"There is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean."—Paul (Romans xiv. 14).
"There is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean."—Paul (Romans xiv. 14).
DETAILED CONTENTS OF VOLUME I.
PUBLISHER'S PREFACE.
THE GODS
HUMBOLDT.
THOMAS PAINE
INDIVIDUALITY.
HERETICS AND HERESIES.
THE GHOSTS.
THE LIBERTY OF MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD.
LIBERTY OF WOMAN.
THE LIBERTY OF CHILDREN.
CONCLUSION.
ABOUT FARMING IN ILLINOIS
WHAT MUST WE DO TO BE SAVED?
I. WHAT WE MUST DO TO BE SAVED
II. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
III. THE GOSPEL OF MARK
IV. THE GOSPEL OF LUKE.
V. THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
VI. THE CATHOLICS
VII. THE EPISCOPALIANS
VIII. THE METHODISTS
IX. THE PRESBYTERIANS
X. THE EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE.
XI. WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE?
THE GODS.(1872.)An Honest God is the Noblest Work of Man—Resemblance of Gods totheir Creators—Manufacture and Characteristics of Deities—TheirAmours—Deficient in many Departments of Knowledge—Pleased with theButchery of Unbelievers—A Plentiful Supply—Visitations—One God'sLaws of War—The Book called the Bible—Heresy of Universalism—Faithan unhappy mixture of Insanity and Ignorance—Fallen Gods, orDevils—Directions concerning Human Slavery—The first Appearance ofthe Devil—The Tree of Knowledge—Give me the Storm and Tempest ofThought—Gods and Devils Natural Productions—Personal Appearanceof Deities—All Man's Ideas suggested by his Surroundings—PhenomenaSupposed to be Produced by Intelligent Powers—Insanity and Diseaseattributed to Evil Spirits—Origin of the Priesthood—Temptation ofChrist—Innate Ideas—Divine Interference—Special Providence—TheCrane and the Fish—Cancer as a proof of Design—Matter andForce—Miracle—Passing the Hat for just one Fact—Sir William Hamiltonon Cause and Effect—The Phenomena of Mind—Necessity and Free Will—TheDark Ages—The Originality of Repetition—Of what Use have the Gods beento Man?—Paley and Design—Make Good Health Contagious—Periodicity ofthe Universe and the Commencement of Intellectual Freedom—Lesson ofthe ineffectual attempt to rescue the Tomb of Christ from theMohammedans—The Cemetery of the Gods—Taking away Crutches—ImperialReasonHUMBOLDT.(1869.)The Universe is Governed by Law—The Self-made Man—Poverty generallyan Advantage—Humboldt's Birth-place—His desire for Travel—On whatHumboldt's Fame depends—His Companions and Friends—Investigationsin the New World—A Picture—Subjects of his Addresses—Victory of theChurch over Philosophy—Influence of the discovery that the World isgoverned by Law—On the term Law—Copernicus—Astronomy—Aryabhatta—Descartes—Condition of the World and Man when the morning of ScienceDawned—Reasons for Honoring Humboldt—The World his MonumentTHOMAS PAINE.(1870.)With his Name left out the History of Liberty cannot be Written—Paine'sOrigin and Condition—His arrival in America with a Letter ofIntroduction by Franklin—Condition of the Colonies—"Common Sense"—Anew Nation Born—Paine the Best of Political Writers—The "Crisis"—Warnot to the Interest of a trading Nation—Paine's Standing at the Closeof the Revolution—Close of the Eighteenth Century in France-The"Rights of Man"—Paine Prosecuted in England—"The World is myCountry"—Elected to the French Assembly—Votes against the Death ofthe King—Imprisoned—A look behind the Altar—The "Age of Reason"—HisArgument against the Bible as a Revelation—Christianity of Paine'sDay—A Blasphemy Law in Force in Maryland—The Scotch "Kirk"—Hangingof Thomas Aikenhead for Denying the Inspiration of theScriptures—"Cathedrals and Domes, and Chimes and Chants"—Science—"HeDied in the Land his Genius Defended,"INDIVIDUALITY.(1873.)"His Soul was like a Star and Dwelt Apart"—Disobedience one of theConditions of Progress.