,transcriber's ,note3      ,every effort
 has been made to replicate this text as
 faithfully as     possible1 including  
non-standard spelling and punctuation4  
,some changes of spelling and           
punctuation have been made4 ,they are   
listed at the end of the text4      ,,oe
 ligatures have been expanded4          
,italic text has been marked with       
underscores4      ,bold text has been   
marked with equals signs4               
,sacrificing the earth for paradise is  
giving up  the substance for the shadow4
   --,victor ,hugo4   ,is ,life ,worth  
,living  ,without ,immortality8   ,a    
,lecture ,delivered ,before  the        
,independent ,religious  ,society1      
,chicago   ,by  ,m4 ,m4 ,,mangasarian   
,i may be doing you an injustice1       
,bertie1 but it seemed to me in         
your last that there were indications   
that the free expression of      my     
religious views had been distasteful to 
you4 ,that you should      disagree with
 me ,i am prepared for2 but that you    

should object to      free and honest   
discussion of those subjects which above
 all others      men should be honest   
over1 would1 ,i confess1 be a           
disappointment4      ,the ,free-thinker 
is placed at this disadvantage in       
ordinary      society1 that whereas it  
would be considered very bad taste upon 
his part to obtrude his unorthodox      
opinion1 no such consideration          
hampers those with whom he disagrees4   
,there was a time when it took      a   
brave man to be a ,christian4 ,now it   
takes a brave man not to be4   ,,sir ,a4
 ,,conan ,,doyle1  ,the ,stark ,munro   
,letters--,fourth ,letter4     ,is ,life
 ,worth ,living ,without ,immortality8  
,is life worth living8 ,if we are in    
good health1 it certainly is4 ,in a     
certain sense1 even to ask such a       
question implies that we are not at our 
best4 ,it is the sick1 mentally as well 
as physically1 who question the value of
 life4 ,we cannot appreciate health too 
highly4 ,our philosophy of life is more 

profoundly affected by the condition of 
our body than we have any idea4 ,if ,i  
were composing a new set of beatitudes1 
one of them would be in exaltation of   
health3  ,blessed are they that have    
health1 for they shall take pleasure in 
life4  ,health also inspires faith in   
life4 ,the first commandment of the     
decalogue1 instead of reading1 ,thou    
shalt have no other gods before me1     
which is metaphysical and without       
definite meaning1 could with much       
advantage be altered to read3  ,thou    
shalt not trifle with thy health4  ,how 
fortunate it would have been for man had
 the ,deity given that as his first and 
best thought to the world6 ,then1       
indeed1 would he have been the friend of
 man4 ,we cannot preserve our health    
without observing all the other         
commandments--of temperance1 purity1    
sanity1 self possession1 contentment1   
and serenity of mind4 ,behold ,i bring  
unto you health ought to be the glad    
tidings of salvation4 ,give us that1 and

 all the rest will be added unto us4    
,health is the foundation of character4 
,if the foundation is insecure--if we   
have inherited disease and corruption1  
we can be sound1 neither in our thoughts
 nor in our actions4 ,the time may come 
when to be sickly will be considered a  
crime4 ,a revolution in our feelings in 
this matter is already taking place4    
,formerly it was thought that the path  
to self-development is through sorrow   
and suffering1 and that the sick were   
the saints4 ,the verdict of science     
today1 which has been confirmed by the  
growing experience of man1 is that      
pleasurable activity is the most        
wholesome environment for man4          
,happiness has upon human nature the    
same effect that the sunshine has upon  
the soil4 ,man is a failure if he is not
 happy4 ,the highest accomplishment is  
the ability to enjoy life4 ,to those who
 say that service or usefulness is the  
noblest aim of life1 we answer1 ,why    
should those who serve the noblest ends 

of life be unhappy8  ,but let me first  
present to you the answer which one of  
,america's best known psychologists1    
,prof4 ,william ,james1 of ,harvard1    
gives to this most interesting question4
 ,prof4 ,james is a teacher not only of 
the young men in one of our leading     
,universities1 but his ideas have become
 a part of the furniture of the         
,american mind4 ,both his thought and   
the candor with which he expresses      
himself have secured for him a large    
following4 ,prof4 ,james has an engaging
 style4 ,not that he is not also a      
profound thinker1 but his sentences are 
as symmetrical as they are solid4 ,he   
writes to be understood4 ,that1 ,i take 
it1 is the secret of the masters of     
style4 ,the gods always speak from      
behind clouds and darkness4 ,that       
explains why it is so difficult to      
understand what they say4 ,but the great
 teachers permit no screens1 draperies1 
curtains1 or hangings of any sort to    
come between them and the public4 ,there

 is nothing hidden about their thoughts4
 ,neither do they speak in parables4    
,whoever can not make himself understood
 should hold his peace4  ,the parents of
 this renowned psychologist were        
,swedenborgians1 and ,i believe the     
professor is still1 nominally1 at least1
 a member of the ,swedenborgian church4 
,swedenborg1 as you know1 was a mystic2 
he was1 indeed1 a sort of a medium1 who 
claimed to have seen and conversed with 
,god face to face1 and to have received 
from him a supplementary revelation1 in 
some such sense that ,mrs4 ,eddy or     
,joseph ,smith received one4 ,of course1
 ,swedenborg was also a philosopher1    
which ,smith and ,eddy are not4 ,the    
early connections and training of ,prof4
 ,james explain in part his interest in 
the work of the ,psychical ,research    
,society1 of which he is one of the     
officers4 ,so-called spiritist or occult
 phenomena1 such as automatic slate     
writing1 table tipping and telepathy1   
have always interested ,prof4 ,james1   

but he is by no means an easy victim1   
though he looks forward hopefully to the
 time when science will definitely      
locate the undiscovered country whose   
bourne has not yet been sighted4  ,some 
years ago when ,prof4 ,james and ,i were
 summer neighbors in ,new               
,hampshire--near ,chocorua lake--,i     
heard the professor deliver a lecture on
 hypnotism in the village church of     
,tamworth4 ,an incident occurred at the 
time which has its bearing on the       
experience our ,society is having with  
the directors of the ,orchestral        
,association4 ,while ,prof4 ,james was  
explaining the phenomena of hypnotism   
from the pulpit1 ,i saw1 from where ,i  
was sitting1 an elderly woman showing   
signs of restlessness in her seat4      
,presently she rose to her feet1 walked 
up the aisle slowly1 and taking her     
stand directly in front of ,prof4 ,james
 on the platform1 she upbraided him for 
desecrating the ,house of ,god by       
delivering in it a lecture on hypnotism4

