DETAILED CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.
PREFACE.
SOME MISTAKES OF MOSES.
SOME REASONS WHY
ORTHODOXY.
MYTH AND MIRACLE.
SOME MISTAKES OF MOSES.(1879.)Preface—I. He who endeavors to control the Mind by Force is aTyrant, and he who submits is a Slave—All I Ask—When a Religionis Founded—Freedom for the Orthodox Clergy—Every Minister anAttorney—Submission to the Orthodox and the Dead—Bounden Duty ofthe Ministry—The Minister Factory at Andover—II. Free Schools—NoSectarian Sciences—Religion and the Schools—ScientificHypocrites—III. The Politicians and the Churches—IV. Man and Woman theHighest Possible Titles—Belief Dependent on Surroundings—Worship ofAncestors—Blindness Necessary to Keeping the Narrow Path—The Bible theChain that Binds—A Bible of the Middle Ages and the Awe it Inspired—V.The Pentateuch—Moses Not the Author—Belief out of which GrewReligious Ceremonies—Egypt the Source of the Information of Moses—VI.Monday—Nothing, in the Light of Raw Material—The Story of CreationBegun—The Same Story, substantially, Found in the Records of Babylon,Egypt, and India—Inspiration Unnecessary to the Truth—Usefulness ofMiracles to Fit Lies to Facts—Division of Darkness and Light—VII.Tuesday—The Firmament and Some Biblical Notions about it—Laws ofEvaporation Unknown to the Inspired Writer—VIII. Wednesday—The WatersGathered into Seas—Fruit and Nothing to Eat it—Five Epochs in theOrganic History of the Earth—Balance between the Total Amounts ofAnimal and Vegetable Life—Vegetation Prior to the Appearance of theSun—IX. Thursday—Sun and Moon Manufactured—Magnitude of the SolarOrb—Dimensions of Some of the Planets—Moses' Guess at the Size of Sunand Moon—Joshua's Control of the Heavenly Bodies—A Hypothesis Urgedby Ministers—The Theory of "Refraction"—Rev. Henry Morey—AstronomicalKnowledge of Chinese Savants—The Motion of the Earth Reversed byJehovah for the Reassurance of Ahaz—"Errors" Renounced by Button—X."He made the Stars Also"—Distance of the Nearest Star—XI.Friday—Whales and Other Living Creatures Produced—XII.Saturday—Reproduction Inaugurated—XIII. "Let Us Make Man"—HumanBeings Created in the Physical Image and Likeness of God—Inquiry asto the Process Adopted—Development of Living Forms According toEvolution—How Were Adam and Eve Created?—The Rib Story—Age ofMan Upon the Earth—A Statue Apparently Made before the World—XIV.Sunday—Sacredness of the Sabbath Destroyed by the Theory of Vast"Periods"—Reflections on the Sabbath—XV. The Necessity for a GoodMemory—The Two Accounts of the Creation in Genesis I and II—Orderof Creation in the First Account—Order of Creation in the SecondAccount—Fastidiousness of Adam in the Choice of a Helpmeet—Dr.Adam Clark's Commentary—Dr. Scott's Guess—Dr. Matthew Henry'sAdmission—The Blonde and Brunette Problem—The Result of Unbelief andthe Reward of Faith—"Give Him a Harp"—XVI. The Garden—Location ofEden—The Four Rivers—The Tree of Knowledge—Andover AppealedTo—XVII. The Fall—The Serpent—Dr. Adam Clark Gives a ZoologicalExplanation—Dr. Henry Dissents—Whence This Serpent?—XVIII.Dampness—A Race of Giants—Wickedness of Mankind—An Ark Constructed—AUniversal Flood Indicated—Animals Probably Admitted to the Ark—How DidThey Get There?—Problem of Food and Service—A Shoreless Sea Coveredwith Innumerable Dead—Drs. Clark and Henry on the Situation—The ArkTakes Ground—New Difficulties—Noah's Sacrifice—The Rainbow as aMemorandum—Babylonian, Egyptian, and Indian Legends of a Flood—XIX.Bacchus and Babel—Interest Attaching to Noah—Where Did Our FirstParents and the Serpent Acquire a Common Language?—Babel and theConfusion of Tongues—XX. Faith in Filth—Immodesty of BiblicalDiction—XXI. The Hebrews—God's Promises to Abraham—The Sojourningof Israel in Egypt—Marvelous Increase—Moses and Aaron—XXII.The Plagues—Competitive Miracle Working—Defeat of the LocalMagicians—XXIII. The Flight Out of Egypt—Three Million People in aDesert—Destruction of Pharaoh ana His Host—Manna—A Superfluity ofQuails—Rev. Alexander Cruden's Commentary—Hornets as Allies of theIsraelites—Durability of the Clothing of the Jewish People—An OintmentMonopoly—Consecration of Priests—The Crime of Becoming a Mother—TheTen Commandments—Medical Ideas of Jehovah—Character of the God ofthe Pentateuch—XXIV. Confess and Avoid—XXV. "Inspired" Slavery—XXVI."Inspired" Marriage-XXVII. "Inspired" War-XXVIII. "Inspired" ReligiousLiberty—XXIX. Conclusion.SOME REASONS WHY.(1881.)I—Religion makes Enemies—Hatred in the Name of UniversalBenevolence—No Respect for the Rights of Barbarians—LiteralFulfillment of a New Testament Prophecy—II. Duties to God—Can weAssist God?—An Infinite Personality an Infinite Impossibility-Ill.Inspiration—What it Really Is—Indication of Clams—MultitudinousLaughter of the Sea—Horace Greeley and the Mammoth Trees—A LandscapeCompared to a Table-cloth—The Supernatural is the Deformed—Inspirationin the Man as well as in the Book—Our Inspired Bible—IV. God'sExperiment with the Jews—Miracles of One Religion never astonish thePriests of Another—"I am a Liar Myself"—V. Civilized Countries—Crimesonce regarded as Divine Institutions—What the Believer in theInspiration of the Bible is Compelled to Say—Passages apparentlywritten by the Devil—VI. A Comparison of Books—Advancing a Cannibalfrom Missionary to Mutton—Contrast between the Utterances of Jehovahand those of Reputable Heathen—Epictetus, Cicero, Zeno,Seneca—the Hindu, Antoninus, Marcus Aurelius—The Avesta—VII.Monotheism—Egyptians before Moses taught there was but One Godand Married but One Wife—Persians and Hindoos had a Single SupremeDeity—Rights of Roman Women—Marvels of Art achieved without theAssistance of Heaven—Probable Action of the Jewish Jehovah incarnatedas Man—VIII. The New Testament—Doctrine of Eternal Pain brought toLight—Discrepancies—Human Weaknesses cannot be Predicated ofDivine Wisdom—Why there are Four Gospels according to Irenæus—TheAtonement—Remission of Sins under the Mosaic Dispensation—Christianssay, "Charge it"—God's Forgiveness does not Repair an Injury—Sufferingof Innocence for the Guilty—Salvation made Possible by Jehovah'sFailure to Civilize the Jews—Necessity of Belief not taught in theSynoptic Gospels—Non-resistance the Offspring of Weakness—IX. Christ'sMission—All the Virtues had been Taught before his Advent—Perfect andBeautiful Thoughts of his Pagan Predecessors—St. Paul Contrastedwith Heathen Writers—"The Quality of Mercy"—X. Eternal Pain—AnIllustration of Eternal Punishment—Captain Kreuger of the BarqueTiger—XI. Civilizing Influence of the Bible—Its Effects on theJews—If Christ was God, Did he not, in his Crucifixion, Reap whathe had Sown?—Nothing can add to the Misery of a Nation whose King isJehovahORTHODOXY.(1884.)Orthodox Religion Dying Out—Religious Deaths and Births—The Religionof Reciprocity—Every Language has a Cemetery—Orthodox InstitutionsSurvive through the Money invested in them—"Let us tell our RealNames"—The Blows that have Shattered the Shield and Shivered the Lanceof Superstition—Mohammed's Successful Defence of the Sepulchre ofChrist—The Destruction of Art—The Discovery of America—Althoughhe made it himself, the Holy Ghost was Ignorant of the Form of thisEarth—Copernicus and Kepler—Special Providence—The Man and the Shiphe did not Take—A Thanksgiving Proclamation Contradicted—CharlesDarwin—Henry Ward Beecher—The Creeds—The Latest Creed—God asa Governor—The Love of God—The Fall of Man—We are Boundby Representatives without a Chance to Vote against Them—TheAtonement—The Doctrine of Depravity a Libel on the Human Race—TheSecond Birth—A Unitarian Universalist—Inspiration of theScriptures—God a Victim of his own Tyranny—In the New TestamentTrouble Commences at Death—The Reign of Truth and Love—The OldSpaniard who Died without an Enemy—The Wars it Brought—Consolationshould be Denied to Murderers—At the Rate at which Heathen are beingConverted, how long will it take to Establish Christ's Kingdom onEarth?