1 and1   
further1 that we are the clay and thou  
art the potter8 ,to curse men for being 
men1 i4e41 imperfect moral beings1 is   
the height of cruelty and injustice2 to 
condemn the morally weak to hell for    
sin1 i4e41 for failing in moral         
strength1 is about as fair as sentencing
 a sick man to death because he cannot  

stand upright4 ,christians try and avoid
 the force of this by saying that men   
should rely on ,god's grace to uphold   
them1 but they fail to see that this    
very want of reliance is part of man's  
natural weakness4 ,the sick man might be
 blamed for falling because he did not  
lean on a stronger arm1 but suppose he  
was too weak to grasp it8 ,further1 few 
,christians believe that it is          
impossible in practice1 however possible
 in theory1 to lead a perfect life2 and 
as to offend in one point is to be      
guilty of all1 one failure is sufficient
 to send the generally righteous man to 
hell4 ,besides1 they forget that infants
 are included under the curse1 although 
necessarily incapable of grasping the   
idea either of sin or of ,god2 all      
babies born into the world and dying    
before becoming capable of acting for   
themselves would1 we are taught1 have   
been inevitably consigned to hell1 had  
it not been for the ,atonement of       
,jesus4 ,some ,christians actually      

believe that unbaptized babies are not  
admitted into heaven1 and in a ,roman   
,catholic book descriptive of hell1 a   
poor little baby writhes and screams in 
a red-hot oven4  ,this side of the      
,atonement1 this unjust demand on men   
for a righteousness they could not      
render1 necessitating a sacrifice to    
propitiate ,god for non-compliance with 
his exaction1 has had its due effect on 
men's minds1 and has alienated their    
hearts from ,god4 ,no wonder that men   
turned away from a ,god who1 like a     
passionate but unskilful workman1 dashes
 to pieces the instrument he has made   
because it fails in its purpose1 and1   
instead of blaming his own want of      
skill1 vents his anger on the helpless  
thing that is only what he made it4     
,most naturally1 also1 have men shrunk  
from the ,god who avengeth and is       
furious to the tender1 pitiful1 human   
,jesus1 who loved sinners so deeply as  
to choose to suffer for their sakes4    
,they could owe no gratitude to an      

,almighty ,being who created them and   
cursed them1 and only consented to allow
 them to be happy on condition that     
another paid for them the misery he     
demanded as his due2 but what gratitude 
could be enough for him who rescued them
 from the fearful hands of the living   
,god1 at the cost of almost intolerable 
suffering to himself8 ,let us remember  
that ,christ is said to suffer the very 
torments of hell1 and that his worst    
sufferings were when fallen into his    
father's hands1 out of which he has     
rescued us1 and then can we wonder that 
the crucified is adored with a very     
ecstasy of gratitude8 ,imagine what it  
is to be saved from the hands of him who
 inflicted an agony admitted to be      
unlimited1 and who took advantage of an 
infinite capacity in order to inflict an
 infinite pain4 ,it is well for the men 
before whose eyes this awful spectre has
 flitted that the fair humanity of      
,jesus gives them a refuge to fly to1   
else what but despair and madness could 

have been the doom of those who1 without
 ,jesus1 would have seen enthroned above
 the wailing universe naught but an     
infinite cruelty and an ,almighty foe4  
,we see1 then1 that the necessity for an
 atonement makes the ,eternal ,father   
both unjust in his demands on men and   
cruel in his punishment of inevitable   
failure2 but there is another injustice 
which is of the very essence of the     
,atonement itself4 ,this consists in the
 vicarious character of the sacrifice3 a
 new element of injustice is introduced 
when we consider that the person        
sacrificed is not even the guilty party4
 ,if a man offends against law1 justice 
requires that he should be punished3 the
 punishment becomes unjust if it is     
excessive1 as in the case we have been  
considering above2 but it is equally    
unjust to allow him to go free without  
punishment4 ,christians are right in    
affirming that moral government would be
 at an end were men allowed to sin with 
impunity1 and did an easy forgiveness   

succeed to each offence4 ,they appeal to
 our instinctive sense of justice       
to-approve the sentiment that punishment
 should follow sin3 we acquiesce1 and   
hope that we have now reached a firm    
standing-ground from which to proceed   
further in our investigation4 ,but1 no2 
they promptly outrage that same sense of
 justice which they have called as a    
witness on their side1 by asking us to  
believe that its ends are attained      
provided that somebody or other is      
punished4 ,when we reply that this is   
not justice1 we are promptly bidden not 
to be presumptuous and argue from our   
human ideas of justice as to the course 
that ought to be pursued by the absolute
 justice of ,god4 ,then why appeal to it
 at all8 we urge2 why talk of justice in
 the matter if we are totally unable to 
judge as to the rights and wrongs of the
 case8 ,at this point we are commonly   
overwhelmed with ,paul's notable        
argument--,nay1 but1 ,o man1 who art    
thou that repliest against ,god8 ,but if

 ,christians value the simplicity and   
straightforwardness of their own minds1 
they should not use words which convey a
 certain accepted meaning in this       
shuffling1 double sense4 ,when we speak 
of justice1 we speak of a certain       
well-understood quality1 and we do not  
speak of a mysterious divine attribute1 
which has not only nothing in common    
with human justice1 but which is in     
direct opposition to that which we      
understand by that name4 ,suppose a man 
condemned to death for murder3 the judge
 is about to sentence him1 when a       
bystander--as it chances1 the judge's   
own son--interposes3 ,my ,lord1 the     
prisoner is guilty and deserves to be   
hanged2 but if you will let him go1 ,i  
will die in his place4 ,the offer is    
accepted1 the prisoner is set free1 the 
judge's son is hanged in his stead4     
,what is all this8 ,self-sacrifice      
7however misdirected71 love1            
enthusiasm--what you will2 but certainly
 not justice--nay1 the grossest         

injustice1 a second murder1 an          
ineffaceable stain on the ermine of the 
outraged law4 ,i imagine that1 in this  
supposed case1 no ,christian will be    
found to assert that justice was done2  
yet call the judge ,god1 the prisoner   
mankind1 the substitute ,jesus1 and the 
trial scene is exactly reproduced4      
,then1 in the name of candour and common
 sense1 why call that just in ,god which
 we see would be so unjust and immoral  
in man8 ,this vicarious nature of the   
,atonement also degrades the divine     
name1 by making him utterly careless in 
the matter of punishment3 all he is     
anxious for1 according to this          
detestable theory1 is that he should    
strike a blow somewhere4 ,like a child  
in a passion1 he only feels the desire  
to hurt somebody1 and strikes out       
vaguely and at random4 ,there is no     
discrimination used2 the thunderbolt is 
launched into a crowd3 it falls on the  
head of the sinless son1 and crushes the
 innocent1 while the sinner goes free4  

,what matter8 ,it has fallen somewhere1 
and the burning fire of his-wrath is    
cooled4 ,this is what men call the      
vindication of the justice of the ,moral
 ,governor of the universe3 this is the 
act of ,god's awful holiness1 which     
marks his hatred of sin1 and his        
immovable determination to punish it4   
,but when we reflect that this justice  
is consistent with letting off the      
guilty and punishing the innocent       
person1 we feel dread misgivings steal  
into our minds4 ,the justice of our     
,moral ,governor has nothing in common  
with our justice--indeed1 it violates   
all our notions of right and wrong4     
,what if1 as ,mr4 ,vance ,smith         
suggests1 this strange justice be       
consistent also with a double punishment
 of sin2 and what if the ,moral         
,governor should bethink himself that1  
having confused morality by an          
unjust--humanly speaking1 of            
course--punishment1 it would be well to 
set things straight again by punishing  

the guilty after all8 ,we can never dare
 to feel safe in the hands of this      
unjust--humanly speaking--,moral        
,governor1 or predicate from our        
instinctive notions of right and wrong  
what his requirements may be4 ,one is   
lost in astonishment that men should    
believe such things of ,god1 and not    
have manhood enough to rise up          
rebellious against such                 
injustice--should1 instead1 crouch at   
his feet1 and while trying to hide      
themselves from his wrath should force  
their trembling lips to murmur some     
incoherent acknowledgment of his mercy4 
,ah6 they do not believe it2 they assert
 it in words1 but1 thank ,god1 it makes 
no impression on their hearts2 and they 
would die a thousand deaths rather than 
imitate1 in their dealings with their   
fellow-men1 the fearful cruelty which   
the ,church has taught them to call the 
justice of the ,judge of all the earth4 
,the ,atonement is not only doubly      
unjust1 but it is perfectly futile4 ,we 

are told that ,christ took away the sins
 of the world2 we have a right to ask1  
how8 ,so far as we can judge1 we bear   
our sins in our own bodies still1 and   
the ,atonement helps us not at all4 ,has
 he borne the physical consequences of  
sin1 such as the loss of health caused  
by intemperance of all kinds8 ,not at   
all1 this penalty remains1 and1 from the
 nature of things1 cannot be            
transferred4 ,has he borne the social   
consequences1 shame1 loss of credit1 and
 so on8 ,they remain still to hinder us 
as we strive to rise after our fall4    
,has he at least borne the pangs of     
remorse for us1 the stings of           
conscience8 ,by no means2 the tears of  
sorrow are no less bitter1 the prickings
 of repentance no less keen4 ,perhaps he
 has struck at the root of evil1 and has
 put away sin itself out of a redeemed  
world8 ,alas6 the wailing that goes up  
to heaven from a world oppressed with   
sin weeps out a sorrowfully emphatic1   
no1 this he has not done4 ,what has he  

then borne for us8 ,nothing1 save the   
phantom wrath of a phantom tyrant2 all  
that is real exists the same as before4 
,we turn away1 then1 from the offered   
atonement with a feeling that would be  
impatience at such trifling1 were it not
 all too sorrowful1 and leave the       
,christians to impose on their imagined 
sacrifice1 the imagined burden of the   
guilt of the accursed race4  ,further1  
the ,atonement is1 from the nature of   
things1 entirely impossible3 we have    
seen how ,christ fails to bear our sins 
in any intelligible sense1 but can he1  
in any way1 bear the punishment of sin8 
,the idea that the punishment of sin can
 be transferred from one person to      
another is radically false1 and arises  
from a wrong conception of the          
punishment consequent on sin1 and from  
the ecclesiastical guilt1 so to speak1  
thought to be incurred thereby4 ,the    
only true punishment of sin is the      
injury caused by it to our moral nature3
 all the indirect punishments1 we have  

seen1 ,christ has not taken away1 and   
the true punishment can fall only on    
ourselves4 ,for sin is nothing more than
 the transgression of law4 ,all law1    
when broken1 entails of necessity an    
appropriate penalty1 and recoils1 as it 
were1 on the transgressor4 ,a natural   
law1 when broken1 avenges itself by     
consequent suffering1 and so does a     
spiritual law3 the injury wrought by the
 latter is not less real1 although less 
obvious4 ,physical sin brings physical  
suffering2 spiritual1 moral1 mental sin 
brings each its own appropriate         
punishment4 ,sin has become such a cant 
term that we lose sight1 in using it1 of
 its real simple meaning1 a breaking of 
law4 ,imagine any sane man coming and   
saying1 ,my dear friend2 if you like to 
put your hand into the fire ,i will bear
 the punishment of being burnt1 and you 
shall not suffer4 ,it is quite as absurd
 to imagine that if ,i sin ,jesus can   
bear my consequent suffering4 ,if a man 
lies habitually1 for instance1 he grows 

thoroughly untrue3 let him repent ever  
so vigorously1 he must bear the         
consequences of his past deeds1 and     
fight his way back slowly to            
truthfulness of word and thought3 no    
atonement1 nothing in heaven or earth   
save his own labour1 will restore to him
 the forfeited jewel of instinctive     
candour4 ,thus the punishment of        
untruthfulness is the loss of the power 
of being true1 just as the punishment of
 putting the hand into the fire is the  
loss of the power of grasping4 ,but in  
addition to this simple and most just   
and natural retribution1 theologians    
have invented certain arbitrary         
penalties as a punishment of sin1 the   
wrath of ,god and hell fire4 ,these     
imaginary penalties are discharged by an
 equally imaginary atonement1 the       
natural punishment remaining as before2 
so after all we only reject the two sets
 of inventions which balance each other1
 and find ourselves just in the same    
position as they are1 having gained     

infinitely in simplicity and            
naturalness4 ,the punishment of sin is  
not an arbitrary penalty1 but an        
inevitable sequence3 ,jesus may bear1 if
 his worshippers will have it so1 the   
theological fiction of the guilt of sin1
 an idea derived from the ceremonial    
uncleanness of the ,levitical law1 but  
let him leave alone the solemn realities
 connected with the sacred and immutable
 laws of ,god4  ,doubly unjust1 useless1
 and impossible1 it might be deemed a   
work of supererogation to argue yet     
further against the ,atonement2 but its 
hold on men's minds is too firm to allow
 us to lay down a single weapon which   
can be turned against it4 ,so1 in       
addition to these defects1 ,i remark    
that1 viewed as a propitiatory sacrifice
 to ,almighty ,god1 it is thoroughly    
inadequate4 ,if ,god1 being righteous1  
as we believe ,him to be1 regarded man  
with anger because of man's sinfulness1 
what is obviously the required          
propitiation8 ,surely the removal of the

 cause of anger1 i4e41 of sin itself1   
and the seeking by man of righteousness4
 ,the old ,hebrew prophet saw this      
plainly1 and his idea of atonement is   
the true one3 wherewith shall ,i come   
before the ,lord1 he is asked1 with     
burnt-offerings or--choicer             
still--parental anguish over a          
first-born's corpse8 ,what doth the     
,lord require of thee1 is the reproving 
answer1 but to do justly and to love    
mercy1 and to walk humbly with thy ,god8
 ,but what is the propitiatory element  
in the ,christian ,atonement8 let ,canon
 ,liddon answer3 the ignominy and pain  
needed for the redemption4 ,ignominy1   
agony1 blood1 death1 these are what     
,christians offer up as an acceptable   
sacrifice to the ,spirit of ,love4 ,but 
what have all these in common with the  
demands of the ,eternal ,righteousness1 
and how can pain atone for sin8 they    
have no relation to each other2 there is
 no appropriateness in the offered      
exchange4 ,these terrible offerings are 

in keeping with the barbarous ideas of  
uncivilized nations1 and we understand  
the feelings which prompt the savage to 
immolate tortured victims on the altars 
of his gloomy gods2 they are appropriate
 sacrifices to the foes of mankind1 who 
are to be bought off from injuring us by
 our offering them an equivalent pain to
 that they desire to inflict1 but they  
are offensive when given to ,him who is 
the ,friend and ,lover of ,humanity4 ,an
 ,atonement which offers suffering as a 
propitiation can have nothing in common 
with ,god's will for man1 and must be   
utterly beside the mark1 perfectly      
inadequate4 ,if we must have ,atonement1
 let it at least consist of something   
which will suit the ,righteousness and  
,love of ,god1 and be in keeping with   
his perfection2 let it not borrow the   
language of ancient savagery1 and       
breathe of blood and dying victims1 and 
tortured human frames1 racked with pain4
  ,lastly1 ,i impeach the ,atonement as 
injurious in several ways to human      

morality4 ,it has been extolled as      
meeting the needs of the awakened sinner
 by soothing his fears of punishment    
with the gift of a substitute who has   
already suffered his sentence for him2  
but nothing can be more pernicious than 
to console a sinner with the promise    
that he shall escape the punishment he  
has justly deserved4 ,the ,atonement may
 meet the first superficial feelings of 
a man startled into the consciousness of
 his sinfulness1 it may soothe the first
 vague fears and act as an opiate to the
 awakened conscience2 but it does not   
fulfil the cravings of a heart deeply   
yearning after righteousness2 it offers 
a legal justification to a soul which is
 longing for purity1 it offers freedom  
from punishment to a soul longing for   
freedom from sin4 ,the true penitent    
does not seek to be shielded from the   
consequences of his past errors3 he     
accepts them meekly1 bravely1 humbly1   
learning through pain the lesson of     
future purity4 ,an atonement which steps

 in between us and this fatherly        
discipline ordained by ,god1 would be a 
curse and not a blessing2 it would rob  
us of our education and deprive us of a 
priceless instruction4 ,the force of    
temptation is fearfully added to by the 
idea that repentance lays the righteous 
penalty of transgression on another     
head2 this doctrine gives a direct      
encouragement to sin1 as even ,paul     
perceived when he said1 shall we        
continue in sin that grace may abound8  
,some one has remarked1 ,i think1 that  
though ,paul ejaculates1 ,god forbid1   
his fears were well founded and have    
been widely realised4 ,to the ,atonement
 we owe the morbid sentiment which      
believes in the holy death of a         
ruffianly murderer1 because1 goaded by  
ungovernable terror1 he has snatched at 
the offered safety and been washed in   
the blood of the lamb4 ,to it we owe the
 unwholesome glorying in the pious      
sentiments of such an one1 who ought to 
go out of this life sadly and silently1 

without a sickening parade of feelings  
of love towards the ,god whose laws1 as 
long as he could1 he has broken and     
despised4 ,but the ,christian teachers  
will extol the saving grace which has   
made the felon die with words of joyful 
assurance1 meet only for the lips of one
 who crowns a saintly life with a       
peaceful death4 ,the ,atonement has     
weakened that stern condemnation of sin 
which is the safeguard of purity2 it has
 softened down moral differences1 and   
placed the penitent above the saint2 it 
has dulled the feeling of responsibility
 in the soul2 it has taken away the     
help1 such as it is1 of fear of         
punishment for sin2 it has confused     
man's sense of justice1 outraged his    
feeling of right1 blunted his           
conscience1 and misdirected his         
repentance4 ,it has chilled his love to 
,god by representing the universal      
father as a cruel tyrant and a          
remorseless and unjust judge4 ,it has   
been the fruitful parent of all         

asceticism1 for1 since ,god was pacified
 by suffering once1 he would1 of course1
 be pleased with suffering at all times1
 and so men have logically ruined their 
bodies to save their souls1 and crushed 
their feelings and lacerated their      
hearts to propitiate the awful form     
frowning behind the cross of ,christ4   
,to the ,atonement we owe it that ,god  
is served by fear instead of by love1   
that monasticism holds its head above   
the sweet sanctities of love and home1  
that religion is crowned with thorns and
 not with roses1 that the miserere and  
not the gloria is the strain from earth 
to heaven4 ,the ,atonement teaches men  
to crouch at the feet of ,god1 instead  
of raising loving1 joyful faces to meet 
his radiant smile2 it shuts out his     
sunshine from us1 and veils us in the   
night of an impenetrable dread4 ,what is
 the sentiment with which ,canon ,liddon
 closes a sermon on the death of        
,christ8 ,i quote it to show the slavish
 feeling engendered by this doctrine in 

a very noble human soul3 ,in ourselves1 
indeed1 there is nothing that should    
stay ,his 7,god's7 arm or invite his    
mercy4 ,but may he have respect to the  
acts and the sufferings of his sinless  
son8 ,only while contemplating the      
inestimable merits of the ,redeemer can 
we dare to hope that our heavenly       
,father will overlook the countless     
provocations which he receives at the   
hands of the redeemed4 ,is this a       
wholesome sentiment1 either as regards  
our feelings towards ,god or our efforts
 towards holiness8 ,is it well to look  
to the purity of another as a makewight 
for our personal shortcomings8 ,all     
these injuries to morality done by the  
atonement are completed by the crowning 
one1 that it offers to the sinner a veil
 of imputed righteousness4 ,not only    
does it take from him his saving        
punishment1 but it nullifies his        
strivings after holiness by offering him
 a righteousness which is not his own4  
,it introduces into the solemn region of

 duty to ,god the legal fiction of a    
gift of holiness1 which is imputed1 not 
won4 ,we are taught to believe that we  
can blind the eyes of ,god and satisfy  
him with a pretended purity4 ,but that  
every one whose purity we seek to claim 
as ours1 that fair blossom of humanity1 
,jesus of ,nazareth1 whose mission we so
 misconstrue1 launched his anathema at  
whited sepulchres1 pure without and foul
 within4 ,what would he have said of the
 whitewash of unimputed righteousness8  
,stern and sharp would have been his    
rebuke1 methinks1 to a device so untrue1
 and well-deserved would have been his  
thundered woe on a hypocrisy that would 
fain deceive ,god as well as man4       
,these considerations have carried so   
great a weight with the most enlightened
 and progressive minds among ,christians
 themselves1 that there has grown up a  
party in the ,church whose repudiation  
of an atonement of agony and death is as
 complete as even we could wish4 ,they  
denounce with the utmost fervour the    

hideous notion of a bloody sacrifice1   
and are urgent in their representations 
of the dishonour done to ,god by        
ascribing to him pleasure in the death  
of him that dieth1 or satisfaction in   
the sight of pain4 ,they point out that 
there is no virtue in blood to wash away
 sin1 not even in the blood of a ,god4  
,maurice eloquently pleads against the  
idea that the suffering of the          
well-beloved ,son was in itself an      
acceptable sacrifice to the ,almighty   
,father1 and he sees the atoning element
 in the holiness and graciousness of the
 ,son4 ,writers of this school perceive 
that a moral and not a physical         
sacrifice can be the only acceptable    
offering to the ,father of spirits1 but 
the great objection lies against their  
theory also1 that the ,atonement is     
still vicarious4 ,christ still suffers  
for man1 in order to make men acceptable
 to ,god4 ,it is1 perhaps1 scarcely fair
 to say this of the school as a whole1  
since the opinions of ,broad ,church    

divines differ widely from each other1  
ranging from the orthodox to the        
,socinian standing-point4 ,yet1 roughly 
speaking1 we may say that while they    
have given up the error of thinking that
 the death of ,christ reconciles ,god   
to-us1 they yet believe that his death1 
in some mysterious manner1 reconciles us
 to ,god4 ,it is a matter of deep       
thankfulness that they give up the old  
cruel idea of propitiating ,god1 and so 
prepare the way for a higher creed4     
,their more humane teaching reaches     
hearts which are as yet sealed against  
us1 and they are the ,john ,baptist of  
the ,theistic ,christ4 ,we must still   
urge on them that an atonement at all is
 superfluous1 that all the parade of    
reconciliation by means of a mediator is
 perfectly unnecessary as between ,god  
and his child1 man2 that the notion put 
forward that ,christ realised the ideal 
of humanity and propitiated ,god by     
showing what a man could be1 is         
objectionable in that it represents ,god

 as needing to be taught what were the  
capacities of his creatures1 and is     
further untrue1 because the powers of   
,god in man are not really the          
equivalent of the capabilities of a     
simple man4 ,broad ,churchmen are still 
hampered by the difficulties surrounding
 a divine ,christ1 and are puzzled to   
find for him a place in their theology  
which is at once suitable for his       
dignity1 and consistent with a          
reasonable belief4 ,they feel obliged to
 acknowledge that some unusual benefit  
to the race must result from the        
incarnation and death of a ,god1 and are
 swayed alternately by their reason1    
which places the crucifixion of ,jesus  
in the roll of martyrs' deaths1 and by  
their prejudices1 which assign to it a  
position unique and unrivalled in the   
history of the race4 ,there are1        
however1 many signs that the deity of   
,jesus is1 as an article of faith1      
tottering from its pedestal in the      
,broad ,church school4 ,the hold on it  

by such men as the ,rev4 ,j4 ,s4 ,brooke
 is very slight1 and his interpretation 
of the incarnation is regarded by       
orthodox divines with unmingled horror4 
,their moral atonement1 in turn1 is as  
the dawn before the sunrise1 and we may 
hope that it will soon develop into the 
real truth3 namely1 that the dealings of
 ,jesus with the ,father were a purely  
private matter between his own soul and 
,god1 and that his value to mankind     
consists in his being one of the        
teachers of the race1 one with a genius 
for religion1 one of the schoolmasters  
appointed to lead humanity to ,god4     
,the theory of ,m',leod ,campbell stands
 alone1 and is highly interesting and   
ingenious--it is the more valuable and  
hopeful as coming from ,scotland1 the   
home of the dreariest belief as to the  
relations existing between man and ,god4
 ,he rejects the penal character of the 
,atonement1 and makes it consist1 so to 
speak1 in leading ,god and man to       
understand one another4 ,he considers   

that ,christ witnessed to men on behalf 
of ,god1 and vindicated the father's    
heart by showing what he could be to the
 son who trusted in him4 ,he witnessed  
to ,god on behalf of men--and this is   
the weakest point in the book1 verging1 
as it does1 on substitution--showing in 
humanity a perfect sympathy with ,god's 
feelings towards sin1 and offering to   
,god for man a perfect repentance for   
human transgression4 ,i purposely say   
verging1 because ,campbell does not     
intend substitution2 he represents this 
sorrow of ,jesus as what he must        
inevitably feel at seeing his           
brother-men unconscious of their sin and
 danger1 so no fiction is supposed as   
between ,god and ,christ4 ,but he       
considers that ,god1 having seen the    
perfection of repentance in ,jesus1     
accepts the repentance of man1 imperfect
 as it is1 because it is in kind the    
same as that of ,jesus1 and is the germ 
of that feeling of which his is the     
perfect flower2 in this sense1 and only 

in this sense1 is the repentance of man 
accepted for ,christ's sake4 ,he        
considers that men must share in the    
mind of ,christ as towards ,god and     
towards sin1 in order to be benefited by
 the work of ,christ1 and that each man 
must thus actually take part in the work
 of atonement4 ,the sufferings of ,jesus
 he regards as necessary in order to    
test the reality of the life of sonship 
towards ,god1 and brotherhood towards   
men1 which he came to earth to          
exemplify4 ,i trust ,i have done no     
injustice in this short summary to a    
very able and thoughtful book1 which    
presents1 perhaps1 the only view of the 
,atonement compatible with the love and 
the justice of ,god2 and this only1 of  
course1 if the idea of any atonement can
 fairly be said to be consistent with   
justice4 ,the merits of this view are   
practically that this work of ,jesus is 
not an atonement in the theological     
sense at all4 ,the defects of           
,campbell's book are inseparable from   

his creed1 as he argues from a belief in
 the deity of ,jesus1 from an           
unconscious limitation of ,god's        
knowledge 7as though ,god did not       
understand man till he was revealed to  
him by ,jesus7 and from a wrong         
conception of the punishment due to sin4
 ,i said1 at starting1 that the         
,atonement was the raison d'etre of     
,christianity1 and1 in conclusion1 ,i   
would challenge all thoughtful men and  
women to say whether good cause has or  
has not been shown for rejecting this   
pillar of the faith4 ,the ,atonement has
 but to be studied in order to be       
rejected4 ,the difficulty is to persuade
 people to think about their creed1 ,yet
 the question of this doctrine must be  
faced and answered4 ,i have too much    
faith in the common sense and justice of
 ,englishmen when once awakened to face 
any question fairly1 to doubt what that 
answer will be4     ,,on ,,the          
,,mediation ,,and ,,salvation ,,of      
,,ecclesiastical ,,christianity4  ,,the 

whole ,christian scheme turns on the    
assumption of the inherent necessity of 
some one standing between the ,creator  
and the creature1 and shielding the     
all-weak from the power of the          
,all-mighty4 ,it is a fearful thing to  
fall into the hands of the living ,god2 
such is the key-note of the strain which
 is chanted alike by ,roman             
,catholicism1 with its thousand         
intercessors1 and by ,protestantism1    
with its one ,mediator1 the man ,christ 
,jesus4 ,speak thou for me1 cries man to
 his favourite mouthpiece1 whoever it   
may be2 go thou near1 but let me not see
 the face of ,god1 lest ,i die4 ,the    
heroes1 the saints1 the idols of        
humanity1 have been the men who have    
dared to search into the ,unseen1 and to
 gaze straight up into the awful ,face  
of ,god4 ,they have dashed aside all    
that intervened between their souls and 
the ,eternal ,soul1 and have found it1  
as one of them quaintly phrases it1 a   
profitable sweet necessity to fall on   

the naked arm of ,jehovah4 ,then1       
because they dared to-trust ,him who had
 called them into existence1 and to     
stretch out beseeching hands to the     
,everlasting ,father1 they have been    
forced into a position they would have  
been the very first to protest against1 
and have been made into mediators for   
men less bold1 for children less        
confiding4 ,those who dared not seek    
,god for themselves have clung to the   
garments of the braver souls1 who have  
thus become1 involuntarily1 veils       
between their brother-men and the       
,supreme4 ,there is1 perhaps1 no better 
way of demonstrating the radical errors 
from which spring all the so-called     
schemes of redemption and economies of  
,divine grace than by starting from the 
,christian hypothesis4  ,we will admit1 
for argument's sake1 the ,deity of      
,jesus1 in order that we may thus see   
the more distinctly that a mediator of  
any kind between ,god and man is utterly
 uncalled for4 ,it is mediation1 in     

itself1 that is wrong in principle2 we  
object to it as a whole1 not to any     
special manifestation of it4 ,divine or 
human mediators1 ,jesus or his mother1  
saint1 angel1 or priest1 we reject them 
each and all2 our birthright as human   
beings is to be the offspring of the    
,universal ,father1 and we refuse to    
have any interloper pressing in between 
our hearts and ,his4  ,we will take     
mediation first in its highest form1 and
 speak of it as if ,jesus were really   
,god as well as man4 ,all ,christians   
agree in asserting that the coming of   
the ,son into the world to save sinners 
was the result of the love of the       
,father for these sinners2 i4e41 ,god so
 loved the world that ,he sent ,his     
,son4 ,the motive-power of the          
redemption of the world is1 then1       
according to ,christians1 the deep love 
of the ,creator for the work of ,his    
hands4 ,this it was that exiled the ,son
 from the bosom of the ,father1 and     
caused the ,eternal to be born into     

time4 ,but now a startling change occurs
 in the aspect of affairs4 ,jesus has   
atoned for the sins of the world2 he has
 made peace through the blood of his    
cross2 and having done so1 he suddenly  
appears as the mediator for men4 ,what  
does this pleading of the ,son on behalf
 of sinners imply8 ,only this--a        
complete change in the ,father's mind   
towards the world4 ,after the yearning  
love of which we have heard1 after this 
absolute sacrifice to win ,his          
children's hearts1 ,he at last succeeds4
 ,he sees ,his children at ,his feet1   
repentant for the past1 eager to make   
amends in the future2 human hands       
appealing to ,him1 human eyes streaming 
with tears4 ,he turns ,his back on the  
souls ,he has been labouring to win2 ,he
 refuses to clasp around ,his penitents 
the arms outstretched to them so long1  
unless they are presented to ,him by an 
accredited intercessor1 and come armed  
with a formal recommendation4 ,the      
inconsistency of such a procedure must  

be palpable to all minds2 and in order  
to account for one absurdity1           
theologians have invented another2      
having created one difficulty1 they are 
forced to make a second1 in order to    
escape from the first4 ,so they         
represent ,god as loving sinners1 and   
desiring to forgive and welcome them4   
,this feeling is the ,mercy of ,god2    
but1 in opposition to the dictates of   
,mercy1 ,justice starts up1 and forbids 
any favour to the sinner unless its own 
claims are first satisfied to the       
utmost4 ,a ,christian writer has        
represented ,mercy and ,justice as      
standing before the ,eternal3 ,mercy    
pleads for forgiveness and pity1        
,justice clamours for punishment4 ,two  
attributes of the ,godhead are          
personified and placed in opposition to 
each other1 and require to be           
reconciled4 ,but when we remember that  
each personified quality is really but a
 portion1 so to speak1 of the ,divine   
character1 we find that ,god is divided 

against ,himself4 ,thus1 this theory    
introduces discord into the harmonious  
mind which inspires the perfect melodies
 of the universe4 ,it sees warring      
elements in the ,serenity of the        
,infinite ,one2 it pictures successive  
waves of love and anger ruffling that   
ineffable ,calm2 it imagines clouds of  
changing motives sweeping across the sun
 of that unchanging ,will4 ,such a      
theory as this must be rejected as soon 
as realised by the thoughtful mind4 ,god
 is not a man1 to be swayed first by one
 motive and then by another4 ,his mercy 
and justice ever point unwaveringly in  
the same direction3 perfect justice     
requires the same as perfect mercy4 ,if 
,god's justice could fail1 the whole    
moral universe would be in confusion1   
and that would be the greatest cruelty  
that could be inflicted on intelligent  
beings4 ,the weak pliability1 miscalled 
mercy1 which is supposed to be worked   
upon by a mediator1 is a human infirmity
 which men have transferred to their    

idea of ,god4  ,a man who has announced 
his intention to punish may be persuaded
 out of his resolution4 ,new arguments  
may be adduced for the condemned one's  
innocence1 new reasons for clemency may 
be suggested2 or the judge may have been
 over-strict1 or have been swayed by    
prejudice4 ,here a mediator may indeed  
step in1 and find good work to do2 but1 
in the name of the ,eternal ,perfection1
 what has all this to do with the       
judgment of ,god8 ,can ,his knowledge be
 imperfect1 ,his mercy increased8 ,can  
,his sentence be swayed by prejudice1 or
 made harsh by over-severity8  ,but if  
,his judgment is already perfect1 any   
change implies imperfection1 and all    
left for the mediator to do is to       
persuade ,god to make a change1 i4e41 to
 become imperfect2 or1 ,god having      
decided that sin shall be punished1 the 
mediator steps in1 and actually so works
 upon ,god's feelings that ,he revokes  
,his decision1 and--most cruel of       
mercies--lets it go unnoticed4 ,like an 

unwise parent1 ,god is persuaded not to 
punish the erring child4 ,but such is   
not the case4 ,god is just1 and because 
,he is just ,he is most truly merciful3 
in that justice rests the certainty of  
the due punishment of sin1 and1         
therefore of the purification of the    
sinner6 and no mediator--thanks be to   
,god for it6--shall ever cause to waver 
for one instant that ,rock of ,justice  
on which reposes the hope of ,humanity4 
,but the theory we are considering has  
another fatal error in it3 it ascribes  
imperfection to ,almighty ,god4 ,for    
,god is represented as desiring to      
forgive sinners1 and this desire must be
 either right or wrong4 ,if it be right1
 it can at once be gratified2 but if    
,justice opposes this forgiveness1 then 
the desire to forgive is not wholly     
right4 ,theologians are thus placed in  
this dilemma3 if ,god is perfect--as ,he
 is--any desire of ,his must likewise be
 flawlessly perfect1 and its fulfilment 
must be the very best thing that could  

happen to ,his whole creation2 on the   
other hand1 if there is any barrier of  
right--and ,justice is right--interposed
 between ,god and ,his desire1 then ,his
 ,will is not the most perfect ,good4   
,theologians must then choose between   
admitting that the desire of ,god to    
welcome sinners is just1 or detracting  
from the ,eternal ,perfection4  ,it is  
obvious that we do not weaken our case  
by admitting1 for the moment1 the ,deity
 of ,jesus2 for we are striking at the  
root-idea of mediation4 ,that the       
mediator should be ,god is totally      
beside the question1 and in no way      
strengthens our adversaries' hands4 ,his
 ,deity does nothing more than introduce
 a new element of confusion into the    
affair2 for we become entangled in a    
maze of contradictions4 ,god1 who is    
,one1 even according to ,christians1 is 
at one and the same time estranged from 
sinners1 pleading for sinners1 and      
admitting the pleading4 ,god pleads to  
,himself--but we are confounding the    

persons3 one ,god pleads to another--but
 we are dividing the substance4 ,alas   
and alas for the creed which compels its
 votaries to deny their reason1 and     
degrade their ,maker6 which babbles of a
 ,nature it cannot comprehend1 and      
forces its foolish contradictions on    
indignant souls6 ,if ,jesus be ,god1 his
 mediation is at once impossible and    
unnecessary2 if he be ,god1 his will is 
the will of ,god2 and if he wills to    
welcome sinners1 it is ,god who wills to
 welcome them4 ,if he1 who is ,god1 is  
content to pardon and embrace1 what     
further do sinners require8 ,christians 
tell us that ,jesus is one with ,god3 it
 is well1 we reply2 for you say he is   
the ,friend of sinners1 and the         
,redeemer of the lost4 ,if he be ,god1  
we both agree as to the friendliness of 
,god to sinners4 ,you need no mediator  
between you and ,jesus2 and1 since he is
 ,god1 you need no mediator with ,god4  
,this reasoning is irrefragable1 unless 
,christians are content to assign to    

their mediator some place which is less 
than divine2 for they certainly derogate
 from his dignity when they imagine him 
as content to receive those whom        
,almighty ,god chases from before ,his  
face4 ,and in making this difference    
between ,jesus and the ,father they make
 a fatal admission that he is distinct  
in feeling from ,god1 and therefore     
cannot be the ,one ,god4 ,it is the     
proper perception of this fact which has
 introduced into the ,roman ,church the 
human mediators whose intercession is   
constantly implored4 ,jesus1 being ,god1
 is too awful to be approached3 his     
mother1 his apostles1 some saint or     
martyr1 must come between4 ,i have read 
a ,roman ,catholic paper about the      
mediation of ,mary which would be       
accepted by the most orthodox           
,protestant were ,mary replaced by      
,jesus1 and ,jesus by the ,father4 ,for 
,jesus is there painted1 as the ,father 
is painted by the orthodox1 in stern    
majesty1 hard1 implacable1 exacting the 

uttermost farthing2 and ,mary is        
represented as standing between him and 
the sinners for whom she pleads4 ,it is 
only a further development of the idea  
which makes the man ,jesus the ,mediator
 between ,god and man4 ,as the          
deification of ,mary progresses1        
following in slow but certain steps the 
deification of ,jesus1 a mediator will  
be required through whom to approach    
her2 and then ,jesus1 too1 will fade out
 of the hearts of men1 as the ,father   
has faded out of the hearts of          
,christians1 and this superstition of   
mediation will sink lower and lower1    
till it is rejected by all earnest      
hearts1 and is loathed by human souls   
which are aching for the living ,god4   
,we see1 then1 that mediation implies an
 absurd and inexplicable change in the  
supposed attitude of ,god towards man1  
and destroys all confidence in the      
justice of the ,supreme ,ruler4 ,we     
should further take into consideration  
the strange feeling towards the         

,universal ,heart implied in man's      
endeavour to push some one in between   
himself and the ,eternal ,father4 ,as we
 study ,nature and try to discover from 
its workings something of the           
characteristics of the ,worker therein1 
we find not only a ruling               
,intelligence--a ,supreme ,reason1      
before which we bow our heads in an     
adoration too deep for words--but we    
catch also beautiful glimpses of a      
ruling ,love--a ,supreme ,heart1 to     
which our hearts turn with a glad relief
 from the dark mysteries of pain and    
evil which press us in on every side4   
,simple belief in ,god at all1 that is  
to say1 in a ,power which works in the  
,universe1 is quite sufficient to       
disperse any of that feeling of fear    
which finds its fit expression in the   
longing for a mediator4 ,for being      
placed here without our request1 and    
even without our consent1 we have       
surely1 as a simple matter of justice1 a
 right to demand that the ,power which  

placed us here shall provide us with    
means by which we can secure our        
happiness4 ,i speak1 of course1 as of a 
conscious ,power1 because a blind ,force
 is necessarily irresponsible2 but those
 who believe in a ,god are bound to     
acknowledge that ,he is responsible for 
their well-being4 ,if any one should    
suggest that to say thus is to criticise
 ,god's dealings and to speak with      
presumptuous irreverence1 ,i retort that
 the irreverence lies with those who    
ascribe to the ,supreme a course of     
action towards ,his creatures that they 
themselves would be ashamed to pursue   
towards their own children1 and that    
they who fling at us the reproach of    
blasphemy because we will not bow the   
knee before their idol1 would themselves
 lie open to the charge1 were it not    
that their ignorance shields them from  
the sterner censure4 ,all good in       
man--poor shallow streamlet though it   
be--flows down from the pure depths of  
the ,fountain of ,good1 and any throb of

 ,love on earth is a pulsation caused by
 the ceaseless beating of the ,universal
 ,father-,heart4 ,yet men fear to trust 
that ,heart1 lest it should cease       
beating2 they fear to rest on ,god1 lest
 ,he should play them false4 ,when will 
they catch even a glimpse of that great 
ocean of love which encircles the       
universe as the atmosphere the earth1   
which is infinite because ,god is       
infinite8 ,if there is no spot in the   
universe of which it can be said1 ,god  
is not here1 then is there also no spot 
where love does not rule2 if there is no
 life existing without the support of   
the ,life-,giver and the                
,life-,sustainer1 then is there also no 
life which is not cradled in the arms of
 ,love4 ,who then will dare to push     
himself in between man and a ,god like  
this8 ,in the light of the ,universal   
,reason and the ,universal ,heart       
mediation stands confessed as an        
impertinent absurdity4 ,away with any   
and all of those who interfere in the   

most sacred concerns of the soul1 who   
press in between the ,creator and ,his  
offspring2 between the heart of man and 
the parent ,heart of ,god4 ,whoever it  
may be1 saint or martyr1 or the king of 
saints and martyrs1 ,jesus of ,nazareth1
 let him come down from a position which
 none can rightly hold4 ,to elevate the 
noblest son of man into this place of   
mediator is to make him into an offence 
to his brethren1 and to cause their love
 to turn into anger1 and their reverence
 into indignation4 ,if men persist in   
talking about the need of a mediator    
before they dare to approach ,god1 we   
must remind them that1 if there be a    
,god at all1 ,he must be just1 and that1
 therefore1 they are perfectly safe ,in 
,his hands2 if they begin to babble     
about forgiveness for the sake of ,jesus
 ,christ8 we must ask them what in the  
world they mean by the forgiveness of   
sin8 ,surely they do not think that ,god
 is like man1 quick to revenge affront  
and jealous of ,his dignity2 even were  

it possible for man to injure1 in any   
sense1 the ,majesty of ,god1 do they    
conceive that ,god is an irascible and  
revengeful ,potentate8 ,those who think 
thus of ,god can never--,i assert       
boldly--have caught the smallest glimpse
 of ,god4 ,they may have seen a         
magnified man1 but they have seen       
nothing more2 they have never prostrated
 themselves before that ,universal      
,spirit who dwells in this vast         
universe2 they have never felt their own
 littleness in a place so great4 ,how   
can sin be forgiven8 can a past act be  
undone1 or the hands go back on the     
sun-dial of ,time8 ,all ,god's so-called
 chastisements are but the natural and  
inevitable results of broken laws--laws 
invariable in their action1 neither to  
be escaped or defied4 ,obedience to law 
results in happiness1 and the suffering 
consequent on the transgression of law  
is not inflicted by an angry ,god1 but  
is the simple natural outcome of the    
broken law itself4 ,put your hand in the

 fire1 and no mediator can save you from
 burning2 cry earnestly to ,god to save 
you1 and then cast yourself from a      
precipice1 and will a mediator come     
between you and the doom you have       
provoked8 ,we should do more wisely if  
we studied laws and tried to conform    
ourselves to them1 instead of going     
blundering about with our eyes shut1    
trusting that some one will interpose to
 shield us from the effects of our own  
folly and stupidity4 ,happily for       
mankind1 mediation is impossible in that
 beautiful realm of law in which we are 
placed2 when men have quite made up     
their minds that their happiness depends
 entirely on their own exertions1 there 
will at last be some chance for the     
advancement of ,humanity1 for then they 
will work for things instead of praying 
for them4 ,it is of real practical      
importance that this ,christian notion  
of mediation should be destroyed1       
because on it hang all the ideas about  
trusting to some one else to do our own 

work4 ,this plan has not answered3 we   
judge it by results1 and it has failed4 
,surely we may hope that as men get to  
see that prayer has not succeeded in its
 efforts to move the arm which moves the
 world1 to bring salvation down1 they   
may turn to the more difficult1 but also
 the more hopeful task1 of moving their 
own arms to work out their own          
salvation4 ,for the past1 it is past1   
and none can reverse it2 none can stay  
the action of the eternal law which     
links sorrow with transgression1 and joy
 and peace with obedience4 ,when we slip
 back on our path upward1 we may repent 
and call on ,god or man for forgiveness 
as we list1 but only through toil and   
suffering can the lost way be recovered1
 and the rugged path must be trodden    
with bleeding feet2 for there is none   
who can lift the sinner over the        
hindrances he has built up for himself1 
or carry him over the rocks with which  
he has strewed his road4  ,does the     
sentimental weakness of our age shrink  

from this doctrine1 and whimper out that
 it is cold and stern8 ,ay1 it is cold  
with the cold of the bracing sea-breeze1
 stringing to action the nerves         
enfeebled by hot-houses and soft-living2
 ay1 it is stern with the blessed       
sternness of changeless law1 of law     
which never fails us1 never varies a    
hair's breadth4 ,but in that law is     
strength2 man's arm is feeble1 but let  
him submit to the laws of steam1 and his
 arm becomes dowered with a giant's     
force2 conform to a law1 and the mighty 
power of that law is on your side2      
humble yourself under the mighty hand of
 ,god1 who is the ,universal ,law1 and  
,he shall lift you up4  ,so much for    
mediation4 ,we turn with a still deeper 
repugnance to study the ,christian idea 
of ,salvation4 ,mediation at least      
leaves us ,god1 however it degrades and 
blasphemes ,him1 but salvation takes us 
altogether out of ,his ,hands4 ,not     
content with placing a mediator between 
themselves and ,god1 ,christians cry out

 that ,he is still too near them2 they  
must push ,him yet further back1 they   
must have a ,saviour too1 through whom  
all ,his benefits shall filter4         
,saviour1 is an expression often found  
in the ,old ,testament1 where it bears a
 very definite and noble meaning4 ,god  
is the ,saviour of men from the power of
 sin1 and although we may consider that 
,god does not save from sin in this     
direct manner1 we are yet bound to      
acknowledge that there is nothing in    
this idea which is either dishonouring  
or repulsive4 ,but the word ,saviour has
 been degraded by ,christianity1 and the
 salvation ,he brings is not a salvation
 from sin4 ,the ,lord and ,saviour1     
,jesus ,christ is the ,saviour of men1  
not because he delivers them from sin1  
but because he saves them from hell1 and
 from the fiery wrath of ,god4          
,salvation is no longer the equivalent  
of righteousness1 the antithesis of sin2
 in ,christian life it means nothing    
more than the antithesis of damnation4  

,it is true that ,christians may retort 
that ,jesus saves his people from their 
sins2 we gladly acknowledge the         
nobleness and the beauty of many a      
,christian life1 but nevertheless this  
is not the primary idea attached by     
popular ,christianity to the word       
salvation4 ,being saved is to be        
delivered out of those hands of the     
living ,god1 into which1 as they are    
taught by their ,bible1 it is so fearful
 a thing to fall4 ,being saved is the   
immediate result of conversion1 and is  
the opposite of being lost4 ,being saved
 is being hidden in the riven side of   
,jesus1 and so preserved from the awful 
flames of the destroying wrath of ,god4 
,against all this we1 believers in an   
,almighty ,love1 in a ,universal        
,father1 enter our solemn and deliberate
 protest1 with a depth of abhorrence1   
with a passion of indignation which is  
far too intense to find any adequate    
expression in words4 ,there is no       
language strong enough to show our      

deeply-rooted repugnance to the idea    
that we can be safer anywhere or at any 
time than we are already here2 we cannot
 repel with sufficient warmth the       
officious interference which offers to  
take us out of the hands of ,god4 ,to   
push some one in between our souls and  
,him was bad enough2 but to go further  
and to offer us salvation from our      
,maker1 to try and threaten us away from
 the arms of ,his ,love1 to suggest that
 another's hands are more tender1       
another's heart more loving than the    
,supreme ,heart1--these are blasphemies 
to which we will not listen in silence4 
,it is true that to us these suggestions
 are only matters of laughter2 dimly as 
we guess at the ,deity1 we know enough  
not to be afraid of ,him1 and these     
crude and childish conceptions about    
,him are among ourselves too            
contemptible to refute4       ,non      
ragione di lor1 mai guardo e passo4     
,but we see how these ideas colour men's
 thoughts and lives1 how they cripple   

their intellect and outrage their       
hearts1 and we rise to trample down     
these superstitions1 not because they   
are in themselves worth refuting1 but   
simply because they degrade our         
brother-men4 ,we believe in no wisdom   
that improves on ,nature's laws1 and one
 of those laws1 written on our hearts1  
is that sorrow shall tread on the heels 
of sin4 ,we are conscious that men      
should learn to welcome this law1 and   
not to shrink from it4 ,to fly from the 
suffering following on broken law is the
 last thing we should do2 we ought to   
have no gratitude for a ,saviour who    
should bear our punishment1 and so cheat
 us out of our necessary lesson1 turn us
 into spoiled children1 and check our   
moral growth2 such an offer as this1    
could it really be made1 ought to be met
 with stern refusal4 ,we should trust   
the ,supreme so utterly1 and adore ,his 
wisdom with a humility so profound1 that
 if we could change ,his laws we should 
not dare to interfere2 nor ought we1    

even when our lot is saddest1 to        
complain of it1 or do anything more than
 labour to improve it in steadfast      
obedience to law4 ,we should ask for no 
salvation2 we should desire to          
fall--were it possible that we could be 
out of them--into the hands of ,god4    
,further1 is it impossible to make      
,christians understand that were ,jesus 
all they say he is1 we should still     
reject him2 that were ,god all they say 
,he is1 we would1 in that case1 throw   
back ,his salvation4 ,for were this     
awful picture of a soul-destroying      
,jehovah1 of a blood-craving ,moloch1   
endowed with a cruelty beyond human     
imagination1 a true description of the  
,supreme ,being1 then would we take the 
advice of ,job's wife1 we would curse   
,god and die8 we would hide in the      
burning depths of ,his hell rather than 
dwell within sight of ,him whose        
brightness would mock at the gloom of   
,his creatures1 and whose bliss would be
 a sneer at their despair4 ,were it thus

 indeed--       ,o ,king of our         
salvation1      ,many would curse to    
thee1 and ,i for one6      ,fling ,thee 
,thy bliss1 and snatch at ,thy          
damnation1      ,scorn and abhor the    
rising of ,thy sun4  ,is it not worth   
while to believe1 blandly urges a       
,christian writer1 if it is true1 as it 
is true1 that they who deny will suffer 
everlasting torments8 ,no6 we thunder   
back at him1 it is not worth while2 it  
is not worth while to believe a lie1 or 
to acknowledge as true that which our   
hearts and intellects alike reject as   
false2 it is not worth while to sell our
 souls for a heaven1 or to defile our   
honesty to escape a hell2 it is not     
worth while to bow our knee to a ,satan 
or bend our heads before a spectre4     
,better1 far better1 to dwell with      
everlasting burnings than to degrade our
 humanity by calling a lie1 truth1 and  
cruelty1 love1 and unreasonableness1    
justice2 better to suffer in hell1 than 
to have our hearts so hard that we could

 enjoy while others suffer2 could       
rejoice while others are tormented1     
could sing alleluias to the music of    
golden harps1 while our lyrics are      
echoed by the anguished wailing of the  
lost4 ,god ,himself--were ,he such as   
,christians paint ,him--could not blot  
out of our souls our love of truth1 of  
righteousness1 of justice4 ,while we    
have these we are ourselves1 and we can 
suffer and be happy2 but we cannot      
afford to pay down these as the price of
 our admission to heaven4 ,we should be 
miserable even as we paced the golden   
streets1 and should sit in tears beside 
the river of the water of life4 ,yet    
this is salvation2 this is what         
,christians offer us in the name of     
,jesus2 this is the glad tidings brought
 to us as the gospel of the ,saviour1 as
 the good news of ,god2 and this we     
reject1 wholly and utterly1 laughing it 
to scorn from the depths of our glad    
hearts which the ,truth has made free2  
this we denounce1 with a stern and      

bitter determination1 in the name of the
 ,universal ,father1 in the name of the 
self-reliance of humanity1 in the name  
of all that is holy1 and just1 and      
loving4  ,but happily many1 even among  
,christians1 are beginning to shrink    
from this idea of salvation from the    
,god in whom they say they place all    
their hopes4 ,they put aside the        
doctrine1 they gloss it over1 they      
prefer not to speak of it4 ,free thought
 is leavening ,christianity1 and is     
moulding the old faith against its will4
 ,christianity now hides its own cruel  
side1 and only where the bold opponents 
of its creeds have not yet spread1 does 
it dare to show itself in its real      
colours2 in ,spain1 in ,mexico1 we see  
,christianity unveiled2 here1 in        
,england1 liberty is too strong for it1 
and it is forced into a semblance of    
liberality4 ,the old wine is being      
poured into new bottles2 what will be   
the result8 ,we may1 however1 rejoice   
that nobler thoughts about ,god are     

beginning to prevail1 and are driving   
out the old wicked notions about ,him   
and ,his revenge4 ,the ,face of the     
,father is beginning1 however dimly1 to 
shine out from ,his world1 and before   
the ,beauty of that ,face all hard      
thoughts about ,him are fading away4    
,nature is too fair to be slandered for 
ever1 and when men perceive that ,god   
and ,nature are ,one1 all that is       
ghastly and horrible must die and drop  
into forgetfulness4 ,the popular        
,christian ideas of mediation and       
salvation must soon pass away into the  
limbo of rejected creeds which is being 
filled so fast2 they are already dead1  
and their pale ghosts shall soon flit no
 longer to vex and harass the souls of  
living men4     ,,on ,,eternal          
,,torture4  ,,some time ago a ,clergyman
 was proving to me by arguments many and
 strong that hell was right1 necessary  
and just2 that it brought glory to ,god 
and good to man2 that the holiness of   
,god required it as a preventive1 and   

the justice of ,god exacted it as a     
penalty1 of sin4 ,i listened quietly    
till all was over and silence fell on   
the reverend denunciator2 he ceased1    
satisfied with his arguments1 triumphant
 in the consciousness that they were    
crushing and unassailable4 ,but my eyes 
were fixed on the fair scene without the
 library window1 on the sacrament of    
earth1 the visible sign of the invisible
 beauty1 and the contrast between ,god's
 works and the ,church's speech came    
strongly upon me4 ,and all ,i found to  
say in answer came in a few words3 ,if  
,i had not heard you mention the name of
 ,god1 ,i should have thought you were  
speaking of the ,devil4 ,the words1     
dropped softly and meditatively1 had a  
startling effect4 ,horror at the        
blasphemy1 indignation at the unexpected
 result of laboured argument1 struggled 
against a dawning feeling that there    
must be something wrong in a conception 
which laid itself open to such a blow2  
the short answer told more powerfully   

than half an hour's reasoning4  ,the    
various classes of orthodox ,christian  
doctrines should be attacked in very    
different styles by the champions of the
 great army of free-thinkers1 who are at
 the present day besieging the venerable
 superstitions of the past4 ,around the 
,deity of ,jesus cluster many hallowed  
memories and fond associations2 the     
worship of centuries has shed around his
 figure a halo of light1 and he has been
 made into the ideal of ,humanity2 the  
noblest conceptions of morality1 the    
highest flights of enlightened minds1   
have been enshrined in a human          
personality and called by the name of   
,christ2 the ,christ-idea has risen and 
expanded with every development of human
 progress1 and the ,christ of the       
highest ,christianity of the day is far 
other than the ,christ of ,augustine1 of
 ,thomas a ,kempis1 of ,luther1 or      
,knox2 the strivings after light1 after 
knowledge1 after holiness1 of the       
noblest sons of men have been called by 

them a following of ,jesus2 ,jesus is   
baptized in human tears1 crucified in   
human pains1 glorified in human hopes4  
,because of all this1 because he is dear
 to human hearts and identified with    
human struggles1 therefore he should be 
gently spoken of by all who feel the    
bonds of the brotherhood of man2 the    
dogma of his ,deity must be assailed1   
must be overthrown1 because it is false1
 because it destroys the unity of ,god1 
because it veils from us the ,eternal   
,spirit1 the source of all things1 but  
he himself should be reverently spoken  
of1 so far as truthfulness permits1 and 
this dogma1 although persistently       
battled against1 should be attacked     
without anger and without scorn4  ,there
 are other doctrines which1 while       
degrading in regard to man's conception 
of ,god1 and therefore deserving of     
reprobation1 yet enshrine great moral   
truths and have become bound up with    
ennobling lessons2 such is the doctrine 
of the ,atonement1 which enshrines the  

idea of selfless love and of            
self-sacrifice for the good of humanity4
 ,there are others again against which  
ridicule and indignation may rightly be 
brought to bear1 which are concessions  
to human infirmity1 and which belong to 
the childhood of the race2 man may be   
laughed out of his sacraments and out of
 his devils1 and indignantly reminded   
that he insults ,god and degrades       
himself by placing a priesthood or      
mediator between ,god and his own soul4 
,but there is one dogma of ,orthodox    
,christianity which stands alone in its 
atrocity1 which is thoroughly and       
essentially bad1 which is without one   
redeeming feature1 which is as          
blasphemous towards ,god as it is       
injurious to man2 on it therefore should
 be poured out unsparingly the bitterest
 scorn and the sharpest indignation4    
,there is no good human emotion enlisted
 on the side of an ,eternal ,hell2 it is
 not hallowed by human love or human    
longings1 it does not enshrine human    

aspirations1 nor is it the outcome of   
human hopes4 ,in support of this no     
appeal can be made to any feeling of the
 nobler side of our nature1 nor does    
eternal fire stimulate our higher       
faculties3 it acts only on the lower1   
baser1 part of man2 it excites fear1    
distrust of ,god1 terror of his         
presence2 it may scare from evil        
occasionally1 but can never teach good2 
it sees ,god in the lightning-flash that
 slays1 but not in the sunshine which   
invigorates2 in the avalanche which     
buries a village in its fall1 but not in
 the rich promise of the vineyard and   
the joyous beauty of the summer day4    
,hell has driven thousands half-mad with
 terror1 it has driven monks to the     
solitary deserts1 nuns to the sepulchre 
of the nunnery1 but has it ever caused  
one soul of man to rejoice in the       
,father of all1 and pant1 as the hart   
panteth after the water-springs1 for the
 presence of ,god8  ,it is only just to 
state1 in attacking this as a ,christian

 doctrine1 that1 though believed in by  
the vast majority of ,christians1 the   
most enlightened of that very indefinite
 body repudiate it with one voice4 ,it  
is well known how the great             
,broad-,church leader1 ,frederick       
,denison ,maurice1 endeavoured to       
harmonize1 on this point1 his ,bible and
 his strong moral sense1 and failed in  
so doing1 as all must fail who would    
reconcile two contradictories4 ,how he  
fought with that word eternal1 struggled
 to prove that whatever else it might   
mean it did not mean everlasting in our 
modern sense of the word3 that eternal  
death being the antithesis to eternal   
life must mean a state of ignorance of  
the ,eternal ,one1 even as its opposite 
was the knowledge of ,god3 that         
therefore men could rise from eternal   
death1 aye1 did so rise every day in    
this life1 and might so rise in the life
 to come4 ,noble was his protest against
 this awful doctrine1 fettered as he was
 by undue reverence for1 and clinging   

to1 the ,bible4 ,his appeal to the moral
 sense in man as the arbiter of all     
doctrine has borne good fruit1 and his  
labours have opened a road to free      
thought greater than he expected or even
 hoped4 ,many other clergymen have      
followed in his steps4 ,the word eternal
 has been wrangled over continually1    
but1 however they arrive there1 all     
,broad ,churchmen unite in the          
conclusion that it does not1 cannot1    
shall not1 mean literally lasting for   
ever4 ,this school of thought has laid  
much stress on the fondness of          
,orientals for imagery2 they have       
pointed out that the ,jewish word       
,gehenna is the same as ,ge ,hinnom1 or 
valley of ,hinnom1 and have seen in the 
state of that valley the materials for  
the worm that dieth not and the fire    
that is not quenched3 they show how by a
 natural transition the place into which
 were thrown the bodies of the worst    
criminals became the type of punishment 
in the next world1 and the valley where 

children were sacrificed to ,moloch gave
 its name to the infernal abode of      
devils4 ,from that valley ,jesus drew   
his awful picture1 suggested by the pale
 lurid fires ever creeping there1       
mingling their ghastly flames with the  
decaying bodies of the dishonoured dead4
 ,in all this there is probably much    
truth1 and many ,broad ,churchmen are   
content to accept this explanation1 and 
so retain their belief in the           
supernatural character of the ,bible1   
while satisfying their moral sense by   
rejecting its most immoral dogma4       
,among the evangelicals1 only one voice1
 so far as ,i know1 is heard to protest 
against eternal torture2 and all honour 
is due to the ,rev4 ,samuel ,minton1 for
 his rare courage in defying on this    
point the opinion of his world1 and     
braving the censure which has been duly 
inflicted on him4 ,he seems to make     
eternal the equivalent of irremediable  
in some cases and of everlasting in     
others4 ,he believes that the wicked    

will be literally destroyed1 burnt up1  
consumed2 the fact that the fire is     
eternal by no means implies1 he remarks1
 that that which is cast into the fire  
should be likewise eternal1 and that the
 fire is unquenchable does not prove    
that the chaff is unconsumable4 ,eternal
 destruction he explains as irreparable 
destruction1 final and irreversible     
extinction4 ,this theory should have    
more to recommend it to all who believe 
in the supernatural inspiration of the  
,bible1 than the ,broad ,church         
explanation2 it uses far less violence  
towards the words of ,scripture1 and1   
indeed1 a very fair case may be made out
 for it from the ,bible itself4  ,it is 
scarcely necessary to add to this small 
list of dissentients from orthodox      
,christianity1 the ,unitarian body2 ,i  
do not suppose that there is such a     
phenomenon in existence as a ,unitarian 
,christian who believes in an eternal   
hell4  ,with these small exceptions the 
mass of ,christians hold this dogma1 but

 for the most part carelessly and       
uncomprehendingly4 ,many are ashamed of 
it even while duteously confessing it1  
and gabble over the sentences in their  
creed which acknowledge it in a very    
perfunctory manner4 ,people of this kind
 do not like to talk about hell1 it is  
better to think of heaven4 ,some        
,christians1 however1 hold it strongly1 
and proclaim their belief boldly2 the   
members of the ,evangelical ,alliance   
actually make the profession of it a    
condition of admittance into their body1
 while many ,high ,church divines think 
that a sharp declaration of their belief
 in it is needed by loyalty towards ,god
 and charity to the souls of men4 ,i    
wish ,i could believe that all who      
profess this dogma did not realize it1  
and only accepted it because their      
fathers and mothers taught it to them4  
,but what can one say to such statements
 as the following1 quoted from ,father  
,furniss by ,w4 ,r4 ,greg in his        
splendid ,enigmas of ,life3 ,i take it  

as a specimen of ,roman ,catholic       
authorized teaching4 ,children are      
asked3 ,how will your body be when the  
devil has been striking it every moment 
for a hundred million years without     
stopping8 ,a girl of eighteen is        
described as dressed in fire2 she wears 
a bonnet of fire4 ,it is pressed down   
all over her head2 it burns her head2 it
 burns into the skull2 it scorches the  
bone of the skull and makes it smoke4 ,a
 boy is boiled3 ,listen6 there is a     
sound just like that of a kettle        
boiling4444 ,the blood is boiling in the
 scalded veins of that boy4 ,the brain  
is boiling and bubbling in his head4    
,the marrow is boiling in his bones4    
,nay1 even the poor little babies are   
not exempt from torture3 one is in a red
 hot oven1 hear how it screams to come  
out2 see how it turns and twists about  
in the fire4444 ,you can see on the face
 of this little child--the fair pure    
innocent baby-face--what you see on the 
faces of all in hell--despair1 desperate

 and horrible4 ,surely this man realized
 what he taught1 but then he was that   
half-human being--a priest4  ,dr4       
,pusey1 too1 has a word to say about    
hell3 ,gather in mind all that is most  
loathsome1 most revolting--the most     
treacherous1 malicious1 coarse1 brutal1 
inventive1 fiendish cruelty1 unsoftened 
by any remains of human feeling1 such as
 thou couldst not endure for a single   
hour4444 hear those yells of            
blaspheming1 concentrated hate as they  
echo along the lurid vault of hell4     
,protestantism chimes in1 and ,spurgeon 
speaks of hell3 ,wilt thou think it is  
easy to lie down in hell1 with the      
breath of the ,eternal fanning the      
flames8 ,wilt thou delight thyself to   
think that ,god will invent torments for
 thee1 sinner8 ,when the damned jingle  
the burning irons of their torment1 they
 shall say1 'for ever2' when they howl1 
echo cries1 'for ever4'  ,i may allude1 
to conclude my quotations1 to a         
description of hell which ,i myself     

heard from an eminent prelate of the    
,english ,church1 one who is a scholar  
and a gentleman1 a man of moderate views
 in ,church matters1 by no means a      
zealot in an ordinary way4 ,in preaching
 to a country congregation composed     
mainly of young men and girls1 he warned
 them specially against sins of the     
flesh1 and threatened them with the     
consequent punishment in hell4 ,then1 in
 language which ,i cannot reproduce1 for
 ,i should not dare to sully my pages by
 repeating what ,i then listened to in  
horrified amazement1 there ensued a     
description drawn out in careful        
particulars of the state of the         
suffering body in hell1 so sickening in 
its details that it must suffice to say 
of it that it was a description founded 
on the condition of a corpse flung out  
on a dungheap and left there to putrefy1
 with the additional horror of creeping1
 slowly-burning flames2 and this state  
of things was to go on1 as he impressed 
on them with terrible energy1 for ever  

and ever1 decaying but ever renewing4   
,i should almost ask pardon of          
tender-hearted men and women for laying 
before them language so abominable2 but 
,i urge on all who are offended by it   
that this is the teaching given to our  
sons and daughters in the present day4  
,father ,furniss1 ,dr4 ,pusey1 ,mr4     
,spurgeon1 an ,english ,bishop1 surely  
these are honoured names1 and in quoting
 them ,i quote from the teaching of     
,christendom4 ,nor mine the fault if the
 language be unfit for printing4 ,i     
quote1 because if we only assert1       
,christians are quick to say1 you are   
misrepresenting our beliefs1 and ,i     
quote from writers of the present day   
only1 that none may accuse me of hurling
 at ,christians reproaches for a        
doctrine they have outgrown or softened 
down4 ,still1 ,i own that it seems      
scarcely credible that a man should     
believe this and remain sane2 nay1      
should preach this1 and walk calmly home
 from his ,church with ,god's sunshine  

smiling on the beautiful world1 and     
after preaching it should sit down to a 
comfortable dinner and very likely a    
quiet pipe1 as though hell did not      
exist1 and its awful misery and fierce  
despair4  ,it is said that there is no  
reason that we should not be contented  
in heaven while others suffer in hell1  
since we know how much misery there is  
in this world and yet enjoy ourselves in
 spite of the knowledge4 ,i say1        
deliberately1 of every one who does     
realise the misery of this world and    
remains indifferent to it1 who enjoys   
his own share of the good things of this
 life1 without helping his brother1 who 
does not stretch out his hand to lift   
the fallen1 or raise his voice on behalf
 of the down-trodden and oppressed1 that
 that man is living a life which is the 
very antithesis of a ,divine life--a    
life which has in it no beauty and no   
nobility1 but is selfish1 despicable1   
and mean4 ,and is this the life which we
 are to regard as the model of heavenly 

beauty8 ,is the power to lead this life 
for ever to be our reward for           
self-devotion and self-sacrifice here on
 earth8 ,is a supreme selfishness to    
crown unselfishness at last8 ,but this  
is the life which is to be the lot of   
the righteous in heaven4 ,snatched from 
a world in flames1 caught up in the air 
to meet their descending ,lord1 his     
saints are to return with him to the    
heaven whence he came2 there1 crowned   
with golden crowns1 they are to spend   
eternity1 hymning the ,lamb who saved   
them to the music of golden harps1 harps
 whose melody is echoed by the curses   
and the wailings of the lost2 for below 
is a far different scene1 for there the 
sinners are tormented with fire and     
brimstone in the presence of the holy   
angels and the presence of the ,lamb2   
and the smoke of their torment ascendeth
 up for ever and ever1 and they have no 
rest day nor night4  ,it is worth while 
to gaze for a moment at the scene of    
future felicity2 there is the throne of 