 ,in clear1 though trembling tones1 she 
ordered him out of the church4          
,naturally the professor was greatly    
embarrassed1 as was also his audience4  
,the old woman1 however1 was soon       
prevailed upon by the elders of the     
church to resume her seat and keep the  
peace4 ,but she was trying to oust      
,prof4 ,james from the church1 as the   
trustees of this building are trying to 
oust our ,society from this hall1 on    
account of religious differences4 ,the  
old woman of ,new ,hampshire was not    
successful1 and ,i trust that the old   
woman of ,chicago will not fare any     
better4 ,to close a hall to a movement  
is an easy thing1 but to close the ear  
of the world to its message is not so   
easy4  ,i have spoken of the early      
education of ,prof4 ,james in order to  
explain the metaphysical bent of his    
mind4 ,as a psychologist1 he has an     
international reputation1 but his       
greatest vogue is among1 what are       
called1 the liberal ,christians4 ,the   

orthodox have no use for him1 but to    
those who are endeavoring to interpret  
,christianity so as to make it harmonize
 with modern thought--who are filling   
the ancient skins with wine newly       
pressed--he is a defender and a champion
 of the faith4 ,prof4 ,james seems to   
have discovered a way by which one can  
be a scientist and a supernaturalist at 
the same time4 ,he appears to be of the 
opinion that a person may deny or reject
 many of the orthodox dogmas1 and still 
be justified in calling himself a       
,christian4 ,he is1 in fact1 one of the 
,new ,theologians1 who are supposed to  
have reconstructed ,christianity1 and   
saved the supernatural4 ,for this       
service1 ,prof4 ,james and his confreres
 are held in high esteem by those who   
would have had to give up ,christianity 
but for their timely help4  ,in his     
lecture on1 ,is ,life ,worth ,living1   
the professor admits that he is writing 
for the pessimists4 ,it is they who are 
in the to be or not to be mood of mind4 

,the optimist does not need consolation1
 for he is incapable of even suspecting 
that life is not worth living4 ,some    
temperaments are as incapable of        
depression or gloom1 as others are of   
happiness4 ,if there are parts of the   
world on which the sun never goes down1 
so there are natures which know no      
night4 ,we make a mistake1 however1 if  
we think that the pessimist represents a
 lower type of mental evolution4 ,on the
 contrary1 pessimism comes with         
civilization1 and it generally attacks  
men and women of a higher culture4      
,suicide is rare among the negroes or   
the less advanced races2 but in the     
,united ,states1 representing the most  
perfect type of civilization1 dowered   
magnificently1 and rich in the          
possession of the treasures of art and  
nature2 in ,america1 the home of hope   
and opportunity--with its immense       
prairies1 its great ,west1 its army of  
earth-subduers1 empire-builders1        
large-natured1 generous1 daring1        

enduring1 restless1 resistless          
pioneers--more than three thousand      
people every year kill themselves4 ,if  
we were to seek for an explanation of   
this strange phenomenon1 the nearest we 
can come to it would be to say that     
these people prefer death to life       
because they do not find life worth     
their while4 ,there is not enough in it 
to satisfy them4 ,to use an ,emersonian 
phrase1 life is to them no more than a  
sucked orange4 ,when the perfume1 the   
aroma1 the taste1 the tints1 and the    
juices have been extracted from the     
fruit--who cares for what is left4  ,of 
course1 these remarks have no reference 
to the cases of sudden suicide1         
committed in a moment of frenzy--when a 
man driven1 as it were1 by a storm in   
the brain1 lets go of his hold and slips
 into the darkness4 ,the professor has  
in mind rather those who even though    
they do not commit suicide1 live on     
reluctantly1 under protest1 and who     
treat life as we would a guest who has  

overstaid his welcome1 and to whose     
final departure we look forward with    
pleasure4  ,but there is still another  
class of pessimists who need to be      
reasoned with4 ,these are the people who
 brood over the existence of evil in the
 world1 and feel the misery of the many 
so keenly1 that they think it involves a
 point of honor to consent to be happy  
in such a world4 ,the contemplation of  
human sorrow1 the surging waves of which
 break upon every shore2 and the cry of 
human anguish rising like the blind cry 
of all the seas that roll1 has a        
tendency to slacken the hold of the     
reflective mind upon life4 ,prof4 ,james
 admits that pessimism is essentially a 
religious disease1 in the sense that it 
results from the inability of man to    
entertain two contradictory thoughts at 
the same time3 ,a father in heaven1     
whose tender mercies are over all his   
children1 and children dying of hunger  
and neglect6 ,infinite wisdom enthroned 
in heaven1 and a world running          

topsy-turvy4 ,the refined mind cannot   
contemplate this contradiction without  
distress4 ,if ,god is everywhere1 why is
 there darkness anywhere8 ,if there is  
within reach an ocean of truth1 why is  
it doled out to us in driblets which    
hardly wet our lips1 when we are burning
 with thirst8 ,religion provokes desires
 which it cannot satisfy1 and makes     
promises which it will not fulfil4 ,it  
is this contradiction which bites the   
soul black and blue4 ,god is infinite6  
and behold we are starving4 ,god is     
light6 and we grope in darkness4 ,god is
 great6 and we cannot budge without     
crutches4 ,it is this thought which     
teases us out of our peace of mind4 ,the
 idea of a ,god1 gifted with infinite   
parts1 measured against the helplessness
 of man1 makes for pessimism4  ,but in  
the opinion of ,prof4 ,james1 religion  
alone can cure the disease which        
religion creates4 ,by religion1 he does 
not mean merely loving one's neighbor   
and being loyal to one's best thoughts4 