—The Resurrection—The Judgment Day—Pious Evasions—"We shallnot Die, but we shall all be Hanged"—"No Bible, no Civilization"Miracles of the New Testament—Nothing Written by Christ or hisContemporaries—Genealogy of Jesus—More Miracles—A Master ofDeath—Improbable that he would be Crucified—The Loaves and Fishes—Howdid it happen that the Miracles Convinced so Few?—The Resurrection—TheAscension—Was the Body Spiritual—Parting from the Disciples—Castingout Devils—Necessity of Belief—God should be consistent in theMatter of forgiving Enemies—Eternal Punishment—Some Good Men who areDamned—Another Objection—Love the only Bow on Life's dark Cloud—"Nowis the accepted Time"—Rather than this Doctrine of Eternal PunishmentShould be True—I would rather that every Planet should in its Orbitwheel a barren Star—What I Believe—Immortality—It existed long beforeMoses—Consolation—The Promises are so Far Away, and the Dead are soNear—Death a Wall or a Door—A Fable—Orpheus and Eurydice.MYTH AND MIRACLE.(1885.)I. Happiness the true End and Aim of Life—Spiritual People andtheir Literature—Shakespeare's Clowns superior to InspiredWriters—Beethoven's Sixth Symphony Preferred to the Five Books ofMoses—Venus of Milo more Pleasing than the Presbyterian Creed—II.Religions Naturally Produced—Poets the Myth-makers—The SleepingBeauty—Orpheus and Eurydice—Red Riding Hood—The Golden Age—ElysianFields—The Flood Myth—Myths of the Seasons—III. The Sun-god—Jonah,Buddha, Chrisnna, Horus, Zoroaster—December 25th as a Birthday ofGods—Christ a Sun-God—The Cross a Symbol of the Life to Come—WhenNature rocked the Cradle of the Infant World—IV. Difference betweena Myth and a Miracle—Raising the Dead, Past and Present—Miraclesof Jehovah—Miracles of Christ—Everything Told except the Truth—TheMistake of the World—V. Beginning of Investigation—The Stars asWitnesses against Superstition—Martyrdom of Bruno—Geology—Steam andElectricity—Nature forever the Same—Persistence of Force—Cathedral,Mosque, and Joss House have the same Foundation—Science theProvidence of Man—VI. To Soften the Heart of God—Martyrs—The God wasSilent—Credulity a Vice—Develop the Imagination—"The Skylark" and"The Daisy"—VII. How are we to Civilize the World?—Put Theology outof Religion—Divorce of Church and State—Secular Education—GodlessSchools—VIII. The New Jerusalem—Knowledge of the Supernaturalpossessed by Savages—Beliefs of Primitive Peoples—Science isModest—Theology Arrogant—Torque-mada and Bruno on the Day ofJudgment—IX. Poison of Superstition in the Mother's Milk—Abilityof Mistakes to take Care of Themselves—Longevity of ReligiousLies—Mother's religion pleaded by the Cannibal—The Religion ofFreedom—O Liberty, thou art the God of my Idolatry
SOME MISTAKES OF MOSES.
(1879.)Preface—I. He who endeavors to control the Mind by Force is aTyrant, and he who submits is a Slave—All I Ask—When a Religionis Founded—Freedom for the Orthodox Clergy—Every Minister anAttorney—Submission to the Orthodox and the Dead—Bounden Duty ofthe Ministry—The Minister Factory at Andover—II. Free Schools—NoSectarian Sciences—Religion and the Schools—ScientificHypocrites—III. The Politicians and the Churches—IV. Man and Woman theHighest Possible Titles—Belief Dependent on Surroundings—Worship ofAncestors—Blindness Necessary to Keeping the Narrow Path—The Bible theChain that Binds—A Bible of the Middle Ages and the Awe it Inspired—V.The Pentateuch—Moses Not the Author—Belief out of which GrewReligious Ceremonies—Egypt the Source of the Information of Moses—VI.Monday—Nothing, in the Light of Raw Material—The Story of CreationBegun—The Same Story, substantially, Found in the Records of Babylon,Egypt, and India—Inspiration Unnecessary to the Truth—Usefulness ofMiracles to Fit Lies to Facts—Division of Darkness and Light—VII.Tuesday—The Firmament and Some Biblical Notions about it—Laws ofEvaporation Unknown to the Inspired Writer—VIII. Wednesday—The WatersGathered into Seas—Fruit and Nothing to Eat it—Five Epochs in theOrganic History of the Earth—Balance between the Total Amounts ofAnimal and Vegetable Life—Vegetation Prior to the Appearance of theSun—IX. Thursday—Sun and Moon Manufactured—Magnitude of the SolarOrb—Dimensions of Some of the Planets—Moses' Guess at the Size of Sunand Moon—Joshua's Control of the Heavenly Bodies—A Hypothesis Urgedby Ministers—The Theory of "Refraction"—Rev. Henry Morey—AstronomicalKnowledge of Chinese Savants—The Motion of the Earth Reversed byJehovah for the Reassurance of Ahaz—"Errors" Renounced by Button—X."He made the Stars Also"—Distance of the Nearest Star—XI.Friday—Whales and Other Living Creatures Produced—XII.Saturday—Reproduction Inaugurated—XIII. "Let Us Make Man"—HumanBeings Created in the Physical Image and Likeness of God—Inquiry asto the Process Adopted—Development of Living Forms According toEvolution—How Were Adam and Eve Created?—The Rib Story—Age ofMan Upon the Earth—A Statue Apparently Made before the World—XIV.Sunday—Sacredness of the Sabbath Destroyed by the Theory of Vast"Periods"—Reflections on the Sabbath—XV. The Necessity for a GoodMemory—The Two Accounts of the Creation in Genesis I and II—Orderof Creation in the First Account—Order of Creation in the SecondAccount—Fastidiousness of Adam in the Choice of a Helpmeet—Dr.Adam Clark's Commentary—Dr. Scott's Guess—Dr. Matthew Henry'sAdmission—The Blonde and Brunette Problem—The Result of Unbelief andthe Reward of Faith—"Give Him a Harp"—XVI. The Garden—Location ofEden—The Four Rivers—The Tree of Knowledge—Andover AppealedTo—XVII. The Fall—The Serpent—Dr. Adam Clark Gives a ZoologicalExplanation—Dr. Henry Dissents—Whence This Serpent?—XVIII.Dampness—A Race of Giants—Wickedness of Mankind—An Ark Constructed—AUniversal Flood Indicated—Animals Probably Admitted to the Ark—How DidThey Get There?—Problem of Food and Service—A Shoreless Sea Coveredwith Innumerable Dead—Drs. Clark and Henry on the Situation—The ArkTakes Ground—New Difficulties—Noah's Sacrifice—The Rainbow as aMemorandum—Babylonian, Egyptian, and Indian Legends of a Flood—XIX.Bacchus and Babel—Interest Attaching to Noah—Where Did Our FirstParents and the Serpent Acquire a Common Language?—Babel and theConfusion of Tongues—XX. Faith in Filth—Immodesty of BiblicalDiction—XXI. The Hebrews—God's Promises to Abraham—The Sojourningof Israel in Egypt—Marvelous Increase—Moses and Aaron—XXII.The Plagues—Competitive Miracle Working—Defeat of the LocalMagicians—XXIII. The Flight Out of Egypt—Three Million People in aDesert—Destruction of Pharaoh ana His Host—Manna—A Superfluity ofQuails—Rev. Alexander Cruden's Commentary—Hornets as Allies of theIsraelites—Durability of the Clothing of the Jewish People—An OintmentMonopoly—Consecration of Priests—The Crime of Becoming a Mother—TheTen Commandments—Medical Ideas of Jehovah—Character of the God ofthe Pentateuch—XXIV. Confess and Avoid—XXV. "Inspired" Slavery—XXVI."Inspired" Marriage-XXVII. "Inspired" War-XXVIII. "Inspired" ReligiousLiberty—XXIX. Conclusion.
SOME REASONS WHY.