,god and rejoicing crowds3 ,rejoice over
 her1 thou heaven1 and ye holy apostles 
and prophets1 so goes out the command1  
and they rejoice because ,god has       
avenged them on her1 and again they said
 ,alleluia1 and her smoke rose up for   
ever and ever4 ,truly ,god must harden  
the hearts of his saints in heaven as of
 old he hardened ,pharaoh's heart1 if   
they are to rejoice over the anguished  
multitude below1 and to bear to live    
amid the lurid smoke ascending from the 
burning bodies of the lost4 ,to me the  
idea is so unutterably loathsome that ,i
 marvel how ,christians endure to retain
 such language in their sacred books1   
for ,i would note that the awful picture
 drawn above is not of my doing2 it is  
not the scoffing caricature of an       
unbeliever1 it is heaven as described by
 ,st4 ,john the divine4 ,if this heaven 
is true ,i do not hesitate to say that  
it is the duty of every human being to  
reject it utterly and to refuse to enter
 it4 ,we might even appeal to           

,christians by the example of their own 
,jesus1 who could not be content to     
remain in heaven himself while men went 
to hell1 but came down to redeem them   
from endless suffering4 ,yet they1 who  
ought to imitate him1 who do1 many of   
them1 lead beautiful lives of           
self-devotion and compassion1 are       
suddenly1 on death1 to lose all this    
which makes them partakers of the       
,divine ,nature1 and are to be content  
to win happiness for themselves1        
careless that millions of their brethren
 are in woe unspeakable4 ,they are to   
reverse the aim of their past lives1    
they are to become selfish instead of   
loving1 hard instead of selfless1       
indifferent instead of loving1 hard     
instead of tender4 ,which is the better 
reproduction of the mind of ,christ1 the
 good ,samaritan tending the wounded    
man1 or the stern ,inquisitor gloating  
over the fire which consumes heretics to
 the greater glory of ,god8 ,yet the    
latter is the ideal of heavenly virtue4 

,never will they who truly love man be  
content to snatch at bliss for          
themselves while others suffer1 or      
endure to be crowned with glory while   
they are crowned with thorns4 ,better1  
far better1 to suffer in hell and share 
the pains of the lost1 than to have a   
heart so hard1 a nature so degraded1 as 
to enjoy the bliss of heaven1 rejoicing 
over1 or even disregarding1 the woes of 
hell4  ,but there is worse than physical
 torture in the picture of hell2 pain is
 not its darkest aspect4 ,of all the    
thoughts with which the heart of man has
 outraged the ,eternal ,righteousness1  
there is none so appalling1 none so     
blasphemous1 as that which declares that
 even one soul1 made by the ,supreme    
,good1 shall remain during all eternity1
 under the power of sin4 ,divines have  
wearied themselves in describing the    
horrors of the ,christian hell2 but it  
is not the furnace of flames1 not the   
undying worm1 not the fire which never  
may be quenched1 that revolt us most2   

hideous as are these images1 they are   
not the worst terror of hell4 ,who does 
not know how ,st4 ,francis1 believing   
himself ordained to be lost             
everlastingly1 fell on his knees and    
cried1 ,o my ,god1 if ,i am indeed      
doomed to hate thee during eternity1 at 
least suffer me to love thee while ,i   
live here4 ,to the righteous heart the  
agony of hell is a far worse one than   
physical torture could inflict3 it is   
the existence of men and women who might
 have been saints1 shut out from hope of
 holiness for evermore2 ,god's children1
 the work of his hands1 gnashing their  
teeth at a ,father who has cast them    
down for ever from the life he might    
have given2 it is ,love everlastingly   
hated2 good everlastingly trampled under
 foot2 ,god everlastingly baffled and   
defied2 worst of all1 it is a room in   
the ,father's house where his children  
may hunger and thirst after             
righteousness1 but never1 never1 can be 
filled4        ,depart1 ,o sinner1 to   

the chain6       ,enter the eternal     
cell2       ,to all that's good and true
 and right1       ,to all that's fair   
and fond and bright1       ,to all of   
holiness and right1       ,bid thou thy 
last farewell4   ,would to ,god that    
,christian men and women would ponder it
 well and think it out for themselves1  
and when they go into the worst parts of
 our great cities and their hearts      
almost break with the misery there1 then
 let them remember how that misery is   
but a faint picture of the endless1     
hopeless1 misery1 to which the vast     
majority of their fellow-men are doomed4
  ,christian reader1 do not be afraid to
 realise the future in which you say you
 believe1 and which the ,god of ,love   
has prepared for the home of some of his
 children4 ,imagine yourself1 or any    
dear to you1 plunged into guilt from    
which there is no redeemer1 and where   
the voice cannot penetrate of him that  
speaks in righteousness1 mighty to save4
 ,in the well-weighed words of a        

champion of ,christian orthodoxy1 think 
there is no reason to believe that hell 
is only a punishment for past offences2 
in that dark world sin and misery       
reproduce each other in infinite        
succession4 ,what if the sin perpetuates
 itself1 if the prolonged misery may be 
the offspring of the prolonged guilt8   
,ponder it well1 and1 if you find it    
true1 then cast out from your creed the 
belief in a ,jesus who loved the lost2  
blot out from your ,bible every verse   
that speaks of a ,father's heart2 tear  
from your ,prayer-books every page that 
prays to a ,father in heaven4 ,if the   
lowest of ,god's creatures is to be left
 in the foul embraces of sin for ever1  
,god cannot be the ,eternal             
,righteousness1 the unconquerable ,love4
 ,for what sort of ,righteousness is    
that which rests idly contented in a    
heaven of bliss1 while millions of souls
 capable of righteousness are bound by  
it in helpless sin2 what sort of love is
 that which is satisfied to be repulsed1

 and is willing to be hated8 ,as long as
 ,god is righteous1 as long as ,god is  
love1 so long is it impossible that men 
and women shall be left by him forever  
in a state to which our worst dens of   
earth are a very paradise of beauty and 
purity4 ,bible writers may have erred1  
but ,thou continuest holy1 ,o ,thou     
worship of ,israel6 ,there is one       
revelation that cannot err1 and that is 
written by ,god's finger on every human 
heart4 ,what man recoils from doing1    
even at his lowest1 can never be done by
 his ,creator1 from whose inspiration he
 draws every righteous thought4 ,is     
there one father1 however brutalized1   
who would deliberately keep his child in
 sin because of a childish fault8 one   
mother who would aimlessly torture her  
son1 keeping him alive but to torment8  
,yet this1 nothing less1--nay1 a        
thousand times more1 for it is this     
multiplied infinitely by infinite power 
of torture1--this is what ,christians   
ask us to believe about our ,father and 

our ,god1 a glimmer from the radiance of
 whose throne falls on to our earth1    
when men love their enemies and forgive 
freely those who wrong them ,if this    
so-called orthodox belief is right1 then
 is their gospel of the ,love of ,god to
 the world a delusion and a lie2 if this
 is true1 the teaching of ,jesus to     
publicans and harlots of the ,fatherhood
 of ,god is a cruel mockery of our      
divinest instincts2 the tale of the good
 ,shepherd who could not rest while one 
sheep was lost is the bitterest irony4  
,but this awful dogma is not true1 and  
the ,love of ,god cradles his creation2 
not one son of the ,father's family     
shall be left under the power of sin1 to
 be an eternal blot on ,god's creation1 
an endless reproach to his ,maker's     
wisdom1 an everlasting and irreparable  
mistake4  ,no amount of argument1       
however powerful1 should make us believe
 a doctrine from which our hearts recoil
 with such shuddering horror as they do 
from this doctrine of eternal torture   

and eternal sin4 ,there is a divine     
instinct in the human heart which may be
 trusted as an arbiter between right and
 wrong2 no supernatural revelation1 no  
miracle1 no angel from heaven1 should   
have power to make us accept as divine  
that which our hearts proclaim as vile  
and devilish4 ,it is not true faith to  
crush down our moral sense beneath the  
hoof of credulity2 true faith believes  
in ,god only as a ,power which makes for
 ,righteousness and recks little of     
threats or curses which would force her 
to accept that which conscience         
disapproves4 ,and what is more1 if it   
were possible that ,god were not what we
 dream1 if he were not righteous in all 
his ways and holy in all his works1 then
 were it craven cowardice to worship him
 at all4 ,it has been well said1 that to
 worship simple power1 without virtue1  
is nothing but devil-worship2 in that   
case it were nobler to refuse to praise 
him and to take what he might send4     
,then indeed we must say1 with ,john    

,stuart ,mill1 in that burst of passion 
which reads so strangely in the midst of
 his passionless logic1 that if ,i am   
told that this is justice and love1 and 
that if ,i do not call it so1 ,god will 
send me to hell1 then to hell ,i'll go4 
,i have purposely put first my strong   
reprobation of eternal hell1 because of 
its own essential hideousness1 and      
because1 were it ever so true1 ,i should
 deem myself disgraced by acknowledging 
it as either loving or good4 ,but it is1
 however1 a satisfaction to note the    
feebleness of the arguments advanced in 
support of this dogma1 and to find that 
justice and holiness1 as well as love1  
frown on the idea of an eternal hell4   
,the first argument put forth is this3  
,god has made a law which man breaks2   
man must therefore in justice suffer the
 penalty of his transgression4 ,this1   
like so many of the orthodox arguments1 
sounds just and right1 and at first we  
perfectly agree with it4 ,the instinct  
of justice in our own breasts confirms  

the statement1 and looking abroad into  
the world we see its truth proved by    
facts4 ,law is around us on every side2 
man is placed in a realm of law2 he     
may-strive against the laws which       
encircle him1 but he will only dash     
himself to pieces against a rock2 he is 
under a code which he breaks at his     
peril4 ,here is perfect justice1 a      
justice absolutely unwavering1 deaf to  
cries1 unseducible by-flatteries1       
unalloyed by favouritism3 a law exists1 
break it1 and you suffer the inevitable 
consequences4 ,so far1 then1 the        
orthodox argument is sound and strong1  
but now it takes a sudden leap4 ,the    
penalty of the broken law is hell4 ,why8
 ,what common factor is there between a 
lie1 and the lake of fire in which all  
liars shall have their part8 ,nature is 
absolutely against the orthodox         
corollary1 because hell as a punishment 
of sin is purely arbitrary1 the         
punishment might quite as well have been
 something else2 but in nature the      

penalty of a broken law is always       
strictly in character with the law      
itself1 and is derived from it4 ,men    
imagine the most extraordinary judgment4
 ,a nation is given to excessive        
drinking1 and is punished with          
cattle-plague2 or shows leanings towards
 popery1 and is chastised with cholera4 
,it is as reasonable to believe this as 
it would be to expect that if a child   
fell down stairs he would be picked up  
covered with blisters from burning1     
instead of his receiving his natural    
punishment of being bruised4 ,why1      
because ,i lie and forget ,god1 should  
,i be punished with fire and brimstone8 
,fire is not derivable from truth1 nor  
is brimstone a stimulus to memory4      
,there is also a strange confusion in   
many minds about the punishment of sin4 
,a child is told not to put his hand    
into the fire1 he does so1 and is burnt2
 the burning is a punishment1 he is     
told2 for what8 ,not for disobedience to
 the parent1 as is generally said1 but  

for disregarding the law of nature which
 says that fire burns4 ,one often hears 
it said3 ,god's punishments for sin are 
not equal3 one man sins once and suffers
 for it all his life1 while another sins
 twenty times and is not punished at    
all4 ,by no means3 the two men both     
break a moral law1 and suffer a moral   
degradation2 one of them breaks in      
addition some physical law1 and suffers 
a physical injury4 ,people see injustice
 where none exists1 because they will   
not take the trouble to distinguish what
 laws are broken when material          
punishments follow4 ,there is nothing   
arbitrary in nature3 cause and effect   
rule in her realm4 ,hell is then unjust1
 in the first place1 because physical   
torture has nothing in common with moral
 guilt4  ,it is unjust1 secondly1       
because it is excessive4 ,sin1 say      
theologians1 is to be punished          
infinitely1 because sin is an offence   
committed against an infinite being4 ,of
 course1 then1 good must logically be   

rewarded infinitely1 because it is duty 
offered to an infinite being4 ,there is 
no man who has never done a single good 
act1 so every man deserves an infinite  
reward4 ,there is no man who has never  
done a single bad act1 so every man     
deserves an infinite punishment4        
,therefore every man deserves both an   
infinite reward and an infinite         
punishment1 which1 as ,euclid says1 is  
absurd4 ,and this is quite enough answer
 to the proposition4 ,but ,i must       
protest1 in passing1 against this notion
 of sin against ,god as properly        
understood4 ,if by this expression is   
only meant that every sin committed is a
 sin against ,god1 because every sin is 
done against man's higher nature1 which 
is ,god in man1 then indeed there is no 
objection to be made to it4 ,but this is
 not what is generally meant by the     
phrase4 ,it usually means that we are   
able1 as it were1 to injure ,god in some
 way1 to dishonour him1 to affront him1 
to trouble him4 ,by sin we make him     

angry1 we provoke him to wrath2 because 
of this feeling on his own part he      
punishes us1 and demands satisfaction4  
,surely a moment's reflection must prove
 to any reasonable being that sin       
against ,god in this sense is perfectly 
impossible4 ,what can the littleness of 
man do against the greatness of the     
,eternal6 ,imagine a speck of dust      
troubling the depths of the ocean1 an   
aphis burdening an oak-tree with its    
weight3 each is far more probable than  
that a man could ruffle the perfect     
serenity of ,god4 ,suppose ,i stand on a
 lawn watching an ant-heap1 an ant      
twinkles his feelers at me scornfully2  
do ,i fly into a passion and rush on the
 insect to destroy it1 or seize it and  
slowly torture it8 ,yet ,i am far less  
above the level of the ant than ,god is 
above mine4  ,but ,i must add a word    
here to guard against the               
misapprehension that in saying this ,i  
am depriving man of the strength he     
finds in believing that he is personally

 known to ,god and an object of his     
care4 ,were ,i the ant's creator        
familiar with all the workings of its   
mind1 ,i might regret1 for its sake1 the
 pride and scorn of its maker shown by  
its-action1 because it was not rising to
 the perfection of nature of which it   
was capable4 ,so1 in that nature in     
which we live and move1 which is too    
great to regard anything as-little1     
which is around all and in all1 and     
which we believe to be conscious of all1
 there is--,i cannot but think--some    
feeling which1 for want of a better     
term1 we must call a desire for the     
growth of his creatures 7because in this
 growth lies their own happiness71 and a
 corresponding feeling of regret when   
they injure themselves4 ,but ,i say this
 in fear and reverence1 knowing that    
human language has no terms in which to 
describe the nature we adore1 and       
conscious that in the very act of       
putting ideas about him into words1 ,i  
degrade the ideas and they no longer    

fully answer to the thought in my own   
mind4 ,silent adoration befits man best 
in the presence of his maker1 only it is
 right to protest against the more      
degrading conceptions of him1 although  
the higher conceptions are themselves   
far below what he really is4 ,sin then1 
being done against oneself only1 cannot 
deserve an eternity of torture4 ,sin    
injures man already1 why should he be   
further injured by endless agony8 ,the  
infliction of pain is only justifiable  
when it is the means of conveying to the
 sufferer himself a gain greater than   
the suffering inflicted2 therefore      
punishment is only righteous when       
reformatory4 ,but endless torture cannot
 aim at reformation2 it has no aim      
beyond itself1 and can only arise1      
therefore1 from vengeance and           
vindictiveness1 which we have shown to  
be impossible with ,god4 ,hell is       
unjust1 secondly1 because its punishment
 is excessive and aimless4 ,it is also  
unjust1 because to avoid it needs an    

impossible perfection4 ,it is no answer 
to this to say that there is an escape  
offered to us through the ,atonement    
made by ,jesus ,christ4 ,why should ,i  
be called on to escape like a criminal  
from that which ,i do not deserve8 ,god 
makes man imperfect1 frail1 sinful1     
utterly unable to keep perfectly a      
perfect law3 he therefore fails1 and    
is--what8 ,to be strengthened8 by no    
means2 he is to go to hell4 ,the        
statement of this suffices to show its  
injustice4 ,we cavil not at the wisdom  
which made us what we are1 but we       
protest against the idea which makes    
,god so cruelly unjust as to torture    
babies because they are unable to walk  
as steadily as full-grown men4 ,hell is 
unjust1 in the third place1 because man 
does not deserve it4  ,to all this it   
will probably be retorted1 you are      
arguing as though ,god's justice were   
the same as man's1 and you were         
therefore capable of judging it1 an     
assumption which is unwarrantable1 and  

is grossly presumptuous4 ,to which ,i   
reply3 ,if by ,god's justice you do not 
mean justice at all1 but refer to some  
,divine attribute of which we know      
nothing1 all my strictures on it fall to
 the ground2 only1 do not commit the    
inconsistency of arguing that hell is   
just1 when by 'just' you mean some      
unknown quality1 and then propping up   
your theories with proofs drawn from    
human justice4 ,it would perhaps tend to
 clearness in argument if you gave this 
,divine attribute some other name1      
instead of using for it an expression   
which has already a definite meaning4   
,the justice of hell disposed of1 we    
turn to the love of ,god4 ,i have never 
heard it stated that hell is a proof of 
his great love to the world1 but ,i take
 the liberty myself of drawing attention
 to it in this light4 ,god1 we are told1
 existed alone before ought was created2
 there perfect in himself1 in happiness1
 in glory1 he might have remained1 say  
orthodox theologians4 ,then1 we have a  

right to ask in the name of charity1 why
 did he1 happy himself1 create a race of
 beings of whom the vast majority were  
to be endlessly and hopelessly          
miserable8 ,was this love8 ,he created  
man to glorify him4 ,but was it loving  
to create those who would only suffer   
for his glory8 ,was it not rather a     
gigantic1 an inconceivable selfishness8 
,man may be saved if he will4 ,that is  
not to the point2 ,god foreknew that    
some would be lost1 and yet he made     
them4 ,with all reverence ,i say it1    
,god had no right to create sentient    
beings1 if of one of them it can ever be
 truly said1 good were it for that man  
that he had never been born4 ,he who    
creates1 imposes on himself1 by the very
 act of creation1 duties towards his    
creatures4 ,if ,god be self-conscious   
and moral1 it is an absolute certainty  
that the whole creation is moving       
towards the final good of every creature
 in it4 ,we did not ask to be made2 we  
suffered not when we existed not2 ,god1 

who has laid existence on us without our
 consent1 is responsible for our final  
good1 and is bound by every tie of      
righteousness and justice1 not to speak 
of love1 to make the existence he gave  
us1 unasked1 a blessing and not a curse 
to us4 ,parents feel this responsibility
 towards the children they bring into   
the world1 and feel themselves bound to 
protect and to make happy those who1    
without them1 had not been born4 ,but1  
if hell be true1 then every man and     
woman is bound not to fulfil the ,divine
 command of multiplying the race1 since 
by so doing they are aiding to fill the 
dungeons of hell1 and they will1        
hereafter1 have their sons and their    
daughters cursing the day of their      
birth1 and overwhelming their parents   
with reproaches for having brought into 
the world a body1 which ,god was thus   
enabled to curse with the awful gift of 
an immortal soul4  ,we must notice also 
that ,god1 who is said to love          
righteousness1 can never crush out      

righteousness in any-human soul4 ,there 
is no one so utterly degraded as to be  
without one sign of good4 ,among the    
lowest and vilest of our population1 we 
find beautiful instances of kindly      
feeling and generous help4 ,can any     
woman be more degraded than she who only
 values her womanhood as a means of     
gain1 who drinks1 fights1 and steals8   
,let those who have been among such     
women say if they have not been cheered 
sometimes by a very ray of the light of 
,god1 when the most4 degraded has shown 
kindness to an equally degraded sister1 
and when the very gains of sin have been
 purified by being2 poured into the lap 
of a suffering and dying companion4     
,shall love and devotion1 however       
feeble1 unselfishness and sympathy1     
however transitory in their action1     
shall these stars of heaven be quenched 
in the blackness of the pit of hell8 ,if
 it be so1 then1 verily1 ,god is not the
 righteous4 ,lord who loveth            
righteousness4  ,but we cannot leave out

 of our impeachment of hell that it     
injures man1 as much as it degrades his 
conceptions of ,god4 ,it cultivates     
selfishness and fear1 two of his basest 
passions4 ,there has scarcely perhaps   
been born into the world this century a 
purer and more loving soul than that of 
the late ,john ,keble1 the author of the
 ,christian ,year4 ,yet what a terrible 
effect this belief had on him2 he must  
cling to his belief in hell1 because    
otherwise he would have no certainty of 
heaven3       ,but where is then the    
stay of contrite hearts8      ,of old   
they leaned on ,thy eternal word2       
,but with the sinner's fear their hope  
departs1      ,fast linked as ,thy great
 name to ,thee1 ,o ,lord2       ,that   
,name by which ,thy faithful hope is    
past1      ,that we should endless be1  
for joy or woe2--      ,and if the      
treasures of ,thy wrath could waste1    
,thy lovers must their promised heaven  
forego4  ,that is to say in plain       
,english3 ,i cannot give up the         

certainty of hell for others1 because if
 ,i do ,i shall have no certainty of    
heaven for myself2 and ,i would rather  
know that millions of my brethren should
 be tormented for ever1 than remain     
doubtful about my own everlasting       
enjoyment4 ,surely a loving heart would 
say1 instead1 ,o ,god1 let us all die   
and remain unconscious for ever1 rather 
than that one soul should suffer        
everlastingly4 ,the terrible selfishness
 of the ,christian belief degrades the  
noblest soul2 the horror of hell makes  
men lose their self-control1 and think  
only of their personal safety1 just as  
we see men run wild sometimes at a      
shipwreck1 when the gain of a minute    
means life4 ,the belief in hell fosters 
religious pride and hatred1 for all     
religious people think that they        
themselves at least are sure of heaven4 
,if then they are going to rejoice      
through all eternity over the sufferings
 of the lost1 why should they treat them
 with kindness or consideration here8   

,thus hell1 becomes the mother of       
persecution2 for the heretic1 the enemy 
of the ,lord1 there is no mercy and no  
forgiveness4 ,then the saints persuade  
themselves that true charity obliges    
them to persecute1 for suffering may    
either save the heretic himself by      
forcing him to believe1 or may at least 
scare others from sharing his heresy1   
and so preserve them from eternal fire4 
,and they are right1 if hell is true4   
,any means are justifiable which may    
save man from that horrible doom2 surely
 we should not hesitate to knock a man  
down1 if by so doing we preserved him   
from throwing himself over a precipice4 
,belief in hell takes all beauty from   
virtue2 who cares for obedience only    
rendered through fear8 ,no true love of 
good is wrought in man by the fear of   
hell1 and outward respectability is of  
little worth when the heart and the     
desires are unpurified4 ,we may add that
 the fear of hell is a very slight      
practical restraint2 no man thinks      

himself really bad enough for hell1 and 
it is so far off that every one intends 
to repent at the last and so escape it4 
,far more restraining is the            
proclamation of the stern truth that1 in
 the popular sense of the word1 there is
 no such thing as the forgiveness of    
sins2 that as a man sows1 so shall he   
reap1 and that broken laws avenge       
themselves without exception4  ,belief  
in hell stifles all inquiry into truth  
by setting a premium on one form of     
belief1 and by forbidding another under 
frightful penalties44 ,if it be true1 as
 it is true1 that all who do not believe
 this shall perish everlastingly1 then1 
,i ask1 is it not worth while to        
believe8 ,so says a clergyman of the    
,church of ,england4 ,thus he presses   
his people to accept the dogma of the   
,deity of ,jesus1 not because it        
is-true1 but because it is dangerous to 
deny it4 ,and this-difficulty meets us  
every day4 ,if we urge inquiry1 we are  
told it is dangerous2 if we suggest a   

difficulty1 we are told it is safer to  
believe2 and so this doctrine of hell   
chains down men's faculties and palsies 
their intellects1 and they dare not seek
 for truth at all1 lest he who is ,truth
 should cast them into hell for it4  ,it
 may perhaps be said by many that ,i    
have attacked this dogma with undue     
vehemence1 and with excessive warmth4 ,i
 attack it thus1 because ,i know the    
harm that it is doing1 because it       
saddens the righteous heart and clouds  
the face of ,god4 ,only those who have  
realised hell1 and realising it1 have   
believed in it1 know the awful shadow   
with which it darkens the world4 ,there 
are many who laugh at it1 but they have 
not felt its power1 and they forget that
 a dogma which is only ludicrous to them
 is weighing heavily on many a tender   
heart and sensitive brain4 ,hell drives 
many mad3 to others-it is a life-long   
horror4 ,it pales the sunlight with its 
lurid flames2 it blackens the earth with
 the smoke of its torment2 it makes the 

,devil an actual presence2 it transforms
 ,god into an enemy1 eternity into an   
awful doom4 ,it takes the spring out of 
all pleasures2 it poisons all           
enjoyments2 it spreads gloom over life1 
and enshrouds the tomb in horror        
unspeakable4 ,only those who have felt  
the anguish of this nightmare know what 
it is to wake up into the sunlight1 and 
find it is only a disordered dream of   
the darkness2 they only know the        
glorious liberty of heart and soul1 with
 which they lift up smiling faces to    
meet the smile of ,god1 when they can   
say from the depths of their glad       
hearts1 ,i believe that ,god is ,light1 
and in ,him is no darkness at all2 ,i   
believe that all mankind is safe1       
cradled in the everlasting arms4        
,,on ,,inspiration  ,,there is a certain
 amount of difficulty in defining the   
word ,inspiration3 it is used in so many
 different senses by the various schools
 of religious thought1 that it is almost
 necessary to know the theological      

opinions of the speaker before being    
quite sure of his meaning when he talks 
of a book as being inspired4 ,in the    
halcyon days of the ,church1 when faith 
was strong and reason weak1 when priests
 had but to proclaim and laymen but to  
assent1 ,inspiration had a distinct and 
a very definite meaning4 ,an inspired   
man spoke the very words of ,god3 the   
,bible was perfect from the ,in the     
beginning of ,genesis to the ,amen of   
,revelation3 it was perfect in science1 
perfect in history1 perfect in doctrine1
 perfect in morals4 ,in that diamond no 
flaw was to be seen2 it sparkled with a 
spotless purity1 reflecting back in     
many-coloured radiance the pure white   
light of ,god4 ,but when the chemistry  
of modern science came forward to test  
this diamond1 a murmuring arose1 low at 
first1 but irrepressible4 ,it was       
scrutinised through the microscope of   
criticism1 and cracks and flaws were    
discovered in every direction2 then1    
instead of being enshrined on the altar1

 encircled by candles1 it was brought   
out into the searching sunlight1 and the
 naked eye could see its imperfections4 
,then it was tested anew1 and some bold 
men were heard to whisper1 ,it is no    
diamond at all1 ,god formed in ages     
past2 it is nothing but paste1          
manufactured by man2 and the news passed
 from mouth to mouth1 until the whisper 
swelled into a cry1 and many voices     
echoed1 ,this is no diamond at all4 ,and
 so things are to-day2 the battle rages 
still2 some maintain their jewel is     
perfect as ever1 and that the flaws are 
in the eyes that look at it2 some       
reluctantly allow that it is imperfect1 
but still consider it a diamond2 others 
resolutely assert that1 though valuable 
for its antiquity and its beauty1 it is 
really nothing but paste4  ,to take     
first the really orthodox theory of     
inspiration1 generally styled the       
plenary or verbal inspiration of the    
,bible4 ,it was well defined centuries  
since by ,athenagoras2 according to him 

the inspired writers uttered the things 
that were wrought in them when the      
,divine ,spirit moved them1 the ,spirit 
using them as a flute-player would blow 
into the flute4 ,the same idea has been 
uttered in powerful poetry by a writer  
of our own day3--       ,then thro' the 
mid complaint of my confession1         
,then thro' the pang and passion of my  
prayer1      ,leaps with a start the    
shock of ,his possession1      ,thrills 
me and touches1 and the ,lord is there4 
,scarcely ,i catch the words of ,his    
revealing1 ,hardly ,i hear ,him1 dimly  
understand2 ,only the power that is     
within me pealing1 ,lives on my lips and
 beckons to my hand4  ,the idea is      
exactly the same as that of the ,pagan  
prophetesses3 they became literally     
possessed by a spirit1 who used their   
lips to declare his own thoughts2 so    
orthodox ,christians believe that it is 
no longer ,moses or ,isaiah or ,paul    
that speaks1 but the ,spirit of the     
,father that speaks in them4 ,this      

theory is held by all strictly orthodox 
believers2 this and this only is from   
their lips1 inspiration2 hard pressed on
 the subject they will allow that the   
,spirit inspires all good thoughts in a 
sense1 but they will be very careful in 
declaring that this is only inspiration 
in a secondary sense1 an inspiration    
which diners in kind as well as in      
degree from the inspiration of the      
writers of the ,bible4 ,by this         
mechanical theory1 so to speak1 it is   
manifest that all possibility of error  
is excluded2 thus1 when ,matthew quotes 
from the ,old ,testament an utterly     
irrelevant historical reference--when   
,israel was a child1 then ,i loved him  
and called my son out of ,egypt1 as a   
prophecy of the alleged flight of ,jesus
 into ,egypt1 and his subsequent return 
from that country into ,palestine--we   
find ,dr4 ,wordsworth1 ,right ,reverend 
,father in ,god1 and ,bishop of         
,lincoln1 gravely telling us that the   
,holy ,spirit here declares what had    

been in ,his own mind when ,he uttered  
these words by ,hosea4 ,and who shall   
venture to say that he knows the mind of
 the ,spirit better than the ,spirit    
,himself8 ,dr4 ,pusey again1 standing   
valiantly1 after the manner of the man1 
to every ,church dogma1 however it may  
be against logic1 against common sense1 
against reason1 or against charity1     
makes a very reasonable inquiry of those
 who believe in an outward and          
supernatural inspiration1 and yet object
 to the term verbal4 ,how1 he asks1 can 
thought be conveyed to a man's mind     
except through words8 ,the learned      
doctor's remark is indeed a very        
pertinent one1 as addressed to all those
 who believe in an exterior revelation4 
,thoughts which are communicated from   
without can only become known to man    
through the medium of words3 even his   
own thoughts only become appreciable to 
him when they are sufficiently distinct 
to be clothed in words 7of course not   
necessarily spoken words72 and we can   

only exclude from this rule such        
thoughts as may be presented to the mind
 through mental sight or hearing3 e4g41 
music might probably be composed        
mentally by imagining the sounds1 or    
mechanical contrivances invented by     
imagining the objects2 but any argument1
 any story1 which is1 capable of        
reproduction in writing1 must be thought
 out in words4 ,a moment's thought      
renders this obvious2 if a man is       
arguing with a ,frenchman in his own    
language1 he must1 to render his        
arguments clear and powerful1 think in  
,french4 ,now1 if the ,bible be inspired
 so as to insure accuracy1 how can this 
be done except through words2 for many  
of the facts recorded must1 from the    
necessity of the case1 have been unknown
 to the writers4 ,suppose for a moment  
that the ,biblical account of the       
creation of the world were true1 no man 
in that case could possibly have thought
 it out for himself4 ,only two theories 
can reasonably be held regarding this   

record3 one1 that it is true1 which     
implies necessarily that it is literally
 true and verbally inspired1 since the  
knowledge could only have come from the 
,creator1 and1 being communicated must  
have come in the form of words1 which   
words being ,god's1 must be literally   
true2 the other1 that it ranks with     
other ancient cosmogonies1 and is simply
 the thought of some old writer1 giving 
his idea as to the origin of the world  
around him4 ,i select the account of the
 ,creation as a crucial test of the     
verbal theory of inspiration1 because   
any other account in the ,bible that ,i 
can think of has a human actor in it1   
and it might be maintained--however     
unlikely the hypothesis--that a report  
was related or written down by one who  
had been present at the incident        
reported1 and the inspiration of the    
final writer may be said to consist in  
re-writing the previous record which he 
may be directed to incorporate in his   
own work4 ,but no one witnessed the     

creation of the world1 save the         
,creator1 or1 at the most1 ,he and ,his 
angels1 and the account given of it     
must1 if true1 be word for word divine2 
or1 if false--as it is--must be nothing 
more than human fancy4 ,we must push    
this argument one step further4 ,if the 
account was communicated only to the    
man's mind1 in words rising internally  
to the inward ear alone1 how could the  
man distinguish between these divine    
thoughts rising in his mind1 and his own
 human thoughts rising in exactly the   
same manner8 ,thoughts rise in our      
minds1 we know not how2 we only become  
conscious of them when they are there1  
and1 as far as we can judge1 they are   
produced quite naturally according to   
certain laws4 ,but how is it possible   
for us to distinguish whence these      
thoughts come8 ,there they are1 ours1   
not another's--ours as the child is the 
father's and mother's1 the product of   
their own beings4 ,if my thought is not 
mine1 but ,god's1 how am ,i to know     

this8 it is produced within me as my    
own1 and the source of one thought is   
not distinguishable from that of        
another4 ,thus1 those who believe in the
 accuracy of the ,bible are step by step
 driven to allow that not only are words
 necessary1 but spoken words2 if the    
,bible be supernaturally inspired at    
all1 then must ,god have spoken not only
 in human words but also in human voice2
 if the ,bible be supernaturally        
inspired at all1 it must be verbally    
inspired1 and be literally accurate     
about every subject on which it treats4 
,unfortunately for the maintainers of   
verbal inspiration1 their theory is     
splendidly adapted for being brought    
before the bar of inexorable fact4 ,it  
is worth while to remark1 in passing1   
that the infallibility of the ,bible has
 only remained unchallenged where       
ignorance has reigned supreme2 as soon  
as men began to read history and to     
study nature1 they also began to        
question scriptural accuracy1 and to    

defy scriptural authority4              
,infallibility can only live in         
twilight3 so far1 every infallibility   
has fallen before advancing knowledge1  
save only the infallibility of ,nature1 
which is the infallibility of ,god      
,himself4 ,protestants consider ,roman  
,catholics fools1 in that they are not  
able to see that the ,pope cannot be    
infallible1 because one ,pope has cursed
 what another ,pope has blessed4 ,they  
can see in the case of others that      
contradiction destroys infallibility1   
but they cannot see the force of the    
same argument when applied to their own 
pope1 the ,bible4 ,strong in their      
invincible ignorance1 they bring us a   
divinely-inspired book2 good1 we answer2
 then is your book absolutely true1 and 
it will square with all known truth in  
science and history1 and will1 of       
course1 never be self-contradictory4    
,the first important question which     
arises in our minds as we open so       
instructive a book as a revelation from 

on high1 refers naturally to the ,great 
,inspirer4 ,the ,bible contains1 as     
might indeed be reasonably expected1    
many statements as to the nature of     
,god1 and we inquire of it1 in the first
 place1 the character of its ,author4   
,may we hope to see ,him in this world8 
,yes1 answers ,exodus4 ,moses in days   
gone by spoke to ,god face to face1 and 
seventy-four ,israelites saw ,him1 and  
eat and drank in ,his presence4 ,we have
 scarcely taken in this answer when we  
hear the same voice proceed3 ,no2 for   
,god said thou canst not see my face1   
for there shall no man see me and live2 
while ,john declares that no man hath   
seen ,him1 and ,paul1 that no man       
neither hath nor can see ,him4 ,is ,he  
,almighty8 ,yes1 says ,jesus4 ,with ,god
 all things are possible4 ,no1 retorts  
,judges2 for ,he could not drive out the
 inhabitants of the valley1 because they
 had chariots of iron4 ,is ,he just8    
,yes1 answers ,ezekiel4 ,the son shall  
not bear the iniquity of the father2 the

 soul that sinneth it shall die4 ,no1   
says ,exodus4 ,the ,lord declares that  
,he visits the iniquity of the fathers  
upon the children4 ,is ,he impartial8   
,yes1 answers ,peter4 ,god is no        
respecter of persons4 ,no2 says ,romans1
 for ,god loved ,jacob and hated ,esau  
before they were born1 that ,his purpose
 of election might stand4 ,is ,he       
truthful8 ,yes2 it is impossible for    
,god to lie1 says ,hebrews4 ,no1 says   
,god of ,himself1 in ,ezekiel4 ,i1 the  
,lord1 have deceived that prophet4 ,is  
,he loving8 ,yes1 sings the ,psalmist4  
,he is loving unto every man1 and ,his  
tender mercy is over all ,his works4    
,no1 growls ,jeremiah4 ,he will not     
pity1 nor spare1 nor have mercy on them4
 ,is he easily pacified when offended8  
,yes1 says the ,psalmist4 ,his wrath    
endureth but the twinkling of an eye4   
,no1 says ,jeremiah4 ,ye have kindled a 
fire in ,his anger that shall burn for  
ever4 ,unable to discover anything      
reliable about ,god1 doubtful whether he

 be just or unjust1 partial or          
impartial1 true or false1 loving or     
fierce1 placable or implacable1 we come 
to the conclusion that at all events we 
had better be friends with ,him1 and    
surely the book which reveals ,his will 
to us will at least tell us in what way 
,he desires us to approach ,him4 ,does  
,he accept sacrifice8 ,yes1 says        
,genesis3 ,noah sacrificed and ,god     
smelled a sweet savour2 and ,samuel     
tells us how ,god was prevailed on to   
take away a famine by the sacrifice of  
seven men1 hanged up before the ,lord4  
,in our fear we long to escape from ,him
 altogether and ask if this be possible8
 ,yes1 says ,genesis4 ,adam and his wife
 hid from ,him in the trees1 and ,he had
 to go-down from ,his heaven to see if  
some evil deeds were rightly reported to
 ,him4 ,no1 says ,solomon4 ,you cannot  
hide from ,him1 for ,his eyes are in    
every place4 ,so we throw up in despair 
all hope of finding out anything        
reliable about ,him1 and proceed to     

search for some trustworthy history4 ,we
 try to find out how man was made4 ,one 
account tells us that he was made male  
and female1 even in the image of ,god   
,himself2 another that ,god made man    
alone1 and subsequently formed a woman  
for him out of one of his own ribs4     
,then we find in one chapter that the   
beasts were all made1 and1 lastly1 that 
,god made ,his masterpiece1 man4 ,in    
another chapter we are told that ,god   
having made man thought it not good to  
leave him by himself1 and proceeded to  
make every beast and fowl1 saying that  
he would make ,adam a help-meet for him2
 on bringing them to ,adam1 however1    
none was found worthy to mate with him1 
so woman was tried as a last experiment4
 ,as we read on we find evident marks of
 confusion2 double1 or even treble1     
accounts of the same incident1 as1 for  
instance1 the denying a wife and its    
consequences4 ,then we see ,moses       
fearing ,pharaoh's wrath1 and flying out
 of ,egypt to avoid the king's wrath1   

and not venturing to return until after 
his death1 and are therefore surprised  
to learn from ,hebrews that he forsook  
,egypt by faith1 not fearing the wrath  
of the king4 ,then we come across       
numberless contradictions in ,kings and 
,chronicles1 in prophecy and history4   
,ezekiel prophecies that ,nebuchadnezzar
 shall conquer ,tyrus1 and destroy it   
and take all its riches2 and a few      
chapters afterwards it is recorded that 
he did accordingly attack ,tyrus but    
failed1 and that as he got no wages for 
this attack he should have ,egypt for   
his failure4 ,in the ,new ,testament the
 contradictions are endless2 ,joseph1   
the husband of ,mary1 had two fathers1  
,jacob and ,heli2 ,salah is in the same 
predicament1 for although the son of    
,canaan1 ,arphaxad begat him4 ,when     
,john was cast into prison1 ,jesus began
 to preach1 although ,he had been       
preaching and gaining disciples while   
,john was still at large4 ,jesus sent   
the ,twelve to preach1 telling them to  

take a staff1 and yet bidding them to   
take none4 ,he eat the ,passover with   
,his disciples1 although ,he was        
crucified before that feast4 ,he had one
 title on his cross1 but it is verbally 
inspired in four different ways4 ,he    
rose with many variations of date and   
time1 and ascended the same evening1    
although ,he subsequently went into     
,galilee and remained on earth for forty
 days4 ,he sent word to ,his disciples  
to meet ,him in ,galilee1 and yet       
suddenly appeared among them as they sat
 quietly together the same evening at   
,jerusalem4 ,stephen's history          
contradicts our ,old ,testament4 ,when  
,paul is converted1 his companions hear 
a voice1 although another account says  
that they heard none at all4 ,after his 
conversion he goes in and out at        
,jerusalem with the ,apostles1 although1
 strangely enough1 he sees none of them1
 except ,peter and ,james4 ,but one     
might spend pages in noting these       
inconsistencies1 while even one of them 

destroys the verbal inspiration theory4 
,from these contradictions ,i maintain  
that one of two things must follow1     
either the ,bible is not an inspired    
book1 or else inspiration is consistent 
with much error1 as ,i shall presently  
show4  ,i am quite ready to allow that  
the ,bible is inspired1 and ,i therefore
 lay down as my first canon of          
inspiration1 that3 ,inspiration does not
 prevent inaccuracy4 ,i turn to the     
second class of orthodox                
inspirationists1 who1 while allowing    
that verbal inspiration is proved       
impossible by many trivial              
inconsistencies1 yet affirm that ,god's 
overruling power ensures substantial    
accuracy1 and that its history and      
science are perfectly true and are to be
 relied on4 ,to test this assertion1    
we--after noting that ,bible history is1
 as has been remarked above1 continually
 self-contradictory--turn to other      
histories and compare the ,bible with   
them4 ,we notice first that many        

important ,biblical occurrences are     
quite ignored by profane historians4 ,we
 are surprised to see that while the    
,babylonish captivity left marks on     
,israel which are plainly seen1 ,egypt  
left no trace on ,israel's names or     
customs1 and ,israel no trace on        
,egypt's monuments4 ,the doctrine of    
angels comes not from heaven1 but slips 
into ,jewish theology from the ,persian2
 while immortality is brought to light  
neither by ,hebrew prophet nor by the   
,gospel of ,jesus1 but by the people    
among whom the ,jews resided during the 
,babylonish captivity4 ,the ,jewish     
,scriptures which precede the captivity 
know of nothing beyond the grave2 the   
,jewish ,scriptures after the captivity 
are radiant with the light of a life to 
come2 to these ,jesus adds nothing of   
joy or hope4 ,the very central doctrine 
of ,christianity--the ,godhead of       
,jesus--is nothing but a repetition of  
an idea of ,greek philosophy borrowed by
 early ,christian writers1 and is to be 

found in ,plato and ,philo as clearly as
 in the fourth ,gospel4 ,science        
contradicts the ,bible as much as does  
history2 geology laughs at its puny     
periods of creation2 astronomy destroys 
its heavens1 and asks why this little   
world took a week in making1 while the  
sun and moon and the countless stars    
were rapidly turned out in twelve hours2
 natural history wonders why the        
kangaroos did not stay in ,asia after   
the ,deluge1 instead of undertaking the 
long sea voyage to far ,australia1 and  
enquires how the ,mexicans1 and         
,peruvians1 and others1 crossed the wide
 ocean to settle in ,america2           
archaeology presents its human bones    
from ancient caves1 and asks how they   
got there1 if only six thousand years   
have passed since ,adam and ,eve stood  
alone in ,eden1 gazing out on the       
unpeopled earth2 the ,pyramids point at 
the negro type distinct and clear1 and  
ask how it comes that it was so rapidly 
developed at first1 and yet has remained

 stationary ever since4 ,at last1       
science gets weary of slaying a foe so  
puny1 and goes on its way with a smile  
on its grand1 still face1 leaving the   
,bible to teach its science to whom it  
lists4 ,evidence so weighty crushes all 
life out of this second theory of       
inspiration1 and gives us a second rule 
to guide us in our search3 ,inspiration 
does not prevent ignorance and error4   
,we may pass on to the third class of   
inspirationists1 those who believe that 
the ,bible is not given to man to teach 
him either history or science1 but only 
to reveal to him what he could not      
discover by the use of his natural      
faculties--e g4 the duties of morality  
and the nature of ,god4 ,i must note    
here the subtilty of this retreat4      
,driven by inexorable fact to allow the 
,bible to be fallible in everything in  
which we can test its assertions1 they1 
by a clever strategic movement1 remove  
their defence to a post more difficult  
to attack4 ,they maintain that the      

,bible is infallible in points where no 
cannonade of facts can be brought to    
bear on it4 ,what is this but to say1   
that although we can prove the ,bible to
 be fallible on every point capable of  
proof1 we are still blindly to believe  
it to be infallible where demonstrated  
error is1 from the nature of the case1  
impossible8 ,as regards the nature of   
,god1 we have already seen that the     
,bible ascribes to him virtue and vice  
indifferently4 ,we turn to morality1 and
 here our first great difficulty meets  
us1 for when we point to a thing and    
say1 that is profoundly immoral1 our    
opponents retort1 it is perfectly moral4
 ,only the progress of humanity can     
prove which of us is in the right1      
though here1 too1 we have one great fact
 on our side1 and that is1 the          
conscience in man2 already men would    
rather die than imitate the actions of  
,old ,testament saints who did that     
which was right in the eyes of ,jehovah2
 and presently they will be bold enough 

to reject in words that which they      
already reject in deeds4 ,few would put 
the ,bible freely into the hands of a   
child1 any more than they would give    
freely to the young the unpurged        
editions of ,swift and ,sterne2 and ,i  
imagine that the most pious parents     
would scarcely see with un-mingled      
pleasure their son and daughter of      
fifteen and sixteen studying together   
the histories and laws of the           
,pentateuch4 ,but taking the ,bible as a
 rule of life1 are we to copy its saints
 and its laws8 ,for instance1 is it     
right for a man to marry his            
half-sister1 as did the great ancestor  
of the ,jews1 ,abraham1 the friend of   
,god8--a union1 by the way1 which is    
forbidden by ,jewish law1 although said 
to be the source of their race4 ,is the 
lie of the ,egyptian midwives right1    
because ,jehovah blessed them for it1   
even as ,jael is pronounced blessed by  
,deborah1 the prophetess1 for her       
accursed treachery and murder8 ,is the  

robbery of the ,egyptians right1 because
 commanded by ,jehovah8 ,are the old    
cruel laws of witchcraft right1 because 
,jehovah doomed the witch to death8 ,are
 the ordeals of the ,middle ,ages right1
 because derived from the laws of       
,jehovah8 ,is human sacrifice right1    
because attempted by ,abraham1 enjoined 
by ,moses1 practised by ,jephthah1      
efficacious in turning away ,god's wrath
 when ,saul's seven sons were offered   
up8 ,is murder right because ,phineas   
wrought atonement by it1 and ,moses sent
 his murderers throughout the camp to   
stay ,god's anger by slaying their      
brethren8 ,is it right that the persons 
of women captives should be the prey of 
the conquerors1 because the ,jews were  
commanded by ,jehovah to save alive the 
virgins and keep them for themselves1   
except the sixty-four reserved for      
himself8 ,is the man after ,god's own   
heart a worthy model for imitation8 ,are
 ,jehu's lying and slaughter right1     
because right in the eyes of ,jehovah8  

,is ,hosea's marriage commendable1      
because commanded by ,jehovah8 or are   
the signs of ,jeremiah and ,ezekiel the 
less childish and indecent because they 
are prefaced with1 thus saith ,jehovah8 
,far be it from me to detract from the  
glorious morality of portions of the    
,bible2 but if the whole book be        
inspired and infallible in its moral    
teaching1 then1 of course1 one moral    
lesson is as important as another1 and  
we have no right to pick and choose     
where the whole is divine4 ,the harsher 
part of the ,old ,testament morality has
 burnt its mark into the world1 and may 
be traced through history by the groans 
of suffering men and women1 by burning  
witches and tortured enemies of the     
,lord1 by flaming cities and            
blood-stained fields4 ,if murder and    
rapine1 treachery and lies1 robbery and 
violence1 were commanded long ago by    
,almighty ,god2 if things are right and 
wrong only by virtue of ,his command1   
then who can say that they may not be   

right once more1 when used in the cause 
of the ,church1 and how are we to know  
that ,moses speaks in ,god's name when  
he commands them1 and ,torquemada only  
in his own8 ,but even ,christians are   
beginning to feel ashamed of some of the
 exploits of the ,old ,testament        
,saints1 and to try and explain away    
some of the harsher features2 we even   
hear sometimes a wicked whisper about   
imperfect light1 c4 ,good heavens6 what 
blasphemy6 ,imperfect light can mean    
nothing less than imperfect ,god1 if ,he
 is responsible for the morality of     
these writings4  ,so1 from our study of 
the ,bible we deduce another canon by   
which we may judge of inspiration3      
,inspiration does not prevent moral     
error4 ,there is a fourth class of      
inspirationists1 the last which clings  
to the skirts of orthodoxy1 which is    
always endeavouring to plant one foot on
 the rocks of science1 while it balances
 the other over the quicksands of       
orthodox super-naturalism4 ,the ,broad  

,church school here takes one wide step 
away from orthodoxy1 by allowing that   
the inspiration of the ,bible differs   
only in degree and not in kind from the 
inspiration common to all mankind4 ,they
 recognise the great fact that the      
inspiring ,spirit of ,god is the source 
whence flow all good and noble deeds1   
and they point out that the ,bible      
itself refers all good and all knowledge
 to that one ,spirit1 and that ,he      
breathes mechanical skill into ,bezaleel
 and ,aholiab1 strength into ,samson's  
arms1 wisdom into ,solomon1 as much as  
,he breathes the ecstacy of the prophet 
into ,isaiah1 faith into ,paul1 and love
 into ,john4 ,they recognise the old    
legends as authentic1 but would maintain
 as stoutly that ,he spoke to ,newton   
through the falling of an apple1 as that
 ,he spoke of old to ,elijah by fire1 or
 to the wise men by a star4 ,this school
 try and remove the moral difficulties  
of the ,old ,testament by regarding the 
history recorded in it as a history     

which is specially intended to unveil   
the working of ,god through all history1
 and so to gradually reveal ,god as ,he 
makes ,himself known to the world2 thus 
the grosser parts are regarded as wholly
 attributable to the ignorance of men1  
and they delight to see the divine light
 breaking slowly through the thick      
clouds of human error and prejudice1 and
 to trace in the ,bible the gradual     
evolution of a nobler faith and a purer 
morality4 ,they regard the miracles of  
,jesus as a manifestation that ,god     
underlies ,nature and works ever        
therein3 they believe ,god to be        
specially manifested in ,jewish history1
 in order that men may understand that  
,he presides over all nations and rules 
over all peoples4 ,to ,maurice the      
,bible is the explainer of all earth's  
problems1 the unveiler of ,god1 the     
,bread of ,life4 ,there is1 on the      
whole1 little to object to in the ,broad
 ,church view of inspiration1 although  
liberal thinkers regret that1 as a      

party1 they stop half way1 and are still
 trammelled by the half-broken chains of
 orthodoxy4 ,for instance1 they usually 
regard the direct revelation of morality
 as closed by ,jesus and ,his immediate 
followers1 although they allow that ,god
 has not deserted ,his world1 nor       
confined ,his inspiration within the    
covers of a book4 ,to them1 however1 the
 ,bible is still the inspired book1     
standing apart by itself1 differing from
 all other sacred books4 ,from their    
views of inspiration1 which contains so 
much that is true1 we deduce a fourth   
rule3  ,inspiration is not confined to  
written words about ,god4 ,from a       
criticism of the book1 which is held by 
orthodox ,christians1 to be specially   
inspired1 we have then gained some idea 
of what inspiration does not do4 ,it    
does not prevent inaccuracy1 ignorance1 
error1 nor is it confined to any written
 book4 ,inspiration1 then1 cannot be an 
overwhelming influence1 crushing the    
human faculties and bearing along the   

subject of it on a flood which he can   
neither direct nor resist4 ,it is a     
breathing--gentle and gradual--of pure  
thoughts into impure hearts1 tender     
thoughts into fierce hearts1 forgiving  
thoughts into revengeful hearts4 ,david 
calls home his banished son1 and he     
learns that1 even as a father pitieth   
his children1 so is the ,lord merciful  
unto them that fear ,him4 ,paul wishes  
himself accursed if it may save his     
brethren1 and from his own              
self-sacrificing love he learns that    
,god will have all men to be saved1 and 
to come to the knowledge of the truth4  
,thus inspiration is breathed into the  
man's heart4 ,i love and forgive1 weak  
as ,i am2 what must be the depth of the 
love and forgiveness of ,god8 ,david's  
fierce revenge finds an echo in his     
writings2 for man writes1 and not ,god3 
he defaces ,god by ascribing to ,him the
 passions surging only in his own       
burning ,eastern heart3 then1 as the    
,spirit moves him to forgiveness1 his   

song is of mercy2 for he feels that his 
,maker must be better than himself4     
,that part of the ,bible is inspired1 ,i
 do not deny1 in the sense that all good
 thoughts are the result of inspiration1
 but only as we share the inspiration of
 the ,bible can we distinguish between  
the noble and the base in it1 between   
the eternal and that which is fast      
passing away4 ,but as we do not expect  
to find that inspiration1 now-a-days1   
guards men from much error1 both of word
 and deed1 so we should not expect to   
find it otherwise in days gone by2 nor  
should we wonder that the man who spoke 
of ,god as showing ,his tender          
fatherhood by punishing and correcting1 
could so sink down into hard thoughts of
 that loving ,father as to say that it  
was a fearful thing to fall into ,his   
hands4 ,these contradictions meet us in 
every man2 they are the highest and the 
lowest moments of the human soul4 ,only 
as we are inspired to love and patience 
in our conduct towards men will our     

words be inspired when we speak of ,god4
  ,having thus seen what inspiration    
does not do1 we must glance at what it  
really is4 ,it is1 perhaps1 natural that
 we1 rejecting1 as we do1 with somewhat 
of vehemence1 the idea of supernatural  
revelation1 should oftentimes be accused
 of denying all revelation and          
disbelieving all inspiration4 ,but even 
as we are not atheists1 although we deny
 the ,godhead of ,jesus1 so are we not  
unbelievers in inspiration because we   
refuse to bend our necks beneath the    
yoke of an inspired ,bible4 ,for we     
believe in a ,god too mighty and too    
universal to be wrapped in swaddling    
clothes or buried in a cave1 and we     
believe in an inspiration too mighty and
 too universal to belong only to one    
nation and to one age4 ,as the air is as
 free and as refreshing to us as it was 
to ,isaiah1 to ,jesus1 or to ,paul1 so  
does the spiritual air of ,god's ,spirit
 breathe so softly and as refreshingly  
on our brows as on theirs4 ,we have eyes

 to see and ears to hear quite as much  
as they had in ,judea long ago4 ,if ,god
 be omnipresent and omniactive1 this    
inspiration is no miracle1 but a regular
 mode of ,god's action on conscious     
,spirit1 as gravitation on unconscious  
matter4 ,it is not a rare condescension 
of ,god1 but a universal uplifting of   
man4 ,to obtain a knowledge of duty1 a  
man is not sent away outside of himself 
to ancient documents for the only rule  
of faith and practice2 the ,word is very
 nigh him1 even in his heart1 and by    
this word he is to try all documents    
whatever4444 ,wisdom1 ,righteous-ness1  
and ,love are the ,spirit of ,god in the
 soul of man2 wherever these are1 and   
just in proportion to their power1 there
 is inspiration from ,god4444           
,inspiration is the in-come of ,god to  
the soul1 in the form of ,truth through 
the ,reason1 of ,right through the      
,conscience1 of ,love and ,faith through
 the ,affections and ,religious         
,element4444 ,a man would be looked on  

as mad who should claim miraculous      
inspiration for ,newton1 as they have   
been who denied it in the case of       
,moses4 ,but no candid man will doubt   
that1 humanly speaking1 it was a more   
difficult thing to write the ,principia 
than to write the ,decalogue4 ,man must 
have a nature most sadly anomalous if1  
unassisted1 he is able to accomplish all
 the triumphs of modern science1 and yet
 cannot discover the plainest and most  
important principles of ,religion and   
,morality without a miraculous          
inspiration2 and still more so if1 being
 able to discover by ,god's natural aid 
these chief and most important          
principles1 he needs a miraculous       
inspiration to disclose minor details499
 ,thus we believe that inspiration from 
,god is the birthright of humanity1 and 
to be an heir of ,god it needs only to  
be a son of man4 ,earth's treasures are 
highly priced and hard to win1 but      
,god's blessings are1 like the rain and 
the sunshine1 showered on all-comers4   

