OR,,eledtioil  ffont the   Jottinc
OF
TVVENTY YEARS.
BY THOMAS JEFFERSON RICE.
TOLEDO:
BLADE PRINTING AND PAPER CO.
1875.




Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1875,
BY THOMAS JEFFERSON RICE,
in the office of thej-Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
All rights reserved.




PREFA CE.
In laying before the public a production of this character,
it may not be amiss very briefly to give the history of its
origin.
In the spring of'53, we commenced jotting down, as
briefly as possible, the substance of such thoughts upon
man, his nature, destiny, etc., also upon God, his character,
government, etc., as to us seemed valuable; and, after adding
the proper date, of laying the same aside for further consideration at some more leisure time. The winter of'58,
with the exception of attending to the usual farm-chores,
we devoted wholly to looking over the fragmentary mass of
papers which had thus accumulated in our drawer, making
additions to such ideas as then seemed to us sound, altering
those that were adjudged to be partly right and partly wrong,
and destroying, as worthless, all such as we had already outgrown and left behind; it being ever a rule with us to speak
and to act, upon any and all subjects, in accordance with
the light we have at the time, no matter what may chance to
have been our former opinions thereupon.
With that winter's labor, we were so well pleased and
satisfied, that we have made it a practice from that time up
to this present date, i875, not only to keep on thus jotting
during the more busy portions of the year, and overhauling
the same the ensuing winter, but of carefully reviewing and




iv
altering to our then liking, else of destroying, as the case
might require, all such of our former writings as had been
previously examined and pronounced good, no matter how
many times over that thing might have been done; in this
way, ever keeping such of them  as were thus annually
approved, and hence laid by for still further future examinations and amendments, currently up to our steadily
advancing views.
And it is out of such disconnected and fiagmentary, but
well-considered and carefully selected writings, that has
finally come this little volume.
In making public this work, upon which we have spent so
many happy days, it is not our aim to create division, or
wound the feelings of such as may chance to differ with us
upon religious subjects in either opinion or practice, but to
awaken thought, stimulate inquiry, and excite discussion
upon the different subjects whereof it thus briefly and imperfectly treats; consequently to enlighten, elevate, and
bless a large and worthy class of persons who are believed
to be to-day, the same as once were we, palsied in their
affections, palsied in their sympathies, and palsied in their
energies by doubts and uncertainty as to what is- their true
character and mission in the world; and hence, through such
existing class, to a greater or less extent, all coming generations of men.-From thinking, and not from refusing or
neglecting to think, cometh knowledge; from knowledge,
goodness; and from goodness, happiness.
To say nothing of its want of method, and other kindred
imperfections, that this volume is exempt from errors of fact
we have not the vanity to suppose; and yet, that it contains
numerous real truths that are not to be met with in any
existing publication, and some which are of a fundamental




V
character, we must and do believe. _'zose, the errors of
fact, having no foundation upon which to rest, are certain
to fall, as fall they should; but t//ese, the real truths, each
and all, having God for their supporter and defender, no
mnatter how  fiercely they may be assailed, will assuredly
stand and ultimately come to be welcomed by an enlightened world.
With this brief description of its origin, character, and
aim, this little book goes forth to the public under the hope
that it may, in some small degree at least, accomplish the
mission whereupon it is sent.
T. J. RICE.
HAMBURG, MICH., May, I875.








CONTENTS:
CHAPTER.                                      PA GE.
I. TRUTH......   I
II. BREVITIES.....      6
III. MAN'S NATURE AND AGENCY...  I5
IV. MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS...    32
V. CHARACTER OF THE BIBLE'S GOD..  50
VI. AN UNLOVELY GOD CANNOT BE LOVED.    70
VII. THEh COAT TOO SMALL....  77
VIII. MARY, HER BIRTH, PARENTAGE, ETC..     85
IX. KNOWLEDGE AND IGNORANCE...  98
X. EXPEDIENCY THE CRITERION OF RIGHT.   102
XI. PANIC..                            115
XII. Gon), CREATION, ETC.....   Ii8
XIII. GOD, HIS COMPOSITION AIND CHARACTER. 137
XIV. GOD, HIIS COMPOSITION AND CHARACTER-CON. I5I
XV. NATURE'S LAWS LA AND JUDGMENT.. 170
XVI. MAN AND HIS DESTINY..   I77
XVII. MAN AND HIS DESTINY-CONTINUED..  93
XVII1. EDUCATION, MIND, BRAIN, ETC...   205
XIX. SOUL, SPIRIT, MIND, ETC.... 220
XX. HOPE'S CHARACTER AND MISSION..   229




viii
CHAPTER.                                      PAGE.
XXIL. " WHATEVER IS, IS RIGHT.... 240
XXII. COMPOUND CAUSES AND COMPOUND EFFECTS 260
XXIII. THE DECALOGUE'S ORIGIN AND SCOPE. 263
XXIV. RELIGION PROFESSED AND RELIGION ACTUAL 279
XXV. THE LABORER'S BREAST, VIRTUE'S SEAT. 293
XXVI. FIXED-LAW REIGNS...   296
XXVII. How GOD TALKED WITH MOSES.. 305
XXVIII. DESIGN......          34
XXIX. FACTS VERSUS FICTION.... 323
XXX. HEALTH,, SICKNESS AND DOTAGE..   33I
XXXI. HUMAN NATURE RELIGION'S SEAT.        342
XXXII. DIFFERENT RELIGIONS AND DIFFERENT SECTS 345
XXXIII. BRIEF REMARKS UPON NUMEROUS SUBJECTS  353
XXXIV. QUESTIONS AND EXPLANATIONS.           385
XXXV. LOOSE THOUGHTS-FOR WHAT THEY MAY BE
WAORTH.....   390
XXXVI. SUGGESTIONS AND CONCLUSION... 396




DEPARTUIRE.
CHAPTER I.
TRUTH.
"Truth crushed to earth shall rise again,The eternal years of God are hers;
But Error, wounded, writhes in pain,
And dies amid her worshipers."
Of truth there are evidently two kinds; the one real, and
the other merely mental, or moral. Real truth we shall
define to be fact, to be conformity to what is, or was, or is
to come; to be such truth as is consonant to some fact, past,
present, or future, no matter whether it accords with the
opinion of any man that ever did, now does, or ever shall
exist, or not. Moral truth we shall define to be belief; to
be such truth as was or is consonant to somebody's opinion,
no matter whether it accords with any fact that ever was,
now is, or ever shall be, or not.
Or thus:  Just as long as does an idea, no matter what,
hold the place of a fact in any man's head, just so long, and
no longer, is such idea to that individual a moral truth; no
matter whether such idea is consonant to any fact or not, or
to any other human being's opinion or not, nor how in his
head it came to have existence.  Wherefore, to the extent
that a man's opinions are consonant to fact, to that extent, in
such individual's head, are the two kinds of truth harmoniously united in one; and to the extent that his opinions
are dissonant from fact, to that extent are the two kinds as
separate and unlike in both their character and consequences, as are fact and falsehood. And wherefore, to the extent
2




2                    DEPARTURE.
that a man's words are consonant to his opinions and also;
to facts, to that extent doth he speak both moral and real
truth; and to the extent that his words are consonant to his
opinions but dissonant from facts, to that extent doth he
speak moral truth, but not real truth. Such being the case,
it follows that to the extent a man's words are intentionally
dissonant from his opinions, notwithstanding they may
chance to coincide with facts, to that extent, and no further,
is he guilty of uttering moral falsehood, and hence to that
same extent, and no further, is he accountable for such
utterance, either to his own conscience or to his fellow men.
Illustrative examples: —When a man says the Sun rose in
the east eighteen hundred years ago, believing such to have
been the fact, he speaks both a moral truth and a past real
truth; when he says the Sun rose in the east to-day, believing such to be the fact, he speaks both a moral truth and a
present real truth; and when he says it will rise in the east
eighteen hundred years hence, believing that such will be
the fact, he speaks both a moral truth and a real truth to.
come.  When a mnan says the Sun travels around the Earth
every twenty-four hours, thus causing day and night, believing such to be the fact, he states a moral truth;-a moral
truth to him and all such as thus believe, whether few or
many, notwithstanding it is in reality a falsehood; and when
he says (because beginning to feel ashamed of being suspected of thinking otherwise,) that the Earth revolves upon
its axis every twenty-four hours, thus causing day and night,
and at the same time does not believe such to be the fact,
he states a moral falsehood; —a moral falsehood to him and
all such as believe with him, notwithstanding he utters a real
truth. When men speak out in words what they believe to
be fact, (as doubtless did the people of Salem when, upon
their Bible oaths, they accused sundry innocent persons
among them of the crime of witchcraft,) they speak moral
truth, and when they go further and speak out their opinions
in action, that is, go on and do what they sincerely think it
is right and proper that they should perform, (as doubtless




TR UTH.                      3
did the public functionaries who executed such of the aforesaid innocent Salemites as were judicially convicted of the
crime thus charged against them, and hence condemned to
die therefor,) the action is morally right, —morally right to
them and all such as think with them; no matter what. the
thing done, what its effect, nor what may be the opinion of
some other set or division of men concerning it.  In the
same manner, when Paul verily thought within himself that
he oztght to do many things contrary to the name of Jeszs of
Nazareth, that thought was to him and to all who believed
with him, a moral truth; and hence, when, acting in accordance with such thought, he persecuted the saints, shut them
up in prison, and gave his voice against them when they
were being put to death, he was acting morally right and not
morally wrong, notwithstanding in truth and inI fact, the
thing done was both foolish and wrong. And when, a short
time thereafter, he came to change his opinion upon the subject, and hence just as verily to think he ought to preach
Jesus of Nazareth, and so be himself a saint, he was, in like
manner, acting morally right and not morally wrong, notwithstanding he was now acting directly contrary to what he
had just as conscientiously and morally right been doing,
only a few days before.  And thus on, of every human
being, whether ancient or modern, Jew or Christian, and of
their beliefs and doings, to the full chapter's end.
What a great and glorious thing, then, is moral truth 
And yet, even in this most enlightened and highly Christian
land, it is the very kind that is, for the most part, being
sought after, studied, taught, and believed. Yea, from the
day on which Pontius Pilate made the inquiry, "5 What is
truth?" down to the present hour, there is, perhaps, no one
subject about which so much has been said, on which so
much has been written, over which men have wrangled so
much, and upon which so little light has been shed, as upon
this; and Why? As seems to us, it is mainly because between real truth and moral truth, or more plainly, between
such truths as are consonant to facts and such as are disson



4                    DEPARTURE.
ant therefrom, but consonant to the opinions of men, and
especially between such as are dissonant from facts, but
consonant to the opinions of those certain ancient individuals who wrote the Bible, no line of distinction was made
or attempted.
And the moral character of a man, What is it either more
or less than the character which, from hereditary causes,
educational influences, the force of habit, or of all these
things combined, his brain doth stamp upon him? In other
words, Is it not a man's daily walk and conversation which
constitute his moral character? And, of this walk and conversation from beginning to end, notwithstanding spoken
into outward existence.by the tongue and other appropriate
muscular organs, Is not the brain the parent cause?  Selfevidently, as seems to us, this must be the case, since not a
muscle of the tongue or any other part can ever move,
except it be, by that organ, authorized and empowered so
to do.
Also moral power, moral force, &c., What are they, each
and all, but the influence which the brains of some certain
individual or class of persons, either directly, by such brain's
presence, or indirectly, through the works to which they
stand parent cause, exert upon the brains, and hence upon
the opinions and conduct, of some other person or class?.Obviously enough, to a correct decision of questions of this
kind, it is wholly immaterial whether the influence thus
exerted be great or small, or whether the effect of such
influence is good or bad.
And now, in view of all this, we appeal, Can it be possible that real truth, notwithstanding
" The eternal years of God are hers,"
is so meagre in quantity, feeble in quality, and uncertain in
its mode of operation, that it will not answer a much better
purpose as a guide to enlightened man upon any and all subjects, religion included, than will or can merely moral truth,
alias error, the very thing which,




TR UTH.                         5
" —wounded, writhes in pain,
And dies amid her worshipers?"
We repeat the question, "Can it be possible?"   For
others, of course, we cannot speak, but, as for ourself, we
must answer no; it is not possible.  Wherefore we must
think it about time that an attempt was made not only to
distinguish between such truths as are real, and hence have
existence in the broad realm of facts, and such as are merely
moral, and hence, ex'cept within the narrow heads of men,
not anywhere existence have, but to arrest the further, and
still further, spread and multiplication of error, by ceasing
longer to speak and to teach just as though all the numerous
acts and things, to which the word mora/ chanced to become
prefixed before the natural sciences were born, were, in
some special manner, connected with Almighty God, his
character, and government, and consequently were, each
and all, just so many permanent realities, and sacredly binding, instead of being, everywhere and ever, just as feeble and
vacillating as are the heads of men, their fountain-source.




CHAPTER II.
BREVITIES.
Men may be belied, reviled, and persecuted when not in
fault, but they can never be put down unless they put theniselves down.
It is alike impossible for the vile and selfish to be happy,
or, the pure and unselfish to be miserable.
Many a man has a splended house, but no home; spacious
rooms and costly f yrniture, but nowhere a warm, quiet place,
and cozy cot on which to stretch his weary limbs when tired,
or lay his aching head when sick; and hence, into dissolute
habits and an untimely grave, he not unlikely falls.
" The way of the transgressor is hard," and self-condemning; that of the willing and obedient, easy, and self-approving.
The more men become enlightened, the more they become
impressed with the necessity of praying by acts appropriate
to bring about desired results, and the less are they disposed,
by mere words, to petition therefor.
Overworking, overeating, and undersleeping are the three
great sins of -the age.
Meats that have been blessed in the raising, blessed in the
preserving, and blessed in the cooking, have no need of any
further blessing, except to be eaten in moderation and their
nourishment expended in the promotion of good.
The chief end of man is to enjoy life.  And, in order to
enjoy that first and greatest of all blessings to the highest'
extent, it is not only necessary to live in obedience to the
laws of health aind those of the State, but so far to conform
to the usages of that society in which we are placed, no




BREVITIES.                      7
matter of what kind it may chance to be, as not to render
ourselves specially obnoxious thereto.
It is not a kind and merciful Providence that inflicts upon
the children of men those numerous sicknesses and distresses which render life a burden, or that kindles those
filthy plagues, hateful pestilences, and devastating wars,
which fill the earth with mourning for the un'timely dead;
but it is we who bring them upon ourselves, in spite.of all
his severe and yet kindly warnings to shield us therefrom.
As it is the faculty of reason which pre-eminently distinguishes man from the monkey and other kindred animals;
so, to the extent that men do purposely neglect or refuse to
exercise such noble faculty, to a like extent are they guilty
of narrowing down that God-ordained distinction between
themselves and mere brutes.
At some time in the future, there will doubtless spring up
a great and terrible war of ideas, based not upon a mere
difference of opinion as to the propriety of making menials
by law, as well as in practice, of this, thlat, or the other less
favored people, but upon a difference as to the necessity of
ridding the Earth of any and all such inferior races, as shall
be judged to stand in the way of the further spread and mul-tiplication of the highest and strongest race of all.
Many are the men who are able to out argue their friends
and associates upon various subjects of common interest;
but small is the number possessed of so persuasively presenting their views as to convince them of their error,
however wrong they may chance to be, and thus set them
Tight.
Ignorant and self-conceited disputants are ever prone to
think the subject exhausted and the question won, just as
soon as thereupon the bottom of their feeble sense is reached.
As enemies, the habitually hasty and indiscreet are little
to be feared; as friends, they are ever dangerous.
For the young to be obliged to wait, economize, and labor
-for what they have, is to be blessed of Heaven; for them to
be allowed to grow up in idleness, with their every want




8                    DEPART'URE.
supplied, is to be cursed by their parents, guardians, or
somebody else.
Not penance, but enjoyment, within, the limit of abuse to
ourselves or anybody else, is the best preparation for heaven;
or more properly, enjoyment, within such limit, of whatsoever our natures crave, is heaven itself.
God blesses such as do in action bless themselves, and such
as thus do curse themselves, he just so often curses.
Genuine sincerity is never at discount; feigned sincerity,
seldom at par.
Such faults in children and youth as do naturally grow
stronger with years should be closely watched, without seeming to do so, and carefully checked; but such as time is certain to work their cure, it is better not to see, or at least not
to make many comments upon.
Because a man succeeds in proving the opinions of this,
that, or the other set of men erroneous, it does not follow
that the views by- him entertained upon those same subjects
are sound.-Ability to annihilate the nmost beautiful picture
is no proof of capacity to execute even a tolerable daub.
Often as it has been tried. the number who have succeeded
in gaining for themselves an enviable notoriety, by traducing
the characters of their friends and associates, is exceedingly
small.
He is not the richest man who has the most material wealth,
but he who has the fewest of unsatisfied desires. The boy
with his first top is better filled and satisfied than the banker
with his gold, notwithstanding counted by millions.
Some men do raise themselves to eminence by the mere
gift of gab; but more by the faculty of looking wise and
keeping silent when they don't know what to say.
No matter how untiring may be the efforts of the advocates
of the Mosaic theory of creation to perpetuate the idea of
the Earth's youthfulness, not much longer, by an enlightened world, will the evidence presented by those silent timemeasurers, the stalactites and stalagmites, continue to be
believed down.




BREVITIES.                      9
Inca social point of view, that is not the most perfect man
who has in his nature the fewest faults to struggle against,
nor yet the one who commits the fewest'errors; but the man
who commits the fewest of that class whose consequences
end not with himself, but extend to society.
To Nature's laws there are no exceptions, every seeming
departure from uniformity of operation being the legitimate
result, not in any change of the law itself, nor yet in its mode
of operation, but of the modifying effect of the presence and
action of'some other law, by us unobserved. And hence,
notwithstanding the numerous apparent clashings and seeming inconsistencies, Order, throughout all vast Nature's realm,
eternally doth reign.
Few things are more hateful than a sour, selfish, fault-finding person; and yet such individuals are not without their
beneficial uses in society. Such persons! why, what are they
but so many faithful, mirror warnings, bidding us beware
how we ourselves behave and do?
Cheery, sunny persons, just like bright, sunny weather,
impart life and pleasure to all who come within their influence; whereas those of a sour, gloomy, and desponding cast
of mind, just like sour, gloomy, and inclement weather, exert
a withering, blasting influence wheresoever they go. Blessed
are the children who have cheerful and happy parents, nurses,
and teachers; whilst blighted and cursed are those who have
of these the reverse.
The big fish can swallow the little ones; and they do it.How selfish and cruel! The little fish cannot swallow the
big ones; and they never attempt it.-How very kind and
considerate!
Because both freedom of speech and of the press are guaranteed by the Constitution, it does not follow that a man is
bound to talk like a fool, or write himself down an ass.
For the reason that men are not all organized and balanced alike, for that reasonwhat one man may practice daily
for years without injury to himself, it may be a sin unto death
for some other to perform a single time.




10                   DEPARTURE.
Do justice to the absent man, and defend the character of
the absent friend; for so would you have both the one and
the other do by you.
Under the operation of rigid collection laws, both fraudulent debtors and fraudulent creditors are ever found to
increase; under the operation of laws exempting almost
everything from execution for debt, both are found to diminish. Corollary: —-The credit system tends to make men
rogues, the pay-down one to make them honest.
As from the cradle to the grave our connection is with the
living and not with the dead, so there is little danger of our
thinking too much of the former and not enough about the
latter.
If men would think more, and examine more, they would
know more, and believe less; consequently they would' be
less wise in their own conceit, put forth their views less dogmatically, and hence be better friends.
It is a great mistake to measure others by ourselves,-a
gross error to suppose that everybody must needs look, feel,
think, believe, and act, just as we do, in order to be free
from the pains of hell, or enjoy the pleasures of heaven.
As the man who is uniformly successful in his business, no
matter what, cannot reasonably be suspected of acting in violation of the laws which regulate and govern the same; so the
man who is uniformly healthy and happy cannot reasonably
be accused of sinning against the laws of health and happiness, as the same are organically enstamped upon him, no
matter what effect the doing of those same things by others
may have upon them.
The most acceptable service we can render unto God is
faithfully to do our duty to ourselves, our fellows and our
country.  In other words, if a man does his duty to himself,
his country, and his fellow-men, he has no good reason to
fear either to live or to die.
It is better to be something than nothing, —-better to decide in some way such things as must be decided and go
ahead wrong, than be eternally hesitating and so never do




BREVITIES.                     11
anything. The most unenviable of all conditions,'not actually criminal, is a state of chronic betweenity.
Almost without exception, great men'bequeath to the
world their great thoughts in words that are simple and appropriate; small men their small thoughts in those which
are large and high-sounding, whether appropriate or not.
The more men come to understand Nature and her laws,
the wider the field in which they are privileged to pluck the
flowers of pleasure, and the more actively kind, unselfish,
and useful they are, the greater the sum of their enjoyments.
Civility is ever a cheap article; incivility, not unfrequently
a costly one.
Time is a blank estate. Time is an estate which can be
turned into gold only by its use.-Labor is the parent of
wealth.  Labor is KING.
It is doubtless a great blessing to be born into life a
human being; but the greatest of all blessings is to be
descended from sound; intelligent, well-mated, and happy
parents of the same high race.
Those who give the largest parties, drive the fastest horses,
and cut the biggest swell, are generally such as would not
have a shilling, had all their different creditors their fair and
honest dues.
Would we be loved, we must try to be lovable; would
we have people civil.and obliging to us, we must be so to
them.  It is only by being neighborly ourselves that we can
secure good neighbors, and without the sympathy of his
neighbors, when in trouble and distress, who would care to
live?
So nearly omnipotent is the force of habit, that we should
make it a rule not to do once what we know it would be
unsafe for us many times to repeat, and which we are certain might quite as well never be done at all.
All men are liable to error, but it is only the great who
great errors can commit.
Broad charity for. our fellow-men, notwithstanding their
numerous failings and besetments, is not the fruit of any




12                 DEPARTURE.
narrow-sectarian faith, but the legitimate product of broad
inquiry into variant human nature, and the numerous different springs of human action.
Faith in God is faith in man, and love toward God, love
toward our fellow-men.-"If a man say, I love God, and
hateth his brother, he is a liar."  So taught John; and no
doubt he was right. First General Epistle of John, 4, 0o.
Men glorify God the most when they most do glorify
themselves by glorifying their occupation, be it whatsoever
legitimate one it may.
To borrow money when needed may be good policy, but
to borrow trouble which we do not want, must be the height
of folly.
Everybody knows, and can tell exactly, how to manage a
bad wife, undutiful child, &c., except the man who is so
unfortunate as to have one. He, poor, stupid soul! does not
know how to'do it; nor is he able to learn from all the
wisdom that is being showered upon him by his more astute
neighbors.
The Earth was undoubtedly here, revolving upon its axis,
making its journeys around the Sun, and bearing upon its
bosom plants, flowers, shrubs; trees, and various kinds of
animals of low order, long ages before proud man a being
had; and not unlikely it will continue thus to revolve, and
make its journeys, long ages after its surface shall have
become too cold and shrunken for human habitation.
For men to become as supremely good and happy as it is
possible for them ever to be, it is not necessary that any
portion of their original nature should be expunged, but
only that their strong anilnal propensities should be elevated,
and brought to bow obedience to the moral sentiments, and
the moral sentiments elevated, and brought to bow obedience
to the teachings of sober intellect.
Could wisdom and goodness be flogged into children,
then, indeed, had most of us old men been brimful of these
things. Inasmuch, however, as we are none of us thus overflowing, and inasmuch as it is almost invariably in those




BR E TVIYIES.                  13
children who are thus most liberally dealt with, that these
virtues are found to exist in the least abundance, Would it
not be' well for our successors to conclude that, of these
delicate fruits, the stern, unfeeling rod is not the parent
tree?
In some few cases it may be impolitic, if not wholly unjustifiable, to give assistance to the nearest relative; but, as
a rule, it is both manly and proper to stand by our friends
when in trouble or assailed, whether we regard them as being
right, or whether wrong
The real gentleman, be he Turk or be he Christian, is
ever polite and affable in his manner, notwithstanding he
may be unyielding in his course of action; and ever yielding in his course of action, except in matters of consequence,
or upon questions wherein some principle is involved. Even
favors of magnitude may be so ungraciously granted as to
be offensive to the recipients; and they may also be so
graciously refused as to afford quite as much pleasure as
pain.
Those who to the intellect do speak address the few;
those who to the passions and prejudices appeal, the many.
Goods upon the shelf are a better representative of cash
than second class credits, consequently they will buy more
bread, clothe more backs, and pay off more debts.
Credit, at best, is but a poor substitute for capital.
Wherefore, to avoid all danger of falling into bankruptcy,
let dealers pay when they buy, and take pay when they sell.
A canoe all our own is better than a ship in which we have
only a nominal interest.
Aside from feeling more independent, when we meet our
fellow-men in the street or elsewhere, it is better to suffer
some little inconvenience from want of a larger house, fresher
furniture, more changes of clothing, &c., and have a few
spare dollars at interest, than to have a roomy mansion, with
-furniture, wardrobe, &c., to match, and be troublously in
debt therefor. Indeed, it may be laid down as a rule, that
a mortgage upon a man's farm, except to secure a portion of




14                     DEPARTURE.
the purchase-money, is, to a greater or less extent, an incumbrance upon his independence of feeling, and hence upon
his manhood.
A sly, insinuating enemy, however weak, is ever more to
be dreaded than a bold and out-spoken one, no matter how
strong.
The constitutional grumbletonian, whoever he may be, is
greatly to be pitied, being too miserable to be envied, and
too hateful to be loved.
NOTE.-The foregoing remarks, whether really true or not, being all moral truths to,
ns, as such we state them.