—Magellan—The Monarch and the Hermit-Whythe Church hates a Thinker—The Argument from Grandeur andProsperity-Travelers and Guide-boards—A Degrading Saying—TheologicalEducation—Scotts, Henrys and McKnights—The Church the GreatRobber—Corrupting the Reason of Children—Monotony of Acquiescence: ForGod's sake, say No—Protestant Intolerance: Luther and Calvin—Assertionof Individual Independence a Step toward Infidelity—Salute toJupiter—The Atheistic Bug-Little Religious Liberty in America—God inthe Constitution, Man Out—Decision of the Supreme Court of Illinoisthat an Unbeliever could not testify in any Court—Dissimulation—Nobodyin this Bed—The Dignity of a UnitHERETICS AND HERESIES.(1874.)Liberty, a Word without which all other Words are Vain—The Church, theBible, and Persecution—Over the wild Waves of War rose and fellthe Banner of Jesus Christ—Highest Type of the OrthodoxChristian—Heretics' Tongues and why they should be Removed beforeBurning—The Inquisition Established—Forms of Torture—Act of HenryVIII for abolishing Diversity of Opinion—What a Good Christian wasObliged to Believe—The Church has Carried the Black Flag—For what Menand Women have been Burned—John Calvin's Advent into theWorld—His Infamous Acts—Michael Servetus—Castalio—Spread ofPresbyterianism—Indictment of a Presbyterian Minister in Illinois forHeresy—Specifications—The Real BibleTHE GHOSTS.(1877.)Dedication to Ebon C. Ingersoll—Preface—Mendacity of the ReligiousPress—"Materialism"—Ways of Pleasing the Ghosts—The Idea ofImmortality not Born of any Book—Witchcraft and Demon-ology—WitchTrial before Sir Matthew Hale—John Wesley a Firm Believer inGhosts—"Witch-spots"—Lycanthropy—Animals Tried and Convicted—TheGovernor of Minnesota and the Grasshoppers—A Papal Bull againstWitchcraft—Victims of the Delusion—Sir William Blackstone'sAffirmation—Trials in Belgium—Incubi and Succubi—A BishopPersonated by the Devil—The Doctrine that Diseases are caused byGhosts—Treatment—Timothy Dwight against Vaccination—Ghosts asHistorians—The Language of Eden—Leibnitz, Founder of the Scienceof Language—Cosmas on Astronomy—Vagaries of Kepler and TychoBrahe—Discovery of Printing, Powder, and America—Thanks to theInventors—The Catholic Murderer and the Meat—Let the Ghosts GoTHE LIBERTY OF MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD.(1877.)Liberty sustains the same Relation to Mind that Space does toMatter—The History of Man a History of Slavery—The Infidel OurFathers in the good old Time—The iron Arguments that ChristiansUsed—Instruments of Torture—A Vision of the Inquisition—Models ofMan's Inventions—Weapons, Armor, Musical Instruments, Paintings,Books, Skulls—The Gentleman in the Dug-out—Homage to Genius andIntellect—Abraham Lincoln—What I mean by Liberty—The Man who cannotafford to Speak his Thought is a Certificate of the Meanness of theCommunity in which he Resides—Liberty of Woman—Marriage and theFamily—Ornaments the Souvenirs of Bondage-The Story of the Garden ofEden—Adami and Heva—Equality of the Sexes-The word "Boss"—The CrossMan-The Stingy Man—Wives who are Beggars—How to Spend Money—Bythe Tomb of the Old Napoleon—The Woman you Love will never GrowOld—Liberty of Children—When your Child tells a Lie—DisowningChildren—Beating your own Flesh and Blood—Make Home Pleasant—Sundaywhen I was a Boy—The Laugh of a Child—The doctrine of EternalPunishment—Jonathan Edwards on the Happiness of Believing Husbandswhose Wives are in Hell—The Liberty of Eating and Sleeping—Water inFever—Soil and Climate necessary to the production of Genius—AgainstAnnexing Santo Domingo—Descent of Man—ConclusionABOUT FARMING IN ILLINOIS.