',tis only heaven is given away2        
',tis only ,god may be had for the      
asking2      ,no price is set on the    
lavish summer2      ,june may be had by 
the poorest comer4            99        
,theodore ,parker4  ,if inspiration were
 indeed that which it is thought to be  
by the orthodox ,christians1 surely we  
ought to be able to distinguish its     
sayings from those of the uninspired4   
,if inspiration be confined to the      
,christian ,bible1 how is it that the   
inspired thoughts were in many cases    
spoken out to the world hundreds of     
years before they fell from the lips of 
an inspired ,jew8 ,it seems a somewhat  
uncalled for miraculous interference for
 a man to be supernaturally inspired to 
inform the world of some moral truth    
which had been well known for hundreds  
of years to a large portion of the race4
 ,or is it that a great moral truth     
bears within itself so little evidence  
of its royal birth1 that it cannot be   
accepted as ruler by divine right over  

men until its proclamation is signed by 
some duly accredited messenger of the   
,most ,high8 ,then1 indeed1 must ,god be
 more cognizable by the senses than by  
the soul2 and then the eye or the ear is
 a truer and quicker percipient of      
,deity than the ,spirit which came forth
 from ,him499 ,was ,paul inspired when  
he wished himself accursed for his      
brethren's sake1 but ,kwan-yin          
uninspired1 when she said1 ,never will  
,i seek nor receive private individual  
salvation2 never enter into final peace 
alone8 ,if ,jesus and the prophets were 
inspired when they placed mercy above   
sacrifice1 was ,manu uninspired in      
saying that a man will fall very low if 
he performs ceremonial acts only1 and   
fails to discharge his moral duties8    
,was ,jesus inspired when he taught that
 the whole law was comprehended in one  
saying1 namely1 ,thou shalt love thy    
neighbour as thyself8 and yet was       
,confucius uninspired when1 in answer to
 the question1 ,what one word would     

serve as a rule to one's whole life8 he 
said1 ,reciprocity2 what you do not wish
 done to yourself1 do not to others4 ,or
 take the ,talmud and study it1 and then
 judge from what uninspired source      
,jesus drew much of ,his highest        
teaching4 ,whoso looketh on the wife of 
another with a lustful eye1 is          
considered as if he had committed       
adultery4--7,kalah47 ,with what measure 
we mete1 we shall be measured           
again4--7,johanan47 ,what thou wouldst  
not like to be done to thyself1 do not  
to others2 this is the fundamental      
law4--7,hillel47 ,if he be admonished to
 take the splinter out of his eye1 he   
would answer1 ,take the beam out of     
thine own4--7,tarphon47 ,imitate ,god in
 ,his goodness4 ,be towards thy         
fellow-creatures as ,he is towards the  
whole creation4 ,clothe the naked2 heal 
the sick2 comfort the afflicted2 be a   
brother to the children of thy ,father4 
,the whole parable of the houses built  
on the rock and on the sand is taken out

 of the ,talmud1 and such instances of  
quotation might be indefinitely         
multiplied4 ,what do they all prove8    
,that there is no inspiration in the    
,bible8 by no means4 ,but surely that   
inspiration is not confined to the      
,bible1 but is spread over the world2   
that much in all sacred books is the    
outcome of inspired minds at their      
highest1 although we find the same books
 containing gross and low thoughts4 ,we 
should always remember that although the
 ,bible is more specially a revelation  
to us of the ,western nations than are  
the ,vedas and the ,zend-,avesta1 that  
it is only so because it is better      
suited to our modes of thought1 and     
because it has-been one of the agents in
 our education4       99 ,w4 ,r4 ,greg4 
,the reverence with which we may regard 
the ,bible as bound up with many-sacred 
memories1 and as the chosen teacher of  
many of our greatest minds and purest   
characters1 is rightly directed in other
 nations to their own sacred books4 ,the

 books are really all on a level1 with  
much good and much bad in them all2 but 
as the ,hebrew was inspired to proclaim 
that the ,lord thy ,god is one ,lord to 
the ,hebrews1 so was the ,hindoo        
inspired to proclaim to ,hindoos1 ,there
 is only one ,deity1 the great ,soul4   
,either all are inspired1 or none are4  
,they stand on the same footing4 ,and we
 rejoice to-believe that one ,spirit    
breathes in all1 and that ,his          
inspiration is ours to-day4 ,the ,father
 worketh hitherto1 although men fancy   
,he is resting in an eternal ,sabbath4  
,the orthodox tells us that1 in         
rejecting the rule of morality laid down
 for us in the ,bible1 and in trusting  
ourselves to this inspiration of the    
free ,spirit of ,god1 our faith and our 
morality will alike be shifting and     
unstable4 ,but we reck not of their     
warnings2 our faith and our morality are
 only shifting in this sense1 that1 as  
we grow holier1 and purer1 and wiser1   
our conception of ,god and of           

righteousness will rise and expand with 
our growth4 ,it was a golden saying of  
one of ,god's noblest sons that no man  
knoweth the ,father save the ,son3 to   
know ,god we must resemble ,him1 as we  
see in the child the likeness of the    
parent4 ,but in trusting ourselves to   
the guidance of the ,spirit of ,god1 we 
are not building the house of our faith 
on the shifting sand2 rather are we     
dwelling in a city that hath            
foundations1 whose builder and maker is 
,god4 ,wisely was it sung of old1       
,except the ,lord build the house1 their
 labour is but lost that build it4 ,vain
 are all efforts of priestly coercion2  
vain all toils of inspired books2 vain  
the utter sacrifice of reason and       
conscience2 their labour is but lost    
when they strive to build a temple of   
human faith1 strong enough to bear the  
long strain of time1 or the             
earthquake-shock of grief4 ,god only1 by
 the patient guiding of ,his love1 by   
the direct inspiration of ,his ,spirit1 

can lay1 stone by stone1 and timber by  
timber1 that priceless fabric of trust  
and love1 which shall outlive all       
attacks and all changes1 and shall stand
 in the human soul as long as ,his own  
,eternity endures4     ,,on ,,the       
,,religious ,,education ,,of ,,children4
  ,,in every transition-stage of the    
world's history the question of         
education naturally comes to the front4 
,so much depends on the first           
impressions of childhood1 on the first  
training of the tender shoot1 that it   
has always been acknowledged1 from      
,solomon to ,forster1 that to train up a
 child in the way he should go is among 
the most important duties of fathers and
 citizens4 ,to the individual1 to the   
family1 to the ,state1 the education of 
the rising generation is a question of  
primary importance4 ,plato began the    
education of the citizens of his ideal  
,republic from the very hour of their   
birth2 the nursing child was taken from 
the mother lest injudicious treatment   

should mar1 in the slightest degree1 the
 perfection of the future warrior4 ,on  
this point modern and ancient wisdom    
clasp hands1 and place the education of 
the child among the most important      
duties of the ,state4 ,the battle at    
present raging between the advocates of 
secular and religious education--to use 
the cant of the day--is a most natural  
and righteous recognition of the vast   
interests at stake when ,church or      
,state claims the right of training the 
sons and daughters of ,england4 ,no one 
has yet attempted to explain why it     
should be irreligious to teach writing1 
or history1 or geography2 or why it     
should destroy a child's soul to improve
 his mental faculties4 ,it is among the 
mysteries of the faith1 why it is better
 for our poor to leave' them to grow up 
in both moral and intellectual darkness1
 than to dissipate the intellectual     
darkness by some few rays of knowledge1 
and to leave the moral training to other
 hands4 ,if we left a starving man to   

die because we could only give him      
bread1 and were unable to afford cheese 
in addition1 all would unite in         
declaiming at our folly3 but religious  
people would rather that our street     
,arabs grew up both heathens and brutes1
 than that we should improve their minds
 without ,christianizing their souls4   
,better let a lad grow up a thief and a 
drunkard1 than turn him into an artizan 
and a freethinker4 ,there can scarcely  
be a better proof of the                
unreasonableness of ,christian doctrine1
 than the ,christian fear of sharpening 
mental faculties1 without binding them  
down1 at the same time1 in the chains of
 dogma4 ,only a religion founded on     
reason can dare to train children's     
minds to the utmost1 and then leave them
 free to use all the power and keenness 
acquired by that training on the        
investigation of any religious doctrine 
presented to them4 ,we1 who have written
 ,tekel on the ,christian faith1 share  
in the opinion of the ,christian clergy1

 that man's carnal reason is a terrible 
foe to the ,christian revelation2 but   
here we begin to differ from them1 for  
while they regard this reason as a child
 of the devil1 to be scourged and       
chained down1 we do homage to it as to  
the fairest offspring of the ,divine    
,spirit1 the brightest earthly          
reflection of ,his glory1 and the       
nearest image of ,his ,person2 we would 
cherish it1 tend it1 nourish it1 as our 
,father's noblest gift to humanity1 as  
our surest guide and best counsellor1 as
 the ear which hears ,his voice1 and the
 eye which sees ,him1 as the sharpest   
weapon against superstition1 the        
ultimate arbiter on earth between right 
and wrong4 ,to us1 then1 education is   
ranged on the side of ,god2 we welcome  
it freely and gladly1 because all truth1
 all light1 all knowledge1 are foes of  
falsehood1 of darkness1 of ignorance4   
,if we mistake error for truth a        
brighter light will set us right1 and we
 only wish to be taught truth1 not to be

 proved right4  ,most liberal thinkers  
agree in recognizing the fact that the  
duties of the ,state in the matter of   
education must1 in the nature of things1
 be purely secular3 that is to say1 that
 while the ,state insists that the      
future citizen shall be taught at least 
the elements of learning1 so as to fit  
him or her for fulfilling the duties of 
that citizenship1 it has no right to    
insist on impressing on the mind of its 
pupil any set of religious dogmas or any
 form of religious creed4 ,the          
abdication by the ,state of the         
pretended right of enforcing on its     
citizens any special form of religion1  
is not at all identical with the        
opposition by the ,state to religious   
teaching2 ,it is merely a development of
 the very wise maxim of the great       
,jewish ,teacher1 to render the things  
of ,caesar to ,caesar1 and the things of
 ,god to ,god4 ,to teach reading1       
writing1 honesty1 regard for law1 these 
things are ,caesar's duties2 to teach   

religious dogma1 creed1 or article1 is  
entirely the province of the teachers   
who claim to hold the truth of ,god4    
,but my object now is not to draw the   
line between the duties of ,church and  
,state1 of school and home2 nor do ,i   
wish to enter the lists of sectarian    
controversy1 to break a lance in favour 
of a new religious dogma4 ,the question 
is rather this3 ,what are the limits of 
the religious education which it is wise
 to impose on the young8 ,is any        
dogmatic teaching to be a part of their 
moral training1 and is the dogmatism    
against which we have rebelled to be    
revived in a new form8 ,are the fetters 
which we are breaking for ourselves to  
be welded together again for the young  
limbs of our children8 ,are they to be  
fed on the husks which have starved our 
own religious aspirations1 and which we 
have analysed1 and rejected as unfit to 
sustain our moral and mental vigour8 ,on
 the other hand1 are our children to    
grow up without any religious teaching  

at all1 without a ray of that sunshine  
which is to most of us the very source  
of our gladness1 and the renewal of our 
strength8  ,i think the best way of     
deciding this question is to notice the 
gradual development of the childish body
 and mind4 ,nature's indications are a  
sure guide-post1 and we cannot go very  
far wrong in following her hints4 ,i am 
now on ground with which mothers are    
familiar1 though perhaps few men have   
watched young children with sufficient  
attention to be able to note their      
gradual development4 ,the first         
instincts of a baby are purely personal3
 the not-,i is for it nonexistent3 food1
 warmth1 cleanliness1 comprise all its  
needs and all our duties to it4 ,the    
next stage is when the infant becomes   
conscious of the existence of something 
outside itself3 when1 vaguely and       
indistinctly1 but yet decidedly1 it     
shows signs of observing the things     
around it3 to cultivate observation1 to 
attract attention1 slowly to guide it   

into distinguishing one object from     
another1 are the next steps in its      
education4 ,the child soon succeeds in  
distinguishing forms1 and learns to     
attach different sounds to different    
shapes3 it is also taught to avoid some 
things and to play with others3 it      
awakes to the knowledge that while some 
objects give pleasure1 others give pain3
 so far as material things go1 it learns
 to choose the good and to avoid the    
evil4 ,this power is only gained by     
experience1 and is therefore acquired   
but gradually1 and after a time1 side by
 side with it1 runs another lesson2     
slowly and gradually there appears a    
dawning appreciation of right and wrong4
 ,this appreciation is not1 however1 at 
first an appreciation of any intrinsic  
rightness or wrongness in any given     
action2 it is simply a recognition on   
the child's part that some of its acts  
meet with approval1 others with         
disapproval1 from its elders4 ,the      
standard of its seniors is              

unquestioningly accepted by the child4  
,the moral sense awakes1 but is         
completely guided in its first efforts  
by the hand of the child's teacher1 as  
completely as the first efforts to walk 
are directed by the mother4 ,thus it    
comes to pass that the conscience of the
 child is but the reflex of the         
conscience of its parents or guardians3 
right and wrong in a child's vocabulary 
are in the earliest stages equivalent to
 reward and punishment2 its final court 
of appeal in cases of morality is the   
judgment of the parent499       99 ,the 
moral sense does show itself1 however1  
in very young      children1 in a higher
 form than this2 for we may often       
observe in a young child an instinctive 
sense of shame at      having done      
wrong4 ,but the moral sense is awakened 
and      educated by the parents'       
approval and disapproval4 ,this may     
be proved1 ,i think1 by the fact that a 
child brought up      among thieves and 
evil-livers will accept their morality  

as      a matter of course1 and will    
steal and lie habitually1      without  
attaching to either act any idea of     
wrong4 ,the moral      sense is inherent
 in man1 and is in no way given by the  
parent2 but ,i think that it is first   
aroused and put into      action by the 
parent2 the parent accustoms the child  
to      regard certain actions as right 
and wrong2 this appeals to      the     
moral sense in the child1 and the child 
very rapidly is      ashamed of wrong1  
as wrong1 and not simply from dread of  
punishment4 ,i would be understood to   
mean1 in the text1 that      the wish   
for reward is the first response of the 
child to      the idea of an inherent   
distinction between different           
actions2 this feeling rapidly developes 
into the true moral      sense1 which   
regards right as right1 and wrong as    
wrong4       ,i append this note at the 
suggestion of a valued friend1 who      
feared that the inference might be drawn
 from the text that      the moral sense

 was implanted by the parent instead of 
being1 as it is1 the gift of ,god4  ,it 
is perhaps scarcely accurate to call    
this motive power in the child a moral  
sense at all2 still1 this recognition of
 some thing which is immaterial and     
intangible1 and which is yet to be the  
guide of its actions1 is a great step   
forward from the simple consciousness of
 outer and material objects1 and is     
truly the dawn of that moral sense which
 becomes in men and women the test of   
right and wrong4 ,so far we have        
considered the growing faculties of the 
child as regards physical and moral     
development1 and ,i particularly wish to
 remark that the moral sense appears    
long before any religious tendency can  
be noted4 ,there is1 however1 another   
side of the complete human character    
which is very important1 but which is   
slow in showing itself in any healthy   
child2 ,i mean what may be called the   
spiritual sense1 in distinction from the
 moral2 the sense which is the crowning 

grace of humanity1 the sense which      
belongs wholly to the immortal part of  
man3 the outstretched hands of the human
 spirit groping after the ,eternal      
,spirit2 the yearning after that        
all-pervading ,power which men call     
,god4 ,i know well that in many         
precociously-pious children this        
spiritual sense is forced into a        
premature and unwholesome maturity2 by  
means of a spiritual hot-house the      
summer-fruit of piety may be obtained in
 the spring-time of the childish heart4 
,the imitative instinct of childhood    
quickly reproduces the sentiments around
 it1 and set phrases which meet with    
admiration flow glibly from baby-lips4  
,but this strongly developed religious  
feeling in a child is both unnatural and
 harmful1 and can never1 because it is  
unreal1 produce any lasting good effect4
 ,yet is it none the less true that1 at 
an early age1 differing much in         
different children1 the spiritual sense 
does show signs of awakening2 that      

children soon begin to wonder about     
things around them1 and to ask questions
 which can only find their true answer  
in the name of ,god4 ,how to meet these 
questions1 how to train this growing    
sentiment without crushing it on the one
 hand1 and without unduly stimulating it
 on the other1 is a source of deep      
anxiety to many a mother's heart in the 
present day4 ,they are unable to tell   
their children the stories which        
satisfied their own childish cravings3  
no longer can they hold up before the   
eager faces the picture of the manger at
 ,bethlehem1 or dim the bright eyes with
 the story of the cross on ,calvary2 no 
longer can they fold the little hands in
 prayer to the child of ,nazareth1 or   
hush the hasty tongue with the reminder 
of the obedience of the ,virgin's son4  
,to a certain extent this is a loss4 ,a 
child quickly seizes the concrete2 the  
idea of the child ,jesus or the man     
,jesus is readily grasped by a child's  
intellect2 the ,god of the ,old         

,testament1 the magnified man1 is also1 
though more dimly1 understood4 ,these   
conceptions of the childhood of humanity
 suit the childhood of the individual1  
and it is far more difficult for the    
child to realize the idea of ,god when  
he is divested of these materialistic   
garments4 ,yet ,i speak from experience 
when ,i say that it is by no means      
impossible to train a child into the    
simplest and happiest feelings as       
regards the ,supreme ,being1 without    
degrading the ,divine into the human4   
,by one name we can speak of ,god by    
which ,he will be readily welcomed to   
the child's heart1 and that is the name 
of the ,father4 ,most children are      
keenly alive to natural beauties1 and   
are quick to observe birds1 and flowers1
 and sunshine2 at times they will ask   
how these things come there1 and then it
 is well to tell them that they are the 
works of ,god ,thus the child's first   
notions of the existence of a ,power he 
cannot see or feel will come to him     

clothed in the things he loves1 and will
 be free from any suggestion of fear499 
,even those who regard ,god from the    
stand-point of ,pantheism may use       
natural objects so as to train the child
 into a fearless and happy recognition  
of the constant working of the ,spirit  
of ,nature1 and so guard the young mind 
against that shrinking from1 and terror 
of ,god1 which popular ,christianity is 
so apt to induce4 ,the lad or girl who  
grows up with even the habit of         
regarding ,god as the calm and mighty   
motive-power of the forces of ,nature1  
changeless1 infinite1 absolutely        
trustworthy1 will be slow to accept in  
later life the crude conceptions which  
incarnate the creative power in a       
virgin's womb1 and ascribe caprice1     
injustice1 and cruelty to the mighty    
,spirit of the ,universe4       99 ,the 
ordinary shrinking of a child from the  
idea of a      ,presence which he cannot
 see1 but which sees him1 will not      
be felt by children whose only ideas    

about ,god are that ,he      is the     
,father from whose hand come all        
beautiful things4 ,in      any home     
where the parents' thoughts of ,god are 
free from      doubt and mistrust1 the  
children's thoughts will be the same2   
religion1 in their eyes1 will be        
synonymous with      happiness1 for ,god
 and good will be convertible terms4    
,there is a deep truth in the idea of   
,pantheism1 that ,nature is an          
apparition of the ,deity1 ,god in a     
mask2 that ,he is the light of the      
morning1 the beauty of the noon1 and the
 strength of the sun4 ,he is the ,one1  
the ,all444 ,the soul of all2 more      
moving than motion1 more stable than    
rest2 fairer than beauty1 and stronger  
than strength4 ,the power of ,nature is 
,god444 ,he is the ,all2 the ,reality of
 all phenomena4 ,the child fed on this  
food will have scarcely anything to     
unlearn1 even when he begins to believe 
that ,god is something more than        
,nature2 the created ,all is the symbol 

of ,god1 and he will pass easily and    
naturally on from seeing ,god in ,nature
 to see ,him in a higher form4  ,of     
course1 as a ,theist1 ,i should myself  
go much further than this3 ,i should    
speak of all natural glory as but the   
reflection of the ,deity1 or as the robe
 in which ,he veils ,his infinite       
beauty2 ,i should bid my children       
rejoice in all happiness as in the gift 
of a ,father who delights in sharing    
,his joy with ,his creatures2 ,i should 
point out that the pain caused by       
ignorance of1 or by breaking natural    
laws1 is ,god's way of teaching men     
obedience for their own ultimate good3  
in the freedom and fulness of ,nature's 
gifts ,i should teach them to see the   
equal love of ,god for all2 through     
marking that in ,nature's visible       
kingdom no end can be gained without    
labour and without using certain laws1  
they should learn that in the invisible 
kingdom they need not expect to find    
favouritism1 nor think to share the     

fruits of victory without patient toil4 
,to all who believe in a ,god who is    
also the ,father of ,spirits such       
teaching as this comes easily2 as they  
themselves learn of ,god only through   
,his works1 so they naturally teach     
their children to seek ,him in the same 
way4  ,the questions1 so familiar to    
every mother1 ,can ,god see me8 ,where  
is ,god8 can only be met with the simple
 assertion that ,god sees all1 and is   
everywhere4 ,for there are many childish
 questions which it is wisest to meet   
with statements which are above the     
grasp of the childish mind4 ,these      
statements may be simply given to the   
child as statements which it is too     
young either to question or to          
understand4 ,nothing is gained by trying
 to smooth down spiritual subjects to   
the level of a child's capacity2 the    
time will come later when the child must
 meet and answer for itself all great   
spiritual questions2 the parent's care  
should be to remove all hindrances from 

the child's path of inquiry1 but not to 
give it cut-and-dried answers to every  
possible question2 religion1 to be worth
 anything1 must be a personal matter1   
and each must find it out for himself2  
the wise parent will endeavour to save  
the child from the pain of unlearning1  
by giving but little formal religious   
teaching2 he cannot fight the battle for
 his child1 but he can prevent his being
 crippled by a fancied armour which will
 stifle rather than protect him2 he can 
give a few wide principles to direct    
him1 without weighing him down with     
guide-books4  ,but even the most general
 ideas of ,god should not be forced on a
 childish mind2 they should come1 so to 
speak1 by chance2 they should be        
presented in answer to some demand of   
the child's heart2 they should be       
inculcated by stray words and passing   
remarks2 they should form the atmosphere
 surrounding the child habitually1 and  
not be a sudden wind of doctrine4 ,of   
course all this is far more troublesome 

than to teach a child a catechism or a  
creed1 but it is a far higher training4 
,dogma1 i e41 conviction petrified by   
authority1 should be utterly excluded   
from the religious education of         
children2 a few great axiomatic truths  
may be laid down1 but even in these     
primary truths dogmatism should be      
avoided4 ,the parent should always take 
care to make it apparent that he is     
stating his own convictions1 but is not 
enforcing them on the child by his      
authority4 ,so far as the child is      
capable of appreciating them1 the       
reasons for the religious conviction    
should be presented along with the      
conviction itself4 ,thus the child will 
see1 as he grows older1 that religion   
cannot be learned by rote1 that it is   
not shut up in a book1 or contained in  
creeds2 he will appreciate the          
all-important fact that free inquiry is 
the only air in which truth can breathe2
 that one man's faith cannot justly be  
imposed on another1 and that every      

individual soul has the privilege and   
the responsibility of forming his own   
religion1 and must either hear ,god with
 his own ears1 or else not hear ,him at 
all4  ,we have noticed that the moral   
sense awakes before the religious 7,i   
must state my repugnance to these terms1
 although ,i use them for the sake of   
clearness2 but morality is religion1    
although religion is more than morality1
 and the so-called religion which is not
 morality is worthless and hateful74    
,there remains then to consider what we 
will call the second side of religion1  
although it is by far its most important
 side4 ,true religion consists not only 
in feelings towards ,god1 but also in   
duties towards men3 the first1 noble and
 blessed as they are1 should1 in every  
healthy religion1 give place to the     
second2 for a morally good man who does 
not believe in ,god at all1 is in a far 
higher state of being than the man who  
believes in ,god and is selfish1 cruel  
or unjust4 ,error in faith is           

forgiveable2 error in life is fatal4    
,the good man shall surely see ,god1    
although1 for a time1 his eyes be       
holden2 the evil man1 though he hold the
 noblest faith yet known1 shall never   
taste the joy of ,god1 until he turns   
from sin1 and struggles after holiness4 
,faith first1 and then morality1 is the 
war-cry of the churches2 morality above 
all1 and let faith follow in good time1 
is the watch-word of ,theism2 so1 among 
us1 the principal part of the religious 
training of our children should be      
morality2 religious feeling may be      
over-strained1 or give rise to          
self-deception2 religious talk may be   
morbid and unreal2 religious faith may  
be erring1 and must be imperfect2 but   
morality is a rock which can never be   
shaken1 a guide which can never mislead4
 ,whether we are right or wrong in our  
belief about ,god1 whether we are       
immortal spirits or perishable          
organizations1 yet purity is nobler than
 vice1 courage than cowardice1 truth    

than falsehood1 love than hate4 ,let us1
 then1 teach our children morality above
 all things4 ,let us teach them to love 
good for its own sake1 without thought  
of reward1 and they will remain good1   
even if1 in after life1 they should1    
alas6 lose all hope of immortality and  
all faith hi ,god4 ,a child's natural   
instinct is towards good2 a tale of     
heroism1 of self sacrifice1 of          
generosity1 will bring the eager blood  
flushing up to a child's face and wake a
 quick response and a desire of         
emulation4 ,it is therefore well to     
place in children's hands tales of noble
 deeds in days gone by4 ,nothing is     
easier than to train a child into       
feeling a desire to be good for the sake
 of being so4 ,there is something so    
attractive in goodness1 that ,i have    
found it more effectual to hold up the  
nobility of courage and unselfishness   
before the child's eyes1 than to descend
 to punishment for the corresponding    
faults4 ,if a child is in the habit of  

regarding all wrong as something low and
 degrading1 he quickly shrinks from it2 
all mothers know the instinctive        
ambition of children to be something    
superior and admirable1 and this        
instinct is most useful in inculcating  
virtue4 ,later in life nothing ruins a  
young man like discovering that morality
 and religion are often divorced1 and   
that the foremost professors of religion
 are less delicately honourable and     
trustworthy than high-minded worldly    
men2 on the other hand1 nothing will    
have so beneficial an effect on men and 
women entering life1 as to see that     
those who are most joyful in their faith
 towards ,god1 lead the purest and most 
blameless lives4 ,do good1 be good is1  
as has been well said1 the golden rule  
of life2 do good1 be good must be the   
law impressed on our children's hearts4 
,whatever eclipse of faith may await    
,england1 whatever darkness of most     
hopeless scepticism1 whatever depth of  
uttermost despair of ,god1 there is not 

only the hope1 but the certainty of the 
resurrection of religion1 if we all hold
 fast through the driving storm to the  
sheet-anchor of pure morality1 to most  
faithful discharge of all duty towards  
man to love1 and tenderness1 and        
charity1 and patience4 ,morality never  
faileth2 but1 whether there be dogmas1  
they shall fail2 whether there be       
creeds1 they shall cease2 whether there 
be churches1 they shall crumble away2   
but morality shall abide for evermore   
and endure as long as the endless circle
 of ,nature revolves around the ,eternal
 ,throne4     ,,natural ,,religion      
,,versus ,,revealed ,,religion4  ,,one  
is almost ashamed to repeat so trite an 
aphorism as the well-worn saying that   
history repeats itself4 ,but in studying
 the course taken by the advocates of   
what is called revealed religion1 in    
seeing their disdain of mere nature1    
their scornful repudiation of the idea  
that any poor natural product can come  
into competition with their special     

article1 hall-stamped by heaven itself1 
,i feel irresistibly compelled to glance
 backwards down the long vista of       
history1 and there ,i see the conflict  
of the present day raging fierce and    
long4 ,i see the same serried ranks of  
orthodoxy marshalled by bishops and     
priests1 arrayed in all the splendour of
 prescriptive right1 armed with mighty  
weapons of authority and thunderbolts of
 ,church anathemas4 ,their war-cry is   
the same as that which rings in our ears
 to-day2 revelation is inscribed on     
their banners and infallible authority  
is the watchword of their camp4 ,the    
,church is facing nature for the first  
time1 and is setting her revealed       
science against natural science4 ,mere  
,nature is temporarily getting the worst
 of it1 and ,galileo1 ,nature's         
champion1 is sorely pressed by revealed 
truth4 ,i hear scornful taunts at his   
presumption in attacking revealed       
science by his pretended natural facts4 
,had they not ,god's ,own account of    

,his creation1 and did he pretend to    
know more about the matter than ,god    
,himself8 ,was he present when ,god     
created the world1 that he spoke so     
positively about its shape8 ,could he   
declare1 of his own personal knowledge1 
that it was sent hurtling through space 
in the ridiculous manner he talked      
about1 and could he1 by the evidence of 
his own eye-sight1 declare that ,god was
 mistaken when ,he revealed to man how  
,he laid the foundation of the earth    
that it never should move at anytime8   
,but if he was only reasoning from the  
wee bit of earth he knew1 was he not    
speaking of things he had not seen1     
being vainly puffed-up in his fleshly   
mind8 ,was it probable1 a priori1 that  
,god would allow mankind to be deceived 
for thousands of years on so important a
 matter2 would in fact--,god forgive    
it6--deceive man ,himself by revealing  
through ,his holy prophets an account of
 ,his creation which was utterly untrue2
 nay1 further1 would carry on the       

delusion for century after century1 by  
working miracles in support of it--for  
what but a miracle could make men       
unconscious of the fact that they were  
being hurried through space at so       
tremendous a rate8 ,surely very little  
reverence1 or rather no reverence at    
all1 was needed to allow that ,god the  
,holy ,ghost1 who inspired the ,bible1  
knew better than we did how ,he made the
 world4 ,but1 the theologian proceeds1  
he must remind his audience that1 under 
the specious pretext of investigating   
the creation1 this man1 this            
pseudo-scientist1 was in reality        
blaspheming the ,creator1 by            
contradicting ,his revealed word1 and   
thus making ,him a liar4 ,it was all    
very well to talk about natural science2
 but he would ask this presuming        
speculator1 what was the use of ,god    
revealing science to us if man's natural
 faculties were sufficient to discover  
it for himself8 ,they had sufficient    
proofs of the absurdities of science    

into which reason1 unenlightened by     
revelation1 had betrayed men in past    
ages4 ,the idea of the ,hindoo1 that the
 world rested on an elephant and the    
elephant on a tortoise1 was a sad proof 
of the incapacity of the acutest natural
 intellect to discover scientific truth 
without the aid of revelation4 ,reason  
had its place1 and a very noble placer  
in science2 but it must always bow      
before revelation1 and not presume to   
set its puny guesses against a thus     
sayeth the ,lord4 ,let reason1 then1    
pursue its way with belief not unbelief1
 for its guide4 ,what could reason1 with
 all its vaunted powers1 tell us of the 
long-past creation of the world8 ,eye   
hath not seen those things of ages past1
 but ,god hath revealed them to us by   
,his ,spirit4 ,a darkness that might be 
felt would enshroud the origin of the   
world were it not for the magnificent   
revelation of ,moses1 that in six days  
,god created the heaven and the earth4  
,he might urge how our conceptions of   

,god were enlarged and elevated1 and    
what a deep awe filled the adoring heart
 on contemplating the revealed truth1   
that this wonderful earth with its      
varied beauty1 and the heavens above    
with their countless stars1 were all    
called forth out of nothing within the  
space of one short week by the creative 
fiat of the ,almighty4 ,what could this 
pseudo-science give them in exchange for
 such a revelation as that8 ,was it     
probable1 further1 that ,god would have 
become incarnate for the sake of a world
 that was only one out of many revolving
 round the sun8 ,how irreverent to      
regard the theatre of that awful        
sacrifice as aught less than the centre 
of the universe1 the cynosure of angelic
 eyes1 gazing from their thrones in the 
heaven above6 ,galileo might say that   
his heresy does not affect the primary  
truths of our holy faith2 but this is   
only one of the evasions natural to     
evildoers--and it is unnecessary to     
remark that intellectual error is       

invariably the offspring of moral       
guilt--for consider how much is involved
 in his theory4 ,the inspiration of     
,scripture receives its death-blow2 for 
if fallible in one point1 we have no    
reason to conclude it to be infallible  
in others4 ,if there is one fact        
revealed to us more clearly than another
 in ,holy ,scripture1 it is this one of 
the steadfastness of our world1 which we
 are distinctly told1 cannot be moved4  
,it is plainly revealed to us that the  
earth was created and fixed firmly on   
its foundations2 that then there was    
formed over it the vast vault of heaven1
 in which were set the stars1 and in    
this vault was prepared the course for  
the sun1 spoken of1 as you will         
remember1 in the #aith ,psalm1 where    
holy ,david reveals to us that in the   
heavens ,god has made a tabernacle for  
the sun1 which goeth forth from the     
uttermost part of the heaven1 and       
runneth about unto the end of it again4 
,language has no definiteness of meaning

 if this inspired declaration can be    
translated into a statement that the sun
 remains stationary and is encircled by 
a revolving earth4 ,this great revealed 
truth cannot be contradicted by any true
 science4 ,god's works cannot contradict
 ,his word2 and if for a moment they    
appear mutually irreconcileable1 we may 
be sure that our ignorance is to blame1 
and that a deeper knowledge will        
ultimately remove the apparent          
inconsistency4 ,but it is yet more      
important to observe that some of the   
cardinal doctrines of the ,church are   
assailed by this novel teaching4 ,how   
could our blessed ,redeemer1 after      
accomplishing the work of our salvation1
 ascend from a revolving earth8 ,whither
 did ,he go8 ,north1 south1 east1 or    
west8 ,for1 if ,i understand aright this
 new heresy1 the space above us at one  
time is below us at another1 and thus   
,jesus might be actually descending at  
,his glorious ,ascension4 ,where1 too1  
is that ,right ,hand of ,god to which   

,he went1 in this new universe without  
top or bottom8 ,how can we hope to rise 
and meet ,him in the air at ,his return1
 according to the most sure promise     
given to us through the blessed ,paul1  
if ,he comes we know not from what      
direction8 ,how can the lightning of    
,his coming shine at once all round a   
globe to herald ,his approach1 or how   
can the people at the other side of the 
world see the sign of the ,son of ,man  
in the heavens8 ,but ,i cannot bring    
myself to accumulate these blasphemies2 
all must see that the most glorious     
truths of the ,bible are bound up with  
its science1 and must stand or fall     
together4 ,and if this is so1 and this  
so-called natural science is to be      
allowed to undermine the revealed       
science1 what have we got to rely upon  
in this world or in the next8 ,with the 
absolute truth of the ,bible stands or  
falls our faith in ,god and our hope of 
immortality2 on the truth of revelation 
hinges all morality1 and they who deny  

to-day the truth of revealed science    
will tamper tomorrow with the truth of  
revealed history1 of revealed morality1 
of revealed religion4 ,shall we1 then1  
condescend to accept natural science    
instead of revealed2 shall we1 the      
teachers of revelation1 condescend to   
abandon revealed science1 and become the
 mere teachers of nature8  ,thunders of 
applause greeted the right reverend     
theologian as he concluded--he happened 
to be a bishop1 the direct ancestor in  
regular apostolical succession of a late
 prelate who inherited among other      
valuable qualities the very argument    
which closed the speech above           
quoted--and ,galileo1 the foolish       
believer in facts and the heretical     
student of mere nature1 turned away with
 a sigh from trying to convince them1   
and contented himself with the fact he  
knew1 and which must surely announce    
itself in the long run4 ,e pur si muove6
 ,fear not1 noble martyr of science3    
facts alter not to suit theologies3 many

 a one may fall crushed and vanquished  
before the ,juggernaut-car of the       
,church1 but ,god does not die with ,his
 children1 nor truth with its martyrs2  
the natural is the divine1 for ,nature  
is only ,god in a mask4 ,so1 looking    
down at that first great battle-field   
between nature and revelation ,i see the
 serried ranks break up and fly1 and the
 excommunicated student become the      
prophet of the future1 ,galileo the     
seer1 the revealer of the truth of ,god4
  ,it is eternally true that nature must
 triumph in the long run4 ,theories are 
very imposing1 doubtless1 but when they 
are erected on a misconception the      
inexorable fact is sure to assert itself
 sooner or later1 and with pitiless     
serenity level the magnificent fabric   
with the dust4 ,it is this which gives  
to scientific men so grave and calm an  
attitude2 theologians wrangle fiercely  
and bitterly because they wrangle about 
opinions1 and one man's say is as good  
as another's where both deal in         

intangibles2 but the man of science1    
when absolutely sure of his ground1 can 
afford to wait1 because the fact he has 
discovered remains unshaken1 however it 
be assailed1 and it will1 in time1      
assert itself4 ,when nature and         
revelation then come into contact1      
revelation must go to the wall2 no      
outcry can save it2 it is doomed2 as    
well try and dam the rising ,thames with
 a feather1 as seek to bolster up a     
theology whose main dogmas are being    
slowly undermined by natural science4   
,of course no one nowadays 7at least    
among educated people1 for ,zadkiel's   
,almanac ,i believe still protests on   
,biblical grounds against the heresy of 
the motion of the earth7 dreams of      
maintaining ,bible1 i e41 revealed1     
science against natural science2 it is  
agreed on all hands that on points where
 science speaks with certainty the words
 of the ,bible must be explained so as  
to accord with the dictum of nature2 i  
e41 it is allowed--though the admission 

is wrapped up in thick folds of         
circumlocution--that science must mould 
revelation1 and not revelation science4 
,the desperate attempts to force the    
first chapter of ,genesis into some     
faint resemblance to the ascertained    
results of geological investigations are
 a powerful testimony to the conscious  
weakness of revealed science and to the 
feeling on the part of all intelligent  
theologians that the testimony graven   
with an iron pen on the rocks cannot be 
contradicted or refuted4 ,in fact so    
successfully has science asserted its   
own preeminence in its own domain that  
many defenders of the ,bible assert     
loudly1 to cover their strategic        
movement to the rear1 that revelation   
was not intended to teach science1 and  
that scientific mistakes were only to be
 expected in a book given to mankind by 
the great ,origin of all scientific law4
 ,they are freely welcome to find out   
any reasons they like for the errors in 
revealed science2 all that concerns us  

is that their revelation should get out 
of the way of advancing science1 and    
should no longer interpose its puny     
anathemas to silence inquiry into facts1
 or to fetter free research and free    
discussion4  ,but ,i challenge          
revelation further than this1 and assert
 that when the dictates of natural      
religion are in opposition to those of  
revealed religion then the natural must 
again triumph over the revealed4        
,christianity has so long successfully  
impressed on human hearts the revelation
 that natural impulses are in themselves
 sinful1 that in the flesh dwelleth no  
good thing1 that man is a fallen        
creature1 thoroughly corrupt and        
instinctively evil1 that it has come    
to-pass that even those who would be    
liberal if they dared1 shrink back when 
it comes to casting away their          
revelation-crutches1 and ask wildly what
 they can trust to if they give up the  
,bible4 ,their teachers tell them that  
if they let this go they will wander    

compassless on the waves of a pathless  
ocean2 and so determinedly do they fix  
their eyes on the foaming waters1       
striving to discern there the trace of a
 pathway and only seeing the broken     
reflections of the waving torches in    
their hands1 that they do not raise     
their heads and gaze upwards at the     
everlasting stars1 the silent natural   
guides of the bewildered mariner4 ,trust
 to mere nature6 exclaim the priesthood1
 and their flocks fall back aghast1     
clutching their revelation to their     
bosom and crying out3 ,what indeed is   
there to rely on if this be taken from  
us8 ,only ,god4 ,mere ,god indeed1 who  
is a very feeble support after the      
bolstering up of creeds and dogmas1 of  
,churches and ,bibles4 ,as the sunshine 
dazzles eyes accustomed to the darkness1
 as the fresh wind makes shiver an      
invalid from a heated room1 so does the 
light of ,god dazzle those who live amid
 the candles of the ,churches1 and the  
breath of ,his inspiration blows cold on

 feeble souls4 ,but the light and the   
air invigorate and strengthen1 and      
nature is a surer medicine than the     
nostrums of the quack physician4  ,mere 
,god is1 in very truth1 all that we     
,theists have to offer the world in     
exchange for the certainties of its     
,bibles1 ,korans1 ,vedas1 and all other 
revelations whatsoever4 ,on points where
 they each speak with certainty1 our    
lips are dumb4 ,about much they assert1 
we confess our ignorance4 ,where they   
know1 we only think or hope4 ,where they
 possess all the clearness of a         
sign-post1 our eyes can only study the  
mistiness of a valley before the rising 
sun has dispelled the wreathing clouds4 
,they proclaim immortality1 and are     
quite au fait as to the particulars of  
our future life4 ,they differ in        
details1 it is true1 as to whether we   
live in a jewelled city1 where the dust 
is gold-dust and the gates pearls1 and  
spend our time in attending ,sacred     
,harmonic ,societies with an archangelic

 ,costa directing perpetual oratorios1  
or whether we lie in rose-embowered     
arbours with delights unlimited1 albeit 
unintellectual2 but if we take them one 
at a time they are most satisfactory in 
the absolute information afforded by    
each4 ,but we1 we can only1 whisper--and
 the lips of some of us quiver too much 
to speak--,i believe in the life        
everlasting4 ,we do not pretend to know 
anything about it2 the belief is        
intuitive1 but is not demonstrable2 it  
is a hope and a trust1 not an absolute  
knowledge4 ,we entertain a reasonable   
hope of immortality2 we argue its       
likelihood from considerations of the   
justice and the love which1 as we       
believe1 rule the universe2 we1 many of 
us--as ,i freely confess ,i do          
myself--believe in it with a firmness of
 conviction absolutely immovable2 but   
challenged to prove it1 we cannot       
answer4 ,here1 the revelationists       
triumphantly exclaim1 is our advantage2 
we foretell with absolute certainty a   

future life1 and can give you all       
particulars about it4 ,then follows a   
confused jumble of harps and houris1 of 
pasture-field and hunting-grounds2 we   
seek for certainty and find none4 ,all  
that they agree in1 i e41 a future life1
 we find imprinted on our own hearts1 a 
dictate of natural religion2 all they   
differ in is contained in their several 
revelations1 and as they all contradict 
each other about the revealed details1  
we gain nothing from them4 ,nature      
whispers to us that there is a life to  
come2 revelation babbles a number of    
contradictory particulars1 marring the  
majesty of the simple promise1 and      
adding nothing reliable to the sum of   
human knowledge4 ,and the subject of    
immortality is a fair specimen of what  
is taught respectively by nature and by 
revelation2 what is common to all creeds
 is natural1 what is different in each  
is revealed4 ,it is so with respect to  
,god4 ,the idea of ,god belongs to all  
creeds alike2 it is the foundation-stone

 of natural religion2 confusion begins  
when revelation steps in to change the  
musical whisper of ,nature into a       
categorical description worthy of       
,mangnall's ,questions4 ,triune1        
solitary1 dual1 numberless1 whatever ,he
 is revealed to be in the world's varied
 sacred books1 ,his nature is           
understood1 catalogued1 dogmatised on2  
each revelation claims to be ,his own   
account of ,himself2 but each           
contradicts its fellows2 on one point   
only they all agree1 and that is the    
point confessed by natural              
religion--,god is4  ,from these facts ,i
 deduce two conclusions3 first1 that    
revelation does not come to us with such
 a certainty of its truth as to enable  
us to trust it fearlessly and without   
reserve2 second1 that revelation is     
quite superfluous1 since natural        
religion gives us every thing we need4  
,i4 ,revelation gives an uncertain      
sound4 ,there are certain books in the  
world which claim to stand on a higher  

ground than all others4 ,they claim to  
be special revelations of the will of   
,god and the destiny of man4 ,now surely
 one of the first requisites of a       
,divine revelation is that it should be 
undoubtedly of ,divine origin4 ,but     
about all these books1 except the ,koran
 of ,mahomet1 hangs much obscurity both 
as regards their origin and their       
authorship4 ,believers urge that were   
the proofs undoubted there would be no  
room for faith and no merit in          
believing4 ,they conceive it1 then1 to  
be a worthy employment for the ,supreme 
,intelligence to set traps for ,his     
creatures2 and1 there being certain     
facts of the greatest importance1       
undis-coverable by their natural        
faculties1 ,he proceeds to reveal these 
facts1 but envelopes them in such       
wrappings of mystery1 such garments of  
absurdity1 that those of ,his creatures 
whom he has dowered with intellects and 
gifted with subtle brains1 are forced to
 reject the whole as incredible and     

unreasonable4 ,that ,god should give a  
revelation1 but should not substantiate 
it1 that ,he should speak1 but in tones 
unintelligible1 that ,his noblest gifts 
of reason should prove an insuperable   
bar to accepting his manifestation1 are 
surely statements incredible1 are surely
 statements utterly irreconcileable with
 all reverent ideas of the love and     
wisdom of ,almighty ,god4 ,further1 the 
believers in the various revelations all
 claim for their several oracles the    
supreme position of the exponent of the 
,will of ,god1 and each rejects the     
sacred books of other nations as        
spurious productions1 without any       
,divine authority4 ,as these revelations
 are mutually destructive1 it is evident
 that only one of them1 at the most can 
be ,divine1 and the next point of the   
inquiry is to distinguish which this is4
 ,we1 of the ,western nations1 at once  
put aside the ,hindoo ,vedas1 or the    
,zendavesta1 on certain solid grounds2  
we reject their claims to be inspired   

books because they contain error2 their 
mistaken science1 their legendary       
history1 their miraculous stories1 stamp
 them1 in our impartial eyes1 as the    
work of fallible men2 the nineteenth    
century looks down on thee ancient      
writings as the instructed and cultured 
man smiles at the crude fancies and     
imaginative conceits of the child4 ,but 
when the generality of ,christians turn 
to the ,bible they lay aside all        
ordinary criticism and all common-sense4
 ,its science may be absurd2 but excuses
 are found for it4 ,its history may be  
false1 but it is twisted into truth4    
,its supernatural marvels may be        
flagrantly absurd2 but they are         
nevertheless believed in4 ,men who laugh
 at the visions of the blessed ,margaret
 of ,paray-le-,monial assent to the     
devil-drowning of the swine of ,gadara2 
and those who would scorn to investigate
 the tale of the miraculous spring at   
,lourdes1 find no difficulty in         
believing the story of the angel-moved  

waters of ,bethesda's pool4 ,a book     
which contains miracles is usually put  
aside as unreliable4 ,there is no good  
reason for excepting the ,bible from    
this general rule4 ,miracles are        
absolutely incredible1 and discredit at 
once any book in which they occur4 ,they
 are found in all revelations1 but never
 in nature1 they are plentiful in man's 
writings1 but they never deface the     
orderly pages of the great book of ,god1
 written by ,his own ,hand on the earth1
 and the stars1 and the sun4 ,powers8   
,yes1 beyond our grasping1 but ,powers  
moving in stately order and changeless  
consistency4 ,marvels8 ,yes1 beyond our 
imagining1 but marvels evolved by       
immutable laws4 ,revelation is          
incredible1 not only because it fails to
 bring proof of its truth1 but because  
the proofs abound of its falsehood2 it  
claims to be ,divine1 and we reject it  
because we test it by what we know of   
,his undoubted works1 for men can write 
books of ,him and call them ,his        

revelations1 but the frame of nature can
 only be the work of that mighty ,power 
which man calls ,god4 ,revelation       
depicts ,him as changeable1 nature as   
immutable2 revelation tells us of       
perfection marred1 nature of            
imperfection improving2 revelation      
speaks of a ,trinity1 nature of one     
mighty central ,force2 revelation       
relates interferences1 miracles1 nature 
unbroken sequences1 inviolable law4 ,if 
we accept revelation we must believe in 
a ,god ,who made man upright but could  
not keep him so2 ,who heard in his      
far-off heaven the wailing of ,his earth
 and came down to see if things were as 
bad as was reported2 ,who had a face    
which brought death1 but ,whose hinder  
parts were visible to man2 ,who         
commanded and accepted human sacrifice2 
,who was jealous1 revengeful1           
capricious1 vain2 ,who tempted one king 
and then punished him for yielding1     
hardened the heart of another and then  
punished him for not yielding1 deceived 

a third and thereby drew him to his     
death4 ,but nature does not so outrage  
our morality and trample on our hearts2 
only we learn of a power and wisdom     
unspeakable1 mightily and sweetly       
ordering all things1 and our hearts tell
 of a ,father and a ,friend1 infinitely 
loving1 and trustworthy1 and good4 ,the 
,god of ,nature and the ,god of         
,revelation are as opposed as ,ormuzd   
and ,ahriman1 as darkness and light2 the
 ,bible and the universe are not writ by
 the same hand4   ,,ii4 ,revelation then
 being so utterly untrustworthy1 it is  
satisfactory to discover1 secondly1 that
 it is perfectly superfluous4  ,all man 
needs for his guidance in this world he 
can gain through the use of his natural 
faculties1 and the right guidance of his
 conduct in this world must1 in all     
reasonableness1 be the best preparation 
for whatever lies beyond the grave4     
,revelationists assure us that without  
their books we should have no rules of  
morality1 and that without the ,bible   

man's moral obligations would be        
unknown4 ,their theory is that only     
through revelation can man know right   
from wrong4 ,using the word revelation  
in a different sense most ,theists would
 agree with them1 and would allow that  
man's perception of duty is a ray which 
falls on him from the ,righteousness of 
,god1 and that man's morality is due to 
the illumination of the inspiring       
,father of ,light4 ,personally1 ,i      
believe that ,god does teach morality to
 man1 and is1 in very deed1 the         
,inspirer of all gracious and noble     
thoughts and acts4 ,i believe that the  
source of all morality in man is the    
,universal ,spirit dwelling in the      
spirits ,he has formed1 and moving them 
to righteousness1 and1 as they answer to
 ,his whispers by active                
well-doing--speaking ever in louder and 
clearer accents4 ,i believe also that   
the most obedient followers of that     
inner voice gain clearer and loftier    
views of duty and of the ,holiest1 and  

thus become true prophets of ,god1      
revealers of ,his will to their fellows4
 ,and this is revelation in a very real 
sense2 it is ,god revealing ,himself by 
the natural working of moral laws1 even 
as all science is a true revelation1 and
 is ,god revealing ,himself by the      
natural working of physical laws4 ,for  
laws are modes of action1 and modes of  
action reveal the nature and character  
of the actor1 so that every law1        
physical and moral1 which is discovered 
by truth-seekers and proclaimed to the  
world is a direct and trustworthy       
revelation of ,god ,himself4 ,but when  
,theists speak thus of revelation using 
the word as rightfully applicable to all
 discoveries and all nobly written      
religious or scientific books1 it is    
manifest that the word has entirely     
changed its signification1 and is       
applied to natural and not supernatural 
results4 ,we believe in ,god working    
through natural faculties in a natural  
way1 while the revelationists believe in

 some non-natural communication1 made no
 one knows how1 no one knows where1 no  
one knows to whom4  ,where opposing     
theories are concerned an ounce of fact 
outweighs pounds of assertion2 and so   
against the statement of ,christians1   
that morality is derived only from the  
,bible and is undiscoverable by man's   
natural faculties1 ,i quote the morality
 of natural religion1 unassisted by what
 they claim as their special revelation4
  ,buddha1 as he lived #gjj years before
 ,christ1 can hardly be said to have    
drawn his morality from that of ,jesus  
or even to have derived any indirect    
benefit from ,christian teaching1 and   
yet ,i have been gravely told by a      
,church of ,england clergyman--who ought
 to have known better--that forgiveness 
of injuries and charity were purely     
,christian virtues4 ,this heathen       
,buddha1 lighted only by natural reason 
and a pure heart1 teaches3 a man who    
foolishly does me wrong ,i will return  
to him the protection of my ungrudging  

love2 the more evil comes from him the  
more good shall go from me2 among       
principal virtues are3 to repress lust  
and banish desire2 to be strong without 
being rash2 to bear insult without      
anger2 to move in the world without     
setting the heart on it2 to investigate 
a matter to the very bottom2 to save men
 by converting them2 to be the same in  
heart and life4 ,let a man overcome evil
 by good1 anger by love1 the greedy by  
liberality1 the liar by truth4 ,for     
hatred does not cease by hatred at any  
time2 hatred ceases by love2 this is an 
old rule4 ,he inculcates purity1        
charity1 self-sacrifice1 courtesy1 and  
earnestly recommends personal search    
after truth3 do not believe in          
guesses--in assuming something at       
hap-hazard as a                         
starting-point--reckoning your two and  
your three and your four before you have
 fixed your number one4 ,do not believe 
in the truth of that to which you have  
become attached by habit1 as every      

nation believes in the superiority of   
its own dress and ornaments and         
language4 ,do not believe merely because
 you have heard1 but when of your own   
consciousness you know a thing to be    
evil abstain from it4 ,methinks these   
sayings of ,buddha are unsurpassed by   
any revealed teaching1 and contain quite
 as noble and lofty a morality as the   
,sermon on the ,mount1 natural as they  
are4  ,plato1 also1 teaches a noble     
morality and soars into ideas about the 
,divine ,nature as pure and elevated as 
any which are to be found in the ,bible4
 ,the summary of his teaching1 quoted by
 ,mr4 ,lake in a pamphlet of ,mr4       
,scott's series1 is a glorious testimony
 to the worth of natural religion4 ,it  
is better to die than to sin4 ,it is    
better to suffer wrong than to do it4   
,the true happiness of man consists in  
being united to ,god1 and his only      
misery in being separated from ,him4    
,there is one ,god1 and we ought to love
 and serve ,him1 and to endeavour to    

resemble ,him in holiness and           
righteousness4 ,plato saw also the great
 truth that suffering is not the result 
of an evil power1 but is a necessary    
training to good1 and he anticipates the
 very words of ,paul--if indeed ,paul   
does not quote from ,plato--that to the 
just man all things work together for   
good1 whether in life or death4 ,plato  
lived #djj years before ,christ1 and yet
 in the face of such teaching as his and
 ,buddha's1--and they are only two out  
of many--,christians fling at us the    
taunt that we1 rejectors of the ,bible1 
draw all our morality from it1 and that 
without this one revelation the world   
would lie in moral darkness1 ignorant of
 truth and righteousness and ,god4 ,but 
the light of ,god's revealing shines    
still upon the world1 even as the       
sunlight streams upon it steadfastly as 
of old2 it is not given to a few men in 
the infancy of mankind to monopolise    
inspiration and to bar ,god out of the  
soul4444 ,wherever a heart beats with   

love1 where ,faith and ,reason utter    
their oracles1 there also is ,god1 as   
formerly in the heart of seers and      
prophets499       99 ,theodore ,tarker4 
,it is a favourite threat of the        
priesthood to any inquiring spirit3 ,if 
you give up ,christianity you give up   
all certainty2 rationalism speaks with  
no certain sound2 no two rationalists   
think alike2 the word rationalism covers
 everything outside ,christianity1 from 
,unitarianism to the blankest atheism2  
and many a timid soul starts back1      
feeling that if this is true it is      
better to rest where it is1 and inquire 
no more4 ,to such--and ,i meet many     
such--,i would suggest one very simple  
thought3 does ,christianity give any    
more certainty than rationalism8 ,just  
try asking your mentor1 whose           
,christianity am ,i to accept8 ,he will 
stammer out1 ,oh1 the teaching of the   
,bible1 of course4 ,but persevere3 ,as  
explained by whom8 for all claim to     
found their ,christianity on the ,bible3

 am ,i to accept the defined logical    
,christianity of ,pius ,,ix41 defiant of
 history1 of science1 of common sense1  
or shall ,i sit under ,spurgeon1 the    
denunciator1 and flee from the scarlet  
woman and the cup of her fascinations3  
shall ,i believe the ,christianity of   
,dean ,stanley1 instinct with his own   
gracious1 kindly spirit1 cultured and   
polished1 pure and loving1 or shall ,i  
fly from it as a sweet but insidious    
poison1 as ,i am exhorted to do by ,dr4 
,pusey1 who rails at his 'variegated    
language which destroys all definiteness
 of meaning4' ,for pity's sake1 good    
father1 label for me the various bottles
 of ,christian medicine1 that ,i may    
know which is healing to the soul1 which
 may be touched with caution1 as for    
external application1 and which are rank
 poison4 ,all the priest will find to   
answer is1 that under sad diversities of
 opinion there are certain saving truths
 common to all forms of ,christianity1  
but he will object to particularise what

 they are1 and at this stage will wax   
angry and refuse to argue with anyone   
who shows a spirit so carping and so    
conceited4 ,there is the same diversity 
in rationalism as in ,christianity1     
because human nature is diverse1 but    
there is also one bond between all      
freethinkers1 one great saving truth of 
rationalism1 one article of faith1 and  
that is1 that free inquiry is the right 
of every human soul2 diverse in much1 we
 all agree in this1 and so strong is    
this bond that we readily welcome any   
thinker1 however we disagree with his   
thoughts1 provided only that he think   
them honestly and allow to all the      
liberty of holding their own opinions   
also4 ,we are bound together in one     
common hatred of ,dogmatism1 one common 
love of liberty of thought and speech4  
,it is probably a puzzle to good and    
unlearned ,christians whence men1       
unenlightened by revelation1 drew and   
still draw their morality4 ,we answer1  
from mere ,nature1 and that because     

,nature and not revelation is the true  
basis of all morality4 ,we have seen the
 untrustworthiness of all so-called     
revelations2 but when we fall back on   
,nature we are on firm ground4 ,theists 
start in their search after ,god from   
their well-known axiom3 ,if there be a  
,god at all ,he must be at least as good
 as ,his highest creature2 and they     
argue that what is highest and noblest  
and most lovable in man must be below1  
but cannot be above1 the height and the 
nobleness and the loveableness of ,god4 
,of all impossible thing1 the most      
impossible must surely be that a man    
should dream something of the ,good and 
the ,noble1 and that it should prove at 
last that his ,creator was less good and
 less noble than he had dreamed499 ,the 
ground on which our belief in ,god rests
 is ,man4 ,man1 parent of ,bibles and   
,churches1 inspirer of all good thoughts
 and good deeds4 ,man1 the master-piece 
of ,god's work on earth4 ,man1 the      
text-book of all spiritual knowledge4   

,neither miraculous or infallible1 ,man 
is nevertheless the only trustworthy    
record of the ,divine mind in things    
pertaining to ,god4 ,man's reason1      
conscience1 and affections are the only 
true revelation of his ,maker19999 ,and 
as we believe that we may glean some    
hints of the ,glory and ,beauty of our  
,creator from the glory and beauty of   
human excellence1 so we believe that to 
each man1 as he lives up to the highest 
he can perceive1 will surely be unveiled
 fresh heights of righteousness1 fresh  
possibilities of moral growth4       99 
,frances ,power ,cobbe4       9999 ,rev4
 ,charles ,voysey4  ,to all men alike1  
good and evil1 is laid open ,nature's   
revelation of morality1 as exemplified  
in the highest human lives2 and these   
noble lives receive ever the heavenly   
hall-mark by the instinctive response   
from every human breast that they are   
very good4 ,to those only who live up to
 the good they see1 does ,god give the  
further inner revelation1 which leads   

them higher and higher in morality1     
quickening their moral faculties1 and   
making more sensitive and delicate their
 moral susceptibilities4 ,we cannot1 as 
revelationists do1 chalk out all the    
whole range of moral perfection3 we walk
 by faith and not by sight3 step by step
 only is the path unveiled to us1 and   
only as we surmount one peak do we gain 
sight of the peak beyond3 the distant   
prospect is shrouded from our gaze1 and 
we are too fully occupied in doing the  
work which is given us to do in this    
world1 to be for ever peering into and  
brooding over the world beyond the      
grave4 ,we have light enough to do our  
,father's work here2 when he calls us   
yonder it will be time enough to ask    
,him to unveil our new sphere of labour 
and to cause ,his sun to rise on it4    
,wayward children fret after some       
fancied happiness and miss the work and 
the pleasure lying at their feet1 and so
 petulant men and women cry out that man
 that is born of woman444 is full of    

misery1 and wail for a revelation to    
ensure some happier life3 they seem to  
forget that if this world is full of    
misery they are put here to mend it and 
not to cry over it1 and that it is our  
shame and our condemnation that in      
,god's fair world so much sin and       
unhappiness are found4 ,if men would try
 to read nature instead of revelation1  
if they would study natural laws and    
leave revealed laws1 if they would      
follow human morality instead of        
ecclesiastical morality1 then there     
might be some chance of real improvement
 for the race1 and some hope that the   
,divine ,voice in ,nature might be heard
 above the babble of the ,churches4     
,and ,nature is enough for us1 gives us 
all the light we want and all that we1  
as yet1 are fitted to receive4 ,were it 
possible that ,god should now reveal    
,himself to us as ,he is1 the ,being of 
,whose ,nature we can form no           
conception1 ,i believe that we should   
remain as ignorant as we are at present1

 from the want of faculties to receive  
that revelation3 the ,divine language   
might sound in our ears1 but it would be
 as unintelligible as the roar of the   
thunder-clap1 or the moan of the        
earthquake1 or the whisper of the wind  
to the leaves of the cedar-tree4 ,god is
 slowly revealing ,himself by ,his      
works1 by the course of events1 by the  
progress of ,humanity3 if ,he has never 
spoken from ,heaven in human language1  
,he is daily speaking in the world      
around us to all who have ears to hear1 
and as ,nature in its varied forms is   
,his only revelation of ,himself1 so the
 mind and the heart alone can perceive  
,his presence and catch the whispers ot 
,his mysterious voice4       ,never yet 
has been broken      ,the silence       
eternal3      ,never yet has been spoken
      ,in accents supernal      ,god's  
,thought of ,himself4       ,we are     
groping in blindness      ,who yearn to 
behold ,him3      ,but in wisdom and    
kindness      ,in darkness ,he folds    

,him      ,till the soul learns to see4 
,so the veil is unriven      ,that hides
 the ,all-,holy1      ,and no token is  
given      ,that satisfies wholly       
,the cravings of man4       ,but1       
unhasting1 advances      ,the march of  
the ages1      ,to truth-seekers'       
glances      ,unrolling the pages       
,of ,god's revelation4       ,impatience
 unheeding1      ,time1 slowly          
revolving2      ,unresting1 unspeeding1 
,is ever evolving      ,fresh truths    
about ,god4       ,human speech has not 
broken      ,the stillness supernal3    
,yet ever is spoken      ,through       
silence eternal1      ,with growing     
distinctness      ,god's ,thought of    
,himself4     ,,on ,,the ,,nature ,,and 
,,the ,,existence ,,of ,,god4  ,,it is  
impossible for those who study the      
deeper religious2 problems of our time  
to stave off much longer the question   
which lies at the root of them all1     
,what do you believe in regard to ,god8 
,we may controvert ,christian doctrines1

 one after another2 point by point we   
may be driven from the various beliefs  
of our churches2 reason may force us to 
see contradictions where we had imagined
 harmony1 and may open our eyes to flaws
 where we had dreamed of perfection2 we 
resign all idea of a revelation2 we seek
 for ,god in ,nature only2 we renounce  
for ever the hope 7which glorified our  
former creed into such alluring beauty7 
that at some future time we should      
verily see ,god1 that our eyes should   
behold the ,king in his beauty in that  
fairy land which is very far off4 ,but  
every step we take onwards towards a    
more reasonable faith and a surer light 
of ,truth leads us nearer and nearer to 
the problem of problems1 ,what is ,that 
which men call ,god8 ,not till          
theologians have thoroughly grappled    
with this question have they any just   
claim to be called religious guides2    
from each of those whom we honour as our
 leading thinkers we have a right to a  
distinct answer to this question1 and   

the very object of the present paper is 
to provoke discussion on this point4    
,men are apt to turn aside somewhat     
impatiently from an argument about the  
,nature and ,existence of the ,deity1   
because they consider that the question 
is a metaphysical one which leads       
nowhere2 a problem the resolution of    
which is beyond our faculties1 and the  
study of which is at once useless and   
dangerous2 they forget that action is   
ruled by thought1 and that our ideas    
about ,god are therefore of vast        
practical importance4 ,on our answer to 
the question propounded above depends   
our whole conception of the nature and  
origin of evil1 and of the sanctions of 
morality2 on our idea of ,god turns our 
opinion on the much-disputed question of
 prayer1 and1 in fact1 our whole        
attitude of mind towards life1 here and 
hereafter4 ,does morality consist in    
obedience to the will of a perfectly    
moral ,being1 and are we to aim at      
righteousness of life because in so     

doing we please ,god8 ,or are we to lead
 noble lives because nobility of life is
 desirable for itself alone1 and because
 it spreads happiness around us and     
satisfies the desires of our own nature8
 ,is our mental attitude to be that of  
kneeling or standing8 ,are our eyes to  
be fixed on heaven or on earth8 ,is     
prayer to ,god reasonable and helpful1  
the natural cry of a child for help from
 a ,father in ,heaven8 ,or is it1 on the
 other hand1 a useless appeal to an     
unknown and irresponsible force8 ,is the
 mainspring of our actions to be the    
idea of duty to ,god1 or a sense of the 
necessity of bringing our being into    
harmony with the laws of the universe8  
,it appears to me that these questions  
are of such grave and vital moment that 
no apology is needed for drawing        
attention to them2 and because of their 
importance to mankind ,i challenge the  
leaders of the religious and            
non-religious world alike1 the          
,christians1 ,theists1 ,pantheists1 and 

those who take no specific name1 duly to
 test the views they severally hold4 ,in
 this battle the simple foot soldier may
 touch with his lance the shield of the 
knight1 and the insignificance of the   
challenger does not exempt the general  
from the duty of lifting the gauntlet   
flung down at his feet4 ,little care ,i 
for personal defeat1 if the issue of the
 conflict should enthrone more firmly   
the radiant figure of ,truth4 ,one      
fault1 however1 ,i am anxious to avoid1 
and that is the fault of ambiguity4 ,the
 orthodox and the free-thinking alike do
 a good deal of useless fighting from   
sheer misunderstanding of each other's  
standpoint in the controversy4 ,it      
appears1 then1 to be indispensable in   
the prosecution of the following inquiry
 that the meaning of the terms used     
should be unmistakably distinct4 ,i     
begin1 therefore1 by defining the       
technical forms of expression to be     
employed in my argument2 the definitions
 may be good or bad1 that is not        

material2 all that is needed is that the
 sense in which the various terms are   
used should be clearly understood4 ,when
 men fight only for the sake of         
discovering truth1 definiteness of      
expression is specially incumbent on    
them2 and1 as has been eloquently said1 
the strugglers being sincere1 truth may 
give laurels to the victor and the      
vanquished3 laurels to the victor in    
that he hath upheld the truth1 laurels  
still welcome to the vanquished1 whose  
defeat crowns him with a truth he knew  
not of before4  ,the definitions that   
appear to me to be absolutely necessary 
are as follows3--  ,matter is used to   
express that which is tangible4 ,spirit 
7or spiritual7 is used to express those 
intangible forces whose existence we    
become aware of only through the effects
 they produce4  ,substance is used to   
express that which exists in itself and 
by itself1 and the conception of which  
does not imply the conception of        
anything preceding it4  ,god is used to 

represent exclusively that ,being       
invested by the orthodox with certain   
physical1 intellectual1 and moral       
attributes4  ,particular attention must 
be paid to this last definition1 because
 the term atheist is often flung        
unjustly at any thinker who ventures to 
criticise the popular and traditional   
idea of ,god2 and different schools1    
,theistic and non-,theistic1 with but   
too much facility1 bandy about this     
vague epithet in mutual reproach4  ,as  
an instance of this uncharitable and    
unfair use of ugly names1 all schools   
agree in calling the late ,mr4 ,austin  
,holyoake an atheist1 and he accepted   
the name himself1 although he distinctly
 stated 7as we find in a printed report 
of a discussion held at the ,victoria   
,institute7 that he did not deny the    
possibility of the existence of ,god1   
but only denied the possibility of the  
existence of that ,god in whom the      
orthodox exhorted him to believe4 ,it is
 well thus to protest beforehand against

 this name being bandied about1 because 
it carries with it1 at present1 so much 
popular prejudice1 that it prevents all 
possibility of candid and free          
discussion4 ,it is simply a convenient  
stone to fling at the head of an        
opponent whose arguments one cannot     
meet1 a certain way of raising a tumult 
which will drown his voice2 and1 if it  
have any serious meaning at all1 it     
might fairly be used1 as ,i shall       
presently show1 against the most        
orthodox pillar of the orthodox faith4  
,it is manifest to all who will take the
 trouble to think steadily1 that there  
can be only one eternal and underived   
substance1 and that matter and spirit   
must therefore only be varying          
manifestations of this one substance4   
,the distinction made between matter and
 spirit is then simply made for the sake
 of convenience and clearness1 just as  
we may distinguish perception from      
judgment1 both of which1 however1 are   
alike processes of thought4 ,matter is1 

in its constituent elements1 the same as
 spirit2 existence is one1 however      
manifold in its phenomena2 life is one1 
however multiform in its evolution4 ,as 
the heat of the coal differs from the   
coal itself1 so do memory1 perception1  
judgment1 emotion1 and will1 differ from
 the brain which is the instrument of   
thought4 ,but nevertheless they are all 
equally products of the one sole        
substance1 varying only in their        
conditions4 ,it may be taken for granted
 that against this preliminary point of 
the argument will be raised the         
party-cry of rank materialism1 because  
materialism is a doctrine of which the  
general public has an undefined horror4 
,but ,i am bold to say that if by matter
 is meant that which is above defined as
 substance1 then no reasoning person can
 help being a materialist4 ,the orthodox
 are very fond of arguing back to what  
they call the ,great ,first ,cause4 ,god
 is a spirit1 they say1 and from him is 
derived the spiritual part of man4 ,well

 and good2 they have traced back a part 
of the universe to a point at which they
 conceive that only one universal       
essence is possible1 that which they    
call ,god1 and which is spirit only4    
,but ,i then invite their consideration 
to the presence of something which they 
do not regard as spirit1 i e41 matter4  
,i follow their own plan of argument    
step by step3 ,i trace matter1 as they  
traced spirit1 back and back1 till ,i   
reach a point beyond which ,i cannot go1
 one only existence1 substance or       
essence2 am ,i therefore to believe that
 ,god is matter only8 ,but we have      
already found it asserted by ,theists   
that he is spirit only1 and we cannot   
believe two contradictories1 however    
logical the road which led us to them2  
so we must acknowledge two substances1  
eternally existent side by side2 if     
existence be dual1 then1 however absurd 
the hypothesis1 there must be two ,first
 ,causes4 ,it is not ,i who am          
responsible for an idea so anomalous4   