CHAPTER III.
MAN'S NATURE AND AGENCY.
It has come to be believed by some, and by our humble
self among the number, that the Science of Man, or the
knowledge of man's mental nature, advances in proportion
as its key-branches, Physiology, Phrenology, and Magnetism, are unfolded. Men act magnetically one upon another,
each exerting an influence upon his associate, thereby rendering him in taste, character, and habits more like himself,
whereby they mutually become more attached, else more
unlike each other, and hence mutually more hateful and
repulsive.
Each individual member of an association, the same as
each ordinary magnet in a bundle, exerts a certain amount
of influence upon all the rest, they in return doing the same
thing upon him; the law being that each must act and' keep
acting to the extent of his own inherent power. Teoe magnets, within the proper proximity, act upon each other, each
exerting upon the other an equal amount of force, but affecting each other equally or unequally, according to the equality
or inequality of their respective powers. The same thing
holds good of a magnet and a piece of iron not technically
magnetic; whereby not only magnets of equal weight, but a
magnet and a piece of iron of the same weight, being within
the proper attracting distance and alike free to move, mutually approach each -other with equal speed; and those of
unequal weights the same, only with correspondingly unequal
velocities.
When the difference in power between two bodies thus
mutually acting is very great, although both are acted upon
to an amount which is equal, they are quite unequally




16                   DEPARTURE.
affected, owing to the vast inequality of their inherent powers. In this way, the Sun is only slightly made to move,
while the earth is constantly compelled to wheel herself
around him.
As " All are but parts of one stupendous Whole," and as
this principle, in some form, doth more or less pervade
everything in Nature, so it becomes important to bear in
memory these most common and yet everywhere-governing
laws.
It has also come to be believed that circumstances and
things other than human beings, when in close proximity,
and between which and men there exists some mutual relation, ever exert a greater or a lesser influence upon them;
the same, in principle, as does a bit of iron upon the magnet.
In this way, do circumstances and things more potenit than
man rule him, in spite of all his powers of opposition, whilst
those less potential he bends to his purpose; the weaker, be
it him, or be it them, ever modifying the dominion of the
stronger in proportion to its own inherent might.
And now, reader, for the purpose of illustrating this
point, permit us to present, to your mind's eye, the wellknown pocket compass.  How beautifully and steadfastly
doth this little magnetic-needle, obedient to the law of its
nature, indicate the direction of the polar star. It. appears
to be as stable in its nature and as well settled in its modes
of action as any man we ever saw, wherefore we cannot doubt
it is; but, to test its stability a little, let us introduce into
its immediate neighborhood this one external circumstance,
this small bit of iron, between which and it there exists a
mutual relation.  See! in its course of action it begins to
hesitate and waver, as if undetermined what to do. A little
nearer goes the bit of iron, and its influence becomes so irresistible, that to the tempter it now tremblingly yields,tremblingly bows submission thereunto, as unto fate, and no
longer between two opinions seems to halt.  Indeed, it
would now seem to be converted to a different faith, so to
speak, and to have its mind made up that, henceforth, not




XIAiN'S NATURE AND AGENCY.               17
at right angles to the equator, but parallel therewith, shall
its body lie. Well, let us see; first this way, then that, and
then round and round it goes, like a dog in pursuit of his
tail, as moves this more potent circumstance, this bit of iron,
to whose superior power it blindly bows submission, the
same to all appearance as if it was not in accordance with
its individual nature, when influenced by external circumstances, steadfastly in the direction of the polar star to
point. Not only this, but the longer the needle is left to
pursue its wonted course, so to speak, and constantly at
right angles with the equator to remain, the more powerful
and seemingly set in its way it becomes; and the more it is
interfered with by circumstances, and the longer it is made
parallel with the equator to remain, the weaker and less
stable it is found to be.
Just so to the natural magnet, man. When influenced by
external circumstances and things, he seems to be a tower
of strength, and so indeed he is, but let difficulties, darkness, and dangers, undefinable, come to multiply, thicken,
and press upon hiln on every side, then what andl where is
he?  Then, just like the needle, he hesitates, wavers, yields,
and moves with the current of circumstances which, like a
resistless stream, whirl him forward, backward, and around,
he knows notQhow nor whither, much the same as if inherent
nature and opinions of his own, he never had any. And
sure enough, the longer this state of things continues, and
the more this class of facts and circumstances come to multiply and press upon him, the less of these does he possess;
until, finally, contrary to his own spontaneous desires, he is
overpowered and led captive thereby. And all this, notwithstanding seemingly inconsistent, is nevertheless natural;
and hence must needs be, upon the whole, both good and
right.
We say, all this must needs be, upon the whole, both good
and right, because, directly in consequence of his highly
complex and hence greatly variant nature, man is neither
an independent nor an isolated thing; consequently, instead
of his being able to act independently, he is ever compelled
3




18                   DEPARTURE.
to, conform to such other circumstances and things, as between which and him mutual relations exist, to the extent
that his own inherent powers are unequal to the task of
bending the same, and bringing them to be in harmony with
himself. In other words, such is the law which rules in
mnan's nature, and such his relation to other things and of
these to him, that he is just as much compelled to yield
obedience to such proximately surrounding circumstances.
and things as are to him superior in point of activity and
power, as is the needle to the bit of iron; and hence, in
thus yielding obedience, he must needs be acting right, and
not wrong.
Obedient to these same unbending laws are the Sun and
planets all, and harmony the most perfect is the legitimate
result. And Twhat is true, in this respect, of those vast
worlds of substance, must needs be true, not only of the
different atoms of which they are composed, but of that
little, self-important aggregate of atoms, known as man. In
view of all these things, the conviction is forced upon us
that if we would ever come to know what is man's true:
character and mission in the world, we must leave off idle.
speculation, and attend to sober facts.
When we wish to learn what is the nature, or real character, of any inorganic substance or organic remains, What
do we do?  Why, we analyze and examine the same in
every possible way. When we wish to learn what is the
nature of any ordinary animal, do we not carefully observe
its every movement and note its every act?   And having
oft done this upon many of the same species, and always
obtaining substantially the same results, do we not conclude,
that its nature is in a line of accordance with those results,
be they what they may?
Take, for example, the domestic cat.  How came she to,
be pronounced a beast of prey? And how a prowling, treacherous creature, which suddenly falls upon and kills her unsuspecting victim? Plainly enough, it is, because she is ever
found to be such in practice.  In other words, we have
allowed her to speak for herself-have allowed her to speak




A VLN'f'S NATURE AND A GENCY.         19
out her nature byv and through her acts; and, having so
allowed her, have concluded that as she does, so she is; as is
the fruit, so is the tree that bears it. Accordingly, when we
see old Puss prowling about seeking what she may devour,
we never suspect that in so doing, she is not acting out the,nature which was enstamped upon her by her Creator,never suspect that in so doing, she is not fulfilling the law of
her being; and never that she is specially instigated thus to
be and do by any other serpent or destroying angel than her
own inherent nature, by God organically enstamped.  And
when, an hour thereafter, we behold her all docility and
playfulness-she being now satiated with blood-we naturally conclude that this is only her other side,-is only another
phase of her variant nature; never once dreaming that she
is specially moved thus to be and do, by any other divine
spirit than her own complex nature.
In all this, we act like rational beings; but, when we come
to ascend a little in the scale and inquire, What is the nature
which God impressed upon the animal called man? our
good sense seems suddenly to leave us.  Then, instead of
letting that higher animal answer the question himself by
and through the emphatic language of his doings, and concluding that he, too, acts out his real nature, the nature by
God organically enstamped upon him, and hence fulfills the
law of his being, the very reverse is inferred.  In other
words, it is first modestly admitted that God made him, and
then it is assumed, not only without proof, but contrary to
the very plainest evidence, as seems to us, that he did not
enstamp upon him any permanent organic nature at all; or,
what amounts to the same thing, that he stamped it upon
him so slightly and fitted it to him so loosely that, whilst yet
in his leading strings, he shook it all off, and substituted
another of his own manufacture; and which other is all
wrong, corrupt, and rotten, from beginning to end.
An all-wise, all-good, and all-powerful God create man,
and enstamp upon him an organic nature which is so fragile
and loose-fitting, that, in his very infancy, he slips out of it,
and tramples it under his puny feet?  Strange conclusion,




o20                 DE PARI T UR'.
this! In this way is man clothed, not only with creative
power, but with self-creative power; a power which not even
the eternal. God himself has ever been supposed to possess.
How individual man who from the cradle to the grave is
upon all sides round hemmed in and pressed upon by circumstances and things which are to him superior, can reasonably be supposed to be the creator of his own nature,
and the author of his own destiny, we are at a loss to discover.
Allowing man to have been created by an omnipotent,
Spirit God, of infinite wisdom and goodness possessed, we
can see no evidence that it was not his intention when he
made him, that he should manifest in action the nature
which he in his wisdom and goodness saw fit to enstamp
upon him, the same as do the lower animals. And not only
this, but if it was his intention, when he created man,.that
he should live out in practice the nature which he was at the
trouble of organically enstamping upon him, then we must
think it is his intention still; and hence that his designs have
not been frustrated, and never can be by any power in earth
or heaven, much less by feeble individual man.  Selfevidently, man is not a lump of insipid, homogeneous ele-ments, but is endowed with a highly complicated organic
structure, through and by means of which he must necessarily manifest correspondingly variant and complicated functions, provided no part of that structure was made in vain.
How, then, can he be expected to possess and manifest a
monotonous sameness of thought, feeling, or of action?
When he is seen exhibiting the sterner qualities of his complex nature, How can it be inferred that he is not acting out
-the nature by God organically impressed upon him; and
consequently that he is not, upon the whole, acting right and.acceptably, instead of wrong and unacceptably?  And how
that he is moved and instigated thus to be and do by any
other devil than his own God-enstamped complex, and hence
variant nature? And when he exhibits the gentler qualities
of that same diverse nature, (he being all smiles and goodness now,) Why the inference that he is moved thus to be




fAN Y'S iVA TUBRE, A.TD.j GENTCY        21P
and to do by any other divine spirit than the one which
legitimately resides within that same complex organic nature?  In short, how came man to be invested with power
so great and strong that he is able to set the laws of his
omnipotent Maker at defiance, and strike out a course of
action for himself?
Man, a battle-ground between the two contending parties,
God and the Devil, and..the Devil generally win the field?
Why, if God really is an infinitely great, wise, omnipresent,
and omnipotent Being, consequently not only all his created
works doth fill, but all the vast immensity of space as well;
who, then, can be this more than omnipotent Devil which
not anywhere a dwelling place can have, since every spot
and place and thirng, not with his Satanic Majesty, but with
the presence of the everlasting God, is filled?
If it be admitted that God, the GREAT FIRST CAUSE, and
Author of all other causes that are, of his own spontaneous
accord, created the secondary cause, man, and enstamped
upon him such an organic structure, and hence such a
nature, as he saw fit, then it cannot be supposed that the
course pursued by his said secondary cause, man, was unex —
pected, and hence dissonant from his desires, without imputing unto him short-sightedness in planning his creation,
else carelessness in executing it, or both.  To suppose that.
an all-wise and all-powerful God created man is equivalent
to supposing that he created him as he wanted him; and to
suppose that he commanded him to do certain things, and
not to do certain others, is equivalent to supposing that he
wanted those done, and these not done. Wherefore, as surely
as is God all-wise to plan and all-powerful to execute, just.
so surely will such things as he wants done be done, and
such as he does not want done cannot be done by mortal
man, or any other of his created works.  His comImandments to man, the same as to all things else, unless we are
greatly mistaken, he gives not by mere words, which are
liable to be lmisunderstood or forgotten, but enstalmps tlhem
upon his organic structure, and ingrains the!i into his na



DEPARTUIE.
ture; wherefore, understood, remembered and obeyed, to
the living letter, they must necessarily be and are.
Or, to present the idea in a little different form, From
that FOUNTAIN Of causes, the GREAT FIRST CAUSE, God,
legitimately flow all other causes, great and small, inanimate
and animated, that are. And since a cause unfollowed by a
corresponding effect, or an effect unpreceded by a corresponding producing cause, can never be; therefore, to suppose
that it was in accordance with God's nature, and hence was
his intention, that man, one of his created secondary causes,
should do a certain act, no matter what, is equivalent to
supposing that so did he organically adapt and relate him
to such action, as that he is thereby and therethrough commanded to do it, and hence do it he must; otherwise, in the
case of man, there is a secondary cause failing to produce
into existence its corresponding effect. And to suppose that
it was contrary to God's nature, and hence contrary to his
intention, that his said secondary cause, man, should do
some certain act, no matter what, is equivalent to supposing
that he could not and did not confer upon him the requisite
organic adaptations and relations thereto to enable him to
do it, and consequently he can never perform it; otherwise
there is here an effect produced into existence without being
preceded by any corresponding producing cause. A cause,
and no corresponding effect following it, an effect, and
no corresponding producing cause preceding it;- strange
things, these!
That man, the passively created secondary cause, through
which, as his fit instrument, the GREAT FIRST doth act, is
ostensibly the prime actor is not denied and cannot be,.since
it is ever he, and not the GREAT, INVISIBLE FIRST, that is
seen to perform the action. And yet, as surely as did God,
the GREAT FIRST CAUSE, create man, just so certain is it
that man is only the secondary cause, or fit instrument,
through and by means of which the GREAT FIRST, that
created and constituted him such instrument, himself, unseen, doth operate to produce into existence the different
results, each and all, which unto man, the visible actor, we




MAN'S NATURE AIND AGENCY                23:are wont to ascribe. In other words, it is in reality God,
the GREAT FIRST CAUSE of all other causes, and not man,
his mere secondary cause, or fit instrument, that acts; and
hence it is God, the Creator and Principal, and not passively
created man, his mere agent or instrument, that is supremely
responsible therefor, if any supreme responsibility there be.
We repeat, it is not denied and cannot be that man, as such
created secondary cause and fit instrument, possesses power
*and hence acts; but, hen, the question which just now
concerns us is, How came man by this power to act?  Did
he upon himself confer it, or did he from God, the source
of all power, steal it? In short, How came individual man
to be, how of power possessed, and to what or whom is he
responsible for its exercise, except unto himself and such of
his fellow-men as are affected thereby?
Plainly enough, according to the Bible account of the
matter, God created Cain, the murderer of Abel, by and
through the agency of Adam and Eve, his created secondary
causes and fit instruments to produce him into being; other-.
wise he did not create Cain at all. And if. through them,
as his secondary causes and fit instruments, he created the
man Cain, then, by unavoidable consequence, as seems to
us, it is he, the all-wise and all-powerful God, the Being
who thus created him, and not the poor, feeble man Cain,
by him thus passively created, who is responsible not only
for his coming into existence, but for his being the kind of
man he was, and his doing as he did.-It is not upon an
imperfect machine, nor yet upon its productions, but upon
its inventor and maker, that responsibility doth rest.-In
like manner, God created us, one and all, by and through
the agency of his said created fit instruments, Adam and
Eve, and their lineal descendants in an unbroken chain all
the way down to our immediate parents according to the
flesh, who as his thus far remotely created fit instruments,
produced us into being; otherwise, with the exception of
Adam and Eve, he never created a single human being in
all the world.
It is undoubtedly thought by large numbers of men of




24                  DEPARTURE.
good endowments, not only that God created man all at
once, and full-sized, out of "the dust of the ground," but
that he then and there clothed him, in kind, character, and
amount, with all and singular the feelings, emotions, passions, propensities, and powers which he to-day possesses.
And, in substance and effect, it is doubtless just about as
extensively believed, that he then and there commanded him
by word of mouth, and long years thereafter in writing, to
manifest his said feelings, emotions, passions, propensities,
and powers in a certain way, and not to manifest them in a
certain other way; and then left him at liberty to manifest
them in accordance with such commandments, or contrary
thereto, or not at all, as he himself might choose. Such
are undoubtedly, in substance and effect, the opinions which
are honestly entertained by a large majority of professed
Christians to-day; and yet, strangely absurd as it may seem
to this wide class of persons, we are compelled to think differently, —are compelled to think that God's uniform way
of giving his commandments to the higher animal man, the
same as to all the different orders below him, is by organically enstamping them  upon him; is by so organically
adapting and relating him to the required action, that all
the option he has in the matter is merely seeming, and not
real; and hence that every individual, unless therefrom prevented by the pressure of influence which is too strong to
be by him resisted, must and doth obey.
And now, for the purpose of shedding what little light we
can upon this point, we propose to invest a certain portion
of the aqueous fluid, a giant oak, the wolf, and the lamb
with such faculties as are common to man, and then refer
the same to each in turn, and see what will be their respective testimonies thereupon.
God made the Waters which compose this noble River,
and enstamped upon them not onily fluidity of form, but
such properties and relations to the Earth's mass, as give
them inherent weight; and which conjoint conditions we
regard as being neither more nor less than a positive,
ingrained command to run down hill at all times, when not




JAAN'S NAT.URE A1ND A GEXiCY.          25
therefrom prevented by some power too strong to be by
them resisted.
Thus far all seems to be plain work; and to this the
Waters as they constantly roll past do murmur their assent..
— Let it now be supposed that when God created those
Waters, and commanded them thus down hill to run, he
verbally instructed them that they were at liberty to do as
they might choose about yielding obedience to said ingrained commandment, and hence about thus uniformly
running down hill.
And what, to said verbal instructions, doth the River say
by her constantly onward-moving waters? —Plainly this:
"In spite of all mere verbal instructions or permits, run.
down hill, as by the law of my nature I am commanded, I
forever must continue to do, unless therefrom prevented by
some overpowering circumstance outside myself."
God created yon giant Oak, and organically enstamlped
him with such a nature, and conferred upon him such adaptations and relations to surrounding things, as constitute his
tendency to grow, to bear acorns at the proper times, to fall
heavily to the ground when severed at the root, and to crush
all such trifling things as shall offer resistance to its descent..
"All right! " responds the staunch old Tree, as slightly
he boiws his aged head to the fierce northern blast.-Let it
now be supposed that when God created that giant Vegetable, and organically enstamped the oak's nature, adaptations,
and relations upon him, he verbally instructed him that he
was at liberty to do as he might choose about falling heavily
to the ground, when severed at the root, also that he might
bear figs instead of acorns, if it should be his choice. —
" Impossible! " ejaculates the staunch old Tree, by a shower
of acorns from his bushy top; " ly organic nature constitutes me an oak, and not a fig-tree. Wherefore, disobey
the laws which are thus organically impressed upon me, I
cannot; and wherefore, to bear any other fruit than acorns.
I am powerless, all verbal instructions or written commandments to the contrary notwithstanding."
God created the Wolf, and organically enstamped him




26                   DEPARTURE.
with such a nature as causes him to be hungry, very hungry,
after long-continued fasting.  He also conferred upon him
such adaptations and relations to lambs, and other kindred
things, that, to satisfy the gnawings of hunger, and thus
prevent his own dear self from wasting away, he will kill and
devour them with real savage gusto.-Let it now be supposed that, when God created the Wolf, and organically
enstamped his savage nature upon him, he verbally instructed
him that he was at liberty to do as he pleased about being
hungry after long-continued fasting; also that he was at liberty, when famishing from the effects of such a fast, to spare
the lamb within his grasp and starve to death himself, if it
should be his choice so to do. Whoever doubts what, under
such circumstances, would be the Wolf's uniform reply in
practice, let him occasionally present him with a lamb,
and see.
Let it now be supposed that when God created the Lamb,
and organically enstamped upon him such a nature as
legitimately constitutes him a very feeble, timid creature,
he verbally exhorted him to be plucky,-verbally instructed
him that he was at liberty to do as he pleased about fearing
the ravenous wolf; also that he might boldly attack, kill and
eat the ferocious brute, if it should be his choice so to do,
instead of being himself thereby killed and eaten.
And to this, what is the Lamb's invariable answer, as
spoken out in the emphatic language of his constantly timid
and non-carniverous practice?
As water, by virtue of its inherent nature, is ever commanded, and hence compelled, to plunge down the precipice,
and has no power to refuse obedience, as the wolf is organically commanded to feed upon lambs, etc., and hence has
not the power to choose to die of hunger and let such feeble
quadrupeds go free; in short, since the wolf and lamb are
each enstamped, not only with its own peculiar organic
form, texture, adaptations, etc., but with a character which
with these conditions invariably accords, whereby the former
is denied the power to be and act the latter, and the latter,
the former, each being organically commanded, and hence




MAN'S NATURE AND AGENCY.                27
compelled, to be the thing it is, and to live out in practice
the traits of character which it does, we must think that the
higher animal man, who is in like manner enstamped, not
only with peculiar organic form, texture, adaptations, and
relations, but with a character which is in harmony therewith, is also commanded, and hence compelled, by and
through his said peculiar organic form, etc., to be what he
is, and to act as he does; and consequently that he is just
as powerless to do otherwise or, at bottom, to choose to act
differently, as are those animals of lower order.
Of course, we may have fallen into error's broad channel,
but, whether so or not, we must not only confess our inability to see how man can be exempt from the operation of
what certainly seems to be a universal law, but to understand for what purpose, other than for use, his different
organic feelings, emotions, passions, propensities, and powers
were conferred upon him; and especially are we unable to
see in what way extrinsic commandments, whether positive
or permissive, oral or written, can ever annul such as are
organically enstamped, and hence permanently, part and
parcel of man himself.
And now, reader, as a last resort, let us put a few questions to man himself, as he is known to exist in actual
practice, to the end that we may see how far the real,
breathing man of Earth doth correspond with this said
hypothetic one by Orthodoxy created, and constantly held
up to view.
Here, then, is our neighbor, Deacon S., one of the best
of men practically, him will we interrogate as to the cause
of his uniform good conduct, and let his acts, both general
and particular, as spoken out in practice during a long series
of years, give answer.  Fine-grained, tall, erect, narrow
between the ears, forehead full and lofty, high in the coronal
region, and occiput small; all this we know by having seen
him perhaps a thousand times, and, by running the mind's
eye back over his past life, we can see how beautifully his
character; as lived out in practice, doth correspond with the




28                   DEPART URE.
organic commandments which are thus enstamped upon
him.
If it be a fact that, notwithstanding these said organically
enstamped commandments to the contrary, he is left at
liberty to be and act the bully, blackguard, knave, and villain, How comes it to pass that he never speaks out any of
these things in practice?  Why is it that, throughout the
whole course of his life, he has acted the dove, and never
once the tiger or hyena? Indeed, is not the fact that his
course of action, just like that of the wolf and lamb, has
ever been in a line of accordance with the commandments
which are organically enstamped upon him, pregnant with
meaning?  AVe repeat, if it be a fact that, notwithstanding
his organic adaptations and relations to the contrary, he
possesses the power, and hence is at liberty, to quarrel,
fight, lie, cheat, steal, rob, and murder, Is it not exceedingly
strange that. he should never live out in practice any of these
things?-How feelingly at the prayer-meetings held in the
dear, old schoolhouse does he urge upon the young the
necessity of dedicating their lives to the practice of sobriety
and virtue! How kindly and affectionately doth he warn
them against the many snares and temptations with which
their pathway is beset! And yet he was never known to
split the old pine table with his fist in endeavoring to pound
heaven into them, or hell out of them.-Never!
And here also is Mr. D., the butcher, a man not of the
rabbit but of the bull-dog stamp, a descendant of a practical butcher, reared in the shambles, educated in the
slaughter-house, and always delighting in broils and blood.
Look at him! and note how coarse and animal his whole
manner and appearance, even to the deep gutteral tone of
voice. What an amount of back-head; what breadth between the ears; and the coronal region, how villainously
flat and low!
And now, we appeal, upon, that man, Is not "blood and
thunder " just as plainly stamped, as is power upon the iron
horse? Can it be that, notwithstanding his organic adapt



_1HfA N r,'S 1NAT U'R Eag AM YU ) A A GEN/YCCY  29
ations and relations to the contrary, he possesses the power,
and hence is at liberty, to be timid, gentle, and lamb-like?
Can it be that he possesses the power, and hence is at
liberty, to faint at the sight of a drop of blood, like the
extremely delicate and nervous Mrs. B.? And if so, why is
it that he doth not accasionally live out these things in practice, instead of uniformly delighting to plunge deep the fatal
knife into every hog, sheep, and bullock, that looks sleek
and hlappy? —Why?
From all this, what is the inference?-As seems to us it
is that every man of every class and grade possesses his own
peculiar characteristics, both physical and mental; and so
possesses them, not by virtue of any free-will choice of his
own, but. because they are so organically enstamped upon
him and engraved into him by those certain branches of the
great Parent, known as hereditary causes, educational influences, and other surrounding circumstances not within
his control, as that they are legitimately part and parcel of
him, consequently constitute him what he is, and hence
distinguish him from everybody else. Wherefore it is but
natural that the deacon, the butcher, and every other class
and grade of men should feel as they do, think as they do,
act as they do, love what they love, and hate what they hate.
And wherefore, whenever deacon or butcher or anybody else
assumes that others who are differently organized and balanced, as well as differently' circumstanced, should feel,
think, love, hate, and practice the same things which he
himself does, and no other, and hence imputes unto them
the sin of disobedience to the laws of God because they do
not, he is not to blame, but simply errs in judgment from
want of knowledge.  Whoever lives in obedience with the
normal requirements of his own individual nature lives in
obedience with what is of him required by his Maker, no
matter what by the same rule may be demanded of his differently constituted neighbor; and whoever not thus in
obedience doth live, both sins against himself and the laws
of his Creator.
Summary of conclusions:-God made man, wolf, lamb,




30                   DEPARTURE.
etc., and enstamped each with such organic form, texture,
adaptations, etc., as he saw fit, or more properly, as he needs
must.  In this way, by and through their respective physical
organizations, they are each endowed with all and singular
the feelings, capacities, propensities, etc., which they possess,
and hence do manifest. In this way, and no other, as seems
to us, is the wolf commanded to be and act the wolf, the
lamb, to be and act the lamb, the man of the bull-dog stamp,
to possess and manifest the bull-dog characteristics, thelamb-like man, to possess and manifest the traits of the
lamb; and thus on of all the different kinds and grades of
men. The lamb-like character possessed by Deacon S.,
being organically enstamped upon him, and ingrained into
him, he has no alternative, but is compelled to manifest it;
is compelled to manifest it, and can no more manifest any
other, than can the lamb manifest the character of the
wolf, or the wolf that of the lamb.
As surely as is Nature bound fast in fate, or governed by
fixed laws, just so surely is that product of Nature, the
/znman ziitl, not left free, but bound fast in fate, or governed
by fixed laws. Or thus: As certainly as is the mental man
dependent upon the physical man for manifestation, just so
certainly is the mental man ever compelled to be in conformity with the physical man that manifests it; and hence,
just as certainly as is the physical man the creature of natural
law, and not of free-will choice, just so certainly is the
mental man the creature of natural law, and not of free-will
choice.
If like begets like and cannot beget unlike, then it is,
simply impossible for God, THE GREAT FIRST CAUSE of all
effects, and hence of all other causes that are, to standparent
cause to the pushing into existence of any effect or secondary Cause, inanimate or animated, which is unlike himself;
that is, any whose nature, from beginning to end, doth not
accord with some branch or department of his own vast and
vastly complex nature. In fine, were it not simply impossible for law-governed causes to produce into existence any
other than law-governed effects, then might the law-governed




AlA4N'S NATURE AND AGENCY.            31
oak, for example, chance to push into existence non-lawgoverned acorns instead of law-governed ones,-might
chance to push into existence acorns from which pines, or
any other kind of tree, would be as likely to grow as oaks;
and hence, throughout all created Nature, inanimate and
animated, dread uncertainty and confusion come to take the
place of certainty and order.