,religion1 according to ,prof4 ,james1  
means the belief that beyond this       
present life1 there is an unseen world  
of which we now know nothing positive   
but in its relation to which the        
significance of our mundane life        
consists4 ,if this is the first act of  
an unending drama1 it would have great  
worth and significance1 but if it is a  
detached and disconnected piece1 upon   
which the curtain will soon fall never  
to rise again--if it is never going to  
be finished--it loses1 according to     
,prof4 ,james1 its seriousness4 ,in     
other words1 it is the belief that man  
is an eternal being whom no catastrophe 
can crush or annihilate1 which makes our
 present existence worth while1 and     
which also reconciles us to the         
discipline of pain and evil4 ,life is   
worth living1 in short1 if man is       
immortal4 ,this is the drift of ,prof4  
,james' teaching1 as it is also that of 
all supernaturalists4  ,what evidence   
does the professor offer to prove the   

existence of an unseen world and the    
immortality of man8 ,he offers none4 ,he
 admits that science has not as yet     
demonstrated the reality of an invisible
 world4 ,perhaps it never will1 but what
 of that8 ,you have got a right to      
believe in an unseen world1 declares the
 professor4 ,is it not interesting8 ,it 
will be seen that if the professor has  
no evidence1 he has many arguments4 ,one
 of his arguments is that1 since1 we    
must either believe or disbelieve in a  
future life1 neutrality in the matter   
being an unattainable thing1 why not    
take our choice1 and while we are at it1
 choose immortality4 ,another argument  
is1 that as our longings and yearnings  
in other directions have turned out to  
be prophetic1 we have every reason to   
believe that the desire for eternal life
 also will be fulfilled4 ,art1 science1 
music1 health1 have come to us because  
of an inner impulse which prompted us to
 go after them4 ,a similar impulse urges
 us to seek the divine1 which is a sort 

of proof that the divine exists4 ,still 
another argument is this3 ,all the great
 successes or achievements of life came 
as a result of the courage that takes   
risks4 ,without audacity1 man would     
never have crossed the ocean1 or        
invented the aeroplane4 ,if the belief  
in immortality requires the taking of   
risks1 if it is hazardous even to hold  
it1 we should not hesitate on that      
account1 since some of the best things  
have come to us by taking risks4 ,start 
out for ,god and immortality2 and some  
day you may cast anchor in the shining  
waters that lap the shores of a divine  
continent4 ,we are free to trust at our 
own risk anything that is not           
impossible1 concludes the professor4    
,finally1 there is the argument from    
analogy1 which ,i may explain by a      
personal experience4 ,in the ,pasteur   
,institute in ,paris1 last summer1 ,i   
saw in the vivisection room1 physicians 
in their white aprons1 operating upon   
live rabbits1 cutting and dissecting    

them1 while the helpless creatures were 
so fastened to the tables that they     
could not move a muscle4 ,now all this  
must seem very cruel to the rabbit4 ,it 
must think the physician a butcher1     
devoid of all feeling1 or justice1 and  
it must perforce denounce the world in  
which such wanton torture is inflicted  
by the strong upon the weak4 ,but if the
 rabbit could take a larger view1 if it 
could be made to see that its sufferings
 are contributing to the progress of    
science and the amelioration of the     
conditions of life upon this planet1 and
 thereby helping to hasten the day when 
disease shall be conquered1 would it not
 be reconciled to the physician's knife 
and the operating table8 ,the larger    
view which would embrace the world      
unseen will help to give to evil1       
suffering and misery1 which now we do   
not understand1 a raison d'etre4 ,the   
part of wisdom as well as of courage    
then1 is to believe what is in the line 
of our needs1 for only by the belief is 

the need fulfilled4 ,refuse to believe1 
and you shall indeed be right1 for you  
shall irretrievably perish4 ,but        
believe1 and again you shall be right1  
for you shall save yourself4  ,it will  
be seen by what has preceded1 that      
,prof4 ,james of ,harvard ,university1  
throws the weight of his influence on   
the side of those who have always       
maintained that ,god and immortality are
 indispensable to the happiness of man4 
,in his opinion1 what a man would be if 
deprived of his reason1 the universe    
would be if deprived of a ,god1 and     
life1 of a future existence4 ,the       
eminent psychologist takes the further  
position that it is immaterial whether  
or not there is any evidence to prove   
the existence of a ,god or of a life    
after death4 ,if the belief is essential
 to our happiness and usefulness1 he    
thinks we have got the right to         
entertain it1 irrespective of the       
question of evidence4 ,if there is a    
belief of any kind to which you have    

taken a special fancy1 or one that you  
feel like crying for1 the professor     
seems to say1 help yourself to it2 you  
have only yourself to suit4 ,even if    
such a belief should involve an element 
of risk1 we are urged to take the risk4 
,if it requires audacity even to believe
 in a ,god and immortality1 we are told 
to have the audacity4 ,it is his idea   
that when we are dealing with the       
unknown1 the important thing is the     
heart's desire1 and not the question of 
evidence4 ,in passing1 ,i might suggest 
that ,prof4 ,james would never have     
thought of pushing aside with such      
nonchalance1 the question of evidence1  
were it not for an irrepressible        
suspicion that the evidence is against  
him4 ,he hopes to do without the        
evidence because the evidence will not  
help him4 ,this reminds us of the saying
 of the philosopher ,hobbes1 that1 men  
are generally against reason when reason
 is against them4  ,as already          
intimated1 the liberal party in the     

church regards ,prof4 ,james as a       
defender of the faith4 ,he is classed   
with such men as ,sir ,oliver ,lodge and
 ,lord ,kelvin1 who though scientists   
still believe in the supernatural1 and  
by their example have made such a belief
 respectable4 ,it must be borne in mind1
 however1 that these distinguished men  
are ,christians only1 if at all1 in a   
very loose sense of the word4 ,all the  
cardinal doctrines of revelation1 such  
as the creation1 the atonement1 the     
incarnation1 and a personal ,god--even  
one1 to say nothing of a trinity--they  
reject4 ,these gentlemen have not enough
 faith to be baptised to-day1 had they  
not been baptised in their              
childhood1--or to be received into any  
,christian church without greatly       
stretching the rules in their behalf4   
,it remains then quite true1 and the    
argument has not yet been answered1 that
 there is not a single eminent thinker  
in the world to-day who will subscribe  
to the creed of ,christendom without    

first going through it with a blue      
pencil1 or a pair of scissors4 ,but     
,prof4 ,james1 as also ,lodge and       
,kelvin1 if they are not                
supernaturalists in the ordinary sense  
of the word1 neither are they           
anti-supernaturalists4 ,they are between
 and betwixt1 if ,i may use that        
phrase--not quite ready to part with    
supernaturalism altogether1 nor yet able
 to hold on to it in its entirety1 and  
so they linger somewhere on the borders 
or the edge of it4  ,the first remark ,i
 have to make on the position of these  
newly recruited defenders of            
supernaturalism--even though the        
supernaturalism which they defend be of 
the attenuated kind--is1 that their     
argument is not even an improvement on  
that of the theologian4 ,i like the     
dogmatic and autocratic1 thus saith the 
,lord1 of theology1 much better than the
 suit yourself of these gentlemen4 ,the 
one position is as destructive of       
intellectual integrity1 as the other4   