(1881.)I—Religion makes Enemies—Hatred in the Name of UniversalBenevolence—No Respect for the Rights of Barbarians—LiteralFulfillment of a New Testament Prophecy—II. Duties to God—Can weAssist God?—An Infinite Personality an Infinite Impossibility-Ill.Inspiration—What it Really Is—Indication of Clams—MultitudinousLaughter of the Sea—Horace Greeley and the Mammoth Trees—A LandscapeCompared to a Table-cloth—The Supernatural is the Deformed—Inspirationin the Man as well as in the Book—Our Inspired Bible—IV. God'sExperiment with the Jews—Miracles of One Religion never astonish thePriests of Another—"I am a Liar Myself"—V. Civilized Countries—Crimesonce regarded as Divine Institutions—What the Believer in theInspiration of the Bible is Compelled to Say—Passages apparentlywritten by the Devil—VI. A Comparison of Books—Advancing a Cannibalfrom Missionary to Mutton—Contrast between the Utterances of Jehovahand those of Reputable Heathen—Epictetus, Cicero, Zeno,Seneca—the Hindu, Antoninus, Marcus Aurelius—The Avesta—VII.Monotheism—Egyptians before Moses taught there was but One Godand Married but One Wife—Persians and Hindoos had a Single SupremeDeity—Rights of Roman Women—Marvels of Art achieved without theAssistance of Heaven—Probable Action of the Jewish Jehovah incarnatedas Man—VIII. The New Testament—Doctrine of Eternal Pain brought toLight—Discrepancies—Human Weaknesses cannot be Predicated ofDivine Wisdom—Why there are Four Gospels according to Irenæus—TheAtonement—Remission of Sins under the Mosaic Dispensation—Christianssay, "Charge it"—God's Forgiveness does not Repair an Injury—Sufferingof Innocence for the Guilty—Salvation made Possible by Jehovah'sFailure to Civilize the Jews—Necessity of Belief not taught in theSynoptic Gospels—Non-resistance the Offspring of Weakness—IX. Christ'sMission—All the Virtues had been Taught before his Advent—Perfect andBeautiful Thoughts of his Pagan Predecessors—St. Paul Contrastedwith Heathen Writers—"The Quality of Mercy"—X. Eternal Pain—AnIllustration of Eternal Punishment—Captain Kreuger of the BarqueTiger—XI. Civilizing Influence of the Bible—Its Effects on theJews—If Christ was God, Did he not, in his Crucifixion, Reap whathe had Sown?—Nothing can add to the Misery of a Nation whose King isJehovah
ORTHODOXY.
(1884.)Orthodox Religion Dying Out—Religious Deaths and Births—The Religionof Reciprocity—Every Language has a Cemetery—Orthodox InstitutionsSurvive through the Money invested in them—"Let us tell our RealNames"—The Blows that have Shattered the Shield and Shivered the Lanceof Superstition—Mohammed's Successful Defence of the Sepulchre ofChrist—The Destruction of Art—The Discovery of America—Althoughhe made it himself, the Holy Ghost was Ignorant of the Form of thisEarth—Copernicus and Kepler—Special Providence—The Man and the Shiphe did not Take—A Thanksgiving Proclamation Contradicted—CharlesDarwin—Henry Ward Beecher—The Creeds—The Latest Creed—God asa Governor—The Love of God—The Fall of Man—We are Boundby Representatives without a Chance to Vote against Them—TheAtonement—The Doctrine of Depravity a Libel on the Human Race—TheSecond Birth—A Unitarian Universalist—Inspiration of theScriptures—God a Victim of his own Tyranny—In the New TestamentTrouble Commences at Death—The Reign of Truth and Love—The OldSpaniard who Died without an Enemy—The Wars it Brought—Consolationshould be Denied to Murderers—At the Rate at which Heathen are beingConverted, how long will it take to Establish Christ's Kingdom onEarth?—The Resurrection—The Judgment Day—Pious Evasions—"We shallnot Die, but we shall all be Hanged"—"No Bible, no Civilization"Miracles of the New Testament—Nothing Written by Christ or hisContemporaries—Genealogy of Jesus—More Miracles—A Master ofDeath—Improbable that he would be Crucified—The Loaves and Fishes—Howdid it happen that the Miracles Convinced so Few?—The Resurrection—TheAscension—Was the Body Spiritual—Parting from the Disciples—Castingout Devils—Necessity of Belief—God should be consistent in theMatter of forgiving Enemies—Eternal Punishment—Some Good Men who areDamned—Another Objection—Love the only Bow on Life's dark Cloud—"Nowis the accepted Time"—Rather than this Doctrine of Eternal PunishmentShould be True—I would rather that every Planet should in its Orbitwheel a barren Star—What I Believe—Immortality—It existed long beforeMoses—Consolation—The Promises are so Far Away, and the Dead are soNear—Death a Wall or a Door—A Fable—Orpheus and Eurydice.
MYTH AND MIRACLE.
(1885.)I. Happiness the true End and Aim of Life—Spiritual People andtheir Literature—Shakespeare's Clowns superior to InspiredWriters—Beethoven's Sixth Symphony Preferred to the Five Books ofMoses—Venus of Milo more Pleasing than the Presbyterian Creed—II.Religions Naturally Produced—Poets the Myth-makers—The SleepingBeauty—Orpheus and Eurydice—Red Riding Hood—The Golden Age—ElysianFields—The Flood Myth—Myths of the Seasons—III. The Sun-god—Jonah,Buddha, Chrisnna, Horus, Zoroaster—December 25th as a Birthday ofGods—Christ a Sun-God—The Cross a Symbol of the Life to Come—WhenNature rocked the Cradle of the Infant World—IV. Difference betweena Myth and a Miracle—Raising the Dead, Past and Present—Miraclesof Jehovah—Miracles of Christ—Everything Told except the Truth—TheMistake of the World—V. Beginning of Investigation—The Stars asWitnesses against Superstition—Martyrdom of Bruno—Geology—Steam andElectricity—Nature forever the Same—Persistence of Force—Cathedral,Mosque, and Joss House have the same Foundation—Science theProvidence of Man—VI. To Soften the Heart of God—Martyrs—The God wasSilent—Credulity a Vice—Develop the Imagination—"The Skylark" and"The Daisy"—VII. How are we to Civilize the World?—Put Theology outof Religion—Divorce of Church and State—Secular Education—GodlessSchools—VIII. The New Jerusalem—Knowledge of the Supernaturalpossessed by Savages—Beliefs of Primitive Peoples—Science isModest—Theology Arrogant—Torque-mada and Bruno on the Day ofJudgment—IX. Poison of Superstition in the Mother's Milk—Abilityof Mistakes to take Care of Themselves—Longevity of ReligiousLies—Mother's religion pleaded by the Cannibal—The Religion ofFreedom—O Liberty, thou art the God of my Idolatry
DETAILED CONTENTS OF VOLUME III.
SHAKESPEARE
ROBERT BURNS.*
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
VOLTAIRE.
LIBERTY IN LITERATURE.
THE GREAT INFIDELS.*
CONCLUSION.
WHICH WAY?
ABOUT THE HOLY BIBLE.
SHAKESPEARE(1891.)I. The Greatest Genius of our World—Not of Supernatural Origin orof Royal Blood—Illiteracy of his Parents—Education—His Father—HisMother a Great Woman—Stratford Unconscious of the ImmortalChild—Social Position of Shakespeare—Of his PersonalPeculiarities—Birth, Marriage, and Death—What we Know of Him—No Linewritten by him to be Found—The Absurd Epitaph—II. Contemporariesby whom he was Mentioned—III. No direct Mention of any of hisContemporaries in the Plays—Events and Personages of his Time—IV.Position of the Actor in Shakespeare's Time—Fortunately he was NotEducated at Oxford—An Idealist—His Indifference to Stage-carpentryand Plot—He belonged to All Lands—Knew the Brain and Heart of Man—AnIntellectual Spendthrift—V. The Baconian Theory—VI. Dramatists beforeand during the Time of Shakespeare—Dramatic Incidents Illustrated inPassages from "Macbeth" and "Julius Cæsar"—VII. His Use of the Work ofOthers—The Pontic Sea—A Passage from "Lear"—VIII. Extravagance thattouches the Infinite—The Greatest Compliment—"Let me not live aftermy flame lacks oil"—Where Pathos almost Touches the Grotesque—IX.An Innovator and Iconoclast—Disregard of the "Unities"—NatureForgets—Violation of the Classic Model—X. Types—The Secret ofShakespeare—Characters who Act from Reason and Motive—What they Saynot the Opinion of Shakespeare—XI. The Procession that issued fromShakespeare's Brain—His Great Women—Lovable Clowns—His Men—Talentand Genius—XII. The Greatest of all Philosophers—Master of theHuman Heart—Love—XIII. In the Realm of Comparison—XIV. Definitions:Suicide, Drama, Death, Memory, the Body, Life, Echo, theWorld, Rumor—The Confidant of Nature—XV. Humor andPathos—Illustrations—XVI. Not a Physician, Lawyer, or Botanist—He wasa Man of Imagination—He lived the Life of All—The Imagination had aStage in Shakespeare's Brain.ROBERT BURNS.