CHAPTER IV.
MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS.
LOVE AND HATRED.
That we all love some persons and objects, all hate some
persons and objects, and toward some persons and objects
feel indifferent, every one knows; and yet, probably, not
-one in a hundred has ever seriously reflected upon the cause
thereof. As we have come to see it, we thus do simply
because these feelings, instead of being optional with us, as
generally supposed, are the subjects of law; and because
the law by which they are created, regulated, and governed,
is just as much part and parcel of our several natures, as is
that of gravitation which chains us to the Earth; consequently it is equally mandatory and binding upon us in all
its different parts; and hence it is no more a special virtue,
in an individual, to love such persons and things as he does
love, or a sin to hate such as he does hate, than it is for him
to weigh more when he is fleshy than he does when he is
lean;-not any more.
The law in reference to this matter, or rather its operation, may be briefly stated thus:  Whatever person or thing
affects us, upon the whole, agreeably, we love some; whatever person or thing affects us, upon the whole, more agreeably, we love more; and whatever person or thing affects
us, upon the whole, most agreeably, we love most; and we
cannot help it. Whatever person or thing affects us, upon
the whole, disagreeably, we hate some; whatever person or
thing affects us, upon the whole, more disagreeably, we hate
more; and whatever person or thing affects us, upon the




if~IS CELLAIVNEO US S UBJECTC.1        33
whole, most disagreeably, we hate most; and, reason as we
may, and profess to think differently who will, we are powerless to do otherwise. Such being the case, it follows, that,
toward such persons and objects as affect us neither way, we
are obliged to feel indifferent; and such as affect us just
about as much the one way as the other, we are compelled
to hate just about as much as we love, and to love just about
as much as we hate.  All this being understood, it is needless to go further and explain wlhy it is that when a friend,
or anybody else, affects us quite agreeably, we like him, or
why, when as decidedly disagreeably he affects us, we hate
him; why, with the same individual, by turns we quarrel
and by turns make love, or why by turns we push from us,
as offensive, our brothers, sisters, and even our bosom companions, and by turns do pull them back.
Some men and women are so very unique in their mental
taste and balance, that a truly congenial mate they cannot
easily find; and then there are others who are so very like
every fifth person they meet, that, age and caste aside, almost
any one of the opposite sex will sufficiently well answer
them for a life companion. This class of persons, if they
do not live any too happily together in the marriage state,
are seldom known seriously to fall out; wherefore they are
apt to conclude there must be some great wrong somewhere, at sight and hearing of those domestic quarrels which
not unfrequently take place between such men and women
as are not only quite positive in their characters, but who,
unfortunately, are badly paired. As it is no sort of evidence,
however, that both oil and water are not pure and good,
because they can never be brought permanently to coalesce,
but simply proof that they are to each other uncongenial;
so, from these disagreements between husbands and wives
of opposite tastes and dispositions, it must not be too hastily
concluded that either is essentially wanting in the elements
of happiness, or that each is not desirous of rendering the
other happy. Indeed, so greatly variant is human nature
that, in ninety-nine cases out of every hundred, all that is
established by such domestic disagreements is the fact, that
4




34                    DEPA R'TUKEr
both parties are neither oil nor water.  Or, to state the idea
a little more at length, by the frequent occurrence of such
domestic disagreements, it is rendered painfully apparent to
the more thoughtful observer, if not to the parties themselves, that they are not-as they doubtless honestly but
quite too hastily concluded they were-the stray halves of
the same unit; and hence, notwithstanding with all due.
solemnity they were matrimonially made one, still two they
do remain. We say, as they doubtless honestly but quite
too hastily concluded they were, ete., because the serious
matter of (ourtship, whose consequences are not only lifelong, but posterity-long, is, for the most part, so conducted,
as to be little else than a delusive farce; —is, for the most
part, so conducted, that passions and feelings, mostly factitious, have vastly more influence in the choice of our lifecompanions, than do the promptings of the moral sentiments and the teachings of sober intellect.  And what is
the consequence? —Why, just as soon as these blind incentives to union become frittered away, (as frittered away they
surely will be, when brought into contact with the many
stern realities with wvhich life's rugged path is checkered,)
and when reason and right feeling come to assume their
lawful sway, then, too late, rwe find that the sum of permanent, mutual attractions, existing between us, is far too
evenly balanced, if not outweighed, by the sum of repulsions,
now no longer latent.  All this, however, forms no solid
objection against the marriage institution, but only against
the thus almost criminally overlooking, in the choice of a
life companion, of those dominant mental tastes, feelings,
and likenesses, by whose influence alone it is possible for
two individuals ever to become permanently blended, and
lost in one.
So much for the evils of those courtships whose tendency.
we will not say object, is to deceive the lady addressed, consequently the gentleman addressing her, and hence both_
Now a few words concerning the remedy, and we leave the
subject.  Dear, then, as ever is the school of experience,
and painful as are not unfrequently her lessons, nevertheless




JfISCEIILALATEOO  U  S LTJECT S.      35
so are we organized and balanced, that, to become truly
wise, we have got to see, feel, and handle things for ourselves. And as no man can gain light and knowledge upon
a subject from his own observation and experience, until he
has seen and tasted in practice  more or less of the things
which pertain thereto, so we would say to the sensible young
man, who is beginning to look about him for a partner to
enact with him the great drama of wedded life, you must
create for yourself the requisite occasions for the use of
your mental, as well as physical, eyes.  Or, more plainly,
do not always put on your Sunday hat and coat whenever
you suppose it possible you may be brought into contact
with the gentler sex; and never in your intercourse with
them, affect the simpering, opinionless dandy.  By a few
such non-acts, you will not unlikely see, hear, and learn
many things, the which, if you heed, will be of lasting benefit
to you. Never in female society affect to be in appearance
what you are not in character; and never in character what
you neither are nor ever intend to be. By so doing, or
rather by so not doing, upon the principle that like begets
like and nothing begets nothing, you will neither greatly
deceive others, nor be yourself in consequence quite as
badly taken in. In short, in all your intercourse with her
whom you are beginning to think of making bone of your
bone and flesh of your flesh, not only always appear to be
what you are, but let your courtship thenceforward, until
closed by marriage or otherwise, be as thoroughly seasoned
with the every-day aims and incidents of real life as conveniently you can; to the end that you may learn both from
observation and experience, before it is too late, whether
you are paying your addresses to a mere butterfly in human
form, or to a whole-souled woman, who, endowed with the
capacity of adapting herself to the varied circumstances
that do checker human life, would be to you an helpmate.
Brains are of no account, remember, unless they are used;
and surely their use is never more imperatively demanded
than when selecting a partner for life.
A young man go a wooing in a plain, every-day kind of




^36                  DJ 1 P'-'AR'7 UI,'.
dress?  Yes; provided he is a plain, every-day kind of a
man, wants a plain, every-day kind of a wife, and expects,
when married, to make a plain, every-day kind of a husband; for, depend upon it, young man, and young woman,
it is not of Sundays nor of holidays, but of plain, everydays, that real life is ever, principally, made up.
A charming and beautiful young lady receive the addresses of the lords of creation, in her usual comely, everyday habiliments?  Certainly, provided it be upon some one
of the numerous every-days, that her suitor happens to
drop in upon her for a little chat; unless, indeed, she
expects always to be and appear in full company costume,
after she shall have abandoned the maid and assumed the
matron.
And young ladies and gentlemen have views, wishes, and
opinions of their own, during that most tender and endearing season, the season of courtship?  Yes; most assuredly
they should then both have, and manifest, all these things,
else they should not have any of them after they are married.
And now, to such of our dear young lady friends as are,
and ever intend to be, something more than mere parlor toys,
we would say, forget not that the exquisite thing in pants
called a young man is just no man at all, until, in some
appropriate way, he has himself begun to enact the man.
In other words, remember it is not saying pretty things, nor
wearing fine clothes, nor riding in father's carriage, nor
spending father's money which constitutes a man, but the
putting forth of efforts, in some legitimate calling or pursuit,
to gain something for himself, that does it. Wherefore, as
you value a prosperous and happy future, look ye, each,
well to it, that you do not hastily reject the real man, and
accept instead some over-indulgent father's brainless spendthrift. And yet one thing more:-If at any time, whilst
being attentively courted and flattered, you feel instinctively
rising up within you misgivings as to the propriety of yielding your hand to the man, who is thus ostensibly seeking to
obtain it, delay such yielding, and seriously reflect.  And if
you find that the longer you thus delay, and the more you




IJJiGULLANKEO U~7S SUBJlECTS.          37
reflect, the stronger and more definite in shape those misgivings become; then, at the risk of being left to live and
die an old maid, heed the timely warning of thy guardian
angel, and, with that individual, make the delay eternal.
SUDDEN CONVERSIONS.
It is almost invariably such as are not past the volatile
and giddy stage of life, else those who are constitutionally
excitable, and hence to rowdyism naturally inclined, and
not the habitually sober and discreet, who constitute the
harvest that is gathered at protracted meetings, and other
kindred gatherings of great religious furor and excitement,
where not sober reason, but great noise, and still greater
confiusion, bear rule.'To gatherings of this character,
whether religious or theatrical, it is perfectly natural that
this class of persons should dearly love to go, when once
they have gotten a taste thereof, for here they are at home.
And when in such a place they are fairly seated, with heads
filled with nothing, or rather with vague and undefinable
fun and frolic fill, they are then within the vortex; and
hence, just like the noisy, blustering blackguard in a real
fight, they are sure to be the first to cave.  All this is not
only well understood by revivalists, but is systematically
being acted upon all over the land; it having long since
passed into a proverb with them, That there is more hope
of the young than of the old, and of the desperately wicked
and ungodly, than of the self-consistent and strictly moral
man.
And why have they more hope of those merely moral
ciphers in the social column, than of these stern, significant
figures therein? —Because they understand full well, that,
for the reason empty barrels make the most noise, for that
same reason are they more easily upset and moved about.
In other words, they know that such, the world over, are
more easily wrought upon by surrounding circumstances,
and hence are correspondingly more easily made any kind
of somerset to turn. —Such, as we understand the matter, is




38                   DEPARTURE.
a brief explanation of the cause of constitutional rowdies
becoming suddenly changed, —not in their organic nature,
but simply in their views, and hence in the mode of manifesting that nature in practice,-from bar-room rowdies,
making night hideous with their bacchanalian songs, to
religious rowdies, boisterously shouting and singing the
praises of the Lamb.-Mushrooms are the growth of an
hour; trees the product of time.
BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE.
The numerous difficulties and obstructions, or evils, socalled, by which from the cradle to the grave we are constantly surrounded, undoubtedly tend to develop Combativeness, or the resistive principle that is organically implanted
in man, by exciting him to action, —by exciting him unto
the putting forth of opposing efforts, great, and still greater,
to overcome them; and hence do legitimately tend to elevate
and bless the race.  When weary and worn with trials and
difficulties, it is pleasant to think and to talk about the
coming of an imaginary period, when there shall be perfect
freedom from everything that is hurtful or annoying; but
then, beyond a rational doubt, much less than a thousand
years of such millennial, monotonous sameness from all
disturbance, trouble and care, would have the effect to sink
the world of mankind into the miserable condition of milkand-water sops.-IBeds of down and balmy ease, although
good in their place, are never the parents of either greatness
or goodness.
PRAYER.
Once upon a time, as the story goes, just as Deacon A.,
a thrifty old farmer, in the town of N., had concluded his
morning's devotions, in which, as was invariably his custom,
he thanked God he was not like other men, and with outstretched arms and trembling accents, besought theGiver of
all good to remember the poor and the needy, to feed the
hungry, clothe the naked, and relieve the destitute, the sick,




ifLtSECELLANEO US S UBJECJTS.          39
and distressed, everywhere, it so happened that a poor man,
who for years had been a day-laborer in the neighborhood,
was seen approaching his door with a bag on his arm. A
few moments after, as the two neighbors were sitting in
opposite corners by the large open fire, Mr. C. modestly
proceeded to lay his necessities before the Deacon, ending
with an urgent request to be trusted for a bushel of wheat,
until his sick wife should so far recover from her recent
confinement as to allow him to leave her and the little ones,
when he would go to work, earn the nmoney, and pay him.
The old farmer, who had been nervously listening to the
poor man's tale of woes and needs, after delivering himself
of a goodly number of a-hems! proceeded in a very kind.and soothing manner to express his sorrow for his neighbor's
misfortunes, his grief at the destitute and suffering condition
of his family, and finally wound up by saying, " I am very
sorry, but, really, I do not see how I can spare you any."
As is not unusual however in such cases, just as the poor
man was about to leave, he graciously advised him to call
on neighbor M., who, he seemed to feel quite sure, would
be able to accommodate him.  And thus this poor daylaborer, in the heart of winter, and with a'sick wife and
starving children at home, from  this so-called house of
prayer, went empty and sorrowing away.
Scarcely had the sound of his footsteps died upon the
Deacon's ear, however, when little Harry, who had been an
attentive listener, and who as yet was nature's own untsophisticated child, thus accosted his pious parent:  "Father,
did you not just now pray God that he would feed the
htingry, clothe the naked, and relieve the destitute, the sick,
and distressed everywhere?"-" Why, to be sure," responded
the somewhat confused and astonished parent, " I al vays so
pray. But what makes you ask so strange a question, my
son?"-" Because," said the simple-hearted, noble-minded
little fellow, looking first toward the slowly retreating form
of Mr. C. with the empty bag upon his arm, and then into
the face of his parent with a mixture of doubt and surprise
depicted upon his countenance,-" because, father, I can



40                    DEPARTURE.
not help thinking that if I had been in your place, and had
your big bin of wheat, I would have answered a part of that
prayer myself."
And now we appeal, in that brief sentence, Does there
not reside a sermon with an idea in it;-an idea that will
live as long as civilized man shall tenant the Earth, notwithstanding the little preacher may have long since passed
away, and his name become forgotten?  The empty, formal
practice of looking up to an imaginary God with our eyes
shut, and asking him with our lips to do i~z gezeral what we
ourselves will not begin to do'li particular, although blessed
with the necessary means, and notwithstanding thereunto
besought with tears, cannot, we think, be particularly pleasing to our great Parent; and most assuredly it can never be
productive of any very beneficial results either to ourselves
or anybody else.
We would not be understood as saying it is not good for
us ardently to desire that the hungry should be supplied
with food, the naked clothed, etc.; nor yet that it is not our
duty, as well as privilege, earnestly to beseech God to do
all these things, and numerous others of a kindred nature,
for poor, weak, sinful mortals, like ourselves, as well as to
ask him to forlive zus ousr debts, as wee forzive our debtors.
Far from it! Praying for good things, just like the practice
of thinking of things that are good, or of acts which are
generous and noble, legitimately tends to render us better;
and praying for things that are bad, just like thinking of
evil things, or of acts which are coarse, arbitrary and cruel,
to make us worse.  But then we must be permitted to think
that it would be wisdom in such of us as are in the habit
of shutting our eyes and stopping our ears to the wails and
woes of poor, suffering humanity,-such of us as never
surrender a demand so long as a chance remains for its
enforcement by the law's strong aid,-Such of us are so slow
to forgive even fancied offenses committed against our
darling selves, and yet so fast to advocate, not the reformation of the erring bro.ther upon ameliorated plan, but his
speedy punishment as an outlawed wTretch in tyrant jail,




311S'CEI LANEO US SUBJECTS.            41
gloomy prison, or halter's fatal noose,-to pause and consider what it really is for which we thus do pray. Yea, and
thoughtfully reflect upon what would be our condition, were
that God, who we thus in solemn mockery address, so far to
take us at our word as to grant us just one tithe of these
our thoughtless, soulless petitions, which in mere empty
sound and idle show their beginning have, and there, their
worthless end.
St. James says, " The effectual fervent prayer of a r ighteous man availeth much."  And, to us, it is clear that no
prayer is feyzvezt andt:ffectzual, which in mere words beg ins
and ends, but only such as are spoken out in works meet to
bring about the asked-for result either by the petitioner
himself, or by those upon whom it shall act as a sufficiently
exciting cause, to induce them to put forth the necessary
efforts to make it a thing effectual and availing.  Nor do we
claim the merit of originating these views, or of being the
first to put them forth. Upon the contrary, years ago, the
learned Dr. Blair, in a sermon on the unchangeableness of
the Divine Nature, discoursed as follows:  "It will be
proper to begin this head of discourse,. by removing an
objection which the doctrine I have illustrated may appear
to form against religious services, and, in particular, against
the duty of prayer. To what purpose, it may be urged, is
homage addressed to a Being whose purpose is unalterably
fixed; to whom our rih/zteouslzess exltezdet/z izol, whom by no
arguments we can persuade, and by no supplications we can
mollify? " "The objection," he continues, "would have
weight, if our religious addresses were designed to work any
alteration on God; either by giving Him  information of
what He did not know, or by exciting affections which he
did not possess; or by inducing Him to change measures
which He had previously formed. But they are only crude
and imperfect notions of religion which can suggest such
ideas.  The change which our devotions are intended to
make, is upon ourselves, not upon the Almighty. Their
chief efficacy is derived from the good dispositions which
they raise and cherish, in the human soul. By pouring out




42                     DEPARTIURJE.
pious sentiments and desires before God, by adoring his
perfection and confessing our own unworthiness, by expressing our dependence on his aid, our gratitude for past
favors, our submission to his present will, our trust in his
future mercy, we cultivate ouch affections as suit our place.and station in the universe, and are thereby prepared for
becoming objects of divine grace."   To the same effect
taught the student and philosopher, Lord Kames, when he
said:  "The Being that made the world governs it.by laws
that are enfiexible, because they are best, and to imagine
that He can be moved by prayers, oblations, or sacrifices, to
vary his plan of government, is an impious thought, degrading the Deity to a level with ourselves."-Such, upon this
point, is the common-sense testimony of these eminent men.
In conclusion thereupon, we will merely add, that the only
prayer which either from our own observation, or from credible authority, we have ever known to be sufficiently effectucal,
fervenlt /ald availing, to dig a well, excavate a cellar, or tunnel
a mountain, was that which was put forth by the shoulder
and elbow of the laborer, with implement in hand.
That "faith without works is dead," we have the testimony of this same witness James; and, with all the light and
knowledge now in the world, it cannot need either testimony or argument to prove, that an erroneous faith, with
all its corresponding works, is quite as bad as dead, if not
a little worse. And as it is not possible for any more than
one of all the numerous and different conflicting faiths that
are in the world to be true to great Nature, and hence an
eternal verity, so it needs must follow that all, save one,
together with the vast amount of diverse works unto which
they have stood parent cause, are a greater or a lesser hindrance to the spread of real and abiding truth, and hence
to the upward progress of the race.
Unquestionably,' There is a divinity that shapes our enids,
Rough-hew them as we will,"
And that divinity, as we see it, is the resistless operation of
natural law.




ifISCUWLLANEO US S'UBJECT'S.          43
LUCK.
It may be laid down as a rule, to which there are but few
exceptions, that, of good luck, good management is the
parent cause, and, of bad luck, bad management.  It is unsafe to have any sort of business connection with such as
are constitutionally unlucky, no matter how honest, intelligent, or agreeable as companions they may be. Nor would
it be prudence in a personal friend of such a man to consent
to give him counsel, since, should he do so, and his unlucky
friend attempt to follow it, the chances are ten to one that
he would leave a screw loose somewhere, consequently fail,
and hence lay the blame at the door of his adviser. In a
word, if a man possesses, within himself, the elements of
success, no matter who he is, where he came from, or what
he undertakes, he is almost certain to succeed; and if
stamped all over with the elements of failure, though descended froml a line of kings, he is just about certain to
fail, attempt what he may.
DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS, DIFFERENTLY AFFECTED.
There are not only innate virtues of different kinds, but
faults and weaknesses as well. Some persons are so organized and balanced that they naturally firm and upright stand,
whilst others are so constituted that they are ever quite
easily upset. To some the cup is a temptation too strong
to be by them withstood; to others tea, tobacco, and thus
on. Then, again, there are those whom none of this class
of things has power to tempt beyond their bearings, but
which the love of sensual indulgence with the opposite sex,
or something else may. The few who are so fortunate as to
possess an organization and mental balance which render
them, in reference to all the different appetites, passions,
and besetments, a living law unto themselves, should not
only be thankful therefor, but exceedingly charitable and
forbearing toward such as are thus constitutionally powerless, in certain directions. Indeed, it would be well, not
only for such, but for all the more favored classes to remem



44                   DEPARTURE.
ber, that we did none of us very extensively make ourselves;
consequently, that not so much to us, as to parents, education, and other causes over which we had no control, is due
the credit of our being what we are. In other words, we
are proof against this, that, and the other allurement, and
hence the kind of persons we are, just because these things,
to us, instead of being temptations deep and strong, are
very nearly indifferent, if not actually distasteful.
To be tempted and not sin may be regarded as a personal
virtue, but not to sin because not thereunto tempted, notwithstanding the same thing may be a strong temptation to
somebody else, is simply so much hereditary, educational,
or other good fortune, for which we have good cause to be
thankful, but none for the putting on of personal airs. We
say, to be tempted and not sin may be regarded as a personal virtue, because, the more an individual is tempted and
withstands the temptation, the stronger he legitimately becomes; and hence just so much the more certain is he not
to sin. In other words, the multiplication of surrounding
temptations ever legitimately improves, and strengthens in
virtue, all such as are sufficiently resolute to withstand their
influence, whilst it is only by the most careful avoidance of
temptation, that ithe safety of those less firm is assured.
Children that are naturally bold, determined, and self-reliant, hence not inclined to see, think, or believe by proxy,
are in little danger of being led into erroneous opinions and
practices by the influence of others, go where they may;
whilst those that are naturally timid, obsequious, and confiding, however bright and quick to learn they may chance
to be, are in imminent danger of being misled, stay where
they will.
POLITICIANS.
There are not only two political parties always in the
country, but two classes of politicians belonging to each;
namely, the representative and non-representative. The
former are ever ready to think, say, and do whatever the
voting masses may chance to desire to have them think, say,




ILL'EII _LANYEO'US SUBJE6CT'.hS.      45
and- do; consequently, not from inherent weight of personal
character, but the'want thereof, these tricksters rise to the
surface, float upon some one or more of the popular planks
that are periodically placed in those cunningly wrought
skimmers, denominated platforms, and thus, when happening to belong to the stronger party, straight into office they
are quite sure to ride. Not so with the latter class. The
opinions of these men not being thus manufactured to order,
but their own, so they are always bent upon representing
themselves, whether they ever anybody else do represent or
not. And of this the consequence is, that not often are they
honored with even a nomination to office, and, when they
are, they are almost certain to be elected to stay at home;
where, by their superior talents, persevering industry, and
consequent general influence over those same masses with
whom, during the canvass and at the polls, they are thus
seemingly unpopular, they dictate to and rule the nominal
rulers. In this way is the governmental practice ever made
quite nearly to comport with the views and wishes of those
more bold, active, and outspoken, but at-home-staying politicians; thus mainly obviating the danger, not only of insurrections against the government, but of any great and
long-continued usurpation of power by any one of its different co-ordinate branches.  In a word, the nation is, for the
most part, ruled by brains; but not, for the most part, by
the brains of the so-called rulers.
CRIMES AND THEIR PUNISHMENT.
Aside from the teachings of phrenology, we should be
false to the light of our own personal observation and experience,-as well as to the charity and good will we bear
toward all human kind,-did we not respectfully urge the
propriety of such an alteration in our criminal code, as shall
make it discriminate between offenses committed against
human nature, as the same exists in the great body of
society, and offenses not so much against general human
nature as against the rights of property, and such other




46                   DEPARTURE.
enactments as are designed to restrict individual action
within certain, arbitrary limits.  In other words, we must
think the good of society imperatively demands such a
modification of the penal system, as shall abolish from
among us no small class of crimes, punishable in the penitentiary, by sinking them into misdemeanors, punishable
through the pocket for the benefit of the party injured; and
hence obviate, in no small degree, not only the demoralizing
effects of the prison, but the trouble and expense consequent
thereupon. We say, such a modification of the penal system,
as shall abolish from among us no small class of crimes, etc.,
because, as really seems to us, a majority of all the acts
which are, to-day, denominated crimes, and punishable by
the prison with all its degrading and manhood-annihilating
consequences, are the legitimate result of an over-ardent
desire to obtain property. Wherefore to punish the possessors
of such inordinate desire through their property, by fine, is
to punish them through the very God they worship.  And
hence, such punishment, without essentially impairing the
delinquent's usefulness in society, or materially disgracing
his friends, would do much more toward curing him of his
unfortunate defect, (and being begotten, born, and educated
under the influence exerted by this wealth-worshiping and
poverty-despising age, this is the only appropriate name for
both over-large and over-active acquisitiveness,) than is it
possible for confinement in a penitentiary to do.  Not only
this, but as it is punishment inflicted, and not punishment
merely threatened, that tends to prevent crime, so this being
much more reasonable and just, it would be much more
certain to be executed. In short, as we have come to see
it, in order to render the world a great deal better and
happier than it now  is, it is only necessary that a large
share of its inconsiderate severity should be exchanged for
an equal amount of considerate kindness. And, in order to
effect such an exchange, the reformation must begin at the
top of the social column,-must begin up among the leaders
in both church and state; and not away down at the bottom
among the uninfluential, and unfort-unate erring.




