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the great divine to have repudiated the doctrine which degraded his
blameless infancy to the condition and below the condition of the
reptile？ Was it parricide in the second or third degree when his
descendant struck out that venomous sentence from the page in which
it stood as a monument to what depth Christian heathenism could sink
under the teaching of the great master of logic and spiritual
inhumanity？ It is too late to be angry about the abuse a well
meaning writer received thirty years ago。 The whole atmosphere has
changed since then。 It is mere childishness to expect men to believe
as their fathers did； that is； if they have any minds of their own。
The world is a whole generation older and wiser than when the father
was of his son's age。
So far as I have observed persons nearing the end of life； the Roman
Catholics understand the business of dying better than Protestants。
They have an expert by them； armed with spiritual specifics； in which
they both； patient and priestly ministrant； place implicit trust。
Confession； the Eucharist； Extreme Unction；these all inspire a
confidence which without this symbolism is too apt to be wanting in
over…sensitive natures。 They have been peopled in earlier years with
ghastly spectres of avenging fiends； moving in a sleepless world of
devouring flames and smothering exhalations； where nothing lives but
the sinner； the fiends； and the reptiles who help to make life an
unending torture。 It is no wonder that these images sometimes return
to the enfeebled intelligence。 To exorcise them； the old Church of
Christendom has her mystic formulae； of which no rationalistic
prescription can take the place。 If Cowper had been a good Roman
Catholic； instead of having his conscience handled by a Protestant
like John Newton； he would not have died despairing； looking upon
himself as a castaway。 I have seen a good many Roman Catholics on
their dying beds； and it always appeared to me that they accepted the
inevitable with a composure which showed that their belief； whether
or not the best to live by； was a better one to die by than most of
the harder creeds which have replaced it。
In the more intelligent circles of American society one may question
anything and everything； if he will only do it civilly。 We may talk
about eschatology； the science of last things；or； if you will； the
natural history of the undiscovered country； without offence before
anybody except young children and very old women of both sexes。 In
our New England the great Andover discussion and the heretical
missionary question have benumbed all sensibility on this subject as
entirely； as completely； as the new local anaesthetic； cocaine；
deadens the sensibility of the part to which it is applied； so that
the eye may have its mote or beam plucked out without feeling it；as
the novels of Zola and Maupassant have hardened the delicate nerve…
centres of the women who have fed their imaginations on the food they
have furnished。
The generally professed belief of the Protestant world as embodied in
their published creeds is that the great mass of mankind are destined
to an eternity of suffering。 That this eternity is to be one of
bodily painof 〃torment 〃is the literal teaching of Scripture；
which has been literally interpreted by the theologians； the poets；
and the artists of many long ages which followed the acceptance of
the recorded legends of the church as infallible。 The doctrine has
always been recognized； as it is now； as a very terrible one。 It has
found a support in the story of the fall of man； and the view taken
of the relation of man to his Maker since that event。 The hatred of
God to mankind in virtue of their 〃first disobedience〃 and inherited
depravity is at the bottom of it。 The extent to which that idea was
carried is well shown in the expressions I have borrowed from
Jonathan Edwards。 According to his teaching；and he was a reasoner
who knew what he was talking about； what was involved in the premises
of the faith he accepted；man inherits the curse of God as his
principal birthright。
What shall we say to the doctrine of the fall of man as the ground of
inflicting endless misery on the human race？ A man to be punished
for what he could not help！ He was expected to be called to account
for Adam's sin。 It is singular to notice that the reasoning of the
wolf with the lamb should be transferred to the dealings of the
Creator with his creatures。 〃You stirred the brook up and made my
drinking…place muddy。〃 〃But； please your wolfship； I couldn't do
that； for I stirred the water far down the stream；below your
drinking…place。〃 〃Well； anyhow； your father troubled it a year or
two ago； and that is the same thing。〃 So the wolf falls upon the
lamb and makes a meal of him。 That is wolf logic；and theological
reasoning。
How shall we characterize the doctrine of endless torture as the
destiny of most of those who have lived； and are living； on this
planet？ I prefer to let another writer speak of it。 Mr。 John Morley
uses the following words： 〃The horrors of what is perhaps the most
frightful idea that has ever corroded human character；the idea of
eternal punishment。〃 Sismondi； the great historian； heard a sermon
on eternal punishment； and vowed never again to enter another church
holding the same creed。 Romanism he considered a religion of mercy
and peace by the side of what the English call the Reformation。 I
mention these protests because I happen to find them among my notes；
but it would be easy to accumulate examples of the same kind。 When
Cowper； at about the end of the last century； said satirically of the
minister he was attacking；
〃He never mentioned hell to ears polite； 〃
he was giving unconscious evidence that the sense of the barbarism of
the idea was finding its way into the pulpit。 When Burns； in the
midst of the sulphurous orthodoxy of Scotland； dared to say；
〃The fear o' hell 's a hangman's whip
To haud the wretch in order；〃
he was oily appealing to the common sense and common humanity of his
fellow…countrymen。
All the reasoning in the world； all the proof…texts in old
manuscripts； cannot reconcile this supposition of a world of
sleepless and endless torment with the declaration that 〃God is
love。〃
Where did this 〃frightful idea〃 come from？ We are surprised； as we
grow older； to find that the legendary hell of the church is nothing
more nor less than the Tartarus of the old heathen world。 It has
every mark of coming from the cruel heart of a barbarous despot。
Some malignant and vindictive Sheik； some brutal Mezentius； must have
sat for many pictures of the Divinity。 It was not enough to kill his
captive enemy； after torturing him as much as ingenuity could
contrive to do it。 He escaped at last by death； but his conqueror
could not give him up so easily； and so his vengeance followed him
into the unseen and unknown world。 How the doctrine got in among；
the legends of the church we are no more bound to show than we are to
account for the intercalation of the 〃three witnesses〃 text； or the
false insertion； or false omission； whichever it may be； of the last
twelve verses of the Gospel of St Mark。 We do not hang our
grandmothers now； as our ancestors did theirs； on the strength of the
positive command； 〃Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live。〃
The simple truth is that civilization has outgrown witchcraft； and is
outgrowing the Christian Tartarus。 The pulpit no longer troubles
itself about witches and their evil doings。 All the legends in the
world could not arrest the decay of that superstition and all the
edicts that grew out of it。 All the stories that can be found in old
manuscripts will never prevent the going out of the fires of the
legendary Inferno。 It is not much talked about nowadays to ears
polite or impolite。 Humanity is shocked and repelled by it。 The
heart of woman is in unconquerable rebellion against it。 The more
humane sects tear it from their 〃Bodies of Divinity〃 as if it were
the flaming shirt of Nessus。 A few doctrines with which it was bound
up have dropped or are dropping away from it： the primal curse；
consequential damages to give infinite extension to every
transgression of the law of God； inverting the natural order of
relative obligations； stretching the smallest of finite offenses to
the proportions of the infinite； making the babe in arms the
responsible being； and not the parent who gave it birth and
determined its conditions of existence。
After a doctrine like 〃the hangman's whip〃 has served its purpose；
if it ever had any useful purpose；after a doctrine like that of
witchcraft has hanged old women enough； civilization contrives to get
rid of it。 When we say that civilization crowds out the old
superstitious legends； we recognize two chief causes。 The first is
the naked individual