,the orthodox escape from this dilemma  
by an assumption1 thus3 ,god1 to whom is
 to be traced back all spirit1 created  
matter4 ,why1 am ,i not equally         
justified in assuming1 if ,i please1    
that matter created spirit8 ,why should 
,i be logical in one argument and       
illogical in another8 ,if we come to    
assumptions1 have not ,i as much right  
to my assumption as my neighbour has to 
his8 ,why may he predicate creation of  
one half of the universe1 and ,i not    
predicate it of the other half8 ,if the 
assumptions be taken into consideration 
at all1 then ,i contend that mine is the
 more reasonable of the two1 since it is
 possible to imagine matter as existing 
without mind1 while it is utterly       
impossible to conceive of mind existing 
without matter4 ,we all know how a stone
 looks1 and we are in the habit of      
regarding that as lifeless matter2 but  
who has any distinct idea of a mind pur 
et simple8 ,no clear conception of it is
 possible to human faculties2 we can    

only conceive of mind as it is found in 
an organisation2 intelligence has no    
appreciable existence except as-residing
 in the brain and as manifested in      
results4 ,the lines of spirit and matter
 are not one1 say the orthodox2 they run
 backwards side by side2 why then1 in   
following the course of these two       
parallel lines1 should ,i suddenly bend 
one into the other8 and on what         
principle of selection shall ,i choose  
the one ,i am to curve8 ,i must really  
decline to use logic just as far as it  
supports the orthodox idea of ,god1 and 
arbitrarily throw it down the moment it 
conflicts with that idea4 ,i find myself
 then compelled to believe that one only
 substance exists in all around me2 that
 the universe is eternal1 or at least   
eternal so far as our faculties are     
concerned1 since we cannot1 as some one 
has quaintly put it get to the outside  
of everywhere2 that a ,deity cannot be  
conceived of as apart from the universe1
 pre-existent to the universe1          

post-existent to the universe2 that the 
,worker and the ,work are inextricably  
interwoven1 and in some sense eternally 
and indissolubly combined4 ,having got  
so far1 we will proceed to examine into 
the possibility of proving the existence
 of that one essence popularly called by
 the name of ,god1 under the conditions 
strictly defined by the orthodox4       
,having demonstrated1 as ,i hope to do1 
that the orthodox idea of ,god is       
unreasonable and absurd1 we will        
endeavour to discover whether any idea  
of ,god1 worthy to be called an idea1 is
 attainable in the present state of our 
faculties4  ,the orthodox believers in  
,god are divided into two camps1 one of 
which maintains that the existence of   
,god is as demonstrable as any          
mathematical proposition1 while the     
other asserts that his existence is not 
demonstrable to the intellect4 ,i select
 ,dr4 ,mc,cann1 a man of considerable   
reputation1 as the representative of the
 former of these two opposing schools of

 thought1 and give the ,doctor's        
position in his own words3--,the purpose
 of the following paper is to prove the 
fallacy of all such assumptions 7i e41  
that the existence of ,god is an        
insoluble problem71 by showing that we  
are no more at liberty to deny ,his     
being1 than we are to deny any          
demonstration of ,euclid4 ,he would be  
thought unworthy of refutation who      
should assert that any two angles of a  
triangle are together greater than two  
right angles4 ,we would content         
ourselves by saying1 ',the man is       
mad'--mathematically1 at least--and pass
 on4 ,if it can be shown that we affirm 
the existence of ,deity for the very    
same reasons as we affirm the truth of  
any geometric proposition2 if it can be 
shown that the former is as capable of  
demonstration as the latter--then it    
necessarily follows that if we are      
justified in calling the man a fool who 
denies the latter1 we are also justified
 in calling him a fool who says there is

 no ,god1 and in refusing to answer him 
according to his folly4 ,which course is
 a very convenient one when you meet    
with an awkward opponent whom you cannot
 silence by sentiment and declamation4  
,again3 ,in conclusion1 we believe it to
 be very important to be able to prove  
that if the mathematician be justified  
in asserting that the three angles of a 
triangle are equal to two right angles1 
the ,christian is equally justified in  
asserting1 not only that he is compelled
 to believe in ,god1 but that he knows  
,him 7sic74 ,and that he who denies the 
existence of the ,deity is as unworthy  
of serious refutation as is he who      
denies a mathematical demonstration4    
7',a ,demonstration of the ,existence of
 ,god1' a lecture delivered at the      
,victoria ,institute1 #ahgj1 pp4 ,i and 
,,ii47 ,dr4 ,mc,cann proves his very    
startling thesis by laying down as      
axioms six statements1 which1 however   
luminous to the ,christian              
traditionalist1 are obscure to the      

sceptical intellect4 ,he seems to be    
conscious of this defect in his         
so-called axioms1 for he proceeds to    
prove each of them elaborately1         
forgetting that the simple statement of 
an axiom should carry direct            
conviction--that it needs only to be    
understood in order to be accepted4     
,however1 let this pass3 our teacher1   
having stated and proved his axioms1    
proceeds to draw his conclusions from   
them2 and as his foundations are        
unsound1 it is scarcely to be wondered  
at that his superstructure should be    
insecure1 ,i know of no way so effectual
 to defeat an adversary as to beg all   
the questions raised1 assume every point
 in dispute1 call assumptions axioms1   
and then proceed to reason from them4   
,it is really not worth while to        
criticise ,dr4 ,mc,cann in detail1 his  
lecture being nothing but a mass of     
fallacies and unproved assertions4      
,christian courtesy allows him to call  
those who dissent from his assumptions  

fools2 and as these terms of abuse are  
not considered admissible by those whom 
he assails as unbelievers1 there is a   
slight difficulty in answering ,dr4     
,mc,cann according to his deserts4 ,i   
content myself with suggesting that they
 who wish to learn how pretended        
reasoning may pass for solid argument1  
how inconsequent statements may pass for
 logic1 had better study this lecture4  
,for my own part1 ,i confess that my    
folly is not1 as yet1 of a sufficiently 
pronounced type to enable me to accept  
,dr4 ,mc,cann's conclusions4  ,the best 
representation ,i can select of the     
second orthodox party1 those who admit  
that the existence of ,god is not       
demonstrable1 is the late ,dean ,mansel4
 ,in his ',limits of ,religious         
,thought1' the ,bampton ,lectures for   
#ahfg1 he takes up a perfectly          
unassailable position4 ,the peculiarity 
of this position1 however1 is that he1  
the pillar of orthodoxy1 the famed      
defender of the faith against ,german   

infidelity and all forms of rationalism1
 regards ,god from exactly the same     
point as does a well-known modern       
atheist4 ,i have almost hesitated       
sometimes which writer to quote from1 so
 identical are they in thought4         
,probably neither ,dean ,mansel nor ,mr4
 ,bradlaugh would thank me for          
bracketing their names2 but ,i am forced
 to confess that the arguments used by  
the one to prove the endless absurdities
 into which we fall when we try to      
comprehend the nature of ,god1 are      
exactly the same arguments that are used
 by the other to prove that ,god1 as    
believed in by the orthodox1 cannot     
exist4 ,i quote1 however1 exclusively   
from the ,dean1 because it is at once   
novel and agreeable to find oneself     
sheltered by ,mother ,church at the     
exact moment when one is questioning her
 very foundations2 and also because the 
,dean's name carries with it so orthodox
 an odour that his authority will tell  
where the same words from any of those  

who are outside the pale of orthodoxy   
would be regarded with suspicion4       
,nevertheless1 ,i wish to state plainly 
that a more atheistical book than these 
,bampton ,lectures--at least1 in the    
earlier part of it--,i have never read2 
and had its title-page borne the name of
 any well-known ,free-thinker1 it would 
have been received in the religious     
world with a storm of indignation4  ,the
 first definition laid down by the      
orthodox as a characteristic of ,god is 
that he is an ,infinite ,being4 ,there  
is but one living and true ,god444 of   
infinite power1 c4 7,article of         
,religion1 #a47 ,it has been said that  
infinite only means indefinite1 but ,i  
must protest against this weakening of a
 well-defined theological term4 ,the    
term ,infinite has always been          
understood to mean far more than        
indefinite2 it means literally          
boundless3 the infinite has no          
limitations1 no possible restrictions1  
no circumference4 ,people who do not    

think about the meaning of the words    
they use speak very freely and          
familiarly of the infinitude of ,god1 as
 though the term implied no             
inconsistency4 ,deny that ,god is       
infinite and you are at once called an  
atheist1 but press your opponent into a 
definition of the term and you will     
generally find that he does not know    
what he is talking about4 ,dean ,mansel 
points out1 with his accurate habit of  
mind1 all that this attribute of ,god   
implies1 and it would be well if those  
who believe in an infinite ,god would   
try and realise what they express4 ,half
 the battle of freethought will be won  
when people attach a definite meaning to
 the terms they use4 ,the ,infinite has 
no bounds2 then the finite cannot exist4
 ,why8 ,because in the very act of      
acknowledging any existence beside the  
,infinite ,one you limit the ,infinite4 
,by saying1 ,this is not ,god you at    
once make him finite1 because you set a 
bound to his nature2 you distinguish    

between him and something else1 and by  
the very act you limit him2 that which  
is not he is as a rock which checks the 
waves of the ocean2 in that spot a limit
 is found1 and in finding a limit the   
,infinite is destroyed4 ,the orthodox   
may retort1 this is only a matter of    
terms2 but it is well to force them into
 realising the dogmas which they thrust 
on our acceptance under such awful      
penalties for rejection4 ,i know what an
 infinite ,god implies1 and1 as apart   
from the universe1 ,i feel compelled to 
deny the possibility of his existence2  
surely it is fair that the orthodox     
should also know what the words they use
 mean on this head1 and give up the term
 if they cling to a personal ,god1      
distinct from creation4--,further--and  
here ,i quote ,dean ,mansel--the        
,infinite must be conceived as          
containing within itself the sum1 not   
only of all actual1 but of all possible 
modes of being4444 ,if any possible mode
 can be denied of it444 it is capable of

 becoming more than it now is1 and such 
a capability is a limitation4 7,the     
hiatus refers to the absolute being of  
,god1 which it is better to consider    
separately47 ,an unrealised possibility 
is necessarily 7a relation and7 a limit4
 ,thus is orthodoxy crushed by the      
powerful logic of its own champion4 ,god
 is infinite2 then1 in that case1       
everything that exists is ,god2 all     
phenomena are modes of the ,divine      
,being2 there is literally nothing which
 is not ,god4 ,will the orthodox accept 
this position8 ,it lands them1 it is    
true1 in the most extreme ,pantheism1   
but what of that8 ,they believe in an   
infinite ,god and they are therefore    
necessarily ,pantheists4 ,if they object
 to this1 they must give up the idea    
that their ,god is infinite at all2     
there is no half-way position open to   
them2 he is infinite or finite1 which8  
,again1 ,god is before all things1 he is
 the only ,absolute ,being1 dependent on
 nothing outside himself2 all that is   

not ,god is relative2 that is to say1   
that ,god exists alone and is not       
necessarily related to anything else4   
,the orthodox even believe that ,god    
did1 at some former period 7which is not
 a period1 they say1 because time then  
was not--however1 at that hazy time he  
did71 exist alone1 i e41 as what is     
called an ,absolute ,being3 this        
conception is necessary for all who1 in 
any sense1 believe in a ,creator4       
,thou1 in ,thy far eternity1      ,didst
 live and love alone4  ,so sings a      
,christian minstrel2 and one of the     
arguments put forward for a ,trinity is 
that a plurality of persons is necessary
 in order that ,god may be able to love 
at the time when he was alone4 ,into    
this point1 however1 ,i do not now      
enter4 ,but what does this ,absolute    
imply8 ,a simple impossibility of       
creation1 just as does the ,infinite2   
for creation implies that the relative  
is brought into existence1 and thus the 
,absolute is destroyed4 ,here again the 

,pantheistic hypothesis seems forced    
upon us4 ,we can think of creation only 
as a change in the condition of that    
which already exists1 and thus the      
creature is conceivable only as a       
phenomenal mode of the being of the     
,creator4 ,thus once more looms up the  
dreaded spectre of ,pantheism1 the      
dreary desolation of a ,pantheistic     
wilderness2 and who is the ,moses who   
has led us into this desert8 ,it is a   
leader of orthodoxy1 a dignitary of the 
,church2 it is ,dean ,mansel who        
stretches out his hand to the universe  
and says1 ,this is thy ,god1 ,o ,israel4
  ,the two highest attributes of ,god   
land us1 then1 in the most thorough     
,pantheism2 further1 before remarking on
 the other divine attributes1 ,i would  
challenge the reader to pause and try to
 realise this infinite and absolute     
being4 ,that a man can be conscious of  
the infinite is1 then1 a supposition    
which1 in the very terms in which it is 
expressed1 annihilates itself4444 ,the  

infinite1 if it is to be conceived at   
all1 must be conceived as potentially   
everything-and actually nothing2 for if 
there is anything in general which it   
cannot become1 it is thereby limited2   
and if there is anything in particular  
which it actually is1 it is thereby     
excluded from being any other thing4    
,but again1 it must also be conceived as
 actually everything and potentially    
nothing2 for an unrealised potentiality 
is likewise a limitation4 ,if the       
infinite can be 7in the future7 that    
which it is not 7in the present7 it is  
by that very possibility marked out as  
incomplete and capable of a higher      
perfection4 ,if it is actually          
everything1 it possesses no             
characteristic feature by which it can  
be distinguished from anything else and 
discerned as an object of consciousness4
 ,i think1 then1 that we must be        
content1 on the showing of ,dr4 ,mansel1
 to allow that ,god is1 in his own      
nature--from this point of view--quite  

beyond the grasp of our faculties2 as   
regards us he does not exist1 since he  
is indistinguishable and undiscernable4 
,well might the ,church exclaim ,save me
 from my friends6 when a dean           
acknowledges that her ,god is a         
self-contradictory phantom2 oddly       
enough1 however1 the ,church likes it1  
and accepts this fatal championship4 ,i 
might have put this argument wholly in  
my own words1 for the subject is        
familiar to every one who has tried to  
gain a distinct idea of the ,being who  
is called ,god1 but ,i have preferred to
 back my own opinions with the authority
 of so orthodox a man as ,dean ,mansel1 
trusting that by so doing the orthodox  
may be forced to see where logic carries
 them4 ,all who are interested in this  
subject should study his lectures       
carefully2 there is really no difficulty
 in following them1 if the student will 
take the trouble of mastering once for  
all the terms he employs4 ,the book was 
lent to me years ago by a clergyman1 and

 did more than any other book ,i know to
 make me what is called an infidel2 it  
proves to demonstration the             
impossibility of our having any logical1
 reasonable1 and definite idea of ,god1 
and the utter hopelessness of trying to 
realise his existence4 ,it seems        
necessary here to make a short          
digression to explain1 for the benefit  
of those who have not read the book from
 which ,i have been quoting1 how ,dean  
,mansel escaped becoming an atheist4 ,it
 is a curious fact that the last part of
 this book is as remarkable for its     
assumptions1 as is the earlier portion  
its pitiless logic4 ,when he ought in   
all reason to say1 we can know nothing  
and therefore can believe nothing1 he   
says instead1 we can know nothing and   
therefore let us take ,revelation for   
granted4 ,an atheistic reasoner suddenly
 startles us by becoming a devout       
,christian2 the apparent enemy of the   
faithful is transformed into an angel of
 light4 ,the existence of ,god is       

inconceivable by the reason1 and1       
therefore1 the only ground that can be  
taken for accepting one representation  
of it rather than another is1 that one  
is revealed and the other not revealed4 
,it is the acknowledgment of a          
previously formed determination to      
believe at any cost2 it is a wail of    
helplessness2 the very apotheosis of    
despair4 ,we cannot have history1 so let
 us believe a fairy-tale2 we can        
discover nothing1 so let us assume      
anything2 we cannot find truth1 so let  
us take the first myth that comes to    
hand4 ,here ,i feel compelled to part   
company with the ,dean1 and to leave him
 to believe in1 to adore1 and to love   
that which he has himself designated as 
indistinguishable and undiscernable2 it 
may be an act of faith but it is a      
crucifixion of intellect2 it may be a   
satisfaction to the yearnings of the    
heart1 but it dethrones reason and      
tramples it in the dust4  ,we proceed in
 our study of the attributes of ,god4   

,he is represented as the ,supreme      
,will1 the ,supreme ,intelligence1 the  
,supreme ,love4  ,as the ,supreme ,will4
 ,what do we mean by will8 ,surely1 in  
the usual sense of the word1 a will     
implies the power and the act of        
choosing4 ,two paths are open to us1 and
 we will to walk in one rather than in  
the other4 ,but can we think of power of
 choice in connection with ,god8 ,of two
 courses open to us one must needs be   
better than the other1 else they would  
be indistinguishable and be only one2   
perfection implies that the higher      
course will always be taken2 what then  
becomes of the power of choice8 ,we     
choose because we are imperfect2 we do  
not know everything which bears on the  
matter on which we are about to exercise
 our will2 if we knew everything we     
should inevitably be driven in one      
direction1 that which is the best       
possible course4 ,the greater the       
knowledge1 the more circumscribed the   
will2 the nobler the nature1 the more   

impossible the lower course4 ,spinoza   
points out most clearly that the        
,divinity could not have made things    
otherwise than they are made1 because   
any change in his action would imply a  
change in his nature2 ,god1 above all1  
must be bound by necessity4 ,if we      
believe in a ,god at all we must surely 
ascribe to him perfection of wisdom and 
perfection of goodness2 we are then     
forced to conceive of him--however      
strange it may sound to those who       
believe1 not only without seeing but    
also without thinking--as without will1 
because he must always necessarily      
pursue the course which is wisest and   
best4  ,as the ,supreme ,intelligence4  
,again1 the first question is1 what do  
we mean by intelligence8 ,in the usual  
sense of the word intelligence implies  
the exercise of the various intellectual
 faculties1 and gathers up into one word
 the ideas of perception1 comparison1   
memory1 judgment1 and so on4 ,the very  
enumeration of these faculties is       

sufficient to show how utterly          
inappropriate they are when thought of  
in connection with ,god4 ,does ,god     
perceive what he did not know before8   
,does he compare one fact with another8 
,does he draw conclusions from this     
correlation of perceptions1 and thus    
judge what is best8 ,does he remember1  
as we remember1 long past events8       
,perfect wisdom excludes from the idea  
of ,god all that is called intelligence 
in man2 it involves unchangeableness1   
complete stillness2 it implies a        
knowledge of all that is knowable2 it   
includes an acquaintance with every     
fact1 an acquaintance which has never   
been less in the past1 and can never be 
more in the future4 ,the reception at   
any time of a new thought or a new idea 
is impossible to perfection1 for if it  
could ever be added to in the future it 
is necessarily something less than      
perfect in the past4  ,as the ,supreme  
,love4 ,we come here to the darkest     
problem of existence4 ,love1 ,ruler of  

the world permeated through and through 
with pain1 and sorrow1 and sin8 ,love1  
mainspring of a nature whose cruelty is 
sometimes appalling8 ,love8 ,think of   
the martyrdom of man6 ,love8 ,follow the
 ,history of the ,church6 ,love8 ,study 
the annals of the slave-trade6 ,love8   
,walk the courts and alleys of our      
towns6 ,it is of no use to try and      
explain away these things1 or cover them
 up with a veil of silence2 it is better
 to look them fairly in the face1 and   
test our creeds by inexorable facts4 ,it
 is foolish to keep a tender spot which 
may not be handled2 for a spot which    
gives pain when it is touched implies   
the presence of disease3 wiser far is it
 to press firmly against it1 and1 if    
danger lurk there1 to use the probe or  
the knife4 ,we have no right to pick out
 all that is noblest and fairest in man1
 to project these qualities into space1 
and to call them ,god4 ,we only thus    
create an ideal figure1 a purified1     
ennobled1 magnified ,man4 ,we have no   

right to shut our eyes to the sad revers
 de la medaille1 and leave out of our   
conceptions of the ,creator the larger  
half of his creation4 ,if we are to     
discover the ,worker from his works we  
must not pick and choose amid those     
works2 we must take them as they are1   
good and bad4 ,if we only want an ideal1
 let us by all means make one1 and call 
it ,god1 if thus we can reach it better1
 but if we want a true induction we must
 take all facts into account4 ,if ,god  
is to be considered as the author of the
 universe1 and we are to learn of him   
through his works1 then we must make    
room in our conceptions of him for the  
avalanche and the earthquake1 for the   
tiger's tooth and the serpent's fang1 as
 well as for the tenderness of woman and
 the strength of man1 the radiant glory 
of the sunshine on the golden harvest1  
and the gentle lapping of the summer    
waves on the gleaming shingled beach499 
99 ,i know it is usual for the orthodox 
when vindicating the      moral         

character of their ,god to say3--',all  
the ,evil that      exists is of man2   
,all that ,god has done is only good4'  
,but      granting 7which facts do not  
substantiate7 that man is the      only 
author of the sorrow and the wrong that 
abound in the      world1 it is         
difficult to see how the ,creator can be
 free      from imputation4 ,did not    
,god1 according to orthodoxy1 plan      
all things with an infallible perception
 that the events      foreseen must     
occur8 ,was not this accurate prescience
 based      upon the inflexibility of   
,god's ,eternal purposes8 ,as1 then1    
the purposes1 in the order of nature1 at
 least preceded the      prescience and 
formed the groundwork of it1 man has    
become      extensively the instrument  
of doing mischief in the world          
simply because the ,god of the          
,christian ,church did not      choose  
to prevent man from being bad4 ,in other
 words1 man is      as he is by the     
ordained design of ,god1 and1 therefore1

 ,god      is responsible for all the   
suffering1 shame1 and error1      spread
 by human agency4--,so that the         
,christian apology for      ,god in     
connection with the spectacle of evil   
falls to      pieces4--,note by the     
,editor4  ,the ,nature of ,god1 what is 
it8 ,infinite and ,absolute1 he evades  
our touch2 without human will1 without  
human intelligence1 without human love1 
where can his faculties--the very word  
is a misnomer--find a meeting-place with
 ours8 ,is he everything or nothing8 one
 or many8 ,we know not4 ,we know        
nothing4 ,such is the conclusion into   
which we are driven by orthodoxy1 with  
its pretended faith1 which is credulity1
 with its pretended proofs1 which are   
presumptions4 ,it defines and maps out  
the perfections of ,deity1 and they     
dissolve when we try to grasp them2     
nowhere do these ideas hold water for a 
moment2 nowhere is this position        
defensible4 ,orthodoxy drives thinkers  
into atheism2 weary of its              

contradictions they cry1 there is no    
,god2 orthodoxy's leading thinker lands 
us himself in atheism4 ,no logical1     
impartial mind can escape from unbelief 
through the trap-door opened by ,dean   
,mansel3 he has taught us reason1 and we
 cannot suppress reason4 ,the serpent   
intellect--as the ,bishop of            
,peterborough calls it--has twined      
itself firmly round the tree of         
knowledge1 and in that type we do not   
see1 with the ,hebrew1 the face of      
death1 but1 with the older faiths1 we   
reverence it as the symbol of life4     
,there is another fact1 an historical   
one1 still on the destructive side1     
which appears to me to be of the gravest
 importance1 and that is the gradual    
attenuation of the idea of ,god before  
the growing light of true knowledge4 ,to
 the savage everything is divine2 he    
hears one ,god's voice in the clap of   
the thunder1 another's in the roar of   
the earthquake1 he sees a divinity in   
the trees1 a deity smiles at him from   

the clear depths of the river and the   
lake2 every natural phenomenon is the   
abode of a god2 every event is          
controlled by a god2 divine volition is 
at the root of every incident4 ,to him  
the rule of the gods is a stern reality2
 if he offends them they turn the forces
 of nature against him2 the flood1 the  
famine1 the pestilence1 are the         
ministers of the avenging anger of the  
gods4 ,as civilisation advances1 the    
deities lessen in number1 the divine    
powers become concentrated more and more
 in one ,being1 and ,god rules over the 
whole earth1 maketh the clouds his      
chariot1 and reigns above the           
waterfloods as a king4 ,physical        
phenomena are still his agents1 working 
his will among the children of men2 he  
rains great hailstones out of heaven on 
his enemies1 he slays their flocks and  
desolates their lands1 but his chosen   
ure safe under his protection1 even     
although danger hem them in on every    
side2 thou shalt not be afraid for any  

terror by night1 nor for the arrow that 
flieth by day2 for the pestilence that  
walketh in darkness2 nor for the        
sickness that destroyeth in the         
noon-day4 ,a thousand shall fall besides
 thee1 and ten thousand at thy right    
hand2 but it shall not come nigh        
thee4444 ,he shall defend thee under his
 wings1 and thou shalt be safe under his
 feathers4 7,ps4 xci41 ,prayer-,book47  
,experience contradicted this theory    
rather roughly1 and it gave way slowly  
before the logic of facts2 it is1       
however1 still more or less prevalent   
among ourselves1 as we see when the     
siege of ,paris is proclaimed as a      
judgment on ,parisian irreligion1 and   
when the whole nation falls on its knees
 to acknowledge the cattle-plague as the
 deserved punishment of its sins6 ,the  
next step forward was to separate the   
physical from the moral1 and to allow   
that physical suffering came            
independently of moral guilt or         
righteousness3 the men crushed under the

 fallen tower of ,siloam were not       
thereby proved to be more sinful than   
their countrymen4 ,the birth of science 
rang the death-knell of an arbitrary and
 constantly interposing ,supreme        
,power-4 ,the theory of ,god as a       
miracle worker was dissipated2          
henceforth if ,god ruled at all it must 
be as in nature and not from outside of 
nature2 he no longer imposed laws on    
something exterior to himself1 the laws 
could only be the necessary expression  
of his own being4 ,laws were1 further1  
found to be immutable in their working1 
changing not in accordance with prayer1 
but ever true to a hair's breadth in    
their action4 ,slowly1 but surely1      
prayer to ,god for the alteration of    
physical phenomena is being found to be 
simply a well-meant superstition2 nature
 swerves not for our pleading1 nor      
falters in her path for our most        
passionate supplication4 ,the reign of  
law in physical matters is becoming     
acknowledged even by theologians4 ,as   

step by step the knowledge of the       
natural advances1 so step by step does  
the belief in the supernatural recede2  
as the kingdom of science extends1 so   
the kingdom of miraculous interference  
gradually disappears4 ,the effects which
 of old were thought to be caused by the
 direct action of ,god are now seen to  
be caused by the uniform and calculable 
working of certain laws--laws which1    
when discovered1 it is the part of      
wisdom implicitly to obey4 ,things which
 we used to pray for1 we now work and   
wait for1 and if we fail we do not ask  
,god to add his strength to ours1 but we
 sit down and lay our plans more        
carefully4 ,how is this to end8 ,is the 
future to be like the past1 and is      
science finally to obliterate the       
conception of a personal ,god8 ,it is a 
question which ought to be pondered in  
the light of history4 ,hitherto the     
supernatural has always been the        
makeweight of human ignorance2 is it1 in
 truth1 this and nothing else8  ,i am   

forced1 with some reluctance1 to apply  
the whole of the above reasoning to     
every school of thought1 whether        
nominally ,christian or non-,christian1 
which regards ,god as a magnified man4  
,the same stern logic cuts every way and
 destroys alike the ,trinitarian and the
 ,unitarian hypothesis1 wherever the    
idea of ,god is that of a ,creator1     
standing1 as it were1 outside his       
creation4 ,the liberal thinker1 whatever
 his present position1 seems driven     
infallibly to the above conclusions1 as 
soon as he sets himself to realise his  
idea of his ,god4 ,the ,deity must of   
necessity be that one and only substance
 out of which all things are evolved    
under the uncreated conditions and      
eternal laws of the universe2 he must   
be1 as ,theodore ,parker somewhat oddly 
puts it1 the materiality of matter1 as  
well as the spirituality of spirit2 i   
e41 these must both be products of this 
one substance3 a truth which is readily 
accepted as soon as spirit and matter   

are seen to be but different modes of   
one essence4 ,thus we identify substance
 with the all-comprehending and         
vivifying force of nature1 and in so    
doing we simply reduce to a physical    
impossibility the existence of the      
,being described by the orthodox as a   
,god possessing the attributes of       
personality4 ,the ,deity becomes        
identified with nature1 co-extensive    
with the universe2 but the ,god of the  
orthodox no longer exists2 we may change
 the signification of ,god1 and use the 
word to express a different idea1 but we
 can no longer mean by it a ,personal   
,being in the orthodox sense1 possessing
 an individuality which divides him from
 the rest of the universe4 ,i say that  
,i use these arguments with some        
reluctance1 because many who have fought
 and are fighting nobly and bravely in  
the army of freethought1 and to whom all
 free-thinkers owe much honour1 seem to 
cling to an idea of the ,deity1 which1  
however beautiful and poetical1 is not  

logically defensible1 and in striking at
 the orthodox notion of ,god1 one       
necessarily strikes also at all idea of 
a ,personal ,deity4 ,there are some     
,theists who have only cut out the ,son 
and the ,holy ,ghost from the ,triune   
,jehovah1 and have concentrated the     
,deity in the ,person of the ,father2   
they have returned to the old ,hebrew   
idea of ,god1 the ,creator1 the         
,sustainer1 only widening it into       
regarding ,god as the ,friend and       
,father of all his creatures1 and not of
 the ,jewish nation only4 ,there is much
 that is noble and attractive in this   
idea1 and it will possibly serve as a   
religion of transition to break the     
shock of the change from the            
supernatural to the natural4 ,it is     
reached entirely by a process of giving 
up2 ,christian notions are dropped one  
after another1 and the ,god who is      
believed in is the residuum4 ,this      
,theistic school has not gained its idea
 of ,god from any general survey of     

nature or from any philosophical        
induction from facts2 it has gained it  
only by stripping off from an idea      
already in the mind everything which is 
degrading and revolting in the dogmas of
 ,trinitarianism4 ,it starts1 as ,i have
 noticed elsewhere1 from a very noble   
axiom3 ,if there be a ,god at all he    
must be at least as good as his highest 
creatures1 and thus is instantly swept  
away the ,augustinian idea of a         
,god1--that monster invented by         
theological dialectics2 but still the   
same axiom makes ,god in the image of   
man1 and never succeeds in getting      
outside a human representation of the   
,divinity4 ,it starts from this axiom1  
and the axiom is prefaced by an if4 ,it 
assumes ,god1 and then argues fairly    
enough what his character must be4 ,and 
this if is the very point on which the  
argument of this paper turns4  ,if there
 be a ,god all the rest follows1 but is 
there a ,god at all in the sense in     
which the word is generally used8 ,and  

thus ,i come to the second part of my   
problem2 having seen that the orthodox  
idea of ,god is unreasonable and absurd1
 is there any idea of ,god1 worthy to be
 called an idea1 which is attainable in 
the present state of our faculties8     
,the argument from design does not seem 
to me to be a satisfactory one2 it      
either goes too far or not far enough4  
,why in arguing from the evidences of   
adaptation should we assume that they   
are planned by a mind8 ,it is quite as  
easy to conceive of matter as           
self-existent1 with inherent vital laws 
moulding it into varying phenomena1 as  
to conceive of any intelligent mind     
directly modelling matter1 so that the  
heavens declare the glory of ,god1 and  
the firmament showeth his handy-work4   
,it is1 ,i know1 customary to sneer at  
the idea of beautiful forms existing    
without a conscious designer1 to        
parallel the adaptations of this world  
to the adaptations in machinery1 and    
then triumphantly to inquire1 if skill  

be inferred from the one1 why ascribe   
the other to chance8 ,we do not believe 
in chance2 the steady action of law is  
not chance2 the exquisite crystals which
 form themselves under certain          
conditions are not a fortuitous         
concourse of atoms3 the only question is
 whether the laws which we all allow to 
govern nature are immanent in nature1 or
 the outcome of an intelligent mind4 ,if
 there be a lawmaker1 is he             
self-existent1 or does he1 in turn1 as  
has been asked again and again by       
,positivist1 ,secularist1 and ,atheist1 
require a maker8 ,if we think for a     
moment of the vast mind implied in the  
existence of a ,creator of the universe1
 is it possible to believe that such a  
mind is the result of chance8 ,if man's 
mind imply a master-mind1 how much more 
that of ,god8 ,of course the question   
seems an absurd one1 but it is quite as 
pertinent as the question about a       
world-maker4 ,we must come to a stop    
somewhere1 and it is quite as logical to

 stop at one point as at another4 ,the  
argument from design would be valuable  
if we could prove1 a priori1 as ,mr4    
,gillespie attempted to do199 the       
existence of a ,deity2 this being proved
 we might then fairly argue deductively 
to the various apparent signs of mind in
 the universe4 ,again1 if we allow      
design we must ask1 how far does design 
extend8 ,if some phenomena are designed1
 why not all8 ,and if not all1 on what  
principle can we separate that which is 
designed from that which is not8 ,if    
intellect and love reveal a design1 what
 is revealed by brutality and hate8 ,if 
the latter are not the result of design1
 how did they become introduced into the
 universe8 ,i repeat that this argument 
implies either too much or too little499
       99 ,the ,necessary ,existence of 
,deity4  ,there is but one argument that
 appears to me to have any real weight1 
and that is the argument from instinct4 
,man has faculties which appear1 at     
present1 as though they were not born of

 the intellect1 and it seems to me to be
 unphilosophical to exclude this class  
of facts from our survey of nature4 ,the
 nature of man has in it certain        
sentiments and emotions which1          
reasonably or unreasonably1 sway him    
powerfully and continually2 they are1 in
 fact1 his strongest motive powers1     
overwhelming the reasoning faculties    
with resistless strength2 true1 they    
need discipline and controlling1 but    
they do not need to be1 and they cannot 
be1 destroyed4 ,the sentiments of love1 
of reverence1 of worship1 are not1 as   
yet1 reducible to logical processes2    
they are intuitions1 spontaneous        
emotions1 incomprehensible to the keen  
and cold intellect4 ,they may be laughed
 at or denied1 but they still exist in  
spite of all2 they avenge themselves1   
when they are not taken into account1 by
 ruining the best laid plans1 and they  
are continually bursting the cords with 
which reason strives to tie them down4  
,i do not for a moment pretend to deny  

that these intuitions will1 as our      
knowledge of psychology increases1 be   
reducible to strict laws2 we call them  
instincts and intuitions simply because 
we are unable to trace them to their    
source1 and this vague expression covers
 the vagueness of our ideas4 ,therefore1
 intuition is not to be accepted as a   
trustworthy guide1 but it may suggest an
 hypothesis1 and this hypothesis must   
then be submitted to the stern          
verification of observed facts4 ,we are 
not as yet able to say to what the      
instinct in man to worship points1 or   
what reality answers to his yearning4   
,increased knowledge will1 we may hope1 
reveal to us99 where there lies the true
 satisfaction of this instinct3 so long 
as the yearning is only an instinct it  
cannot pretend to be logically          
defensible1 or claim to lay down any    
rule of faith4 ,but still ,i think it   
well to point out that this instinct    
exists in man1 and exists most strongly 
in some of the noblest souls4       99  

,is there in man any such ,instinct8    
,may not the general      tendency to   
worship a ,deity1 everywhere be the     
result of the      influence gained by  
,priests over the mind by the play of   
the      mysterious ,unknown and        
,hereafter upon susceptible             
imaginations8 ,besides1 what are we to  
say of the immense      number of       
philosophical ,buddhists and ,brahmins1 
for whose      comfort or moral guidance
 the idea of a ,god or a hereafter      
is felt to be quite unnecessary8 ,they  
cannot comprehend it1      and          
consequently acts of worship to ,god    
would be deemed by      them fanatical4 
,it is traditionalists who either do not
      think at all1 or think only within
 a narrow1 creed-bound      circle1 that
 are most devoted to worshipping ,deity2
 and if      so1 may not the whole      
history of worship have its origin in   
superstition and priestcraft6 ,in that  
case1 the theory of an      instinct of 
worship falls to the ground4--,note by  

the      ,editor4  ,of all the various  
sentiments which are thus at present    
intuitional1 none is so powerful1 none  
so overmastering as this instinct to    
worship1 this sentiment of religion4 ,it
 is as natural for man to worship as to 
eat4 ,he will do it1 be it reasonable or
 unreasonable4 ,just as the baby crams  
everything into his mouth1 so does man  
persist in worshipping something4 ,it   
may be said that the baby's instinct    
does not prove that he is right in      
trying to devour a matchbox2 true1 but  
it proves the existence of something    
eatable2 so fetish-worship1 polytheism1 
theism1 do not prove that man has       
worshipped rightly1 but do they not     
prove the existence of something        
worshipable6 ,the argument does not1 of 
course1 pretend to amount to a          
demonstration2 it is nothing more than  
the suggestion of an analogy4 ,are we to
 find that the supply is correlated to  
the demand throughout nature1 and yet   
believe that this hitherto invariable   

system is suddenly altered when we reach
 the spiritual part of man8 ,i do not   
deny that this instinct is hereditary1  
and that it is fostered by habit4 ,the  
idea of reverence for ,god is           
transmitted from parent to child2 it is 
educated into an abnormal development1  
and thus almost indefinitely            
strengthened2 but yet it does appear to 
me that the bent to worship is an       
integral part of man's nature4 ,this    
instinct has also sometimes been        
considered to have its root in the      
feeling that one's individual self is   
but a part of a stupendous whole2 that  
the so-called religious feeling which is
 evoked by a grand view or a bright     
starlight night is only the realisation 
of personal insignificance1 and the     
reverence which rises in the soul in the
 presence of the mighty universe of     
which we form a part4 ,whatever the root
 and the significance of this instinct1 
there can be no doubt of its strength2  
there is nothing rouses men's passions  

as does theology2 for religion men rush 
on death more readily and joyfully      
than99 for any other cause2 religious   
fanaticism is the most fatal1 the most  
terrible power in the world4 ,in        
studying history ,i also see the upward 
tendency of the race1 and note that     
current which ,mr4 ,matthew ,arnold has 
called that stream of tendency1 not     
ourselves1 which makes for              
righteousness4 ,of course1 if there be a
 conscious ,god1 this tendency is a     
proof of his moral character1 since it  
would be the outcome of his laws2 but   
here again an argument which would be   
valuable were the existence of ,god     
already proved1 falls blunted from the  
iron wall of the unknown4 ,the same     
tendency upwards would naturally exist  
in any realm of law1 although the law   
were an unconscious force4 ,for         
righteousness is nothing more than      
obedience to law1 and where there is    
obedience to law1 ,nature's mighty      
forces lend their strength to man1 and  

progress is secured4 ,only by obedience 
to law can advance be made1 and this    
rule applies1 of course1 to morality as 
well as to physics4 ,physical           
righteousness is obedience to physical  
laws2 moral righteousness is obedience  
to moral laws3 just as physical laws are
 discovered by the observation of       
natural phenomena1 so must moral laws be
 discovered by the observation of social
 phenomena4 ,that which increases the   
general happiness is right2 that which  
tends to destroy the general happiness  
is wrong4 ,utility is the test of       
morality4 ,but a law must not be drawn  
from a single fact or phenomenon2 facts 
must be carefully collated1 and the     
general laws of morality drawn from a   
generalisation of facts4 ,but this      
subject is too large to enter upon here1
 and it is only hinted at in order to   
note that1 although there is a moral    
tendency apparent in the course of      
events1 it is rather a rash assumption  
to take it for granted that the power in

 question is a conscious one3 it may be1
 and that1 ,i think1 is all we can      
justly and reasonably say4  ,again1 as  
regards ,love4 ,i have protested above  
against the easiness which talks glibly 
of the ,supreme ,love while shutting its
 eyes to the supreme agony of the world4
 ,but here1 in putting forward what may 
be said on the other side of the        
question1 ,i must remark that there is a
 possible explanation for sorrow and sin
 which is consistent with love given    
immortality of man and beast1 and the   
future gain may then outweigh the       
present loss4 ,but we are bound to      
remember that we can only have a hope of
 immortality2 we have no demonstration  
of it1 and this is1 therefore1 only an  
assumption by which we escape from a    
difficulty4 ,we ought to be ready to    
acknowledge1 also1 that there is love in
 nature1 although there is cruelty too2 
there is the sunshine as well as the    
storm1 and we must not fix our eyes on  
the darkness alone and deny the light4  

,in mother-love1 in the love of friends1
 loyal through all doubt1 true in spite 
of danger and difficulty1 strongest when
 most sorely tried1 we see gleams of so 
divine1 so unearthly a beauty1 that our 
hearts whisper to us of an universal    
heart pulsating throughout nature1      
which1 at these rare moments1 we cannot 
believe to be a dream4 ,but there seems1
 also1 to be a vague idea that love and 
other virtues could not exist unless    
derived from the ,love1 c4 ,it is true  
that we do conceive certain ideals of   
virtue which we personify1 and to which 
we apply various terms implying         
affection2 we speak of a love of ,truth1
 devotion to ,freedom1 and so on4 ,these
 ideals have1 however1 a purely         
subjective existence2 they are not      
objective realities2 there is nothing   
answering to these conceptions in the   
outside world1 nor do we pretend to     
believe in their individuality4 ,but    
when we gather up all our ideals1 our   
noblest longings1 and bind them into one

 vast ideal figure1 which we call by the
 name of ,god1 then we at once attribute
 to it an objective existence1 and      
complain of coldness and hardness if its
 reality is questioned1 and we demand to
 know if we can love an abstraction8    
,the noblest souls do love abstractions1
 and live in their beauty and die for   
their sake4  ,there appears1 also1 to be
 a possibility of a mind in ,nature1    
although we have seen that intelligence 
is1 strictly speaking1 impossible4      
,there cannot be perception1 memory1    
comparison1 or judgment2 but may there  
not be a perfect mind1 unchanging1 calm1
 and still8 ,our faculties fail us when 
we try to estimate the ,deity1 and we   
are betrayed into contradictions and    
absurdities2 but does it therefore      
follow that ,he is not8 ,it seems to me 
that to deny his existence is to        
overstep the boundaries of our          
thought-power almost as much as to try  
and define it4 ,we pretend to know the  
,unknown if we declare ,him to be the   

,unknowable4 ,unknowable to us at       
present1 yes6 ,unknowable for ever1 in  
other possible stages' of               
existence8--,we have reached a region   
into which we cannot penetrate2 here all
 human faculties fail us2 we bow our    
heads on the threshold of the unknown4  
,and the ear of man cannot hear1 and the
 eye of man cannot see2      ,but if we 
could see and hear1 this ,vision--were  
it not ,he8  ,thus sings ,alfred        
,tennyson1 the poet of metaphysics3 if  
we could see and hear2 alas6 it is      
always an if4  ,we come back to the     
opening of this essay3 what is the      
practical result of our ideas about the 
,divinity1 and how do these ideas affect
 the daily working life8 ,what          
conclusions are we to draw from the     
undeniable fact that1 even if there be a
 personal ,god1 his nature and existence
 are beyond our faculties1 that clouds  
and darkness are round about him1 that  
he is veiled in eternal silence and     
reveals himself not to men8 ,surely the 

obvious inference is that1 if he        
does-really exist1 he desires to conceal
 himself from the inhabitants of our    
world4 ,i repeat1 that if the ,deity    
exist1 he does-not wish us to know of   
his existence4 ,there may be1 in the    
very nature of things1 an impossibility 
of his revealing himself to men2 we may 
have no faculties with which to         
apprehend him2 can we reveal the stars  
and the rippling expanse of ocean to the
 sightless limpet on the rock8 ,whether 
this be so or not1 certain is it that   
the ,deity does not reveal himself2     
either he cannot or he will not4 ,and   
the reason--,i am granting for the      
moment1 for argument's sake1 his        
personal existence--is not far to seek2 
it is blazed upon the face of history4  
,for what has been the result of        
theology upon the whole8 ,it has turned 
men's eyes from earth1 to fix them on   
heaven2 it has bid them be careless of  
the temporal1 while luring them to grasp
 at the eternal2 it has induced         

multitudes to lavish fervent sentiment  
upon a conception framed by ,priests of 
an incomprehensible ,god1 while         
diverting their strength from the plain 
duties which ,humanity has before it2 it
 has taught them to live for the world  
to come1 when they should live for the  
world around them2 it has made earth's  
wrongs endurable with the hope of the   
glory to be revealed4 ,wisely indeed    
would the ,deity hide himself1 when even
 a phantom of him has wrought such fatal
 mischief2 and never will real and      
steady progress be secured until men    
acquiesce in this beneficent law of     
their nature1 which draws a stern circle
 of the limits of ,religious ,thought   
and bids them concentrate their         
attention on the work they have to do in
 this world1 instead of being for ever  
peering into and brooding over the world
 beyond the grave4 ,what is to be our   
conception of morality1 is it to base   
itself on obedience to ,god1 or is it to
 be sought for itself and its effects8  

,when we admit that ,god is beyond our  
knowing1 morality becomes at once       
necessarily grounded on utility1 or the 
natural adaptation of certain feelings  
and actions to promote the general      
welfare of society4 ,as no revelation is
 given to us as one infallible standard 
of right and wrong1 we must form our    
morality for ourselves from thought and 
from experience4 ,for example1 our moral
 nature1 as educated under the highest  
civilisation1 tells us that lying is    
wrong299 with this hypothesis in our    
minds we study facts1 and discover that 
lying causes mistrust1 anarchy1 and     
ruin2 thence we lay down as a moral law1
 ,lie not at all4 ,the science of       
morality must be content to grow like   
other sciences2 first an hypothesis1    
round which to group our facts1 then    
from the collected and collated facts   
reasoning up to a solid law4 ,scientific
 morality has this great advantage over 
revealed1 that it stands on firm1       
unassailable ground2 new facts will     

alter its details1 but can never touch  
its method2 like all other sciences1 it 
is at once positive and progressive4    
99 ,all men do not think lying wrong1 e 
g44 ,thugs and old      ,spartans4      
,therefore it is not our moral nature   
that      intuitively tells us thus1 but
 our moral nature as      instructed by 
the moral ideas prevailing in the       
society in      which we happen to be   
living4--,note by the ,editor4  ,is our 
mental attitude to be kneeling or       
standing8 ,when we admit that the ,deity
 is veiled from us1 how can we pray8    
,when we see that that law is           
inexorable1 of what use to protest      
against its absolute sway8 ,when we feel
 that all1 including ourselves1 are but 
modes of ,being which is one and        
universal1 and in which we live and     
move1 how shall we pray to that which is
 close to us as our own souls1 part of  
our very selves1 inseparable from our   
thoughts1 sharing our consciousness8 ,as
 well talk aloud to ourselves as pray to

 the universal ,essence4 ,children cry  
for what they want2 men and women work  
for it4 ,there are two points of view   
from which we may regard prayer3 from   
the one it is a piece of childishness   
only1 from the other it is sheer        
impertinence4 ,regarding ,nature's      
mighty order1 her grand1 silent1        
unvarying march1--the importunity which 
frets against her changeless progress is
 a mark of the most extreme childishness
 of mind2 it shows that complete        
irreverence of spirit which cannot      
conceive the idea of a greatness before 
which the individual existence is as    
nothing1 and that infantile conceit     
which imagines that its own plans and   
playthings rival in importance the      
struggles of nations and the interests  
of distant worlds4 ,regarding ,nature's 
laws as wiser than our own whims1 the   
idea which finds its outlet in prayer is
 a gross impertinence2 who are we that  
we should take it on ourselves to remind
 ,nature of her work1 ,god of his duty8 

,is there any impertinence so extreme as
 the prayer which pleads with the       
,deity8 ,there is only one kind of      
prayer which is reasonable1 and that is 
the deep1 silent1 adoration of the      
greatness and beauty and order around   
us1 as revealed in the realms of        
non-rational life and in ,humanity2 as  
we bow our heads before the laws of the 
universe and mould our lives into       
obedience to their voice1 we find a     
strong1 calm peace steal over our       
hearts1 a perfect trust in the ultimate 
triumph of the right1 a quiet           
determination to make our lives sublime4
 ,before our own high ideals1 before    
those lives which show us how high the  
tides of divine life have risen in the  
human world1 we stand with hushed voice 
and veiled face2 from them we draw      
strength to emulate1 and even dare      
struggle to excel4 ,the contemplation of
 the ideal is true prayer2 it inspires1 
it strengthens1 it ennobles4 ,the other 
part of prayer is work3 from            

contemplation to labour1 from the forest
 to the street4 ,study ,nature's laws1  
conform to them1 work in harmony with   
them1 and work becomes a prayer and a   
thanksgiving1 an adoration of the       
universal wisdom1 and a true obedience  
to the universal law4  ,is the          
mainspring of our actions to be the idea
 of duty to ,god1 or the of loyalty to  
law and to man's well-being8 ,we cannot 
serve ,god in any real sense2 we are    
awed before the ,unknown1 but we cannot 
serve it4 ,for the ,mighty1 for the     
,incomprehensible1 what can we do8 ,but 
we can serve man1 ay1 and he needs our  
service2 service of brain and hand1     
service untiring and unceasing1 service 
through life and unto-death4 ,the race  
to which we belong 7our own families and
 kinsfolk1 and then the community at    
large7 has the first claim on our       
allegiance1 a claim from which nothing  
can release us until death drops a veil 
over our work4  ,surely ,i may claim    
that my subject is not an unpractical   

one1 and that our ideas of the ,nature  
and ,existence of ,god influence our    
lives in a very real way4 ,if ,i have   
substituted a different basis of        
morality for that on which it now       
stands1 if ,i have suggested a different
 theory of prayer1 and offered a        
different motive for duty1 surely these 
changes affect the whole of human life  
,and if one by one these theories ate   
denied by the orthodox1 and they reject 
them because they sever human life from 
that which is called revealed religion1 
is not my position justified1 that the  
ideas we hold of ,god are the ruling    
forces of our lives8 that it is of      
primary importance to the welfare of    
mankind that a false theory on this     
point should be destroyed and a more    
reasonable faith accepted8  ,will any   
one exclaim1 ,you are taking all beauty 
out of human life1 all hope1 all warmth1
 all inspiration2 you give us cold duty 
for filial obedience1 and inexorable law
 in the place of ,god8 ,all beauty from 

life8 ,is there1 then1 no beauty in the 
idea of forming part of the great life  
of the universe1 no beauty in conscious 
harmony with ,nature1 no beauty in      
faithful service1 no beauty in ideals of
 every virtue8 ,all hope8 ,why1 ,i give 
you more than hope1 ,i give you         
certainty3 if ,i bid you labour for this
 world1 it is with the knowledge that   
this world will repay you a             
thousandfold1 because society will grow 
purer1 freedom more settled1 law more   
honoured1 life more full and glad4 ,what
 is your hope8 ,a heaven in the clouds4 
,i point to a heaven attainable on      
earth4 ,all warmth8 ,what6 ,you serve   
warmly a ,god unknown and invisible1 in 
a sense the projected shadow of your own
 imaginings1 and can only serve coldly  
your brother whom you see at your side8 
,there is no warmth in brightening the  
lot of the sad1 in reforming abuses1 in 
establishing equal justice for rich and 
poor8 ,you find warmth in the church1   
but none in the home8 ,warmth in        

imagining the cloud-glories of heaven1  
but none in creating substantial glories
 on earth8 ,all inspiration8 ,if you    
want inspiration to feeling1 to         
sentiment1 perhaps you had better keep  
to your ,bible and your creeds2 if you  
want inspiration to work1 go and walk   
through the east of ,london1 or the back
 streets of ,manchester4 ,you are       
inspired to tenderness as you gaze at   
the wounds of ,jesus1 dead in ,judaea   
long ago1 and find no inspiration in the
 wounds of men and women dying in the   
,england of to-day8 ,you have tears to  
shed for him1 but none for the sufferer 
at your doors8 ,his passion arouses your
 sympathies1 but you see no pathos in   
the passion of the poor8 ,duty is colder
 than filial obedience8 ,what do you    
mean by filial obedience8 ,obedience to 
your ideal of goodness and love1 is it  
not so8 ,then how is duty cold8 ,i offer
 you ideals for your homage3 here is    
,truth for your ,mistress1 to whose     
exaltation you shall devote your        

intellect2 here is ,freedom for your    
,general1 for whose triumph you shall   
fight2 here is ,love for your ,inspirer1
 who shall influence your every thought2
 here is ,man for your ,master--not in  
heaven but on earth--to whose service   
you shall consecrate every faculty of   
your being4 ,inexorable law in the place
 of ,god8 ,yes3 a stern certainty that  
you shall not waste your life1 yet      
gather a rich reward at the close2 that 
you shall not sow misery1 yet reap      
gladness2 that you shall not be selfish1
 yet be crowned with love1 nor shall you
 sin1 yet find safety in repentance4    
,true1 our creed is a stern one1 stern  
with the beautiful sternness of ,nature4
 ,but if we be in the right1 look to    
yourselves3 laws do not check their     
action for your ignorance2 fire will not
 cease to scorch1 because you did not   
know4  ,we know nothing beyond ,nature2 
we judge of the future by the present   
and the past2 we are content to work    
now1 and let the work to come wait until

 it appears as the work to do2 we find  
that our faculties are sufficient for   
fulfilling the tasks within our reach1  
and we cannot waste time and strength in
 gazing into impenetrable darkness4 ,we 
must needs fight against superstitions1 
because they hinder the advancement of  
the race1 but we will not fall into the 
error of opponents and try to define the
 ,undefinable4     ,,euthanasia4  ,i    
,,have already related to you with what 
care they look after their sick1 so that
 nothing is left undone which may       
contribute either to their health or    
ease4 ,and as for those who are         
afflicted with incurable disorders1 they
 use all possible means of cherishing   
them1 and of making their lives as      
comfortable as possible2 they visit them
 often1 and take great pains to make    
their time pass easily4 ,but if any have
 torturing1 lingering pain1 without hope
 of recovery or ease1 the priests and   
magistrates repair to them and exhort   
them1 since they are unable to proceed  

with the business of life1 are become a 
burden to themselves and all about them1
 and have in reality outlived           
themselves1 they should no longer       
cherish a rooted disease1 but choose to 
die since they cannot but live in great 
misery2 being persuaded1 if they thus   
deliver themselves from torture1 or     
allow others to do it1 they shall be    
happy after death4 ,since they forfeit  
none of the pleasures1 but only the     
troubles of life by this1 they think    
they not only act reasonably1 but       
consistently with religion2 for they    
follow the advice of their priests1 the 
expounders of ,god's will4 ,those who   
are wrought upon by these persuasions1  
either starve themselves or take        
laudanum4 ,but no one is compelled to   
end his life thus2 and if they cannot be
 persuaded to it1 the former care and   
attendance on it is continued4 ,and     
though they esteem a voluntary death1   
when chosen on such authority1 to be    
very honourable1 on the contrary1 if any

 one commit suicide without the         
concurrence of the priest and senate1   
they honour not the body with a decent  
funeral1 but throw into a ditch499      
99 ,memoirs4 ,a translation of the      
,utopia1 c1 of ,sir ,thomas      ,moore1
 ,lord ,high ,chancellor of ,england4   
,by ,a4 ,cayley the      ,younger1 pp4  
#ajb1ajc4    7,edition of #ahjh47  ,in  
pleading for the morality of            
,euthanasia1 it seems not unwise to show
 that so thoroughly religious a man as  
,sir ,thomas ,moore deemed that practice
 so consonant with a sound morality as  
to make it one of the customs of his    
ideal state1 and to place it under the  
sanction of the priesthood4 ,as a devout
 ,roman ,catholic1 the great ,chancellor
 would naturally imagine that any       
beneficial innovation would be sure to  
obtain the support of the priesthood2   
and although we may differ from him on  
this head1 since our daily experience   
teaches us that the priest may be       
counted upon as the steady opponent of  

all reform1 it is yet not uninstructive 
to note that the deep religious feeling 
which distinguished this truly good man1
 did not shrink from this idea of       
euthanasia as from a breach of morality1
 nor did he apparently dream that any   
opposition would 7or could7 be offered  
to it on religious grounds4 ,the last   
sentence of the extract is specially    
important2 in discussing the morality of
 euthanasia we are not discussing the   
moral lawfulness or unlawfulness of     
suicide in general2 we may protest      
against suicide1 and yet uphold         
euthanasia1 and we may even protest     
against the one and uphold the other1 on
 exactly the same principle1 as we shall
 see further on4 ,as the greater        
includes the less1 those who consider   
that a man has a right to choose whether
 he will live or not1 and who therefore 
regard all suicide as lawful1 will1 of  
course1 approve of euthanasia2 but it is
 by no means necessary to hold this     
doctrine because we contend for the     

other4 ,on the general question of the  
morality of suicide1 this paper         
expresses no opinion whatever4 ,this is 
not the point1 and we do not deal with  
it here4 ,this essay is simply and      
solely directed to prove that there are 
circumstances under which a human being 
has a moral right to hasten the         
inevitable approach of death4 ,the      
subject is one which is surrounded by a 
thick fog of popular prejudice1 and the 
arguments in its favour are generally   
dismissed unheard4 ,i would therefore   
crave the reader's generous patience1   
while laying before him the reasons     
which dispose many religious and social 
reformers to regard it as of importance 
that euthanasia should be legalised4    
,in the fourth ,edition of an essay on  
,euthanasia1 by ,p4 ,d4 ,williams1      
jun41--an essay which powerfully sums up
 what is to be said for and against the 
practice in question1 and which treats  
the whole subject exhaustively--we find 
the proposition for which we contend    

laid down in the following explicit     
terms3  ,that in all cases of hopeless  
and painful illness1 it should be the   
recognised duty of the medical          
attendant1 whenever so desired by the   
patient1 to administer chloroform1 or   
such other anaesthetic as may by-and-by 
supersede chloroform1 so as to destroy  
consciousness at once1 and to put the   
sufferer to a quick and painless death2 
all needful precautions being adopted to
 prevent any abuse of such duty2 and    
means being taken to establish1 beyond  
the possibility of doubt or question1   
that the remedy was applied at the      
express wish of the patient4  ,it is    
very important1 at the outset1 to lay   
down clearly the limitations of the     
proposed medical reform4 ,it is1        
sometimes1 thoughtlessly stated that the
 supporters of euthanasia propose to put
 to death all persons suffering from    
incurable disorders2 no assertion can be
 more inaccurate or more calculated to  
mislead4 ,we propose only1 that where an

 incurable disorder is accompanied with 
extreme pain--pain1 which nothing can   
alleviate except death--pain1 which only
 grows worse as the inevitable doom     
approaches--pain1 which drives almost to
 madness1 and which must end in the     
intensified torture in the death        
agony--that pain should be at once      
soothed by the administration of an     
anaesthetic1 which should not only      
produce unconsciousness1 but should be  
sufficiently powerful to end a life1 in 
which the renewal of consciousness can  
only be simultaneous with the renewal of
 pain4 ,so long as life has some        
sweetness left in it1 so long the       
offered mercy is not needed2 euthanasia 
is a relief from unendurable agony1 not 
an enforced extinguisher of a still     
desired existence4 ,besides1 no one     
proposes to make it obligatory on       
anybody2 it is only urged that where the
 patient asks for the mercy of a speedy 
death1 instead of a protracted one1 his 
prayer may be granted without any danger

 of the penalties of murder or          
manslaughter being inflicted on the     
doctors and nurses in attendance4 ,i    
will lay before the reader a case which 
is within my own knowledge1--and which  
can be probably supplemented by the sad 
experience of almost every              
individual1--in which the legality of   
euthanasia would have been a boon       
equally to the sufferer and to her      
family4 ,a widow lady was suffering from
 cancer in the breast1 and as the case  
was too far advanced for the ordinary   
remedy of the knife1 and as the leading 
,london surgeons refused to risk an     
operation which might hasten1 but could 
not retard1 death1 she resolved1 for the
 sake of her orphan children1 to allow a
 medical practitioner to perform a      
terrible operation1 whereby he hoped to 
prolong her life for some years4 ,its   
details are too-painful to enter into   
unnecessarily2 it will suffice to say   
that it was performed by means of       
quick-lime1 and that the use of         

chloroform was impossible4 ,when the    
operation1 which extended over days1 was
 but half over1 the sufferer's strength 
gave way1 and the doctor was compelled  
to acknowledge that even a prolongation 
of life was impossible1 and that to     
complete the operation could only hasten
 death4 ,so the patient had to linger on
 in almost unimaginable torture1 knowing
 that the pain could only end in death1 
seeing her relatives worn out by        
watching1 and agonised at the sight of  
her sufferings1 and yet compelled to    
live on from hour to hour1 till at last 
the anguish culminated in death4 ,is it 
possible for any one to believe that it 
would have been wrong to have hastened  
the inevitable end1 and thus to have    
shortened the agony of the sufferer     
herself1 and to have also-spared her    
nurses months of subsequent ill-health4 
,it is in such cases as this that       
euthanasia would be useful4 ,it is1     
however1 probable that all will agree   
that the benefit conferred by the       