(1878.)Poetry and Poets—Milton, Dante, Petrarch—Old-time Poetry inScotland—Influence of Scenery on Literature—Lives that arePoems—Birth of Burns—Early Life and Education—Scotland Emerging fromthe Gloom of Calvinism—A Metaphysical Peasantry—Power of the ScotchPreacher—Famous Scotch Names—John Barleycorn vs. Calvinism—Why RobertBurns is Loved—His Reading—Made Goddesses of Women—Poet of Love: His"Vision," "Bonnie Doon," "To Mary in Heaven"—Poet of Home:"Cotter's Saturday Night," "John Anderson, My Jo"—Friendship: "AuldLang-Syne"—Scotch Drink: "Willie brew'd a peck o' maut"—Burns theArtist: The "Brook," "Tam O'Shanter"—A Real Democrat: "A man's a manfor a' that"—His Theology: The Dogma of Eternal Pain, "Morality,""Hypocrisy," "Holy Willie's Prayer"—On the Bible—A Statement of hisReligion—Contrasted with Tennyson—From Cradle to Coffin—His Lastwords—Lines on the Birth-place of Burns.ABRAHAM LINCOLN.(1894.)I. Simultaneous Birth of Lincoln and Darwin—Heroes of EveryGeneration—Slavery—Principle Sacrificed to Success—Lincoln'sChildhood—His first Speech—A Candidate for the Senate againstDouglass—II. A Crisis in the Affairs of the Republic—The South NotAlone Responsible for Slavery—Lincoln's Prophetic Words—Nominated forPresident and Elected in Spite of his Fitness—III. Secession andCivil War—The Thought uppermost in his Mind—IV. A Crisis in theNorth—Proposition to Purchase the Slaves—V. The Proclamation ofEmancipation—His Letter to Horace Greeley—Waited on by Clergymen—VI.Surrounded by Enemies—Hostile Attitude of Gladstone, Salisbury,Louis Napoleon, and the Vatican—VII. Slavery the PerpetualStumbling-block—Confiscation—VIII. His Letter to a RepublicanMeeting in Illinois—Its Effect—IX. The Power of His Personality—TheEmbodiment of Mercy—Use of the Pardoning Power—X. The VallandighamAffair—The Horace Greeley Incident—Triumphs of Humor—XI. Promotion ofGeneral Hooker—A Prophecy and its Fulfillment—XII.—States Rights vs.Territorial Integrity—XIII. His Military Genius—The Foremost Man inall the World: and then the Horror Came—XIV. Strange Mingling of Mirthand Tears—Deformation of Great Historic Characters—Washington nowonly a Steel Engraving—Lincoln not a Type—Virtues Necessary in aNew Country—Laws of Cultivated Society—In the Country is the Ideaof Home—Lincoln always a Pupil—A Great Lawyer—Many-sided—Wit andHumor—As an Orator—His Speech at Gettysburg contrasted with theOration of Edward Everett—Apologetic in his Kindness—No OfficialRobes—The gentlest Memory of our World.VOLTAIRE.(1894.)I. Changes wrought by Time—Throne and Altar Twin Vultures—The King andthe Priest—What is Greatness?—Effect of Voltaire's Name on Clergymanand Priest—Born and Baptized—State of France in 1694—The Churchat the Head—Efficacy of Prayers and Dead Saints—Bells and HolyWater—Prevalence of Belief in Witches, Devils, and Fiends—Seeds ofthe Revolution Scattered by Noble and Priest—Condition in England—TheInquisition in full Control in Spain—Portugal and Germany burningWomen—Italy Prostrate beneath the Priests, the Puritans in Americapersecuting Quakers, and stealing Children—II. The Days of Youth—HisEducation—Chooses Literature as a Profession and becomes a Diplomat—InLove and Disinherited—Unsuccessful Poem Competition—Jansenistsand Molinists—The Bull Unigenitus—Exiled to Tulle—Sent to theBastile—Exiled to England—Acquaintances made there—III. The Mornof Manhood—His Attention turned to the History of the Church—The"Triumphant Beast" Attacked—Europe Filled with the Product of hisBrain—What he Mocked—The Weapon of Ridicule—His Theology—His"Retractions"—What Goethe said of Voltaire—IV. The Scheme ofNature—His belief in the Optimism of Pope Destroyed by the LisbonEarthquake—V. His Humanity—Case of Jean Calas—The Sirven Family—TheEspenasse Case—Case of Chevalier de la Barre and D'Etallonde—VoltaireAbandons France—A Friend of Education—An Abolitionist—Nota Saint—VI. The Return—His Reception—His Death—Burial atRomilli-on-the-Seine—VII. The Death-bed Argument—Serene Demise ofthe Infamous—God has no Time to defend the Good and protect thePure—Eloquence of the Clergy on the Death-bed Subject—TheSecond Return—Throned upon the Bastile—The Grave Desecrated byPriests—Voltaire.A Testimonial to Walt Whitman—Let us put Wreaths on the Brows of theLiving—Literary Ideals of the American People in 1855—"Leaves ofGrass"—Its reception by the Provincial Prudes—The Religion of theBody—Appeal to Manhood and Womanhood—Books written for theMarket—The Index Expurgatorius—Whitman a believer inDemocracy—Individuality—Humanity—An Old-time Sea-fight—What isPoetry?—Rhyme a Hindrance to Expression—Rhythm the Comrade ofthe Poetic—Whitman's Attitude toward Religion—Philosophy—The TwoPoems—"A Word Out of the Sea"—"When Lilacs Last in the Door"—"A Chantfor Death"—The History of Intellectual Progress is written in the Lives ofInfidels—The King and the Priest—The Origin of God and Heaven, ofthe Devil and Hell—The Idea of Hell born of Ignorance, Brutality,Cowardice, and Revenge—The Limitations of our Ancestors—The Deviland God—Egotism of Barbarians—The Doctrine of Hell not an ExclusivePossession of Christianity—The Appeal to the Cemetery—Religion andWealth, Christ and Poverty—The "Great" not on the Side of Christ andhis Disciples—Epitaphs as Battle-cries—Some Great Men in favor ofalmost every Sect—Mistakes and Superstitions of Eminent Men—SacredBooks—The Claim that all Moral Laws came from God throughthe Jews—Fear—Martyrdom—God's Ways toward Men—The EmperorConstantine—The Death Test—Theological Comity between Protestants andCatholics—Julian—A childish Fable still Believed—Bruno—His Crime,his Imprisonment andLIBERTY IN LITERATURE.(1890.)"Old Age"—"Leaves of Grass"THE GREAT INFIDELS.(1881.)Martyrdom—The First to die for Truth without Expectation of Reward—TheChurch in the Time of Voltaire—Voltaire—Diderot—David Hume—BenedictSpinoza—Our Infidels—Thomas Paine—Conclusion.WHICH WAY?(1884.)I. The Natural and the Supernatural—Living for the Benefit ofyour Fellow-Man and Living for Ghosts—The Beginning of Doubt—TwoPhilosophies of Life—Two Theories of Government—II. Is our Godsuperior to the Gods of the Heathen?—What our God has done—III. TwoTheories about the Cause and Cure of Disease—The First Physician—TheBones of St. Anne Exhibited in New York—Archbishop Corrigan andCardinal Gibbons Countenance a Theological Fraud—A Japanese Story—TheMonk and the Miraculous Cures performed by the Bones of a Donkeyrepresented as those of a Saint—IV.—Two Ways of accounting for SacredBooks and Religions—V-Two Theories about Morals—Nothing Miraculousabout Morality—The Test of all Actions—VI. Search for theImpossible—Alchemy—"Perpetual Motion"—Astrology—Fountain of PerpetualYouth—VII. "Great Men" and the Superstitions in which they haveBelieved—VIII. Follies and Imbecilities of Great Men—We do not knowwhat they Thought, only what they Said—Names of Great Unbelievers—MostMen Controlled by their Surroundings—IX. Living for God in Switzerland,Scotland, New England—In the Dark Ages—Let us Live for Man—X. TheNarrow Road of Superstition—The Wide and Ample Way—Let us Squeeze theOrange Dry—This Was, This Is, This Shall Be.ABOUT THE HOLY BIBLE.(1894.)The Truth about the Bible Ought to be Told—I. The Origin of theBible—Establishment of the Mosaic Code—Moses not the Author of thePentateuch—Some Old Testament Books of Unknown Origin—II. Is the OldTestament Inspired?—What an Inspired Book Ought to Be—What the BibleIs—Admission of Orthodox Christians that it is not Inspired as toScience—The Enemy of Art—III. The Ten Commandments—Omissions andRedundancies—The Story of Achan—The Story of Elisha—The Story ofDaniel—The Story of Joseph—IV. What is it all Worth?—Not True, andContradictory—Its Myths Older than the Pentateuch—Other Accountsof the Creation, the Fall, etc.—Books of the Old Testament Namedand Characterized—V. Was Jehovah a God of Love?—VI. Jehovah'sAdministration—VII. The New Testament—Many Other Gospels besidesour Four—Disagreements—Belief in Devils—Raising of the Dead—OtherMiracles—Would a real Miracle-worker have been Crucified?—VIII.The Philosophy of Christ—Love ofEnemies—Improvidence—Self-Mutilation—The Earth as aFootstool—Justice—A Bringer of War—Division of Families—IX. Is Christour Example?—X. Why should we place Christ at the Top and Summit of theHuman Race?—How did he surpass Other Teachers?—What he left Unsaid,and Why—Inspiration—Rejected Books of the New Testament—The Bible andthe Crimes it has Caused.