iJITS CELLNA.E 10 US SUBJEC'TS.      47
FAITH VS. INVESTIGATION.
According to the latest authorities upon the subject, there
are now in the world about 340,000,000 of Boodhists,
I6o,ooo,ooo of Mohammedans, 95,0oo0,ooo of Roman Cath —
olics, and 97,000,000 of Protestants.   Hence, allowing
numbers to be evidence of the correctness of religious faith,
we Protestants are only about two-thirds as likely to be
right, as are the Mohammedans; about one-half as likely to
so, as are the Roman Catholics; and about one-fourth as
likely, as are the poor, despised Boodhists, whose fourth
deity died a long time before our Christ was born, and
whose fifth is not expected to make his appearance upon the
Earth for many centuries to come.
Corollary:-Not early borrowed faith of any kind, however universal, but close investigation, irrespective of who
may be thereunto opposed, is the best evidence of sound
opinions, as well upon the subject of religion, as upon every
other.-Straight and narrow is the way that leads to real
truth; and yet it is broad enough for all mankind to walk
therein to a much greater extent than they now do, were
they only thus supremely inclined.
PROGRESSIONISTS AND NON-PROGRESS1ONISTS.
A Progressionist is one who makes it a rule, as far forth
as possible, not only to look and think for himself, but to
speak and act in accordance with the light which he, at the
time, possesses upon the subject, no matter what may chance
to have been his prior opinions thereupon, or what his
former course of action. Consequently, in looking over the
different chapters into which the life of such a man doth
naturally divide itself, there will be many things discoverable, which, although bearing evidence upon their face of
having been deliberately said and done, are nevertheless
irreconcilably at variance, the one with the other.
A non-progressionist is one who makes it a point, not
only not to look or think for himself, any more than he can



48                   DEPAR?URE.
not help, but to speak and to act just as did his venerable
father before him, and because his father did thus speak and
act, no matter what the subject, nor how much such speech
or action may chance to be at variance with the little personal observation and experience, that have been forced
upon him. Of course, in the life of such a man, there will
be found but one chapter; and that, whether right, or
whether wrong, a self-consistent one from beginning to end.
Or, to state the case a little more fully, large Causality
and Comparison, joined with small Veneration and Firmness, ever dispose their possessors to look carefully into the
sayings and doings of contemporaries for guidance and instruction,-ever dispose them to scan well the facts and
circumstances connected with the more advanced present
in search of light; and consequently, in both thought and
action, they are ever onward-moving.  Upon the other
hand, large Veneration and Firmness, joined with small
Causality and Comparison, ever dispose their possessors to
look to the ancients for guidance and instruction,-ever dispose them to look back into the past for light and knowl-edge; and consequently, whatsoever things were chanced
to be said and done by certain of the ancient Fathers, those
same are they disposed to say and do forever on. In other
words, there is a class of persons who are so organized and
balanced, that they are always ready and willing, not only
to learn what is real truth upon every subject of interest to
man, but to confess by their actions as well as in words,
that they are wiser to-day than they were yesterday, and
hope to be still wiser to-morrow. Such, wherever found,
naturally look forward, and not backward, consequently are
progressive in their character and yearnings; and hence, between their opinions and practice, past and present, there will
ever be found to exist discrepancies, more or less glaring. And
-then there is another class whose organization and mental
balance is such that they are strongly predisposed, if not irresistibly inclined, forever to be and remain of the same
traditional opinions and narrow practice, that were their
revered ancestors. These, irrespective of caste or profession,




iJfISCELLAXEO US S UBJE CTS.             49
ever, naturally, look backward, and not forward; consequently they are sure to remain just about stationary in both
opinions and practice; and hence, whether right or whether
wrong, and whether weighty or whether weightless, they are
never guilty of being inconsistent with themselves.
Consistency is doubtless a jewel,; but not that kind of
consistency which requires that a man should purposely go
wrong to-day, because, from ignorance or inadvertence, he
chanced to go wrong yestetfday, but the kind which currently determines him to avoid, as far forth as possible, the
errors of yesterday, and to pursue the right to-day, as the
same to him shall appear.
TEACHERS.
Good book-learning, although a very desirable thing in a
teacher, is by no means the only qualification that is needed
to insure success in teaching.  Indeed, a teacher that is
considerably deficient in scholarship, but possessed of native
tact, and a brain of the positive stamp, is ever to be preferred to one of good book-learning, but devoid of tact and
-force of character. The presence of the former in the
schoolroom, notwithstanding his deficiency in scholarship,
ever exerts a strengthening, upbuilding influence; that of
the latter, notwithstanding his fine scholastic acquirements,
a weakening, downward-dragging one; and especially upon
such of his pupils as are themselves lacking in these same
elements.  In the schoolroom, the same as everywhere else,
like begets like. In other words, positive influences impart
power, and negative influences detract therefrom.
5




CHAPTER V.
CHARACTER OF THE BIBLE'S GOD.
Such is our confidence in the goodness and justice of our
great Parent, call we him God, Nature, or by whatever name
we may, that we can never believe him guilty of having conducted himself toward us, his children, in a way which
would stamp with undying infamy the earthly parent who
should evidence a like character, by behaving toward his
offspring in a manner precisely similar. Not only this, but
such is our desire to see respect for the Bible placed upon
some more fitting basis, than is a blind, presumptuous faith
in its superhuman origin, bordering upon idolatry, that we
can never yield our assent to such a construction of its
pages as must tend to sink it in the estimation of all rightminded, generous-hearted, thinking men and women who,
from Nature's volume, are convinced that the God of all the
Earth doth right.  Or, to state our position a little differently, because not only the miraculous portion of the Bible,
but much of the so-called historic, will not admit of a literal
construction without weakening the reader's confidence in,.
and lessening his respect for, the character and government
of that God of whom its pages treat, therefore, as long as
shall it continue to be made the rule of human faith and the
measure of its practice, so long must we continue to object
to any such construction being put thereupon. And to
prove that such is the case, even with the most fundamental
Bible. narrations, we propose to. take the first one which
presents itself, and admit the account of the course pursued
by God toward man, as chronicled by Moses in the first
three chapters of Genesis, to be literally correct, and then
proceed to illustrate the same by an assumed example.




CHARACTER OF TIHE BIBLE'S GOD,              51
As a foundation, then, we will assume that somewhere
within the United States, there resides a very wealthy man of
fifty years, who, at the age of thirty, was left a widower with
two' infant children, a promising little son, the image of
himself, and a beautiful little daughter, the picture of her
mother. This much being assumed as a fact, let it now be
supposed as hereinafter follows:-Immediately  after his
wife's decease, and ostensibly for the purpose of favoring
these motherless innocents, this millionaire proceeded to
lay out a garden, wherein he planted a great variety of trees
that are pleasant to the sight and good for food. In addition to these, and in the midst of the garden, he planted a
kind of tree, the fruit of which, although pleasant to look
upon, was nevertheless a deadly poison; also another, whose
fruit was by him known to be, unto such poison, an effectual
antidote.
A few years thereafter, and when the different trees were
covered with fruit, this parent took the two.confiding, little
innocents by the hand, led them into this paradise, and
said, " Behold, all this richness and beauty, out of the
abundance of my paternal love, have I prepared and spread
out as an agreeable surprise before you; and now, to your
care and keeping, I commit it.  Here you are at liberty to
roam and regale yourselves, and of every tree of the garden
you may freely eat: baut of t/e tree of,kzozvAlcdge of good and
evil, pointing thereto, you must not eat of it: for in the day
you eat thereof you shall surely die." This all done in true
paternal style, he smiled upon them  a parting blessing and
withdrew, leaving the innocent and happy pair alone to
dress the garden, eat of its goodly fruits, and enjoy its
pleasures.
In true child-like style and simplicity, thoughtless and
happy'as the birds that were singing their love notes on the
boughs o'er their heads, or the fishes that were sporting
their short lives in the stream at their feet, these juveniles
at once proceeded to ransack every nook and corner, upsetting this and overturning that; here in ecstacies at sight of
this new. object, and there wondering at some other; under




52                   D)EPARTURE.
this tree stuffing themselves with its delicious fruit, and beside that, in boisterous merriment, rolling upon the green
grass carpet, not knowing what to do next.  In this way the
hours flew by, until, at length, they found themselves under
the interdicted tree; the sight of which not only reminded
little Eva of what her father said about it, but greatly excited her feminine curiosity to know what there could be so
very peculiar about this tree, whose strange name, knowzedge
of good and evil, created in her mind only a blank idea of
its nature, she having never yet tasted the quality by the
latter part of the name denoted. These things all conspired
to excite her curiosity to the highest pitch; and when she
saw that tle tree was good for food, and that it a:vas jpleasant
to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she not
only took of the fruit thereof herself and ate, but gave also
unto her little brother that was with her, and he ate. No
sooner was this done, however, than sad experience made
them wiser, for then they knew not only good, but also evil
by its gnawings and fatal effects.  Just at that moment too
their father was heard coming, and so they ran and hid
themselves from his presence among the trees of the garden.
This childish expedient was of no avail however, as he immediately called to them in an imperative tone, demanding
to know where they were. Upon this little Adin, who was
a fraction older than his twin sister Eva, frankly made
answer thus: " I heard you coming into the garden, father,
and being afraid, Ihid myself."  The father suspecting what
they had been about immediately inquired, "Have you
eaten of the tree whereof I commanded you not to eat? "Whereupon the ingenuous little Adin, without waiting to
have the question repeated, proceeded straightforwardly to
acknowledge his error by saying:  " My little sister whom
you left with me in the garden, she gave me of the tree, and I
did eat." Upon this the father turned to Eva and said,
" Wkhat is tzis that thoz hkast done? " —And she, too, unlike a
child steeped in falsehood, but like a very good little girl as
she had ever been, made full confession thus:  " What you
said, about the tree, father, when you called our attention




CHARA CTER OF TtHE BIBLE'S GOD.           53
to it, together with its pleasant look, tempted me, anid I did
eat." The parent thus understanding not only what they
had done, but their consequent perillous condition, immediately turned to some one-we cannot tell whom-and
said, " Behold, these children have each become as one of
us, to k/zow good andd evil; and now, lest they put forth their
hands and take also of the tree whose fruit is an antidote to
the poison which contrary to my injunctions they have swallowed, and so become healed, I will drive them out of the
garden, and place a guard about it that will effectually prevent them." Such being his decision, he at once proceeded
to carry it into execution by summarily ejecting them from
the garden, and placing before the entrance cz fl7amig sword
wiclh tZurned every roay to keep the waly which led into the
garden, and hence to the antidotal tree, effectually guarded.
This done, he sat himself down and calmly awaited the
result, which, it is needless to say, was just what he well
knew it would be; namely, before the Sun's last rays had
faded in the west, little Adin and Eva, his only children,
were both lying cold in death upon the ground before him.
Thus were these little, motherless innocents, for this their
first false step, and for the taking of which they were so
much indebted to a train of circumstances purposely spread
as a temptation and snare in their path by the hand of him
who, from the high and holy relation in which he stood to
them, should have been their nurse when sick, the protector
of their persons when well, and the shield of their innocence
from every foreseen temptation and danger, left to sicken,
suffer, and die before his eyes.
And now, in all sincerity, we ask, Does not every considerate person, acquainted with the careless, inquisitive,
and confiding nature of inexperienced children, see and
know that what befell these unfortunates, if not certain to
take place, will at least be liable to happen just about as
often as shall such an unnatural, inhuman, and wicked
experiment be repeated?  We repeat the question, Does
not every considerate person see and know this?-But
whether they do or not, and be the arssver given what it




54                  DEPARTUI-E.
may, this much is certain; the experiment has not been repeated, and never will be by any sane parent, rich or poor,
black or white. But, to'bring the matter as near home to
our reader's own doors, as should we be pardonable in
doing even by supposition, what think ye would have been
and still be your feelings, and especially such of you as are
parents, had this unnatural father chanced to be a resident
of your own quiet, little neighborhood; had this event but
last week taken place; had you been present at their
funeral; and had you all the while supposed them to have
been thus suddenly stricken down by some unaccountable
accident, until, at the conclusion of fhe solemn services,
and with hearts overflowing with kindly sympathy for the
bereaved parent, you were suddenly undeceived by hearing
that father boastingly proclaim aloud, as a model paternal
example, the exact cause and manner of their death? Aye,
and what the judgment,-when, by a faithful press, the unvarnished tale shall have been trumpeted to the remotest
nook tenanted by civilized man,-which an astonished and
indignant world would be compelled to pronounce upon that
father, whose superior wisdom and forecast are known to be
such as to render it;certain, not only that he fully comprehended the imminence of the hazard to which he was thus
wantonly exposing his inexperienced and hitherto innocent
children, but that this fatal and fatally tempting danger was,
by him, deliberately planned, and placed before them? To
say nothing of the emotions that would heave the fond
bosoms of tender mothers and doting fathers, would not the
following be, in substance and effect, the thoughts and the
feelings which would swell every other kind and manly
breast?-The sane parent who can thus deliberately go and
plant, in grounds set apart for the use and improvement
of his innocent offsprings, a tree whose fruit is. pleasant to
the eye, but a deadly poison, and then trust to threatened
punishment of any kind to shield them from the impending
danger, however carefully pointed out, is a vretc/z.  The
father who can stand by and see his children sicken, suffer,
and die from the effects of disobediently eating a known




CHARACTER OF THIE BIlBLE'S GOD.              55
deadly poisonous fruit, which, in spite of all his efforts to
prevent, will ever, more or less plentifully, grow about his
door; and neglect to force down their throats, if force.be
requisite, a known antidote which is at hand, and thus relieve their sufferings and save their lives, is either a MAD
MAN or a FOOL. And the parent whose feelings are so callous that he can find it in his heart deliberately to say, of
his thus offending, suffering, and dying children, "' And
now, lest they put forth their feeble hands and take also of
the tree whose fruit is an antidote to the poison which contrary to my injunctions they have tasted, and so find relief
therefrom and live, I will drive them from it;" and not only
can find it in his heart deliberately to say so terribly unnatural and inhuman a thing, but to put the same into full
execution; and then, with the self-satisfied air of a man who
feels that he has washed' his paternal hands of all responsibility in the matter, sit himself down and unmoved look on,
and see them suffer and die before him, is not a man, but a
MONSTER.
It cannot be necessary to go further and show, that these,our-assumed children, not only in point of age, but of
knowledge and experience, much more nearly approach a
state of equality with their supposed earthly parent, than do
-the oldest and wisest of us, fathers and mothers, to that
eternal Being, whom a literal rendering of the Bible's language would make to be the Creator and Parent of us all.
Not only this, but it must be obvious to every one that we
have been compelled to represent said children as then and
there, physically, expiring, such being the worst punishment
which, by any fair supposition, we could represent as being
inflicted; whereas the death contemplated in said Mosaic
account, as authoritatively interpreted and taught in the:schools, did not cease to be a jpower when it had slain the
persons of our first parents, nor yet doth its dread mission
come to an end with the cessation of bodily life in their
-numerous posterity; but, instead, extends its baleful influence,unceasingly on in the form of an endless misery-creating,




56                   DEPARTURE.
misery-extending, and misery-entailing influence, or a deathr
t/at never dies.
And now, kind readers, to you, as candid perusers of the:
Bible, we appeal, Is not the illustration, although feeble and
limited, at least a fair one; allowing said Mosaic account is
not to be so interpreted as to make it accord with the lights
of reason and of nature, but is to be understood either as
by a living clergy it is explained, or as in black and white it
reads?  Also, whether or not our position is thus far sustained by the record, and whether we have treated the subject with that fairness and candor which become an inquirer
after real truth, or whether we have not, you are the judges.
We will next take up the character of God as evidenced
not only by the summary method he is said to have adopted,
at quite an early day, to rid the Earth of sinful men, but:
also of the way he is reported to have contrived, long years.
thereafter, for bringing about a state of reconciliation between
himself and the creatures whom  he, unasked, had made;
and whom, it would seem, he considered as being already
dead to him, because so contaminated by the sins of their
great first parents next after himself, that there was left no
soundness in them. As a starting point, we will admit the
different chapters and parts of chapters, passages and parts
of passages, having reference to either of said events, no.
matter in which Testament found, to be, each and all, just
so many plain historic narrations of facts which, in manner
and form therein set forth, took place; and then proceed, as.
before, to illustrate each by an assumed example.
In some remote sea, then, and not within the jurisdiction
of any state or country, we will assume there exists a solitary and spacious, but somewhat low  and basin-shaped
island, unto which a certain enterprising young man, long:
since, privately withdrew, taking with him not only a wife,
but a reasonable supply of the different kinds of domestic.
animals; and where, " the world forgetting and by the
world forgot," he still resides.  This much being assumed as.
a fact, let it further be supposed as hereinafter set forth:In process of time, in this secluded spot, this man came to




CUALRACTER -OF TH-' BIBLE'S GOD.            57
be surrounded by an immense number of children, grand —
children, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, etc.,
all of whom, both male and female, had disobeyed and
offended him in various ways; wherefore, with them all, he.
was sore displeased.  The old adage, Like fa./zer, like son,
seems here to have been most strikingly verified, not only in
the character of his immediate children, but, in that of his,
grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc., who, witnessing
their immediate parents' habits of rudeness and contempt
of restraint, failed not in their turn to enact the same things,
not only toward their fathers and mothers from whom they
learned them, but also toward him  who was the common
parent of them all.  In this way, and not because wheat,
when timely sown upon ground that is suitable, will not take.
root and grow as well as tares, the thing naturally extended
itself downward in an unbroken chain to the great-greatgreat-grandchildren, old enough to lisp and ape those older
than themselves.  Wherefore this clear-headed old parent
and patriarchal governor, instead of looking complacently
upon even the helpless infant in the cradle, seemed disposed
to remember against such the sins of their parents, grandparents, etc., backward through a certain number of generations, always being careful to stop, however, just before it
all centered in himself as the great head and starting-point..
As already remarked, he was not upon terms of good feeling
with even the smallest of his great-great-great-great grandchildren, but regarded them  as being tainted by the sins of
their immediate parents, else suffered himself to be displeased
with them in advance for offenses he felt certain they would
commit, just as soon as they should become possessed of the
ability to do so.  Thus did matters for a long time stand upon
this beautiful island, where, strange and unaccountable as it.
may seem, all this misconduct of his progeny was suffered
to go on, take place, and be, notwithstanding he was supreme.
governor there, or might at all times have been, had he
chosen to assert his rightful authority, and exercise his.
power. Indeed, from the very nature of things, such was.
ever his power and authority there, that he had but to will




58                  DEPARTURE.
it to have the strictest obedience to his every mandate rendered, and so had harmony and order taken the place of all
this confusion and disorder.  But all this disobedience and
disorder, from the beginning down to the time under consideration, he suffered to be practiced by the clay over
which he was potter, not, as said, because he could not at
any time have put a stop thereto, had he chosen to do so,
nor yet for the reason that he did not know beforehand that
all these things would come to take place among his children
and subjects, when thus left without governmental restraint,
(save the little that resides in mere verbal threats of punishment at some indefinite future period,) but because it was
his determination at the beginning, and all along, to hold
them, and not himself, responsible for their being and doing
the very reverse of what he their progenitor and untrammnelled governor wanted they should be and do, and of what
it was clearly within his province to have made them been
and done. For this reason, and for no other that we can
see, was all this mischief suffered to be afoot, and to take
whatever course it would up to a certain time, when, as
appears from the book of records there kept, he began to
reflect upon its character and consequences. And it repented
the old gentleman that he. had begotten any children, and it
grieved him at his heart. And he said, " I will destroy the
children whom I have begotten, from the face of the island,
both man and beast; for it repenteth me that I have begotten any children, or brought beasts upon the island." Notwithstanding all this, however, it seems that one of his sons,
called Nor, found grace in the eyes of his father; and so he
finally concluded not to make a clean sweep of the thing,
but to save Nor and his household. He proceeded at once
to inform his said son of his terrible determination, and
instructed him to make ready a boat for the salvation cf
himself and family, together with a sufficient number of
beasts of the different kinds, to preserve the seed thereof.
Nor immediately set about making ready the craft as by his
father directed, into which, when finished, he entered with
his family and other appointed freight.  And then, to bring




CHARAClGTER OF TIE BIBLE'S GOD.            59
about the work of destruction aforementioned and determined upon, the old gentleman opened the gates of a great
sluice in the levee, of which he alone had knowledge and
control, and so let the water flow in upon the face of the
island, some forty days and forty nights; thereby soaking,
chilling, starving, and drowning, indiscriminately, the men,
women, children, and beasts of every kind.  The more
robust and active of his numerous posterity, suffered long
and intensely from wet, cold, hunger, and fright,  as from
covert to covert and hillock to hillock they fled to escape
the terrible and constantly-rising waters, until, at last, they
were swallowed up in death; -until, at last, all in whose
nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the island,
died.
Such, in brief, was the nature of the difficulties complained
of, such the causes which had led thereto, such the remedy
determined upon therefor, and such its awfully devastating
effects when into execution carried.  And now, without a
word of comment, we submlit the broad question, Does not
this whole transaction, from beginning to end, look much
more like the work of a demon, than it does like the deliberate doings of a kind and indulgent parent, acting under
the guidance of wisdom and justice?-But whether the dictate of wisdom and justice, or whether of folly and madness, the great work of death has been done, and the gates
again closed.
And such in character and practice, according to the
Mosaic account, was the God of the ancients: a Deity unto
whom they were constantly sacrificing the first-fruits of the
land, the firstlings of their flocks, the firstlings of their
herds, and numerous other rich and savory things, not from
feelings of love, but those of slavish fear; hoping, by thus
ministering to the gratification of his appetite, to mollify his
anger, turn aside his jealousy, and, if possible, to propitiate
him into bearable good humor.'But to return from this digression:  After many days,
according to an entry found in the book of records, dry
land again made its appearance upon the face of the island;




60                   DEPARTURE.
and Nor and his family gladly exchanged their pent-up
quarters for its more ample and inviting surface.  And Nor
builded an altar unto his father, and took of every clean
beast, and every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on
the altar. And his father smelled a sweet savor, and said in
his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for my
children's sake, for the imaginations of my children's hearts
are evil from their youth; neither will I again smite any
more everything living as I have done. And the old patriarch blessed Nor and his sons, and said unto them, " Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the island;" a command
just like the one he gave to each of his immediate children
before he drowned them, likewise to all that vast multitude
of human beings that had been brought into existence in
obedience thereto. And the old gentleman spake unto Nor,
and to his sons with him, saying, " And I, behold, I establish
my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; and
with every living creature that is with you; and I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off
any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any
more be a flood to destroy the island.  And, as a token of
this my said covenant, I will set my bow in the sluice by the
gates, and the bow shall be in the sluice by the gates, and I
will look upon the bow, that I may remember the everlasting
covenant between me and every living creature that is upon
the island."
A good understanding having been thus secured between
himself and these his few remaining children, multiplication,
marrying, and giving in marriage again began and went on,
until there again came to be not only quite a numerous posterity of his upon the island, but until things were getting to
be in just about the same entangled and disorderly state as
before.
And so the yet hale old patriarch of Samsonian muscle,
and more than'Methuselahn longevity, again begins to look
about him and consider. Plainly enough he discovers it is
of little use to repent himself that he ever begot any children, since that being a thing done can never be recalled;




CITIARA CTER OF TlIWE BIBLE'S GOD.        61
and besides he sees the bow quite too oft and plainly to
allow him to forget that he has bound himself, by solemn
covenant, not to drown them any more by the waters of a
flood. So, upon a careful review of the whole matter, he
finally comes to see just what he perfectly well knew from
the beginning; namely, that by thus permitting the mass of
his children and subjects, (for, as appears by the book of
records, most of the time, since that terrible drowning
affair, a few favorites and an occasional pet among his children he seems to have had,) to run on and do the very
things he does not want done, and to leave undone those
which he is desirous they should do, he is but repeating his
former experiment, and hence must needs reap the same
dissatisfactory results. All this, as said, he knew from the
beginning; wherefore it can never with alny show of reason
be urged that he was taken by surprise, or in the least disappointed by their occurrence. And yet, strange and unaccountable as it may appear, the old patriarchical governor
seems now, for the first time, to see and appreciate the
obvious fact, that the high and holy relation of parent ever,
naturally, brings along with it certain other imperative duties
beside that of simply giving unto those, upon whom is thus
forced a living existence, a place whereon to stand and to
grow. And seeing this, he seems to have come to the only
conclusion that can ever, logically, be drawn from  the
premises; namely, That this state of things, however long
permitted -to continue, must needs be and remain just as
disagreeable and unprofitable to him, as it is injurious and
fatal to them.  Indeed, it would seem, to all appearance,
but just now to have occurred to the old gentleman, that
such a course of procedure could no more contribute to his
good and happiness than to theirs, since, by an unalterable
decree of his own, or of somebody else, their interest must
needs be his interest, their joys, his joys, and their sorrows,
his sorrows. Such being the state of affairs, such the tenor
of his reflections, such the failure of the great drowning
experiment, and such his covenant never again to repeat it,
he now begins to cast about him to discover, if possible,




62                   DEPARTURE.
some more effectual remedy. Plainly enough he sees that
somebody has done wrong; wherefore he is determined that
somebody shall suffer. Yea, blood must be shed before he
can so much as think of abating his fury, or suffering his
fierce anger to be appeased. And yet the idea of chastising
each for his own personal transgressions, as he justly deserves,
does not seem to strike him favorably, since, by such a course,
he would be obliged to punish the whole of his remaining
posterity, except one certain good and noble son who, it
would seem, had never sinned.  Tacitly admit that he had
himself been a little remiss in the discharge of his duties as
parent and governor, by extending to all unconditional
pardon for past offenses, without punishing a single individual any fu'rther than has each already been by the natural
effects of wrong-doing, he is determined he will not; notwithstanding he knows there is not a tongue in all the island
that would object, or a hand that would be raised in opposition thereto.
No o; for angry he is., and angry he will be; and his fierce
anger he will not stiffer one jot to be appeased without
blood.  And so he finally determines —ah! and what does
he finally determine? That he will chastise each and all
according to their several deserts?-No. That he will make
an example of certain ringleaders, and offer a conditional
pardon to all the rest? —No; not this.: but that he will
punish in a most cruel and ignominious manner the only
innocent child he has, the very one who has merited naught
from him, save love, kindness, and protection.-Strange determination, this! And stranger still that it should be
called by the name of either Mercy or Justice!
But the plan being now determined upon in his own mind,
he proceeds to lay the same before this generous and noble
hearted son who, not for the novelty of the thing, nor yet
for the empty eclat, but for the great and noble purpose of
permanently benefiting his ignorantly erring and greatly
beloved kindred, magnanimously assents to be made for
them  a vicarious sacrifice.  And mark it! this strange and
strangely unnatural father does not step kindly forward, and,