legalisation of euthanasia would1 in    
many instances1 be very great2 but many 
feel that the objections to it1 on moral
 grounds1 are so weighty1 that no       
physical benefit could countervail the  
moral wrong4 ,these objections1 so far  
as ,i can gather them1 are as follows3--
  ,life is the gift of ,god1 and is     
therefore sacred1 and must only be taken
 back by the giver of life499       99  
,we1 of course1 here1 have no concern   
with theological      questions touching
 the existence or non-existence of      
,deity1      and express no opinion     
about them4  ,euthanasia is an          
interference with the course of nature1 
and is therefore an act of rebellion    
against ,god4  ,pain is a spiritual     
remedial agent inflicted by ,god1 and   
should therefore be patiently endured4  
,life is the gift of ,god1 and is       
therefore sacred1 and must only be taken
 back by the ,giver of life4 ,this      
objection is one of those high-sounding 
phrases which impose on the careless and

 thoughtless hearer1 by catching up a   
form of words which is generally        
accepted as an unquestionable axiom1 and
 by hanging thereupon an unfair         
corollary4 ,the ordinary man or woman1  
on hearing this assertion1 would        
probably answer--,life sacred8 ,yes1 of 
course2 on the sacredness of life       
depends the safety of society2 anything 
which tampers with this principle must  
be both wrong and dangerous4 ,and yet1  
such is the inconsistency of the        
thoughtless1 that1 five minutes         
afterwards1 the same person will glow   
with passionate admiration at some noble
 deed1 in which the sacredness of life  
has been cast to the winds at the call  
of honour or of humanity1 or will utter 
words ot indignant contempt at the      
baseness which counted life more sacred 
than duty or principle4 ,that life is   
sacred is an undeniable proposition2    
every natural gift is sacred1 i e41 is  
valuable1 and is not to be lightly      
destroyed2 life1 as summing up all      

natural gifts1 and as containing within 
itself all possibilities of usefulness  
and happiness1 is the most sacred       
physical possession which we own4 ,but  
it is not the most sacred thing on      
earth4 ,martyrs slain for the sake of   
principles which they could not         
truthfully deny2 patriots who have died 
for their country2 heroes who have      
sacrificed themselves for others'       
good2--the very flower and glory of     
humanity rise up in a vast crowd to     
protest that conscience1 honour1 love1  
self-devotion1 are more precious to the 
race than is the life of the individual4
 ,life is sacred1 but it may be laid    
down in a noble cause2 life is sacred1  
but it must bend before the holier      
sacredness of principle2 life which1    
though sacred1 can be destroyed1 is as  
nothing before the indestructible ideals
 which claim from every noble soul the  
sacrifice of personal happiness1 of     
personal greatness1 yea1 of personal    
life499       99 ,the word life is here 

used in the sense of personal           
existence in this world4 ,it is1 of     
course1 not intended to      be asserted
 that life is really destructible1 but  
only that      personal existence1 or   
identity1 may be destroyed4 ,and        
further1 no opinion is given on the     
possibility of life      otherwhere than
 on this globe2 nothing is spoken of    
except      life on earth1 under the    
conditions of human existence4  ,it will
 be conceded1 then1 on all hands1 that  
the proposition that life is sacred must
 be accepted with many limitations3 the 
proposition1 in fact1 amounts only to   
this1 that life must not be voluntarily 
laid down without grave and sufficient  
cause4 ,what we have to consider is1    
whether there are present1 in any       
proposed euthanasia1 such conditions as 
overbear considerations for the         
acknowledged sanctity of life4 ,we      
contend that in the cases in which it is
 proposed that death should be hastened1
 these conditions do exist4  ,we will   

not touch here on the question of the   
endurance of pain as a duty1 for we will
 examine that further on4 ,but is it a  
matter of no importance that a sufferer 
should condemn his attendants to a      
prolonged drain on their health and     
strength1 in order to cling to a life   
which is useless to others1 and a burden
 to himself8 ,the nurse who tends1      
perhaps for weeks1 a bed of agony1 for  
which there is no cure but death--whose 
senses are strained by intense          
watchfulness--whose nerves are racked by
 witnessing torture which she is        
powerless to alleviate--is1 by her      
self-devotion1 sowing in her own        
constitution the seeds of               
ill-health--that is to say1 she is      
deliberately shortening her own life4   
,we have seen that we have a right to   
shorten life in obedience to a call of  
duty1 and it will at once be said that  
the nurse is obeying such a call4 ,but  
has the nurse a right to sacrifice her  
own life--and an injury to health is a  

sacrifice of life--for an obviously     
unequivalent advantage8 ,we are apt to  
forget1 because the injury is partially 
veiled to us1 that we touch the         
sacredness of life whenever we touch    
health3 every case of over-work1 of     
over-strain1 of over-exertion1 is1 so to
 speak1 a modified case of euthanasia4  
,to poison the spring of life is as real
 a tampering with the sacredness of life
 as it is to check its course4 ,the     
nurse is really committing a slow       
euthanasia4 ,either the patient or the  
nurse must commit an heroic suicide for 
the sake of the other--which shall it   
be8 ,shall the life be sacrificed1 which
 is torture to its possessor1 useless to
 society1 and whose bounds are already  
clearly marked8 or shall a strong and   
healthy life1 with all its future       
possibilities1 be undermined and        
sacrificed in addition to that which is 
already doomed8 ,but1 granting that the 
sublime generosity of the nurse stays   
not to balance the gain with the loss1  

but counts herself as nothing in the    
face of a human need1 then surely it is 
time to urge then to permit this        
self-sacrifice is an error1 and that to 
accept it is a crime4 ,if it be granted 
that the throwing away of life for a    
manifestly unequivalent gain is wrong1  
that we ought not to blind ourselves to 
the fact1 that to sacrifice a healthy   
life in order to lengthen by a few short
 weeks a doomed life1 is a grave moral  
error1 however much it may be redeemed  
in the individual by the glory of a     
noble self-devotion4 ,allowing to the   
full the honour due to the heroism of   
the nurse1 what are we to say to the    
patient who accepts the sacrifice8 ,what
 are we to think of the morality of a   
human being who1 in order to preserve   
the miserable remnant of life left to   
him1 allows another to shorten life8 ,if
 we honour the man who sacrifices       
himself to defend his family1 or risks  
his own life to save theirs1 we must    
surely blame him who1 on the contrary1  

sacrifices those he ought to value most1
 in order to prolong his own now useless
 existence4 ,the measure of our         
admiration for the one1 must be the     
measure of our pity for the weakness and
 selfishness of the other4 ,if it be    
true that the man who dies for his dear 
ones on the battlefield is a hero1 he   
who voluntarily dies for them on his bed
 of sickness is a hero no less brave4   
,but it is urged that life is the gift  
of ,god1 and must only be taken back by 
the ,giver of life1 ,i suppose that in  
any sense in which it can be supposed   
true that life is the gift of ,god1 it  
can only be taken back by the           
giver--that is to say1 that just as life
 is produced in accordance with certain 
laws1 so it can only be destroyed in    
accordance with certain other laws4     
,life is not the direct gift of a       
superior power3 it is the gift of man to
 man and animal to animal1 produced by  
the voluntary agent1 and not by ,god1   
under physical conditions1 on the       

fulfilment of which alone the production
 of life depends4 ,the physical         
conditions must be observed if we desire
 to produce life1 and so must they be if
 we desire to destroy life4 ,in both    
cases man is the voluntary agent1 in    
both law is the means of his action4 ,if
 life-giving is ,god's doing1 then      
life-destroying is his doing too4 ,but  
this is not what is intended by the     
proposers of this aphorism4 ,if they    
will pardon me for translating their    
somewhat vague proposition into more    
precise language1 they say that they    
find themselves in possession of a      
certain thing called life1 which must   
have come from somewhere2 and as in     
popular language the unknown is always  
the divine1 it must have come from ,god3
 therefore this life must only be taken 
from them by a cause that also proceeds 
from somewhere--i e41 from an unknown   
cause--i e41 from the ,divine will4     
,chloroform comes from a visible agent1 
from the doctor or nurse1 or at least   

from a bottle1 which can be taken up or 
left alone at our own choice4 ,if we    
swallow this1 the cause of death is     
known1 and is evidently not divine2 but 
if we go into a house where scarlet     
fever is raging1 although we are in that
 case voluntarily running the chance of 
taking poison quite as truly as if we   
swallow a dose of chloroform1 yet if we 
die from the infection1 we can imagine  
the illness to be sent from ,god4       
,wherever we think the element of chance
 comes in1 there we are able to imagine 
that ,god rules directly4 ,we quite     
overlook the fact that there is no such 
thing as chance4 ,there is only our     
ignorance of law1 not a break in natural
 order4 ,if our constitution be         
susceptible of the particular poison to 
which we expose it1 we take the disease4
 ,if we knew the laws of infection as   
accurately as we know the laws affecting
 chloroform1 we should be able to       
foresee with like certainty the         
inevitable consequence2 and our         

ignorance does not make the action of   
either set of laws less unchangeable or 
more divine4 ,but in the happy-go-lucky 
style of thought peculiar to ignorance1 
the ,christian disregards the fact that 
infection is ruled by definite laws1 and
 believes that health and sickness are  
the direct expressions of the will of   
his ,god1 and not the invariable        
consequence of obscure but probably     
discoverable antecedents2 so he boldly  
goes into the back slums of ,london to  
nurse a family stricken down with fever1
 and knowingly and deliberately runs the
 chance of infection--i e41 knowingly   
and deliberately runs the chance of     
taking poison1 or rather of having      
poison poured into his frame4 ,this he  
does1 trusting that the nobility of his 
motive will make the act right in ,god's
 sight4 ,is it more noble to relieve the
 sufferings of strangers1 than to       
relieve the sufferings of his family8 or
 is it more heroic to die of            
voluntarily-contracted fever1 than of   

voluntarily-taken chloroform8  ,the     
argument that life must only be taken   
back by the life-giver1 would1 if       
thoroughly carried out1 entirely prevent
 all dangerous operations4 ,in the      
treatment of some diseases there are    
operations that will either kill or     
cure3 the disease must certainly be     
fatal if left alone2 while the proposed 
operation may save life1 it may equally 
destroy it1 and thus may take life some 
time before the giver of life wanted to 
take it back4 ,evidently1 then1 such    
operations should not be performed1     
since there is risked so grave an       
interference with the desires of the    
life-giver4 ,again1 doctors act very    
wrongly when they allow certain soothing
 medicines to be taken when all hope is 
gone1 which they refuse so long as a    
chance of recovery remains3 what right  
have they to compel the life-giver to   
follow out his apparent intentions8 ,in 
some cases of painful disease1 it is now
 usual to produce partial or total      

unconsciousness by the injection of     
morphia1 or by the use of some other    
anaesthetic4 ,thus1 ,i have known a     
patient subjected to this kind of       
treatment1 when dying from a tumour in  
the aesophagus2 he was consequently for 
some weeks before his death1 kept in a  
state of almost complete                
unconsciousness1 for if he were allowed 
to become conscious1 his agony was so   
unendurable as to drive him wild4 ,he   
was thus1 although breathing1           
practically dead for weeks before his   
death4 ,we cannot but wonder1 in view of
 such a case as his1 what it is that    
people mean when they talk of life4     
,life includes1 surely1 not only the    
involuntary animal functions1 such as   
the movements of heart and lungs2 but   
consciousness1 thought1 feeling1        
emotion4 ,of the various constituents of
 human life1 surely those are not the   
most sacred which we share with the     
brute1 however necessary these may be as
 the basis on which the rest are built4 

,it is thought1 then1 that we may       
rightfully destroy all that constitutes 
the beauty and nobility of human life1  
we may kill thought1 slay consciousness1
 deaden emotion1 stop feeling1 we may do
 all this1 and leave lying on the bed   
before us a breathing figure1 from which
 we have taken all the nobler           
possibilities of life2 but we may not   
touch the purely animal existence2 we   
may rightly check the action of the     
nerves and the brain1 but we must not   
dare to outrage-the ,deity by checking  
the action of the heart and the lungs4  
,we ask1 then1 for the legalisation of  
euthanasia1 because it is in accordance 
with the highest morality yet known1    
that which teaches the duty of self     
sacrifice for the greater good of       
others1 because it is sanctioned in     
principle by every service performed at 
personal danger and injury1 and         
because-it is already partially         
practised by modern improvements in     
medical science4  ,euthanasia is an     

interference with the course of nature1 
and its herefore an act of rebellion    
against ,god4 ,in considering this      
objection1 we are placed in difficulty  
by not being told what sense our        
opponents attach to the word nature2 and
 we are obliged once more to ask pardon 
for forcing these vague and high-flown  
arguments into a humiliating precision  
of meaning4 ,nature1 in the widest sense
 of the word1 includes all natural laws3
 and in this sense it is of course      
impossible to interfere with nature at  
all4 ,we live1 and move1 and have our   
being in nature2 and we can no more get 
outside it than we can get outside      
everything4 ,with this-nature we cannot 
interfere3 we can study its laws1 and   
learn how to balance one law against    
another1 so as to modify results2 but   
this can only be done by and through    
nature itself4 ,the interference with   
the course of nature which is intended  
in the above objection does not of      
course mean this impossible proceeding2 

and it can then only mean an            
interference with things which would    
proceed in one course without human     
agency meddling with them1 but which are
 susceptible of being turned into       
another course by human agency4 ,if     
interference with nature's course be a  
rebellion against ,god1 we are rebelling
 against ,god every day of our lives4   
,every achievement of civilisation is an
 interference with nature4 ,every       
artificial comfort we enjoy is an       
improvement on nature4 ,everybody       
professes to approve and admire many    
great triumphs of art over nature3 the  
junction by bridges of shores which     
nature had made separate1 the draining  
of nature's marshes1 the excavation of  
her wells1 the dragging to light of what
 she has buried at immense depths in the
 earth1 the turning away of her         
thunderbolts by lightning-rods1 of her  
inundations by embankments1 of her ocean
 by breakwaters4 ,but to commend these  
and similar feats1 is to acknowledge    

that the ways of nature are to be       
conquered1 not obeyed2 that her powers  
are often towards man in the position of
 enemies1 from whom he must wrest1 by   
force and ingenuity1 what little he can 
for his own use1 and deserves to be     
applauded when that little is rather    
more than might be expected from his    
physical weakness in comparison to those
 gigantic powers4 ,all praise of        
civilisation1 or art1 or contrivance1 is
 so much dispraise of nature2 an        
admission of imperfection1 which it is  
man's business1 and merit1 to be always 
endeavouring to correct or mitigate499  
99 ,essay on ,nature1 by ,john ,stuart  
,mill4  ,it is difficult to understand  
how anyone1 contemplating the course of 
nature1 can regard it as the expression 
of a ,divine will1 which man has no     
right to improve upon4 ,natural law is  
essentially unreasoning and unmoral3    
gigantic forces clash around us on every
 side unintelligent1 and unvarying in   
their action4 ,with equal impassiveness 

these blind forces produce vast benefits
 and work vast catastrophes4 ,the       
benefits are ours1 if we are able to    
grasp them2 but nature troubles itself  
not1 whether we take them or leave them 
alone4 ,the catastrophes may rightly be 
averted1 if we can avert them2 but      
nature stays not its grinding wheel for 
our moans4 ,even allowing that a        
,supreme ,intelligence gave these forces
 their being1 it is manifest that he    
never intended man to be their          
plaything1 or to do them homage2 for man
 is dowered with reason to calculate1   
and with genius to foresee2 and into    
man's hands is given the realm of nature
 7in this world7 to cultivate1 to       
govern1 to improve4 ,so long as men     
believed that a god wielded the         
thunderbolt1 so long would a            
lightning-conductor be an outrage on    
,jove2 so long as a god guided each     
force of nature1 so long would it be    
impiety to resist1 or to endeavour to   
regulate the divine volitions4 ,only as 

experience gradually proved that no evil
 consequences followed each amendment of
 nature1 were natural forces withdrawn1 
one by one1 from the sphere of the      
unknown and the divine4 ,now1 even pain1
 that used to be ,god's scourge1 is     
soothed by chloroform1 and death alone  
is left for nature to inflict1 with what
 lingering agony it may4 ,but why should
 death1 any more than other ills1 be    
left entirely to the clumsy1 unassisted 
processes of nature8--why1 after        
struggling against nature all our lives1
 should we let it reign unopposed in    
death8 ,there are some natural evils    
that we cannot avert4 ,pain and death   
are of these2 but we can dull pain by   
dulling feeling1 and we can ease by     
shortening its pangs4 ,nature kills by  
slow and protracted torture2 we can defy
 it by choosing a rapid and painless    
end4 ,it is only the remains of the old 
superstition that makes men think that  
to take life is the special prerogative 
of the gods4 ,with marvellous           

inconsistency1 however1 the opponents of
 euthanasia do not scruple to interfere 
with the course of nature on the one    
hand1 while they forbid us to interfere 
on the other4 ,it is right to prolong   
pain by art1 although it is wrong to    
shorten it4 ,when a person is smitten   
down with some fearful and incurable    
disease1 they do not leave him to       
nature2 on the contrary1 they check and 
thwart nature in every possible way2    
they cherish the life that nature has   
blasted2 they nourish the strength that 
nature is undermining2 they delay each  
process of decay which nature sows in   
the disordered frame2 they contest every
 inch of ground with nature to preserve 
life2 and then1 when life means torture1
 and we ask permission to step in and   
quench it1 they cry out that we are     
interfering with nature4 ,if they would 
leave nature to itself1 the disease     
would generally kill with tolerable     
rapidity2 but they will not do this4    
,they will only admit the force of their

 own argument when it tells on the side 
of what they choose to consider right4  
,against nature1 is the cry with which  
many a modern improvement has been      
howled at2 and it will continue to be   
raised1 until it is generally           
acknowledged that happiness1 and not    
nature1 is the true guide to morality1  
and until men recognises that nature is 
to be harnessed to his car of triumph1  
and to bend its mighty forces to fulfil 
the human will4  ,pain is a spiritual   
remedial agent1 inflicted by ,god1 and  
should therefore be patiently endured4  
,does anyone1 except a self-torturing   
ascetic1 endure any pain which he can   
get rid of8 ,this might be deemed a     
sufficient answer to this objection1 for
 common sense always bids us avoid all  
possible pain1 and daily experience     
tells us that people invariably evade   
pain1 wherever such evasion is possible4
 ,the objection ought to run3 pain is a 
spiritual remedial agent1 inflicted by  
,god1 which is to be got rid of as soon 

as possible1 but ought to be patiently  
endured when unavoidable4 ,pain as pain 
has no recommendations1 spiritual or    
otherwise2 nor is there the smallest    
merit in a voluntary and needless       
submission to pain4 ,as to its remedial 
and educational advantages1 it as often 
as not sours the temper and hardens the 
heart2 if a person endures great        
physical or mental pain with unruffled  
patience1 and comes out of it with      
uninjured tenderness and sweetness1 we  
may rest assured that we have come      
across a rare and beautiful nature of   
exceptional strength4 ,as a general     
rule1 pain1 especially if it be mental1 
hardens and roughens the character4 ,the
 use of anaesthetics is utterly         
indefensible1 if physical pain is to be 
regarded as a special tool whereby ,god 
cultivates the human soul4 ,if ,god is  
directly acting on the sufferer's body1 
and is educating his soul by racking his
 nerves1 by what right does the doctor  
step between with his impious           

anaesthetic1 and by reducing the patient
 to unconsciousness1 deprive ,god of his
 pupil1 and man of his lesson8 ,if pain 
be a sacred ark1 over which hovers the  
divine glory1 surely it must be a sinful
 act to touch the holy thing4 ,we may be
 inflicting incalculable spiritual      
damage by frustrating the divine plan of
 education1 which was corporeal agony as
 a spiritual agent4 ,therefore1 if this 
argument be good for anything at all1 we
 must from henceforth eschew all        
anaesthetics1 we must take no steps to  
alleviate human agony1 we must not      
venture to interfere with this          
beneficent agent1 but must leave nature 
to torture us it will4 ,but we utterly  
deny that the unnecessary endurance of  
pain is even a merit1 much less a duty2 
on the contrary1 we believe that it is  
our duty to war against pain as much as 
possible1 to alleviate it wherever we   
cannot stop it entirely2 and1 where     
continuous and frightful agony can only 
end in death1 then to give to the       

sufferer the relief he craves for1 in   
the sleep which is mercy4 ,it is a mercy
 ,god has taken him1 is an expression   
often heard when the racked frame at    
last lies quiet1 and the writhed        
features settle slowly into the peaceful
 smile of the dead4 ,that mercy we plead
 that man should be allowed to give to  
man1 when human skill and human         
tenderness have done their best1 and    
when they have left within their reach  
no greater boon than a speedy and       
painless death4  ,we are not aware that 
any objection1 which may not be classed 
under one or other of these three heads1
 has been levelled against the          
proposition that euthanasia should be   
legalised4 ,it has1 indeed1 been        
suggested that to put into-a doctor's   
hands this power of life and death1     
would be to offer a dangerous temptation
 to those who have any special object to
 gain by putting a troublesome person   
quietly out of the way4 ,but this       
objection overlooks the fact that the   

patient himself must ask for the        
draught1 that stringent precautions can 
be taken to render euthanasia impossible
 except at the patient's earnestly1 or  
even repeatedly1 expressed wish1 that   
any doctor or attendant1 neglecting to  
take these precautions1 would then1 as  
now1 be liable to all the penalties for 
murder or for manslaughter2 and that an 
ordinary doctor would no more be ready  
to face these penalties then1 than he is
 now1 although he undoubtedly has now   
the power of putting the patient to     
death with but little chance of         
discovery4 ,euthanasia would not render 
murder less dangerous than it is at     
present1 since no one asks that a nurse 
may be empowered to give a patient a    
dose which would ensure death1 or that  
she might be allowed to shield herself  
from punishment on the plea that the    
patient desired it4 ,if our opponents   
would take the trouble to find out what 
we do ask1 before they condemn our      
propositions1 it would greatly simplify 

public discussion1 not alone in this    
case1 but in many proposed reforms4  ,it
 may be well1 also1 to point out the    
wide line of demarcation which separated
 euthanasia from what is ordinarily     
called suicide4 ,euthanasia1 like       
suicide1 is a voluntarily chosen death1 
but there is a radical difference       
between the motives which prompt the    
similar act4 ,those who commit suicide  
thereby render themselves useless to    
society for the future2 they deprive    
society of their services1 and selfishly
 evade the duties which ought to fall to
 their share2 therefore1 the social     
feelings rightly condemn suicide as a   
crime against society4 ,i do not say    
that under no stress of circumstances is
 suicide justifiable2 that is not the   
question2 but ,i wish to point out that 
it is justly regarded as a social       
offence4 ,but the very motive which     
restrains from suicide1 prompts to      
euthanasia4 ,the sufferer who knows that
 he is lost to society1 that he can     

never again serve his fellow-men2 who   
knows1 also1 that he is depriving       
society of the services of those who    
uselessly exhaust themselves for him1   
and is further injuring it by           
undermining the health of its healthy   
members1 feels urged by the very social 
instincts which would prevent him from  
committing suicide while in health1 to  
yield a last service to society by      
relieving it from a useless burden4     
,hence it is that ,sir ,thomas ,moore1  
in the quotation with which he began    
this essay1 makes the social authorities
 of his ideal state urge euthanasia as  
the duty of a faithful citizen1 while   
they yet consistently reprobate ordinary
 suicide as a lese-majeste a crime      
against the ,state4 ,the life of the    
individual is1 in a sense1 the property 
of society4 ,the infant is nurtured1 the
 child is educated1 the man is protected
 by others2 and1 in return for the life 
thus given1 developed1 preserved1       
society has a right to demand from its  

members a loyal1 self-forgetting        
devotion to the common weal4 ,to serve  
humanity1 to raise the race from which  
we spring1 to dedicate every talent1    
every power1 every energy1 to the       
improvement of1 and to the increase of  
happiness in1 society1 this is the duty 
of each individual man and woman4 ,and1 
when we have given all we can1 when     
strength is sinking1 and life is        
failing1 when pain racks our bodies1 and
 the worse agony of seeing our dear ones
 suffer in our anguish tortures our     
enfeebled minds1 when the only service  
we can render man is to relieve him of a
 useless and injurious burden1 then we  
ask that we may be permitted to die     
voluntarily and painlessly1 and so to   
crown a noble life with the laurel      
wreath of a self-sacrificing death4     
,,on ,,prayer4  ,,the mania for         
,prayer-meetings has lately been largely
 on the increase1 and the continual     
efforts being made to       ,move the   
arm that moves the world1  naturally    

draw one's attention strongly to the    
subject of ,prayer2 to its              
reasonableness1 propriety1 and prospect 
of success4 ,if ,prayer to ,god be      
reverent as towards the ,deity1 if it be
 consistent with his immutability1 with 
his foreknowledge1 with his wisdom1 and 
with every kind of trust in his         
goodness--if it be also1 as regards man1
 permissible by science1 and approved by
 experience1 then there can be no doubt 
at all that it should be sedulously     
practised1 and should be of universal   
obligation4 ,but if it be at once       
useless and absurd1 if it be forbidden  
by reason and frowned at by common      
sense1 if it weaken man and be          
irreverent towards the ,being to whom it
 is said to be addressed1 then it will  
be well for all who practise it to      
reconsider their position1 and at least 
to endeavour to give some solid reason  
for persisting in a course which is     
condemned by the intellect and is       
unneeded by the heart4  ,the practice of

 ,prayer is generally founded upon the  
supposed position held by man--first1 as
 a creature towards his ,creator1 and   
secondly1 as a child towards his ,father
 in heaven4 ,in its first aspect1 it is 
a simple act of homage from the inferior
 to the superior1 parallel to the       
courtesy shown by the subject to the    
monarch2 it is an acknowledgment of     
dependence1 and a sign of gratitude for 
the gifts which are supposed to be      
freely given by ,god to man--gifts which
 man has done nothing to deserve1 but   
which come from the free bounty of the  
giver4 ,putting aside the whole question
 of ,god as ,creator1 which is not the  
point at issue1 we might argue that1    
since he brought us into this world     
without our request1 and even without   
our consent1 he is in duty bound to see 
that we have all things necessary for   
our life and happiness in the world in  
which he has thus placed us4 ,we might  
argue that the blessings said to be     
bestowed upon us1 such as food1         

clothing1 c1 can only be called given by
 a fiction1 for that they are won by our
 own hard toil1 and are never gifts from
 ,god in any real sense at all4         
,further1 we might plead that we find   
bestowed upon us many things which are  
decidedly the reverse of blessings1 and 
that if gratitude be due to ,god for    
some things1 the contrary of gratitude  
is due to him for others2 and that if   
praise be his right for the one1 blame  
must be his desert for the second4 ,we  
should be thus forced into the logical1 
but somewhat peculiar1 frame of mind of 
the savage1 who caresses his fetish when
 it hears his prayers1 and belabours it 
heartily when it fails to help him4     
,but1 taking the position that ,prayer  
is due from man by reason of his        
creaturehood1 it must surely be clear   
that it cannot be a proper way of       
manifesting a sense of inferiority to   
degrade the ,being to whom the homage is
 offered4 ,yet ,prayer is essentially   
degrading to ,god1 and the character    

ascribed to him of a hearer and answerer
 of ,prayer is a most lowering          
conception of ,deity4 ,for ,god to hear 
and to answer ,prayer means that ,prayer
 changes his action1 making him do that 
which he would otherwise have abstained 
from doing2 it means that man is wiser  
than ,god1 and is able to instruct him  
in his duty2 and it means that ,god is  
less loving than he ought to be1 and    
will not bestow upon his creature that  
which is good for him1 unless he be     
importuned into giving it4 ,we are told 
that ,god is immutable1 the same        
yesterday1 to-day1 and for ever2 ,god is
 not a man that he should lie1 nor the  
son of man that he should repent4 ,if   
this be true--and surely immutability of
 purpose must be a necessary            
characteristic of an all-wise and       
all-good ,being--how can ,prayer be     
anything more than a childish fretting  
against the inevitable8 ,the ,changeless
 ,one has planned a certain course of   
action1 and is steadily carrying it out2

 in passionless serenity he goes upon   
his way2 then man breaks in with his    
feeble cries and petulant upbraidings1  
and actually turns ,god from his        
purpose1 and changes the course of his  
providence4 ,if ,prayer does not do this
 it does nothing at all2 either it      
changes the mind of ,god or it does not4
 ,if it does1 ,god is at the disposal of
 man's whim2 if it does not1 it is      
perfectly useless1 and might just as    
well be left undone4 ,the parable told  
by ,christ about the unjust judge 7,luke
 xviii4 #a-h7 is a most extraordinary   
representation of ,god3 ,because this   
widow troubleth me1 ,i will avenge her1 
lest by her continual coming she weary  
me4444 ,and shall not ,god avenge his   
own elect1 which cry day and night unto 
him8 ,verily1 the picture of the divine 
justice is not an attractive one6 ,the  
judge does his duty1 not because it is  
his duty1 not because the widow needs   
his aid1 not because her cause is a just
 one1 but lest by her continual coming  

she weary him4 ,there is only one moral 
to be drawn from this1 namely1 that ,god
 will not care for his elect1 because   
they are his own2 that he will not guard
 them1 because it is his duty2 but that1
 if they cry day and night to him1 he   
will attend to them1 because the        
continual cry wearies him1 and he       
desires to silence it4 ,in the same way 
,god the immutable changes at the sound 
of ,prayer1 not because the change will 
be better or wiser1 but because man's   
cry wearies him1 and he will be quiet if
 he obtains his petition4 ,surely the   
idea is as degrading as it can be2 it   
puts ,god on a level with the unwise    
human parent1 who allows himself to be  
governed by the clamour of his children1
 and gives any favour to the spoilt     
child1 if only the child be tiresome    
enough in its petulant persistence4  ,is
 ,prayer consistent with the            
foreknowledge of ,god8 ,it is one of the
 attributes ascribed to ,god that he    
knows all before it happens1 and that   

the future lies mapped out before him as
 clearly as does the past4 ,if this be  
so1 is it more reasonable to pray about 
things in the future than things in the 
past8 ,no one is so utterly irrational  
as to pray to ,god1 in so many words1 to
 change the things that are gone1 or to 
alter the record of the past4 ,yet1 is  
it more rational to ask him to change   
the things that are coming1 and to alter
 the already-written chart of the       
future8 ,in reality1 man's own eyes     
being blinded1 he deems his ,god such an
 one as himself1 and where he cannot    
see1 he can allow himself to hope4 ,but 
there is no excuse from the inexorable  
logic which pierces us with one horn or 
the other of this dilemma1 however we   
may writhe in our efforts to escape     
them2 either ,god knows the future or he
 knows it not2 if he knows it1 it cannot
 be altered1 so it is of no use to pray 
about it1 everything being already      
fixed2 if he knows it not1 he is not    
,god1 he is no wiser than man4 ,but1    

then1 some ,christians argue1 he has    
pre-arranged that he will give this     
blessing in answer to ,prayer1 and he   
foreknows the ,prayer as well as its    
answer4 ,then1 after all1 it is         
pre-determined whether we shall pray or 
not in any given case1 and we have only 
to follow the course along which we are 
impelled by an irresistible destiny2 so 
the matter is beyond all discussion1 and
 the power to pray1 or not to pray1 does
 not reside in us2 if there is a        
blessing in store for us which needs the
 arm of ,prayer to pluck it from the    
tree on which it hangs1 we shall        
inevitably pray for it at the right     
moment1 and thus--in his effort to      
escape from one difficulty--the praying 
,christian has landed himself in a worse
 one1 for absolute foreknowledge implies
 complete determinism1 and prevents all 
human responsibility of any kind4  ,is  
,prayer consistent with the wisdom of   
,god8 ,after all1 what does ,prayer     
mean1 boldly stated8 ,it means that man 

thinks that he knows better than ,god1  
and so he tells ,god that which ought to
 happen4 ,is there any self-conceit so  
intolerable as that which pretends to   
bow itself in the dust before him who   
created and who upholds the infinite    
worlds which make up the universe1 and  
which then sets itself to correct the   
ordering of him who traced the orbits of
 the planets1 and who measured the rule 
of suns8 ,finite wisdom instructing     
infinite wisdom2 mortal reason laying   
down the course of immortal reason2 low 
intelligence guiding supreme            
intelligence2 man instructing ,god4 ,all
 this is implied in the fact of ,prayer1
 and every man who has prayed1 and who  
believes in ,god1 ought to cast himself 
down in passionate humiliation before   
the wisdom he has insulted and impugned1
 and ask pardon for the insolent        
presumption which dared to lay hands on 
the helm of the ,supreme1 and to dream  
that man could be more wise than ,god4  
,at least1 those who believe in ,god    

might be humble enough to acknowledge   
his superiority to themselves1 and if   
they demand that homage should be paid  
to him by their brethren1 they should   
also confess him to be wiser and higher 
than they are themselves4  ,is ,prayer  
consistent with trust in the goodness of
 ,god8 ,surely ,prayer is a distinct    
refusal to trust1 and is a proclamation 
that we think that we could do better   
for ourselves than ,god will do for us4 
,if ,god be good and loving to every    
man1 it is manifest that1 without any   
pressure being put upon him1 he will do 
for each the best thing that can        
possibly be done4 ,the people of        
,madagascar are wiser1 in this matter   
than the people who throng our churches 
and our chapels1 for they say1          
addressing the good ,spirit1 ,we need   
not pray to thee1 for thou1 without our 
prayers1 wilt give us all things that be
 good for us2 and then they turn to the 
evil ,spirit1 saying1 that they must    
pray to him lest1 if they do not1 he    

should work them harm1 and send troubles
 in their way4 ,prayer implies that ,god
 judges all good gifts1 and will        
withhold them unless they are wrung from
 his reluctant hands2 it denies that he 
loves his creatures1 and is good to all4
 ,in addition to this1 it also implies  
that we will not trust him to judge what
 is best for us2 on the contrary1 we    
prefer to judge for ourselves1 and to   
have our own way4 ,if a trouble comes1  
it is prayed against1 and ,god is       
besought to remove his heavy hand4 ,what
 does this mean1 except that when ,god  
sends sorrow1 man clamours for joy1 and 
when ,god deems it best that his child  
should weep1 the child demands cause for
 smiles8 ,if people trusted ,god1 as    
they pretend to trust him--if the       
phrases of the ,sunday were the practice
 of the week--if men believed that      
,god's ways were higher than man's ways1
 and his thoughts than their            
thoughts--then no ,prayer would ever    
ascend from earth to the ,throne of     

grace1 and man would welcome joy and    
sorrow1 peace and care1 wealth and      
poverty1 as wise men welcome nature's   
order1 when the rain comes down to swell
 the seed for the harvest1 and the      
sunshine glows down upon earth to       
burnish the golden grain4  ,but1 say the
 praying ,christians1 even if ,prayer be
 not defensible as homage from the      
creature to the ,creator1 in that it    
lowers our idea of ,god1 it must surely 
yet be natural as the instinctive cry   
from the child to the ,father in heaven2
 and then follow arguments drawn from   
the family and the home1 and the need of
 communion between parent and child4 ,as
 a matter of fact1--taking the analogy1 
imperfect as it is--do we find much     
,prayer1 as from child to parent1 in the
 best and the happiest homes2 is not the
 amount of asking the exact measure of  
the imperfection of the relationship8   
,the wiser and the kinder the parent1   
the less will the child ask for2 rather1
 it learns from experience to trust the 

older wisdom1 and to be contented with  
the love which is ever giving1          
unsolicited1 all good things4 ,at the   
most1 the simple expression of the      
child's wish is all that is needed1 if  
the child desire anything of which the  
parent have not thought2 and even this  
mere statement of a wish is still the   
result of imperfection1 i e41 the want  
of knowledge on the parent's part of the
 child's mind and heart ,in this case   
there is no pleading1 no urging2 the    
single request and single answer        
suffice2 there is nothing which         
corresponds with the idea of the prophet
 to pray to ,god and to give him no rest
 until he grant the petition4 ,in a     
well-ordered home1 the child who        
persisted in pressing his request would 
receive a rebuke for his want of trust1 
and for his conceited self-sufficiency2 
and yet this is the analogy on which    
,prayer to ,god is built up1 and in this
 fashion natural instincts are dragged  
in1 in order to support supernatural and

 artificial cravings4  ,leaving ,prayer1
 as it affects man's relationship to    
,god1 let us look at it as it regards   
man's relationship to things around him1
 and ask if it be permitted by our      
scientific knowledge1 and approved by   
experience and by history4 ,the chief   
lesson of science is that all things    
work by law1 that we dwell in a realm of
 law1 and that nothing goes by chance4  
,all science is built up upon this idea2
 science is not possible unless this    
primary rule be correct2 science is only
 the codified experience of the race1   
the observed sequence of to-day marked  
down for the guidance of to-morrow1 the 
teaching of the past hived up for the   
improvement of the future4 ,but all this
 accumulation and correlation of facts  
becomes useless if laws can be broken--i
 e41 if this observed sequence of       
phenomena can be suddenly broken by the 
interposition of an unknown and         
incalculable force1 acting spasmodically
 and guided by no discoverable order of 

action4 ,science is impossible if these 
providential occurrences may take place 
at any moment4 ,a physician1 in writing 
his prescription1 selects the drugs     
which experience has pointed out as the 
suitable remedy for the disease under   
which his patient is labouring4 ,these  
drugs have a certain effect upon the    
tissues of the human frame1 and the     
physician calculates on this effect     
being produced2 but if ,prayer is to    
come in as a factor1 of what use the    
physician's science8 ,here is suddenly  
introduced--to speak figuratively--a new
 drug of unknown power1 and the effect  
of medicine plus ,prayer can in no way  
be calculated upon4 ,the prescription is
 either efficient or non-efficient2 if  
it be efficient1 ,prayer is unnecessary1
 as the cure would take place without   
it2 if it be non-efficient1 and ,prayer 
makes up the deficiency1 then medical   
science is not needed1 for the impotency
 of the drugs can always be balanced by 
the potency of the ,prayer4 ,this       

argument may be used as regards every   
science4 ,prayer is put up for a ship   
which goes to sea4 ,the ship is fitted  
for the perils it encounters1 or it is  
unfit4 ,if fitted1 it arrives safely    
without ,prayer2 if1 though unfit1 it   
arrives1 being guarded by ,prayer1 then 
,prayer becomes a factor in the         
shipbuilder's calculations1 and sound   
timbers and strong rivets sink into     
minor importance4 ,if it be argued that 
to speak thus is to use ,prayer         
unfairly1 because it is our duty to take
 every proper means to ensure safety1   
what1 is this except to say that1 after 
all1 ,prayer is only a fiction1 and that
 while we bow our knees to ,god1 and    
pretend to look to him for safety1 we   
are really looking to the strong timbers
 of the ship-builder1 and to the skill  
of the captain8  ,science teaches1 also1
 that all phenomena are the results of  
preceding phenomena1 and that an        
unbroken sequence of cause and effect   
stretches back further than our poor    

thoughts can reach4 ,in stately harmony 
all ,nature moves1 evolving link after  
link of the endless chain1 each link    
bound firmly to its predecessor1 and    
affording1 in its turn1 the same support
 to its successor4 ,prayer is put up in 
the churches for fair weather2 but rain 
and sunshine do not follow each other by
 chance1 they obey a changeless law4 ,to
 alter the weather of to-day means to   
alter the weather of countless          
yesterdays1 which have faded away1 one  
after another1 into the infinite azure  
of the past4 ,the weather of to-day is  
the result of all those long-past phases
 of temperature1 and1 unless they were  
altered1 no change is pos sible to-day4 
,the ,prayer that goes up in ,english   
churches should really run3--,o ,god1 we
 pray thee to change all that thou hast 
wrought in the past2 we1 to-day1 in this
 petty corner of thy world1 are         
discontented with thy ordering2 we      
desire of thee1 then1 that1 to pleasure 
our fancy1 thou wilt unroll the record  

of the past1 and change all its order1  
remoulding its history to suit our      
convenience here to-day4 ,it is         
difficult to say which is the worse1 the
 self-conceit which deems its own petty 
needs worthy of such complaisance of    
,deity1 or the ignorance which forgets  
the absurdities implied in the request  
it makes4 ,but1 after all1 it is the    
ignorance which is to blame3 these      
,prayers were written when science was  
scarcely born2 in those days ,god was   
the immediate cause of each phenomena1  
sending rain from heaven when it pleased
 him1 thundering from heaven against his
 enemies1 pouring hailstones from heaven
 to slay his foes1 opening and closing  
the windows of heaven to punish a wicked
 king or to pleasure an angry prophet4  
,in those days heaven was very close to 
earth3 so near that when it opened1 the 
dying ,stephen could see and recognise  
the form and features of the ,son of    
,man2 so near that1 lest man should     
build a tower which should reach it1    

,god had himself to descend and         
discomfit the builders4 ,all these      
things were true to the writers whose   
words are repeated in ,english churches 
in the nineteenth century1 and they     
naturally believed that what ,god       
wrought in days of old he could work    
also among themselves4 ,but knowledge   
has shattered the fairy fabric which    
fancy had raised up2 astronomy built    
towers--not of ,babel--from which men   
could gauge the heaven1 and find that   
through illimitable ether worlds        
innumerable rolled1 and that where the  
throne of ,god should have been seen1   
suns and planets sped on their ceaseless
 rounds4 ,further and further back1 the 
ancient ,god who dwelt among men was    
pressed back1 till now1 at last1 no room
 is found for spasmodic divine          
solutions1 but ,nature's mighty order   
rolls on uninterrupted1 in a silence    
unbroken by voice and undisturbed by    
miraculous volitions1 bound by a golden 
chain of inviolable law4 ,the most      

learned and the most thoughtful         
,christian people now acknowledge that  
prayer is out of place in dealing with  
natural order2 but surely it is time    
that they should make their voices heard
 plainly1 so as to erase from the       
,prayer-book these obsolete notions1    
born of an ignorance which the world has
 now outgrown4 ,few really believe in   
the power of ,prayer over the weather1  
but people go on from the sheer force of
 habit1 repeating1 parrot-like1 phrases 
which have lost their meaning1 because  
they are too indolent to exert thought1 
or too fettered by habit to test the    
,prayer of the ,sunday by the standard  
of the week4 ,when people begin to think
 of what they repeat so glibly1 the     
battle of ,free ,thought will have been 
won4  ,many earnest people1 however1    
while recognising the fact that ,prayer 
ought not to be used for rain1 fine     
weather1 and the like1 yet think that it
 may be rightly employed to obtain      
spiritual benefits4 ,is not this idea   

also the product of ignorance8 ,when men
 knew nothing of natural laws they      
thought they could gain natural benefits
 by ,prayer2 now that people know       
nothing of spiritual laws1 they think   
they can gain spiritual benefits by     
,prayer4 ,in each case the ,prayer      
springs from ignorance4 ,is it really   
more reasonable to expect to gain       
miraculous spiritual strength from      
,prayer1 than to expect to give vigour1 
by ,prayer1 to arms enfeebled by fever8 
,growth1 slow and steady1 is ,nature's  
law2 no sudden leaps are possible2 and  
no ,prayer will give that spiritual     
stature which only develops by continual
 effort1 and by patient continuance in  
well-doing4 ,the mind--which is probably
 what is generally meant by the word    
spirit--has its own laws1 according to  
which it grows and strengthens2 it is   
moulded1 formed1 developed1 as the body 
is1 by the play of the circumstances    
around it1 and by the organisation with 
which it comes into the world1 and which

 it has inherited from a long race of   
ancestors4 ,here1 too1 inexorable law   
surrounds all1 and in mind1 as in       
matter1 the reign of law ,is            
all-embracing1 all-compelling4  ,is     
,prayer approved by experience8 ,it     
seems necessary here to refer to the    
experience of some1 who say that they   
have found ,prayer strengthen them to   
meet a trouble which they had dreaded1  
or to accomplish a duty for which their 
own ability was insufficient4 ,this     
appears to be very probable1 but the    
reason is not far to seek1 and as the   
explanation of the increased strength   
may be purely natural1 it seems         
unnecessary to search for a supernatural
 cause4 ,prayer1 when earnest and       
heartfelt1 appears to exert a kind of   
reflex action on the person praying1 the
 petition not piercing heaven1 but      
falling back upon earth4 ,a duty has to 
be done or a trouble has to be faced2   
the person affected prays for help1 and 
by the intense concentration of his     

thoughts1 and by the passion of his     
desire1 he naturally gains a strength he
 had not1 when he was less deeply and   
thoroughly in earnest4 ,again1 the      
interior conviction that a olivine      
strength is on his side1 nerves his     
heart and braces his courage3 the       
soldier fights with a tenfold courage   
when he is sure that endurance will make
 victory a certainty4 ,but all this is  
no proof that ,god hears and answers    
,prayer2 if it were so1 it would prove  
also that the ,virgin ,mother1 and all  
the saints1 and ,buddha1 and ,brahma1   
and ,vishnu were alike hearers and      
answerers of ,prayer4 ,in all cases the 
sincere worshipper gains strength and   
comfort1 and finds the same answer to   
his ,prayer4 ,yet surely no one will    
contend that all these are              
,prayer-hearing and ,prayer-answering   
,gods8 ,this fancied answer is not a    
proof of the truth of the worshipper's  
belief1 but is only a proof of his      
conviction of its truth2 not the        

soundness of the belief1 but the        
sincerity of the conviction1 is proved  
by the glow and ardour which succeed the
 act of ,prayer4 ,all the dormant       
energies are aroused2 the soul's whole  
strength is put forth2 the worshipper is
 warmed by the fire struck from his own 
heart1 and is thrilled with the         
electricity which resides in his own    
frame4 ,so far1 ,prayer is found to be  
answered1 just as every strong          
conviction1 however erroneous1 is found 
to confer increased strength and vigour 
on him who possesses it4 ,but1 excepting
 this1 ,prayer is not proved to be      
efficacious when tested by experience4  
,how many ,prayers have gone up to the  
,father in heaven from his children     
overwhelmed in the sea1 and drowning in 
floods1 and encircled by fire8 ,how many
 passionate appeals of patriots and     
martyrs1 of exiles and of slaves8 ,how  
many cries of anguish from beside the   
beds of the dying1 and the fresh graves 
of the newly-dead8 ,in vain the wife's  

wail for the husband1 the mother's      
pleading for the only child2 no voice   
has answered ,weep not2 no command has  
replied1 ,rise up2 the ,prayers have    
fallen back on the breaking heart1 poor 
white-winged birds that have tried to   
fly towards heaven1 but have only sunk  
back to earth1 their breasts bruised and
 bleeding from striking against the iron
 bars of a pitiless and relentless fate4
 ,so continually has ,prayer failed to  
win an answer1 that1 in spite of the    
clearness and the force of the ,bible   
promises in regard to it1 ,christians   
have found themselves obliged to limit  
their extent1 and to say that ,god      
judges whether or no it will be         
beneficial for the worshipper to grant  
the petition1 and if the ,prayer be a   
mistaken one he will1 in mercy1 withhold
 the implored-for boon4 ,of course1 this
 prevents ,prayer from being ever tested
 by experience at all1 because whenever 
a ,prayer remains unanswered the reply  
is ready1 that it was not according to  

the will of ,god4 ,this means1 that we  
cannot test the value of ,prayer in any 
way2 we must accept its worth wholly as 
a matter of faith2 we must pray because 
we are bidden to do so1 and fulfil an   
useless form which affords no tangible  
results4 ,in this melancholy position   
are we landed by an appeal to           
experience1 by which we are challenged  
to test the value of ,prayer4  ,the     
answer of history is even yet more      
emphatic4 ,the ,ages of ,prayer are the 
,dark ,ages of the world4 ,when learning
 was crushed out1 and superstition was  
rampant1 when wisdom was called         
witchcraft1 and priests ruled ,europe1  
then ,prayer was always rising up to    
,god from the countless monasteries     
where men dwarfed themselves into monks1
 and from the convents where women      
shrivelled up into nuns4 ,the sound of  
the bell that called to ,prayer was     
never silent1 and the time that was     
needed for work was wasted in ,prayer1  
and in the straining to serve ,god the  

service of man was neglected and        
despised4  ,there is one obvious fact   
that throws into bright relief the      
absurdity of ,prayer4 ,two people pray  
for exactly opposite things2 whose      
,prayers are to be answered8 ,two armies
 ask for victory2 which is to be        
crowned8 ,amongst ourselves1 now1 the   
,church is divided into two opposing    
camps1 and while the ,ritualists appeal 
to ,god for protection1 the ,evangelical
 clamour also for his aid4 ,to which is 
he to bend his ear8 which ,prayer is he 
to answer8 ,both appeal to his promises2
 both urge that his honour is pledged to
 them by the word he has given2 yet it  
is simply impossible that he should     
grant the ,prayer of both1 because the  
,prayer of the one is the direct        
contradiction of the prayer of the      
other4  ,again1 none of the believers in
 ,prayer appear to consider1 that1 if it
 were true that ,prayer is so powerful a
 weapon--if it were true that by ,prayer
 man can prevail with ,god--it would    

then be madness ever to pray at all4 ,to
 pray would be as dangerous a thing as  
to put a cavalry sword into the hands of
 a child just strong enough to lift it1 
but unable to control it1 or to         
understand the danger of its blows4 ,who
 can tell all the results to himself and
 to others which might flow from a      
granted ,prayer1 a ,prayer made in all  
honesty of purpose1 but in ignorance and
 short-sightedness8 ,if ,prayers really 
brought answers it would be most        
wickedly reckless ever to pray at all1  
as wickedly reckless as if a man1 to    
quench a moment's thirst1 pierced a hole
 in a reservoir of water which overhung 
a town4  ,but1 in spite of all          
arguments1 in spite of all that reason  
can urge and that logic can prove1 it is
 probable that many will still cling to 
the practice of ,prayer1 craving for the
 relief it gives to the feelings of the 
heart1 however much it may be condemned 
by the judgment of the intellect4 ,they 
seem to think that they will lose a     

great inspiration to work if they give  
up communion with ,god1 and that they   
will miss the glow of ardour which they 
deem they have caught from ,prayer4 ,but
 surely it may fairly be urged on them  
that no real good can arise from        
continuing a practice which it is       
impossible to defend when it is         
carefully analysed4 ,prayer is as the   
artificial stimulant which excites1 but 
does not strengthen1 and lends a        
factitious brightness1 which is followed
 by deeper depression4 ,those who have  
prayed most have often stated that      
seasons of special blessing are         
generally followed by special           
temptations of ,satan4 ,the reaction    
follows on the unreal excitation1 and   
the soul that has been flying in heaven 
grovels upon earth4 ,to the patient who 
is weak and depressed from long illness1
 the bright air of the morning seems    
chill and cold1 and he yearns for the   
warmth of the artificial stimulants to  
which he has grown accustomed2 yet      

better for him is it to gain health from
 the morning breezes1 and stimulus from 
the glad clear sunshine1 than to yield  
to the craving which is a relic of his  
disease4 ,if they who find in communion 
with ,god a sweetness which is lacking  
when they commune with their            
brethren--if they who cultivate         
dependence on ,god would learn the true 
dependence of man on man--if they who   
yearn for the invisible would           
concentrate their energies on the       
visible--then they would soon find a    
sweetness in labour which would         
compensate for the languor of ,prayer1  
and they would learn to draw from the   
joy of serving men1 and from the serene 
strength of an earnest life1 a warmth of
 inspiration1 a passion of fervour1 an  
exhaustless fount of energy1 beside     
which all ,prayer-given ardour would    
seem dull and nerveless1 in the glow of 
which the fancied warmth of             
,god-communion would seem as the pale   
cold moonshine in the glory of the      

rising sun4     ,,constructive          
,,rationalism4  ,,it is a common        
complaint against the ,rationalistic    
school of thought that they can destroy 
but cannot construct2 that they tear    
down1 but do not build up2 that they are
 armed only with the axe and with the   
sword1 and not with the trowel and the  
mason's line4 ,we have had enough of    
negations1 is a common cry2 give us     
something positive4 ,much of this       
feeling is foolish and unreasonable2 the
 negation of error1 where error is      
supreme1 is necessary before the        
assertion of truth can become possible4 
,before a piece of ground can be sown   
with wheat1 it must be cleared of the   
weeds which infest it2 before a solid   
house can be built in the place of a    
crumbling ruin1 the ancient rubbish must
 be carried off1 and the rotten walls   
must be thoroughly pulled down4         
,destructive criticism is necessary and 
wholesome2 the heavy battering-ram of   
science must thunder against the walls  

of the churches2 the swift arrows of    
logic must rain on the black-robed army2
 the keen lance-points of irony must    
pierce through the leather jerkin of    
superstition4 ,but the destruction of   
orthodox ,christianity being            
accomplished1 there remains for the     
,rationalist much more to do4 ,he has to
 frame a code which shall rule in the   
place of the code of ,moses and of      
,jesus2 he has to found a morality which
 shall replace the morality of the      
,bible2 he has to construct an ideal    
which shall be as attractive as the     
ideal of the ,churches2 he has to       
proclaim laws which shall supersede     
revelation3 in a word1 he has to build  
up the religion of humanity4  ,as the   
,rationalist looks abroad over the      
contending armies of faith and of       
reason1 he gradually recognises the fact
 that his new religion1 if it is to     
serve as a bond of union1 must stand on 
stable ground1 apart from the warring   
hosts4 ,round the idea of ,god rages the

 hottest din of the battle4 ,the old1   
popular1 and traditional belief is      
wounded to the death1 and is slowly     
breathing out its life4 ,the            
philosophical subtleties of the         
metaphysician are beyond the grasp of   
folk busied chiefly with common work4   
,the new school of ,theists1 believers  
in a spiritual personal ,god1 stands on 
a slippery incline1 whereon is no firm  
foothold4 ,it simply spreads over the   
abysses of thought a sentimental veil of
 poetical imaginings1 and bows down     
before a beatified and celestial man1   
whose image it has sculptured out of the
 thought-marble of its sublimest        
aspirations4 ,if the idea of ,god be    
thus warred over1 thus changing1 thus   
uncertain1 it is plain that the new     
religion cannot find its foundation on  
this shifting and disputed ground4      
,while theologians are wrangling about  
,god1 plain men are looking wistfully   
over the shattered idols to find the    
ideal to which they can cling4 ,the new 

religion1 then1 studying the varying    
phases of the ,god-idea1 seizes on its  
one permanent element1 its idealised    
resemblance to man1 its embodiment of   
the highest humanity2 and1 grasping this
 thought1 it turns to men and says1 ,in 
loving ,god you are only loving your own
 highest selves2 in conforming          
yourselves to the ,divine image you are 
only conforming yourselves to your own  
highest ideals2 the unknown ,god whom   
you ignorantly worship1 him declare ,i  
unto you2 in serving your family1 your  
neighbours1 your country1 you serve this
 unknown ,god2 this ,god is ,humanity1  
the race to which you belong2 this is   
the veiled ,god whom all generations    
have worshipped in heaven1 while he trod
 the world around them in every human   
form2 this is the only ,god1 the ,god   
who is manifest in the flesh3 --        
,there is no ,god1 ,o son1 ,if thou be  
none4  ,the first great constructive    
effort of the new religion is thus to   
transform the idea of ,god1 and to turn 

all men's aspirations1 all men's hopes1 
all men's labours1 into this channel of 
devotion to humanity1 that so the       
practical outcome of the new motive     
power may be a steady flow of loving and
 energetic work for man1 work that      
begins in the family1 and spreads1 in   
ever-widening circles1 over the whole   
race4  ,this transformation of the      
central figure necessarily transforms   
also the whole idea of religion1 which  
must take its colour from that centre4  
,revelation from heaven being no longer 
possible1 its place must be supplied by 
study on earth3 revealed laws being no  
longer attainable1 it becomes the duty  
of the ,humanitarian to discover natural
 laws4 ,this duty is the more cheering  
from the manifest failure of revealed   
laws1 as exemplified in popular         
,christianity4 ,law1 in the mouth of the
 believer in revelation1 means a command
 issued by ,god2 the laws of ,nature are
 the rules laid down by ,god1 in        
accordance with which all things move2  

they are the behests of the ,creator of 
,nature1 the controlling wires of the   
mechanism1 held by the hand of ,god4    
,but law in the mouth of the            
,rationalist means nothing more than the
 observed and registered invariable     
sequence of events4 ,thus it is said a  
stone falls to the ground in obedience  
to the law of gravitation4 ,by the law  
of gravitation the ,christian would mean
 that ,god had ordered that all stones  
should so fall4 ,the ,rationalist would 
simply mean that all stones do so fall1 
and that invariable sequence he calls   
the law of gravitation4 ,obedience to   
the laws of ,nature replaces1 in the    
religion of ,humanity1 obedience to the 
laws of ,god4 ,as there is no inspired  
revelation of these laws the student    
must carefully and patiently ascertain  
them1 either by direct observation1 or  
most often1 in the books of those who   
have devoted their lives to the         
elucidation of ,nature's code4          
,scientific books will1 in fact1 replace

 the ,bible1 and by the study of the    
laws of health1 both physical1 moral1   
and mental1 the ,rationalist will       
ascertain the conditions which surround 
him to which he must conform himself if 
he desires to retain physical1 moral1   
and mental vigour4 ,this difference in  
the authority which is obeyed leads     
naturally to the difference of morality 
between the orthodox ,christian and the 
,rationalist4 ,christian morality       
consists of obedience to the will of    
,god1 as revealed in the ,bible4 ,the   
grand difficulty regarding this         
obedience is1 that the will of ,jehovah1
 as revealed to the ,jews at different  
times1 varies so much from age to age   
that the most zealous ,christian must   
fail to obey all the conflicting behests
 prefaced by a ,thus saith the ,lord4   
,god would1 of course1 never command any
 one to do a thing which was directly   
wrong1 yet ,god distinctly said3 ,thou  
shalt not suffer a ,witch to live2 and  
,god sanctioned ,slavery1 and ,god      

commanded ,persecution on account of    
religious convictions3 true1 ,christians
 plead that all these laws are obsolete1
 but what is that but to acknowledge    
that revealed morality is obsolete1     
i4e41 that it was never revealed by ,god
 at all4 ,for a command to persecute    
must be either right or wrong3 if right1
 it is the duty of ,christians to obey  
it1 and to raise once more the stakes of
 ,smithfield for heretics and           
unbelievers2 if wrong1 it can never have
 come from ,god at all1 and must be     
blasphemously attributed to him4 ,in    
,god1 ,christians tell us there is no   
changeableness1 neither shadow of       
turning2 then what pleased him in long  
past ages would please him still1 and   
what he commanded yesterday would be    
right to-day4 ,thus fatally does        
revealed morality fail when tested1 and 
it becomes impossible to know which     
particular will of ,god he desires that 
we should obey4 ,now1 once more1 the    
,rationalist experiences the advantages 

of his new motive-power2 he has to serve
 ,humanity1 and is unencumbered by the  
difficulties attendant upon pleasing    
,god4 ,not the pleasure of ,god1 but the
 benefit of man1 is the basis of his    
morality4 ,revealed morality is as a    
child's garment1 into-which one should  
try to force the limbs of a full-grown  
man2 it is the morality of the past     
stereotyped for the use of today1 and is
 clumsy1 archaic1 half-illegible from   
age4 ,rational morality1 on the other   
hand1 grows with the growth of those who
 follow its dictates2 its errors are    
corrected by wider experience1 its      
omissions are filled up by the          
irrefragable arguments of necessity4 ,it
 is founded upon the needs of man2 his  
happiness is its sole object2 not only  
his physical happiness1 not only the    
fulfilment of the desires of the body   
for ease and comfort1 but the           
satisfaction also of all the cravings of
 his intellectual and moral powers1 the 
love of truth1 the love of beauty1 the  

love of justice4 ,a morality founded on 
this basis can never be overthrown2 one 
sure test it affords whereby to decide  
on the morality or the immorality of    
any-given action3 ,is it useful to man8 
does it tend to the promotion of human  
happiness8 ,the will of ,god is         
doubtful1 and is always disputable1 and 
therefore it can never form the         
foundation of a universal system of     
morality1 a code which shall unite all  
men in obedience4 ,a code which shall   
unite all men must needs be founded on  
those human interests which are common  
to all men4 ,such a code is the         
utilitarian4 ,for man's happiness is on 
earth1 and can be known and understood2 
the promotion of that happiness is an   
intelligible aim2 the test of morality  
may be applied by every one2 it is a    
system which everybody can understand1  
and which the common sense of each must 
approve1 for by it man lives for man1   
man labours for man1 the efforts of each
 are directed to the good of all1 and   

only in the happiness of the whole can  
the happiness of each part be perfected 
and complete4  ,there is much popular   
misconception with regard to            
utilitarianism3 utility is supposed to  
include only those material things which
 are useful to the body1 and which tend 
to increase physical comfort4 ,but      
utility includes all art2 for art       
cultures the taste and refines the      
nature4 ,it thus adds a thousand charms 
to life1 deepens1 softens1 purifies     
human happiness4 ,utility includes all  
study1 for study-awakens and trains the 
intellectual faculties1 and therefore   
increases the sources of happiness      
possible to man4 ,utility includes all  
science2 for science is man's true      
providence1 foreseeing the dangers that 
threaten him1 and shielding him against 
their shock4 ,science leads man up to   
those intellectual heights where to     
stand awhile and breathe in the keen1   
clear air after dwelling in the turbid  
atmosphere of daily toils and cares1 is 

as the refreshment of the pure mountain 
wind to the weary inhabitant of the     
crowded city streets44 ,utility includes
 all love and search of truth2 for the  
discovery of a truth is the keenest     
pleasure of which the noblest mind is   
susceptible4 ,it includes all sublimest 
virtue2 for self-sacrifice and devotion 
yield the purest forms-of happiness to  
be found on earth4 ,in a word1 utility  
includes everything which is useful in  
building up a grander manhood and       
womanhood1 wiser1 purer1 truer1 tenderer
 than that we have to-day4  ,such is the
 basis of the morality which is to      
supersede the supernatural morality of  
the ,churches2 a morality which is3 for 
this life and for this world1 since we  
have this life1 and are in this world2 a
 morality which seeks to ensure human   
happiness on this side the grave1       
instead of dreaming of it on the other  
side2 a morality which endeavours to    
carve solid heavens here1 instead of    
seeing them in distant cloud-lands1     

white and soft and beautiful1 but still 
only clouds4  ,one vast advantage of    
this humanitarian philosophy is that it 
endeavours to train men into            
unselfishness1 instead of following the 
popular ,christian plan of making self  
the central thought4 ,self is appealed  
to at every step in the ,new ,testament3
 if we are bidden to rejoice under      
persecution1 it is because great is your
 reward in heaven2 if urged to pray1 it 
is because thy ,father1 which seeth in  
secret1 himself shall reward thee       
openly2 if to be charitable1 it is      
because at the judgment it will bring a 
kingdom as the recompense2 if to resign 
home or wealth1 it is because we shall  
receive a hundredfold in this present   
life1 and in the world to come life     
everlasting2 even the giver of a cup of 
cold water shall in no wise lose his    
reward4 ,it is one system of bribes1    
mingling the thought of personal pain   
with every effort of human improvement  
and human happiness1 and thereby        

directly fostering and encouraging      
selfishness and gilding it over with the
 name of religion and piety4            
,humanitarian morality1 on the other    
hand1 while utilising the natural and   
rightful craving for individual         
happiness as a motive-power1 endeavours 
to accustom each to look to1 and to     
labour for1 the happiness of all1 making
 that general happiness the aim of life4
 ,thus it gradually weakens the selfish 
tendencies and encourages the social1   
holding up ever the noble ideal by the  
very contemplation of its beauty        
transforming its votaries into its      
likeness4 ,vivre pour au-trui1 is the   
motto of the utilitarian code2 and in so
 living the fullest and happiest life   
for self is really attained2 so closely 
drawn are the bands that bind men       
together that happiness and unhappiness 
re-act from one to another1 and as the  
general standard of happiness rises     
higher and higher1 the wheels of social 
life run more and more easily1 with less

 of friction1 less of jar1 and therefore
 with increased comfort to each         
individual member4 ,while ,christianity 
developes selfishness by its continual  
cry of ,save thyself1 ,utilitarianism   
gradually developes unselfishness by the
 nobler whisper1 ,save others1 and in so
 doing thou shalt thyself be saved4     
,delivered from every debasing fear of  
an unknowable and inscrutable power1    
,utilitarianism works with a single     
heart and a single eye for the happiness
 of the race1 stamping with the brand of
 wrong every act the general repetition 
of which would be harmful to society1 or
 the tendency of which is injurious1 and
 sealing as right every act which       
brightens human life1 and makes the     
general happiness more perfect1 and more
 widely spread4 ,as morality rises      
higher and higher1 human judgment will  
grow keener and purer1 and in the times 
to come probably many an act now        
approved on all sides will be seen to be
 harmful1 and will therefore become     

marked as immoral1 while1 on the other  
hand1 acts that are now considered      
wrong1 because offensive to ,god1 will  
be seen to be beneficial to man1 and    
will therefore be accepted by all as    
moral4 ,thus ,utilitarian morality can  
never be a bar to progress1 for it will 
become higher and nobler as man mounts  
upwards4 ,revealed morality is as a     
milestone on the road of the world's    
onward march3 it marks how far the world
 had travelled when its tables of law   
were first set up in its place3 as a    
milestone1 it is useful1 interesting1   
and instructive1 and none would desire  
to destroy it2 but if the milestone be  
removed from its post as a mark of      
distance1 and be laid across the road as
 a barrier which none must overclimb in 
days to come1 then it becomes necessary 
for the pioneers of progress to hew it  
to pieces that men may go on their way  
unchecked1 and this revealed morality   
now lies across the upward path of the  
world1 and must be broken in pieces with

 the hammer of logic and the axe of     
common sense1 so that we may press ever 
higher up the mountain of progress1     
whose summit is hid in everlasting      
cloud4  ,and what has constructive      
,rationalism to say to us1 when we stand
 face to face with the mighty destroyer 
of all living things8 ,your creed may do
 well enough to live by1 say-objectors1 
but is it good to die by8 ,a creed that 
is good in life must needs be good in   
death1 and never yet was a hero-life    
closed by a coward death4 ,what can     
better smooth the bed of the dying man  
than the knowledge that the world is the
 happier for his living1 that he leaves 
it better than he found it1 that he has 
helped to raise and to purify it8 ,what 
easier pillow to rest the dying head on 
than the memory of a useful life8 ,the  
,rationalist has no fear lurking around 
his death-bed2 no lurid gleams from a   
hell on the other side lighten around   
him as his breath begins to fail2 no    
angry ,god frowns on him from the great 

white throne2 no devil stands beside him
 to drag him down into the bottomless   
pit2 quietly1 peacefully1 happily1      
without fear and without dread1 he      
passes out of life4 ,as calmly as the   
tired child lies down to sleep in its   
mother's arms1 and passes into dreamless
 unconsciousness1 so calmly does the    
,rationalist lie down in the arms of the
 mighty mother1 and pass into dreamless 
unconsciousness on her bosom4  ,to the  
,rationalist1 the future of the race    
replaces in thought the future of the   
individual2 for that he thinks1 for that
 he plans1 for that he labours4 ,a      
heaven upon earth for those who come    
after him1 such is his inspiration to   
effort and to self-devotion4 ,he seeks  
the smile of man instead of the smile of
 ,god1 and finds in the thought of a    
happier humanity the spur that          
,christians seek in the thought of      
pleasing ,god4 ,his hopes for the future
 spread far and wide before him1 but it 
is a future to be inherited by his      

children in this same world in which he 
himself lives2 freer and fuller life1   
wider knowledge1 deepened and more      
polished culture--all these are to be   
the heritage of the generations to come1
 and it is his to make that heritage the
 richer by every grander thought and    
nobler deed that he can do to-day4  ,let
 us place side by side the dogmas of    
,christianity and the motive power of   
the ,rationalist1 and see which of these
 two is the gladder life-moulder of man4
 ,christianity has a ,god in heaven1 all
 powerful and all-wise1 who in ages gone
 by made the universe and fore-ordained 
all that should happen in time to come2 
who created man and woman with a serpent
 to tempt them1 and made for them the   
opportunity of falling2 who1 having made
 the opportunity1 forced them to take   
it4 ,it is said that ,adam and ,eve were
 free agents1 but they were nothing of  
the kind1 for the lamb was slain from   
the foundation of the world3 the        
sacrifice was offered before the sin was

 committed2 and the sacrifice being     
made1 the sin was its necessary         
consequence4 ,if ,adam had been free1 he
 might not have sinned1 and then there  
would have been a slain lamb and no sin 
for which he could atone2 but ,god1     
having provided the ,saviour1 was       
obliged to provide the sinner1 and      
therefore he made the tree of knowledge 
and sent the tempter to entrap the      
parents of mankind4 ,they fell1         
according to ,god's predestination1 and 
thus became accursed1 and then the      
waiting ,redeemer was revealed1 and the 
divine scheme was complete4 ,accursed   
for a sin in which they had no part1 the
 children of ,adam are born with an evil
 nature1 and being evil they act evilly1
 and thereby sink lower and lower2 at   
their feet yawns a bottomless pit1 and  
the road to it is broad1 easy1 and      
pleasant2 above their heads shines a    
luxurious heaven1 and the path is       
narrow1 steep1 and rugged4 ,their       
nature--,god-given to all--drags them   

downwards2 the ,holy ,ghost--,god given 
to some--drags them upwards3 immortality
 is their inheritance1 and few there be 
that find immortal happiness1 while many
 there be that go in at the gate of hell
 to immortal woe2 a severance1 bitter   
beyond all earthly bitterness of        
parting1 is in store for all1 since1 at 
the great day of judgment1 one shall be 
taken and the other left1 and there will
 not be a family some of whose members  
will not be lost for ever4 ,eternal     
life1 to the vast majority1 is to mean  
eternal torment1 and they are to be     
salted with fire1 burning yet never     
burnt up1 consuming ever but never      
consumed4 ,towards the gaining of       
heaven1 towards the avoidance of hell1  
all human effort must be turned4 ,what  
shall it profit a man if he gain the    
whole world1 and lose his own soul8 ,all
 life must be one striving to enter in  
at the strait gate1 for many shall seek 
to enter in and shall not be able2      
poverty1 oppression1 misery1 what       

matters it8 the light affliction which  
is but for a moment worketh a far more  
exceeding and eternal weight of glory4  
,thus this world is forgotten for the   
sake of another1 crushed out of sight   
beneath the overwhelming grandeur of    
eternity2 the spur to human effort is   
blunted by the infinitesimal importance 
of time as compared with eternity2 bad  
government1 bad laws1 injustice1        
tyranny1 pauperism1 misery1 all these   
things need not move us1 for we seek a  
better country1 that is a heavenly2 we  
are strangers and pilgrims2 here we have
 no continuing city1 but we seek one to 
come2 our citizenship is in heaven1 and 
there also is our home4 ,true1          
,christians do not carry out into daily 
life these phrases and thoughts of their
 creed1 but in so much as they do not   
they are the less ,christian1 and the   
more imbued with the spirit of          
,rationalism4 ,rationalists they are1   
the vast majority1 six days in the week1
 and are only ,christians on the        