,the theologian starts with the fallacy 
that ,god can make a thing true by an   
act of his will--that his say so makes  
all need of evidence superfluous4 ,prof4
 ,james and the men of his school start 
with a proposition equally fatal to the 
truth--namely2 that whatever we wish to 
be true concerning the unknown is true4 
,all that is needed1 for instance1 to   
give the universe a ,god is to wish for 
one4 ,all that is necessary to make a   
man immortal is to desire and believe   
that he is4 ,the ,will to ,believe1     
which is the title of one of the        
professor's writings1 makes truth the   
creature of man1 as theology makes it   
the creature of ,god4 ,you see that     
after all1 the theologian and the       
scientific supernaturalist pull         
together4 ,that is to say1 when science 
lends itself to theology1 it ceases to  
be scientific4 ,it is not theology that 
goes over to science1 but science that  
goes over to theology4 ,as soon as      
science appears at the camp of theology1

 it is forthwith swallowed up4 ,when    
,prof4 ,james speaks of the will to     
believe1 and never mind the evidence1 he
 is borrowing from theology1 the will to
 create of ,god4  ,even as the ,deity in
 creating did not have to consider      
anything but his glory and pleasure1    
likewise man in believing does not have 
to consider anything but his needs and  
desires4 ,ask1 ,what is ,truth8 and the 
theologian answers3 ,whatever ,god wants
 it to be4 ,ask now the scientist allies
 of the supernatural1 ,what is ,truth1  
and they answer3 ,whatever man desires  
or craves it to be4 ,of course1 it may  
be objected that it is only concerning  
the unknown that man is permitted to    
dispense with evidence and consult his  
will4 ,but there is no merit1 for       
instance1 in a man not telling any      
falsehoods where he is sure of being    
found out2 his character is tested by   
his refusal to lie where he is sure he  
never will be found out4 ,it is         
concerning the unknown about which we   

can say anything and everything we      
please without the fear of ever being   
caught1 that we should restrain         
ourselves and show our loyalty to the   
everlasting law of honor1 never to      
depart from veracity4 ,to make any      
assertions about the unknown is to take 
an undue advantage of one's neighbors4  
,truth is not mine to do with it as ,i  
please1 said ,giordano ,bruno1 ,i must  
obey the truth1 not command it4 ,but the
 theologico-scientific position is the  
very reverse of this4 ,if a god were to 
ask the question1 ,what is ,truth8 ,his 
priests would answer1 ,lord1 suit       
thyself4 ,if men asked1 ,what is ,truth8
 the ,harvard professor and his         
colleagues would reply1 ,it depends upon
 your will to believe4  ,the name given 
to this free and easy philosophy1 if ,i 
may use such an expression--is          
pragmatism1 which is a word from the    
,greek root pragmatikos1 whence our word
 practice and practical4 ,the idea at   
the basis of this philosophy is that    

whatever is practical and               
business-like--whatever is necessary to 
a given program1 is authoritative4 ,the 
philosopher1 ,kant1 was one of the first
 to urge that we have a right to believe
 as we please concerning the things     
which we can neither prove nor disprove 
by evidence1 if such beliefs are        
necessary to morality4 ,his modern      
disciples following his leadership1 take
 the position that it is the usefulness 
of a hypothesis or a belief1 and not its
 truth1 that should concern us4 ,does it
 work1 is the test1 they say1 of the    
value of a scheme or statement1 and not1
 ,is it true8 ,if it works1 what do we  
care whether or not it be true4 ,if it  
does not work1 it is of no help to us   
even if it were true4 ,this is          
identically the same argument which is  
advanced by the ,roman ,catholics1 to   
justify for instance1 the belief in the 
existence1 somewhere in the universe1 of
 a place called purgatory4 ,the doctrine
 of purgatory works1 argues the priest1 

and therefore1 it makes no difference   
whether or not such a place really      
exists4 ,it is a useful1 consoling and  
profitable doctrine4 ,therefore it is as
 good as true4 ,in the phraseology of   
pragmatism1 millions of people want a   
purgatory1 therefore1 there is one4 ,and
 once again1 to the question1 ,what is  
,truth1 the answer of both the          
theologian and the pragmatist is1 ,do   
not bother about it4 ,and this describes
 the attitude of the ,protestant as well
 as of the ,catholic toward truth4 ,they
 do not bother about it4 ,yes1 they do  
not bother about it4 ,that is why       
progress limps and the darkness lingers4
 ,people have been brought up not to    
bother about truth1 which explains why  
error is still king of more than half of
 the world4 ,i cannot find the          
words--all words fail me to express my  
disappointment that a teacher of the    
youth in one of our great institutions1 
who are to be the ,america of tomorrow1 
should in any way contribute to the     

impression that truth is secondary2 that
 our needs1 our interests1 our          
inclinations1 or our whims1 come first1 
and that if we have not the courage to  
look the truth in the face1 we can turn 
around and make terms with myth and     
fable4  ,if we were disposed to trip the
 professor1 or by one single thrust to  
disqualify him for further action in the
 arena of thought1 we could say that    
even from the point of view of the      
pragmatist1 truth comes first1 and that 
by no imaginable manoeuvring can truth  
be shifted to a subordinate rank4 ,it   
cannot be done4 ,listen6 ,you may not   
have to prove the existence of a ,god1  
or of a future1 or of a purgatory1      
before believing in it4 ,granted3 but   
you have to prove and you are trying to 
prove1 that it is true that you do not  
have to prove them4 ,even pragmatists   
who say that utility is before truth1   
labor to prove that it is true that     
utility is before truth4 ,in other      
words1 they have got to prove the truth 

of their theory1 whatever that may be1  
before they can make it have any value1 
or before it can command our respect4   
,things have to be true else they cannot
 exist4 ,all the labor of ,prof4 ,james 
has for its object the demonstration of 
what he considers to be a truth1 namely3
 that the truth of the belief concerning
 the unknown is not essential4 ,in other
 words1 ,god may be true or not1 a      
future life may be true or not1 but it  
has to be true that it makes no         
difference whether they are true or not4
 ,wiggle as we may1 we cannot escape the
 ring of reason that embraces life4     
,this is what ,i mean when ,i say that  
the stars fight for ,rationalism4 ,truth
 is so tightly screwed and made fast to 
the top of the flag-pole that even hands
 of iron and steel cannot pull it down  
to a lower notch4  ,a second remark ,i  
would make on ,prof4 ,james' manner of  
reasoning is that such arguments as he  
uses to prop up the belief in ,god and  
immortality show1 not confidence1 but   