C1tHARAUCTER OF TIIE BIBLE'S GOD.           63
with his own feeling hand, himself inflict the dreadful blow,
(thereby extracting as much as possible the sting therefrom,)
but sends him forth unprotected and alone among his enrageCd and cruel sons, grandsons, great-grandsons, etc., who
are themselves the guilty wretches, and whose hatred toward
this his defenceless child and bosom confidant is just about
as deep and unrelenting, as toward himself, the common
head and parent of themn all.  Thus are these miscreants,
who it would certainly seem were already sufficiently.dyed
with crime, purposely permitted to add still another to their
already dark catalogue of offenses,-that of glutting their
savage cruelties, even unto the death, upon the head of a
kind and generous-hearted relative, who has never injured
either him'or them.
But, to make a long, horrid, and strangely unnatural story
as short as possible, this innocent victim of folly,' treachery,
and hate, with the magnanimity and self-possession which
had ever characterized his noble and generous nature,
strengthened now by an ardent desire to appease his father's
anger, and thus confer a lasting benefit upon his erring
kindred, neekly bore their cruel taunts and buffetings:
and yet, when the diabolical punishment, to which their
malicious hate had doomed him, came to stare him fully in
the face, he staggered under it. Wherefore he besought his
father to be spared t/zis cue, if consistently with his will it
could be done. This appeal, it would seem, touched somewhat his father's feelings; and yet, judging from  what
immediately followed, as appears from the book of records,
it is manifest the unhappy child obtained no encouragement
that this his most reasonable request should be granted.
For, being in an agony, he prayed the more earnestly: a/nd
lzis sweat was as it wyerse great drops of blood fallinzg gdownz to
the gro.nnd.  But the agonizing prayer of this his unhappy
son, the stern father grants not.  The cup, the bitter cup,
of a slow, cruel, and ignominious death, he is not only made
to taste, but to drink to the very dregs: for, by his enraged
kindred, he is pursued as a criminal, taken, tried, condemned, and executed.  WAe say, he was tried, because a




804                   DEPARTURE.
sort of hearing he seems to have had; notwithstanding the
infamous farce was most unceremoniously interrupted and
cut short by repeated cries of crucify himl, crucify him.
Accordingly, Without form or order, he is led away from the
judgment-hall, nailed to the barbarous cross, placed between
two thieves, the more pointedly to signify that he was the.soul and center of their hate; and there, stretched between
the heavens and earth as if unfit for either, amid shouts, revilings, and senseless ribaldry, he lingers, suffers, and dies;
the stern father all the while looking on, that his angry
vengeance, not toward him, but toward the inhuman perpetrators, might be satisfied. —When in this terribly ignominious and suffering condition he found himself, no more did
he petition to be spared that cup: for then all hope thereof
had fled. In the midst of all this gloom and anguish, however, his native kindness did not seem to desert him, but shone
out-" The ruling passion, strong in death."  Wherefore,
here it was that love, strengthened by fear that even this his
most tragical end might prove insufficient to appease his
father's anger, and thus reconcile him to his ignorantly,erring kindred, forced upon him his recollection and constrained him to repeat that pure, unselfish, and never-to-be-forgotten prayer of the man of Nazareth, " Fat/er, forgziz!e.lzem ~ for they know izot zewhat thzey do."
Thus did the pure, the innocent, and unoffending suffer,
not by unfortunate mistake, but was purposely made to
bleed and die, for and instead of the known impure and
guilty. And hence the plan of reconciliation between this
~offended parent and his disobedient children has now be-,come -a perfected thing. We say, it has now become a
perfected thing; because, after having thus permitted the
already deeply criminal to add, unto past criminality, this
<one more deep and damning blood-stained crime, the old
gentleman finds himself so much better pleased with the vile
perpetrators than before, that he is now ready, willing, and
-anxious, upon terms both simple and easy, to extend unto:all forgiveness, not only for this, but for all past offenses.
Or, to present the different philosophical beauties of this




CHGRACTER OF THIE BIBLE'S GOD.             65
so-called salvation's plan in one brief sentence, because
vengeance, dire and bloody, has been executed upon the
head of the undoubtedly pure and unoffending, therefore
have the known deeply criminal become so nearly innocent
as to be fit subjects, not only of a cold, formal pardon, if
they will accept of it, but of reception into favor, if they
-shall desire it.-And such in character and practice, accord-ing to Moses and the evangelists, is the God of orthodox
moderns: a Deity whom it is impossible to love, or not to
dread; and one from whose impending wrath they hope to
make their escape, by shouting and singing the praises, not
of 1izm, but of that excellent and most grossly wronged mazn,
who bore the name of Christ; and whose philanthropic
spirit, amiable character, and unselfish teachings, it is both
natural and easy to love and revere.
That savage barbarians do sometimes shock the moral
sense of the world by inhumanly butchering a friend or
associate of the offending party, in place of the transgressor
who has eluded their grasp, is not denied; but wherever the
blessed lights of science and civilization have dawned, except, possibly, during deep and damning war, it is never
done. And why not?-Policy forbids it! justice forbids it!
every finer feeling of the human heart forbids it! O thou
Father of mercies, God of all grace, and Author of light,
knowledge, and civilization among men! forgive us the thus
laying at thy door motives, feelings, and barbarities, which,
if seriously laid to ours, would kill us of very shame. Yea,
forgive us: for, verily, such are the blinding effects of earlymade impressions and after-associations, that, touching
many things naturally plain, we know not whoat wle do.
And yet again, kind readers, are we obliged to admit the
wvant of perfect parallelism between the supposed case, and
-the real one; since, in this, the same as in the first, it is not
within the scope of our feeble imaginative powers to lay
before you an exact likeness of the original, in all its
-immensely unnatural and inhuman length and breadth.
Wherefore, be pleased to consider the following suggestive,questions:-r.  Do not all and singular the deviations from
6




66                  DEPART'URE.
parallelism which, from the nature of things, we have been
compelled to make, operate in favor of the character of the
Bible's God, and not against it, allowing that its pages are
not to be so interpreted as to make them harmonize with the
lights of reason and nature, but are to be understood either
as by the schools they are explained, or as in black and
white they read?  2. Notwithstanding you could not fail to
admire the unselfish generosity and kindness of the single
man who should modestly step from the ranks, and offer
himself as a target in place of his brother, who is sentenced
to death for ignobly deserting the army of his country, and
who has a wife and children to mourn his loss; still would
you not be compelled to look down with contempt upon
that wretch of a commanding officer who, even momentarily,
could so far forget his duty as a soldier and his dignity as a
man, as to nod his assent to the exchange; and thus permit
the brave and the innocent to be shot down like a beast,
whilst prayerfully knelt upon the coffin designed for his
offending brother? 3. Was a neighbor of yours, before
starting upon a journey, to lay'down a chart of rules for the
guidance of his six minor sons during his absence, and was
one of them in all things to obey his instructions, whilst the
other five laugh at both him and his requirements, and so
go on behaving and doing contrary thereto; and should
that man upon his return, after being informed of what had
been done, who were the ones that did it, and which the
individual that took no part therein, refuse to forgive his
five offending children upon any terms, until they had first
seized, stripped, and cowhided in a most brutal manner, the
one who had been thus obedient; and was that man then to
turn to said five and say, And now, upon the strength of
what your innocent brother has been made to suffer, I will
forgive your disobedience, if you will but confess your faults,
and ask pardon therefor; and should that parent the next
morning, when you his near neighbors, in a peaceful manner, present yourselves before him to labor with him upon
the subject, undertake to inflict upon you a long rigmarole,
not only about the necessity of punishing somebody, since




CHARACTER OF T1FiE BIBLE'S GOD.           67
he had promised them all a flogging, if they did not obey,
but about the wisdom, justice and mercy of thus indirectly,
but brutally, punishing this one good and dutiful child,
instead of decently chastising the five delinquents, or one
or two of the leading rebels;-law-abiding, as you doubtless
are, Do you think anything short of well-grounded doubts
of his sanity would save him from the smell of pitch, and a
realizing, sense of the proper et cetera's? 4. And how came
you in possession of a nature which thus instinctively revolts
at the idea of adopting any such unreasonable course toward
your own children, or of seeing it adopted toward those of
a neighbor, unless it was organically enstamped upon you
by that God, in whose image and likeness you are created?
- How? 5. Admitting the taking of the life of Christ by
violence, to have been, in the mind of Almighty God, an
essential plank in the platform of man's salvation; and also
admitting that all who were upon the Earth, at the time
Christ was here, had believed in him, that is, had believed
his story about his being the Son of God, etc., consequently
had been his followers, the same as were Peter, James, and
John, and hence had treated with gentleness and respect;
then is it not plain that God would have been obliged to
have slain him directly, and with his own hand, instead of
indirectly, through the unbelieving Jews, as his fit instrument; else that the entire plan of human salvation would
have been a dead failure? 6. Allowing the death of Christ
by violence, to have been originally, in the mind'of God, a
part of salvation's perfected plan, or rather one of the essential links in the chain of prederminate causes which -brought
the plan of salvation to a state of perfection; and also allowing that God would not himself have laid violent hands upon
Christ, and thus have been his murderer, then is not the inference irresistible, that we are just as much indebted to the
awfully wicked Jews for killing him, as we are to the Holy
Ghost. for begetting him, the Virgin Mary for bearing him, or
to God the Father for raising him from the dead? In other
words, if, for bearing Christ,-whose mission it was to save
the world, not by his birth alone, but by his birth and death,




68                 -DEPARTURE.
-Mary is worthy to be sainted; then why are not the Jews
for killing him, and thus rendering his said mission a thing
complete? —That they honestly thought they were doing a
service to society, if not to the world, by killing him, as
seems to us, there can be no doubt; and consequently none
that they were acting morally right; —were acting just as
morally right, when they did it, as was Mary, when unresistingly submitting herself to be overshadowed by the
Holy Ghost; and thus brought into a condition, whereby,
in due course of time, she was compelled to give birth to
the babe called Jesus.-7. And does not the bare suggestion
of punishing those who do not deserve it, and letting go unpunished such as have richly merited it, just because the
innocent have undeservedly been made to suffer, involunta*ily carry your thoughts back to those days of heathenish
darkness, when wisdom and justice were the exceptions,
-and folly, favoritism, and revenge the rule, instead of up to
a wise, just, and impartial God?
Of course, we may wrong, but, as we have come to see
it, such is human nature, and such the Bible account of God
and of Christ, that men have no option, but are compelled,
by the nature that is in them, to detest the character of the
former, and to admire that of the latter; in other words,
they are irresistably led to love and deify the mzan, and to
hate the God. Wherefore, again we repeat, so long as shall
the Bible continue to be made the rule of our religious
faith and the measure of its practice, just so long must its
every chapter, verse, and sentence be so construed as not to
make its teachings pander to our grosser animal passions, or
shock the higher and better portion of our nature.  For,
manifestly enough, just what we need is, that the animal
man within us should be dragged upward, and still upward,
until it shall come harmoniously to stand upon the same
high plane, legitimately occupied by the greatly advanced
intellectual and moral man; and not that the intellectual
and moral man within us should be debased down, and still
down, to a level with the animal man, as the same existed
within the human tabernacle some two or three thousand




ChIARA CTER OF TIE E BIBLE'S GOD.        69
years ago. On a word, that religious standard, and that
only, tends.to better us, whose precepts and examples are
more noble and exalted than are our own, spontaneous
promptings, and yet not so much above the level of our
natures, be that level high or be it low, as to render -at- all
attempts at successful imitation hopeless.




CHAPTER VI.
AN UNLOVELY GOD CANNOT BE LOVED.
It may be a misfortune, but whether so or not, such is our
organic structure and such our mental balance, that it is not
possible for us to believe what to us appeals incredible, or
to love what to us doth seem both hateful and unjust.  Although we might greatly fear a Being who should demean
himself toward his offspring in the manner we are told that
God did toward our first parents, and, through them, toward
all human kind, the same as we doubtless should a great and
powerful, but cruel and vindictive human tyrant, (should it
ever'be our fortune to fall into the hands of such an earthly
curse,) still we can no more truly respect such a Personage,
than could we a self-wise, self-willed, and self-righteous
neighbor who, instead of trying to devise ways and means
for so far abridging the freedom of choice and of action in
his innocent offspring, as to prevent them, without injury to
themselves or anybody else, from doing such things as he
does not want done, should first pompously command them,
upon pain of punishment, not to do it, and then sit himself
complacently down in his large easy-chair, and, from that
stand-point, look doggedly on, and see and hear, his and
their, implacable enemy, approach, pursue, and instigate
them into the doing of that same thing, which he knows will
have the effect to blast their reputations, and destroy their
happiness forever;-not any more.-Unto love, pity bears
some slight resemblance, but fear none at all.
Strange as it may appear to many timorous, trembling,
well-meaning souls, in whom love of self and fear of personal harm bear rule, we sincerely hope we may never sink
so low in the scale of what to us doth seem to be genuine




AN UNVLO VEL Y G OD CA 4NNOT BE LO VED.    71
manliness and self-respect, as that we could come to feel
ourself at home in the presence of any pot/entate, just because
he should vouchsafe to pamper us and a few other individuals with an undeserved paradise of ease and plenty, when,
at the same time, by the eye of faith we could see him
busily engaged in heaping upon the mass of his subjects, our
friends and neighbors among the rest, toil and reproaches,
famine and torture without intermission, and without end.
Indeed, if we know ourself, we do not covet a seat in any
such narrow, half-filled heaven, as is the Calvanistic one;
and that in sight of such an overflowing hell, with kindred,
friends, and fellow-travellers, filled. And, unless we greatly
err, to-be obliged to be in the place commonly described as
heaven, in the presence of such a God, and in-sight of such
an awful set of endless-misery surroundings, all of his contriving and creation, would be, unto vast numbers of the
race, the very hell of /lells. If in this we are correct, (which
we must think we are,) then, as certainly as there doth ever
exist a sure relation between effects and their parent causes,
just so certainly must these unnatural views of the character
of God and his government have a tendency to render men
more unfeeling, selfish, and oppressive';-have a tendency to
render men more like the God they worship, and hence
worse instead of better.  Indeed, we are constrained to
think the reason why men are no worse, than experience
proves them to be, is not because the irreverent dogma of
man's totally. depraved nature has been -so plentifully interwoven into their sectarian creeds, but because their blind
faith therein is greatly modified by their rational doubts of
its truthfulness; and because'that same inherent nature,
which is so much inveighed against, is too deep-rooted and
strong to be ever wholly covered up, or smothered out of
the human tabernacle, by this or any other docrine, no
matter how highly it may be eulogized nor what its reputed
origin.-As the matter.stands out revealed to us, whether'right or whether wrong, not uninterruptedly, but, as a whole
and upon the whole, the animal called man, since his first
creation upon this earthly ball, has fallen greatly upward




72                   DEPARTUlRTE.
and not downward; and is still falling, quite as fast as ever,
in that same direction.
If, therefore, from either principle or policy, we are unwilling to accelerate the Bible's doom, we must so construe
its pages, read as they may, as not to bring its teachings in.
collision with such facts and principles as stand out revealed
in any portion of great Nature's volume: for, manifestly
enough, between this great and constantly-growing revelation, and that said narrow former, there must ever exist the
most perfect harmony; else, not this, the living testimony,
but that, the one in artificial language penned, must fall.
Indeed it behooves us, each and all, to' see to it that our
highly valued boxes of religious faith and practice are so
arranged and packed as that they shall be rightside up,
which ever side is up, otherwise they may be seriously damaged by that general search after facts and overhaul of
principles which on board the world's great ship, by the
aid's of natural science, are everywhere being made. Or, to
present the idea in a little different form, strongly fortified
by antiquity and endeared by early remembrances as is that
cherished Volume, nevertheless the time has arrived, when
it can no longer successfully wage and carry on a war against
facts and principles that are demonstrably true. Unless we
mistake causes and misinterpret effects, it is not so much the.
action of its enemies, as want of attention on the part of its
friends and defenders to this plain fact, which stands bottom
cause of that Bible skepticism now lurking in the heads,
not of rowdies, nor men of copper whose consciences reside:
within the bond, but of such sober, thinking men and
women, as are firm believers in a fixed-law government of a,
God superior to popular opinion, place, or favor, higher,
and more to be regarded, than are all the barren dogmas.
prescribed by convocations or by synods; and whose constantly improving condition, both physical and mental, dailyintercourse with equals, kindness to inferiors, forbearance
toward the unfortunate erring, and practical charity toward
all, bear unmistakable evidence that their faith cannot be




ANV UNLO VEL Y GOD CANNOOT BE LOVED.    73
greatly wrong, since their lives, its only true exponent, are,
clearly in the right..As a barren dogma is good for nothing and dead faith no,
better, so the only faith which is worth anything is that
which is active and practical,-is that which produces fruit;:.
and, of this kind, that must needs be most valuable which
yields the best fruit, and the most of it. Christ undoubtedly
spoke a real truth, as well as moral one, when he said, "Forevery tree is known by his own fruit: for of thorns men do,
not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they grapes."
If, therefore, the tree of our religious faith which we are so
zealously endeavoring to propagate, and upon which we so,,
confidently rely to remove darkness by its presence, remedy
evil by its sap, and elevate the race by its fruit, be a meremass of empty forms, barren theories, and impracticable beliefs, then, most assuredly, it can never produce any greatly
beneficial results, —can never yield any truly valuable fruit;;
even though by dint of industry, and patient perseverance
in its culture, its branches should come to cover the wholeearth, and, at mention of its name every knee was to bowand every tongue pronounce its praise.  A Evizg- dog is better
t/ian a dead lion.  And better for the reason that being possessed of vital force, he is able to remove his good-fornothing carcass out of the way; whereas that defunct
monarch of the forest, notwithstanding his kingly propor —
tions, is not only powerless to do positive good, but to
restrain the passive evil of annoying the neighborhood by
his own noisome effluvia. Inasmuch, then, as it is not theform of our faith, however high-sounding and popular, nor
the amount, however great and imposing, but the quality,
as evidenced by the fruit it bears, which constitutes the testof its worth; and inasmuch as we have been instant in.
season and out of season in adding line upon line and leaveni
after leaven, and still the body of our hearers, instead of
manifesting a more elevated state of religious fermentation,.
give unmistakable signs of becoming more sour, soggy, and
averse to swallowing our prescriptions; would it not be well
to conclude that the leaven with which we have thus been




74                    DEPARTURE.
laboring to elevate the human lump, instead of being of the
active and practical sort, and hence to the wants of humanity adapted, is of that lifeless, Pharisaic order, which irs
impotent to do more than nauseate and drive away, by its
offensive odor?  It would really seem that the want of success attendant upon the practice of teaching the present
established religious dogmas and their kindred lifeless ceremonies ought of itself to be sufficient to suggest to our
spiritual guides the idea, that possibly some other doctrine
or mode of procedure might be better calculated to bring
about the result at which they are' aiming; namely, the
bettering of mankind, without eternally waiting to be
dragged and driven, inch by incll, into a change of programme by the growing intelligence of that world in charge,
which they are essaying to instruct and lead. Surely nothing
in heaven or earth can be-plainer than that, if we are upon
the wrong track, although greatly beaten, and notwithstanding once pressed by the feet of our ancestors, the sooner we
find it out and abandon it the better, not only for us, and
such of contemporaries as are following in our wake, but
for that posterity in whom not a few of our thoughts and
practices are certain, oniward, more or less long to live.
As surely as does the Governor of the world work systematically, and so makes use of appropriate means to bring
about desired results, and as surely as are effects forever true
to their parent causes, just so'certain is it that the tree of
our olden religious faith which produces that apathy and
skepticism, over which we so long and dolorously do mourn,
is not fit to cumber the ground, but should be hewn down
to make room for a better. We do not say that it should
be hewn down, because we have the slightest doubt of the
sincerity of the mass of its worshipers, but because we.
cannot deem it possible for reason and knowledge, the antipodes of blind faith, ever to become and be to _pure and
undefled relzigionz opposed, and because, self-evidently, as
seems to us, in their sentiments and feelings, the more'enlightened portion of the race have so far outgrown, and left
behind them, the mass of that ancient, inelastic, semi-Jewish,




AN UNTO VEL Y GOD CANNO T BE LO VED.            75
semi-Christian, and hence semi-neither-one-nor-'tother system, that it can no longer fill and satisfy the yearnings of
their higher nature. And, to prove that such is the case,
what better evidence can the different sectarian leaders
desire than that furnished by their own stereotyped complaints and admissions; namely, That notwithstanding all
the means which are constantly being devised and put forth
by an industrious clergy to excite the feelings, arouse the
passions, and enlist the.judgment of universal civilized man
in favor of those certain forms of faith and ceremonial observances, which they are wont to call religion, although
nothing but its outer shell; still the mass of enlightened
human kind, everywhere, and especially the more thinking
portion thereof, are daily becoming more and more indifferent and even skeptical thereto?-A personal God, and a
personal Devil; a fiery hell, and a local heaven paved with
gold; such things will do to help make up a fancy sketch,
but, as sober realities, their day is nearly past.
Religion, it must be borne in mind, is a term of extensive
import, and embraces not only Christianity, but Judaism,
Hindoism, Mohammedism, Rationalism, etc., as well. Feeble, then, as was originally the base of Christianity, it has
constantly been splitting up, changing front, and otherwise
diluting itself, until, finally, there is manifest danger of its
becoming swallowed up and lost in mere churchanity.
Christianity, as for the most part it to-day exists in sectarian
practice, why, what is it either more or less than the numerous, narrow, and bigoted efforts which are being put forth,
not to inculcate charity and good-will toward such as upon
some mere speculative point of doctrine may chance to
differ with us in opinion, but to build up t/Ais our parliculzir
isml, and pull down every ot/er?
Plainly as we are wont to talk, it is not our intention to
speak disrespectfully of that legitimate branch of human
nature, called Religion; nor.would we speak in terms of
needless severity of any of the different forms and ceremonies by which it is the pleasure of our fellow-men, Jew or
Gentile, Turk or Christian, to manifest their reverence for




76                   DEPARTURE.
such objects, whether real or imaginary, as they adjudge
to be unto themselves superior. But it is our aim to do all
that we can to prevent the numerous mistaken devotees of
religion from exalting said branch of human nature, in dignity and importance, above the station legitimately occupied
by its parent tree; and especially to prevent them from
investing such branch, or any of its sanctions, with supremacy over the teachings of that certain other and superior
branch thereof, known as sober intellect. In the absence
of known facts to direct his steps, Reason is man's only safe
guide, the same as is the compass that of the mariner, when
there is neither Sun nor Moon nor stars in sight. Unenlightened religion is superstition, bigotry, and intolerance;
enlightened religion, charity, forbearance, and good-will
toward all mankind.
Of course, we may be wrong, but whether so or not, we
can never believe an all-wise, all-good, and all-truthful God
would ever create, or for one moment suffer to exist, (if in
some other way he should chance to creep into being,) an
all-foolish, all-evil, all-lying Devil. Nor can we believe that
a wise, just, and merciful God is ever going to do so unwise,
unjust, and cruel a thing, as to punish any of the creatures
whom he, unasked, has made, with an endlessly long and
bitter punishment after they are physically dead, for offenses
committed during a short physical lifetime. In short, as we
can see no good reason for believing that a God of superior
light, knowledge, and civilization will ever inflict upon his
children punishment, either long or short, severe or light,
from any motive, except that of rendering them, as a whole,
more obedient to his laws, and hence, upon the whole, more
blest and happy in consequence of its infliction, so we are
unable to believe that he ever will.