,sunday4 ,to come out of1 these old     
world dreams into ,rationalism is like  
coming into the open air after a        
hothouse4 ,rationalism clears away the  
terrible ,god of orthodoxy1 the fall1   
the serpent1 the ,saviour1 the hell1 the
 devil4 ,work1 toil1 struggle1 it cries 
to man2 the ills around you are not the 
appointment of ,god1 not the effects of 
his curse2 they arise from your own     
ignorance1 and may all be cleared away  
by your own study1 and your own effort4 
,salvation8 ,yes1 you need saviours1 but
 the saviours must save you from earthly
 woes and not from the wrath of ,god2   
save yourselves1 by thought1 by wisdom1 
by earnestness4 ,redemption8 yes1 you   
need redeeming1 but the redemption you  
want is from vice1 from ignorance1 from 
poverty1 and must be wrought out by     
human effort4 ,prayer8 yes1 you need    
praying for1 but the prayer you want is 
work compelling the result2 not crying  
out for what you desire1 but winning it 
by labour and by toil4 ,the world       

stretches wide before you1 capable of   
paying you a thousandfold for all you do
 for it4 ,life is in your hands1 full of
 all glorious possibilities2 throw away 
your dreams of heaven1 and make heaven  
here2 leave aside visions of the life to
 come1 and make beautiful the life which
 is4  ,full of hope1 full of joy1 strong
 to labour1 patient to endure1 mighty to
 conquer1 goes forth the new glad creed 
into the sad grey ,christian world2 at  
her touch men's faces soften and grow   
purer1 and women's eyes smile instead of
 weeping2 at last1 at last1 the heir    
arises to take to himself his own1 and  
the negation of the usurped sovereignty 
of the popular and traditional ,god over
 the world developes into the           
affirmation of the rightful monarchy of 
man4     ,,the ,,beauties ,,of ,,the    
,,prayer-,,book4     ,,morning ,,prayer4
  ,,habit1 is second nature1 saith a    
wise old saw1 so it must be from custom 
that it has become natural to ,church   
people to repeat placidly1 week after   

week1 the same palpable                 
self-contradictions and absurdities4 ,a 
sensible1 shrewd man of business puts   
away his papers on the ,saturday night1 
and apparently locks his mind up with   
them in his desk2 certain it is that he 
,goes on ,sunday to the church1         
,and sits among his boys2      ,he hears
 the parson pray and preach1  and yet   
never discovers that his boys are       
repeating the most contradictory        
responses1 while the parson is          
enunciating as axioms the most startling
 propositions4  ,when the preliminary   
silence in church is broken by the      
sentences1 the first words that fall    
from the clergyman's lips are a distinct
 declaration of the conditions of       
salvation3 ,when the wicked man turneth 
away from his wickedness that he hath   
committed1 and doeth that which is      
lawful and right1 he shall save his soul
 alive2 and we are further instructed as
 to our sins1 that if we confess our    
sins1 ,he is faithful and just to       

forgive us our sins1 and to cleanse us  
from all unrighteousness4 ,these very   
plain statements take high and          
comprehensible ground4 ,god is supposed 
to desire that man should be righteous1 
and is1 therefore1 naturally satisfied  
when the wicked forsakes his way and the
 unrighteous man his path4 ,we proceed1 
then1 to confess our sins1 and after    
,mrs4 ,a41 whose eyes are straying after
 her neighbour's bonnet1 has confessed  
that she is erring and straying like a  
lost sheep1 and ,mrs4 ,b41 who is       
devising a way to make an old dress look
 new1 has owned plaintively that she is 
following the devices of her own heart2 
and ,squire ,c1 of the rubicund visage  
and broad shoulders1 has sonorously     
remarked that there is no health in him1
 and his son1 with the joyous face1 has 
cheerfully acknowledged that he is a    
miserable sinner--after these very      
appropriate and reasonable confessions1 
to a ,divine ,being who seeth the heart1
 and may therefore be supposed to take  

them for what they are worth1 have been 
duly gone through1 we are somewhat      
puzzled to hear the clergyman announce  
that ,god pardoneth and absolveth all   
them that truly repent1 and unfeignedly 
believe ,his holy ,gospel4 ,what is this
 sudden appendix to the before-declared 
conditions of salvation8 ,we had been   
told that if we confessed our sins      
,god's faithfulness and justice would   
cause him to forgive us2 here we have   
duly done so1 and surely the language is
 sufficiently strong2 we are yet        
suddenly called upon to believe a holy  
,gospel as a preliminary to forgiveness4
 ,but we are not yet1 to use a          
colloquialism1 out of the wood2 for     
while we are moodily meditating on this 
infraction of our contract the time     
slips on unobserved1 and1 it being a    
feast-day1 we are startled by a stern   
voice conveying the cheerful            
intelligence1 ,whosoever will be saved1 
before all things1 it is necessary that 
he hold the ,catholic ,faith4 ,which    

,faith except every one do keep whole   
and undefiled1 without doubt he shall   
perish everlastingly4 ,before all       
things8 before repentance8 before       
turning away from our wickedness8 before
 doing that which is lawful and right8  
,and what is this ,faith which we must  
keep whole and undefiled if we would    
save our souls alive8 ,a bewildering    
jumble of triplets and units1 mingled in
 inextricable confusion4 ,but as he that
 will be saved must thus think of the   
,trinity1 we will try and disentangle   
the thread of salvation4 ,the ,father is
 ,god1 the ,son is ,god1 and the ,holy  
,ghost is ,god1 says the parson4 ,they  
are not three ,gods1 but one ,god1 shout
 out the people4 ,we are compelled to   
acknowledge every ,person by ,himself to
 be ,god and ,lord1 reiterates the      
parson4 ,we are forbidden by the        
,catholic ,religion to say there be     
three ,gods or three ,lords1 obstinately
 persist the people4 ,then1 after some  
rather intrusive particulars about the  

family 7and very intricate7 relations of
 the ,father to the ,son1 and of both to
 the ,holy ,ghost1 we are told that     
so--why so8--there is one ,father1 not  
three ,fathers1 one ,son1 not three     
,sons1 one ,holy ,ghost1 not three ,holy
 ,ghosts4 ,in so far as we have been    
able to follow the meaning1 or rather   
the no-meaning1 of the preceding        
sentences1 no one said anything about   
three ,fathers1 three ,sons1 or three   
,holy ,ghosts4 ,the definite article the
 had been used in each case with a      
singular noun4 ,we imagine the clause   
must have been inserted because all     
ideas as to the meaning2 of numerals    
must have been by this time so          
hopelessly lost by the congregation1    
that it became necessary to remark that 
the ,father meant one ,father1 and not  
three4 ,the list of necessaries for     
salvation is not yet complete1 for      
furthermore it is necessary to          
everlasting salvation1 that he also     
believe rightly the ,incarnation of our 

,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,so far1 then1    
from its being true that the wicked man 
who turns from his sins shall save his  
soul alive1 we find that our sinner must
 also believe the ,gospel1 must accept  
contradictory arithmetical assertions1  
must think of the ,trinity in a way     
which makes thought a ludicrous         
impossibility1 and must believe rightly 
all the details of the method by which a
 ,divine ,being became a human being4   
,if a sinner chances to go out of church
 after the first sentence1 and from     
being a drunkard becomes temperate1 from
 being a liar becomes truthful1 from    
being a profligate becomes chaste1 and  
foolishly imagines that he is thereby   
doing ,god's will1 and thus saving his  
soul alive1 he will certainly1 according
 to the ,athanasian ,creed1 wake up from
 his pleasant delusion to find himself  
in everlasting fire4 ,as sceptics1 we   
need offer no-opinion as to which is    
right1 the creed or the text2 we only   
suggest that both cannot be correct1 and

 that it would be more satisfactory if  
the ,church1 in her wisdom1 would make  
up her venerable mind which is the      
proper path1 and then keep in it4 ,after
 all this1 we are in no way surprised to
 learn from a collect that being saved  
is dependent on quite a new support1    
namely1 on the knowledge we have of     
,god4 ,how many more things may be      
necessary to salvation it is impossible 
to say at this point1 but the office for
 ,morning ,prayer1 at any rate1 gives us
 no more4 ,it would be rash to conclude1
 however1 that we have fulfilled all1   
for the ,church has some more scattered 
up and down her ,prayer-,book2 the end  
of all which double-dealing is1 that we 
can never be sure that we have really   
fulfilled every condition2 sad          
experience teaches us that when the     
,church says1 do so-and-so1 and you     
shall be saved1 she is1 meanwhile1      
whispering under her breath1 provided   
you also do everything else4  ,we fail  
also to see the reasonableness of the   

constant cry1 for the sake of ,jesus    
,christ1 or through ,jesus ,christ4 ,we 
ask that we may lead a godly1 righteous1
 and sober life for ,his sake2 but this 
is just what we are told ,god wishes    
already1 so why should ,he be asked to  
grant it for some one else's sake1 as   
though ,he were unwilling that we should
 be righteous1 and can only be coaxed   
into allowing us to be so by a favourite
 son8 ,in the same way we are to come to
 ,god's eternal joy1 through ,jesus1    
which is1 by the way1 another of these  
endless conditions of salvation4 ,we ask
 to be defended from our enemies through
 the might of ,jesus ,christ1 as though 
,god ,himself was not strong enough for 
the task2 and ,god is urged to send down
 ,his healthful ,spirit for the honour  
of our advocate and ,mediator1 although 
that very advocate told ,his disciples  
that ,god would always give that spirit 
to those who asked for it4 ,to the      
outside critic1 these continual         
references to ,jesus1 as though ,god    

grudged all good gifts1 appear very     
dishonouring to the ,father in ,heaven4 
,is it considered necessary to press    
,god vehemently to hurry himself8 ,o    
,god1 make speed to save us4 ,o ,lord1  
make haste to help us4 ,will not ,god1  
of his own accord1 do things at the best
 possible time8 and further1 is it      
possible for a ,divine ,being to make   
haste8  ,it will1 perhaps1 be considered
 hypercritical to object to the         
versicles3 ,give peace in our time1 ,o  
,lord1 because there is none other that 
fighteth for us but only thou1 ,o ,god4 
,what more do they want than an almighty
 reinforcement8 ,none other8 ,well1 we  
should have fancied that ,god and       
somebody else were really more than were
 needed4 ,at any rate it sounds very    
insulting to say to ,god1 please give us
 peace1 since we cannot count on any    
assistance except yours4  ,we have      
nothing to say about the prayers for the
 ,royal ,family1 except that they do not
 show any very attractive results1 and  

that it must have much edified ,george  
,,iv4 to hear himself spoken of as a    
most religious and gracious king4 ,never
 surely was a family so much prayed for1
 but cui bono8 ,if the ,bishops1        
,curates1 and all congregations truly   
please ,god1 he is about1 the only      
person that they succeed in pleasing1   
for the ,bishops abuse the clergy1 and  
the clergy abuse the ,bishops1 and the  
congregations abuse both4 ,of the last  
prayer1 we must note the exceeding      
failure of the petition to grant the    
,church knowledge of truth1 and we      
cannot help marvelling why1 if they     
really desire to know the truth1 they so
 invariably frown at and endeavour to   
crush out every earnest search after    
truth1 every effort for clearer light4  
,of all things that can happen to the   
,church1 the knowledge of the truth     
would be the least expedient for her1   
for she would fade away before the      
sunshine of truth as ghosts are said to 
fly at the cockcrow which announces the 

dawn4  ,a criticism on the office of    
,morning ,prayer is scarcely complete   
without a few words upon the canticles  
appointed to be daily sung by the       
faithful to the glory of ,god4 ,any     
thing more ludicrously absurd than these
 from the lips of our congregations it  
would indeed be difficult to imagine4   
,the ,venite 7,ps4 xcv47 is the first we
 are called upon to take part in1 and   
the first shock comes when we find      
ourselves-chanting ,the ,lord is a great
 ,god and a great king above all gods4  
,above all ,gods6 what terrible heresy  
have we been unwittingly committing     
ourselves to8 ,is there not only one    
,god--or1 at least1 it may be           
three--but1 if three1 they are co-equal1
 and no one is above the other2 who are 
these all gods that the ,lord is king   
above8 ,we remember for a moment that   
when this psalm was written the gods of 
the nations around ,israel were believed
 to have a real existence1 and that1    
therefore1 it was no inconsistency in   

the mouth of the ,hebrew to rejoice that
 his national god was ruler above the   
gods of other peoples4 ,this explanation
 is reasonable1 but then it does not    
explain why we1 who believe not in this 
multiplicity of deities should pretend  
that we do4 ,our equanimity is not      
restored by the next phrase1 ,in his    
hand are all the corners of the earth2  
but the earth is a globe1 and has no    
corners4 ,a misty remembrance floats    
through our mind of ,iraeneus stating   
that there were four gospels because    
there were four corners to the earth and
 four winds that blew2 but since his    
time things have changed1 and the       
corners have been smoothed off4 ,is it  
quite honest to say in ,god's praise a  
thing which we know to be untrue1 and   
must we be unscientific because we are  
devotional8 ,we then hear about our     
fathers being forty years in the        
wilderness1 although we know that they  
were not there at all1 unless the       
people--generally looked upon as amiable

 lunatics--are correct1 who assert that 
the ,english nation is descended from   
the ten lost tribes of ,israel4 ,why    
should we pretend to ,god that we are   
,jews1 when both ,he and we know        
perfectly well that we are nothing of   
the kind8 ,we come to the ,te ,deum1    
said to have been composed by ,s4       
,ambrose for the baptism of ,s4         
,augustine3--,to thee cherubin and      
seraphin continually do cry4 ,putting   
aside the manifest weariness both to    
,god and to the cryers of the           
never-ceasing repetition of these words1
 and the degrading idea of ,god implied 
in the thought that it gives ,him any   
pleasure to be perpetually assured of   
,his holiness1 as though it were a      
doubtful matter--we cannot help         
inquiring1 ,who are these cherubin and  
seraphin8 ,according to the ,bible1 they
 are six-winged creatures1 who cover    
their faces with two wings1 and their   
feet with two more1 and fly with the    
remaining pair3 they may be seen in     

pictures of the ark1 balancing          
themselves on their feet-covering wings1
 and preventing themselves from falling 
by steadying each other with another    
pair4 ,lord ,god of ,sabaoth1 or of     
,hosts2 is this a reasonable name for   
one supposed to be a ,god of peace8 ,the
 elder ,jewish and the ,christian ideas 
of ,god here come into direct collision3
 according to one1 the ,lord is a man of
 war 7,ex4 xv471 while the other        
represents him as the ,everlasting      
,father1 the ,prince of ,peace 7,isai4  
ix474 ,the ,te ,deum midway changes the 
object of its song1 and addresses itself
 to the ,son instead of to the ,father4 
,how far this is permissible is much    
disputed1 for certain it is that in the 
early ages of ,christianity prayer was  
addressed to the ,father only1 and that 
one of the ,fathers99 sharply rebukes   
those who pray to the ,son1 since they  
thereby deprive the ,father of the      
honour due to ,him alone4 ,how this can 
be1 when ,father and ,son are one1 we do

 not pretend to explain4 ,then ensue    
those curious details regarding ,christ 
which we shall touch upon in dealing    
later with the ,apostles' ,creed4 ,we   
find ourselves1 presently1 asking to be 
kept this day without sin2 yet1 we are  
perfectly well aware1 all the time1 that
 ,god will do nothing of the kind1 and  
that all ,christians believe that they  
sin every day4 ,why does the ,church    
teach her children to sing this in the  
morning1 and then prepare a confession  
for the evening1 unless she feels       
perfectly sure that ,god will pay no    
attention to her prayer8 ,the wearisome 
reiteration in the ,benedicite is so    
thoroughly recognised that it is very   
seldom heard in the church1 while the   
,benedictus 7,luke i47 is open to the   
same charge of unreality as is the      
,venite1 that it is a song for ,jews    
only4       99 ,origen4  ,many other    
faults and absurdities might be pointed 
cut which disfigure ,morning ,prayer1   
even if the whole idea of prayer be left

 untouched4 ,the prayers of             
the-,prayer-,book are dishonouring to   
,god from their childishness1 their     
unreality1 their folly1 their conflict  
with sound knowledge4 ,allowing that    
prayer may be reasonable1 these prayers 
are unreasonable2 allowing that prayer  
may be reverent1 these prayers are      
irreverent2 allowing that prayer may be 
sincere1 these prayers are insincere4   
,they are fragments of an earlier age   
transplanted into the present1 and they 
are as ludicrous as would be men walking
 about in our streets to-day clad in the
 armour of the ,middle ,ages1 the ages  
of ,darkness and of ,prayer4            
,,evening ,,prayer4  ,the ,church1 in   
her wisdom1 fearing that the quaint     
conceits and impossibilities which we   
have referred to1 the--       ,jewels   
which adorn the spouse of the eternal   
glorious ,king1  should not be          
sufficiently appreciated and admired by 
her children1 if presented to their     
adoration once only on every day1 has   

appointed for the use of the faithful an
 office of ,evening ,prayer1 which1 in  
its main features1 is identical with    
that which is to be said or sung each   
morning4 ,sentences1 address1           
confession1 absolution1 ,lord's ,prayer1
 and versicles1 are all exactly         
reproduced1 and ,psalms and ,lessons    
follow in due course1 varying from day  
to day4 ,to take the whole ,psalter1 and
 analyse it1 would be a task too-long   
for our own patience1 or for that of our
 readers1 so we only pick out a few     
salient absurdities1 and ask why        
,english men and women should be found  
singing sentences which have no beauty  
to recommend them1 and no meaning to    
dignify them4 ,we will not lay stress on
 the quaintness of a congregation       
standing up and gravely singing3 ,or    
ever your pots be made hot with thorns1 
so let indignation vex him1 even as a   
thing that is raw 7,ps4 lviii472 we will
 not ask what the clergyman means when  
he reads out to his congregation3       

,though ye have lien among the pots1 yet
 shall ye be as the wings of a dove4    
7,ps4 lxviii47 ,these are isolated      
passages1 which a pen might erase1      
retaining the major part of the         
,psalter3 we go further1 and challenge  
it as a whole1 asserting that it is     
ludicrously inappropriate as a song-book
 for sensible people1 even although     
those people may be desirous of praying 
to1 or praising ,god4 ,our strictures   
are here levelled1 not at prayer as     
prayer1 but simply at this particular   
form of prayer4 ,in the first place the 
,psalter is written only for a single   
nation2 it is full of local allusions1  
and of references of ,israelitish       
history1 which are only reasonable in   
the mouth of a ,jew4 ,with what amount  
of sense can an ,english congregation   
every #aeth evening of the month sing   
such a ,psalm as the lxxviii41          
recounting all the marvels of the       
plagues and of the exodus1 or on the    
following day plead with ,god to help   

them1 because the heathen are come into 
,thine inheritance2 ,thy holy temple    
have they defiled1 and made ,jerusalem  
an heap of stones8 7,ps4 lxxix47 ,is    
there any respect to ,god in telling him
 that we are become an open shame to our
 enemies2 a very scorn and derision unto
 them that are round about us 7v4 #d71  
when1 as a matter of simple fact1 the   
speakers are become nothing of the kind8
 ,can it be thought to be consistent    
with reverence to ,god to make these    
extraordinary assertions in praying to  
,him1 and then to base upon them the    
most urgent pleas for ,his immediate    
aid8 for we find the congregation       
proceeding3 ,help us1 ,o ,god of our    
salvation1 for the glory of ,thy ,name2 
,o deliver us and be merciful unto our  
sins for ,thy ,name's sake4444 ,o let   
the vengeance of ,thy servant's blood   
which is shed be openly shewed upon the 
heathen in our sight4 ,o let the        
sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come 
before ,thee2 according to the greatness

 of ,thy power1 preserve ,thou those    
that are appointed to die 7w4 #i1 #aj1  
#aa74 ,now in all sober seriousness what
 does this mean8 ,is this addressed to  
,god1 or is it not8 ,if it be1 is it    
right and fit to address to him words   
that are absolutely untrue1 and to cry  
urgently for aid which is not required1 
and which ,he cannot possibly give8 ,if 
it be not1 is it decent to solemnly sing
 or read phrases seemingly addressed to 
,god1 but really not intended to be     
noticed by him1 phrases which use ,his  
name as though an appeal to ,him were   
seriously made8 ,it cannot be healthy to
 juggle thus with words1 and to make    
emotional prayers which are utterly     
devoid of all meaning4 ,some devout     
persons talk very freely about the      
wickedness of blasphemy1 but is not that
 kind of game with ,god1 in wailings    
which are devoid of reality1 appeals not
 intended to be answered1 a far more    
real blasphemy in the mouth of any one  
who believes in ,him as a hearer of     

prayer1 than the so-called blasphemy of 
those who distinctly assert that to them
 the popular and traditional ,god is a  
phantom1 and that they see no reason to 
believe in ,his existence8 ,passing from
 this graver aspect of the use of the   
,psalter as a congregational song-book1 
we notice how purely comic many of the  
psalms would appear to us had not the   
habit-fashion of our lives accustomed us
 to repeat them in a parrot-like manner1
 without attaching the smallest meaning 
to the words so glibly recited4 ,every  
night wash ,i my bed and water my couch 
with my tears 7,ps4 vi471 is sung       
innocently by laughing maiden and merry 
youth1 the bright current of whose life 
is undimmed by the shadow of grief4     
,bring unto the ,lord1 ,o ye mighty1    
bring young rams unto the ,lord 7,ps4   
xxix471 is solemnly read out by the     
country clergyman1 who would be beyond  
measure astonished if his direction were
 complied with4 ,then we find the       
congregation making the certainly untrue

 assertion3 ,moab is my wash-pot2 over  
,edom will ,i cast out my shoe2         
,philistia1 be thou glad of me 7,ps4    
lx474 ,at another time they cry out1 ,o1
 clap your hands together1 all ye people
 7,ps4 xlvii472 they speak of           
processions which have no existence1    
,the singers go before1 the minstrels   
follow after1 in the midst are the      
damsels playing on the timbrels 7,ps4   
lxviii474 ,another phase of this        
,psalter1 which is offensive rather than
 comic1 is the habit of swearing and    
cursing which pervades it2 we find      
,christians1 who are bidden to love     
their enemies1 and to bless them that   
curse them1 pouring out curses of the   
most fearful character1 and displaying  
the most reckless hatred3 ,the righteous
 shall rejoice when he seeth the        
vengeance2 he shall wash his footsteps  
in the blood of the ungodly 7,ps4       
lviii474 ,let them fall from one        
wickedness into another1 and not come   
into ,thy righteousness 7,ps4 lxix474 ,a

 nice prayer1 truly1 for one man to pray
 for his brother man1 to a holy ,god who
 is supposed to desire righteousness in 
man4 ,then there is that fearful        
imprecation in ,psalm cix41 too long to 
quote1 where the vindictive and cruel   
anger not only curses the offender      
himself1 but passes on to his children3 
,let there be no man to pity him1 nor to
 have compassion upon his fatherless    
children4 ,of course1 people do not     
really mean any of these terrible things
 which they repeat day after day2       
humanity is too noble to wish to draw   
down such curses from heaven2 the people
 have outgrown the bad spirit of that   
cruel age when the ,psalter was written1
 and their hearts have grown more       
loving2 but surely it is not well that  
men and women should stand on a lower   
level in their prayers than in their    
lives2 surely the moments1 which ought  
to be the noblest1 should not be passed 
in using language which the speakers    
would be ashamed of in their daily      

lives2 surely the worship of the ,ideal 
should not be degraded below the        
practice of the ,real1 or the notion of 
,god be less lofty than the life of man4
 ,by making their worship an unreality1 
by being less than true in their        
religious feelings1 by using words they 
do not mean1 and by pretending emotions 
they do not experience1 people become   
trained into insincerity1 and lose that 
rare and beautiful virtue of instinctive
 and thorough honesty4 ,when the prayer 
does not echo the yearning of the heart1
 then the habit grows of not making the 
word really the representative of the   
thought1 of not making the feeling the  
measure of the expression4 ,much of the 
cant of the day1 much of the social     
insincerity1 much of the prevalent      
unreality1 may be laid at the door of   
this crime of the ,churches1 of making  
men speak words which are meaningless to
 the speaker1 and of teaching them to be
 untrue in the moments which should be  
the truest and the purest4 ,at another  

time1 we might impeach prayer as a      
whole2 we might argue against it1 either
 as opposed to the unchangeableness and 
the wisdom of ,god1 if a prayer-hearing 
and prayer-answering ,god be believed   
in1 or as utterly futile1 and proved    
worthless by experience4 ,but here we   
only plead for sincerity in prayer1     
wherever prayer is practised2 we only   
urge that at least the prayer shall be  
sincere1 and that the lips shall obey   
the heart4  ,exactly the same objection 
applies to the ,canticles1 which1 in    
modern lips1 are absolutely devoid of   
sense4 ,what meaning has the song of the
 blessed ,virgin ,mary from an ordinary 
,english congregation2 why should       
,english people talk about ,god         
promising ,his mercy to our forefathers1
 ,abraham1 and his seed for ever1 when  
,abraham is not their forefather at all8
 ,why should they ask ,god to let them  
depart in peace1 when they have not the 
smallest desire to depart at all1 and   
why should they assert to ,him that they

 have seen ,thy salvation1 when they    
have seen nothing of the kind8 ,for the 
perpetually recurring ,gloria1 one      
cannot help wondering what it means2    
when was the beginning1 and is the it   
which was at that period1 the glory     
which is wished to the ,father1 ,son1   
and ,holy ,ghost2 further1 what is the  
good of wishing glory to ,him--or to    
,them--if ,he--or ,they--have always    
had1 and always will have it8 ,when we  
have heard a congregation reciting the  
,creed1 we have sometimes wondered what 
meaning they attached to it4 ,the maker 
of heaven and earth4 ,do people ever try
 to carry the mind back to the time     
before this making1 and realise the     
period when nothing existed8 ,is it     
possible to imagine things coming into  
existence1 something emerging from where
 before nothing was8 ,and then ,jesus1  
the only ,son1 conceived by the ,holy   
,ghost1 who proceeds from ,himself1 and 
son1 therefore1 not of the ,father1 but 
of that spirit which only exists in and 

through the ,father and the ,son4       
,again1 how can a spirit conceive a     
material body8 ,if the whole affair be  
miraculous1 why try to compromise       
matters with nature1 by making this kind
 of pseudo-father8 ,surely it would be  
simpler to leave it a complete miracle1 
and let the ,virgin remain the solitary 
parent4 ,except for making the story    
match better with the elder ,greek      
mythology1 there is no need to introduce
 a godparent in the affair2 a child     
without a father is no more remarkable  
than a mother who remains a virgin4     
,this attempt at reasonableness only    
makes the whole more outrageously       
unnatural1 and provokes criticism which 
would be better avoided4 ,a ,god1 who   
suffered1 was crucified1 dead1 buried1  
who rose and ascended1 is a complete    
enigma to us4 ,could ,he1 the impassive1
 suffer8 could ,he1 the intangible1 be  
crucified8 could ,he1 the immortal1 die8
 could ,he1 the omnipresent1 be buried  
in one spot of earth1 rise from it1 and 

ascend to some place where he was not   
the moment before8 ,what kind of ,god is
 this who is to come again to a place   
where ,he is not now8 ,if the answer be1
 that all this refers to the manhood of 
,jesus1 then we inquire1 ,is ,christ    
divided8 if ,he be one ,god with the    
,father1 then all ,he did was done by   
the ,father as much as by ,himself2 if  
,he did it only as man1 then ,god did   
not come from heaven to save men2 then  
this is not a divine sacrifice at all2  
then1 a simple man cannot have made an  
atonement for the sin of the world4 ,and
 where is the right hand of ,almighty   
,god8 ,is ,jesus sitting at the right   
hand of a pure spirit1 who has neither  
body nor parts8 and1 since ,he is one   
with ,god1 is ,he sitting at his own    
right hand8 ,such questions as these are
 called blasphemous2 but we fling back  
the charge of blasphemy on those who try
 to compel us to recite a creed so      
absurd4 ,we decline to repeat words     
which convey to us no meaning1 and not  

ours the fault1 if any inquiry into the 
meaning produce dilemmas so inconvenient
 to the orthodox4 ,we are also required 
to believe in the ,holy ,catholic       
,church1 but we know of no such body4   
,catholic means universal1 and there is 
no universal ,church3 to believe in that
 which does not exist would1 indeed1 be 
faith without sight4 ,there is the      
,orthodox ,church1 but that is          
anathematised by the ,roman2 there is   
the ,roman ,church1 but that is the     
scarlet whore of ,babylon in the eyes of
 the ,protestant2 there are the         
,protestant sects1 but they are many and
 not one1 a multiformity in disunity4   
,we are asked to acknowledge a          
,communion of ,saints1 and we see those 
who severally call themselves saints    
excommunicating each the other2 in a    
forgiveness of sins1 but ,nature tells  
us of no forgiveness1 and we find       
suffering invariably following on the   
disregard of law2 in a resurrection of  
the body1 but we know that the body     

decays1 that its gases and its juices   
are transmuted in the alembic of ,nature
 into new modes of existence2 in a life 
everlasting1 when the dark veil of      
ignorance envelopes the ,beyond the     
tomb4 ,only the thoughtless can repeat  
the creed2 only the ignorant cannot see 
the impossibilities it professes to     
believe4  ,the two ,collects1 which are 
different in the evening prayer to those
 used in the morning office1 call for no
 special remark1 save that they--in     
common with all prayers--make no        
practical difference in human life4 ,the
 devout ,christian is no more defended  
from all perils and dangers of this     
night1 than is the most careless        
atheist2 wisely1 also1 does the         
,christian1 having prayed his prayer1   
walk carefully round his house1 and     
examine the bolts and bars1 mindful that
 these commonplace defences are more    
likely to be efficacious against        
burglars than the protecting arm of the 
,most ,high4  ,the remainder of the     

service is the same as that used in the 
morning1 so calls for no further remark4
 ,if only people would take the trouble 
of thinking about their religion2 if    
only they could be led1 or even         
provoked1 into trying to realise that   
which they say they believe1 then the   
foundations of the popular religion     
would rapidly be undermined1 and the    
banner of ,freethought would soon float 
proudly over the crumbling ruins of that
 which was once a ,church4     ,,the    
,,litany4  ,the ,litany has a fault     
which runs throughout the ,prayer-,book1
 that vain repetition which1 according  
to the ,gospel1 was denounced by ,jesus 
of ,nazareth2 the refrain of ,good      
,lord1 deliver us1 and ,we beseech ,thee
 to hear us1 good ,lord1 recurs with    
wearisome reiteration1 and is repeated  
monotonously by the congregation1 few of
 whom1 probably1 would know from what   
they were requesting deliverance1 if the
 clergyman were to stop and ask so      
unexpected a question4 ,gods the        

,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost are     
severally besought to have mercy upon   
the miserable sinners praying to them1  
and then the ,trinity as a whole is     
asked to do the same4 ,how far this     
separation is consistent with the unity 
of the ,godhead1 and whether in praying 
to the ,son we do1 or do not1 implicitly
 pray to the ,father1 and vice versa1   
those only can tell us who understand   
the mystery of the ,holy ,trinity4 ,this
 preamble over1 the remainder of the    
,litany is addressed to ,god the ,son1  
who is the ,good ,lord invoked          
throughout1 in spite of ,his reproof to 
the young man who knelt to ,him1 calling
 ,him ,good ,master2 why callest thou   
,me good8 ,various dogmas are alluded to
 in the succeeding verses in which few  
educated people now retain any belief4  
,how many really care to be delivered   
from the crafts and assaults of the     
devil1 or believe in the existence of   
the devil at all8 ,he is one of those   
phantoms that can only be found in the  

darkness1 and which fade away when the  
sun arises4 ,how many believe in the    
everlasting damnation1 of the same      
verse1 or really consider themselves in 
the smallest danger of it8 ,no one who  
believed in hell could pray to be       
delivered from it in careless accents1  
for the smallest chance of that awful   
doom would force a wail of terror from  
the lightest-hearted of the listeners4  
,is it consistent to ask ,christ to     
deliver us from ,his wrath8 if ,he loved
 men so much as to die for them1 it     
seems as though a great change must have
 come over ,his mind since ,he ascended 
into heaven1 if ,he really requires to  
be pressed so urgently not to take      
vengeance1 and to spare us and deliver  
us from ,his wrath4 ,which is right1 the
 wrath or the love8 for they are not    
compatible2 and does ,god really like to
 see people crouching before ,him in    
this fashion1 praising ,his mercy while 
they tremble lest ,he should break out  
upon them8 ,if we were inclined to be   

hypercritical we might suggest that the 
prayer to be delivered from all         
uncharitableness gives a melancholy     
proof of the inadequacy of prayer2 the  
answer to it may be read weekly in the  
,church ,times and the ,rock more       
especially in the clerical              
contributions4 ,the other petitions are 
also curiously ineffectual3 from all    
false doctrine1 heresy1 and schism1 is  
so manifestly accepted at the ,throne of
 ,grace in these rationalising days4    
,jesus is then abjured to deliver ,his  
petitioners by the memory of ,his days  
upon earth1 and we get the ancient idea 
of an incarnate ,god1 so common to all  
eastern religions1 and the curious      
picture of a ,god who is born1          
circumcised1 baptised1 fasts1 is        
tempted1 suffers1 dies1 is buried1      
rises1 ascends4 ,how ,god can do all    
this remains a mystery1 but these       
suffering1 and then conquering gods are 
familiar to all readers of mythologies2 
we learn further1 that ,god the ,holy   

,ghost can come to a place where ,he was
 not previously1 although ,he is the    
infinite ,god1 and is therefore         
omnipresent4 ,verily1 it needs that our 
faith be great4 ,being delivered        
sufficiently1 the congregation proceed  
to a number of additional petitions1 the
 first of which is1 unfortunately1 as   
great a failure as the preceding ones1  
for it prays that the ,church may be    
guided in the right way2 and having     
regard to the multiplicity of ,churches1
 each one of which goes doggedly in her 
own particular way1 it is manifest that 
they can't all be right1 as they are all
 different4 ,then follow prayers for the
 ,royal ,family and the ,government1 and
 a general request to bless and keep all
 ,thy people2 a request which is        
systematically disregarded4 ,in these   
days of bloated armaments it is at least
 pleasant to dream in church of there   
being given to all nations1 unity1      
peace1 and concord4 ,the pure affection 
with which ,god's ,word is received is  

also perfectly imaginary2 those who do  
not believe it criticise and cavil2     
those who do believe it go to sleep over
 it4 ,the last part of these verses     
seems designed simply to pray for       
everybody all round1 and this being     
satisfactorily accomplished1 we come    
across another trace of an ancient      
creed3 ,lamb of ,god1 that takest away  
the sins of the world2 this is a        
fragment of sun-worship1 alluding to the
 sun-god1 when1 entering the sign of the
 ,lamb1 he bears away all the coldness  
and the darkness of the winter months1  
and gives life to the world4 ,the       
remainder of the ,litany is of the same 
painfully servile character as the      
earlier portions2 ,god seems to be      
regarded as a fierce tyrant1 longing to 
wreak ,his fury on mankind1 and only    
withheld by incessant entreaties4 ,all  
possible evils seem to be showering down
 on the congregation1 and1 if one closed
 one's eyes1 one could imagine a        
sad-faced1 care-worn1 haggard group of  

,covenanters1 or ,huguenots1 instead of 
the fashionable crowd that fills the    
pews2 and when one hears them ask that  
they may be hurt by no persecutions1 one
 is inclined to mutter grimly3 ,you are 
all safe1 mother ,church1 and you are   
the persecutor1 not the persecuted4 ,the
 service concludes with the same unreal 
cant about afflictions and infirmities1 
till one could wish almost to hear      
something of the style of observation   
made by an angry nurse to a tiresome    
child3 ,if you don't stop crying this   
minute1 ,i will give you something to   
cry for4 ,if men would only be as real  
inside the church as they are outside2  
if they would think and mean what they  
say1 this pitiful burlesque would       
speedily be put an end to1 and they     
would no longer offer up that sacrifice 
of lying lips1 which are said to be an  
abomination to the ,lord4     ,,prayers 
,,and ,,thanksgivings ,,upon ,,several  
,,occasions4  ,these special prayers    
are1 perhaps1 on the whole1 the most    

childish of all the childish prayers in 
the ,church-book before us4 ,a prayer   
for rain2 a prayer for fair weather3 it 
is almost too late to argue seriously   
against prayers like these1 except that 
uneducated people do still believe that 
,god regulates the weather1 day by day1 
and may be influenced in ,his           
arrangements by the prayer of some      
weather-critic below4 ,yet it is a      
literal fact that storm-signals fly     
before the approaching storm1 and       
prepare people for its coming1 so that  
when it sweeps across our seas the      
vessels are safely in port1 which       
otherwise would have sunk beneath its   
fury2 meteorology is progressing day by 
day1 and is becoming more and more      
perfect1 but this science--as all other 
science--would be impossible if ,god    
could be influenced by prayer2 a        
storm-signal would be needless if prayer
 could stay the storm1 and would be     
unreliable if a prayer could suddenly1  
in mid-ocean1 check the course of the   

tempest4 ,science is only possible when 
it is admitted that ,god works by laws1 
i4e41 that ,his working at all need not 
be taken into account4 ,the laws of     
weather are as unchangeable as all other
 natural laws1 for laws are nothing more
 than the ascertained sequence of       
events2 not until that sequence has been
 found by long observation to be        
invariable1 does the sequence receive   
the title of a law4 ,as the weather of  
to-day is the result of the weather of  
countless yesterdays1 the only way in   
which prayers for change can be         
effectual is that ,god should change the
 whole weather of the past1 and so let  
fresh causes bring about fresh results2 
but this seems a rather large prayer1 to
 say the least of it1 and might1 by the 
carnal mind1 be considered as somewhat  
presumptuous4 ,in the prayers in the    
time of dearth and famine we find the   
old barbarous notion that men's moral   
sins are punished by physical           
visitations of ,god1 and that ,god's    

blessing will give plenty in the place  
of death3 if men work hard they will get
 more than if they pray hard1 and even  
long ago in ,eden ,god could not make   
his plants grow1 because there was not a
 man to till the ground2 at least1 so   
says the ,bible4 ,the prayer in the time
 of war1 is strikingly beautiful1       
begging the ,all-,father to abate the   
pride1 assuage the malice1 and confound 
the devices of some of ,his children for
 the advantage of the others4 ,the most 
religious and gracious ,sovereign       
recommended to the care of ,god has been
 known to be such a king as ,george     
,,iv41 but yet clergy and people went on
 day after day speaking of him thus to a
 ,god who searcheth the hearts4 ,a      
quaint old ,prayer-,book remarks upon   
this prayer for the ,high ,court of     
,parliament1 that the right disposing of
 the hearts of legislators proceeds from
 ,god1 and that both disbelief and      
ignorance must have made fearful        
progress where this principle is not    

recognised4 ,in these latter days we    
fear that disbelief and ignorance of    
this kind have made very considerable   
progress4 ,the ,thanksgivings run side  
by side with the prayers in subjects1   
and are therefore open to the same      
criticisms4 ,none of these prayers or   
praises can be defended by reason or by 
argument2 reason shows us their utter   
folly1 and their complete uselessness4  
,is it wise to persist in forcing into  
people's lips words which have lost all 
their meaning1 and which the people1 if 
they trouble themselves to think about  
them at all1 at once recognise as false8
 ,all danger in progress lies in the    
obstinate maintenance of things which   
have outlived their age2 just as a      
stream which flows peacefully on1       
spreading plenty and fertility in its   
course1 and growing naturally wider and 
fuller1 will--if dammed up too          
much--burst at length through the dam1  
and rush forward as a torrent1 bearing  
destruction and ruin in its course2 so  

will gradual and gentle reform in       
ancient habits change all that needs    
changing1 without abrupt alterations1   
letting the stream of thought grow wider
 and fuller2 but if all ,reform be      
delayed1 if all change be forbidden1 if 
the dam of prejudice1 of custom1 of     
habit1 bar the stream too long1 then    
thought hurls it down with the crash of 
revolution1 and many a thing is lost in 
the swirling torrent which might have   
remained long1 and might have beautified
 human life4 ,few things call more      
loudly for ,reform than our hitherto    
loudly-boasted ,reformation4     ,,the  
,,communion ,,service4  ,,no doctrine1  
perhaps1 has done so much to cause      
disunion in the ,church as the doctrine 
of ,communion enshrined in the ,lord's  
,supper4 ,a feast of love in idea1 it   
has been pre-eminently a feast of hate  
in reality1 and the fiercest contests   
have been waged over this last legacy of
 the ,redeemer4 ,down to the time of the
 ,reformation it was the central service

 of the ,church universal1 ,eastern and 
,western alike3 it was the ,liturgy1    
distinguished from every-other office by
 this distinctive name4 ,round this rite
 revolved the whole of the other        
services1 as week-days around the       
,lord's ,day2 on its due performance was
 lavished everything of beauty and of   
splendour that wealth could bring2      
sweetest incense1 most harmonious music1
 richest vestments1 rarely jewelled     
vessels1 pomp of procession1 stateliness
 of ceremony1 all brought their glory   
and their beauty to render magnificent  
the reception of the present ,god4      
,among the ,reformed ,churches the      
festival was shorn of its grandeur2 it  
became once more the simple supper of   
the ,lord1 no memorial sacrifice1 but   
only a commemorative rite2 no coming of 
the ,lord to men1 but only a sign of the
 union through faith of the believer    
with the ,saviour4 ,at the present time 
the old contest rages1 even within the  
bosom of the ,reformed ,church of       

,england2 one party still clings to the 
elder belief of a real presence of      
,christ in the elements themselves1 or  
in indissoluble connection with them1   
and1 therefore1 celebrates the service  
with much of the ancient pomp2 while the
 other furiously rejects this so-called 
idolatry1 and makes the service as bare 
and as simple as possible4 ,both parties
 can claim parts of the ,communion      
,office as upholding their special      
views1 for the ,english service has     
passed through much of tinkering from   
,high and ,low1 and retains the marks of
 the alterations that have been made by 
each4  ,to those outside the ,church    
this office has particular attraction1  
as being1 in a special manner1 a link   
between the past and the present1 and   
being full of traces of the ancient     
religion of the world1 that catholic    
sun-worship of which ,christianity is a 
modernised revival4 ,from the ,nicene   
,creed1 in which ,jesus is described as 
,god of ,god1 ,light of ,light1 very    

,god of very ,god1 ,begotten not made1  
,being of one substance with the        
,father1 ,by whom all things were       
made--from this point we breathe the    
full atmosphere of the elder world1 and 
find ourselves engaged in the worship of
 that ,light of ,light1 who1 being the  
image of the invisible ,god1 the        
first-born of every creature1 has for   
ages and ages been adored as incarnate  
in ,mithra1 in ,christna1 in ,osiris1 in
 ,christ4 ,we give thanks for the       
redemption of the world by the death and
 passion of 'the ,sun-,saviour1 who     
suffered on the ,cross for us1' who lay 
in darkness and in the shadow of death2 
we praise ,him who fills heaven and     
earth with ,his glory1 and who rose as  
the ,paschal ,lamb1 and has taken away  
the sin of the world1 bearing away in   
the sign of the ,lamb the darkness and  
dreariness of the winter2 we remember   
the ,holy ,ghost1 the fresh spring wind1
 who1 as it had been a mighty wind1 came
 to bring us out of darkness into the   

clear light of the sun2 then we see the 
priest1 with his face turned to the     
sun-rising1 take the bread and wine1 the
 symbols of the ,god1 and bless them for
 the food of men1 these symbols being   
changed into the very substance of the  
deity1 for are they not1 in very truth1 
of him alone8 ,how naturally does the   
eternal work of the sun1 daily renewed1 
express itself in such lines as         
',into bread his heat is turned1        
,into generous wine his light4'  ,and   
imagining the sun as a person1 the      
change to 'flesh' and 'blood' becomes   
inevitable2 while the fact that the     
solar forces are actually changed into  
food1 without forfeiting their solar    
character1 finds expression in the      
doctrines of transubstantiation and the 
real presence4 7,keys of the ,creeds1   
page #ia47 ,after this union with the   
,deity1 by partaking of his very self1  
we praise once more the ,lamb of ,god   
that takest away the sins of the world1 
and is most high in the glory of ,god   

the ,father4 ,the resemblance is made   
the nearer in the churches where much of
 ceremony is found 7although noticeable 
in all1 since that resemblance is       
stereotyped in the formulas themselves2 
but in the more elaborate performances  
the old rites are more clearly apparent7
 in the tonsured head of the priest1 in 
the suns often embroidered on vestment  
and on altar-cloth1 in the rays that    
surround the sacred monogram on the     
vessels1 in the cross imprinted on the  
bread1 and marking each utensil1 in the 
lighted candles1 in the grape-vine      
chiselled on the chalice--in all these1 
and in many another symbol1 we read the 
whole story of the ,sun-god1 written in 
hieroglyphics as easily decipherable by 
the initiated as is the testimony of the
 rocks by the geologian4  ,but passing  
by this antiquarian side of the ,office1
 we will examine it as a service        
suitable for the use of educated and    
thoughtful people at the present time4  
,the ,rubric which precedes the ,office 

is one of those unfortunate rules which 
are obsolete as regards their practice1 
and yet which--from their               
preservation--appear to simple-minded   
parsons to be intended to be enforced1  
whereby the said parsons fall into the  
clutches of the law1 and suffer         
grievously4 ,an open and notorious      
evil-liver must not be permitted to come
 to the ,lord's ,table1 and this        
expression seems to be explained in the 
,exhortation in the ,office1 wherein we 
read3 if any of you be a blasphemer of  
,god1 an hinderer or slanderer of ,his  
word1 an adulterer1 or be in malice1 or 
envy1 or in any other grievous crime1   
repent you of your sins1 or else come   
not to that holy ,table2 lest1 after the
 taking of that holy ,sacrament1 the    
devil enter into you1 as he entered into
 ,judas1 and fill you full of all       
iniquities1 and bring you to destruction
 both of3 body and soul4 ,in a late     
case1 the ,sacrament was refused to one 
who disbelieved in the devil and who    

slandered ,god's word1 on those very    
grounds1 and it would seem to be an act 
of ,christian charity so to deny it2 for
 surely to say that part of ,god's word 
is contrary to religion and decency must
 be to slander it1 if words have any    
meaning1 and people who do not believe  
in the devil ought hardly to be sharers 
in a rite after which the devil will    
enter into them with such melancholy    
consequences4 ,it would seem more       
consistent either to alter the formulas 
or else to carry them out2 true1 one    
clergyman wrote that the responsibility 
lay with the unworthy recipient who did 
nothing else but increase his damnation1
 but it is scarcely a pleasing notion   
that the clergyman should stand inviting
 people to the ,lord's table and1 coolly
 handing to one of those who accept1 the
 body of ,christ1 say1 ,the ,body of our
 ,lord ,jesus ,christ preserve thy body 
and soul unto everlasting life1 when he 
means--in the delicate language used by 
the above-mentioned clergyman--,the     

,body of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ damn  
thy body and soul unto everlasting      
death4 ,no one but a clergyman could    
dream of so offensive a proceeding1 and1
 to those who believe1 one so terribly  
awful4  ,the ,ten ,commandments which   
stand in the fore-front of the service  
are very much out of place as regards   
some of them1 to say nothing of the want
 of truthfulness in the assertion1 that 
,god spake these words1 c4 ,in the      
second we are forbidden to make any     
graven image1 or any likeness of any    
thing1 a command which would destroy all
 art1 and which no member of the        
congregation can have the smallest      
notion of obeying4 ,the ,jews1 who made 
the cherubim over the ark1 upon which   
,god sat1 are popularly supposed not to 
have disobeyed this command1 because the
 cherubim were not the likeness of      
anything in heaven1 earth1 or water3    
they were1 like unicorns1 creatures     
undiscovered and undiscoverable4 ,yet in
 direct opposition to this command1     

,solomon made brazen oxen to support his
 sea of brass 7#a ,kings vii4 #be1bi7   
and lions on the steps of his ivory     
throne 7,kings x4 #ai1bj7 and ,god      
himself1 said to have ordered ,moses to 
make a brazen ,serpent4 ,god is         
described1 in this same commandment as a
 jealous ,god--which is decidedly       
immoral and unpleasant who visits the   
sins of the fathers upon the children1  
unto the third and fourth generation of 
them that hate me2 the justice of this  
is so obvious that no comment on it is  
necessary4 ,the fourth ,commandment is  
another which no one dreams of attending
 to2 in the first place1 we do not keep 
the seventh day at all1 and in the      
second1 our man-servant1 our            
maid-servant and our cattle do all      
manner of work on the day we keep as the
 ,sabbath4 ,further1 who in the present 
day believes that in six days the ,lord 
made heaven and earth1 the sea1 and all 
that in them is1 and rested the seventh 
day2 geology1 astronomy ethnology have  

taught us otherwise1 and1 among those   
who repeat the response to this         
commandment in a ,london church1 not one
 could probably be found who believes it
 to be true4 ,the fifth ,commandment is 
equally out of place1 for dutiful       
children do not live any longer than    
undutiful4 ,the remainder touch simple  
moral duties1 enforced by all creeds    
alike1 and are noticeable for their     
omissions and not for their commissions3
 the insertion of the ,buddhist         
,commandment against intoxication1 for  
instance1 would be an improvement1      
although such a commandment is naturally
 not to be found in the case of so gross
 and sensual a people as the ancient    
,jews4 ,the alternative prayers for the 
,queen1 which follow next1 are only     
worth noting1 because the first         
enshrines the doctrine of divine right1 
which is long since dead and buried1    
except in church2 and the other says    
that the hearts of ,kings are in thy    
rule and governance1 and suggests the   

thought that1 if this be so1 it is      
better to be out of that rule and       
governance1 the effects on the hearts of
 ,kings not having been specially       
attractive4 ,the ,nicene ,creed comes   
next1 and is open to-the objections     
before made against the ,apostles'      
,creed2 the last clauses relating to the
 ,holy ,ghost are historically          
interesting1 since the and the ,son     
forms the ,filioque which severed       
,eastern from ,western ,christendom299  
99 ,a short but very graphic account of 
the shameful      transaction by which  
the ,filioque clause was1 so to speak1  
smuggled into the ,nicene ,creed1 is to 
be found in the first      ten or twelve
 pages of the shilling pamphlet written 
by      ,edmond ,s4 ,fouldes1 ,b4,d41   
entitled ,the ,church's ,creed1 or      
the ,crown's ,creed4444 clearly         
provides1 too1 that the      ,church of 
,rome once held that the ,holy ,ghost   
only proceeded      from the ,father1 as
 the ,dominus in it can only refer to   

the      ,father4  ,who with the ,father
 and the ,son together ought to be      
worshipped and glorified1 would be more 
true to fact than is1 since the ,holy   
,ghost is sadly ignored by modern       
,christendom1 and has a very small share
 of either prayers or hymns3 yet he is  
the husband of the virgin ,mary1 and the
 ,father of ,jesus ,christ2 he is1      
therefore1 a very important1 though     
puzzling1 person in the ,godhead1 being 
the ,father of him from whom he himself 
proceeds3 this is a mystery1 and can    
only be understood by faith4 ,the texts 
that follow are remarkable for their    
ingenious selection3 ,who goeth a       
warfare1 c4 7,cor4 ix4 #g72 ,if we have 
sown1c4 7,i cor4 ix4 #i72 ,do ye know1  
c4 7,i ,cor4 ix4 #ac72 ,he that soweth  
little1 c1 7#b ,cor4 ix4 #f72 ,let him  
that is taught1 7,gal4 vi4 #f74 the     
pervading selfishness of motive is also 
worth nothing3 ,give now in order that  
ye may get hereafter2 ,never turn thy   
face from any poor man1 and then the    

face of the ,lord shall not be turned   
away from thee2 ,he that hath pity upon 
the poor lendeth unto the ,lord3 and    
look1 what he layeth out1 it shall be   
paid him again2 ,if thou hast much1 give
 plenteously2 if thou hast little1 do   
thy diligence gladly to give of that    
little2 for so gathered thou thyself a  
good reward in the day of necessity499  
,no free1 glad giving here2 no willing1 
joyful aid to a poorer brother1 because 
he needs what ,i can give2 no ready     
offer of the cup of cold water1 simply  
because the thirsty is there and wants  
the refreshment2 ever the hateful       
whisper comes3 thou shalt in no wise    
lose thy reward4 ,these time-serving    
offerings are then presented to ,god by 
being placed upon the ,holy ,table1 and 
we then get another prayer for ,queen1  
,christian ,kings1 authorities1         
,bishops1 and people in general1        
concluding with thanks for the dead1 not
 a cheerful subject to bless ,god for1  
if there chance to be present any       

mourner whose heart is sore with the    
loss of a beloved one4 ,at this point   
the service is supposed to end1 when no 
celebration of the ,holy ,communion is  
intended1 and here we find two          
,exhortations1 or notices of            
celebration1 from the first of which we 
have already quoted39999 in the second1 
we cannot help remarking the undignified
 position in which ,god is placed2 it is
 a grievous and unkind thing not to come
 to a rich feast when invited thereto1  
wherefore we are to fear lest by        
withdrawing ourselves from this holy    
,supper1 we provoke ,god's indignation  
against us4 ,consider with yourselves   
how great injury ye do unto ,god3 what a
 very curious expression4 ,is ,god thus 
at the mercy of man8 ,surely1 then1 of  
all living ,beings the lot of ,god must 
be the saddest1 if his happiness and his
 glory are in the hands of each man and 
woman2 the greater his knowledge the    
greater the misery1 and as his knowledge
 is perfect1 and the vast majority of   

human kind know and care nothing about  
him1 his wretchedness must be complete4 
99 ,as if the clergy1 with very few     
exceptions1 are not      sufficiently   
provided for by the tithes1 c1 without  
having      to go a-begging like either 
,buddhist or ,roman ,catholic           
monks1 to both of whom ,p4,p4 and ,p4,m4
 are not inappropriately      applied   
7,professors of ,poverty and ,practisers
 of      ,mendicancy74       9999 ,it   
is1 however1 only just to say that that 
portion of it      contained between    
,the ,way and ,means thereto1 and       
,offences      at ,god's ,hands1 is one 
of the best bits in the whole           
,prayer-,book1 and which far surpasses  
the generality of      sermons one hears
 afterwards4  ,all things being ready1  
the clergyman begins by another         
,exhortation1 of somewhat threatening   
character3 ,so is the danger great if we
 receive the same unworthily4 ,for then 
we are guilty of the ,body and ,blood of
 ,christ our ,saviour2 we eat and drink 

our own damnation1 not considering the  
,lord's ,body2 we kindle ,god's wrath   
against us2 we provoke him to plague us 
with divers diseases1 and sundry kinds  
of death4 7,surely we cannot be plagued 
with more than one kind of death at     
once1 and we can't die sundry times1    
even after the ,communion47 ,one almost 
wonders why anyone accepts this very    
threatening invitation1 even though     
there are advantages promised to meet   
partakers4 ,the ,high ,church party have
 indeed the right to talk much of the   
real presence1 since ordinary bread and 
wine have none of these fearful         
penalties attached to the eating and    
drinking1 and some curious change must  
have taken place in them before all     
these terrible consequences can ensue4  
,what would happen if some consecrated  
bread and wine chanced to be left by    
mistake1 and a stray comer into the     
vestry eat it unknowingly8 ,one thinks  
of ,anne ,askew1 who1 told that a mouse 
eating a crumb fallen from the ,host    

would infallibly be damned1 replied1    
,alack1 poor mouse6 ,then follows a     
,confession of the most cringing kind1  
fit only for the lips of some coward    
suppliant crouching at the feet of an   
,eastern monarch2 it is marvellous that 
free ,english men and women can frame   
their lips into phrases of such utter   
abasement1 even to a ,god2 manliness in 
religion3 is sorely-needed1 unless1     
indeed1 ,god be something smaller than  
man1 and be pleased with the degradation
 painful to human eyes4 ,the prayer of  
consecration is the central point of the
 ordinance2 of old they prayed for the  
descent of the ,holy ,ghost on the      
elements1 for whatsoever the            
,holy-,ghost toucheth is sanctified and 
clean--it is not explained how the ,holy
 ,ghost1 being omnipresent1 manages to  
avoid touching everything--and now the  
priest asks that in receiving the bread 
and wine we may be partakers of         
,christ's ,body and ,blood1 and repeats 
the words1 ,this is my ,body1 ,this is  

my ,blood1 laying his hand              
alternately-over the bread and the wine3
 now if this means anything1 if it is   
not mere mockery1 it means that after   
the consecration the bread and wine are 
other than they were before2 if it does 
not mean this1 the whole prayer is      
simply a farce1 a piece of acting       
scarcely decent under the circumstances4
 ,but flesh and blood6 ,putting aside   
the extreme repulsiveness of the idea1  
the coarseness of the act1 the utter    
unpleasantness of eating flesh and      
drinking blood1 all of which has become 
non-disgusting by habit and fashion1 and
 the distastefulness of which can       
scarcely be realised by any             
believer--putting aside all this1 is    
there any change in the bread and wine8 
,examine it2 analyse it2 test it in any 
and every fashion2 still it answers back
 to the questioner1 bread and wine4 ,are
 our senses deceived8 ,then try a       
hundred different persons2 all cannot be
 deceived alike4 ,unless every result of

 experience is untrustworthy1 we have   
here to do with bread and wine1 and with
 nothing more4 ,but faith is needed4 ,ah
 yes6 ,there is the secret3 no flesh and
 blood without faith2 no miracle without
 credulity4 ,miracle-working priests are
 only successful among                  
credulously-disposed people2 miracles   
can only be received by those who think 
it less likely that ,nature should speak
 falsely than that man should deceive2  
those who believe in this change through
 consecration cannot be touched by      
argument2 they have closed their eyes   
that they may not see1 their ears that  
they may not hear2 no knowledge can     
reach them1 for they have shut the      
gateways whereby it could enter1 they   
are literally dead in their             
superstition1 buried beneath the stone  
of their faith4 ,the reception of the   
,body and ,blood of ,christ being over1 
the people having knelt to eat and      
drink1 as is only right when eating and 
drinking ,christ 7,john vi4 #eg71 the   