desperation1 if it is not too strong a  
word to use4 ,urging us to take risks1  
to have the audacity1 to ignore the     
question of evidence1 to suit ourselves1
 and1 not to mind the facts1 is not the 
language of sobriety1 but of            
recklessness4 ,to say to a man standing 
on the edge of a precipice and looking  
down into a chasm of unknown depth and  
darkness1 to jump over1 because1        
perchance1 he may discover his heart's  
desire at the bottom1 is frantic advice1
 and a man has to be in a panicky state 
of mind to let go of the sun and of the 
green earth for a possible world at the 
bottom of the abyss4 ,it was a thought  
of ,emerson that the humblest bug       
crawling in the dust with its back to   
the sun1 and shining with the colors of 
the rainbow1 is a thing more sublime    
than any possible angel4 ,if there were 
the slightest foundation for the belief 
in an unseen world1 no one would think  
of resorting to such extreme measures as
 our learned professor does1 to uphold  

it4 ,when ,i see a man huffing and      
puffing1 ,i do not conclude that he has 
a strong case1 on the contrary1 ,i am   
apt to suspect that it is the weakness  
of his cause which has disturbed his    
serenity4 ,to tell us that we can will  
ourselves immortal1 or will ,god into   
existence1 and that all we need is the  
audacity to plunge into the unknown1    
whatever the risks1 reminds me of ,la   
,fontaine's parable of the frog--who    
thought he could will himself into the  
size of a cow--with fatal results4 ,the 
beginning of wisdom is to recognize     
one's limitations4 ,to tell a man that  
he can will things into existence is to 
do him an injury4 ,pitiful is the ,god1 
and chimerical the immortality that has 
no better foundation than the whim of   
man4  ,according to the doctrine of ,the
 will to believe there would be no ,god 
if there were no men to will his        
existence1 and no immortality if men did
 not desire it4 ,this is theology       
dressed up as philosophy or science4    

,how was the world made8 ,and the       
theologians answer1 ,god said1 ,let     
there be light1 and there was light4    
,how was ,god made8 ,and the pragmatists
 answer1 ,man said1 let there be a ,god1
 and there was one4 ,this is trifling4  
,if the word is not too harsh1 ,i shall 
call it sophistry1 or mental gymnastics1
 to which men never resort except when  
straight reasoning will not help them4  
,sophistry is a plea of guilty4 ,i was  
debating the other evening in a         
,milwaukee theater on the question of   
the responsibility for the burning of   
,joan of ,arc4 ,while listening to the  
defense of the gentleman who was trying 
to prove that the ,catholic ,church was 
not responsible for her martyrdom1 ,i   
said to myself that such a defense would
 never have been thought of were it not 
for the fact that the old claim that the
 church of ,god cannot err had not      
broken down4 ,in the same way the       
defense that the bible should be taken  
allegorically1 proves that the old      

position that the bible is from cover to
 cover the word of ,god with every      
letter and punctuation1 as well as word 
and meaning inspired1 is no longer      
tenable4 ,to say that the bible must not
 be taken literally is but another way  
of saying that the bible is not true1 or
 that you can make it mean what you     
please4 ,men never put up such a defense
 for anything unless they are driven to 
it by sheer desperation4  ,my third     
remark on the pragmatic philosophy of   
,professor ,james is that1 besides doing
 violence to our reason1 his doctrine   
that an unseen world is indispensable to
 make life worth living1 or to help make
 the world moral1 places man not only in
 an unenviable light1 but it also does  
him a great injustice4 ,if it is true   
that a man will make a beast of himself 
if he finds out that he is not a ,god1  
,i take the position that he is beyond  
hope4 ,nothing can save him4 ,but it is 
not true4 ,it is a priestly tale that a 
man will not behave himself unless we   

can promise him the moon1 or the sun1 or
 eternity4 ,a man would only be a       
contemptible animal if he must be given 
toys and trinkets and sawdust dolls to  
divert his attention from mischief4 ,the
 claim of the preachers that unless men 
are assured of black-eyed houris and    
golden harps1 or at least1--some sort of
 a ghostly existence1--somewhere and at 
sometime in the future1 they will       
convert life into a debauch1 is simply a
 falsehood4 ,man is not so depraved as  
that4 ,indeed1 the doctrine of total    
depravity was invented by the priests to
 create a demand for the offices of the 
church4 ,the priest cannot afford to    
believe in human nature4 ,if a man can  
save himself1 or if he can do good by   
his own effort1 what need would there be
 of the mysteries and the               
sacraments1--the rites and the dogmas8  
,i had occasion to tell you a few       
,sundays ago that if a lily can be      
white1 or a rose so wondrous fair1 or a 
dog so loyal and heroic1 without        

dickering with the universe for a future
 reward1 man can do1 at least1 as much4 
,would this be expecting too much of    
him8  ,in ,france1 there is1 in one of  
the close-by suburbs of ,paris1 a       
cemetery for dogs4 ,of course1 no priest
 or pastor would think of officiating at
 the interment of a dog1 however useful 
or faithful the animal may have been4   
,they are brought here by their owners  
and quietly buried4 ,the visitor finds  
here1 however1 many tokens of           
appreciation and gratitude for the      
services and value of the dog to man4   
,little monuments are raised over the   
remains of some of the occupants of the 
modest graves4 ,one of these bears the  
inscription3 ,he saved forty lives1 and 
lost his own in the attempt to save the 
forty-first4 ,he did his best without   
the hope of a future reward4 ,is man    
lower than the animal8 ,does he require 
the help of the ,holy ,ghost1 the holy  
angels1 the holy ,trinity1 the holy     
infallible church1 and all the terrors  

of hell fire to make him prefer sense to
 nonsense1 cleanliness to dirt1 honor to
 disgrace1 the respect of his fellows to
 their contempt1 and a peaceful mind to 
one full of scorpions8 ,do we have to   
swing into existence fabled and mythical
 beings and worlds before we can induce 
a human being to be as natural as a     
plant and as faithful as a dog8 ,the    
doctrine of total depravity is a        
disgrace to those who have invented it1 
and a blight to those who believe in it4
 ,it is not true that we have to be put 
through acrobatic exercises1--make our  
reason turn somersaults1 resort to      
sophistry1--become frantic with fear    
about our future1--postulate the        
existence of ghosts1 ,gods1 and         
celestial abodes before we can prefer   
the good to the bad and the light to    
darkness4 ,supernaturalism is both      
negative and destructive4 ,it denies    
goodness1 and it destroys in man the    
power of self-help4 ,von ,humboldt's    
indignation seems pardonable1 when he   

used the word infamous1 to characterize 
the theologian's attempt to make the    
well-being of the human race depend upon
 such supernatural gossip as he had to  
market4  ,and what is the verdict of    
history on this question8 ,does the     
belief in ,god and immortality make for 
morality8 ,how then shall we explain the
 dark ages which were ages of faith1 and
 why are not the ,moslems1 whose faith  
in ,allah and in a future life is very  
much stronger than ours1 a more moral   
people than the ,europeans or           
,americans8 ,why was ,king ,leopold1 the
 ,christian1 a moral leper to the hour  
of his death1 while ,socrates1 the      
pagan1 who was uncertain about the      
future1 has perfumed the centuries with 
his virtues8 ,has the belief in the     
supernatural prevented the criminal     
waste of human life1 protected the child
 from the sweat-shop and the factory1 or
 even robbed religion of its sting--the 
sting whose bite is mortal to tolerance1
 brotherhood and intellectual honesty8  