SHAKESPEARE
(1891.)I. The Greatest Genius of our World—Not of Supernatural Origin orof Royal Blood—Illiteracy of his Parents—Education—His Father—HisMother a Great Woman—Stratford Unconscious of the ImmortalChild—Social Position of Shakespeare—Of his PersonalPeculiarities—Birth, Marriage, and Death—What we Know of Him—No Linewritten by him to be Found—The Absurd Epitaph—II. Contemporariesby whom he was Mentioned—III. No direct Mention of any of hisContemporaries in the Plays—Events and Personages of his Time—IV.Position of the Actor in Shakespeare's Time—Fortunately he was NotEducated at Oxford—An Idealist—His Indifference to Stage-carpentryand Plot—He belonged to All Lands—Knew the Brain and Heart of Man—AnIntellectual Spendthrift—V. The Baconian Theory—VI. Dramatists beforeand during the Time of Shakespeare—Dramatic Incidents Illustrated inPassages from "Macbeth" and "Julius Cæsar"—VII. His Use of the Work ofOthers—The Pontic Sea—A Passage from "Lear"—VIII. Extravagance thattouches the Infinite—The Greatest Compliment—"Let me not live aftermy flame lacks oil"—Where Pathos almost Touches the Grotesque—IX.An Innovator and Iconoclast—Disregard of the "Unities"—NatureForgets—Violation of the Classic Model—X. Types—The Secret ofShakespeare—Characters who Act from Reason and Motive—What they Saynot the Opinion of Shakespeare—XI. The Procession that issued fromShakespeare's Brain—His Great Women—Lovable Clowns—His Men—Talentand Genius—XII. The Greatest of all Philosophers—Master of theHuman Heart—Love—XIII. In the Realm of Comparison—XIV. Definitions:Suicide, Drama, Death, Memory, the Body, Life, Echo, theWorld, Rumor—The Confidant of Nature—XV. Humor andPathos—Illustrations—XVI. Not a Physician, Lawyer, or Botanist—He wasa Man of Imagination—He lived the Life of All—The Imagination had aStage in Shakespeare's Brain.
ROBERT BURNS.
(1878.)Poetry and Poets—Milton, Dante, Petrarch—Old-time Poetry inScotland—Influence of Scenery on Literature—Lives that arePoems—Birth of Burns—Early Life and Education—Scotland Emerging fromthe Gloom of Calvinism—A Metaphysical Peasantry—Power of the ScotchPreacher—Famous Scotch Names—John Barleycorn vs. Calvinism—Why RobertBurns is Loved—His Reading—Made Goddesses of Women—Poet of Love: His"Vision," "Bonnie Doon," "To Mary in Heaven"—Poet of Home:"Cotter's Saturday Night," "John Anderson, My Jo"—Friendship: "AuldLang-Syne"—Scotch Drink: "Willie brew'd a peck o' maut"—Burns theArtist: The "Brook," "Tam O'Shanter"—A Real Democrat: "A man's a manfor a' that"—His Theology: The Dogma of Eternal Pain, "Morality,""Hypocrisy," "Holy Willie's Prayer"—On the Bible—A Statement of hisReligion—Contrasted with Tennyson—From Cradle to Coffin—His Lastwords—Lines on the Birth-place of Burns.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
(1894.)I. Simultaneous Birth of Lincoln and Darwin—Heroes of EveryGeneration—Slavery—Principle Sacrificed to Success—Lincoln'sChildhood—His first Speech—A Candidate for the Senate againstDouglass—II. A Crisis in the Affairs of the Republic—The South NotAlone Responsible for Slavery—Lincoln's Prophetic Words—Nominated forPresident and Elected in Spite of his Fitness—III. Secession andCivil War—The Thought uppermost in his Mind—IV. A Crisis in theNorth—Proposition to Purchase the Slaves—V. The Proclamation ofEmancipation—His Letter to Horace Greeley—Waited on by Clergymen—VI.Surrounded by Enemies—Hostile Attitude of Gladstone, Salisbury,Louis Napoleon, and the Vatican—VII. Slavery the PerpetualStumbling-block—Confiscation—VIII. His Letter to a RepublicanMeeting in Illinois—Its Effect—IX. The Power of His Personality—TheEmbodiment of Mercy—Use of the Pardoning Power—X. The VallandighamAffair—The Horace Greeley Incident—Triumphs of Humor—XI. Promotion ofGeneral Hooker—A Prophecy and its Fulfillment—XII.—States Rights vs.Territorial Integrity—XIII. His Military Genius—The Foremost Man inall the World: and then the Horror Came—XIV. Strange Mingling of Mirthand Tears—Deformation of Great Historic Characters—Washington nowonly a Steel Engraving—Lincoln not a Type—Virtues Necessary in aNew Country—Laws of Cultivated Society—In the Country is the Ideaof Home—Lincoln always a Pupil—A Great Lawyer—Many-sided—Wit andHumor—As an Orator—His Speech at Gettysburg contrasted with theOration of Edward Everett—Apologetic in his Kindness—No OfficialRobes—The gentlest Memory of our World.
VOLTAIRE.
(1894.)I. Changes wrought by Time—Throne and Altar Twin Vultures—The King andthe Priest—What is Greatness?—Effect of Voltaire's Name on Clergymanand Priest—Born and Baptized—State of France in 1694—The Churchat the Head—Efficacy of Prayers and Dead Saints—Bells and HolyWater—Prevalence of Belief in Witches, Devils, and Fiends—Seeds ofthe Revolution Scattered by Noble and Priest—Condition in England—TheInquisition in full Control in Spain—Portugal and Germany burningWomen—Italy Prostrate beneath the Priests, the Puritans in Americapersecuting Quakers, and stealing Children—II. The Days of Youth—HisEducation—Chooses Literature as a Profession and becomes a Diplomat—InLove and Disinherited—Unsuccessful Poem Competition—Jansenistsand Molinists—The Bull Unigenitus—Exiled to Tulle—Sent to theBastile—Exiled to England—Acquaintances made there—III. The Mornof Manhood—His Attention turned to the History of the Church—The"Triumphant Beast" Attacked—Europe Filled with the Product of hisBrain—What he Mocked—The Weapon of Ridicule—His Theology—His"Retractions"—What Goethe said of Voltaire—IV. The Scheme ofNature—His belief in the Optimism of Pope Destroyed by the LisbonEarthquake—V. His Humanity—Case of Jean Calas—The Sirven Family—TheEspenasse Case—Case of Chevalier de la Barre and D'Etallonde—VoltaireAbandons France—A Friend of Education—An Abolitionist—Nota Saint—VI. The Return—His Reception—His Death—Burial atRomilli-on-the-Seine—VII. The Death-bed Argument—Serene Demise ofthe Infamous—God has no Time to defend the Good and protect thePure—Eloquence of the Clergy on the Death-bed Subject—TheSecond Return—Throned upon the Bastile—The Grave Desecrated byPriests—Voltaire.A Testimonial to Walt Whitman—Let us put Wreaths on the Brows of theLiving—Literary Ideals of the American People in 1855—"Leaves ofGrass"—Its reception by the Provincial Prudes—The Religion of theBody—Appeal to Manhood and Womanhood—Books written for theMarket—The Index Expurgatorius—Whitman a believer inDemocracy—Individuality—Humanity—An Old-time Sea-fight—What isPoetry?—Rhyme a Hindrance to Expression—Rhythm the Comrade ofthe Poetic—Whitman's Attitude toward Religion—Philosophy—The TwoPoems—"A Word Out of the Sea"—"When Lilacs Last in the Door"—"A Chantfor Death"—The History of Intellectual Progress is written in the Lives ofInfidels—The King and the Priest—The Origin of God and Heaven, ofthe Devil and Hell—The Idea of Hell born of Ignorance, Brutality,Cowardice, and Revenge—The Limitations of our Ancestors—The Deviland God—Egotism of Barbarians—The Doctrine of Hell not an ExclusivePossession of Christianity—The Appeal to the Cemetery—Religion andWealth, Christ and Poverty—The "Great" not on the Side of Christ andhis Disciples—Epitaphs as Battle-cries—Some Great Men in favor ofalmost every Sect—Mistakes and Superstitions of Eminent Men—SacredBooks—The Claim that all Moral Laws came from God throughthe Jews—Fear—Martyrdom—God's Ways toward Men—The EmperorConstantine—The Death Test—Theological Comity between Protestants andCatholics—Julian—A childish Fable still Believed—Bruno—His Crime,his Imprisonment and
LIBERTY IN LITERATURE.
(1890.)"Old Age"—"Leaves of Grass"
THE GREAT INFIDELS.
(1881.)Martyrdom—The First to die for Truth without Expectation of Reward—TheChurch in the Time of Voltaire—Voltaire—Diderot—David Hume—BenedictSpinoza—Our Infidels—Thomas Paine—Conclusion.
WHICH WAY?