,lord's ,prayer is said for the second  
time1 a prayer and thanksgiving follows1
 confined to we and all thy whole       
,church1 for the spirit is the same as  
that of the prayer of ,christ1 ,i pray  
not for the world1 but for them whom    
thou hast given me 7,john xvii4 #i71 and
 then the service winds up with the     
,gloria in ,excelsis and the            
,benediction4 ,such is the bounden duty 
and service offered by the ,church to   
,god1 the service of which the central  
act must be either a farce or a         
falsehood1 and therefore insulting to   
the ,god to whom it is offered4         
,regarded as a service to ,god1 the     
whole ,communion ,office is             
objectionable in the highest degree2    
regarded as an antiquarian survival1 it 
is very interesting and instructive2 it 
is surely time that it should be put in 
its right place1 and that its true      
origin should be recognised4 ,the day is
 gone by for these barbarous1 though    
poetic1 ceremonials2 the flesh and      

blood1 which was a bold figure for the  
heat and light of the sun1 becomes      
coarse when joined in thought to a human
 being2 ceremonies that fitted the      
childhood of the world are out of place 
in its manhood1 as the play that is     
graceful in the child would be          
despicable in the man2 these rites are  
the baby-clothes of the world1 and      
cannot be stretched to fit the stalwart 
limbs of its maturer age1 cannot add    
grace to its form1 or dignity to its    
graver walk4     ,,the ,,baptismal      
,,offices4  ,for all purposes of        
criticism the ,offices for ,public      
,baptism of ,infants1 to be used in the 
,church1 for ,private ,baptism of       
,children in houses1 and ,baptism to    
such as are of riper years1 and able to 
answer for themselves1 may be treated as
 one and the same1 the leading idea of  
each service being identical2 this idea 
is put forward clearly and distinctly in
 the preface to the ,office3 ,dearly    
beloved1 forasmuch as all men are       

conceived and born in sin2 and that our 
,saviour ,christ saith1 ,none can enter 
into the kingdom of ,god1 except he be  
regenerate and born anew of water and of
 the ,holy ,ghost2 ,i beseech you to    
call upon ,god the ,father1 through our 
,lord ,jesus ,christ1 that of his       
bounteous mercy he will grant to this   
,child that thing which by nature he    
cannot have4 ,according to the doctrine 
of the ,church1 then1 baptism is        
absolutely necessary to salvation3 ,none
 can enter444 except he be444 born anew 
of water2 thus peals out the doom of    
condemnation on the whole human race1   
save that fragment of it which is       
sprinkled from the ,christian font2     
there is no evasion possible here2 no   
exception made in favour of heathen     
peoples2 no mercy allowed to those who  
have no opportunity of baptism2 none can
 enter save through the laver of        
regeneration4 ,can any words be too     
strong whereby to denounce a doctrine so
 shameful1 an injustice so glaring8 ,a  

child is born into the world2 it is no  
fault of his that he is conceived in    
sin2 it is no fault of his that he is   
born in sin2 his consent was not asked  
before he was ushered into the world2 no
 offer was made to him which he could   
reject of this terribly gift of a       
condemned life2 flung is he1 without his
 knowledge1 without his will1 into a    
world lying under the curse of ,god1 a  
child of wrath1 and heir of damnation4  
,by nature he cannot have4 ,then why    
should ,god be wrath with him because he
 hath not8 ,the whole arrangement is of 
,god's own making4 ,he fore-ordained the
 birth2 he gave the life2 the helpless1 
unconscious infant lies there1 the work 
of his own hands2 good or bad1 he is    
responsible for it2 heir of love or of  
wrath1 he has made it what it is2 as    
wholly is it his doing as the           
unconscious vessel is the doing of the  
potter2 as reasonably may ,god be angry 
with the child as the potter swear at   
the clay he has clumsily moulded3 if the

 vessel be bad1 blame the potter2 if the
 creature be bad1 blame the ,creator4   
,the congregation pray that ,god of his 
bounteous mercy1 for thine infinite     
mercies1 will save the child1 that he1  
being delivered from thy wrath1 may be  
blessed4 ,it is no question of mercy we 
have to do with here2 it is a question  
of simple justice1 and nothing more2 if 
,god1 for his own good pleasure1 or in  
the pursuance of the designs of his     
infinite wisdom1 has placed this        
unfortunate child in so terrible a      
position1 he is bound by every tie of   
justice1 by every sacred claim of right1
 to deliver the blameless victim1 and to
 place him where he shall have a fair   
chance of well-being4 ,it is certain by 
,god's ,word1 says the ,rubric1 that    
children which are baptized1 dying      
before they commit actual sin1 are      
undoubtedly saved4 ,and those which are 
not baptized8 ,the ,holy ,roman ,church 
sends these into a cheerful place called
 ,limbo1 and the baby-souls wander about

 in chill twilight1 cursed with         
immortality1 shut out for ever from the 
joys of ,paradise4 ,many readers will   
remember ,lowell's pathetic poem on this
 subject1 and the ghastly baptism2 they 
will also know into what devious paths  
of argumentative indecency that ,church 
has wandered in deciding upon the fate  
of unbaptized infants2--how1 when       
mothers have died in childbirth1 the yet
 unborn children have been baptized to  
save them from the terrible doom        
pronounced upon them by their ,father in
 heaven1 even before they saw the       
light2--how it has been said that in    
cases where mother and child cannot both
 be saved the mother should be          
sacrificed that the child may not die   
unbaptized4 ,into the details of these  
arguments we cannot enter2 they are only
 fit for orthodox ,christians1 in whose 
pages they may read them who list4      
,truly1 the ,lord is a jealous ,god1    
visiting the sins of the fathers upon   
the children1 since unborn children are 

condemned for the untimely death of     
their mother1 and unbaptized infants for
 the carelessness of their parents or   
nurses4 ,of course1 the majority of     
,english clergymen believe nothing of   
this kind2 but then why do they read a  
service which implies it8 ,why do they  
use words in a non-natural sense8 ,why  
do they put off their honesty when they 
put on their surplices8  ,and why will  
the laity not give utterance to their   
thoughts on these and all such          
objectionable parts of the ,service8 ,in
 the ,office for adults1 as regards the 
necessity of the ,sacrament1 the words  
come in3 where it may be had2 but the   
phrase reads as though it had been      
written in the margin by some kindly    
soul1 and had from thence crept into the
 text1 for it is in direct opposition to
 the whole argument of the address      
wherein it occurs and to the rest of the
 office1 as also to the other two       
offices for infants4 ,the stress laid   
upon right baptism1 i4e41 baptism with  

water1 accompanied by the name of the   
,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the    
,holy ,ghost1 appears specially in the  
office to follow the private baptism of 
a child1 should the child live2 for the 
,rubric directs that if there be any    
doubt of the use of-the water and the   
formula1 which are essential parts of   
,baptism1 the priest shall perform the  
baptismal ceremony1 saying1 ,if thou art
 not already baptized1 ,i baptize thee1 
c4 ,surely such care and pains to ensure
 correct baptism speak with sufficient  
plainness as to the importance attached 
by the ,church to this initiatory rite2 
this importance she gives to it in other
 places3 none1 unbaptized1 must approach
 her altar to take the bread of life3   
none1 unbaptized1 must be buried by her 
ministers1 in sure and certain hope of  
the ,resurrection to eternal life4 ,the 
baptized are within the ark of the      
,church2 the unbaptized are struggling  
in the waves of ,god's wrath outside2 no
 hand can be outstretched to save them2 

they are strangers1 aliens1 to the      
covenant of promise2 they are without   
hope4 ,the whole office for infants     
reads like a play3 the clergyman asks   
that the infant may receive remission of
 his sins2 what sins8 ,the people are   
admonished that they defer not the      
,baptism of their children longer than  
the first or second ,sunday next after  
their birth4 ,what sins can a baby a    
week old have committed8 from what sins 
can he need release8 for what sins can  
he ask forgiveness8 ,and yet1 here is a 
whole congregation prostrate before     
,almighty ,god1 praying that a tiny     
long-robed baby may be forgiven1 may be 
pardoned his sins of--coming into the   
world when ,god sent him6 ,the ceremony 
would be ludicrous were it not so       
pitiful4 ,and supposing that the infant 
does need forgiveness1 and has sins to  
be washed away1 why should a few drops  
of water1 sprinkled on the face--or     
bonnet--of the baby1 or even the        
immersion of his body in the font1 wash 

away the sins of his soul8 ,the water is
 sanctified2 we pray3 ,sanctify this    
water to the mystical washing away of   
sin4 ,as the hymn sweetly puts it3      
,the water in this font      ,is water1 
by gross mortals eyed2      ,but1 seen  
by faith1 'tis blood      ,out of a dear
 friend's side4  ,blood once more6 how  
,christians cling to the revolting      
imagery of a bygone and barbarous age of
 gross conceptions4 ,and1 applied by    
faith1 it cleanses the soul of the child
 from sin4 ,well1 the whole thing is    
consistent3 the invisible soul is washed
 from invisible sin by invisible blood1 
and to all outward appearance the child 
remains after baptism exactly what it   
was before--except it chance to get     
inflammation of the lungs1 as we have   
known happen1 from ,high ,church free   
use of water1 which is1 perhaps1 the    
promised baptism of fire4 ,the promises 
of the sponsors are in full accordance  
with the rest of the services2 promises 
made by other people1 in the child's    

name1 as to his future conduct1 over    
which they have no control4 ,the baby   
renounces the devil and all his         
belongings1 believes the ,apostles'     
,creed1 and answers that is my desire1  
when asked if he will be baptized2 all  
which is very pretty acting1 but jars   
somewhat on the feeling of reality which
 ought surely to characterize a         
believer's intercourse with his ,god4   
,the child being baptized and signed    
with the ,cross1 is regenerate1         
according to the declaration of the     
priest4 ,some contend that the ,church  
of ,england does not teach baptismal    
regeneration1 but it is hard to see how 
any one can read this service1 and then 
deny the teaching2 it is clearer and    
fuller than is the teaching of her voice
 upon most subjects4 ,the ceremony of   
baptism and the idea of regeneration are
 both derived from the sun-worship of   
which so many traces have already been  
pointed out3 the worshippers of ,mithra 
practised baptism1 and it is common to  

the various phases of the solar faith4  
,regeneration1 in some parts1 especially
 in ,india1 was obtained in a different 
fashion3 a hole through a rock1 or a    
narrow passage between two1 was the     
sacred spot1 and a worshipper1 squeezing
 himself through such an opening1 was   
regenerated1 and was1 by this literal   
representation of birth1 born a second  
time1 born into a new life1 and the sins
 of the former life were no longer      
accounted to him4 ,many such holes are  
still preserved and revered in ,india1  
and there can be little doubt that the  
ancient ,druidic remains bear traces of 
being adapted for this same ceremony1   
although a natural fissure appears ever 
to have been accounted the most         
sacred499       99 ,even in this        
country1 at ,brimham ,rocks1 near       
,ripon1 in      ,yorkshire1 the dead    
form of the custom is1 or was1 until    
very lately1 kept up by the guide       
sending all visitors1 who      chose to 
avail themselves of the privilege1      

through such a      fissure4  ,one ought
 scarcely to leave unnoted the preamble 
to the first prayer in the baptismal    
service3 ,who of thy great mercy didst  
save ,noah and his family in the ark    
from perishing by water2 and also didst 
safely lead the children of ,israel thy 
people through the ,red ,sea1 figuring  
thereby thy holy baptism2 and by the    
baptism of thy well-beloved ,son ,jesus 
,christ1 in the river ,jordan1 didst    
sanctify water to the mystical washing  
of sin4 ,in the two first examples given
 the choice of the ,church appears to be
 peculiarly unfortunate1 as in each case
 water was the element to be escaped    
from1 and it was a source of death1 not 
of life2 perhaps1 though1 there is a    
subtle meaning in the ,red ,sea1 it     
points to the blood of ,christ3 but     
then1 again1 the ,red ,sea drowned      
people1 and surely the anti-type is not 
so dangerous as that8 ,it must be a     
mystery4 ,it would be interesting to    
know how many of the educated clergymen 

who read this prayer believe in the     
story of the ,noachian deluge1 and of   
the miraculous passage of the ,red ,sea2
 and further1 how many of them believe  
that ,god1 by these fables1 figured his 
holy baptism4 ,will the nineteenth      
century ever summon up energy enough to 
shake off these remnants of a dead      
superstition1 and be honest enough to   
stop using a form of words which is no  
longer a vehicle of belief8 ,when the   
,prayer ,book was compiled these words  
had a meaning2 to-day they have none4   
,shall not a second ,reformation sweep  
away these dead beliefs1 even as the    
first away for its own age the phrases  
which represented an earlier and coarser
 creed8     ,,the ,,order ,,of          
,,confirmation4  ,these signs shall     
follow them that believe3 ,in my name   
shall they cast out devils2 they shall  
speak with new tongues2 they shall take 
up serpents2 and if they drink any      
deadly thing1 it shall not hurt them2   
they shall lay hands on the sick1 and   

they shall recover4 ,in those remarkable
 days the order of ,confirmation might  
have been in consonance with its        
surroundings1 a state of things which is
 very far from being its present        
position4 ,mr4 ,spurgeon1 writing for   
the benefit of street preachers1 lately 
pointed out very sensibly that as the   
,holy ,ghost no longer gave the gift of 
tongues1 they had better stick to their 
grammars1 and in these degenerate days  
honest effort is more likely to show    
results more satisfactory than those    
which ensue from the laying on of       
,bishops' hands4 ,when the ,apostles    
performed this ceremony1 which the      
,bishop now performs after their        
example1 definite proofs of its efficacy
 were said to have been seen2 so much   
so1 indeed1 that ,simon1 the sorcerer1  
wished to invest some money in heavenly 
securities1 so that on whomsoever ,i lay
 hands he may receive the ,holy ,ghost4 
,a ,simon would manifestly never be     
found nowadays ready to pay a ,bishop   

for the power of causing the effects of 
,confirmation4 ,so far as the carnal eye
 can see1 the white-robed1 veiled young 
ladies1 and the shame-faced black-coated
 boys1 who throng the church on a       
,confirmation day1 return from the altar
 very much the same as they went up to  
it3 no one begins to speak with tongues2
 if they did1 the beadle would probably 
interfere and quench the ,spirit with   
the greatest promptitude4 ,they are     
supposed to have received some special  
gifts3 the spirit of wisdom and         
understanding2 the spirit of counsel and
 ghostly strength2 the spirit of        
knowledge and true godliness2 and in    
addition to these six spirits1 there is 
one more3 the spirit of thy holy fear4  
,no less than seven spirits1 then1 enter
 these lads and lasses4 ,wisdom and     
understanding are easily perceptible3   
are they wiser after ,confirmation than 
they were before8 do they understand    
more rapidly8 do they know more8 if     
there be no perceptible difference is   

the presence of the ,holy ,spirit of    
none effect8 if of none effect can his  
presence be of any use1 of the very     
smallest advantage8 if of no use1 why   
make all this parade about giving a     
thing whose gift makes the recipient no 
richer than he was before8 ,besides1    
what certainty can there be that the    
,holy ,ghost is given at all8           
,allowing--what seems to an outsider a  
gross piece of irreverence--that the    
,holy ,ghost is in the fingers of the   
,bishop to be given away when it suits  
the ,bishop's convenience1 or is in a   
sort of reservoir1 of which the ,bishop 
turns the tap and lets the stream of    
grace descend--allowing all this as     
possible1 ought not some sign to follow 
them that believe8 ,how can we be sure  
that the ,bishop is not an impostor1    
going through a conjuror's gestures and 
mutterings1 and no magic results        
accruing8 ,if1 in the ordinary course of
 daily-life1 any one came and offered us
 some valuable things he said that he   

possessed1 and then went through the    
form of giving them to us1 saying3 ,here
 they are2 guard and preserve them for  
the rest of your life2 and the          
outstretched hand contained nothing at  
all1 and we found ourselves with nothing
 in our grasp1 should we be content with
 his assurance that we had really got   
them1 although we might not be able to  
see them1 and we ought to have          
sufficient faith to take his word for   
it8 ,should we not utterly refuse to    
believe that we had received anything   
unless we had some proof of having done 
so1 and were in some way the better or  
the worse for it8 ,the truth is that    
people's religion is1 to them1 a matter 
of such small importance that they do   
not trouble themselves about            
proof--,faith is enough to comfort them2
 the six week-days require their brains1
 their efforts1 their thought3 the      
,sunday is the ,lord's day1 and he must 
see toft3 earth needs all their earnest 
attention1 but heaven must take care of 

itself2 the validity of an earthly title
 is important1 and the confirmation of a
 right to inherit property in this world
 is eagerly welcomed1 but the           
,confirmation to a heavenly inheritance 
is a mere farce1 which it is the fashion
 to go through about the age of fifteen1
 but which is only a fashion1 the       
confirmation of a faith in nothing in   
particular to an invisible heritage of  
nothing at all4     ,,the ,,form ,,of   
,,the ,,solemnization ,,of ,,matrimony4 
,one of the most curious blunders       
regarding orthodox ,christianity is1    
that it has tended to the elevation of  
woman4 ,as a matter of fact1 the        
,eastern ideas about women are embodied 
in ,christianity1 and these ideas are   
essentially degraded and degrading4     
,from the time when ,paul bade women    
obey their husbands1 ,augustine's mother
 was beaten1 unresisting1 by            
,augustine's father1 and ,jerome fled   
from woman's charms1 and monks declaimed
 against the daughters of ,eve1 down to 

the present day1 when ,peter's authority
 is used against woman suffrage1        
,christianity has consistently regarded 
woman as a creature to be subject to    
man1 because1 being deceived1 she was   
first in transgression4 ,the ,church    
service for matrimony is redolent of    
this barbarous idea1 relic of a time    
when men seized wives by force1 or else 
purchased them1 so that the wives       
became1 in literal fact1 the property of
 their husbands4 ,we learn that         
matrimony was instituted of ,god in the 
time of man's innocency1 signifying unto
 us the mystical union that is between  
,christ and his ,church4 ,it would be   
interesting to know how many of those   
joined by the ,church believe in the    
,paradise story of man's innocency and  
fall4 ,it seems that ,christ has adorned
 the holy estate by his first miracle in
 ,cana2 but the adornment is rather of a
 dubious character1 when we reflect that
 the probable effect of the miracle     
would be a scene somewhat too gay1 from 

the enormous quantity of wine made by   
,christ for men who already had well    
drunk4 ,christ's approval of marriage   
may well be considered doubtful when we 
remember that a virgin was chosen as his
 mother1 that he himself remained       
unmarried1 and that he distinctly places
 celibacy higher than marriage in ,matt4
 xix4 #aa1 #ab1 where he urges3 he that 
is able to receive it let him receive   
it4 ,st4 ,paul also1 though he allows it
 to his converts1 advises virginity in  
preference3 ,i say to the unmarried and 
widows1 ,it is good for them if they    
abide even as ,i2 he that giveth her not
 in marriage doeth better 7see          
throughout #a ,cor4 vii47 ,the reasons  
given for marriage are surely misplaced2
 last of all1 it is said that marriage  
is ordained for the mutual society1     
help1 and comfort that the one ought to 
have of the other2 this1 instead of     
thirdly1 ought to be first4 ,as a remedy
 against sin and to avoid fornication1  
that such persons as have not the gift  

of continency might marry1 is not a     
reason very honourable to the marriage  
estate1 nor very delicate to read out   
before a mixed congregation to a young  
bride and bridegroom2 so strongly       
objectionable is the heedless coarseness
 of this preface felt to be that in many
 churches it is entirely omitted1       
although it is retained--as are all     
remains of a coarser age--in the        
,prayer-,book as published by authority4
 ,the promise exchanged between the     
contracting parties is of far too       
sweeping a character1 and is immoral1   
because promising what may be beyond the
 powers of the promisers to perform2 to 
love so long as ye both shall live1 and 
till death us do part1 is a pledge far  
too wide2 love does not stay by         
promising1 nor is love a feeling which  
can be made to order4 ,a promise to live
 always together might be made1 although
 that would be unwise in this changing  
world1 and the endless processes in the 
,divorce ,court are a satire on this    

so-called joined by ,god2 what ,god hath
 joined together man does continually   
put asunder1 and it would be wiser to   
adapt the service to the altered        
circumstances of the times in which we  
live4 ,the promise of obedience and     
service on the woman's part should also 
be eliminated1 and the contract should  
be a simple promise of fidelity between 
two equal friends4 ,the declaration of  
the man as he places the ring on the    
woman's finger is as archaic as the rest
 of this fossil service1 and about as   
true3 ,with all my worldly goods ,i thee
 endow1 says the man1 when1 as a matter 
of fact1 he becomes possessed of all his
 wife's property and she does not become
 possessed of his4 ,one of the          
concluding prayers is a delightful      
specimen of ,prayer-,book science3 ,o   
,god1 who of thy mighty power hast made 
all things of nothing4 ,what was the    
general aspect of affairs when there was
 nothing8 how did something emerge where
 nothing was before8 if ,god filled all 

space1 was he nothing8 is the existence 
of nothing a conceivable idea8 can      
people think of nothing except when they
 don't think at all8 who also 7after    
other things set in order7 didst appoint
 that out of man 7created after thine   
own image and similitude7 woman should  
take her beginning3 out of man1 that is 
out of one of man's ribs2 has any one   
tried to picture the scene3 ,almighty   
,god1 who has no body nor parts1 taking 
one of ,adam's ribs1 and closing up the 
flesh1 and out of the rib made he a     
woman4 ,god1 a pure spirit1 holding a   
man's rib1 not in his hands1 for he has 
none1 and making a woman out of it1     
fashioning the rib into skull1 and arms1
 and ribs1 and legs4 ,can a more        
ludicrous position be imagined2 and     
,adam8 ,what became of his internal     
economy8 was he made originally with a  
rib too much1 to provide against the    
emergency1 or did he go1 for the rest of
 his life1 with a rib too little8 ,and  
the ,church of ,england endorses this   

ridiculous old-world fable4 ,man was    
created after thine own image and       
similitude4 ,what is the image of ,god8 
,he is a spirit and has no similitude4  
,if man is made in his image1 ,god must 
be a celestial man1 and cannot possibly 
be omnipresent4 ,besides1 in ,genesis i4
 #bg1 where it is stated that ,god      
created man in his own image1 it        
distinctly goes on to declare3 in the   
image of ,god created he him2 male and  
female created he them4 ,thus the woman 
is made in ,god's image as much as the  
man1 and ,god's image is male and       
female4 ,all students know that the     
ancient ideas of ,god give him this     
double nature1 and that no trinity is   
complete without the addition of the    
female element2 but the pious compilers 
of the ,prayer-,book did not probably   
intend thus to transplant the simple old
 nature-worship into their marriage     
office4 ,once more we hear of ,adam and 
,eve in the next prayer1 and we cannot  
help thinking that1 considering all the 

trouble ,eve brought upon her husband by
 her flirtation with the serpent1 she is
 made rather too prominent a figure in  
the marriage service4 ,the ceremony     
winds up with a long exhortation1 made  
of quotations from the ,epistles1 on the
 duties of husbands and wives4 ,husbands
 are to love their wives because ,christ
 loved a church--a reason that does not 
seem specially a propos1 as husbands are
 not required to die for their wives or 
to present to themselves glorious wives1
 not having spot or wrinkle or any such 
thing 7672 nor would most husbands      
desire that their wives' conversation   
should be coupled with fear4 ,why should
 women be taught thus to abase          
themselves8 ,they are promised as a     
reward that they shall be the daughters 
of ,sarah2 but that is no great         
privilege1 nor are ,english wives likely
 to call their husbands lord2 if they   
did not adorn themselves with plaited   
hair and pretty apparel1 their husbands 
would be sure to grumble1 and the only  

defence that can be made for this absurd
 exhortation is that nobody ever listens
 to it4  ,among the various reforms     
needed in the ,marriage ,laws one       
imperatively necessary is that all      
marriages should be made civil          
contracts--that is1 that the contract   
which is made by citizens of the ,state1
 and which affects the interests of the 
,state1 should be entered into before a 
secular ,state official2 if after that  
the parties desired a religious         
ceremony1 they could go through any     
arrangements they pleased in their own  
churches and chapels1 but the civil     
contract should be compulsory and should
 be the only one recognised by the law4 
,of course the ,church might maintain   
its peculiar marriage as long as it     
chose1 but it would probably soon pass  
out of fashion if it were not           
acknowledged as binding by the ,state4  
,,the ,,order ,,for ,,the ,,visitation  
,,of ,,the ,,sick4  ,of all the services
 in the ,prayer-,book this is1 perhaps-1

 the most striking relic of barbarism1  
the most completely at variance with    
sound and reasonable thought4 ,the      
clergyman entering into a house of      
sickness1 and as he enters the sick     
man's room and catches sight of him1    
kneeling down and exclaiming1 as though 
horror-stricken3 ,remember not1 ,lord1  
our iniquities1 nor the iniquities of   
our forefathers2 spare us1 good ,lord1  
spare ,thy people whom ,thou hast       
redeemed with ,thy most precious blood1 
and be not angry with us for ever4 ,this
 clergyman reminds one of nothing so    
much as of one of ,job's friends1 who   
appear to have been an even more painful
 infliction than ,job's boils4 ,the     
sickness1 the patient is told1 is ,god's
 visitation1 and for what cause soever  
this sickness is sent unto you3 whether 
it be to try your faith for the example 
of others1 4 4 4 or else it be sent unto
 you to correct and amend in you        
whatsoever doth offend the eyes of your 
heavenly ,father2 know you certainly1   

that if you truly repent you of your    
sins1 and bear your sickness patiently1 
444 it shall turn to your profit1 and   
help you forward in the right way that  
leadeth unto everlasting life4 ,one     
might question the justice of ,almighty 
,god if the theory be correct that the  
sickness may be sent to try your        
patience for the example of others2 why 
should one unfortunate victim be        
tormented simply that others may have   
the advantage of seeing how well he     
bears it8 ,if we are to endeavour to    
conform ourselves to the image of ,god1 
then it would seem that we should be    
doing right if we racked our neighbours 
occasionally to try their patience for  
the example of others4 ,and is the idea 
of ,god a reverent one8 ,what should we 
think of an earthly father who tortured 
one of his children in order to teach   
the others how to bear pain8 if we      
should condemn the earthly father as    
wickedly cruel1 why should the same     
action be righteous when done by the    

,father in heaven8 ,if we accept the    
second reason given for the sickness1 it
 is difficult to see the rationale of   
it4 ,why should illness of the body     
correct illness of the mind2 does pain  
cure fretfulness1 or fever increase     
truthfulness8 ,is not sickness likely   
rather to bring out and strengthen      
mental faults than to weaken them8 ,and 
how far is it true that sickness is1 in 
any sense1 the visitation of ,god for   
moral delinquencies8 ,is it not true1 on
 the contrary1 that a man may lie1 rob1 
cheat1 slander1 tyrannise1 and yet1 if  
he observe the laws of health1 may      
remain in robust vigour1 while an       
upright1 sincere1 honest and truthful   
man1 disregarding those same laws1 may  
be miserably feeble and suffer an early 
death8 ,is it1 or is it not1 a fact1    
that in the ,middle ,ages1 when people  
prayed much and studied little1 when the
 peasant went to the shrine for a cure  
instead of to the doctor1 when sanitary 
science was unknown1 and cleanliness was

 a virtue undreamed of1--is it1 or is it
 not1 true1 that pestilence and black   
death then swept off their thousands1   
while these terrible scourges have been 
practically driven away in modern times 
by proper attention to sanitary         
measures1 by improved drainage and      
greater cleanliness of living8 ,how can 
that be a visitation of ,god for moral  
transgressions1 which can be prevented  
by man if he attends to physical laws8  
,is man's power greater than ,god's1 and
 can he thus play with the thunderbolts 
of the divine displeasure8 ,the         
clergyman prays that the sense of his   
weakness may add strength to his faith2 
what fine irony is here1 as body and    
mind grow weak faith grows strong2 as a 
man is less able to think1 he becomes   
more ready to believe4 ,it is impossible
 to pass1 without a word of censure1    
over the passage in the exhortation1    
taken from the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1
 which says1 for they 7fathers of our   
flesh7 verily for a few days chastened  

us after their own pleasure4 ,good      
earthly fathers do not chasten their    
children for their own amusement1 while 
,god does it for our profit2 on the     
contrary1 they do it for the improvement
 of their children1 while ,god alone1 if
 there be a hell1 tortures his children 
for his own pleasure and for no gain to 
them4 ,the succeeding portion of the    
,exhortation1 that1 our way to eternal  
joy is to suffer here with ,christ1 is  
full of that sad asceticism which has   
done so much to darken the world since  
the birth of ,christ2 men have been so  
engaged in looking for the eternal joy  
that they have let pass unnoted the     
misery here2 they have been so busy     
planting flowers in heaven that they    
have let weeds grow here2 yes1 and they 
have rejoiced in the misery and in the  
weeds1 because they were only strangers 
and pilgrims1 and the tribulation1 which
 was but temporal1 increased the weight 
of the glory that was eternal4 ,thus has
 ,christianity blighted the flowers of  

this world1 and entwined the brows of   
its followers with wreaths of thorns4   
,the concluding portion of the          
exhortation deals with the duty of      
self-examination and self-accusation1   
that you may not be accused and         
condemned in that fearful judgment4     
,very wholesome teaching for a sick man2
 sickness always makes a person morbid1 
and the ,church steps in to encourage   
the unwholesome feeling2 sickness always
 makes a person timid and unnerved1 and 
the ,church steps in to talk about a    
fearful judgment1 and bewilders and     
stuns the confused brain by the terrible
 pictures called up to the mind by the  
thought of the last day4  ,but worse    
follows2 for after the sick person has  
said that he steadfastly believes the   
creed1 the clergyman is bidden by the   
rubric to examine whether he repent him 
truly of his sins1 and be in charity    
with all the world4 ,imagine a sick     
person being worried by an examination  
of this kind1 putting aside the gross   

impertinence of the whole affair4       
,further1 the minister should not omit  
earnestly to move such persons as are of
 ability to be liberal to the poor4     
,when every one remembers the terrible  
scandals of by-gone days1 when priests  
drew into the net of the ,church the    
goods of the dying1 using threat of hell
 and promise of heaven to win that which
 should have been left for the widow and
 the orphan1 one marvels that such a    
rubric should be left to recall the     
rapaciousness and the greed of the      
,church1 and to invite priests to grasp 
at the wealth slipping out of dying     
hands4 ,and here the sick person is to  
be moved to make a special confession of
 his sins1 if he feel his conscience    
troubled with any weighty matter1 and   
the priest is bidden to absolve him1 for
 ,christ having left power to his       
,church to absolve by his authority     
committed to me1 says the priest1 ,i    
absolve thee4 ,confession1 delegated    
authority1 priestly absolution1 such is 

the doctrine of the ,church of ,england3
 all the untold abominations of the     
confessional are involved in this rubric
 and sentence2 for if the man can       
absolve a man at one time1 he can do it 
at another4 ,the precious power should  
surely not be left unused and wasted2   
whenever sin presses1 behold the remedy1
 and thus we are launched and in full   
sail4 ,but never in ,england shall the  
confessional again flourish2 never again
 shall ,english women be corrupted by   
the foul questions of the priests2 never
 again shall ,englishmen have their     
mental vigour and virility destroyed by 
such degradation4 ,let the ,church fall 
that countenances such an accursed      
thing1 and leave ,english purity and    
,english courage to grow and flourish   
unchecked4  ,the devil is in great force
 in this service1 as is only right in a 
so generally barbarous an office3 ,let  
the enemy have no advantage of him2     
defend him from the danger of the enemy2
 renew in him whatsoever hath been      

decayed by the fraud and malice of the  
devil2 the wiles of ,satan2 deliver him 
from fear of the enemy2 all this must   
convey to the sick person a cheerful    
idea of the devil lingering about his   
bed1 and trying to get hold of him      
before it is too late to drag him down  
to hell4  ,is there any meaning at all  
in the expression1 the ,almighty        
,lord4444 to whom all things in heaven1 
in earth and under the earth do bow and 
obey4 ,where is under the earth 8 ,the  
sun is under some part of the earth to  
some people at any given time2 the stars
 are under1 or above1 according to the  
point of view from which they are looked
 at4 ,of course1 the expression is only 
a survival from a time when the earth   
was flat and the bottomless pit was     
under it1 only it seems a ,pity to      
continued to use expressions which have 
all but lost their meaning and are now  
thoroughly ridiculous4 ,people seem to  
think that any old things are good      
enough for ,god's service4 ,the last two

 prayers are remarkable chiefly for     
their melancholy and 'craven tone       
towards ,god3 we humbly recomment1 most 
humbly beseeching thee4 ,surely ,god is 
not supposed to be an ,eastern despot1  
desiring this kind of cringing at his   
feet4 ,yet the ,prayer for persons      
troubled in mind or in conscience is one
 pitiful wail1 as though only by        
passionate entreaty could ,god be moved 
to mercy1 and he were longing to strike1
 and with difficulty withheld from      
avenging himself4 ,when will men learn  
to stand upright on their feet1 instead 
of thus crouching on their knees8 ,when 
will they learn to strive to live nobly1
 and then to fear no celestial anger1   
either in life or in death8     ,,the   
,,order ,,for ,,the ,,burial ,,of ,,the 
,,dead4  ,it is a little difficult to   
write a critical notice of a funeral    
office1 simply because people's feelings
 are so much bound up in it that any    
criticism seems a cruelty1 and any      
interference seems an impertinence4     

,round the open grave all controversy   
should be hushed1 that no jarring sounds
 may mingle with the sobs of the        
mourners1 and no quarrels wring the torn
 hearts of the survivors4 ,our criticism
 of this office1 then1 will be brief and
 grave4  ,the opening verses strike us  
first as manifestly inappropriate3      
,whosoever liveth and believeth in me   
shall never die2 yet the dead is then   
being carried to his last home1 and the 
words seem a mockery spoken in face of a
 corpse4 ,in the ,fourth ,gospel they   
preface the raising of ,lazarus1 and of 
course are then very significant1 but   
to-day no power raises our dead1 no     
voice of ,jesus says to the mourners1   
,weep not4 ,the second verse from ,job  
is---as is well known--an utter         
mistranslation3 without my flesh would  
be nearer the truth than in my flesh1   
and worms and body are not mentioned in 
the original at all4 ,it seems a pity   
that in such solemn moments known       
falsehoods should be used4  ,the whole  

argument in the #aeth ch of ,corinthians
 is the reverse of convincing4 ,christ  
is not the first fruits them that slept 
,a dead man had been raised by touching 
the bones of ,ehsha 7#b ,kings xii74    
,elisha1 in his lifetime had raised the 
dead son of the ,shunamite 7#b ,kings   
iv472 ,elijah1 before him1 had raised   
the son of the ,widow of ,zarephath 7#b 
,kings xvii472 ,christ had raised       
,lazarus1 the daughter of ,jairus1 and  
the son of a widow4 ,in no sense1 then1 
if the ,scriptures of the ,christians be
 true can it be said that ,christ has   
become the first fruits1 the first      
begotten from the dead4 ,for since by   
man came death2 but death did not come  
by man2 myriads of ages before man was  
in the world animals were born1 lived   
and died1 and they have left their      
fossilised remains to prove the falsity 
of the popular belief4 ,we notice also  
that flesh and blood cannot inherit the 
kingdom of ,god4 ,if this be so1 what   
becomes of the resurrection of the      

flesh1 spoken of in the ,baptismal and  
,visitation ,offices8 ,what has become  
of the flesh and bones which ,christ had
 after his resurrection and with which1 
according to the #dth ,article1 he has  
gone into heaven8 ,cannot ,christ       
inherit the kingdom of ,god8 ,it is hard
 to see how1 in any sense1 the          
resurrection of ,christ can be taken as 
a proof of the resurrection of man4     
,christ was only dead thirty-six or     
thirty-seven hours before he is said to 
have risen again2 there was no time for 
bodily decay1 no time for corruption to 
destroy his frame3 how could the        
restoration to life of a man whose body 
was in perfect preservation prove the   
possibility of the resurrection of the  
bodies which have long since been       
resolved into their constituent         
elements1 and have gone to form other   
bodies1 and to give shape to other modes
 of existence8 ,people talk in such     
superior fashion of the resurrection    
that-they never stoop to remember its   

necessary details1 or to think where is 
to be found sufficient matter wherewith 
to clothe all the human souls on the    
resurrection morn4 ,the bodies of the   
dead make the earth more productive2    
they nourish vegetable existence2       
transformed into grass they feed the    
sheep and the cattle2 transformed into  
these they sustain human beings2        
transformed into these they form new    
bodies once more1 and pass from birth to
 death1 and from death to birth again1 a
 perfect circle of life1 transmuted by  
,nature's alchemy from form to form4 ,no
 man has a freehold of his body2 he     
possesses only a life-tenancy1 and then 
it passes into other hands4 ,the        
melancholy dirge which succeeds this    
chapter sounds like a wail of despair3  
man hath but a short time to live and is
 full of misery4 ,he cometh up and is   
cut down like a flower2 he fleeth as it 
were a shadow1 and never continueth in  
one stay4 ,can any teaching be more     
utterly unwholesome8 ,it is the         

confession of the most complete         
helplessness1 the recognition of the    
futility of toil4 ,and then the agonised
 pleading3 ,o ,lord ,god most holy1 ,o  
,lord most mighty1 ,o holy and most     
merciful ,saviour deliver us not into   
the bitter pains of eternal death4 ,but 
if he be most merciful1 whence all this 
need of weeping and wailing8 ,if he be  
most merciful1 what danger can there be 
of the bitter pains of eternal death8   
,and again the cry rises3 ,shut not thy 
merciful ears to our prayer2 but spare  
us1 ,lord most holy1 ,o ,god most       
mighty1 ,o holy and merciful ,saviour1  
thou most worthy ,judge ,eternal1 suffer
 us not1 at our last hour1 for any pains
 of death1 to fall from thee4 ,it is    
nothing but the wail of humanity1 face  
to face with the agony of death1 feeling
 its utter helplessness before the great
 enemy1 and clinging to any straw which 
may float within reach of the drowning  
grasp2 it is the horror of ,life facing 
,death1 a horror that seems felt only by

 the fully living and not by the dying2 
it is the recoil of vigorous vitality   
from the silence and chilliness of the  
tomb4  ,after this comes a sudden change
 of tone1 and the mourners are told of  
,god's great mercy in taking the        
departed1 and of the burden of the      
flesh1 and they are bidden to give      
hearty thanks for the dead being        
delivered out of the miseries of this   
sinful world4 ,can anything be more     
unreal8 ,there is not one mourner there 
who desires to share in the great mercy1
 who wants to be freed from the burden  
of the flesh1 or desires deliverance    
from the miseries of this world4 ,why   
should people thus play a farce beside  
the grave8 ,do they expect ,god to      
believe them1 or to be deceived by such 
hypocrisy8  ,it is urged by some that   
the ,church cannot have a sure and      
certain hope of the ,resurrection to    
eternal life as regards some of those   
whom she buries with this service2 and  
it is manifest that1 if the ,bible be   

true1 drunkards and others who are to be
 cast into the lake of fire1 can        
scarcely rise to eternal life at the    
same time1 and therefore the ,church has
 no right to express a hope where ,god  
has pronounced condemnation4 ,the       
,rubric only shuts out of the hope the  
uhbaptized1 the excommunicated1 and the 
suicide2 all others have a right to     
burial at her hands1 and to the hope of 
a joyful resurrection1 in spite of the  
,bible4  ,we may hope that the day will 
soon come when people may die in        
,england and may be buried in peace     
without this cry of pain and            
superstition over their graves4         
,wherever cemeteries are within         
reasonable distance the ,rationalist may
 now be buried1 lovingly and reverently1
 without the echo of that in which he   
disbelieved during life sounding over   
his grave2 but throughout many small    
towns and country villages the ,burial  
,service of the ,church is practically  
obligatory1 and is enforced by clerical 

bigotry4 ,but the passing knell of the  
,establishment sounds clearer and       
clearer1 and soon those who have        
rejected her services in life shall be  
free from her ministrations at the tomb4
     ,a ,,commination ,,or ,,denouncing 
,,of ,,god',s ,,anger ,,and ,,judgments 
,,against ,,sinners4  ,,this service is 
too beautiful to be passed over without 
a word of homage2 the spectacle of the  
,church raving and cursing is too       
edifying to be ungratefully ignored4    
,brethren1 in the primitive ,church     
there was a godly discipline that1 at   
the beginning of ,lent1 such persons as 
stood convicted of notorious sin were   
put to open penance and punished in this
 world1 that their souls might be       
saved4444 ,instead whereof 7until the   
said discipline may be restored again1  
which is much to be wished71 it is      
thought good1 c4 ,that is1 in other     
words3 ,in days gone by1 we were able to
 bite1 as well as to bark2 now that our 
mouths are muzzled we can only snarl2   

but1 until the old power comes back1    
which is much to be wished1 let us1     
since we cannot bite1 show our teeth and
 growl as viciously as we can1 so that  
people may understand that it is only   
the power that is wanting1 and not the  
will1 and that1 if we could1 we would   
torture and burn as vigorously as we    
curse and damn4 ,and promptly the priest
 begins with his curses1 and all the    
people say ,amen3 what a pretty sight--a
 whole church full of ,christians with  
one consent cursing their neighbours6   
,then comes an exhortation2 as so many  
curses are flying about we must take    
care of our heads3 ,let us1 remembering 
the dreadful judgment hanging over our  
heads1 and always ready to fall upon us1
 return to our ,lord ,god4 ,always ready
 to fall2 but is ,god1 then1 always     
lying in wait to catch us tripping1 and 
crush us with his judgments8 ,does he   
punish gladly1 and keep his blow        
suspended1 to fall at the first chance  
our weakness gives him8 ,if so1 by no   

means let us return to our ,lord ,god1  
but let us rather try to put a          
considerable distance between himself   
and us1 and endeavour1 like the prophet 
,jonah1 to flee from the presence of the
 ,lord4 ,it is a fearful thing to fall  
into the hands of the living ,god3 he   
shall pour down rain upon the sinners1  
fire and brimstone1 storm and tempest4  
,and who made the sinners8 ,who called  
them into the world without their own   
consent8 ,who made them with an evil    
nature8 ,who moulded them as the potter 
the clay8 ,who made it impossible for   
them to go to ,jesus unless he drew     
them1 and then did not draw them8 ,if   
,god wants to pour fire and brimstone on
 anybody1 he should pour it on himself1 
for he made the sinners1 and is         
responsible for their existence and     
their sin4 ,it shall be too late to     
knock when the door shall be shut2 too  
late to cry for mercy when it is the    
time of justice4 ,how utterly repulsive 
is this picture of the popular and      

traditional ,god3 how black the colours 
wherein is painted this ,moloch2 surely 
the artist must have been sketching a   
picture of the devil1 and by mistake    
wrote under it the name of ,god when he 
should have put the name of ,satan4 ,if1
 however1 we submit ourselves1 and walk 
in his ways1 and seek his glory1 and    
serve him duly--that is1 if we          
acknowledge injustice to be justness1   
and cruelty to be mercy1 and evil to be 
good--then we shall escape the extreme  
malediction which shall light upon them 
that shall be set on the left hand4 ,on 
the whole1 brave men and women will     
prefer to do rightly and justly here1   
caring much about serving man1 and      
nothing about glorifying such a ,god1   
and leaving the malediction alone1 very 
sure that no punishment can befal a man 
for living nobly1 and that no fear need 
cloud the death-bed of him who has made 
his life a blessing to mankind4  ,of    
course1 after all this preface1 come    
cringing confessions of sin4 ,the #east 

,psalm leads the way1 the congregation  
having by this time become so thoroughly
 confused that they see no incongruity  
in saying that when ,god has built the  
walls of ,jerusalem1 he will be pleased 
with burnt offerings and oblations1 and 
that then shall they offer young        
bullocks upon thy altar4 ,as a matter of
 fact1 they have no intention of        
offering young bullocks at all--bullocks
 having become too useful to be wasted  
in that fashion1 but they have so       
thoroughly left the realm of common     
sense that they have become unconscious 
of the absurdities which they repeat4   
,the gross exaggeration of the          
concluding prayers must be patent to    
everyone2 they are full of the hysteria 
which passes for piety4 ,we are grieved 
and wearied with the burden of our sins1
 although most of the congregation will 
forget all about the burden before they 
leave the church3 we are vile earth and 
miserable sinners2 we meekly acknowledge
 our vileness4 ,one longs to shake them 

all1 and tell them to stand up like men 
and women1 instead of cringing there    
like cowards1 whining about their       
vileness4 ,if they are vile1 why don't  
they mend1 instead of saying the same   
thing every year8 ,they should be       
ashamed to tell ,god of their miserable 
condition year after year1 when his     
grace is sufficient for them1 and they  
might be perfect as their ,father in    
heaven4  ,the ,church in all this       
service reminds one of nothing so much  
as a wicked old crone1 who whines to the
 parson and scolds all the children4 ,in
 days gone by the old woman has been the
 terror of the village1 and her sturdy  
arm has been shown on many a black eye  
and bruised face2 now she can no longer 
strike1 she can only curse2 she can no  
longer tyrannise1 she can only scowl2   
her palsied tongue still mutters the    
curses which her shrivelled arm can no  
longer translate into act1 and in her   
bleared eye1 in her wrinkled cheeks1 in 
her shaking frame1 we read the record of

 an evil youth1 wherein she abused her  
strength1 and we see descending upon her
 the gloom of a dishonoured age1 and the
 night of a fathomless despair4         
,,forms ,,of ,,prayer ,,to ,,be ,,used  
,,at ,,sea4  ,there is now a special    
service used at the launching of her    
,imperial ,majesty's war-vessels which  
has not yet found its way into the      
,prayer-,book2 curious thoughts arise in
 the mind in contemplating that fashion1
 conjoined to the office to be used in  
her ,majesty's navy every day4 ,how does
 ,god protect the persons of us1 thy    
servants1 and the fleet in which we     
serve8 ,does prayer make bad ships more 
seaworthy1 or supply the place of stout 
iron and sound wood8 ,if the ship is not
 safe without prayer1 will prayer make  
it so8  ,if not1 what is the use of     
praying over it8 ,either the ship is    
seaworthy or it is not2 if it is1 it    
will sail safely without prayer2 if it  
is not1 will prayer carry the rotten    
ship through the storm8 ,if prayer be so

 efficacious1 would it not be cheaper to
 use less wood and more prayer8 ,bad    
materials roughly put together would    
serve1 for a curate would be cheaper    
than a shipwright1 and much prayer would
 enable us to dispense with much labour4
 ,in storms at sea1 a special prayer is 
to be used2 ,o most powerful and        
glorious ,lord ,god1 at whose command   
the winds blow1 and lift up the waves of
 the sea1 and who stillest the rage     
thereof3 ,o send thy word of command to 
rebuke the raging winds and the roaring 
sea4 ,is not this the prayer of utter   
ignorance1 the prayer of an unscientific
 age8 ,for what does the prayer imply8  
,only the modest request that the state 
of the atmosphere round the whole globe 
may be modified to suit the convenience 
of a small ship6 ,and not only that1 but
 also that the whole course of weather  
may be changed during countless         
yesterdays1 the weather of to-day being 
only an effect caused by them4 ,such    
prayers were offered up in former days  

by a people who knew nothing of the     
inviolability of natural order1 and who 
imagined that the weather might be      
changed at their bidding as the clerk   
may push on the hands of the church     
clock4 ,the sailors are very frank in   
their confession3 ,when we have been    
safe and seen all things quiet about us1
 we have forgot thee1 our ,god444 ,but  
now we see how terrible thou art in all 
thy works of wonder2 the great ,god to  
be feared above all4 ,at any rate they  
cannot be accused of hypocrisy in their 
dealings with ,god6 ,nor is this all4   
,short prayers are provided for those   
who have no time for the long ones2 and 
if the danger grows very pressing1      
everybody who can be spared is to join  
in a special confession of sins1 taken  
from the ,communion ,office4 ,it would  
surely be well to avoid a very pious    
crew1 as they might be wasting the time 
in prayer which might save the ship by  
work4 ,one serious thought presents     
itself for consideration in connection  

with this supposed power of ,god to     
smooth the turbulent billows4 ,many     
ships go down year after year2 many     
thousands of lives sink in the pitiless 
ocean2 many a bitter wail goes up from  
drowning crews2 how wickedly cruel to   
have such power and to see the ship sink
 in the storm6 how icily stony to have  
such power and to watch unmoved the     
agony of the perishing6  ,the prayers   
against the enemy are beautiful         
effusions2 some of the children praying 
the ,all-father to enable them to slay  
his other children3 ,stir up thy        
strength1 ,o ,lord1 and come and help   
us4 ,what a curious request6 ,does the  
,all-strong require to stir up his      
strength before he can crush a few men8 
,judge between us and our enemies4 ,but 
suppose the enemy is in the right1 what 
then8 ,suppose ,english sailors are on  
the wrong side1 as in the dispute       
between ,george ,,iii4 and the ,american
 ,colonies1 such a prayer then becomes a
 prayer for defeat1 not an encouraging  

thought with which to go into battle4   
,the prayers are also offensive for     
their cowardice of tone3 ,let not our   
sins now cry against us for vengeance2  
but hear us thy poor servants begging   
mercy1 and imploring thy help4 ,the     
praises after victory are as            
objectionable as the prayers before3    
,the ,lord hath covered our heads and   
made us to stand in the day of battle4  
,and what of the poor wounded1 groaning 
below in the cockpit1 whose heads the   
,lord hath not covered8 ,the ,lord hath 
overthrown our enemies1 and dashed in   
pieces those that rose up against us4   
,how thoroughly savage and bloodthirsty 
the thanksgiving6 ,is ,god supposed to  
rejoice over the sufferings of the      
defeated8 ,is he to be thanked for      
slaying his creatures8 ,and then the    
victory is to be improved to the        
advancement of thy gospel2 the gospel of
 so-called peace and goodwill is to be  
advanced by cannon-ball and torpedo1 by 
sabre and cutlass4 ,truly they must     

believe that ,jesus came to send a sword
 through the earth4 ,and yet this is the
 true spirit of ,christianity2 of the   
creed which has shed more human blood   
than any other faith2 of the creed which
 won its way through ,europe with the   
crucifix in one hand1 and the battle-axe
 in the other2 of the creed that        
tortured innumerable victims on the     
rack1 and which lit the funeral pyres of
 the martyrs2 of the creed whose cross  
has ever been crimson-red1 not with the 
blood of one who died to save humanity1 
but with the blood of a humanity        
sacrificed to the glory of ,god4        
,,the ,,form ,,and ,,manner ,,of        
,,making1 ,,ordaining1 ,,and            
,,consecrating ,,of ,,bishops1          
,,priests1 ,,and ,,deacons1 ,,according 
,,to ,,the ,,order ,,of ,,the ,,united  
,,church ,,of ,,england ,,and ,,ireland4
  ,if the ,church of ,england confined  
herself in her ministrations to offices 
which had some demonstrable effect1 her 
occupation would be gone4 ,these        

,ordination offices stand on a par with 
that of ,confirmation4 ,in both1 the    
,holy ,ghost is given by imposition of  
episcopal hands2 in both1 no appreciable
 results follow the gift4 ,the preface  
to these offices says3 ,it is evident   
unto all men diligently reading the     
,holy ,scripture and ancient authors1   
that from the ,apostles' time there have
 been these orders of ministers in      
,christ's ,church3 ,bishops1 ,priests1  
and ,deacons4 ,the evidence of this     
appears doubtful1 seeing that all       
,presbyterians acknowledge no such      
triple order1 and regard bishops as an  
invention of the devil1 and the pride of
 prelacy as a rag of the scarlet lady4  
,the three offices before us may1 to all
 intents and purposes1 be treated as    
one1 for they are the progressive steps 
of the ladder which reaches-from earth  
to heaven1 from the poor deacon-curate  
on #gjl4 a year at the bottom1 to the   
archbishop luxuriating on #ae1jjjl4 a   
year at the top4 ,there is much of      

solemn farce in the opening3 the        
archdeacon presents the candidates for  
ordination to the bishop1 and the       
reverend father in ,god1 who has had    
them examined1 who knows all about them1
 and has-probably dined with them the   
night before1 gravely responds1 ,take   
heed that the persons whom ye present   
unto us be-apt and meet1 for their      
learning and godly conversation1 to     
exercise their ministry duly1 to the    
honour of ,god and the edifying of his  
,church4 ,for the learning of some young
 clergymen1 the less said about it the  
better1 but those presented have at     
least scraped through the bishop's      
examination1 and will not now be turned 
back4 ,the question is simply a sham1   
and both candidates and bishop would be 
thoroughly astonished if the archdeacon 
replied that any one of them was        
deficient4  ,the ,litany follows after  
this1 and then the ,communion ,office1  
with special ,collect1 ,epistle1 and    
,gospel4 ,after the ,oath of ,supremacy1

 the bishop examines the candidates for 
the diaconate3 ,do you trust that you   
are inwardly moved by the ,holy ,ghost  
to take upon you this office8 is asked  
of each1 and each answers3 ,i trust so4 
,this ought to be a solemn question3 to 
be inwardly moved by the ,holy ,ghost is
 surely an important thing2 and when one
 remembers how very little many of these
 young men1 fresh from college1 seem to 
think of the matter1 and how one chooses
 the ,church because it is gentlemanly1 
and another because there is a fat      
living in the family1 and another       
because he is too stupid for any other  
profession1 we can scarcely help        
wondering at the workings of the ,holy  
,spirit in the heart of man4 ,they are  
also asked if they unfeignedly believe  
all the ,canonical ,scriptures4 ,if they
 really do believe them at their        
ordination much change must take place  
in after life1 judging by the amount of 
scepticism among the clergy4 ,much of   
the fault lies in pledging young men of 

three-and-twenty to absolute belief in  
what they have probably studied but     
little2 at college all their instruction
 is in ,christian ,evidences1 not in    
attacks on ,christianity2 they really   
know but little of the anti-,christian  
arguments1 and therefore are naturally  
shaken when they learn them further on4 
,then the deacon is to read ,homilies in
 ,church1 and promises to do so1        
although he never fulfils the promise1  
and he vows to obey his ,ordinary and   
other chief ministers of the ,church444 
following with a glad mind and will     
their godly admonitions4 ,how well the  
deacons and priests keep this pledge may
 be seen in the daily struggles between 
them and their bishops1 and in the      
necessity of passing a ,public ,worship 
,regulation ,act for the easier         
suppression of rebellious priests4 ,a   
year must intervene between the         
diaconate and the priesthood1 and when  
this year has run1 the youthful aspirant
 to the power of the keys presents      

himself once more before the ,father in 
,god1 and the same farce of question and
 answer is repeated4 ,the service runs  
as in that for deacons1 save the special
 ,epistle and ,gospel1 until after the  
,oath of ,supremacy2 and then comes a   
long exhortation1 wherein what strikes  
us most is the complete contrast between
 the priest in theory and the priest in 
practice3 ,if it shall happen the same  
,church1 or any member thereof1 to take 
any hurt or hindrance by reason of your 
negligence1 ye know the greatness of the
 fault1 and also the horrible punishment
 that will ensue see that you never     
cease your labour1 your care and        
diligence1 until you have done all that 
lieth in you1 according to your bounden 
duty1 to bring all such as are or shall 
be committed to your charge1 unto that  
agreement in the faith and knowledge of 
,god1 and to that ripeness and          
perfectness of age in ,christ1 that     
there be no place left among you1 either
 for error in religion1 or for          

viciousness in life4 ,now change the    
scene to six weeks later1 and our young 
priest is playing croquet and flirting  
meekly with his rector's daughters1     
oblivious of the horrible punishment he 
is incurring from ,hodge at the         
public-house getting drunk unrebuked4   
,consider how studious ye ought to be in
 reading and learning the ,scriptures444
 and for this self-same cause how ye    
ought to forsake and set aside 7as much 
as you may7 all worldly cares and       
studies4 ,alas for the special vanities 
of country clergymen2 this one          
botanizes1 and that one zoologizes1 and 
another one geologizes1 and a fourth is 
devoted to his garden1 and a fifth to   
his poultry1 and a sixth to his farming1
 not to speak of those who adorn the    
bench of magistrates and sternly        
sentence wicked poachers1 and sinful old
 women who pick up sticks1 and children 
who steal flowers4 ,it may be urged that
 no set of men could possibly live the  
life sketched in this exhortation3      

granted2 but1 then1 why pretend that    
they are bound to live it1 and threaten 
horrible punishments if they do not     
perform the impossible8 ,besides1 the   
bishop expresses his hope that they have
 well considered the whole matter1 and  
have clearly determined1 by ,god's      
grace444 you will apply yourself wholly 
to this one thing1 and draw all your    
cares and studies this way4 ,when the   
time comes to put the questions to the  
candidates1 this very point forms one of
 them3 ,will you be diligent in prayers1
 and in reading of the ,holy            
,scriptures1 and in such studies as help
 to the knowledge of the same1 laying   
aside the study of the world and the    
flesh8 ,and the candidates solemnly     
promise to do that which they must know 
they have no intention of doing4 ,one   
might further urge1 that the perpetual  
meddlesomeness enjoined in this ,office 
on the priest would make that individual
 a perfect nuisance to his parishioners 
if he tried to carry it into practice1  

and that he would probably very often   
find his ministrations cut short with   
unpleasant emphasis4 ,the consecration  
follows in due course3 ,receive the     
,holy ,ghost for the ,office and work of
 a priest in the ,church of ,god444     
,whose sins thou dost forgive they are  
forgiven2 and whose sins thou dost      
retain1 they are retained4 ,and yet some
 people pretend that the ,church of     
,england does not sanction an absolving 
priesthood6 ,if these words have any    
meaning1 they mean that the young men   
now ordained have the most awful power  
given into their hands1 that they can1  
in very truth1 lock and unlock heaven1  
for by their absolution the forgiven    
sinner may enter1 while through their   
retainment of his sins he may be shut   
out4 ,how tremendous then is the        
authority thus given into hands so young
 and so untried6 ,and surely such power 
is not to be wasted8 ,surely it is the  
duty of these priests to be continually 
urging people to seek1 and continually  

to be giving1 absolution4 ,why should   
one sinner die unshriven1 when such     
death may be prevented by the diligence 
of the priest8 ,life would be impossible
 were all this really believed2 what    
priest could live in reasonable comfort 
if this were true and were realised8    
,all earthly things would sink into     
insignificance1 and life would become a 
desperate struggle to save and absolve  
the perishing2 real belief would end its
 days in a lunatic asylum4  ,the        
,consecration of ,archbishop or ,bishop 
is somewhat more ceremonious1 but is one
 in character with the preceding        
offices4 ,the promise to banish and     
drive away all erroneous and strange    
doctrine contrary to ,god's word is one 
the fulfilment of which brings          
unfortunate bishops nowadays into much  
trouble in the flesh4 ,for when a       
,colenso comes down like a wolf on the  
fold1 and a faithful ,bishop of ,oxford 
forbids him to tear the lambs of his    
flock1 immediately people mutter        

bigoted1 narrow-minded1 tyranny1 with   
sundry other unpleasant adjectives and  
nouns4 ,yet can there be no doubt that  
he of ,oxon was only obeying his        
ordination vow4 ,in truth the present   
spirit of liberty is thoroughly at issue
 with the spirit of these offices1 and  
the only effect of maintaining them is  
to create hypocrites and vow breakers4  
,nor is it fair to-judge too harshly    
those who break these foolish vows1 for 
a man may honestly think that he can    
best serve his generation as clergyman1 
and may have a general belief in        
,christianity1 and he may then argue    
that he cannot permit himself to be kept
 out of a wide sphere of usefulness by a
 few obsolete vows4 ,the pity is that   
men1 whose common sense is too strong to
 be bound by foolish promises taken in  
ignorance in their youth1 do not join   
earnestly together to remove this       
stumbling-block from before the feet of 
the next generation1 so that1 if they   
deem their church valuable1 they may    

preserve her by adapting her to the     
realities of the nineteenth instead of  
the sixteenth century1 and may make her 
services something more than a farce1   
her ceremonies something better than a  
show4     ,,the ,,articles4  ,it is a   
little difficult to make out how far the
 ,thirty-nine ,articles of the ,church  
of ,england--the forty stripes save     
one--are binding or non-binding on her  
members4 ,there is1 of course1 no       
question that they accurately sketch her
 doctrines1 and that all her faithful   
children should accept and believe them 
with devout piety1 but scarcely any     
dogma can be enforced by law against the
 laity1 the whole spirit of the time    
being directly antagonistic to such     
enforcement4 ,but there is no doubt that
 these ,articles are both legally and   
morally binding on the clergy1 as they  
voluntarily submit themselves to them1  
and declare their full and free belief  
in them when entering upon the enjoyment
 of any benefice of the ,establishment4 