,there are excellent people who believe 
in the supernatural and equally         
excellent people who ignore the         
supernatural1 from which it would follow
 that excellence of character is        
independent of one's speculations about 
either the eternal past1 or the eternal 
future4 ,it is not true then that we    
have to prove to man that he has always 
existed1 or that he shall always exist  
before we can make him see that the     
sunset is beautiful1 or that the sea is 
vast1 or that love is the greatest thing
 in the world4  ,a man will be careful  
of his health whether he expects to live
 again or not4 ,he will avoid headaches1
 fevers1 colds1 anaemia1 nervous        
prostrations and diseases of every kind 
which rack the body and make life a     
misery1 irrespective of his attitude to 
the question of survival after death4   
,the question of health1 then1 which is 
a very important one1 is independent of 
any supernatural belief4 ,it would not  
affect our health a particle were the   

heavens empty or full of gods4 ,in the  
same way1 men will continue the culture 
of the mind irrespective of theological 
beliefs4 ,will a man neglect the        
pleasures of the mind1 despise knowledge
 and remain content in his ignorance1 if
 he cannot be sure that he is going to  
live forever8 ,but if neither the       
culture of the body nor that of the mind
 is in danger of being neglected1 is    
there any reason to fear that the       
culture of the affections and the       
conscience will suffer without a belief 
in an unseen world8 ,we have only to    
look into the motives which govern human
 actions to recover our confidence in   
the essential soundness of human nature1
 and in the ability of morality to take 
care of itself without the help of      
ghosts and gods4 ,you love your country 
and you are willing to defend its       
institutions1 if need be1 with your     
life1 but is it because your country is 
immortal8 ,is ,america going to live    
forever8 ,is it going to have a future  

existence8 ,and yet ,washington and his 
soldiers loved it dearly and risked     
their lives for it4 ,were the ancient   
,greeks and ,romans1 to whom patriotism 
was a religion1 and who loved and fought
 for their country--fools1 because they 
did not first make sure that their      
country was going to live forever8 ,you 
are devoted to art1 you have built      
palaces for the treasures of the brush  
and the chisel4 ,you have paid fabulous 
prices for the works of a ,rembrandt and
 a ,titian4 ,is it because these        
paintings are never going to perish8 ,is
 the canvas which you adore immortal8   
,you prize the works of genius--of a    
,shakespeare1 a ,goethe1 a ,voltaire1 a 
,darwin4 ,you have edifices of marble   
and steel in which to house the great   
books of the world4 ,and yet a fire     
tomorrow may wipe them out of           
existence--they may become lost1 as many
 great works have been lost in the past4
 ,nevertheless1 are they not precious   
while we have them8 ,if a humane society

 will interest itself in the welfare of 
the horse and the cat and the dog1 which
 live but a few years2 if the flower    
which blooms in the morning and fades in
 the evening can command our attention  
and devotion--must a man be a god before
 we can take any interest in him8 ,must 
somebody be always whispering in our    
ears1 ,ye are gods2 ye are gods1 to     
prevent us from doing violence to       
ourselves or to our fellows8 ,and men   
seek health for the present1 not for the
 future4 ,and they cultivate the mind to
 make life richer now and here4 ,and    
love is desired because it makes each   
passing moment a thrill and an ecstasy4 
,what then is the value of any          
speculation about the unseen world1     
since man can care for his body1 mind   
and heart1 without venturing out on an  
ocean for which he has neither the sails
 nor the compass8         99       99   
99       99       99  ,but the unseen   
world is necessary1 the professor seems 
to think1 in order to explain the       

suffering and the injustice in this4 ,in
 my opinion1 such a belief has done more
 to postpone the reform of present      
abuses than anything else4 ,the time to 
suppress injustice and to relieve human 
suffering is now1 not in some distant   
future1--here and not in an undiscovered
 country4 ,the belief in ,god has       
tempted man to shirk his                
responsibilities4 ,he has left many     
things to be done by ,god which he      
should have done himself4 ,it is a      
nobler religion that tells man to do all
 he can now1 and to do it himself4      
,moreover1 how can what is wrong here be
 made right in the next world8 ,what1   
for instance1 can make ,joan of ,arc's  
atrocious murder--a girl of nineteen1   
who had saved her country1 roasted over 
a slow fire--right in heaven8 ,what     
explanation can the ,deity give to us   
which shall reconcile us to so infamous 
a crime4 ,a million eternities1 it seems
 to me1 cannot alter the character of   
that act4 ,the deed cannot be undone4   

,that frightful page cannot be torn from
 the book of life4 ,you cannot destroy  
the memory of that injustice2 you cannot
 rub so foul a stain from the hands of  
even a ,god4 ,suppose ,god were to say  
to us in the next world that this crime 
was necessary to the progress of        
civilization4 ,would that satisfy us8   
,would we not still wish for a ,god who 
could have contributed to the progress  
of civilization without resorting to so 
unspeakable a murder8 ,and there you    
are4 ,another world can never reconcile 
us to a policy that required the        
commission of crimes whose stench rises 
to our nostrils4 ,what is wrong can     
never be made right4  ,you remember that
 to illustrate the thought of ,professor
 ,james1 ,i spoke of my visit to the    
,pasteur ,institute in ,paris1 where1 in
 the vivisection hall1 ,i saw the       
physicians operating on live rabbits4   
,professor ,james thinks that if the    
rabbit could see everything1 it might   
say to the physician1 ,thy will be done4