(1884.)I. The Natural and the Supernatural—Living for the Benefit ofyour Fellow-Man and Living for Ghosts—The Beginning of Doubt—TwoPhilosophies of Life—Two Theories of Government—II. Is our Godsuperior to the Gods of the Heathen?—What our God has done—III. TwoTheories about the Cause and Cure of Disease—The First Physician—TheBones of St. Anne Exhibited in New York—Archbishop Corrigan andCardinal Gibbons Countenance a Theological Fraud—A Japanese Story—TheMonk and the Miraculous Cures performed by the Bones of a Donkeyrepresented as those of a Saint—IV.—Two Ways of accounting for SacredBooks and Religions—V-Two Theories about Morals—Nothing Miraculousabout Morality—The Test of all Actions—VI. Search for theImpossible—Alchemy—"Perpetual Motion"—Astrology—Fountain of PerpetualYouth—VII. "Great Men" and the Superstitions in which they haveBelieved—VIII. Follies and Imbecilities of Great Men—We do not knowwhat they Thought, only what they Said—Names of Great Unbelievers—MostMen Controlled by their Surroundings—IX. Living for God in Switzerland,Scotland, New England—In the Dark Ages—Let us Live for Man—X. TheNarrow Road of Superstition—The Wide and Ample Way—Let us Squeeze theOrange Dry—This Was, This Is, This Shall Be.
ABOUT THE HOLY BIBLE.
(1894.)The Truth about the Bible Ought to be Told—I. The Origin of theBible—Establishment of the Mosaic Code—Moses not the Author of thePentateuch—Some Old Testament Books of Unknown Origin—II. Is the OldTestament Inspired?—What an Inspired Book Ought to Be—What the BibleIs—Admission of Orthodox Christians that it is not Inspired as toScience—The Enemy of Art—III. The Ten Commandments—Omissions andRedundancies—The Story of Achan—The Story of Elisha—The Story ofDaniel—The Story of Joseph—IV. What is it all Worth?—Not True, andContradictory—Its Myths Older than the Pentateuch—Other Accountsof the Creation, the Fall, etc.—Books of the Old Testament Namedand Characterized—V. Was Jehovah a God of Love?—VI. Jehovah'sAdministration—VII. The New Testament—Many Other Gospels besidesour Four—Disagreements—Belief in Devils—Raising of the Dead—OtherMiracles—Would a real Miracle-worker have been Crucified?—VIII.The Philosophy of Christ—Love ofEnemies—Improvidence—Self-Mutilation—The Earth as aFootstool—Justice—A Bringer of War—Division of Families—IX. Is Christour Example?—X. Why should we place Christ at the Top and Summit of theHuman Race?—How did he surpass Other Teachers?—What he left Unsaid,and Why—Inspiration—Rejected Books of the New Testament—The Bible andthe Crimes it has Caused.
DETAILED CONTENTS OF VOLUME IV.
WHY I AM AN AGNOSTIC.
THE TRUTH.
HOW TO REFORM MANKIND.
A THANKSGIVING SERMON.
A LAY SERMON.
THE FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH.
SUPERSTITION.
THE DEVIL.
PROGRESS.
WHAT IS RELIGION?
WHY I AM AN AGNOSTIC.(1896.)I. Influence of Birth in determining Religious Belief—Scotch, Irish,English, and Americans Inherit their Faith—Religions of Nationsnot Suddenly Changed—People who Knew—What they were CertainAbout—Revivals—Character of Sermons Preached—Effect of Conversion—AVermont Farmer for whom Perdition had no Terrors—The Man and hisDog—Backsliding and Re-birth—Ministers who were Sincere—A Free WillBaptist on the Rich Man and Lazarus—II. The Orthodox God—TheTwo Dispensations—The Infinite Horror—III. Religious Books—TheCommentators—Paley's Watch Argument—Milton, Young, and Pollok—IV.Studying Astronomy—Geology—Denial and Evasion by the Clergy—V. ThePoems of Robert Burns—Byron, Shelley, Keats, and Shakespeare—VI.Volney, Gibbon, and Thomas Paine—Voltaire's Services to Liberty—PagansCompared with Patriarchs—VII. Other Gods and Other Religions—Dogmas,Myths, and Symbols of Christianity Older than our Era—VIII. The Menof Science, Humboldt, Darwin, Spencer, Huxley, Haeckel—IX. Matter andForce Indestructible and Uncreatable—The Theory of Design—X. God anImpossible Being—The Panorama of the Past—XI. Free from SanctifiedMistakes and Holy Lies.THE TRUTH.(1897.)I. The Martyrdom of Man—How is Truth to be Found—Every Man should beMentally Honest—He should be Intellectually Hospitable—Geologists,Chemists, Mechanics, and Professional Men are Seeking for the Truth—II.Those who say that Slavery is Better than Liberty—Promises are notEvidence—Horace Greeley and the Cold Stove—III. "The Science ofTheology" the only Dishonest Science—Moses and Brigham Young—MindsPoisoned and Paralyzed in Youth—Sunday Schools and TheologicalSeminaries—Orthodox Slanderers of Scientists—Religion has nothingto do with Charity—Hospitals Built in Self-Defence—What Good has theChurch Accomplished?—Of what use are the Orthodox Ministers, andWhat are they doing for the Good of Mankind—The Harm they areDoing—Delusions they Teach—Truths they Should Tell about theBible—Conclusions—Our Christs and our Miracles.HOW TO REFORM MANKIND.(1896.)I. "There is no Darkness but Ignorance"—False Notions ConcerningAll Departments of Life—Changed Ideas about Science, Government andMorals—II. How can we Reform the World?—Intellectual Light the FirstNecessity—Avoid Waste of Wealth in War—III. Another Waste—Vast Amountof Money Spent on the Church—IV. Plow can we Lessen Crime?—FrightfulLaws for the Punishment of Minor Crimes—A Penitentiary should be aSchool—Professional Criminals should not be Allowed to Populate theEarth—V. Homes for All-Make a Nation of Householders—Marriageand Divorce-VI. The Labor Question—Employers cannot GovernPrices—Railroads should Pay Pensions—What has been Accomplishedfor the Improvement of the Condition of Labor—VII. Educate theChildren—Useless Knowledge—Liberty cannot be Sacrificed for the Sakeof Anything—False worship of Wealth—VIII. We must Work and Wait.A THANKSGIVING SERMON.(1897.)I. Our fathers Ages Ago—From Savagery to Civilization—For theBlessings we enjoy, Whom should we Thank?—What Good has the ChurchDone?-Did Christ add to the Sum of Useful Knowledge—The Saints—Whathave the Councils and Synods Done?—What they Gave us, and What theydid Not—Shall we Thank them for the Hell Here and for the Hell ofthe Future?—II. What Does God Do?—The Infinite Juggler and hisPuppets—What the Puppets have Done—Shall we Thank theseGods?—Shall we Thank Nature?—III. Men who deserve our Thanks—TheInfidels, Philanthropists and Scientists—The Discoverers andInventors—Magellan—Copernicus—Bruno—Galileo—Kepler, Herschel,Newton, and LaPlace—Lyell—What the Worldly have Done—Origin andVicissitudes of the Bible—The Septuagint—Investigating the Phenomenaof Nature—IV. We thank the Good Men and Good Women of the Past—ThePoets, Dramatists, and Artists—The Statesmen—Paine, Jefferson,Ericsson, Lincoln. Grant—Voltaire, Humboldt, Darwin.A LAY SERMON.(1886.)Prayer of King Lear—When Honesty wears a Rag and Rascality a Robe-TheNonsense of "Free Moral Agency "—Doing Right is not Self-denial-Wealthoften a Gilded Hell—The Log House—Insanity of GettingMore—Great Wealth the Mother of Crime—Separation of Rich andPoor—Emulation—Invention of Machines to Save Labor—Production andDestitution—The Remedy a Division of the Land—Evils of TenementHouses—Ownership and Use—The Great Weapon is the Ballot—SewingWomen—Strikes and Boycotts of No Avail—Anarchy, Communism, andSocialism—The Children of the Rich a Punishment for Wealth—WorkingmenNot a Danger—The Criminals a Necessary Product—Society's Rightto Punish—The Efficacy of Kindness—Labor is Honorable—MentalIndependence.THE FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH.(1895.)I. The Old Testament—Story of the Creation—Age of the Earth andof Man—Astronomical Calculations of the Egyptians—The Flood—TheFirmament a Fiction—Israelites who went into Egypt—Battles of theJews—Area of Palestine—Gold Collected by David for the Temple—II. TheNew Testament—Discrepancies about the Birth of Christ—Herod andthe Wise Men—The Murder of the Babes of Bethlehem—When was Christborn—Cyrenius and the Census of the World—Genealogy of Christaccording to Matthew and Luke—The Slaying of Zacharias—Appearance ofthe Saints at the Crucifixion—The Death of Judas Iscariot—DidChrist wish to be Convicted?—III. Jehovah—IV. The Trinity—TheIncarnation—Was Christ God?