,the ,royal ,declaration1 prefixed to   
the ,articles1 is sweeping and decisive 
enough4 ,the ,articles of the ,church of
 ,england do contain the true doctrine  
of the ,church of ,england agreeable to 
,god's word2 which we do therefore      
ratify and confirm1 requiring all our   
loving subjects to continue in the      
uniform profession thereof1 and         
prohibiting the least difference from   
the said ,articles4 ,after this distinct
 declaration we are commanded ,that no  
man hereafter shall either print1 or    
preach1 to draw the ,article aside      
either way1 but shall submit to it in   
the plain and full meaning thereof2 and 
shall not put his own sense or comment  
to be the meaning of the ,article1 but  
shall take it in the literal and        
grammatical sense4 ,when any outsider   
has read this declaration it becomes to 
him one of the mysteries of the faith   
how it is that ,english gentlemen1      
honest1 honourable men in everything    
else1 manage to accept livings on       

condition of declaring their full       
concord with these ,articles1 and then  
deliberately twist them into non-natural
 meanings1 in order that they may be    
,roman ,catholic or ,latitudinarian1    
according to the opinions of the        
readers4 ,it may1 certainly1 be conceded
 that the literal and grammatical sense 
is very often nonsense1 and therefore   
cannot be believed2 perfectly true3 but 
these honest men have no right to give  
the weight of their culture and their   
goodness to bolster up this falling     
,church1 whose dogmas they can never    
accept1 except by transfiguring their   
unreason into reason1 and their folly   
into wisdom4 ,many who are ignorant1 and
 careless1 and uncultured are kept as   
nominal members of the ,anglican ,church
 because a glamour is thrown over it by 
the ,broad ,church clergy2 but their    
position cannot be too strongly         
reprobated1 so long as they make no     
effort to alter that in which they do   
not believe1 so long as they silently   

support superstitions which without     
their aid would1 long ago1 have crumbled
 into ruin4  ,article ,i4 deals with    
,faith in the ,holy ,trinity4 ,most     
creeds1 certainly all ,oriental creeds1 
cluster around a ,trinity2 the root of  
the worship of the ,trinity is struck   
deep into the nature of man1 for it is  
the worship of the life universal1      
localised in the giver of the life      
individual1 under the symbol of the     
phallic emblem1 the creator of each new 
existence4 ,the ,christian ,trinity has1
 naturally1 outgrown the primal         
barbarism of ,nature-worship1 although  
preserving the ,trinity in unity3 ,there
 is but one living and true ,god1       
everlasting1 without body1 parts1 or    
passions444 and in unity of this        
,godhead there be three persons1 of one 
substance1 power1 and eternity2 the     
,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost 
,so far have we travelled under the     
guidance of the ,church1 and we have    
before our mind's eye1 one ,god1        

uncorporeate1 passionless1 indivisible1 
and yet divided into three persons1 thus
 implying three individualities1        
separate the one from the other4 ,let us
 remember that the ,father is ,god1 the 
,son is ,god1 and the ,holy ,ghost is   
,god1 but that since there is but one   
,god1 the ,father is the ,son1 and the  
,son is the ,holy ,ghost1 and since the 
,father is the same as the ,son1 and the
 ,son is the same as the ,holy ,ghost1  
the ,father and the ,holy ,ghost must   
necessarily be identical4 ,article ,,ii4
 teaches us that the ,son1 which is the 
word of the ,father1 begotten from      
everlasting of the ,father1 the very and
 eternal ,god1 and of one substance with
 the ,father1 took man's nature in the  
womb of the blessed ,virgin1 of her     
substance2 the ,son3 that is1 the       
,second ,person in the undivided and    
indivisible ,trinity3 begotten from     
everlasting of the ,father2 but the     
,father is one with the ,son1 for both  
are ,god1 and yet there is but one ,god1

 and therefore ,son and ,father are     
interchangeable terms2 the ,son then is 
begotten from everlasting of himself1   
for in the one true ,god no division is 
possible1 and such as the ,father is    
such is the ,son2 and further1 the ,son1
 being the ,son1 and at the same time   
identical with his own ,father1 takes   
man's nature3 then the ,father and the  
,holy ,ghost must also take man's       
nature1 for such as the ,son such is the
 ,father1 and such is the ,holy ,ghost3 
and ,god1 without body1 takes man's     
body1 and without parts is crucified1   
and without passions suffers4 ,but the  
,son dies to reconcile his ,father to   
us2 but he is his ,father1 and his      
,father is himself4 ,can the one living 
and true ,god die to reconcile himself  
to himself1 and to offer himself up a   
sacrifice to himself to appease his own 
wrath8 ,the bodiless is nailed on the   
cross3 the impassible suffers3 the      
undying dies3 the one ,god on earth is  
offered to appease the one ,god in      

heaven1 and there is but one living and 
true ,god4 ,if this be so1 either the   
,god in heaven or the ,god on earth must
 have been a false ,god1 for there is   
but one true ,god3 and the ,father1     
,son1 and ,holy ,ghost1 who must be kept
 indivisible in thought1 hang upon the  
cross1 as a sacrifice to the ,father1   
,son1 and ,holy ,ghost1 and cry1 being  
the one true ,god1 to my ,god1 my ,god  
who has forsaken himself4 ,and all this 
to reconcile the ,father to us3 the     
,father who is without passions1 and who
 therefore cannot be angry or need      
reconcilement4 ,as ,christ died for us1 
and was buried1 so also it is to be     
believed that he went down into hell4   
,down into hell2 which way is down from 
a round globe8 ,in the ancient          
conception of the universe the earth was
 flat1 with heaven above and hell       
underneath1 and ,korah1 ,dathan1 and    
,abiram1 when the earth opened her      
mouth1 went down quick 7alive7 into     
hell3 did ,jesus do the same8 ,but1     

hanging on the cross1 he said to the    
penitent thief3 ,to-day shalt thou be   
with me in ,paradise3 is ,paradise the  
same hell8 and is heaven identical with 
both8 ,jesus ascended1 went up1 not     
down1 to heaven3 if this be so1 might   
not some confusion arise on the way1 for
 a soul starting downwards from         
,australia on its way to hell1 might be 
found soaring upwards from ,england     
after a few hours' journey4 ,are heaven 
and hell both all round the world1 and  
if so1 why is one up and the other down8
 ,rome was right and wise when she set  
her face sternly against the            
heliocentric theory2 a revolving globe  
destroys all the old notions of the     
heaven above1 and of the water under the
 earth1 and of hell below2 and it was a 
strong argument against the sphericity  
of the earth that in the day of         
judgment1 men on the other side of the  
globe could not see the ,lord descending
 through the air4 ,the ,fourth ,article 
teaches us that ,christ took again his  

body1 with flesh1 bones1 and all things 
appertaining to the perfection of man's 
nature2 wherewith he ascended into      
heaven1 and there sitteth4 ,body1 flesh1
 bones1 and all things appertaining to  
man's nature2 wishes1 and appetites1 and
 needs1 heart and lungs1 for instance2  
and he took these beyond the atmosphere8
 lungs to breathe where no air is8 heart
 to pulse where no oxygen can purify the
 blood8 flesh and bones among pure      
spirits8 the form of man sitting on the 
throne of ,god8 and this flesh1 bones1  
c1 all one with the indivisible1 from   
the ,god without body and parts1 and    
,jesus the ,son of ,mary1 the crucified 
man1 sitting in his flesh and bones in  
heaven1 not to be separated in thought  
from the one living and true ,god1      
without body1 parts1 or passions499     
,such is the literal and grammatical    
sense of the first four ,articles1 and  
to analyse the ,fifth1 of the ,holy     
,ghost1 would be simply to repeat all   
that has been said above1 since such is 

the ,son1 such is the ,holy ,ghost4 ,may
 it not justly be said that belief in   
the ,trinity in ,unity is the negation  
of thought1 and that faith is only      
possible where reason ends8       99 #a 
,cor4 xv4 #ej4  ,article ,,vi4 deals    
with the sufficiency of the ,holy       
,scriptures for ,salvation1 and lays    
down the ,canon that anything not       
capable of proof from the ,bible must   
not be required of any man that it      
should be believed as an article of the 
faith1 or be thought requisite or       
necessary to salvation4 ,the converse of
 this proposition1 that dogmas that can 
be proved therefrom are necessary to    
salvation1 is said not to be binding on 
the ,church1 and some notable depravers 
of the ,scriptures have successfully    
slipped through this ,article4 ,the list
 of books given as those of whose       
authority was never any doubt in the    
,church seems open to grave objections1 
as the authority of many of the books   
now accounted canonical has been        

distinctly challenged4 ,the history of  
,jonah is so monstrous that it is       
absolutely incredible4 ,job spake not   
therefore as it stands written in his   
book4 ,isaiah hath borrowed his whole   
art and knowledge from ,david4 ,thus1   
among many other staid criticisms1 wrote
 ,luther4 ,to go further back1 is to    
find much sharp challenging4 ,the       
,epistle to the ,hebrews is of most     
doubtful authenticity4 ,the #bnd        
,epistle of ,peter and that of ,jude are
 debatable4 ,the ,revelation of ,st4    
,john the ,divine was very slowly       
received1 and the two shorter ,epistles 
which bear his name are dubiously       
recognised4 ,if only the books are to be
 received of which there was never any  
doubt in the ,church1 the canonical list
 must be shorn of most of its ornaments4
 ,when ,article ,,vii4 tells us that the
 ceremonial and civil precepts of the   
,old ,testament are not binding upon us1
 it seems a pity that some test is not  
given whereby unlearned people may be   

able to distinguish between the         
,commandments which are called moral and
 the others4 ,is the command to         
persecute non-believers in ,jehovah     
7,deut4 xiii41 xvii4 #b--g7 binding     
to-day8 ,is the command to put ,witches 
to death 7,lev4 xx4 #bg7 binding to-day8
 ,john ,wesley said that belief in      
witchcraft was incumbent on all those   
who believed the ,bible1 and if         
witchcraft was possible then1 why not   
now8 or has ,god changed his mind as to 
the proper method of dealing with such  
persons8 ,are the commands enjoining and
 regulating ,slavery 7,ex4 xxi4 #b--f1  
and #bj1 #ba2 ,lev4 xxv4 #dd--df2 ,deut4
 xv4 #ab--ah7 intended for the guidance 
of slave-holders to-day8 ,what is there 
to make the ,commandments which are     
called moral--by which we may presume   
are meant the ,ten ,commandments--more  
binding on ,christian men than the other
 parts of the law8 ,the ,fourth         
,commandment is essentially a ,jewish   
one1 and is not obeyed among            

,christians4 ,the ,second ,commandment  
is invariably ignored1 and the ,fifth   
promises a reward which is not given4   
,the ,commandments touching murder1     
adultery1 stealing1 lying are not       
peculiar to the ,mosaic code4 ,they are 
found in all moral legislation1 and are 
binding--not because taught by ,moses or
 by ,buddha1 but--because their         
observance is necessary to the existence
 of society4 ,of the three ,creeds of   
the ,church we have already spoken1 so  
pass to ,article ,,ix41 of ,original or 
,birth-sin4 ,it seems that a fault and  
corruption of ,nature are naturally     
engendered of the offspring of ,adam1   
and that this fault in every person born
 into the world deserveth ,god's wrath  
and damnation4 ,that seems scarcely     
fair1 since the infant's consent is not 
asked before he is born into the world1 
and the fault of being born is1         
therefore1 none of his4 ,how1 then1 can 
the babe deserve ,god's wrath and       
damnation8 ,and seeing that the very    

next ,article 7,x47 informs us that our 
condition is such that a man cannot turn
 and prepare himself1 by his own natural
 strength and good works1 to faith and  
calling upon ,god1 it appears terribly  
unjust that either child or man should  
be held accursed because they do not do 
what ,god has made them incapable of    
doing4 ,it would be as reasonable to    
torture a man for not flying without    
wings1 as for ,god to punish man for    
being born of the race of ,adam1 and for
 not turning to ,god when the power so  
to do is withheld2 for we have no power 
to do good works4444 without the grace  
of ,god by ,christ1 and when that grace 
is not given we lie helpless and        
strength-less1 unable to do right4 ,nor 
can any deed of ours make us fit        
recipients of the grace of ,god1 for    
7,article ,,xiii47 works done before the
 grace of ,christ and the ,inspiration  
of his ,spirit are not pleasant to      
,god4444 neither do they make men meet  
to receive grace4444 yea1 rather1 for   

that they are not done as ,god hath     
willed and commanded them to be done1 we
 doubt not but that they have the nature
 of sin4 ,so that if a good and noble   
heathen1 who has never heard of ,christ1
 and whose good deeds cannot therefore  
spring of faith in ,jesus ,christ1 does 
some high-minded action1 or shows some  
kindly charity1 his good deeds are of   
the nature of sin1 and in fact make him 
rather worse off than he was before3 as 
,melancthon said1 his virtues are only  
splendid vices because done without     
faith in a person of whom he has never  
heard4 ,for 7,art4 ,,xviii47 they are to
 be accursed that presume to say that   
every man shall be saved by the law or  
sect which he professeth1 so that he be 
diligent to frame his life according to 
that law1 and the light of nature3 we   
are accounted righteous before ,god     
7,art4 ,,xi47 only for the merit of our 
,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ by    
,faith1 and not for our own works and'  
deservings4 ,thus we learn that ,god    

cares not for righteousness of life1 but
 only for blind faith1 and that he sends
 us out into a world lying under his    
curse1 without any chance of salvation  
except by attaining a faith which he    
gives or withholds at his pleasure1 and 
which we can of ourselves do nothing to 
deserve1 much less to obtain4 ,to crown 
this beautiful theory we                
learn1--,article ,,xvii4 of             
,predestination and                     
,election3--predestination to life1 it  
seems1 is the everlasting purpose of    
,god whereby 7before the foundations of 
the world were laid7 he hath constantly 
decreed by his counsel1 secret to us1 to
 deliver from curse and damnation those 
whom he hath chosen in ,christ out of   
mankind1 and to bring them by ,christ to
 everlasting salvation1 as vessels made 
to honour4 ,but if this be true1 man has
 no choice of any kind in the matter2   
for not only is grace to do right the   
gift of ,god1 but man's acceptance of   
the gift is also compulsory4 ,god has   

arranged1 before he made the world how  
many and whom he will save4 ,what1 then1
 becomes of man's boasted free will8    
,before the creation ,god drew the plan 
of every human life1 and as the potter  
moulds the ductile clay into the shape  
he desires1 so ,god moulds his human    
pottery after his own will into vessels 
made to salvation or made to dishonour4 
,to talk of man's freedom is a mockery4 
,what freedom had ,adam and ,eve in     
,paradise8 ,they might have stood3 nay2 
for was not the ,lamb slain from the    
foundation of the world8 ,before the sin
 was committed ,god had made the        
atonement for it4 ,if ,adam were free   
not to sin1 then it would be possible   
that he might not have sinned1 and then 
,god would have offered a needless      
sacrifice1 and would have a ,saviour    
with no one to save1 so that it would   
have been necessary to provide a sinner 
in order to utilise the sacrifice4 ,all 
idea of justice is here hideously       
impossible2 ,god has predestinated some 

human beings out of mankind4 ,these in  
due season he calls2 through grace they 
obey the calling2 they be justified     
freely444 and at length1 by ,god's      
mercy1 they attain to everlasting       
felicity4 ,and the rest--those who are  
not predestined2 those who are not      
called2 those to whom no grace is given2
 those who are not justified freely2    
those who have no ,god's mercy to aid   
them2--what of them8 ,made by ,god1 the 
creatures of his hand1 the vessels of   
his moulding1 the clay of his shaping1  
are they cast into the lake of          
brimstone1 into the fire that never     
shall be quenched1 simply because ,god  
in his sovereignty put                  
them--unconscious--under his curse and  
left them there1 adding to the cruelty  
of creation the more savage cruelty of  
preservation8 ,no6 whether such deeds   
should be wrought by ,god or man1 they  
would be wickedly wrong4 ,almighty power
 is no excuse for crime1 and the ,god of
 the ,articles of the ,church of        

,england is a gigantic criminal1 who    
uses his ,almightiness to make life that
 he may torment it1 and to create       
sentient beings foredoomed to bitterest 
agony1 to keenest woe4 ,such frightful  
misuse of power can only meet with      
strongest reprobation from all moral    
beings2 unlimited power turned to evil  
purposes may trample upon and crush us  
into helplessness1 but it can never     
force us to worship1 nor compel us to   
adore4  ,these first eighteen ,articles 
of the ,church may be said to contain   
the more salient points of the ,church's
 teaching1 and it is needless to point  
out the utter impossibility of          
reasonable and gentle-hearted men and   
women believing in the plan of1         
salvation sketched out in them4 ,they   
are instinct with the cruel theology of 
,calvin and of ,zwingli1 and imply      
7though they do not so plainly word7 the
 view of the ,lambeth ,articles of      
#aeie1 that ,god from eternity hath     
predestinated certain men unto life2    

certain he hath reprobated4 ,these      
,anglican ,articles must be taken as    
teaching predestination to damnation as 
well as to salvation1 since those not   
called to life must inevitably fall to  
death4 ,the next section--so to         
speak--of the ,articles deals with      
,church affairs1 defining the authority 
of ,churches and of ,councils1 and      
explaining the 'doctrine of the         
,sacraments4 ,it is with these that the 
,high ,church party chiefly fall out1   
for the ,twenty-first ,article1         
acknowledging that ,general ,councils   
may err and have erred1 strikes at the  
root of the infallibility of the ,church
 ,universal1 so dear to the priestly    
soul4 ,the ,articles on the ,sacraments 
also tend somewhat to the ,low ,church  
view of them1 and dwell more on the     
faith of the recipient than on the      
consecration of the priest4 ,the        
,article 7,,xxxiii47 levelled against   
excommunicate persons1 commanding that  
such an one shall be taken of the whole 

multitude of the faithful1 as an        
,heathen and ,publican1 until he be     
openly reconciled by penance1 is duly   
believed and subscribed by clergymen1   
but has no real meaning to-day4 ,if the 
,thirty-fifth ,article were acted upon1 
some curiosities of ,english literature 
would enliven the ,churches2 for this   
,article bids the clergy read the       
,homilies3 we judge them to be read in  
,churches by the ,ministers1 diligently 
and distinctly1 that they may be        
understanded of the people4 ,it is      
really a pity that this direction is not
 carried out1 for some of the barbarous 
doctrines of popular ,christianity would
 then be seen as they are described by  
men who thoroughly believed in them1    
instead of being known only as they are 
presented to us to-day1 with some of    
their deformity hidden under the robes  
woven for them by modern civilisation1  
wherein humanity has outgrown the old   
,christianity1 and men's reason chastens
 their faith4 ,the last three ,articles 

touch on civil matters1 acknowledging   
the ,royal ,supremacy and dealing with  
other matters pertaining to ,caesar1 but
 on the borderland between him and ,god4
  ,such are the ,articles of the        
,church2 believed by few1 unknown to    
many1 winked at by all1 because religion
 is practically a matter of indifference
 to most1 and while custom and fashion  
enforce conformity with the ,church1 the
 brain troubles not itself to analyse   
the claim1 or to weigh the conditions of
 allegiance4 ,men have become so        
sceptical as to regard all creeds with  
indifference1 and the half-conceived    
unbelief of the clergy1 sighing with    
mental reservations1 and formally       
asserting belief where the thought and  
the lips are at variance1 appears to    
have eaten the heart out of all         
religious honesty in ,england1 and men  
lie to ,god who would revolt at lying to
 man4 ,if belief in the ,articles is now
 a thing of the past1 then the ,articles
 should also pass away2 if ,churchmen   

have outgrown these dogmas1 why do they 
suffer them to deface their             
,prayer-,book1 to barb the shafts of the
 sceptic1 and to give power to the sneer
 of the scoffer8     ,,the ,,church ,,of
 ,,england ,,catechism  ,,wise men1 in  
modern times1 are striving earnestly and
 zealously to1 as far as possible1 free 
religion from the cramping and deadening
 effect of creeds and formularies1 in   
order that it may be able to expand with
 the expanding thought of the day4      
,creeds are like iron moulds1 into which
 thought is poured2 they may be suitable
 enough to the way in which they are    
framed2 they may be fit enough to       
enshrine the phase of thought which     
designed them2 but they are fatally     
unsuitable and unfit for the days long  
afterwards1 and for the thought of the  
centuries which succeed4 ,no man putteth
 new wine into old bottles1 else the new
 wine doth burst the bottles1 and the   
wine is spilled1 and the bottles will be
 marred2 but new wine must be put into  

new bottles4 ,the new wine of nineteenth
 century thought is being poured into   
the old bottles of fourth century       
creeds3 and sixteenth century formulas1 
and the strong new wine-bursts the      
bottles1 while the weak new wine that   
cannot3 burst them ferments into vinegar
 in them1 and often becomes harmful and 
poisonous4 ,let the new wine be poured  
into new bottles2 let the new thought   
mould its own expression2 and then the  
old bottles will be preserved unbroken  
as curious specimens of antiquity1      
instead of being smashed to pieces      
because they get in the way of the      
world4 ,nothing is more to be deprecated
 in a new and living movement than the  
formulating into creeds of the thoughts 
that inspire it1 and the imposition of  
those creeds on those who join it4 ,the 
very utmost that can be done to give    
coherency to a large movement is to put 
forward a declaration of a few cardinal 
doctrines that do not interfere with    
full liberty of divergent thought4      

,thus1 ,rationalists might take as the  
declaration of their central thought1   
that reason is supreme1 but they would  
be destroying the future of ,rationalism
 if they formulated into a creed any of 
the conclusions to which their own      
reason has led them at the present time1
 for by so doing they would be          
stereotyping nineteenth century thought 
for the restraint of twentieth century  
thought1 which will be larger1 fuller1  
more instructed than their own4         
,freethinkers may declare as their      
symbol the ,right to ,think1 and the    
,right to express thought1 but should   
never claim the declaration by others of
 any special form of ,freethought1      
before acknowledging them as            
,freethinkers4 ,bodies of men who join  
together in a society for a definite    
purpose may fairly formulate a creed to 
be assented to by those who join them1  
but they must ever remember that such   
creed will lose its force in the time to
 come1 and that while it adds strength  

and point to their movement now1 it also
 limits its useful duration1 if it is to
 be maintained as unalterable1 for as   
circumstances change different needs    
will arise1 and a fresh expression of   
the means to meet those needs will      
become necessary4 ,a wise society1 in   
forming a creed1 will leave in the hands
 of its members full power to revise it1
 to amend it1 to alter it1 so that the  
living thought within the society may   
ever have free scope4 ,a creed must be  
the expression of living thought1 and be
 moulded by it1 and not the skeleton of 
dead thought1 moulding the intellect of 
its heirs4 ,the strength of a society   
lies in the diversity1 and not in the   
uniformity1 of the thought of its       
members1 for progress can only be made  
through heretical thought1 i4e41 thought
 that is at variance with prevailing    
thought4 ,all ,truth is new at some time
 or other1 and the fullest encouragement
 should therefore be given to free and  
fearless expression1 since by such      

expression only is the promulgation of  
new truths possible4 ,an age of         
advancement is always an age of heresy2 
for advancement comes from questioning1 
and questioning springs from doubt1 and 
hence progress and heresy walk ever     
hand-in-hand1 while an age of faith is  
also an age of stagnation4  ,every      
argument that can be brought against a  
stereotyped creed for adults1 tells with
 tenfold force against a stereotyped    
catechism for children4 ,if it is evil  
to try and mould the thought of those   
whose maturity ought to be able to      
protect them against pressure from      
without1 it is certainly far more evil  
to mould the thought of those whose     
still unset reason is ductile in the    
trainer's hand4 ,a catechism is a sort  
of strait-waistcoat put upon children1  
preventing all liberty of action2 and   
while the child's brain ought to be     
cultured and developed1 it ought never  
to be trained to run in one special     
groove of thought4 ,education should    

teach children how to think1 but should 
never tell them what to think4 ,it      
should sharpen and polish the           
instruments of thought1 but should not  
fix them into a machine made to cut out 
one special shape of thought4 ,it should
 send the young out into the world      
keen-judging1 clear-eyed1 thoughtful1   
eager1 inquiring1 but should not send   
them out with answers cut-and-dried to  
every question1 with opinions ready made
 for them1 and dogmas nailed into their 
brains4 ,most churches have provided    
catechism-sawdust for the nourishment of
 the lambs of their flock2 ,roman       
,catholics1 ,church of ,englanders1     
,presbyterians1 they have all their     
juvenile moulds4 ,the ,church of        
,england catechism is1 perhaps1 the     
least injurious of all1 because the     
,church of ,england is the result of a  
compromise1 and has the most offensive  
parts of its dogmas cut out of the      
public formularies4 ,it wears some      
slight apron of fig-leaves in deference 

to the effect produced by the eating of 
the tree of knowledge4 ,but still1 the  
,church of ,england catechism is bad    
enough1 training the child to believe   
the most impossible things before he is 
old enough to test their impossibility4 
,to the age which believes in           
,jack-and-the-bean-stalk1 and the       
adventures of ,cinderella1 all things   
are possible2 whether it be ,jonah in   
the whale's belly1 or ,tom ,thumb in the
 stomach of the red cow1 all is gladly  
swallowed with implicit faith2 the      
children grow out of ,tom ,thumb1 in the
 course of nature1 but they are not     
allowed to grow out of ,jonah4  ,when   
the baby is brought to the font to make 
divers promises1 of the making of which 
he is profoundly unconscious--however   
noisily he may at times convey his utter
 disgust at the whole proceeding--the   
godfathers and godmothers are directed  
to see that the child is brought to the 
bishop to be confirmed by him1 so soon  
as he can say the creed1 the ,lord's    

,prayer1 and the ,ten ,commandments1 in 
the vulgar tongue1 and be further       
instructed in the ,church ,catechism set
 forth for that purpose4 ,it is scarcely
 necessary to say that these            
words--being in the ,prayer-,book--are  
not meant to be taken literally1 and    
that the bishop would be much astonished
 if all the small children in the       
,sunday ,school who can glibly repeat   
the required lesson1 were to be brought 
up to him for confirmation4 ,as a matter
 of fact1 the large majority of         
godfathers and godmothers do not trouble
 themselves about seeing their          
godchildren brought to confirmation at  
all1 and the children are sent up when  
they are about fifteen1 at which period 
most of them who are above the ,sunday  
,school going grade1 are rapidly crammed
 with the ,catechism1 which they as     
rapidly forget when the day of          
confirmation is over4  ,the ,christian  
name of the child being given in answer 
to the first question of the ,catechism1

 the second inquiry proceeds3 ,who gave 
you this name8 ,the child is taught to  
answer--,my godfathers and godmothers in
 my baptism2 wherein ,i was made a      
member of ,christ1 the child of ,god1   
and an inheritor of the kingdom of      
heaven4 ,thus1 the first lesson         
imprinted on the child's memory is one  
of the most objectionable of the dogmas 
of the ,church1 that of baptismal       
regeneration4 ,in baptism he is made    
something2 then he becomes something    
which he was not before2 according to   
the baptismal office1 he is given in    
baptism that thing which by nature he   
cannot have1 and being under the wrath  
of ,god1 he is delivered from that      
curse1 and is received for ,god's own   
child by adoption2 he is also           
incorporated into the holy ,church1 and 
thus becomes a member of ,christ1 being 
made a part of the body of which ,christ
 is the head2 this being done1 he is1 of
 course1 an inheritor of the kingdom of 
heaven through the adoption4  ,thus the 

child is taught that1 by nature1 he is  
bad and accursed by ,god2 that so bad   
was he as an infant1 that his parents   
were obliged to wash away his sins      
before ,god would love him4 ,if he asks 
what harm he had done that he should    
need cleansing1 he will be told that he 
inherits ,adam's sin2 if he asks why he 
should be accursed for being born1 and  
why1 born into ,god's world at ,god's   
will1 he should not by nature be ,god's 
child1 he will be told that ,god is     
angry with the world1 and that everyone 
has a bad nature when they are born2    
thus he learns his first lesson of the  
unreality of religion2 he is cursed for 
,adam's sin1 which he had no share in1  
and forgiven for his parent's good deed1
 which he did not help in4 ,the whole   
thing is to him a play acted in his     
infancy in which he was a puppet1 in    
which ,god was angry with him for what  
he had not done1 and pleased with him   
for what he did not say1 and he         
consequently feels that he has neither  

part nor lot in the whole affair1 and   
that the business is none of his2 if he 
be timid and superstitious1 he will hand
 over his religion to others1 and trust 
to the priest to finish for him what    
,adam and his parents began1 shifting on
 to them all a responsibility that he   
feels does not in reality belong to him4
  ,the unreality deepens in the next    
answer which is put into his            
mouth--,what did your godfathers and    
god-mothers then for you8 ,they did     
promise and vow-three things in my name3
 ,first1 that ,i should renounce the    
devil and all his works1 the pomps and  
vanities of this wicked world1 and all  
the sinful lusts of the flesh4          
,secondly1 that ,i should believe all   
the articles of the ,christian ,faith4  
,and thirdly1 that ,i should keep ,god's
 holy will and commandments1 and walk in
 the same all the days of my life4      
,turning to the ,baptismal ,service     
again1 we find that the godparents are  
asked1 ,dost thou1 in the name of this  

child1 renounce1 c1 and they answer     
severally1 ,i renounce them all1 ,all   
this ,i steadfastly believe2 and1 asked 
if they will keep ,god's holy will1 they
 still answer for the child1 ,i will4   
,what binding force can such promises as
 these have upon the conscience of      
anyone when he grows up8 ,the promises  
were made without his consent2 why      
should he keep them8 ,the belief was    
vowed before he had examined it2 why    
should he profess it8 ,no promise made  
in another's name can be binding on him 
who has given no authority for such use 
of his name1 and the unconscious baby1  
innocent of all knowledge of what is    
being done1 can never1 in justice1 be   
held liable for breaking a contract in  
the making of which he had no share4    
,bentham rightly and justly protests    
against the implied--the necessarily    
implied--assumption1 that it is in the  
power of any person--not only with the  
consent of the father or other guardian1
 but without any such consent--to fasten

 upon a child at its birth1 and long    
before it is itself even capable of     
giving consent to anything1 with the    
concurrence of two other persons1 alike 
self-appointed1 load it with a set of   
obligations--obligations of a most      
terrific and appalling                  
character--obligations of the nature of 
oaths1 of which just so much and no more
 is rendered visible as is sufficient to
 render them terrific--obligations to   
which neither in quantity nor in quality
 are any limits attempted to be1 or     
capable of being1 assigned4  ,this      
obligation1 laid upon the child in its  
unconsciousness1 places it in a far     
worse position1 should it hereafter     
reject the ,christian religion1 than if 
such an undertaking had not been entered
 into on its behalf4 ,it becomes an     
apostate1 and is considered to have     
disgracefully broken its faith2 it lies 
under legal disabilities which it would 
not otherwise incur1 for heavy statutes 
are levelled against those who1 after   

having professed the ,christian         
religion1 write or speak against it4    
,thus in early infancy a chain is forged
 round the child's neck which fetters   
him throughout life1 and the            
unconsciousness of the baby is taken    
advantage of to lay him under terrible  
penalties4 ,in ,english law a minor is  
protected because of his youth2 surely  
we need an ecclesiastical minority1     
before the expiration of which no       
spiritual contracts entered into should 
be enforceable4 ,from the religious     
point of view1 apostacy is far more     
fatal than simple non-,christianity4    
,keble writes3       ,vain thought1 that
 shall not be at all      ,i ,refuse me1
 or obey1      ,our ears have heard the 
,almighty's call1      ,we cannot be as 
they4  ,is it fair not to ask the       
child's assent before making his case   
worse than that of the heathen should he
 hereafter reject the faith which his   
sponsors promise he shall believe8      
,besides1 how absurd is this promising  

for another2 a child is taught not to   
break his baptismal vow1 when he has    
made no such vow at all2 how can the    
god-parents ensure that the child shall 
renounce the devil and believe in       
,christianity1 and obey ,god8 ,it is    
foolish enough to make a promise of that
 kind for oneself when changing         
circumstances may force us into breaking
 it1 but it is sheer madness to make    
such a promise on behalf of somebody    
else4 ,the promise to believe all the   
,articles of the ,christian ,faith1     
cannot take effect until the judgment   
has grown ripe enough to test1 to       
accept1 or to reject1 and who then can  
say for his brother1 he shall believe4  
,belief is not a matter of will1 it is a
 matter of evidence2 if evidence enough 
supports an assertion1 we must believe  
it1 while if the evidence be            
insufficient we must doubt it4 ,belief  
is neither a virtue nor a vice2 it is   
simply the consequence of sufficient    
evidence4 ,theological belief is        

demanded on insufficient evidence2 such 
belief is called1 theologically1 faith1 
but in ordinary matters it would be     
called credulity4 ,first amongst the    
renouncings comes the devil and all his 
works4 ,says ,bentham--,the ,devil1 who 
or what is he1 and how is it that he is 
renounced8 ,the works of the ,devil1    
what are they1 and how is it that they  
are renounced8 ,applied to the ,devil1  
who or whatever he is--applied to the   
,devil's works1 whatever they are--what 
sort of an operation is renouncement or 
renunciation8  ,pertinent questions1    
surely1 and none of them answerable4 ,a 
,court of ,law lately sat upon the      
,devil1 and could not find him2 how is  
the ,christian to explain to the child  
whom it is he has renounced in his      
infancy8 ,and in the first place1 the   
,devil himself--of whom so decided and  
familiar a mention1 as of one whom      
everybody knows1 is made--where lives   
he8 ,who is he8 ,what is he8 ,the child 
itself1 did it ever see him8 ,by any    

one1 to whom for the purpose of the     
inquiry the child has access1 was he    
ever seen8 ,the child1 has it ever      
happened to it to have any dealings with
 him8 ,is it in any such danger as that 
of having1 at any time1 to his          
knowledge1 any sort of dealings with    
him8 ,if not1 then to what purpose is   
this renouncement8 and1 once more1 what 
is it that is meant by it8  ,but        
supposing there were a devil1 and       
supposing he had works1 how could the   
child renounce him8 ,the devil is not in
 the child's possession that he might   
give him up as if he were an injurious  
toy4 ,in days gone by the phrase had a  
definite meaning2 people were supposed  
to be able to hold commerce with the    
devil1 to commune with familiar spirits1
 and summon imps to do their bidding2 to
 renounce the devil and all his works   
was then a promise to have nothing to do
 with witchcraft1 sorcery1 or magic2 to 
regard the devil as an enemy1 and to    
take no advantage by his help4 ,all     

these beliefs have long since passed    
away into ,the ,old ,curiosity ,shop of 
,ecclesiastical ,rubbish1 but children  
are still taught to repeat the old      
phrases1 to rattle the dry bones which  
life has left so long4 ,the pomps of    
this wicked world might be renounced by 
,christians if they wanted to do so1 but
 they show a strange obliviousness of   
their baptismal vow4 ,a reception at    
court is as good an instance of the     
renunciation of the vain pomp and glory 
of this wicked world as we could wish to
 see1 and when we remember that the     
children who are taught the ,catechism  
in their childhood are taught to aim at 
winning these pomps in their youth and  
maturity1 we learn to appreciate the    
fact that spiritual things can only be  
spiritually discerned4 ,would it not be 
well if the ,church would publish an    
,explanation of the ,catechism1 so that 
the children may know what they have    
renounced8  ,dost thou not think that   
thou art bound to believe1 and to do as 

they have promised for thee8 ,yes1      
verily2 and by ,god's help so ,i will4  
,and ,i heartily thank our heavenly     
,father1 that he hath called me to this 
state of salvation1 through ,jesus      
,christ our ,saviour4 ,and ,i pray unto 
,god to give me his grace1 that ,i may  
continue in the same unto my life's end4
 ,bound to believe444 as they have      
promised for thee6 ,in the name of      
common sense1 why8 ,what a marvellous   
claim for any set of people to put      
forward1 that they have the right to    
promise what other people shall believe4
 ,and the child is taught to answer to  
this preposterous question1 ,yes1       
verily4 ,the ,church does wisely in     
training children to answer thus before 
they begin to think1 as they would      
certainly never admit so palpably unjust
 a claim as that they were bound to     
believe or to do anything simply because
 some other persons said that they      
should4 ,the hearty thanks due to ,god  
that he hath called me to this state of 

salvation1 seem somewhat premature1 as  
well as unnecessary4 ,god1 having made  
the child1 is bound to put him in some  
state where existence will not involve a
 curse to him2 the salvation is very    
doubtful1 being dependent on a variety  
of things in addition to baptism4       
,besides1 it is doubtful whether it is  
an advantage to be in a state of        
salvation1 unless you get finally saved1
 some ,christian authors appearing to   
think that damnation is the heavier if  
it is incurred after being put in the   
state of salvation1 so that1 on the     
whole1 it would probably be less        
dangerous to be a heathen4 ,the child is
 then required to rehearse the articles 
of his belief1 and is taught to recite  
the ,apostles' ,creed1 i4e41 a creed    
with which the apostles had nothing in  
the world to do4 ,the act of belief     
ought surely to be an intelligent one1  
and anyone who professes to believe a   
thing ought to have some idea of what   
the thing is4 ,what idea can a child    

have of conception by the ,holy ,ghost  
and being born of the ,virgin ,mary1 in 
both which recondite mysteries he avows 
his belief8 ,having recited this1 to him
 7as to everyone else7 unintelligible   
creed1 he is asked1 ,what dost thou     
chiefly learn in these articles of thy  
belief8 a most necessary question1 since
 they can have conveyed no idea at all  
to his little mind4 ,he answers3 ,first1
 ,i learn to believe in ,god the        
,father1 who hath made me and all the   
world4 ,secondly1 in ,god the ,son1 who 
hath redeemed me and all mankind4       
,thirdly1 in ,god the ,holy ,ghost1 who 
sanctifieth me and all the elect people 
of ,god4 ,curiously1 the last two       
paragraphs have no parallels in the     
creed itself2 there is no word there    
that the ,son is ,god1 nor that he      
redeemed the child1 nor that he redeemed
 all mankind2 neither is it said that   
the ,holy ,ghost is ,god1 nor that he   
sanctifies anyone at all4 ,how is the   
child to believe that ,god the ,son     

redeemed all mankind1 when he is taught 
that only by baptism has he himself been
 brought into this state of salvation8  
if all are redeemed1 why should he      
specially thank ,god that he himself is 
called and saved8 if all are redeemed1  
what is the meaning of the phrase that  
all the elect people of ,god are        
sanctified by the ,holy ,ghost8 ,surely 
all who are redeemed must also be       
sanctified1 and should not the two      
passages touch only the same people8    
,either the ,holy ,ghost should sanctify
 all mankind1 or ,christ should redeem  
only the elect people of ,god4 ,a       
redeemed1 but unsanctified1 person would
 cause confusion as to his proper place 
when he arrived in the realms above2    
,st4 ,peter would not know where to send
 him to4 ,bentham caustically remarks3  
,here1 then1 in this word1 we have the  
name of a sort of process1 which the    
child is made to say is going on within 
him2 going on within him at all         
times--going on within him at the very  

instant he is giving this account of it4
 ,this process1 then1 what is it8 ,of   
what feelings is it productive8 ,by what
 marks and symptoms is he to know       
whether it really is or is not going on 
within him1 as he is forced to say it   
is8 ,how does he feel1 now that the     
,holy ,ghost is sanctifying him8 ,how is
 it that he would feel1 if no such      
operation were going on within him8 ,too
 often does it happen to him in some    
shape or other1 to commit sin2 or       
something which he is told and required 
to believe is sin3 an event which cannot
 fail to be frequently1 not to say      
continually1 taking place1 if that be   
true1 which in the ,liturgy we are all  
made so decidedly to confess and        
assert1--viz41 that we are all--all of  
us without exception--so many 'miserable
 sinners4' ,in the schoolroom1 doing    
what by this ,catechism he is forced to 
do1 saying what he is forced to say1 the
 child thus declares himself1           
notwithstanding1 a sanctified person4   

,from thence going to church1 he        
confesses himself to be no better than  
'a miserable sinner4' ,if he is not     
always this miserable sinner1 then why  
is he always forced to say he is8 ,if he
 is always this same miserable sinner1  
then this sanctification1 be it what it 
may1 which the ,holy ,ghost was at the  
pains of bestowing upon him1 what is he 
the better for it8 ,besides1 how can the
 child be taught to believe in one ,god 
if he finds three different gods all    
doing different things for him8 ,as     
clear a distinction as possible is here 
made between the redeeming work of ,god 
the ,son and the sanctifying work of    
,god the ,holy ,ghost1 and if the child 
tries to realise in any fashion that    
which he is taught to say he believes1  
he must inevitably become a ,tri-theist 
and believe in the creator1 the         
redeemer1 the sanctifier1 as three      
different gods4 ,the creed being        
settled1 the child is reminded3 ,you    
said that your godfathers and godmothers

 did promise for you that you should    
keep ,god's commandments4 ,tell me how  
many there be8 ,ans4 ,ten4 ,ques4 ,which
 be they8 ,ans4 ,the same which ,god    
spake in the twentieth chapter of       
,exodus1 saying1 ,i am the ,lord thy    
,god1 who brought thee out of the land  
of ,egypt1 out of the house of bondage4 
,thou shalt have none other gods but me4
 ,but ,god has not brought the child1   
nor the child's ancestors1 out of the   
land of ,egypt1 nor out of the house of 
bondage3 therefore the first            
commandment1 which is made dependent on 
such out-bringing1 is not spoken to the 
child4 ,the argument runs3 ,seeing that 
,i have done so much for thee1 thou     
shalt have no other ,god instead of me4 
,the second commandment is rejected by  
general consent1 and it is almost       
certain that the child will be taught   
that ,god has commanded that no likeness
 of anything shall be made in a room    
with pictures on the walls4 ,christians 
conveniently gloss over the fact that   

this commandment forbids all sculpture1 
all painting1 all moulding1 all         
engraving2 they plead that it only means
 nothing that shall be made for purposes
 of worship1 although the distinct words
 are3 ,thou shalt not make any likeness 
of anything4' ,in order to thoroughly   
understand the state of the child's mind
 who has learned that ,i the ,lord thy  
,god am a jealous ,god1 and visit the   
sins of the fathers upon the children1  
when he comes to read other parts of the
 ,bible it will be well to put side by  
side with this declaration1 ,ezekiel    
xviii4 #ai1 #bj3 ,yet say ye1 why8 doth 
not the son bear the iniquity of the    
father8 ,when the son hath done that    
which is lawful and right1 and hath kept
 all my statutes1 and hath done them1 he
 shall surely live4 ,the soul that      
sinneth it shall die4 ,the son shall not
 bear the iniquity of the father4 ,the  
fourth commandment is disregarded on all
 sides2 from the prince who has his fish
 on the ,sunday from the fishmonger down

 to the costermonger who sells cockles  
in the street1 all nominal ,christians  
forget and disobey this command2 they   
keep their servants at work1 although   
they ought to do no manner of work1 and 
drive in carriage1 cab1 and omnibus as  
though ,god had not said that the cattle
 also should be idle on the ,sabbath    
day4 ,although the ,new ,testament is1  
on this point1 in direct conflict with  
the ,old1--,paul commanding the         
,colossians not to trouble themselves   
about ,sabbaths1 yet ,christians read   
and teach this commandment1 while in    
their lives they carry out the          
injunction of ,paul4 ,to complete the   
demoralising effect of this fourth      
commandment on the child1 he is taught  
that in six days the ,lord made heaven  
and earth1 the sea1 and all that in them
 is1 while1 in his day-school he is     
instructed in exactly the opposite      
sense1 and is told of the long and      
countless ages of evolution through     
which the world passed1 and the         

marvellous creatures that inhabited it  
before the coming of man4 ,the fifth    
commandment is also evil in its effect  
on the child's mind from that same fault
 of unreality which runs throughout the 
teaching of the ,established ,church4   
,honour thy father and thy mother that  
thy days may be long in the land4 ,he   
will know perfectly well that good      
children die as well as bad1 and that1  
therefore1 there is no truth in the     
promise he recites4 ,the rest of the    
commandments enjoin simple moral duties1
 and would be useful if taught without  
the preceding ones2 as it is1 the       
unreality of the first five injures the 
force of the later ones1 and the good   
and bad1 being mixed up together1 are   
not likely to be carefully distinguished
 and thus they lose all compelling moral
 power4  ,the commandments recited1 the 
child is asked--,what dost thou chiefly 
learn by these commandments8 and he     
answers that--,i learn two things3 my   
duty towards ,god and my duty towards my

 neighbour4 ,we would urge here that    
man's duty to man should be the point   
most pressed upon the young4 ,supposing 
that any duty to ,god were possible--a  
question outside the present subject--it
 is clear that the duty to man is the   
nearest1 the most obvious1 the easiest  
to understand1 and therefore the first  
to be inculcated4 ,surely1 it is only by
 discharge of the immediate and the     
plain duty that any discharge becomes   
possible of one less near and less      
plain4 ,besides1 the duty to ,god taught
 in the ,catechism is of so wide and    
engrossing a nature that to discharge it
 fully would take up the whole time and 
thoughts4 ,for in answer to the         
question1 ,what is thy duty towards     
,god8 the child says3--,my duty towards 
,god is to believe in him1 to fear him1 
and to love him with all my heart1 with 
all my mind1 with all my soul1 and with 
all my strength2 to worship him1 to give
 him thanks1 to put my whole trust in   
him1 to call upon him1 to honour his    

holy name and his word1 and to serve him
 truly all the days of my life4 ,first1 
to believe in him2 but how can the child
 believe in him until evidence be       
offered of his existence8 ,but to       
examine such evidence is beyond the     
still weak intellectual powers of the   
child1 and therefore belief in ,god is  
beyond him1 for belief based on         
authority is utterly valueless4         
,besides1 it can never be a duty to     
believe2 if the evidence of a fact be   
convincing1 belief in that fact         
naturally follows1 and non-belief would 
be very stupid2 but the word duty is out
 of place in connection with belief4 ,to
 fear him3 that the child will naturally
 do1 after learning that ,god was angry 
with him for being born1 and that       
another ,god1 ,jesus ,christ1 was       
obliged to die to save him from the     
angry ,god4 ,to love him2 not so easy1  
under the circumstances1 nor is love    
compatible with fear2 perfect love      
casteth out fear444 he that feareth is  

not made perfect in love4 ,with all my  
heart1 with all my mind1 with all my    
soul1 and with all my strength4 ,four   
different things the child is to love   
,god with3 ,what does each mean8 ,how is
 heart to be distinguished from mind1   
soul1 and strength8 ,in human love1 love
 of the heart might1 perhaps1 be        
distinguished from love of the mind1 if 
by love of the heart alone a purely     
physical passion were intended2 but this
 cannot explain any sort of love to     
,god1 to whom such love would be clearly
 impossible4 ,once more1 we say that the
 ,church of ,england should publish an  
explanation of the ,catechism1 so that  
we may know what we ought to do and     
believe for our soul's health4 ,bentham 
urges that to put the whole trust in    
,god would prevent the child from       
putting any part of his trust in second 
causes1 and that disregard of these     
would not be compatible with personal   
safety and with the preservation of     
health and life2 and that further1 as   

all these services are unprofitable to  
,god1 they might with more profit be    
directed to the service of those weak   
creatures1 whose need of all the service
 that can be rendered to them is at all 
times so urgent and so abundant4 ,the   
duty to ,god being thus acknowledged1   
there follows the duty to the neighbour1
 for which there seems no room when the 
love1 trust1 and service due to ,god    
have been fully rendered4 ,ques4 ,what  
is thy duty toward thy neighbour8 ,ans4 
,my duty towards my neighbour is to love
 him as myself1 and to do to all men as 
,i would they should do unto me4 ,to    
love1 honour1 and succour my father and 
mother4 ,to honour and obey the king1   
and all that are put in authority under 
him4 ,to submit myself to all my        
governors1 teachers1 spiritual pastors1 
and masters4 ,to order myself lowly and 
reverently to all my betters4 ,to hurt  
nobody by word or deed4 ,to be true and 
just in all my dealings4 ,to bear no    
malice nor hatred in my heart4 ,to keep 

my hands from picking and stealing1 and 
my tongue from evil-speaking1 lying1 and
 slandering4 ,to keep my body in        
temperance1 soberness1 and chastity4    
,not to covet nor desire other men's    
goods2 but to learn and labour truly to 
get mine own living1 and to do my duty  
in that state of life unto which it     
shall please ,god to call me4 ,the first
 phase reproduces the morality which is 
as old as successful social life4 ,what 
word will serve as a rule for the whole 
life8 asked one of ,confucius4 ,is not  
reciprocity such a word8 answered the   
sage4 ,what thou dost not desire done to
 thyself1 do not to others4 ,when you   
are labouring for others1 let it be with
 the same zeal as if for yourself4 ,the 
second phrase is true and right2 the    
next is often foolish and impossible4   
,who could honour such a king as ,george
 ,,iv48 while to obey ,james ,,ii4 would
 have been the destruction of ,england4 
,honour and obedience to constituted    
authorities is a duty only when those   

authorities discharge the duties that   
they are placed in power to execute2 the
 moment they fail in doing this1 to99   
honour and to obey them is to become    
partners in their treason to the nation4
 ,the doctrine of divine right was      
believed in when the ,catechism was     
written1 and then the voice of the king 
was a divine one1 and to resist him was 
to resist ,god4 ,the two following      
phrases breathe the same cringing       
spirit1 as though the main duty towards 
one's neighbour were to submit to him4  
,reverence to any one better than       
one's-self is an instinct1 but my       
betters is simply a cant expression for 
those higher in the social scale1 and   
those have no right to any lowlier      
ordering than the simple respect and    
courtesy that every man should show     
towards every other4 ,this kind of      
teaching saps a child's mental strength 
and self-respect1 and is fatal to his   
manliness of character if it makes any  
impression upon him4 ,the remainder of  

the answer is thoroughly good and       
wholesome1 save the last few words about
 that state of life unto which it shall 
please ,god to call me4 ,a child should 
be taught that his state of life depends
 upon his own exertions1 and not upon   
any calling of ,god1 and that if the    
state be unsatisfactory1 it is his duty 
to set diligently to work to mend it2   
not to be content with it when bad1 not 
to throw on ,god the responsibility of  
having placed him there1 but so to      
labour with all hearty diligence as to  
make it worthy of himself1 honourable1  
respectable1 and comfortable4 ,at this  
point the child is informed3 ,thou art  
not able to do these things of thyself1 
nor to walk in the commandments of ,god1
 and to serve him1 without his special  
grace2 which thou must learn at all     
times to call for by diligent prayer4   
,but if the child cannot do these things
 without ,god's special grace1 then the 
responsibility of his not doing them    
must of necessity fall upon ,god2 for   

the child cannot pray unless ,god gives 
him grace2 and without prayer he can't  
get special grace1 and without special  
grace he can't do these things2 so that 
clearly the child is helpless until ,god
 sends him his grace1 and therefore the 
whole responsibility lies upon ,god     
alone1 and he can never blame the child 
for not doing that which he himself has 
prevented him from beginning4 ,diligent 
prayer for special grace being thus     
wanted1 the child is taught to recite   
the ,lord's ,prayer1 in which grace is  
not mentioned at all1 and he is then    
asked--,what desirest thou of ,god in   
this prayer8 ,i desire my ,lord ,god1   
our ,heavenly ,father1 who is the giver 
of all goodness1 to send his grace to me
 and to all people2 that we may worship 
him1 serve him1 and obey him1 as we     
ought to do4 ,we rub our eyes2 not one  
word of all this is discoverable in the 
,lord's ,prayer6 ,send his grace to me  
and to all people8 not a syllable       
conveying any such meaning3 that we may 

worship him1 serve him1 and obey him 8  
not the shadow of such a request4 ,is it
 supposed to train a child in the habit 
of truthfulness to make him recite as a 
religious lesson what is utterly and    
thoroughly untrue8 ,and ,i pray unto    
,god that he will send us all things    
that be needful both for our souls and  
bodies1 and that he will be merciful    
unto to us1 and forgive us our sins4    
,all things that be needful both for our
 souls and bodies is1 we presume1 summed
 up in our daily bread4 ,simple people  
would scarcely imagine that daily bread 
was all they wanted both for their souls
 and bodies2 perhaps the souls want     
nothing1 not being discoverable by any  
real needs which they express4 ,and that
 it will please him to save and defend  
us in all dangers1 ghostly and bodily2  
and that he will keep us from all sin   
and wickedness1 and from our ghostly    
enemy1 and from everlasting death4      
,here1 again1 nothing in the prayer can 
be translated into these phrases2 there 

is nothing about saving and defending   
from all dangers1 ghostly and bodily1   
nor a syllable as to defence from our   
ghostly enemy1 by whom a child will     
probably understand a ghost in a white  
sheet1 and will go to bed in terror     
after saying the ,catechism which thus  
recognises ghosts--nor from everlasting 
death4 ,the prayer is of the simplest1  
but the translation of it of the        
hardest4 ,and this ,i trust he will do  
of his mercy and goodness1 through our  
,lord ,jesus ,christ2 ,and therefore ,i 
say ,amen1 so be it4 ,why should the    
child trust ,god's mercy and goodness to
 protect him8 ,there would be no        
dangers1 ghostly and bodily1 no ghostly 
enemy1 and no everlasting death1 unless 
,god had invented them all1 and the     
person who places us in the midst of    
dangers is scarcely the one to whom to  
turn for deliverance from them4 ,mercy  
and goodness would not have surrounded  
us with such dangers2 mercy and goodness
 would not have encompassed us with such

 foes2 mercy and goodness would have    
created beings whose glad lives would   
have been one long hymn of praise to the
 ,creator1 and would have ever blessed  
him that he had called them into        
existence4  ,the child is now to be led 
further into the ,christian mysteries1  
and is to be instructed in the doctrine 
of the sacraments1 curious              
double-natured things of which we have  
to believe in what we don't see1 and see
 that which we are not to believe in4   
,how many sacraments hath ,christ       
ordained in his ,church8 ,two only as   
generally necessary to salvation1 that  
is to say1 ,baptism and the ,supper of  
the ,lord4 ,generally necessary2 the    
word generally is explained by          
commentators as universally1 so that the
 phrase should run1 universally         
necessary to salvation4 ,the theory of  
the ,church being that all are by nature
 the children of wrath1 and that none   
are regenerate1 except they be born of  
water and of the ,holy ,ghost1 it       

follows that baptism is universally     
necessary to salvation2 and since ,jesus
 has said1 ,except ye eat the flesh of  
the ,son of man and drink his blood1 ye 
have no life in you 7,john vi4 #ec71 it 
equally follows that the ,lord's ,supper
 is universally necessary to salvation4 
,seeing that the vast majority of       
mankind are not baptized ,christians at 
all1 and that of baptized ,christians   
the majority never eat the ,lord's      
supper1 the heirs of salvation will be  
extremely limited in number1 and will   
not be inconveniently crowded in the    
many mansions above4 ,what meanest thou 
by this word sacrament8 ,i mean an      
outward and visible sign of an inward   
and spiritual grace given unto us1      
ordained by ,christ himself1 as a means 
whereby we receive the same1 and as a   
pledge to assure us thereof4 ,if this be
 a true definition of a sacrament1 no   
such thing as a sacrament can fairly be 
said to be in existence4 ,what is the   
inward and spiritual grace given unto   

the baby in baptism8 ,if it be given1 it
 must be seen in its effects1 or else it
 is a gift of nothing at all4 ,a baby   
after baptism is exactly the same as it 
was before2 cries as much1 kicks as     
much1 fidgets as much2 clearly it has   
received no inward and spiritual        
sanctifying grace2 it behaves as well or
 as badly as any unbaptized baby1 and is
 neither worse nor better than its      
contemporaries4 ,manifestly the inward  
grace is wanting1 and therefore no true 
sacrament is here1 for a sacrament must 
have the grace as well as the sign1 ,the
 same thing may be said of the ,lord's  
,supper2 people do-not seem any the     
better for it after its reception2 a    
hungry man is satisfied after his       
supper1 and so shows that he has really 
received something1 but the spirit      
suffers as much from the hunger of envy 
and the thirst of bad temper after the  
,lord's ,supper as it did before4 ,but  
why should the grace be inward1 and why 
is the soul thought of as inside the    

body1 instead of all through and over   
it8 ,there are few convenient hollows   
inside where it can dwell1 but people   
speak as though man were an empty box1  
and the soul might live in it4 ,the     
sacrament is a means whereby we receive 
the same1 and a pledge to assure us     
thereof4 ,god's grace1 then1 can be     
conveyed in the vehicles of water1      
bread1 and wine2 it must surely1 then1  
be something material1 else how can     
material things transmit it8 ,and ,god  
becomes dependent on man to decide for  
him on whom the grace shall be bestowed4
 ,two infants are born into the world2  
one of them is brought to church and is 
baptized2 ,god may give that child his  
grace3 the other is left without        
baptism2 it is a child of wrath1 and    
,god may not bless it4 ,thus is ,god    
governed by the neglect of a poor1 and  
very likely drunken1 nurse1 and the     
recipients of his grace are chosen for  
him at the caprice or carelessness of   
men4 ,strange1 too1 that ,christians who

 received ,god's grace need a pledge to 
assure them that they have really got   
it2 how curious that the recipient      
should not know that so precious a gift 
has been bestowed upon him until he has 
also been given a little bit of bread   
and a tiny sip of wine4 ,it is as though
 a queen's messenger put into one's hand
 a hundred ,l#ajjj notes1 and then said 
solemnly3 ,here is a farthing as a      
pledge to assure you that you have      
really received the notes4 ,would not   
the notes themselves be the best        
assurance that we had received them1 and
 would not the grace of ,god consciously
 possessed be its own best proof that   
,god had given it to us8 ,how many parts
 are there in a sacrament8 ,two2 the    
outward visible sign1 and the inward    
spiritual grace4 ,this is simply a      
repetition of the previous question and 
answer1 and is entirely unnecessary4    
,what is the outward visible sign1 or   
form1 in baptism8 ,water2 wherein the   
person is baptized in the name of the   

,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the    
,holy ,ghost4 ,this answer raises the   
interesting question as to whether      
,english ,christians--save the          
,baptists--are really baptized4 ,they   
are not baptized in1 but only with      
water4 ,the rubric directs that the     
minister shall dip it in the water      
discreetly and warily1 and that only    
where the child is weak it shall suffice
 to pour water upon it ,it appears      
possible that the salvation of nearly   
all the ,english people is in peril1    
since their baptism is imperfect4 ,the  
formula of baptism reminds us of a      
curious difference in the baptism of the
 apostles from the baptism in the triune
 name of ,god2 although ,jesus had1     
according to ,matthew1 solemnly         
commanded them to baptize with this     
formula1 we find1 from the ,acts1 that  
they utterly disregarded his injunction1
 and baptized in the name of ,jesus     
,christ1 instead of in the name of      
,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost4 7,see  

,acts ii4 #ch1 viii4 #af1 x #dh1 xix4   
#e1 etc47 ,the obvious conclusion to be 
drawn from this is1 that if the ,acts be
 historical1 ,jesus never gave the      
command put into his mouth in ,matthew1 
but that it was inserted later when such
 a formula became usual in the ,church4 
,what is the inward and spiritual grace8
 ,a death unto sin1 and a new birth unto
 righteousness2 for being by nature born
 in sin1 and the children of wrath1 we  
are hereby made the children of grace4  
,what8 a baby die unto sin8 how can it1 
when it is unconscious of sin1 and      
therefore cannot sin8 ,a new birth unto 
righteousness8 but it is only just born1
 surely there can be no need that it    
should be born over again so soon8 ,and 
if it be true that this is the inward   
grace given1 would it not be well--as   
did many in the early ,church--to put   
off the ceremony of baptism until the   
last moment1 so that the dying man1     
being baptized1 may die to all the sins 
he has committed during life1 and be    

born again into spiritual babyhood1 fit 
to go straight into heaven8 ,it seems a 
needless cruelty to baptize infants1 and
 so deprive them of the chance of       
getting rid of all their life sins in a 
lump later on4 ,this is not the only    
objection to baptism4 ,bentham          
powerfully urges what has often been    
pressed3--  ,note well the sort of story
 that is here told4 ,the ,almighty      
,god1--maker of all things1 visible and 
'invisible1'--'of heaven and earth1 and 
all that therein is4'--makes1 amongst   
other things1 a child3 and no sooner has
 he made it1 than he is 'wrath' with it 
for being made4 ,he determines          
accordingly to consign it to a state of 
endless torture4 ,meantime comes        
somebody1--and pronouncing certain      
words1 applies the child to a quantity  
of water1 or a quantity of water to the 
child4 ,moved by these words1 the       
all-wise ,being changes his design2 and1
 though he is not so far appeased as to 
give the child its pardon1 vouchsafes to

 it a chance1--no one can say what      
chance1--of ultimate escape4 ,and this  
is what the child gets by being         
'made'--and we see in what way made--'a 
child of grace4'  ,what is required of  
persons to be baptised8 ,repentance1    
whereby they forsake sin2 and ,faith1   
whereby they steadfastly believe the    
promises of ,god made to them in that   
,sacrament4 ,why then are infants       
baptised when by reason of their tender 
age they cannot perform them8 ,why1     
indeed6 ,because they promise them both 
by their sureties1 which promise1 when  
they come of age1 themselves are bound  
to perform4 ,surely it would be better  
if these things are required before     
baptism1 to put off baptism until       
repentance and faith become possible1   
instead of going through it like a play1
 where people act their parts and       
represent somebody else4 ,for suppose   
the child for whom repentance and faith 
are promised does not1 when he comes to 
full age1 either repent of his sins or  

believe ,god's promises1 what becomes of
 the inward and spiritual grace8 ,it    
must either have been given1 or not have
 been given2 if the former1 the         
unrepentant and unbelieving person has  
got it on the faith of his sureties'    
promises for him2 if the latter1 ,god   
has not given the grace promised in     
,holy ,baptism1 and his promises are    
therefore unreliable in all cases4  ,why
 was the ,sacrament of the ,lord's      
,supper ordained8 ,for the continual    
remembrance of the sacrifice of the     
death of ,christ1 and of the benefits   
which we receive thereby4 ,what very bad
 memories ,christians must have6 ,god   
has come down from heaven on purpose to 
die for them1 and they cannot remember  
it without eating and drinking in memory
 of it4 ,the child is then taught that  
the outward part in the ,lord's ,supper 
is bread and wine1 and that the inward  
part is ,the ,body and ,blood of        
,christ1 which are verily and indeed    
taken and received by the faithful in   

the ,lord's ,supper1 the body and blood 
nourishing the soul1 as the bread and   
wine do the body4 ,if the body and blood
 convey as infinitesimal an amount of   
nourishment to the soul as the small    
portions of bread and wine do to the    
body1 the soul must suffer much from    
spiritual hunger4 ,but how do they      
nourish the soul8 ,the body and blood   
must be somehow in the bread and wine1  
and how is it managed that one part     
shall nourish the soul while the rest   
goes to the body8 verily and indeed     
taken and received4 ,from the eager     
protestation one would imagine that     
there must be some doubt about it1 and  
that there might be some question as to 
whether the invisible and intangible    
thing were really and truly taken4 ,it  
needs but little insight to see how     
woefully confusing it must be to an     
intelligent child to teach him that     
bread and wine are only bread and wine  
one minute and the next are ,christ's   
body and blood as well1 although none of

 his senses can distinguish the smallest
 change in them4 ,such instruction will1
 if it has any effect on his mind1      
incline him to take every assertion on  
trust1 without1 and even contrary to1   
reason and experiment2 it lays the basis
 of all superstition1 by teaching belief
 in what is not susceptible of proof4   
,what is required of them who come to   
the ,lord's supper8 ,to examine         
themselves1 whether they repent them    
truly of their former sins1 steadfastly 
purposing to lead a new life2 have a    
lively faith in ,god's mercy through    
,christ1 with a thankful remembrance of 
his death2 and be in charity with all   
men4 ,it is the custom in many churches 
now to have weekly1 and in some to have 
daily1 communion2 can the communicants  
who attend these steadfastly purpose to 
lead a new life every time8 and how many
 former sins are they as continually    
repenting of8 ,here we find the         
overstrained piety which throughout     
disfigures the ,prayer-,book2 people are

 moaning about their sins1 and crying   
over their falls1 and resolving to mend 
their ways1 and vowing they will lead   
new lives1 and the next time one sees   
them they are once more proclaiming     
themselves to be as miserable sinners as
 ever4 ,how weary the ,holy ,ghost must 
get of sanctifying them6  ,such is the  
,catechism that ,the curate of every    
parish shall diligently upon ,sundays   
and ,holy ,days1 after the second lesson
 at evening prayer1 openly in the       
,church teach to the children sent to   
him1 and which all fathers1 mothers1    
masters1 and dames shall cause their    
children1 servants1 and apprentices     
7which have not learned their           
,catechism7 to come to the ,church at   
the time appointed1 in order to learn2  
such is the nourishment provided by the 
,church for her lambs3 such is the      
teaching she offers to the rising       
generation4 ,thus1 before they are able 
to think1 she moulds the                
thinking-machine2 thus1 before they are 

able to judge1 she biases the judgment2 
thus1 from children puzzled and         
bewildered1 she hopes to make men and   
women supple to her teaching1 and out of
 the ,catechism she winds round the     
children's brains1 she forges the chain 
of creeds which fetters the intellect of
 the full-grown members of her          
communion4  ,london3 ,printed by ,annie 
,besant and ,charles ,bradlaugh1 #bh1   
,stonecutter ,street1 ,e4,c  ,february1 
#ahhe4