 ,but the rabbit might also say this3   
,it is well to advance science and      
civilization2 and if it is a part of the
 scheme to make me contribute to it by  
my sufferings1 ,i am resigned2 but what 
about the character of the schemer who  
must torture to death some of his       
creatures--slaughter with excruciating  
pain a portion of his family--in order  
to make secure the lives of the rest8   
,the existence of evil in a world       
created by a perfect ,god is the rock   
upon which all religions go to pieces4  
,if ,god can prevent misery and crime1  
but prefers to work through them1 he is 
to be feared2 if he cannot help himself1
 then he is to be pitied4 ,who would not
 rather be the rabbit on the operating  
table1 with the knife in his flesh1 than
 such a ,god6 ,a ,god who cannot make a 
rose red except by dipping it in human  
blood can be sure that no human being   
would ever envy him his office4 ,on the 
last day of judgment1 if such a day     
there be1 it will not be the rabbit1 or 

man1 who will fear the opening of the   
books2 it will be ,god4  ,and how do we 
know that things will be better in the  
unseen world8 ,suppose they should be   
worse8 ,jesus intimated that the next   
world would be worse1 for he says in    
,matthew #g3ac-ad1 ,wide is the gate1   
and broad is the way1 that leadeth to   
destruction1 and many there be which go 
in thereat2 because strait is the gate1 
and narrow is the way1 which leadeth    
unto life1 and few there be that find   
it4  ,surely this is not an encouraging 
prospect4 ,a future which offers        
happiness to a small minority cannot be 
looked forward to with enthusiasm4      
,neither is the thought of a few saved  
and the many damned a consolation4 ,one 
of the oft-repeated claims is that the  
belief in ,god and immortality is such a
 happiness that he must be an enemy of  
his race who would deprive people of it4
 ,even ,rationalists are said to envy   
the believer his peace of mind4 ,but the
 truth is the very opposite of this4    

,there is abundant testimony to prove   
that of all people the real and         
consistent believer is the most unhappy 
being in the world4 ,the proverbial     
unhappiness of the ,rationalist1 like   
the proverbial death-bed horrors of a   
,thomas ,paine and a ,voltaire1 is a    
pure fabrication4 ,while there is       
absolutely nothing in ,rationalism to   
make anybody miserable1 since it does   
away with fear1 which is the only thing 
to fear1 ,orthodoxy1 on the other hand1 
starts by not only calling this a vale  
of tears1 but proceeds forthwith to make
 it so4 ,if we were to place the        
greatest known ,christian saints on the 
stand to interrogate them on this       
subject1 they would one and all confirm 
our statement4 ,listen1 for instance1 to
 the confession of ,thomas a ,kempis3   
,lord1 ,i am not worthy of thy          
consolation4444 ,thou dealest justly    
with me when thou leavest me poor and   
desolate1 for if ,i could shed tears as 
the sea1 yet should ,i not be worthy of 

thy consolation4 ,i am worthy only to be
 scourged and punished4,a ,these are not
 the words of a buoyant and happy soul4 
,and listen to the lamentation of ,john 
,bunyan3 ,sometimes ,i could for whole  
days together feel my very body as well 
as my mind to shake and totter under the
 sense of this dreadful judgment of     
,god4444 ,i felt also such a clogging   
and heat in my stomach by reason of this
 terror that ,i thought my breast-bone  
would split asunder4 ,oh1 how gladly    
would ,i have been anything but a man4,b
 ,i could quote long chapters from the  
biographies of the saints to show the   
wretchedness1 the despair and the agony 
of the believer1 shuddering upon the    
brink of eternity--uncertain whether    
heaven or hell awaits to receive him4 ,i
 could give you a similar chapter from  
my own experience4 ,when ,i was much    
younger1 ,i had implicit faith in the   
bible and the unseen world4 ,what was   
the effect of this belief upon me8 ,did 
it make me happy8 ,i can never forget   

the moments of agony ,i spent on my     
knees1 at the throne of grace4 ,my      
pillow was often wet with weeping over  
sins ,i had never committed1 and fearing
 a depravity ,i could never be guilty   
of4 ,christianity in its virile form    
took hold of my young heart as the roots
 of a tree take hold of the earth in    
which they grow4 ,i was as sensitive and
 responsive to its influence as fire is 
to the wind that fans it into flame4 ,am
 ,i saved8 ,how can ,i be sure that ,god
 has forgiven me8 ,where would ,i open  
my eyes if ,i should die tonight8 ,oh1  
,god6 what if ,i should after all be one
 of the reprobates--damned forever4     
,such was the terrible superstition that
 cheated me out of a thousand glorious  
moments1 and made my youth a punishment 
to me4 ,one day a member of my church   
came to me in great distress of mind4   
,he behaved like one who had actually   
seen hell4 ,i am damned1 ,i am damned1  
he cried4 ,god has forsaken me2 there is
 no hope for me4 ,if a wild beast had   

its paws in his hair1 or a hound its    
teeth in his flesh1 he could not have   
been more scared4 ,if he could have only
 laughed at the stupid superstition1 all
 the devils of his distorted imagination
 would have melted into thin air4    ,a 
,imitation--,,iii #eb4    ,b ,quoted by 
,cotter ,morrison1 ,service of          
,man--#cd4         99       99       99 
99       99  ,our religion does not     
trouble us that way1 ,i hear the        
,christians say in reply4 ,of course    
not1 they no longer believe in it4 ,they
 let art1 music1 science1 the drama1    
business1 to divert their attention from
 this ,asiatic fetish4 ,rationalism has 
dissipated the terrors of the future1   
and tinted the horizon with beauty and  
light4 ,but let them believe in         
,christianity as their fathers believed 
in it1 let them be sincere with it1 and 
it will make life miserable for them as 
it has for thousands of others4 ,yes1   
believe in ,christianity as the ,apostle
 ,paul did1 for example1 and you must   

agree with him1 that1 ,if in this life  
only we have a hope in ,christ1 we are  
of all men most miserable4 ,and listen  
to the cry of despair from the lips of  
the ,son of ,god3 ,my ,god1 ,my ,god1   
why hast ,thou forsaken me8 ,the nails  
in his hands and feet tore his flesh1   
but it was the thought that he had been 
forsaken by ,god that broke his heart4  
,surely1 if a belief in a future life   
could make anybody happy1 it should have
 made the death of ,jesus a symphony1   
instead of a tragedy4         99        
99       99       99       99  ,in      
conclusion3 ,not ,god1 nor the unseen   
world1 but ,truth is the sovereign good4
 ,there is nothing more excellent4 ,if  
there be philosophies1 they shall pass  
away2 if there be theologies1 they shall
 pass away2 if there be creeds1 cults1  
gods1 they shall pass away4 ,but ,truth 
is from everlasting to everlasting4     
,in my mind's eye1 ,i see a wonderful   
building1 something like the            
,coliseum of ancient ,rome4 ,the        