CHAPTER VII.
THE COAT TOO SMALL.
That the Hindoos hold to some strange dogmas, the Parsees to many ridiculous notions, and the Mohammedans to
religious opinions which are sadly in contrast with their
practical good sense upon other subjects must be admitted;
and yet we incline to think there does not exist in any of
those systems, a single point of doctrine which is more
directly at variance with the every-day phenomena of living
and of life, and hence more grossly absurd, than is our own
Bible story of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary.  And
so long as we continue.to sing and to preach as a fact, this
strangely unreasonable dogma, just so long will the transition therefrom to belief in spirit-rappings, table-tippings,
and every other species of ghostly humbug be so natural
and easy, that we shall continue to see and hear to our fill
of the workings of this same old, superlative credulityinspiring leaven.
As the numerous and different real truths, that are in the
world, do not all belong to the same high class, so the
numerous and different moral truths, which are actual errors,
every one, do not all belong to the same low grade. Wherefore the Bible system of religion is doubtless a long step in
advance of the purely Jewish, or any other extensively
adopted system. And wherefore, outgrown as we deem the
mass of the Bible's teachings to be in this and other highly
enlightened Christian countries of the world, we are not sorry
to see that book going forward, breaking the chains, undoing
the fetters, and removing the rubbish by other and greatly
inferior religious systems imposed.  Indeed, we regard the
Bible system, notwithstanding its multitude of errors and




78                  D.EPA RTURE.
numerous impracticable teachings, as offering just about as
convenient a stepping-stone from ancient paganism to a still
more elevated state of religious sentiment and feeling, as did
Dilworth's very imperfect Spelling-book from a more faulty
predecessor to a much better subsequent, elementary treatise. Excellently well-calculated as is the Spelling-book, at
the proper time and place, to advance in learning every
human born, still it must be admitted that its teachings fall
much short of reaching that grand eminence in literature,
unto which it is possible for men to attain; consequently,
just as soon as by any class of pupils its inferior grade of
teachings shall have been mastered, just so soon should it
be treated as a thing, by that particular class of learners,
sufficiently outgrown to give place to teachings of a higher
order. And now, whether right or whether wrong in these
our feeble views, if we have not made ourself understood
upon the point of deeming the mass of the Bible's teachings as being' outgrown and left behind, in this and other
olden Christian countries where light and knowledge are
greatest, and, at the same time, as not being yet grown up
to in those heathenish lands where as pioneer and schoolmaster it has never gone, or only a comparatively short time
been, then, indeed, are we unfortunate.
But again; as we see it, the reason why the Bible system
of religion is, as a whole and upon the whole, better than the
purely Jewish, or any other extensively adopted system, is
not because it is, in any special sense, a revelation from
Almighty God, but because it is based less upon the animal
passions and propensities, and more upon the moral sentiments.  And the reason why it needs to be thoroughly
revised, and largely amended, in order to prevent it from
becoming and being a hindrance instead of a helper to the
cause of progression with man, in his present state of
advancement, is not so much upon account of its'being
mainly based upon the moral sentiments, as the same existed
in the heads of men long centuries ago, as because it almost
wholly repudiates the teachings of sober intellect; —the very
department of the brain which confers upon the animal




THE COAT' TOO SM~ALL.               79,called man his manhood, and consequently prevents him
from sinking into a mere brute of superior order.  Indeed,
it is doubtful whether a more effectual method could be
devised for retarding human progress, and hence of rendering perpetual the errors of the past, than from generation to
generation to impress it upon the young and tender brain,
that, to the teachings of sober intellect, not the slightest
credtnce is due, whenever such teachings shall chance to be
at variance with the promptings of the strong, blind, moral
sentinents, and their ever ready coadjutors, Combativeness
and Destructiveness.  In short, as it is only by the aid of
intellect that men can ever be brought to see, until by
experience they have first been made to feel; so, upon the
subject of religion, the same as every other, it is unto the
higher revelations by the dispassionate teachings of intellect
made known, and not to the impassioned promptings of the
strong, blind, moral sentiments, that men should look for
light to guide them in forming their opinions, and by which
to shape their lives. Illustrative example: —At the breaking
out of the late rebellion, Intellect saw clearly that unless
secession was crushed,. division would soon succeed division,
and hence that, at no very distant day, weakness and
anarchy, with all their attendant evils, would come to take
the place of union, prosperity, and strength.  And of this
act of foresight, What was the consequence? —Why, soon
was large Benevolence, acting under the guidance of sober
Intellect, brought to see and acknowledge that to strike, and
strike hard, would be merciful and not cruel; and as Combativeness and Destructiveness had no objections to dealing
the blows, they were accordingly dealt. But, after the great,and terrible, and yet merciful blows had been struck and
repeated until the gigantic rebellion was. finally crushed to
earth, that same large Benevolence, acting now-so far as
acting at all —under the stern  leadership of Firmness,
backed by the promptings of highly aroused Combativeness
and Destructiveness, instead of continuing to act, as in the
beginning, under the gentle guidance of Intellect, failed to
see that the now humble and prostrate States were occupied




$O                  -DEPARTURE.,by men of like passions with us; and hence that it was not,only impolitic, but cruel, to remember against them their'past honest errors of opinion and accordant action, any
more forever. And, of this act of shortsightedness, the'probable consequence is that at least one full generation of
men will have to pass away, before its ill-effects will have
become effaced.
But to return:-Unless the Bible, by the great and good
men of the Earth, shall be thoroughly overhauled and
_amended, or, from the materials selected from the best
authorities both ancient and modern, a new rule of religious:faith and practice shall be compiled and adopted, every
really thinking man will be measurably obliged to shape his
religious course by the light of his own judgment.
Had not some progressive Luther solemnly protested and
kept on protesting against certain decrees, doctrines, and
practices of the stand-still Romish Church, it is plain that
the whole Christian world would still have been Papists, and.Protestantism remained unborn.  Wherefore, we appeal, Is
it not about time that some other progressive Luther should
enter another solemn protest against certain barren dogmas'and formal practices of stand-still Protestantism; to the end
that a yet higher, nobler, and more liberal grade of religious
faith and practice may come to take root and grow?  Can
it be possible that of religious progression, any more than of
progression in the arts and sciences, the end is come?  In,other words, by unavoidable consequence, must not the
coat of the boy be too small for the man?
That the writings of Moses and several other less ancient
manuscripts, which have a place in the Christian Bible,
were, in their own proper day, masterly productions, conse-.quently greatly in advance of the general intelligence of the.age in which they were penned, and hence operated as a
sort of ample, stimulating band, thrown around mind to
quicken and protect it in its upward shoot, we doubt not;
and yet, when we reflect that this said Bible band is not
composed of india rubber, but of words and phrases which,:notwithstanding the much they may be varied by ingenious




THE COAT TOO SMH~ALL.               81,construction, must nevertheless have -some limit set to their
meaning, which the good sense of mankind and the usages
of language can never suffer them to pass; also that whenever this point is reached, that moment it becomes an
inelastic hoop; also that the mind of man is not a thing
which is stationary, but is ever legitimately expansive, and
hence progressive in its character and yearnings, we are not
surprised that such should have been the mental growth of
the vanguard of the race, since the date of that book, as that
there should now be very many minds which must burst the
narrow limits of this once loose-fitting band, else be cramped,
chafed, and girdled on all sides round thereby. We say, the
vanguard of the i-ace, because there undoubtedly exists, even
-in this most free and generally enlightened country, a large
class of persons who not from motives of policy, nor yet
from a mistaken sense of duty merely pretend to believe, but
who sincerely think the Bible is the word of Almighty God
to mortal man in artificial language given, for his special
guidance and instruction in all things which it is good for
him to know.  Beyond a question such are perfectly honest
in their endeavors to convict and convert the world of mankind into the belief, that they can never possibly come up
to the measure of the Bible's boundless wisdom, much less
outgrow and leave behind them any of its teachings.  Indeed, it is painfully apparent that there are still lingering
among us very many such laggards and buriers of talents;
and these we by no means consider in any immediate danger
of being crippled in their tardy growth thereby.
And here, perhaps, it may be well to say, that, after long
years of reflection upon the subject, we have at last become
satisfied that our rejecting the Bible as the rule of our faith
and the measure of its practice, as well in matters of religion, as upon other subjects, (for the reason that we deem so
large a portion of its sayings erroneous, and so many of its
truthful teachings outgrown, that it is, now and herej upon
the whole, a hindrance instead of a helper to the cause of
progression,) and stepping upon the much broader plat-form of facts and principles already known, and such others
7




02,                  DEPART URE.
as observation, reason, and experience shall currently reveal,.
will;no more have the dreaded effect to weaken its restraints.
upon the aforementioned class of persons, than has the pastgrowth in light and knowledge of their friends and neighbors, full before their eyes, been the cause of their breaking.
those degrading shackles of general ignorance, superstition,,
and bigotry, by which they are to-day fast bound; —not any
more.  To the anxious and oft-repeated inquiry of friends,,
" Are you not afraid the reasons by you assigned for believing the Bible to be the production of ancient human brains),
and hence, just like all other things of human origin, subject
to become outgrown and left behind by an advancing world;,
will have the effect to weaken the restraints which a belief
in an avenging God, an endless hell, and a consious per —
sonal existence after death throw around the lower orders of'
society? " we make answer as follows: —Know ye not, men:
and brethren, that it is no easy matter to convert this class.
of persons from the Catholic to the Protestant faith, or fronm
Protestantism  to:Romanism, notwithstanding they are but
different branches of the same common system?- Most
certainly you do. How slight then must be the danger that.
such will ever become converted from either of these narrowr
formal branches of the same common faith, to a religion
which is as broad and comprehensive as is all real truth,.
whether between the lids of the Bible found, or whether'
outside thereof in great Nature's volume?  Do you not see
that there are right here among us, to-day, large numbers of
men who, in spite of all the arguments which you or we or'
anybody else can present, will still continue to carry a stone
in one end of the bag, the same as their fathers; —will still
remain in the very alphabet not only of religious growth,.
but of every other kind and grade of improvement, until
death shall finally wipe them out of existence? And, seeingthis, are you not ready to conclude with us, that not all the
arguments which can be adduced will ever annul God's
governing facts,-will ever reverse great Nature's wheels;
or for the better or worse, materially change the iz'izg dead?'
To suppose this class of persons to be in danger of taking,




THE COAT TOO SiIALL.                 83
in light upon this subject is equivalent to supposing them
capable of taking it in upon other subjects; and to suppose
them capable of taking it in, not only upon this, but upon
others, is equivalent to supposing that, with them, the time
has arrived when the stronger and more wholesome restraints
imposed by light and knowledge should be substituted for
those feeble ones imposed by darkness. We say, t/ze stron,ger
and more wzzolesome reslrctzts ztIposed by hZkit anzd knzoalcedfge,
because, manifestly enough, to feel and to know that, as surely as we sin, just so surely shall we be obliged to suffer the
penalty therefor, will do much more toward keeping us, each
and all, straight upon the course of endeavoring to lead lives
of virtue and obedience, than will a mere blind, traditionary
belief in a future hell for the punishliment of present sins,
coupled with another belief equally blind, traditionary and
strong, that, by casting those sins all upon Christ, we shall
not only be able to escape their consequences, but to secure
a seat in heaven. Surely such a theory of escape from the
consequences of unlimited self-indulgence and crime must
be a very feeble incentive to the practice of self-denial and
virtue, no matter how laudable may be the intentions of its
advocates.  There is not only a class of persons who will
cheat, steal, rob, murder, etc., notwithstanding they know
full well there are laws forbidding these things, and prisons
to punish such as do them, but also another class who never
commit any of these acts, notwithstanding upon penal codes
and penitentiary walls they never bestow a single thought.
The conclusion therefore would seem to be irresistible, that
the fear of an avenging God and dread of an endless hell
have little restraining influence upon such as had the misfortune to be hell-begotten, hell-born, hell-bred, and hence
hell-constituted and balanced; and none at all upon those
whose good fortune it was to be heaven begotten, heavenborn, heaven-bred, and hence so heavenly constituted and
balanced, as that they are a living law unto themselves.
But it may not unlikely be asked, " Why cannot the naturally weak minded, hence greatly fearing, and hence strongly
superstitious, by the presentation of arguments, be materially




84                   DEPAR T URE.
changed in either belief or practice?" —To this we answer:
It is because, by a sure law -of nature, the mental eye, just
like the orb of outward vision, ever so contracts and adjusts
its curtains as to shut out all such kinds and qualities of
light, as are for it too great and strong. Wherefore, notwithstanding the avidity with which the strange, the marvellous, and utterly impossible are seized upon and swallowed
by such as are young in wisdom, no matter what the number
of their years, there is no danger of their gulping down what
is entirely beyond the compass of their throats to admit;no danger that arguments to sober intellect addressed, and
not appeals to the strong blind passions made, will ever
injure anybody. And not only this, but, as we have finally
come to see it, it is the righteous right and bounden duty of
the vanguard of the race, irrespective of such human ciphers,
to have, teach, and enjoy just such a religion as is best
adapted to their paramount needs.
When the great, the good, and the wise consent to play
the hypocrite, thinking thereby to bless the ignorant, the
low, and the vile, they not only mistake their true character
and mission, but miserably fail in their object; the lasws of
Nature being inexorable.




CHAPTER VIII.
MARY, HER BIRTH, PARENTAGE, ETC.
From Mary's account of the way and manner in which
she was brought into the condition of being with child, as
detailed by St. Luke, and so handed down to us in the New
Testament, it would seem that the Holy Ghost, or the angel
Gabriel, as his representative  upon  that occasion, was
nothing loth to push the advantage by him gained over that
young, innocent, and unsuspecting girl to such a state of
completion, as should secure to him the gratification of his
fleshy desires. We say, it would so seem frorem Mary's account
of the way, etc,, because it would be an unpardonable insult
to the innate modesty of the sex to suppose, that a bashful
young virgin, in the presence of witnesses, would ever willingly submit to be thus come upon and overshadowed even
by a ghost, no matter how high and holy he might be. And
we say, it wozuld so seenz from MJary's accozunt, etc., as deailed
by Sz. Luke, etc., because he is the only writer in all the Bible
proper, who makes any attempt at going into particulars in
reference to that transaction, and because he nowhere pretends that anybody saw the act performed, or that he him.
self ever heard Mary say a word about it; but simply claims
to narrate unto his friend Theophilus, what was the current
belief in the neighborhood in reference thereto at the time
of his writing, which was not until several years after the
man Christ had been laid in his grave. As we see it, then,
this great question-and great only because so very much
doth hinge thereupon-may be fairly considered as narrowed
down to this: Was Mary brought into the condition of
being with child in a miraculous manner and by superhuman
agency; or was she simply mistaken upon that point?  In




86                  DEPARTURE.
other words, Was she in a miraculous manner brought into
that condition; or was the young, the innocent, and unsuspecting girl pursued, misled, and grossly imposed upon by
some unscrupulous man, claiming to be, not only an angel
and a ghost, but the Holy Ghost?Strange as it may seem, the following is, in substance
and effect, all the testimony furnished by the Bible proper,
bearing upon this point:-"And in the sixth month the
angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee,
named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name
was Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name
was Mary.. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail,
thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed,art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was
troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of
salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her,
Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And
behold, thou shall conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a
son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and
shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God
shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he
shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. —Then said Mary unto the
angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? —And
the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost
shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall
overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall
be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in
her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was
called barren: for with God nothing shall be impossible.And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it
unto me according to thy word.-And the angel departed
from her."-Luke, I. 26-38.
Now, from this mere heresay testimony of the single individual Luke, as by him narrated to his friend Theophilus a
number of years after the event took place, and by others
overhauled, re-overhauled, placed in the New Testament,




VA.R 17 HtER BIRTB, PAREN'ITA GE, ETIC.      87;and so handed down to us, it quite plainly appears that an
angel intruded himself into the presence of this young and
unsuspecting female, that he saluted her irn a most flattering
manner, and that he most graciously applied himself to allaying the fears in her excited by his unexpected visit and,singular language; also that he proceeded in a most con-,descending manner to explain the way in which she should
be brought to conceive, and thus come to be the honored
*mother of a wonderfully great and extraordinary babe. It.also, further, quite plainly appears therefrom, that this
iyoung and unsophisticated girl swallowed the gilded bait:thus temptingly held out before her; and so, in the simple'but modest language, "' Behold the handmaid of the Lord,
be it unto me according to thy word," consented that the
Holy Ghost might come upon her as by the angel thus be-'witchingly explained.
As the foregoing succinct quotation from Luke contains,
in substance and effect, all the testimony bearing upon this!point, that is anywhere to be found between the lids of the
Bible. proper, and since it is desirable to obtain all the light
possible thereupon, we will now proceed to quote from the,apocryphal book, called " The GOSPEL of the BIRTH of
MARY; " a book which is ascribed to St. Matthew, and one
that very properly occupies the first place in. the Apocryphal
New Testament.(" The' blessed and- ever glorious Virgin Mary, sprung from
the royal race and family of David, was born in the city of
Nazareth, and educated at Jerusalem, in the temple of the
Lord.  I-Ter father's name was Joachim, and her mother's
Anna.  The family of her father was of Galilee and the city
of Nazareth.  The family of her mother was of Bethlehem.
Their lives were plain and right in the sight of the Lord,
pious and faultless before men. For they divided all their
substance into three parts: one of which they devoted to
the temple and officers of the temple; another they dis-'tributed among strangers, and persons in poor circumstances; and the third they reserved for themselves and the
buses of their own family.  In this maanner they lived for




88                  DEPAR TUR TRE.
about twenty years chastely, in the favor of God, and the esteem of man, without any children. But they vowed, if God.
should favor them with any issue, they would devote it to,
the service of the Lord; on which account they went at
every feast in the year to the temple of the Lord. And it
came to pass, that when the feast of the dedication drewa
near, Joachim, with some others of his tribe, went up to;
Jerusalem, and, at that time, Issachar was high-priest; who,
when he sawjoachim along with the rest of his neighbors,.
bringing his' offerings, despised both him and his offerings,
and asked him, why he, who had no children, would presume
to appear among those who had? Adding, that his offerings
could never be acceptable to God, who was judged by him
unrworthy to have children; the Scripture having said,
Cursed is every one who shall not beget a male child in
Israel. He further said, that he ought first to be free from
that curse by begetting some issue, and then come with his.
offerings into the presence of God.
" But Joachim, being much confounded with the shame of'
such reproach, retired to the shepherds who were with the
cattle in their pastures; for he was not inclined to return
home, least his neighbors, who were present and heard all.
this from the high-priest, should publicly reproach him in
the same manner.' But when he had been there for some time, on a certain
day, when he was alone, the angel of the Lord stood by himn
with a prodigious light, to whom, being troubled at the
appearance, the angel who had appeared to him, endeav-.
oring to compose him, said, Be not afraid, Joachim, nor
troubled at the sight of me, for I am an angel of the Lord,
sent by him to you, that I might inform you, that yourprayers are heard, and your alms ascended in the sight of
God. For he hath surely seen your shame, and heard you
unjustly reproached for not having children; for God is theavenger of sin, and not of nature; and so, when he shuts.
the womb of any person, he does it for this reason, that he.
may in a more wonderful manner again open it, and that
which is born appear to be not the product of lust, but the;




IlARY, IHER BIRTH, PARENTZ4GE, ElTC         SW
gift of God.  For the first mother of your nation, Sarah,
was she not barren even till her eightieth year, and yet, even.
in the end of her old age, brought forth Isaac, in whom the
promise was made of a blessing to all nations. Rachel also,
so much in favor with God, and beloved so mnuch by holy
Jacob, continued barren for a long time, yet afterwards was
the mother of Joseph, who was not only governor of Egypt,,
but delivered many nations from perishing with hunger..
Who, among the judges, was more valiant than Samson,
or more holy than Samuel?  And yet both'their mothers,
were barren.
" But if reason will not convince you of the truth of my
words, that there are frequent conceptions in advanced.
years, and that those who were barren have brought forth to.
their great surprise; therefore Anna your wife shall bring
you a daughter, and you shall call her name Mary; she shall,.
according to your vow, be devoted to the Lord from her
infancy, and be filled with the Holy Ghost from her mother's.
womb, she shall neither eat nor drink anything which is.
unclean, nor shall her conversation be without anmong the:
common people, but in the temple of the Lord; that so she
may not fall under any slander or suspicion of what is bad.
So in the process of her years, as she shall be in a miracu-.
lous manner born of one that was barren, so she shall, while.
yet a virgin, in a way unparalleled,,brin'g forth the Son of
the most High God, who shall be called Jesus, and, accord-.
ing to the signification of his name, be the Savior of all
nations. And this shall be a sign to you of the things which.
I declare, namely, when you come to the golden gate of
Jerusalem, you shall there meet your wife Anna, who, being,
very much troubled that you return no sooner, shall then
rejoice to see you.-When the angel had said this, he:
departed from him.' Afterwards the angel appeared to Anna his wife, sayings,
Fear not, neither think that which you see is a spirit; for 1
am that angel who hath offered up your prayers and alms;
before God, and am now sent to you, that I may inform you,.,
that a daughter will be born unto you, who shall be called.




90                   DEPAR T URE.
Mary, and shall be blessed above all women. She shall be,:immediately upon her birth, full of the grace of the Lord,
and shall continue during the three years of her weaning in
her father's house, and afterwards, being devoted to the ser-vice of the Lord, shall not depart from the temple, till she
arrives to years of discretion. In a word, she shall there
serve the Lord night and day in fasting and prayer, shall
abstain from every unclean thing, and never know any man;
but, being an unparalleled instance, without any pollution or,defilement, and a virgin not knowing any man, shall bring
forth a son, and a maid shall bring forth the Lord, who,
both by his grace and name and works, shall be the Savior,of the world. Arise therefore, and go up to Jerusalem, and
you shall come to that which is called the golden gate, (because it is gilt with gold), as a sign of what I have told you,
you shall meet your husband, for whose safety you have been
so much concerned. When therefore you find these things
thus accomplished, believe that all the rest which I have told
you, shall also undoubtedly be accomplished.
" According therefore to the command of the angel, both
of them left the places where they were, and when they came
to the place specified in the angel's prediction, they met
each other. Then, rejoicing at each other's vision, and
being fully satisfied in the promise of a child, they gave due
thanks unto the Lord, who exalts the humble.  After having praised the I-ord, they returned home, and lived in a
cheerful and assured expectation of the promise of God.
"So Anna conceived, and brought forth a daughter; and,:according to the angel's command, the parents did call her
name Mary. And when three years were expired, and the
time of her weaning complete, they brought the Virgin to
-the temple of the Lord with offerings. And there were
about the temple, according to the fifteen Psalms of Degrees,
fifteen stairs to ascend. For, the temple being built in a
mountain, the altar of burnt-offering, which was without,'could not be come near but by stairs.  The parents of the
blessed Virgin and infant Mary put her upon one of these
stairs; but while they were putting off their clothes, in which




IAR Y, IElR BIESTHT, PARENTTA GE, ETC.       91
they had traveled, and according to custom putting on some
that were more neat and clean, in the meantime, the Virgin
of the Lord in such a manner went up all the stairs one
after another, without the 1elp of any to lead her or lift
her, that any one would have judged from hence, that she
was of perfect age. Thus the Lord did, in the infancy of
his Virgin, work this extraordinary work, anid evidenced by
this miracle how great she was like to be hereafter. But the
parents, having offered up their sacrifice, according to the
custom of the law, and perfected their vow, left the Virgin
with other virgins in the apartments of the temple, who
were to lbe brought up there, and they returned home.
"But the Virgin of the Lord, as she advanced in years,
increased also in perfections, and according to the saying of
the Psalmist, her father and mother forsook her, but the
Lord took care of her.  For she every day hlad the conversation of angels, and every day received visions firom God,
which preserved her from all sorts of evil, and caused her
to abound with all good things; so that when at length she
arrived to her fourteenth year, as the wicked could not lay
anything to her charge worthy of reproof, so all good persons, who were acquainted with her, admired her life and
conversation.
" At that time the high-priest made a public order, That
all the virgins who had public settlements in the temple,
and were come to this age, should return home, and, as they
were now of a proper maturity, should, according to the
custom of their country, endeavor to be married. To which
command, though all the other virgins readily yielded
obedience, Mary the Virgin of the Lord alone answered,
that she could not comply with it, assigning these reasons,
that both she and her parents had devoted her to the service
of the Lord; and besides, that she had vowed virginity to
the Lord, which vow  she was resolved never to break
through by lying with a man.  The high-priest being hereby
brought into a difficulty, seeing he durst neither on the one
hand dissolve the vow, and disobey the Scripture, which
says, Vow and. pray, nor on the other hand introduce a new




92                   DEPARTURI.
custom, to which the people were strangers, commanded,
that at the approaching feast all the principal persons both
of Jerusalem and the neighboring places should meet togeth.er, that he might have their advice, how he had best
proceed in so difficult a case. When they were accordingly
met, they unanimously agreed to seek the Lord, and ask
counsel from him on this matter. And when they were all
engaged in prayer, the high-pries'-, according to -the usual
way, went to consult God, and immediately there was a
voice from the ark, and the mercy-seat, which all present
heard, that it must be inquired or sought out by a prophecy
of Isaiah, to whom the Virgin should be given and betrothed; for Isaiah saith, There shall come forth a rod out
of the stem of Jesse, and a flower shall spring out of its root,
and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of
Wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and
Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and the Spirit of
the fear of the Lord shall fill him.
" Then, according to this prophecy, he appointed, that all
the men of the house and family of David, who were marriageable and not married, should bring their several rods to
the altar, and out of whatsoever person's rod after it was
brought, a flower should bud forth, and on the top of it the
spirit of the Lord should sit in the appearance of a dove, he
should be the man to whom the Virgin should be given and
be betrothed. Among the rest there was a man named
Joseph, of the house and family of David, and a person very
far advanced in years, who drew back his rod, when everyone
besides presented his. So that when nothing appeared agreeable to the heavenly voice, the high-priest judged it proper
to consult God again, who answered, that he to whom the
Virgin was to be betrothed was the only person of those who
were brought' together, who had not brought his rod.
Joseph therefore, was betrayed. For when he did bring his
rod, and a dove, coming from Heaven, pitched upon the top
of it, every one plainly saw, that the Virgin was to be betrothed to him: accordingly, the usual ceremonies of
betrothing being over, he returned to his own city of Beth



1AIARY HER BIRTHI, PARENTAGE, ETC.         98
lehem, to set his house in order, and make the needful
provisions for the marriage. But the Virgin of the Lord,
Mary, with some other virgins of the same age, who had
been weaned at the same time, and who had been appointed
to attend her by the priest, returned to her parent's house in
Galilee.
" Now at this time of her first coming into Galilee, the
angel Gabriel was sent to her from God, to declare to her
the conception of our Savior, and the manner and way of
her conceiving him. Accordingly going in to her, he filled
the chamber where she was with a prodigious light, and in a
most courteous manner saluting her, he said, Hail, Mary!
Virgin of the Lord most acceptable!  Oh Virgin full of
grace! The Lord is with you, you are blessed above all
women, you are blessed above all men, that have been hitherto born.  But the Virgin, who had before been well
acquainted with the countenances of angels, and to whom
such light from heaven was no uncommon thing, was neither
terrified with the vision of the angel, nor astonished at the
greatness of the light, but only troubled about the angel's
words: and began to consider what so extraordinary a salutation should mean, what it did portend, or what sort of end it
would have. To this thought the angel, divinely inspired,
replies: Fear not, Mary, as though I intended any thing
inconsistent with your chastity in this salutation: for you
have found favor with the Lord, because you made virginity
your choice. Therefore while you are a virgin, you shall
conceive without sin, and bring forth a son. He shall be
great, because he shall reign from sea to sea, and from the
rivers even to the ends of the earth. And he shall be called
the Son of the Highest; for he who is born in a mean state
on earth, reigns in an exhaulted one in heaven. And the
Lord shall give him the throne of his father David, and he
shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. For he is the King of Kings,
and Lord of Lords, and his throne is forever and ever.
" To this discourse of the angel the Virgin replied, not
as though1 she were unbelieving, but willing to know the