(1877.)To Plow is to Pray; to Plant is to Prophesy, and the Harvest Answers andFulfills—The Old Way of Farming—Cooking an Unknown Art-Houses, Fuel,and Crops—The Farmer's Boy—What a Farmer should Sell—Beautifyingthe Home—Advantages of Illinois as a Farming State—Advantages of theFarmer over the Mechanic—Farm Life too Lonely-On Early Rising—Sleepthe Best Doctor—Fashion—Patriotism and Boarding Houses—The Farmer andthe Railroads—Money and Confidence—Demonetization of Silver-Area ofIllinois—Mortgages and Interest—Kindness to Wives and Children—Howa Beefsteak should be Cooked—Decorations and Comfort—Let the ChildrenSleep—Old AgeWHAT MUST WE DO TO BE SAVED?(1880.)Preface—The Synoptic Gospels—Only Mark Knew of the Necessity ofBelief—Three Christs Described—The Jewish Gentleman and the Piece ofBacon—Who Wrote the New Testament?—Why Christ and the Apostles wroteNothing—Infinite Respect for the Man Christ—Different Feeling forthe Theological Christ—Saved from What?—Chapter on the Gospel ofMatthew—What this Gospel says we must do to be Saved—Jesus and theChildren—John Calvin and Jonathan Edwards conceived of as DimpledDarlings—Christ and the Man who inquired what Good Thing he shoulddo that he might have Eternal Life—Nothing said about Belief—AnInterpolation—Chapter on the Gospel of Mark—The Believe or be DamnedPassage, and why it was written—The last Conversation of Christ withhis Disciples—The Signs that Follow them that Believe—Chapter onthe Gospel of Luke—Substantial Agreement with Matthew and Mark—HowZaccheus achieved Salvation—The two Thieves on the Cross—Chapteron the Gospel of John—The Doctrine of Regeneration, or the NewBirth—Shall we Love our Enemies while God Damns His?—Chapter on theCatholics—Communication with Heaven through Decayed Saints—Nuns andNunneries—Penitentiaries of God should be Investigated—TheAthanasian Creed expounded—The Trinity and its Members—Chapter on theEpiscopalians—Origin of the Episcopal Church—Apostolic Successionan Imported Article—Episcopal Creed like the Catholic, with afew Additional Absurdities—Chapter on the Methodists—Wesley andWhitfield—Their Quarrel about Predestination—Much Preaching for LittleMoney—Adapted to New Countries—Chapter on the Presbyterians—JohnCalvin, Murderer—Meeting between Calvin and Knox—The Infamy ofCalvinism—Division in the Church—The Young Presbyterian's Resignationto the Fate of his Mother—A Frightful, Hideous, and HellishCreed—Chapter on the Evangelical Alliance—Jeremy Taylor's Opinion ofBaptists—Orthodoxy not Dead—Creed of the Alliance—Total Depravity,Eternal Damnation—What do You Propose?—The Gospel of Good-fellowship,Cheerfulness, Health, Good Living, Justice—No Forgiveness—God'sForgiveness Does not Pay my Debt to Smith—Gospel of Liberty, ofIntelligence, of Humanity—One World at a Time—"Upon that Rock IStand"
THE GODS.
(1872.)An Honest God is the Noblest Work of Man—Resemblance of Gods totheir Creators—Manufacture and Characteristics of Deities—TheirAmours—Deficient in many Departments of Knowledge—Pleased with theButchery of Unbelievers—A Plentiful Supply—Visitations—One God'sLaws of War—The Book called the Bible—Heresy of Universalism—Faithan unhappy mixture of Insanity and Ignorance—Fallen Gods, orDevils—Directions concerning Human Slavery—The first Appearance ofthe Devil—The Tree of Knowledge—Give me the Storm and Tempest ofThought—Gods and Devils Natural Productions—Personal Appearanceof Deities—All Man's Ideas suggested by his Surroundings—PhenomenaSupposed to be Produced by Intelligent Powers—Insanity and Diseaseattributed to Evil Spirits—Origin of the Priesthood—Temptation ofChrist—Innate Ideas—Divine Interference—Special Providence—TheCrane and the Fish—Cancer as a proof of Design—Matter andForce—Miracle—Passing the Hat for just one Fact—Sir William Hamiltonon Cause and Effect—The Phenomena of Mind—Necessity and Free Will—TheDark Ages—The Originality of Repetition—Of what Use have the Gods beento Man?—Paley and Design—Make Good Health Contagious—Periodicity ofthe Universe and the Commencement of Intellectual Freedom—Lesson ofthe ineffectual attempt to rescue the Tomb of Christ from theMohammedans—The Cemetery of the Gods—Taking away Crutches—ImperialReason
HUMBOLDT.
