CHAPTER X.

REPLY TO CHAPTER IX.

A Grand Fallacy-Witches, Ghosts and Demons-The Myths of Mythology“Religious Toleration, Free Thought and Treason "-Idolatries of King Solomon--"The Liberty to think Error."

ONE grand fallacy, giving birth in transitu to several lesser ones, pervades nearly the whole of Chapter IX. of the "Notes," which is devoted to the subjects: "Religious Toleration, Free Thought, and Treason."

It is difficult for theology to cleanse its garments from the moths, the mould and mildew of the past. It started out in a blaze of the miraculous; it assumed, as a God-given privilege, the right to persecute, torture and slay. It peopled the world with wizards, witches and evil spirits innumerable, and now holds that they were verities of the past: the credulous few still believing that these horrid things were, and are, and, though more coy and retiring, still hover near us; their presence boding no good. But in some way the light of knowledge has melted into "thin air" these conceptions, born of ignorance and fear, and by enlightened minds they are classed with the myths of mythology, with the nymphs, naiads, and fairies of former times. Who believes in witches now? Who

in demoniacal possessions? And how many among enlightened Christian sects believe in a personal devil? We seldom hear witchcraft referred to in pulpit discourses. The subject

is a sad reminder of times when sacerdotal robes and the

judicial ermine were saturated with innocent blood, the fruit of delusions borrowed from Judaism, and honestly cherished, but which enlightened common sense has substantially banished from the civilized world. Science asks, "where are the witches and demons of the past?" The answer is: relegated to their place among the myths of a barbarous antiquity.

So also of the cruelties inflicted on dissenters in opinion. Yet to maintain the doctrine of "plenary inspiration," it is necessary to devise a justification for such abominations as peculiar to ancient times and unique circumstances. The question is, if right then, why wrong now? And thus we are brought to the main subject of the chapter at present under review.

Ingersoll." The religious intolerance of the Old Testament is justified upon the ground that 'blasphemy was a breach of political allegiance,' and that idolatry was an act of overt treason, and that 'to worship the gods of the hostile heathen was deserting to the public enemy, and giving him aid and comfort.' According to Mr. Black, we should have liberty of conscience except when directly governed by God. In that country where God is King, liberty cannot exist."

Lambert." If these positions of Mr. Black are well taken, it is difficult to see how you can escape their logical consequence. For you must admit that overt treason, breach of political allegiance, and giving aid and comfort to the enemy, are crimes that merit severe punishment. If you were a logician you would have known that to refute Mr. Black you should have shown that blasphemy and idolatry were not overt acts of treason."

Let us, for the sake of argument, admit that idolatry and blasphemy were treason and merited death. In this view how stood Aaron the high priest, who made the golden calf?

It is said that he permitted the people to worship naked, to their shame, and this excuse, filmy and attenuated as it is, is the best his brother Moses has given for him. Yet he uttered no protest, as far as recorded, against the people's purpose, though three thousand were slain to vindicate the honor of deity!

But what of Solomon the wise man, and of the long line of kings who introduced idol worship even in the temple of the Lord?

But King Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughters of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they shall turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. ... Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

"And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded" (1 Kings xi.)

Here was the wisest of men, the king of a nation favored of God; to whom he had revealed himself, time and time again-rich beyond compare, and yet a traitor to his divine

benefactor-given to harlotry and idolatry manifold: did God punish his treason with death? Oh! no! he did not rend his kingdom from him, even, while he lived, but spared it him for King David's sake! The same David who joined the hosts of the Philistines to fight against Israel, put captives to cruel torture, and mutilated the persons of the dead! Surely, David in his treason to his own people was a traitor to God. In those days they who knew their Master's will and did it not were beaten with few stripes; those who knew it not, with many. Why was it that the " chosen people," with shining miracles always before their eyes, and the voice of Jehovah ringing in their ears, were commanded to fatten upon the spoils the life-blood of the poor heathen, who knew not God? The chosen people were always forsaking the spiritual deity, and making a “corner" in gods of wood and stone. Yet God is no respecter of persons! You, Father, have a holier design toward the heathen. You would convert them, and make men of them. You would not slay the innocents because their fathers had sinned, but in your beneficence would fain rescue the fathers from the moral and intellectual darkness into which they are plunged.

But in regard to treason as a justification for the slaying of millions, because God was King, and to deny his authority was treason: unfortunately for such logic, after the Book of the Law was found in the house of the Lord (2 Kings xxii. 8) the Jewish people were professedly governed by it and enforced the laws therein prescribed, among which were commands that witches, idolaters and Sabbath-breakers should be put to death. In it we also read: "If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; ... thou shalt surely

kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones that he die." Again, in Ahab's reign, the holy prophet slew four hundred and fifty of the prophets of Baal (1 Kings xviii. 40): “And Elijah said unto them, take the prophets of Baal, let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook of Kishon, and slew them there." And again in the good Josiah's reign (2 Kings xxiii. 20): "And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned men's bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem." Thus we see the argument that it was right to put heretics to death, because God was King and heresy was treason against the state, fades away like mist before the sun: for long after theocracy had given place to kingly rule it was the law and custom to visit the same offences with the same punishment as when God was the direct ruler of the Jewish people.

We may be asked whether God is not at all times the ruler of all men? Yes: his being admitted, his sovereignty is universal and perpetual. He cannot renounce his dominion— his fatherhood; and if his justice and mercy sanctioned in olden times the slaughter of those who denied his authority, so also should they now. It was on this strictly logical basis that persecution grew up-that witches were burned and heresy punished as a crime. And if it was a crime in the dark ages spanned by Jewish history, a much greater is it now and deserving of more severe punishment. We should not wonder, then, at the blood-stained history of the past. It is the natural and logical consequence of Jewish doctrines, laws and precedents, which were believed to have been recorded by men under the full and direct inspiration of God.

Idolatry treason! No honest thought can be treason to him who knows the hearts and motives of men.