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CONTENTS.

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CHAPTER II.-Priestly Metaphysics, according to which God, Time, Space, and Matter

must be Annihilated!-Freedom of the Will-Unsolved Problems....

CHAPTER III -Law-Laws and Nonentities-An Insane Conclusion-The Inductive and

Deductive Processes of Reasoning-Witches, Heretics, and Unbaptized Infants-Cruelty

of Dogmatism-Small Criticisms-Definition of Law, etc.........

CHAPTER IV.-The Black Flag-More Metaphysics-" Pure Act"-Can we Know that

God Exists?-Difference between Knowledge, Belief and Opinion-Human Ignorance-

The Right to Express an Honest Opinion-The Modesty of Science-Moral Right and

Legal Right-Martyrs to Truth; the Debt We Owe Them..........

CHAPTER V.-The Common Scold-The Cotton of Catholicity-The Argument from

"Design"-Eternal Succession of Being-Plurality of Gods-The Fall of Man-Is it Just

that Animals should Endure Uncompensated Suffering because “ In Adam's Fall we Sinned

All?"-Divine Mercy not a Sin-License.................

CHAPTER VI.-Mr. Ingersoll's Reply to the Argument from "Design "-Self-existence

Alleged by Father Lambert to Imply the Infinity and Perfection of every Attribute; the

Fallacy of the Doctrine-"Infinite Justice" a Redundant Expression; the Word Just not

Logically Admitting of Degrees of Comparison-God Supposed to be Flattered by Compli-

mentary Words-The Finite Cannot Measure the Infinite, but may Test its Nature and

Quality-Opinion, Good or Bad, is Judgment......

CHAPTER VII.-The Priest "Begs the Question"-Should we Pin our Faith to the

Sleeves of Great Men?-The Spirit of Inquiry in the Air-Subtle and Ingenious Argument

from Brownson's Quarterly Review; its Fallacy-Logic and Logical Quibbles-Good-bye

to Metaphysics-Is the Bible Inspired?..

CHAPTER VIII.-Father Lambert on the Æsthetic-Art Culture-Painting and Sculpture

-The Jews as an Art Cultivating People Contrasted with Greeks, Romans, etc.-The

Father's Definition of Art too Contracted-" The Roving Lecturer'

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PREFACE.

SHOULD Censure be visited upon the writer for having penned the following essay for public inspection, such reproof cannot, in justice, proceed from adherents to the Roman Catholic faith. From attacks from that earnest and devout class the author may safely shelter himself behind the sacred vestments of the Reverend Father whose urgent and repeated invitation has called forth this reply.

The author desires it to be distinctly understood that his present task was undertaken in response to multiple requests and challenges scattered through the length and breadth of the land and wafted in profusion to foreign shores.

This zeal is not to be deprecated. So confident is the Father of the impenetrability of his armor that, like a second Fitz James, he defies one and all of the friends of free thought to expend their might on his shield and helmet.

"Come one, come all! this rock shall fly

From its firm base, as soon as I."

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PREFACE.

SHOULD censure be visited upon the writer for having penned the following essay for public inspection, such reproof cannot, in justice, proceed from adherents to the Roman Catholic faith. From attacks from that earnest and devout class the author may safely shelter himself behind the sacred vestments of the Reverend Father whose urgent and repeated invitation has called forth this reply.

The author desires it to be distinctly understood that his present task was undertaken in response to multiple requests and challenges scattered through the length and breadth of the land and wafted in profusion to foreign shores.

This zeal is not to be deprecated. So confident is the Father of the impenetrability of his armor that, like a second Fitz James, he defies one and all of the friends of free thought to expend their might on his shield and helmet.

"Come one, come all! this rock shall fly

From its firm base, as soon as I."

183

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