—The Trinity Expounded—"Let us pray"—V.The Theological Christ—Sayings of a Contradictory Character—Christ aDevout Jew—An ascetic—His Philosophy—The Ascension—The Best that Canbe Said about Christ—The Part that is beautiful and Glorious—The OtherSide—VI. The Scheme of Redemption—VII. Belief—Eternal Pain—No Hopein Hell, Pity in Heaven, or Mercy in the Heart of God—VIII. Conclusion.SUPERSTITION.(1898.)I. What is Superstition?—Popular Beliefs about the Significanceof Signs, Lucky and Unlucky Numbers, Days, Accidents, Jewels,etc.—Eclipses, Earthquakes, and Cyclones as Omens—Signs and Wondersof the Heavens—Efficacy of Bones and Rags of Saints—Diseases andDevils—II. Witchcraft—Necromancers—What is a Miracle?—The Uniformityof Nature—III. Belief in the Existence of Good Spirits or Angels—Godand the Devil—When Everything was done by the Supernatural—IV. Allthese Beliefs now Rejected by Men of Intelligence—The Devil's SuccessMade the Coming of Christ a Necessity—"Thou shalt not Suffer a Witchto Live"—Some Biblical Angels—Vanished Visions—V. Where are Heavenand Hell?—Prayers Never Answered—The Doctrine of Design—Why Worshipour Ignorance?—Would God Lead us into Temptation?—President McKinley'sThanks giving for the Santiago Victory—VI. What Harm Does SuperstitionDo?—The Heart Hardens and the Brain Softens—What Superstition has Doneand Taught—Fate of Spain—Of Portugal, Austria, Germany—VII. InspiredBooks—Mysteries added to by the Explanations of Theologians—TheInspired Bible the Greatest Curse of Christendom—VIII. Modificationsof Jehovah—Changing the Bible—IX. Centuries of Darkness—The ChurchTriumphant—When Men began to Think—X. Possibly these Superstitions areTrue, but We have no Evidence—We Believe in the Natural—Science is theReal Redeemer.THE DEVIL.(1899.)I. If the Devil should Die, would God Make Another?—How was the Ideaof a Devil Produced—Other Devils than Ours—Natural Origin of theseMonsters—II. The Atlas of Christianity is The Devil—The Devil of theOld Testament—The Serpent in Eden—"Personifications" of Evil—Satanand Job—Satan and David—III. Take the Devil from the Dramaof Christianity and the Plot is Gone—Jesus Tempted by the EvilOne—Demoniac Possession—Mary Magdalene—Satan and Judas—Incubiand Succubi—The Apostles believed in Miracles and Magic—The Pool ofBethesda—IV. The Evidence of the Church—The Devil was forced toFather the Failures of God—Belief of the Fathers of the Churchin Devils—Exorcism at the Baptism of an Infant in the SixteenthCentury—Belief in Devils made the Universe a Madhouse presided over byan Insane God—V. Personifications of the Devil—The Orthodox OstrichThrusts his Head into the Sand—If Devils are Personifications so areall the Other Characters of the Bible—VI. Some Queries about theDevil, his Place of Residence, his Manner of Living, and his Object inLife—Interrogatories to the Clergy—VII. The Man of Straw the Masterof the Orthodox Ministers—His recent Accomplishments—VIII. Keep theDevils out of Children—IX. Conclusion.—Declaration of the Free.PROGRESS.(1860-64.)The Prosperity of the World depends upon its Workers—Veneration for theAncient—Credulity and Faith of the Middle Ages—Penalty for Readingthe Scripture in the Mother Tongue—Unjust, Bloody, and Cruel Laws—TheReformers too were Persecutors—Bigotry of Luther and Knox—Persecutionof Castalio—Montaigne against Torture in France—"Witchcraft" (chapteron)—Confessed Wizards—A Case before Sir Matthew Hale—Beliefin Lycanthropy—Animals Tried and Executed—Animals receivedas Witnesses—The Corsned or Morsel of Execution—Kepler anAstrologer—Luther's Encounter with the Devil—MathematicianStoefflers, Astronomical Prediction of a Flood—Histories Filled withFalsehood—Legend about the Daughter of Pharaoh invading Scotland andgiving the Country her name—A Story about Mohammed—A History of theBritains written by Archdeacons—Ingenuous Remark of Eusebius—Progressin the Mechanic Arts—England at the beginning of the EighteenthCentury—Barbarous Punishments—Queen Elizabeth's Order ConcerningClergymen and Servant Girls—Inventions of Watt, Arkwright, andOthers—Solomon's Deprivations—Language (chapter on)—Belief that theHebrew was< the original Tongue—Speculations about the Languageof Paradise—Geography (chapter on)—The Works of Cosmas—PrintingInvented—Church's Opposition to Books—The Inquisition—TheReformation—"Slavery" (chapter on)—Voltaire's Remark on Slavery asa Contract—White Slaves in Greece, Rome, England, Scotland, andFrance—Free minds make Free Bodies—Causes of the Abolition of WhiteSlavery in Europe—The French Revolution—The African Slave Trade,its Beginning and End—Liberty Triumphed (chapter head)—Abolition ofChattel Slavery—Conclusion.WHAT IS RELIGION?(1899.)I. Belief in God and Sacrifice—Did an Infinite God Create the Childrenof Men and is he the Governor of the Universe?—II. If this God Exists,how do we Know he is Good?—Should both the Inferior and the Superiorthank God for their Condition?—III. The Power that Works forRighteousness—What is this Power?—The Accumulated Experience of theWorld is a Power Working for Good?—Love the Commencement of the HigherVirtues—IV. What has our Religion Done?—Would Christians have beenWorse had they Adopted another Faith?—V. How Can Mankind be ReformedWithout Religion?—VI. The Four Corner-stones of my Theory—VII. Matterand Force Eternal—Links in the Chain of Evolution—VIII. Reform—TheGutter as a Nursery—Can we Prevent the Unfit from Filling the Worldwith their Children?—Science must make Woman the Owner and Mistressof Herself—Morality Born of Intelligence—IX. Real Religion and RealWorship.
WHY I AM AN AGNOSTIC.
(1896.)I. Influence of Birth in determining Religious Belief—Scotch, Irish,English, and Americans Inherit their Faith—Religions of Nationsnot Suddenly Changed—People who Knew—What they were CertainAbout—Revivals—Character of Sermons Preached—Effect of Conversion—AVermont Farmer for whom Perdition had no Terrors—The Man and hisDog—Backsliding and Re-birth—Ministers who were Sincere—A Free WillBaptist on the Rich Man and Lazarus—II. The Orthodox God—TheTwo Dispensations—The Infinite Horror—III. Religious Books—TheCommentators—Paley's Watch Argument—Milton, Young, and Pollok—IV.Studying Astronomy—Geology—Denial and Evasion by the Clergy—V. ThePoems of Robert Burns—Byron, Shelley, Keats, and Shakespeare—VI.Volney, Gibbon, and Thomas Paine—Voltaire's Services to Liberty—PagansCompared with Patriarchs—VII. Other Gods and Other Religions—Dogmas,Myths, and Symbols of Christianity Older than our Era—VIII. The Menof Science, Humboldt, Darwin, Spencer, Huxley, Haeckel—IX. Matter andForce Indestructible and Uncreatable—The Theory of Design—X. God anImpossible Being—The Panorama of the Past—XI. Free from SanctifiedMistakes and Holy Lies.
THE TRUTH.
(1897.)I. The Martyrdom of Man—How is Truth to be Found—Every Man should beMentally Honest—He should be Intellectually Hospitable—Geologists,Chemists, Mechanics, and Professional Men are Seeking for the Truth—II.Those who say that Slavery is Better than Liberty—Promises are notEvidence—Horace Greeley and the Cold Stove—III. "The Science ofTheology" the only Dishonest Science—Moses and Brigham Young—MindsPoisoned and Paralyzed in Youth—Sunday Schools and TheologicalSeminaries—Orthodox Slanderers of Scientists—Religion has nothingto do with Charity—Hospitals Built in Self-Defence—What Good has theChurch Accomplished?—Of what use are the Orthodox Ministers, andWhat are they doing for the Good of Mankind—The Harm they areDoing—Delusions they Teach—Truths they Should Tell about theBible—Conclusions—Our Christs and our Miracles.
HOW TO REFORM MANKIND.
(1896.)I. "There is no Darkness but Ignorance"—False Notions ConcerningAll Departments of Life—Changed Ideas about Science, Government andMorals—II. How can we Reform the World?—Intellectual Light the FirstNecessity—Avoid Waste of Wealth in War—III. Another Waste—Vast Amountof Money Spent on the Church—IV. Plow can we Lessen Crime?—FrightfulLaws for the Punishment of Minor Crimes—A Penitentiary should be aSchool—Professional Criminals should not be Allowed to Populate theEarth—V. Homes for All-Make a Nation of Householders—Marriageand Divorce-VI. The Labor Question—Employers cannot GovernPrices—Railroads should Pay Pensions—What has been Accomplishedfor the Improvement of the Condition of Labor—VII. Educate theChildren—Useless Knowledge—Liberty cannot be Sacrificed for the Sakeof Anything—False worship of Wealth—VIII. We must Work and Wait.