(1869.)The Universe is Governed by Law—The Self-made Man—Poverty generallyan Advantage—Humboldt's Birth-place—His desire for Travel—On whatHumboldt's Fame depends—His Companions and Friends—Investigationsin the New World—A Picture—Subjects of his Addresses—Victory of theChurch over Philosophy—Influence of the discovery that the World isgoverned by Law—On the term Law—Copernicus—Astronomy—Aryabhatta—Descartes—Condition of the World and Man when the morning of ScienceDawned—Reasons for Honoring Humboldt—The World his Monument
THOMAS PAINE.
(1870.)With his Name left out the History of Liberty cannot be Written—Paine'sOrigin and Condition—His arrival in America with a Letter ofIntroduction by Franklin—Condition of the Colonies—"Common Sense"—Anew Nation Born—Paine the Best of Political Writers—The "Crisis"—Warnot to the Interest of a trading Nation—Paine's Standing at the Closeof the Revolution—Close of the Eighteenth Century in France-The"Rights of Man"—Paine Prosecuted in England—"The World is myCountry"—Elected to the French Assembly—Votes against the Death ofthe King—Imprisoned—A look behind the Altar—The "Age of Reason"—HisArgument against the Bible as a Revelation—Christianity of Paine'sDay—A Blasphemy Law in Force in Maryland—The Scotch "Kirk"—Hangingof Thomas Aikenhead for Denying the Inspiration of theScriptures—"Cathedrals and Domes, and Chimes and Chants"—Science—"HeDied in the Land his Genius Defended,"
INDIVIDUALITY.
(1873.)"His Soul was like a Star and Dwelt Apart"—Disobedience one of theConditions of Progress.—Magellan—The Monarch and the Hermit-Whythe Church hates a Thinker—The Argument from Grandeur andProsperity-Travelers and Guide-boards—A Degrading Saying—TheologicalEducation—Scotts, Henrys and McKnights—The Church the GreatRobber—Corrupting the Reason of Children—Monotony of Acquiescence: ForGod's sake, say No—Protestant Intolerance: Luther and Calvin—Assertionof Individual Independence a Step toward Infidelity—Salute toJupiter—The Atheistic Bug-Little Religious Liberty in America—God inthe Constitution, Man Out—Decision of the Supreme Court of Illinoisthat an Unbeliever could not testify in any Court—Dissimulation—Nobodyin this Bed—The Dignity of a Unit
HERETICS AND HERESIES.
(1874.)Liberty, a Word without which all other Words are Vain—The Church, theBible, and Persecution—Over the wild Waves of War rose and fellthe Banner of Jesus Christ—Highest Type of the OrthodoxChristian—Heretics' Tongues and why they should be Removed beforeBurning—The Inquisition Established—Forms of Torture—Act of HenryVIII for abolishing Diversity of Opinion—What a Good Christian wasObliged to Believe—The Church has Carried the Black Flag—For what Menand Women have been Burned—John Calvin's Advent into theWorld—His Infamous Acts—Michael Servetus—Castalio—Spread ofPresbyterianism—Indictment of a Presbyterian Minister in Illinois forHeresy—Specifications—The Real Bible
THE GHOSTS.
(1877.)Dedication to Ebon C. Ingersoll—Preface—Mendacity of the ReligiousPress—"Materialism"—Ways of Pleasing the Ghosts—The Idea ofImmortality not Born of any Book—Witchcraft and Demon-ology—WitchTrial before Sir Matthew Hale—John Wesley a Firm Believer inGhosts—"Witch-spots"—Lycanthropy—Animals Tried and Convicted—TheGovernor of Minnesota and the Grasshoppers—A Papal Bull againstWitchcraft—Victims of the Delusion—Sir William Blackstone'sAffirmation—Trials in Belgium—Incubi and Succubi—A BishopPersonated by the Devil—The Doctrine that Diseases are caused byGhosts—Treatment—Timothy Dwight against Vaccination—Ghosts asHistorians—The Language of Eden—Leibnitz, Founder of the Scienceof Language—Cosmas on Astronomy—Vagaries of Kepler and TychoBrahe—Discovery of Printing, Powder, and America—Thanks to theInventors—The Catholic Murderer and the Meat—Let the Ghosts Go
THE LIBERTY OF MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD.