94                  DEP4ARTURE.
manner of, it: she said, How can that be? For seeing,
according to my vow, I never have known any man, how can
I bear a child without the addition of a man's seed?
"To this the angel replied and said, Think not, Mary, that
you shall conceive in the ordinary way. For, without lying
with a man, while a Virgin, you shall conceive; while a
Virgin, you shall bring forth; and while a Virgin, shall give
suck: for the Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the
power of the Most High shall overshadow you, without any
of the heats of lust. So'that which shall be born of you
shall be only holy, because it only is conceived without sin,
and being born shall be called the Son of God.
" Then Mary, stretching forth her hands, and lifting her
eyes to heaven, said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord;!
Let it be unto me according to thy word."Now, from this quotation, which is quite full upon the
point, it will be seen that angels and ghosts were quite
plenty in those days; that Anna, the mother of Mary, was
honored with their attention; and consequently that her
daughter Mary was, by birthright, no ordinary person. Also
that Mary was brought up from childhood in the temple of
the Lord, where the angels were so numerous that she was
daily favored with their presence, and conversation, as well
as with visions from the Lord. Also that, at the early age
of fourteen, the angels began quite unceremoniously to intrude themselves upon her privacies. Also that, having
been all along accustomed to seeing them and hearing them
converse, she was neither terrified nor astonished at the
entrance of the angel Gabriel into her chamber, but only
troubled at his extraordinary salutation, and the strangeness
of his words; the which, the angel at once perceiving, he
very considerately proceeded to lull her suspicions and
calm her fears by explaining to her in a most winning way,
that nothing inconsistent with her chastity was intended;
but only that, inasmuch as she was a favorite virgin of the
Lord, the Holy Ghost would condescend to come upon her
and overshadow her, without any of the heats of lust; to
the end that, whilst yet a virgin, she might conceive without




I~ARY, HIER BIRTH, PARENTAGE, ETC.          95,
sin; and so become the honored mother of a most blessed
and extraordinary babe, that should be " called the Son of
God." Also that, by this most lucid and flattering explana-.
tion, the angel so far succeeded in soothing her feelings and
quieting her girlish fears, as to gain her consent to let the:
Holy Ghost come upon her and overshadow her, as by him
so persuasively described. And, finally, that it was by virtue of the Holy Ghost's so coming upon her and overshad —
owing her, that she came to be with child, and hence, in all
due time thereafter, the honored mother of the babe called.
JESUS.
At the time when the Old Testament was written, it must
be borne in mind, that belief in the personal existence of
individual man, after the death of the body, had by no,
means come to, be either strong or general; wherefore, iln
those days, there were no such beings or things as ghosts,.
good or bad, holy or unholy, putting in their appearance.
either by day or by night; and wherefore there is no mention made of the existence of any such beings in all that
wonder-narrating Volume. We repeat, in so far as can begathered from the Old Testament records, there were no.
such beings as Ghosts in existence in those days, good or
*bad, real or imaginary. And it is hardly supposable that
there would ever have been any, had not the idea somehowchanced to take root and grow, that the animal called maln
does not die when, to all appearance, he seems to,-does,
not die when he finally ceases to breathe; but, instead, doth
continue to live on, in spirit form, to all eternity. Indeed,
it is only upon the supposition that men do thus continue to.
live personally on, after they are dead, that spirits and ghosts.
stand any chance for existence at all.
At a later day, however, and when the New Testament
was written, there seems to have been in existence such
beings as ghosts; and the first time in all that volume
proper, that we hear of any such being as a holy ghost, orth/e Holy Ghost, we hear him spoken of in connection with
a certain fourteen-years-old girl, called the Virgin Mary.
From this circumstance, and the further historical fact that




9G                   DEPART URE.
some half a century thereafter, and several years after
Christ's death, quite a number of recent converts to the
Christian faith, upon being interrogated by Paul as to
whether they had received the Holy Ghost, since they became believers, made answer, " TVe /zave not so mnuch as
heard whzether there be anZy Hfoly Ghost,"' we are led to infer
that the great reign of ghosts, and especially of that particular one_ which had somnehow comle to be called the Holy
Ghost, had its beginning about the time Anna, the mother
of Mary, came upon the stage of action; and suffered its
first and most severe shock when it came to be generally
noised abroad in the land, that said Ghost had so far assumed to exercise man's special prerogative, as himself to
become the father of a real flesh-and-blood child.
In so far as can be gleaned from the pages of the Bible
proper, What do we learn about the mother of that distinguished personage called Christ, the Son of God?-Just
this, and nothing more:  That she was a zvi;gin; and her
name ecwas Jfaly.
And why in all human probability did the men who, from
the multifarious writings of the Christian Father's, compiled
the New Testament, reject therefrom, as non-canonical, the
historical book ascribed to St. Matthew, called the " GOSPEL of the BIRTH  of Mary; " and which book, had it
been vouchsafed a place therein, would have informed the
-millions upon millions of New Testament readers, all about
the birth, parentage, education, and early life of that most
singularly fortunate of all grossly deceived and imposedupon maidens?  Was it for the reason that they supposed
the numerous believers in Christ and his teachings would
feel no sort of interest in knowing anything about the origin
and personal antecedents of the woman that bore him; or
was it because they were afraid that suclh historic account
might prove a little too much? —Which?
Upon taking into consideration what the Bible proper
does say upon the subject, what the Apocryphal Scriptures
at Acts, I9, 2.




fARY, HEIR BIRTI, PARENTAGE, ETC.         97
have to say about it, also what the great book of Natural
revelation teaches in reference thereto, we are irresistibly
led to the conclusion, whether right or whether wrong, that
the angel who thus worked his way into Mary's chamber,
who thus courteously saluted that young and inexperienced
girl of only fourteen summers, and who so very wooingly
proceeded to explain, and mystically to argue the point with
her, was none other than the high-priest himself. Consequently that the Holy Ghost who, at the close of the interview, so graciously condescended to come upon her, was
that very same functionary, no matter how disguised he may
have been. And hence that Christ, instead of being in any
special sense the Son of God, was the offspring of a young
girl of pure, womanly desires, and the son of a man who, in
addition to having brains, was no unwilling observer of the
great Mosaic multiplication commandment. Indeed, who
at this late day and age of the world is not aware, that large
numbers of young and unsuspecting girls, as pure, as lovely,
and well-descended as Mary, are constantly being pursued,
flattered, and led on to ruin, by men of full age, gentlemanly
appearance, winning manners, and occupying high social
position both in the church and out? Yea, and who does
not know that all this is manipulated and brought about by
aid and operation of the perverted use of natural law, instead of by miracle?-Who?
8




CHAPTER IX.
KNOWLEDGE AND IGNORANCE.
" Ignorance is the curse of God,
Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven."
Knowledge is power; ignorance, its diametrically element,
is weakness. Knowledge, which is only another name for
mental riches, is ever to be desired for the good she brings;,
ignorance, or mental poverty, is ever more to be dreaded
than destitution in any other form, since in it nearly every
other kind of poverty has its seat.  To sins committed
against our organisms, because profoundly ignorant of the
mutual relations existing between us and surrounding nature,
is the physician mainly indebted for his living and superior
social position among men; want of understanding our own
individual rights and interests renders the services of the
lawyer necessary, hence gives life and strength to the legal
profession; and ignorance of our true character and mission
in the world, not only opens wide the door of existence to
the clergy, but affords them an ample theater for operations.
Naturally enough, this latter class of men, the same as the
two preceding ones, ever readily avail themselves of opportunities thus gratuitously offered, and so down upon us, tleir
ignorant benefactors, ini the direction of our blind side fear,
belching forth fire and sulphur, they come.  Else, which is,
more agreeable, adroitly and with good address they make
sure their approaches through the broad avenue by our
weak side, vanity, presented, and so up to gods do puff us.
with undefinable expectations of living and reigning as kings
and princes, in some far-off floating heaven, when we are:
dead.




XKNO WLEDGE AND IGNORANCE.               99
Mistake us not. It is not our intention to speak disrespectfully of any set or division of men; but simply to call
attention to a class of facts that are quite well understood
by the different learned professions, but which we the common
people, whom they equally concern, are slow to comprehend.
Thus, the really scientific physician knows full well that the
various ills, from which we suffer, are none of them inflicted
upon us by a revengeful Providence, but are, for the most
part, the legitimate result of our own folly and improvidence.
When, therefore, it is he that is sick, he first consults Hygiene; that failing, he calls to his aid abstinence and the
healing virtues of a naturally good constitution, uncontaminated by drugs; thus in self-practice proclaiming, as from
the house-top, Not for me is materia meizkca, but for those
who are unwise enough to neglect nature and her teachings.
The lawyer, also, of expanded intellect, too highly appreciates
the blessings which naturally flow from studying peace with
all men, and minding well his own business, to let them
lightly slip through his fingers; wherefore, in self-practice,
he lays before us the why and the wherefore it is, that, in
the intricate meshes of the law, he is never found entangled;
that is, why law-suits of his own he never has any.  Nor
does the learned and venerable priest need be reminded that
obedience is better than sacrifices offered for sin; wherefore, in his own behalf, it is not often he attempts to bribe
the Lord in that way. Health, upon his own head, he is
seldom heard to invoke, always preferring fomentations to
the Prayer-cure, when it is he who has the colic. As a matter
of course, professionally, and as God's chosen einbassador,
his concern is the salvation of the souls and not the bodies
of men; wherefore, with line upon line and precept upon
precept, he warns his flock against the vanity of this world's
goods; and wherefore, with upturned eye and elevated hand,
he as often points them to those more durable riches that
are laid up in heaven. And yet, in self-practice, the most
emphatic of all language, he may be said to live out constant proclamation, in form and substance nearly as follows:
Within the sacerdotal robe which you see, resides a man of




100                  DEPARTURE.
flesh and blood, possessed of like Iassions and desires with
other men; who, with eye intent upon the main chance, so
contrives and manages the thing, as not only to render the
professional garment an honorable appendage, but to make
its wearer's sojourn, in this present and non-fictitious world,
quite easy and comfortable.
That the foregoing picture is quite life-like cannot be
denied; and yet we are happy to know that it is not as much
so to-day, as it once was, nor as much so here, as it still is
in other and less enlightened lands. Wherefore we are constrained to think that these things, when taken in connection
with the apathy for real knowledge which prevails among us
the common people, as compared with our inordinate respect
for ancient usage and love of lucre, have been, and still are,
upon the whole, both good and right.  In other words, we
must think that, to the extent which these things continue to
exist among us, to that extent they must needs be so existing
among us legitimately; and hence that physician, lawyer,
and priest are, each and all, just so many human-nature
cappointed instruments to convict, convert, elevate, and save
the race, in the only way that it can be done consonant
to the workings of natural law; namely, by frittering away,
little by little, the shackles imposed by ignorance, bigotry,
and superstition, through and by means of the effective
appeals which they are constantly making to that most sensitive part, our breeches pockets.
Viewed from this standpoint, in the midst of all this seeming inconsistency and apparent chaos, Order is seen to preside. And, viewed from this standpoint, there is not only
little to discourage, but much to gladden and stimulate to
action every enlightened philanthropist, professional and
non-professional. We say, there is much to gladden and
stimulate to action this class of persons, because it is not
every well-wisher of the race that with clear and comprehensive intellect is blessed; and because, notwithstanding
the most vulgar eye can see and stupid tongue complain that
the times are not now, as they used to be, it is only given to
the more observing and deeply philosophic to deduce there



KNiO WLEDGE AND IGNORA.NCE.           101
from the soul-cheering fact, Nor are the times nor men nor
human opinions nor the practices of men, to-day, what in a
few brief years they will come to be, when the eternal law
of progression shall have still further wrought her legitimately enlightening and elevating work.
For the reason that ignorance is the parent of bigotry,
the mother of superstition, the author of all our devils, and
the bottom cause of sin, for that reason is it the curse of
Goad; and, for the reason that knowledge is the only power
which, from all these things, can ever set men free,-can
ever elevate and save the world, for that reason is it the wing
wherewith we fly to heaven.
Work and work on is a command inherently residing in
the nature of every element and thing under the whole
heaven; and progression is the legitimate result. Would we
of any talent committed to our charge, more properly transmitted to us by parentage, make two, that is, double its
activity and power, we must exercise it, and keep on doing
so, within the limit of abuse; this being the only condition
upon which normal increase of power, either muscular or
mental, is ever attainable.  Wherefore, to growth in knowledge, increase of study, and not increase of faith, must
forever constitute the key.




CHAPTER. X.
EXPEDIENCY THIE CRITERION OF RIGHT.
The Christian nations of the old world no more derived
their right from the Bible to dominate over the beasts of the
field, and to eat their flesh, than did the unlettered inhabitants of the new, who never heard of any such book. Upon
the contrary, they both, and both alike, derived such right
from the patent fact that the animal called man is superior
to the brute creation; hence is legitimately possessed of
superior rights, and hence of the right to dominate over
them, press them. into his service, and to feed upon their
flesh to the extent that he shall deem it expedient so to do..
In other words, the men who wrote what is now the Bible,
the'same as the natives upon this side the water, not only
saw and read the fact in animated nature's volume, lying
open all around them, that man was superior to the beasts
of the field, but, like the wild Indian, they felt the love of
dominion rising high within them, together with a hankering
after the flesh-pots too strong to be by them mistaken.
Wherefore the men who wrote that volume, the same as the
untutored savage; and the savage the same as they, from
said plain data, inferred it to be the'right of human beings
to have dominion over the lower orders of animals, and to
kill and eat such of them as they not only loved to feast
upon, but adjudged to be wholesome food.
As the western natives could neither read nor write, so
they were obliged to content themselves with teaching the
discoveries, thus made, unto their children and children's
children by their own daily practice and camp-fire traditions. And as certain leaders among the inhabitants of the
old world could both read and write, so they were able to




EXPEDIEIFNCY TiTE CRITERION~ OF RIGHT.   103,go a step further, wherefore a step further they went, and in
the form of a permissive commandment wrote it down.
And wherefore, in after years, another set of leaders being
equally desirous of distinguishing themselves went a little
further still, and, in a book called the Bible, placed it; and
there it still remains. We say, all this was inferred from
animated nature's open volume, as well by civilized man as
by the savage, because we are abundantly satisfied, not
only that it is from this same indubitable source that we of
to-day derive our right to dominate over the brute creation,
but that, in truth and in fact, the god, man, is all the god
who ever wrote or said a word upon the subject.
Not from said artificial book, (for certainly all books, as
-well as written languages, are artificial things,) did we de-rive our right to dominate over our children under a certain.age, and to appropriate their earnings to our use, but from
this same pre-eminence which adults ever, naturally, possess,over the young and immature. And the right to conduct
ourselves in the same way toward such of the black race as,
fortunately for them, but unfortunately for us, are situated
among us, -we gain not from  that commandment which
Moses represents as issuing directly from the mouth of the
Lord, in the following words:' Both thy bond-men, and
thy bond-maids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the
heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy
bond-men and bond-maids.  Moreover, of the children of
-the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye
-buy, and of their families that are with you, which they
begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.
And ye shall take them as a inheritance for your children
after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be
your bond-men forever: but over your brethren the Children
of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigor."Lev., 25. 44-46. —We repeat, not from this plain Scripture,
which was merely from the book of human nature inferred,
and hence declared to be the commandment of that God
who, of both man and human nature, is the Author, did we,derive the right to hold the negro in bondage, but from that




104                  DEPARTURE.
same living book of human nature which declares such to
be the natural superiority of the white race over the black,
as legitimately confers upon the former paramount rights;
and hence the right of dominion over the latter, to the extent which the superior race shall adjudge it expedient to
exercise it. Nor does the law of paramount right, which
grows out of natural supremacy, end here, but extends to
the red man of the forest to the extent that are we to him
superior. We say, to the extent that are we to him superior,
because experience proves that, in point of power of will,
personal independence of feeling, and settled determination
to be free, he is at least our equal; and hence, to enslave
his person and tax his muscles, we have not the right. As,
however, we are, upon the whole, much his betters, and
especially in skill to bargain and quarrel ourselves into
difficulties, as well as to fight our way out of them, so we
have the right to drive him back, out of the way, to make
room for our superior settlements, just as often and just as
far as shall it be, by us, adjudged necessary and expedient
so to do. And even between adults of the same race, who
under ordinary circumstances are equals and coequals, in
extreme emergencies, and especially where life is at stake,
this same rule will be found to hold.
Because a man possesses a sort of general, theoretic right
to perform some certain act, no matter what, it does not
follow that it would be expedient for him to do it, and hence
that it would be right in fact.  Upon the contrary, in all
this wide class of cases, both the right and the wrong of
men's actions are ever to be determined by their expediency
or inexpediency; that is, by the effects which they will naturally produce, not upon society, to whom they are here
assumed to be things of indifference, but upon the individuals themselves. The poor day-laborer, for example, possesses, theoretically, the personal right to kill and eat his
only cow, notwithstanding she doth monthly furnish more
of living for his family than would her entire body, if
slaughtered. As it would, therefore, be bad policy for him,
as provider, to kill and eat up in a single month a family




EXPEDIETA CY TH7E CRITERION OF RIGIHT.   105
favorite, which with trifling expense would furnish his wife
and little ones half their living for years to come; so it
would not be right, but wrong for him to do it. In like
manner, because not forbidden by statute,'n a quiet way,
to kill the horses that draw for us the plow, the cattle which
fill our stalls, the sheep that feed upon our pastures, etc.,
and so leave not a thing upon our farms to breathe, except
ourselves and families; and because we are to them superior, hence have, by natural ordinance, the right of dominion
over them, consequently the abstract right thus wantonly to
slay them, it does not follow that it would be expedient for
us thus to do, and hence that it would be right in fact.
From what has been said it will be seen, that, according
to our understanding of the matter, of right and of wrong,
the same as of good and bad, economy and extravagance,
and numerous other things, there is not in reality any fixed
standard; and hence that what is right under one set of
circumstances may be wrong under another set, and vice
versa. Thus, economy is not only admitted by everybody
to be right, but all men everywhere mean to be and think
they are economical; consequently the most extravagant
are unable to see that they themselves are at all extravagant.
Whatever may have been their past practice, they feel sure
they do not noze waste what they have, do not izow run about
more than is necessary or buy what they do not need. This
is. the feeling which exists all over the world, notwithstanding the prodigality which so extensively prevails; and it so
exists, because neither economy nor extravagance is a fixed
thing, but both dependent upon circumstances; and because
the circumstances by which they are regulated and governed are far too little consulted. In other words, the same
thing which it would be economical in C. to do, it may be
extravagance in D. to ape. Thus, for instance, it would be
both wisdom and economy in C., however hale, with his net
income of ten thousand a year, to hire a horse and buggy to
ride half a dozen miles out of town, upon some verbal
errand which he must needs execute in person; and yet it
would be both folly and extravagance in D., an able bodied




106                  DEPARTURE.
man having a family, with no capital ~but his hands, and
hence no income, save half a dozen dollars a week, the
recompense of his daily toil, to go and pay a dollar for that
same horse and buggy to ride the same distance upon a
similar errand. Folly and extravagance in him! and hence
wrong; because such are his circumstances, both pecuniary
and domestic, that he cannot thus afford to spend his
scanty means; and because by riding the horse with which
Dame Nature has provided him, he could save twice as much
money in the same length of time for the benefit of himself
and family, as he is able to earn in his usual, more laborious
-way, And thus on through all the different grades of society
and various walks in life.
Of course, this view of right and wrong and their foundations will not meet the preconceived opinions of such as
honestly regard the revealed will of God, as contained in
the Bible, as being of these things both the rule and the
measure. As, however, there are to-day vast numbers of
different right acts and things, as well as wrong ones, and as
there will be more to-morrow, unless we all at once to a
Chinese stand-still come, so we are unable to see how we
are going to determine what is, and what is not, the will of
God in reference to this, that, and a thousand other things
which are constantly coming up, and which by our acts, if
not in words, we are compelled to sanction else condemn,
unless we do consult expediency, which is but another name
for the fitness of things under the circumstances of the
case; and hence, with such, we are compelled to take issue.
According to our view, then, whether right or whether
wrong, it will readily be seen that, of what is, and what is
not, expedient for the living occupants of Earth to do, such
living occupants are currently to judge and determine for
themselves, from just such light as they at the time possess
upon the subject; and that whatsoever thing shall be by
them thus adjudged to be, upon the whole, expedient or inexpedient, is, for those same reasons and by the same act of
the judgment, also determined to be right or wrong, as the
case may be.




EXPEDIENVCY THIE CRITERION OF RIGHIT.; 07
Now let us turn from this plain, practical theory which
ever lets universal, living and progressive man be the universal living and advanced judge of all the different acts and
things which it is, upon the whole, expedient, and hence
right., for him to perform, to the one which wholly to the
Bible looks for rules to point out, and arbitrarily settle, not
only for to-day, but for to-morrow, and not only for to-day
and to-morrow, but forever on, all these'things of every
kind, class, and grade.
It must be borne in memory, whilst viewing this subject,
that what is now the Bible was once a confused mass of separate writings in foreign language penned, with word following word and sentence following sentence, without any
pause or break between. It must also be kept in mnind that
those olden writings have all been overhauled and re-overhauled, translated and re-translated, not by God himself,
but by mere men who, even allowing them to have no preconceived opinions of their own upon the subject, were
nevertheless quite as liable to err in judgment as to what
was, and what was not, the true intent and meaning of the
writers, hence as to what is, and what is not, the correct
rendering, as were they, as are we, and as will be those who
shall come after us as to what is right, and what is wrong, in
reference to the different subjects and things of which the
Bible treats.  And, to satisfy ourselves that the translators,
trimmers, and assorters of those ancient manuscripts were
not only liable to err in these respects; but that they did thus
err, we have only to compare the different translations, not
with the original manuscripts and parts of manuscripts,
which were finally adjudged worthy of holding a place
within that volume, but simply with each other.  In other
words, self-evidently, the men who wrote the different books
and parts of books, which now compose the Bible, must
have nieant, when they were writing them, just what they
did mean, and could not have meant anything more or less
or different; consequently the fact that no two translations
agree is proof that there is no reliance to be placed upon any
of them as being true to the original manuscripts, and hence




108                  DEPARTURE.
true to the intent and meaning of the men who penned
them. Indeed, so different from each other are the two versions now in general use among us,-to say nothing of the
still greater difference between these and the original manuscripts, before such manuscripts, by the different councils
of men, were overhauled, assorted, and trimmed, the better
to make them suit their' tastes, and before, by the preconceived opinions of translators, they were here a little fulled
and there a little stretched,-that the Catholic portion of
Christians will not allow a Protestant version a place among
them, nor will the Protestant wing use a copy of the Catholic
Bible in the pulpit, or anywhere else;-not they. But this
is not all nor the half of it; since it is certain that all who
read the Bible, whether Catholic or Protestant, are but frail
human beings; consequently, instead of being able to understand the same version alike, they are compelled to understand it so differently that we Protestants, who just a little
for ourselves have dared to think, are to-day divided and
subdivided into sects and parties as variant from each other
in opinion, as to what is God's revealed will in reference to
certain questions of fundamental importance, as is undying
love toward all mankind, from eternal hatred toward full
three-fourths of the human family.
With all these things staring us in the face, can we not
see that even allowing God to have specially dictated every
word that was written upon the original manuscripts, still
the copies and copies of copies thereof, now in the Bibles
before us, are so filled with errors from unintentional mistranslation, and such others as ignorance, superstition, and
a blind devotion to Catholicism upon the one hand, and to
Protestantism upon the other did cause to creep in, as that,
when altogether taken, they must necessarily render the
copies of that book, now in our possession, just about as
reliable a standard of what is right and what is wrong in
human actions, as would be an India rlubber s/ring of the
linear yard? —Not only.this, but allowing the Catholic and
Protestant Bibles to read substantially alike, also allowing
that both versions are substantially true to such of the orig



EXPEDIENCY THE CRITERION OF RIGHT.  109
inal manuscripts and parts of manuscripts as were, by a
majority of the men who composed the different councils,
adjudged worthy to occupy a place therein; still is it not
plain that we are obliged to use human art, human science,
and human understanding in seeking out, comparing, and
determining, not only the purport of the different passages,
but their relevancy to the case in hand; and consequently
that the decision is, after all, little else than a matter of current human judgment and discretion? Indeed, is it not
plain as plain can be, that, in this land of human praying,
human preaching, human Sabbath schools, etc., we do none
of us come to the Bible blank sheets;-do none of us come
there opinionless to find our opinions, but, instead, all of us
with our heads filled with opinions from tradition's early
fount, in search of something that will still further strengthen and confirm them? And whb that is at all conversant
with the matter does not know, that by selecting a passage
here and a passage there, because with our preconceived
opinions they chance to accord, and by stretching else by
fulling up, as the case may seem to require, such other
passages as shall be found upon their face with our said
opinions to conflict, until they shall be made to correspond
therewith, we can prove almost anything to be the will of
God, and hence right, which we ourselves adjudge to be?
In short, who that is not utterly blinded by prejudice cannot see that, in this way, we do ever make the India rubber
measure agree in length with whatever thing, whether long
or short, we ourselves adjudge is just a yard?
Plainly enough, as seems to us, to make the Bible to be the
exponent of the will of God, and consequently the rule and
measure of right and wrong in human actions, is just about
equivalent to handing the matter all over to the clergy, who
are certainly neither more nor less than human beings, and
hence to every form of human influence and human frailty
subject. Against this, then, we are obliged to enter our
protest; not, however, because we deem them less competent or less disposed candidly to consider and determine
those questions, than would be some other set or division of




110                 lDEPAR4TURE.
men, but because we would not leave any question, in
which the whole human family have each an equal personal
interest, wholly to the decision of any class of men; and
because we can see no sort of use in us, the common people,
being born with eyes and understanding, if we are not to use
them in examining and determining, as far forth as possible,
all such questions as do us, just as much as anybody else,
concern. Besides we must think it tends more to advance
mankind in knowledge, and also in the ways of virtue, to
hold each individual personally responsible for his own imisjudgments, consequently for his own wrong acts, than it
does thus to exonerate the mass from all blame in the matter; and then so divide up the responsibility between an
ancient, inanimate book, and a numerous living clergy, as
that, for wrong actions between man and man, the same as
between soulless corporations, there shall be nobody to be
found unto whom a living Nathan can point his finger and
say, 7h0ouz arzt tl/e manz who misjudged, consequently the
man who committed the wrong act, and hence the man that
is responsible therefor. For these reasons, if for no other,
we can never yield our feeble assent to any theory or doctrine which declares in effect, that, in reference to a matter
in which all are alike, personally, interested; namely, the
important matter of judging as to what is right and what is
wrong in human actions, the whole human family, with the
exception of the clergy, would be just as well off without
brains as with. Understand, we do not say or mean that
we would any more reject whatever of light is shed upon the
subject, either by the Bible or the clergy, than would we
light derived from any other source; but, then, we would be
understood as both saying and meaning, that we would, at
all times, have the question stand wide-open to discussion
and trial upon its merits; to the end that the character of
men's acts may ever, currently, be determined by the effects
which they shall currently produce; and not by any one set
of men, or by any assumed, fixed standard, no matter what,
nor when, nor by whom prescribed. So much for the Bible
as the rule and measure of what is right and what is wrong