A THANKSGIVING SERMON.
(1897.)I. Our fathers Ages Ago—From Savagery to Civilization—For theBlessings we enjoy, Whom should we Thank?—What Good has the ChurchDone?-Did Christ add to the Sum of Useful Knowledge—The Saints—Whathave the Councils and Synods Done?—What they Gave us, and What theydid Not—Shall we Thank them for the Hell Here and for the Hell ofthe Future?—II. What Does God Do?—The Infinite Juggler and hisPuppets—What the Puppets have Done—Shall we Thank theseGods?—Shall we Thank Nature?—III. Men who deserve our Thanks—TheInfidels, Philanthropists and Scientists—The Discoverers andInventors—Magellan—Copernicus—Bruno—Galileo—Kepler, Herschel,Newton, and LaPlace—Lyell—What the Worldly have Done—Origin andVicissitudes of the Bible—The Septuagint—Investigating the Phenomenaof Nature—IV. We thank the Good Men and Good Women of the Past—ThePoets, Dramatists, and Artists—The Statesmen—Paine, Jefferson,Ericsson, Lincoln. Grant—Voltaire, Humboldt, Darwin.
A LAY SERMON.
(1886.)Prayer of King Lear—When Honesty wears a Rag and Rascality a Robe-TheNonsense of "Free Moral Agency "—Doing Right is not Self-denial-Wealthoften a Gilded Hell—The Log House—Insanity of GettingMore—Great Wealth the Mother of Crime—Separation of Rich andPoor—Emulation—Invention of Machines to Save Labor—Production andDestitution—The Remedy a Division of the Land—Evils of TenementHouses—Ownership and Use—The Great Weapon is the Ballot—SewingWomen—Strikes and Boycotts of No Avail—Anarchy, Communism, andSocialism—The Children of the Rich a Punishment for Wealth—WorkingmenNot a Danger—The Criminals a Necessary Product—Society's Rightto Punish—The Efficacy of Kindness—Labor is Honorable—MentalIndependence.
THE FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH.
(1895.)I. The Old Testament—Story of the Creation—Age of the Earth andof Man—Astronomical Calculations of the Egyptians—The Flood—TheFirmament a Fiction—Israelites who went into Egypt—Battles of theJews—Area of Palestine—Gold Collected by David for the Temple—II. TheNew Testament—Discrepancies about the Birth of Christ—Herod andthe Wise Men—The Murder of the Babes of Bethlehem—When was Christborn—Cyrenius and the Census of the World—Genealogy of Christaccording to Matthew and Luke—The Slaying of Zacharias—Appearance ofthe Saints at the Crucifixion—The Death of Judas Iscariot—DidChrist wish to be Convicted?—III. Jehovah—IV. The Trinity—TheIncarnation—Was Christ God?—The Trinity Expounded—"Let us pray"—V.The Theological Christ—Sayings of a Contradictory Character—Christ aDevout Jew—An ascetic—His Philosophy—The Ascension—The Best that Canbe Said about Christ—The Part that is beautiful and Glorious—The OtherSide—VI. The Scheme of Redemption—VII. Belief—Eternal Pain—No Hopein Hell, Pity in Heaven, or Mercy in the Heart of God—VIII. Conclusion.
SUPERSTITION.
(1898.)I. What is Superstition?—Popular Beliefs about the Significanceof Signs, Lucky and Unlucky Numbers, Days, Accidents, Jewels,etc.—Eclipses, Earthquakes, and Cyclones as Omens—Signs and Wondersof the Heavens—Efficacy of Bones and Rags of Saints—Diseases andDevils—II. Witchcraft—Necromancers—What is a Miracle?—The Uniformityof Nature—III. Belief in the Existence of Good Spirits or Angels—Godand the Devil—When Everything was done by the Supernatural—IV. Allthese Beliefs now Rejected by Men of Intelligence—The Devil's SuccessMade the Coming of Christ a Necessity—"Thou shalt not Suffer a Witchto Live"—Some Biblical Angels—Vanished Visions—V. Where are Heavenand Hell?—Prayers Never Answered—The Doctrine of Design—Why Worshipour Ignorance?—Would God Lead us into Temptation?—President McKinley'sThanks giving for the Santiago Victory—VI. What Harm Does SuperstitionDo?—The Heart Hardens and the Brain Softens—What Superstition has Doneand Taught—Fate of Spain—Of Portugal, Austria, Germany—VII. InspiredBooks—Mysteries added to by the Explanations of Theologians—TheInspired Bible the Greatest Curse of Christendom—VIII. Modificationsof Jehovah—Changing the Bible—IX. Centuries of Darkness—The ChurchTriumphant—When Men began to Think—X. Possibly these Superstitions areTrue, but We have no Evidence—We Believe in the Natural—Science is theReal Redeemer.
THE DEVIL.
(1899.)I. If the Devil should Die, would God Make Another?—How was the Ideaof a Devil Produced—Other Devils than Ours—Natural Origin of theseMonsters—II. The Atlas of Christianity is The Devil—The Devil of theOld Testament—The Serpent in Eden—"Personifications" of Evil—Satanand Job—Satan and David—III. Take the Devil from the Dramaof Christianity and the Plot is Gone—Jesus Tempted by the EvilOne—Demoniac Possession—Mary Magdalene—Satan and Judas—Incubiand Succubi—The Apostles believed in Miracles and Magic—The Pool ofBethesda—IV. The Evidence of the Church—The Devil was forced toFather the Failures of God—Belief of the Fathers of the Churchin Devils—Exorcism at the Baptism of an Infant in the SixteenthCentury—Belief in Devils made the Universe a Madhouse presided over byan Insane God—V. Personifications of the Devil—The Orthodox OstrichThrusts his Head into the Sand—If Devils are Personifications so areall the Other Characters of the Bible—VI. Some Queries about theDevil, his Place of Residence, his Manner of Living, and his Object inLife—Interrogatories to the Clergy—VII. The Man of Straw the Masterof the Orthodox Ministers—His recent Accomplishments—VIII. Keep theDevils out of Children—IX. Conclusion.—Declaration of the Free.
PROGRESS.
(1860-64.)The Prosperity of the World depends upon its Workers—Veneration for theAncient—Credulity and Faith of the Middle Ages—Penalty for Readingthe Scripture in the Mother Tongue—Unjust, Bloody, and Cruel Laws—TheReformers too were Persecutors—Bigotry of Luther and Knox—Persecutionof Castalio—Montaigne against Torture in France—"Witchcraft" (chapteron)—Confessed Wizards—A Case before Sir Matthew Hale—Beliefin Lycanthropy—Animals Tried and Executed—Animals receivedas Witnesses—The Corsned or Morsel of Execution—Kepler anAstrologer—Luther's Encounter with the Devil—MathematicianStoefflers, Astronomical Prediction of a Flood—Histories Filled withFalsehood—Legend about the Daughter of Pharaoh invading Scotland andgiving the Country her name—A Story about Mohammed—A History of theBritains written by Archdeacons—Ingenuous Remark of Eusebius—Progressin the Mechanic Arts—England at the beginning of the EighteenthCentury—Barbarous Punishments—Queen Elizabeth's Order ConcerningClergymen and Servant Girls—Inventions of Watt, Arkwright, andOthers—Solomon's Deprivations—Language (chapter on)—Belief that theHebrew was< the original Tongue—Speculations about the Languageof Paradise—Geography (chapter on)—The Works of Cosmas—PrintingInvented—Church's Opposition to Books—The Inquisition—TheReformation—"Slavery" (chapter on)—Voltaire's Remark on Slavery asa Contract—White Slaves in Greece, Rome, England, Scotland, andFrance—Free minds make Free Bodies—Causes of the Abolition of WhiteSlavery in Europe—The French Revolution—The African Slave Trade,its Beginning and End—Liberty Triumphed (chapter head)—Abolition ofChattel Slavery—Conclusion.
WHAT IS RELIGION?
(1899.)I. Belief in God and Sacrifice—Did an Infinite God Create the Childrenof Men and is he the Governor of the Universe?—II. If this God Exists,how do we Know he is Good?—Should both the Inferior and the Superiorthank God for their Condition?—III. The Power that Works forRighteousness—What is this Power?—The Accumulated Experience of theWorld is a Power Working for Good?—Love the Commencement of the HigherVirtues—IV. What has our Religion Done?—Would Christians have beenWorse had they Adopted another Faith?—V. How Can Mankind be ReformedWithout Religion?—VI. The Four Corner-stones of my Theory—VII. Matterand Force Eternal—Links in the Chain of Evolution—VIII. Reform—TheGutter as a Nursery—Can we Prevent the Unfit from Filling the Worldwith their Children?—Science must make Woman the Owner and Mistressof Herself—Morality Born of Intelligence—IX. Real Religion and RealWorship.