galleries are black with people2 tier   
upon tier rise like waves the multitude 
of spectators who have come      to see 
a great contest4 ,a great contest1      
indeed6 ,a contest in which      all the
 world and all the centuries are        
interested4 ,it is the      contest--the
 fight to death--between ,truth and     
,error4       ,the door opens1 and a    
slight1 small1 shy and insignificant    
looking      thing steps into the arena4
 ,it is ,truth4 ,the vast audience      
bursts      into hilarious and derisive 
laughter4 ,is this ,truth8 ,this        
shuddering thing in tattered clothes1   
and almost naked8 ,and the      house   
shakes again with mocking and hisses4   
,the door opens again1 and ,error       
enters1--clad in cloth of gold1         
imposing in appearance1 tall of stature1
 glittering with gems1      sleek and   
huge and ponderous1 causing the building
 to tremble with      the thud of its   
steps4 ,the audience is for a moment    
dazzled into      silence1 then it      

breaks into applause1 long and          
deafening4      ,welcome6 ,welcome6 is  
the greeting from the multitude4        
,welcome6 shout ten thousand throats4   
,the two contestants face each other4   
,error1 in full armor1--backed      by  
the sympathies of the audience1 greeted 
by the clamorous      cheering of the   
spectators2 and ,truth1 scorned1 scoffed
 at1 and      hated4 ,the issue is a    
foregone conclusion1 murmurs the vast   
audience4 ,error will trample ,truth    
under its big feet4       ,the battle   
begins4 ,the two clinch1 separate1 and  
clinch again4      ,truth holds its own4
 ,the spectators are alarmed4 ,anxiety  
appears in      their faces4 ,their     
voices grow faint4 ,is it possible8     
,look6 ,see6      ,there6 ,error        
recedes6 ,it fears the gaze of ,truth6  
,it shuns its      beauteous eyes6 ,hear
 it squeak and scream as it feels       
,truth's      squeeze upon its wrists4  
,error is trying to break away from     
,truth's      grip4 ,it is making for   

the door4 ,it is gone6       ,the       
spectators are mute4 ,every tongue is   
smitten with the palsy4      ,the people
 bite their lips until they bleed4 ,they
 cannot explain      what they have     
seen4 ,who would have believed it8 ,is  
it      possible8--they exclaim4 ,but   
they can not doubt what their eyes      
have seen4 ,that puny and insignificant 
looking thing called ,truth      has put
 ancient and entrenched ,error1 backed  
by the throne1 the      altar1 the army1
 the press1 the people1 and the gods--to
 rout4  ,the pursuit of truth6 ,is not  
that worth living for8 ,to seek the     
truth1 to love the truth1 to live the   
truth8 ,can any religion offer more8    
,what is the remedy for the pessimism   
that asks1 ,is life worth living8 ,a    
sound mind in a sound body4 ,there is no
 better preventive of that depression of
 spirits whence proceed the diseases    
which menace life1 and mar the happiness
 of man1 than health--moral1            
intellectual1 physical--health2         

individual and social health4 ,the      
highest ideal of ,christianity is a man 
of sorrows4 ,the highest ideal of       
,rationalism is a man of joy6     ,,the 
,,story ,,of ,,my ,,mind ,,or ,,how ,i  
,,became ,a ,,rationalist  ,price1      
,fifty ,cents   ,in this latest         
publication of the ,independent         
,religious ,society1 ,m4 ,m4            
,mangasarian describes his religious    
experience--how1 starting as a          
,calvinist1 a graduate of ,princeton    
,theological ,seminary1 and a pastor of 
the ,spring ,garden ,presbyterian       
,church in ,philadelphia1 he thought and
 fought his way up to  ,,rationalism    
,the book contains a dedication to ,my  
,children1 in which the author says3    
,i am going to put the story in writing1
 that you may have it with      you when
 ,i am gone1 to remind you of the aims  
and interests for      which ,i lived1  
as well as to acquaint you with the most
 earnest and      intimate period in my 
career as a teacher of men4   ,,order   

,,through  ,,the ,,independent          
,,religious ,,society  ,,chicago        
,,earlier ,,publications ,,by ,,mr4     
,,mangasarian   ,a ,new ,catechism4     
,fifth ,edition1 ,revised and ,enlarged1
 with ,portrait      of ,author4 ,price 
#a4jj   ,the ,truth ,about ,jesus3 ,is  
,he a ,myth8 ,a new book of #bie pages4 
,illustrated4 ,cloth1 #a4jj2 ,paper     
#j4ej   ,mangasarian-,crapsey ,debate on
 the ,historicity of ,jesus4 #be;c4     
,pearls4 7,new ,edition47 ,brave        
,thoughts from ,brave ,minds4 ,selected 
and arranged by ,m4 ,m4 ,mangasarian4   
#be;c4 ,presentation ,edition1      limp
 leather                                
#a4jj   ,a ,,few ,,lectures--#aj;c ,a   
,,copy   ,is the ,morality of ,jesus    
,sound8  ,rome-,rule in ,ireland1 with  
,postlude on ,ferrer4  ,how the ,bible  
,was ,invented4  ,morality ,without     
,god4  ,sent postpaid on receipt of     
price4 ,ask for complete list4          
,,independent ,,religious ,,society     
,,chicago     ,transcriber's ,note3     

,the following is a list of changes made
 to the original4 ,the first line is the
 original line1 the second the corrected
 one4      other gods before me which is
 metaphysical and without     other gods
 before me1 which is metaphysical and   
without      a raison d'etre4 ,the part 
of wisdom as well as of courage then1   
a raison d'etre4 ,the part of wisdom as 
well as of courage then1      take an   
undue advantage of one's neighbors1     
,truth is not     take an undue         
advantage of one's neighbors4 ,truth is 
not      manoeuvreing can truth be      
shifted to a subordinate rank4          
manoeuvring can truth be shifted to a   
subordinate rank4      frantic advice1  
and a man has to be in a panicy state of
 mind     frantic advice1 and a man has 
to be in a panicky state of mind        
because it makes each passing moment a  
thrill and an ecstacy4     because it   
makes each passing moment a thrill and  
an ecstasy4      straight is the gate1  
and narrow is the way1 which leadeth    

strait is the gate1 and narrow is the   
way1 which leadeth      instance1 to the
 confession of ,thomas ,a',kempis3      
,lord1 ,i     instance1 to the          
confession of ,thomas a ,kempis3 ,lord1 
,i