(1877.)Liberty sustains the same Relation to Mind that Space does toMatter—The History of Man a History of Slavery—The Infidel OurFathers in the good old Time—The iron Arguments that ChristiansUsed—Instruments of Torture—A Vision of the Inquisition—Models ofMan's Inventions—Weapons, Armor, Musical Instruments, Paintings,Books, Skulls—The Gentleman in the Dug-out—Homage to Genius andIntellect—Abraham Lincoln—What I mean by Liberty—The Man who cannotafford to Speak his Thought is a Certificate of the Meanness of theCommunity in which he Resides—Liberty of Woman—Marriage and theFamily—Ornaments the Souvenirs of Bondage-The Story of the Garden ofEden—Adami and Heva—Equality of the Sexes-The word "Boss"—The CrossMan-The Stingy Man—Wives who are Beggars—How to Spend Money—Bythe Tomb of the Old Napoleon—The Woman you Love will never GrowOld—Liberty of Children—When your Child tells a Lie—DisowningChildren—Beating your own Flesh and Blood—Make Home Pleasant—Sundaywhen I was a Boy—The Laugh of a Child—The doctrine of EternalPunishment—Jonathan Edwards on the Happiness of Believing Husbandswhose Wives are in Hell—The Liberty of Eating and Sleeping—Water inFever—Soil and Climate necessary to the production of Genius—AgainstAnnexing Santo Domingo—Descent of Man—Conclusion
ABOUT FARMING IN ILLINOIS.
(1877.)To Plow is to Pray; to Plant is to Prophesy, and the Harvest Answers andFulfills—The Old Way of Farming—Cooking an Unknown Art-Houses, Fuel,and Crops—The Farmer's Boy—What a Farmer should Sell—Beautifyingthe Home—Advantages of Illinois as a Farming State—Advantages of theFarmer over the Mechanic—Farm Life too Lonely-On Early Rising—Sleepthe Best Doctor—Fashion—Patriotism and Boarding Houses—The Farmer andthe Railroads—Money and Confidence—Demonetization of Silver-Area ofIllinois—Mortgages and Interest—Kindness to Wives and Children—Howa Beefsteak should be Cooked—Decorations and Comfort—Let the ChildrenSleep—Old Age
WHAT MUST WE DO TO BE SAVED?
(1880.)Preface—The Synoptic Gospels—Only Mark Knew of the Necessity ofBelief—Three Christs Described—The Jewish Gentleman and the Piece ofBacon—Who Wrote the New Testament?—Why Christ and the Apostles wroteNothing—Infinite Respect for the Man Christ—Different Feeling forthe Theological Christ—Saved from What?—Chapter on the Gospel ofMatthew—What this Gospel says we must do to be Saved—Jesus and theChildren—John Calvin and Jonathan Edwards conceived of as DimpledDarlings—Christ and the Man who inquired what Good Thing he shoulddo that he might have Eternal Life—Nothing said about Belief—AnInterpolation—Chapter on the Gospel of Mark—The Believe or be DamnedPassage, and why it was written—The last Conversation of Christ withhis Disciples—The Signs that Follow them that Believe—Chapter onthe Gospel of Luke—Substantial Agreement with Matthew and Mark—HowZaccheus achieved Salvation—The two Thieves on the Cross—Chapteron the Gospel of John—The Doctrine of Regeneration, or the NewBirth—Shall we Love our Enemies while God Damns His?—Chapter on theCatholics—Communication with Heaven through Decayed Saints—Nuns andNunneries—Penitentiaries of God should be Investigated—TheAthanasian Creed expounded—The Trinity and its Members—Chapter on theEpiscopalians—Origin of the Episcopal Church—Apostolic Successionan Imported Article—Episcopal Creed like the Catholic, with afew Additional Absurdities—Chapter on the Methodists—Wesley andWhitfield—Their Quarrel about Predestination—Much Preaching for LittleMoney—Adapted to New Countries—Chapter on the Presbyterians—JohnCalvin, Murderer—Meeting between Calvin and Knox—The Infamy ofCalvinism—Division in the Church—The Young Presbyterian's Resignationto the Fate of his Mother—A Frightful, Hideous, and HellishCreed—Chapter on the Evangelical Alliance—Jeremy Taylor's Opinion ofBaptists—Orthodoxy not Dead—Creed of the Alliance—Total Depravity,Eternal Damnation—What do You Propose?—The Gospel of Good-fellowship,Cheerfulness, Health, Good Living, Justice—No Forgiveness—God'sForgiveness Does not Pay my Debt to Smith—Gospel of Liberty, ofIntelligence, of Humanity—One World at a Time—"Upon that Rock IStand"