EXPEDIENCY THE CRITERION OF ]RIGIIT.   111
in human actions, allowing its every'word to have been
written by men who were specially God-inspired, consequently to have originally contained nothing but real truth,
and hence to have been and be fully self-consistent from
beginning to end.
And now, for the purpose of seeing whether or not from
beginning to end it is thus self-consistent, let us for a moment look between its covers.-In the paragraph standing
between the 2ist and 26th verses of the 2 Ist chapter of
Exodus, Moses represents the Lord as instructing him to
command as follows:  "If men strive and hurt a woman
with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no
mischief follow, he shall be surely punished, according as
the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay
as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then
thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand
for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for
wound, stripe for stripe."-Soime fifteen hundred years later,
in his celebrated sermon on the mount, Christ is reported by
Matthew  as commanding thus:  "Ye have heard that it
hath been said, [referring to the above-quoted commandment of Moses] An eye for an eye, and a tooth for'a tooth.
But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever
shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other
also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take
away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever
shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. "-Mat.,
5. 38-4I.
Now who doth not see that both the letter and the spirit
of these two rules, which, by those different Bible writers, at
such different periods of time, were laid down as guides for
human action, instead of being in harmony, are with each
other at variance direct? And who not that the teachings
of the New Testament are, as a whole, as much in advance
of those contained in the Old, as were the men who wrote
the last testament in advance of those who penned the first,
in point of. general intelligence, civilization, and refinement?
And further, Is not the fact, that in proportion as -men be



112                DEPARTURE.
came advanced in knowledge, civilization, and refinement,
in that same proportion are the rules laid down, and doctrines taught, by the later Bible writers, found to be in
advance of those of former periods, at least next-door
neighbor to proof positive, that it was not an unchangeable
God who, at these different eras, took such opposite views
of the same subjects, but, instead, the differently advanced
human fractions of the great HIM; precisely the same as do
they now, and doubtless ever onward will?
Again, to the inquiry made by the Pharisees, " Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?" Matthew reports Christ as answering thus: " Have ye not read
that he which made them at the beginning, made them male
and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father
and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain
shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but
one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no
man put asunder."  And to the further question by them
immediately propounded, "Why did Moses then command
to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?" he
is by this same Matthew reported as replying as follows:
" Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered
you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was
not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his
wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another,
committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put
away, doth commit adultery."-Mat., I9. 3 —9
Now, from Matthew's report of this brief conversation
between Christ and the Pharisees, we not only learn that
this his said teaching is in flat contradiction to that of Moses,
but also that they, the Pharisees, did not ask him why it was
that God commanded to give a writing of divorcement, and
to put her away nor why God, by the mouth of his servant
Moses, so commanded but why Moses gave such commandment; thus clearly showing that of such commandment,
according to their understanding of the matter, not God,
but the great lawgiver.Moses was both the author and the
promulgator. Neither unto said inquiry did Christ make




EXPEDIENCY THIE CRITERION OF RIGHT.   113
answer and say, It was not Moses but God who gave the
commandment of which you speak, and hence it is right;
nor that God, by the mouth of his servant Moses, gave it,
and therefore it is right; nor yet that it was given by the
great lawgiver Moses because it was by him adjudged to be
just and equal, and hence right; but, instead, that " Afoses,
because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put
away your wives, but from the beginning it was not so."
Thus clearly showing that Christ did not understand that
even the man Moses regarded the doctrine in said commandment laid down, as being either intrinsically right, or in
accordance with the judgment of the Almighty as pronounced from the beginning In fact, in and by his said
answer, Christ just as good as tells the Pharisees that Moses,
in consequence of the hardness of the Israelitish people's
hearts, was under the necessity of suffering them thus to put
away their wives;. and hence, by way of making a virtue of
such necessity, that in the form of a commandment he
granted them permission to do it. And not only do we
gather this from said brief answer of Christ, but, by fair implication, we therefrom further learn that Christ regarded it
as being no uncommon thing with Moses to give unto that
ignorant, superstitious, and idolatrous people, such commardments as he adjudged were imperately demanded by
their peculiar circumstances and low condition, instead of
such as have their foundation in a more enlightened justice.
For iT it be a fact that Moses, because of the hardness of
their hearts, that is, because of their low moral and intellectual condition, was under the necessity of suffering them,
under the sanction of a commandment, thus to put away
their wives, contrary to enlightened justice, as well as contrary to the judgment of God as pronounced from the
beginning; then is the inference irresistible that, directly in
consequence of this same hardheartedness or savage condition, he was under the necessity of suffering them to do
numerous other things under the sanction of numerous
other commandments, positive and permissive, upon the
pages of the Bible standing; and which other things it
9




114                   DEPARTURE.
would not be proper for people whose hearts are much less
hard, that is, for people who are morally and intellectually
much more elevated and enlightened, to imitate and do. In
short, from the general tenor of Christ's said answer, we
cannot doubt but that he looked upon Moses as being a
man, who was not only shrewd enough and politic enough
to command that ignorant, turbulent, and rebellious people
thus to put away their wives, but also to command them to
do numerous other things, which he saw it would not be
possible for him to restrain them from doing; to the end
that they might thus be brought to think and to feel, whilst
doing them, that were acting in obedience to his authority,
and not in opposition thereto; and so, without their seeing
the drift of the thing, gradually bring them to become and
be a more law-loving, and hence a more law-abiding people.
NOTE. —The Mosaic commandment, which gave rise to the aforementioned conversation between Christ and the Pharisees, is contained in the first paragraph of the
s4th chapter of Deuteronomy.




CHAPTER XI.
PANIC.
As the term Panic seems fast coming to occupy a conspicuous place in American history, so it may not be amiss
very briefly to explain the rationale of the phenomenon
which is thereby intended to be denoted.
As we understand the matter, then, the human brain is
not a simple but a complex structure, embracing quite a
number of different parts or organs, each of which performs
its own proper function and no other. Some of those organs
are always much larger than others, and every organ, whether
large or small, draws unto itself more of stimulant, in the
form of blood, when in a state of action, than when at rest.
Hence, whenever the large organ called Cautiousness, whose
business it is to act toward us the part of guardian angel,
watching over us, warning us of the approach of danger, and
prompting us to ward it off, else to make our escape therefrom, becomes unduly active, no matter from what cause,
nor whether real or imaginary, it legitimately draws unto
itself more than its usual quantity of this stimulating element; whereby, for the time being, the neighboring organs
are more or less robbed of their usual healthy supply.
Unwilling, then, as we may be to acknowledge it even to
ourselves, it is nevertheless a fact that under the accumulated
pressure of untoward circumstances and a greatly depressed
condition of spirits, superinduced upon the individual by
the most sickening scenes, gloomy prospects, and a state of
great physical exhaustion, the organ of Cautiousness is liable
to become unduly active;-is liable suddenly to become and
be so intensely active, even in the most prudent and wellbalanced head, as temporarily to rob its neighboring organs,
Combativeness and Destructiveness, of their proper supply




116                 DEPARTURE.
of stimulus, and hence to leave them, for the time being,
just about as good as dead. And upon the taking place of
such an event, no matter when nor where, the possessor at
once becomes so completely occupied by the one strong
feeling of personal danger, as to be perhaps deprived of
ability to move from the spot, and perhaps rompelled to fly
therefrom with all the power at his command.
Of course, it is not claimed that the organ of Cautiousness,
-when relatively large, is not more liable to become so en-gorged with blood as temporarily to produce, in its possessor,
that certain form of insanity called panic, than is that same
organ when relatively small; but only that such organ exists
in sufficient volume in the head of every prudent and
sound-minded man, even when relatively small, to paralyze
his courage and erase his manhood to such an extent as to
leave him, for the time being, little else than a living, breath-:ing mass of imbecility, from overwhelming fear; provided:that, at the fitting moment of great physical exhaustion and
depression of spirits, the proper kind of fear-inspiring agony;be piled upon him high enough. We say, provided that, at'the fitting moment, etc., the proper kind of fear-inspiring
agony be piled upon him high enough, because so nearly
omnipotent is the power of habit, that a great natural coward may gradually be brought to become so familiar with
some certain class of horrid scenes and threatening dangers,
as that it shall finally be almost impossible for any amount
or degree of this class of things to move him; and yet let
the same scenes and dangers, in all their terribleness, be
suddenly precipitated upon a man who is a stranger thereto,
and he turns sick at heart and pale with fear, notwithstanding endowed by nature with the most undaunted courage.
Not so much to any inborn skill in his fingers is the violinist
indebted for his ability, thus dexterously, to touch the strings,
as to the education they have received; and not so much to
his native courage is the veteran soldier indebted for his
ability, unmoved, to stand and face the cannon's mouth, as
to the strength of that habit, into which, from the force of
circumstances, his brain has finally fallen.




PAN.i1C.                      117
Let no man, therefore, who claims to be an American and
a loyalist, plume himself too highly upon his untried courage; or too freely censure, as weak and timid, such of his
patriotic brothers as, at the memorable battle of Bull Run,
did falter, fall into disorder, and wildly fly before a superior,
rebel enemy.  Rather let him reflect that, upon that eventful day, these men were not leisurely discussing the state of
the country at home, or severally partaking the comforts of
some well-furnished table, in shady back-kitchen or more
airy hall. Yea, and forever remember that long miles of
rapid marching under heavy burdens, followed by long
hours of hard fighting under the fierce rays of a high midsummer Sun, consuming thirst, the groans of the wounded,
and sight of the dying, were none of them things that were
very well calculated to nerve men up, firmly to stand, and
boldly to face, indefinitely on, the fresh battalions that were
swarming, forward to the aid of an already outnumbering
foe. Indeed, when are fairly taken into account all the
untoward circumstances under which this eventful battle was
fought, and lost to our arms, by these raw levies, fresh from
the farm, the workshop, the counting-house, etc., we must.
think their courage, devotion to their country's flag, and
even their powers of physical endurance, do not unfavorably
compare with those same qualities possessed and manifested
by any equally numerous body of unpracticed soldiers, that
were ever marshaled in battle array.
NOTE.-The foregoing thoughts, suggested by the flight at Bull Run, were written
out for a Lyceum Paper, in the fall of'6I; but as their philosophy is not limited to
time or place they arehere inserted.




CHAPTER XII.
GOD, CREATION, ETC.
" Revere thyself  thou'rt near allied
To angels on thy better side:-   "
Thus saith the poet. And revere thyself, 0  man! say
we. —Not, however, because we think thee in part, merely,
near allied to angels; but because, in whole, part and parcel of the eternal God.
As all created forms and tlhings, small and great, less
durable and more durable, with whose rise and progress it
is our fortune to to be acquainted, do in some way grow or
come up gradually from small beginnings, and not a thing,
all at once, into ripe existence springs; so, as often as we
take known facts for our data, and not assumed ones either
ancient or modern, just so often is the conclusion forced
upon us that the theory of creation, which this natural order
of things reverses, at the wrong end begins, and hence bottom-upward stands. Yon giant oak, for example, the same
as the feeble mushroom, we know was not sprung into being
all at once and full-sized out of nothing, out that it gradually came up by growth or accretion of some sort out of the
elements which now compose it; and yet so slowly and
silently is the aggregating process carried on, that not once
in all our lives did we ever see it grow, but only that it does.
The solid rock also, we are satisfied from numerous indexes,
did not always exhibit the same appearance that it does
to-day; and yet so gradual is the metamorphic change
brought about, that the life of a human being furnishes a
period too short for the detection of any alteration. And,
of old Earth, the same in principle, only in a greatly superior degree.  For these and other reasons we are compelled




GOD, CREATION, ETC.                 119
to think that said oak is just as much the work of creation,
as is the Earth itself; and consequently that it is, to-day,
just as much part and parcel of this terrestrial globe, as were
its different composing elements before they thus, by slow
degrees, a monster oak became.
Anciently, there was not only much less of lIght and
knowledge in the world than now, but the men of olden
time were much less given to deep and studious inquiry
than are the habitants of Earth to-day; wherefore they were
correspondingly more prone to hanker after the strange and
the marvelous, consequently to rely upon naked assertion,
and hence to believe upon testimony that was weightless,
if not wholly irrelevant.
The elements, and all the different worlds, being here, it
is not only natural that the present generation of men should
be anxious to understand how all these things came to be,
but that they should yield their assent to such time-honored
hypothesis as shall seem to account therefor; provided such
hypothesis does not present, within itself, a second difficulty
-fully as great and inexplicable as is the first. As said how-.ever, anciently, there was much less of light and knowledge
in the world than now, and, as a natural consequence there-,of, a correspondingly greater amoun-t of wonderment and
-faith. It is not strange, therefore, that, for the purpose of
satisfying the growing curiosity of others, the more shrewd
and aspiring Moses should have had resort to that most
simple method of accounting for the Earth's being here;
namely, by first creating hypothetically an invisible, intangible, pre-existent Being of unlimited power and skill pos*sessed; and then letting him, of his own sovreign will and
pleasure, create the Earth, the heavens, and all things else,
just as they now are.
We say, it is not strange that the more shrewd and aspiring Moses should have had resort to that most simple
method, etc.. for who at this late day and age of the world,cannot see that it is just as easy as it is to sit and think, for.any one to account satisfactorily to himself and everybody,else for the creation of the Earth, or- any other phenomenon




120                  DEPARTURE.
under heaven or above it, by simply framing an hypothesis
which shall reach and cover all the known facts in. the case;
provided he is able to bring himself and the rest of mankind
to believe, that such hypothesis, notwithstanding d'ogmatically put forth, is really true? And who cannot see that the
Mosaic hypothesis, whether correct or whether inc~orrect, by
which the phenomenon called creation is explained, is excellently well calculated by its majestic brevity and boldness
to inspire mankind with awe? And who not that it is
admirably adapted by its unlimited breadth of sweep to
reach and cover, not only all known facts in the case, but
every other possible or impossible thing which the fancy of
man can suggest? And hence who that is not blinded by'
prejudice cannot see that, from these two circumstances,
it was excellently well calculated to gain the assent, not only
of that ignorant, superstitious,. and credulous people to
whom it was specially addressed, but of subsequent generations of men, even were they allowed the opportunity,
without bias, of forming their own opinions upon the subject? Upon this great question, however, which more or
less underlies all genuine science, men are not permitted
and have not been to think dispassionately or, without bias>
to form their own opinions; and to prove this, we offer in
evidence the unimpeachable fact that, ever since the day on
which said Mosaic hypothesis first fell upon the ears of the
astonished Israelites, this same idea has been pricked into,
the brains of every succeeding generation of children under
the solemn sanction of religion, by those unto whom they
naturally upward look for light with. most implicit confidence. In this way, from  then till now, upon this great
foundation subject, to an extent which no human being can
calculate, has bold, independent, and manly thought been
crippled and the judgments of men forestalled.
As it has already been said that the hypothesis by which
Moses essayed to account to the children of Israel for the
Earth's being here, clothed with verdure, tenanted by beasts
-and men, furnished with its different lights, etc., was excellently well calculated by its majestic brevity and boldness




GOD, CREAT'ION, ETC.             121
to inspire that ignorant, superstitious, and miracle-loving
people with profoundest awe, also that it was admirably
adapted by its unlimited breadth of sweep to reach and cover
all the different kinds and character of phenomena then
known, and hence to cut off all chance for objection thereto)
upon the score of narrowness, so we will now add that, had
he made it less broad and imposing, that is, had made his,
God to have been an immensely great, wise, and powerful
material Being, instead of an immaterial and invisible one of
infinite knowledge and power possessed, it is almost certain
that some one or othei of the more inquisitive and doubting
of even this most stupid and credulous people would have
been nervously anxious to see so august a Being, and impatiently desirous of knowing whereabouts upon the face of
the Earth he kept himself, etc.; since this our feeble planet
was then supposed by all, Moses included, to be the masterpiece of all creation, consequently would naturally have
been selected by them as his abiding place. And failing in
their efforts to catch a glimpse or discover the track of so
prodigiously large a Being as they would naturally have
supposed he needs must be, sooner or later an idea would.
have struck somebody, and been whispered around; whereby the general faith in his existence would have begun to
wane, and the suspicion that it was all a myth to wax and
continued waxing, until, finally, in such hypothesis, there
would have been no believers left.
Anciently, however, and when the number of accurately
ascertained facts of the most simple kind was comparatively
quite small; when, among the lower order of society, reason
had scarcely a seat in the brain; when miracles, or things.
directly at variance with the order of Nature, were all the
rage-because supposed to be the only infallible tests of
real truth; and when men were so profoundly ignorant and
desperately eager to believe something and to fall down and
worship something, that worship something they must and
would, if it was nothing but a molton calf, it is not surprising
that they should have been filled to overflowing with said
Mosaic account of creation; but that the more sober, intel



122                 DEPARTURE.
ligent, and thinking portion of mankind should still remain
so blinded by prejudice as seriously to think of looking back
to those days of heathenish darkness for light, upon this or any
other subject, seems a little strange. It has already been
intimated and we now say distinctly that, according to our
understanding of human nature, it is perfectly natural that
every generation, both ancient and modern, should drink in
like a sponge, and continue to believe, not only in youth, but
during early manhood, whatever doctrine, theory, or hypothesis is exclusively taught and impressed upon them as religious truth, in their tender and confiding years; also that
they should continue on, until stopped by death, to cherish
that same opinion, no matter what, nor how repugnant to
reason and the every-day phenomena by which they are
surrounded; provided that, upon such subject, they never
allow themselves one jot to think and to reason. But, then,
as heretofore said, it seems a little surprising how men can
help thinking to some slight extent at least, upon every subject of general interest; since, in spite of the opposing
decision of that council of cardinals, which reflected the
views of nearly all Christendom  at the time, the stubborn
world did move,-moves on, and progression marks its
track.
The present generation of adults which is made up of
individuals who, a few short years ago, were tender, confiding children, listening with'open mouths to catch instruction
from a generation of men and women that were our immediate predecessors, and which children, or at least a larger
proportion of them than ever before, notwithstanding all
the vast array of means that were constantly being devised
and put forth by such preceding generation to enstamp upon
us their own image and likeness, by filling us to the brim
with the same creational notions and other religious dogmas
with which, from ancient fount, their heads were filled, and
hence to make of us a stereotyped edition of themselves,
the same as are they of those who them preceded, have so
far outgrown and burst the shell which enclosed our revered
parents and teachers, as to be, comparatively speaking, quite




GOD, CREATION, ETC.                123
bold and vigorous thinkers upon all subjects, except only
such as we are still deterred from  approaching by our
strong, blind veneration for the persons, views, and opinions
of certain ancient individuals; and this notwithstanding our
intellect tells us that those said ancient individuals were,greatly our inferiors in point of research, consequently in
point of knowledge, and hence in point of ability to see and
judge correctly upon this or any other subject. We repeat,
it is perfectly natural that men who, upon general subjects,
are in the habit of thinking and judging for themselves, (as
well as those who are never guilty of perpetrating an independent thought,) should continue on believing and teaching unto others this same ancient hypothesis by which the
creation of the world, etc., is accounted for, and which, as
religious truth, was so thoroughly pricked into their young
and susceptible brains; provided it never occurs to them
that such hypothesis, in addition to lacking proof, presents
within itself a new difficulty quite as great and inexplicable,
as does the phenomenon called creation for which it serves
to account. And inasmuch as this is eminently the case
with said Mosaic hypothesis, we must be permitted to think,
and hence to give it as our opinion for what it may be worth,
that it is the dictate of wisdom to cast it from us as so much
hindering machinery, and to fall back' upon the original
facts preparatory to taking a new and more correct start.
Indeed, there does not seem to be any other course left to
-such of us as are determined that we will, as far forth as possible, be governed by reason, and not by the promptings of
-our strong, blind feelings of veneration for ancient men and.ancient modes of thought, but to discard all naked opinions,
whether new or old, and plant ourselves upon what we know
is solid ground; or at least upon what, from observation,
experience, and the teachings of natural science, we have
every reason for believing to be such.  And what are the
facts which, at this late day and age of the world, are known
to be such to a reasonable certainty, and upon which we are
to fall back in search of light, when we shall have taken our
departure from the old Mosaic hypothesis?  Permit us to




124.DEPARTURE.
enumerate just a few, to the end that they may be clearly
seen and specifically objected to, if it shall be thought we
are claiming too much.In the first place, then, stands boldly out Substance itself
of every name and kind and form, since, obviously enough,
all created things, small and great, inanimate and animated,
are wholly composed of its different elements; and since it
is perfectly manifest that it is their composing elements, and
nothing else, which constitute them appreciable things; and
hence that it is these same elements, and nothing else,
which, by their blessed presence, -prevent all created forms
and things, our proud selves included, from shriveling down
into just nothing at all.  2. Notwithstanding  ll the different created forms and things with which we have come to be
intimately acquainted are both mutable and perishable, and
many of them exceedingly so, still it may be regarded as an
established fact that it is only their forms which perish and
not their composing elements; since, with all the power that
has yet been brought to bear upon them, not a single particle of elementary substance was ever known to be annihilated. 3. It is an undoubted fact that all which takes place
when any of those different created forms of substance
which help compose that important branch of creation,
known as the Vegetable kingdom, are destroyed, or struck
from the roll of existence, is simply this:  Their composing
elements fall back into their primary estate, or a state quite
nearly approximating thereunto.  4. It is conceded by all
who have carefully considered the subject, (and of course
the adverse opinions of such as have never seriously reflected
thereupon are weightless,) that the stock of elements fit to
nourish and hence to enter- into the composition of plants,
although inconceivably vast, is not unlimited; also that the
present, rich, vegetable garment, with which old Earth
to-day is clothed, is principally made up, not only of the
same kind of materials, but of the self-same elements, that
were its different predecessors for countless ages past. 5. It
is reasonably certain that Szubstance a/l, whether material or
immaterial, and whether in primary or created form, doth




GOD, CREATION, ETC.                125
possess certain inherent properties and powers which are
never dormant, but constantly exerting all their force; also
that it is these properties and powers of substance, which
stand parent cause or creator of all the numerous unions
and variant forms which, by growth or accretion, its different
elements, all over the globe, do manage to work themselves
into. 6. It has come to be understood *by quite inferior
brains, that the vegetable kingdom is a sort of-half-way:station between inorganic substance and the animal creation;
-in other words, that the existence of vegetables is an absolute prerequisite to the existence of animals; also that the
vegetable kingdom, although possessed of an organized
strtlcture, is nevertheless wholly made up of elements which,
in their primary estate, are purely inorganic.  7. It is quite
well understood by men of intelligence, that vegetable life is
not an entity of any kind; that is, that it is not a thing
which anywhere exists independently  of plants; but is
simply a consequence of certain functions perforrnmed by
vegetable organs, and which organs are wholly composed of
inorganic substance.  8. It is generally understood by men
of intelligence, that ordinary animal life is not an entity of
any kind; that is, that it is not a thing which in the absence
of physical animals doth anywhere exist; but is simply a
consequence of organic function of a higher order than that
performed by vegetable organs; consequently that whatever
of low grade of thought, memory, and knowledge, ordinary
animals do possess, they possess by virtue of certain functions performed by that complex organ or structure called
the brain,, and which brain is wholly composed of nonseeing, non-feeling, non-thinking, inanimate elements; or of
elements which, in their uncombined estate, are purely inorganic, and hence of elements which are wholly devoid of
any recognized order of life. 9. In private conversation
with his confidential friends, every candid and well-informed
man will admit that, in so far as he is able to see and determine by sense, human beings, in all these respects, do seem
to be standing upon the same footing with other animals;
and that the only evidence he has to the contrary is derived




126                 DEPARTURE.
from certain ancient writings called the Bible, from the
teachings of spiritualism, from ghost stories, and deductions
drawn from nature by the faculty of reason, and hence that
the whole combination of evidence, although sufficient to
inspire hope and induce belief, doth nevertheless fall a number of degrees short of coming up to the standard of actual
knowledge.
And now, in all sincerity, we ask, Is not here presented
an ample field for thought to stretch her busy wings? Do
not the above facts, although few and modest, furnish sufficient data to enable growing Reason to begin to indulge the
hope, that she may ere long be able so far at least to unravel
the mysteries of creation as to remove all doubt of its being
the creature of natural law,-as to remove all doubt of its
being the legitimate result of the ceaseless workings, coworkings, and antagonist workings of the undying properties
and powers, inherently residing in Elenmientary Substance;the very thing of which all created forms and things, high
and low, great and small, inanimate and animated, with
whose character and composition we have come to be acquainted, are found to be composed?
It is certain that every human being is born a child, born
a blank sheet; and consequently, that it is locality, education, etc., which make of one set of persons Mohammedans,
of another Christians, and thus on. Wherefore had Moses
chanced to adjudge, and hence to have written it down in
the first three chapters of Genesis, that the elements, one
and all, of which the Earth is composed, eternally existed,
only in scattered form throughout the realms of space; and
that the Sun, Moon, and stars were the joint and eternal God
who, or which, at a preconcerted signal given by the Sun,
"created the heaven and the Earth," and all things therein
and upon, out of said elements, in the twinkling of an eye;
and had this extraordinary account, from then till now, been
just as thoroughly pricked into the brains of every succeeding generation of children, youth, and men, as has the no
less extraordinary account which in said chapter he did give;
then does not every intelligent man see that we should, each




GOD, CREATIONI, ETC.               127
and all, have been just as firmly wedded thereunto, as are
we-now to the one at the front end of the Bible standing?As seems to us, every intelligent man must see this; and,
seeing it, ought to regard it in the light of a commandment
to look into the matter, as far forth as possible, for himself.
Again, since the phenomena invariably exhibited by the
heavens can in no way be rationally accounted for, except
by admitting that the Earth is spherical in form and, upon
its axis, daily turns, else that the Sun, and yet more distant
stars, do all revolve around our mundane sphere, and thus
come to pass over us every twenty-four hours, it must therefore be obvious that the planets, one and all, primary, secondary, and cometary, were either full-sized created, started
in their courses, and set spinning upon their axis by some
Power, whether itself created or uncreated, present or remote, that was superior to all these mighty moving orbs
combined; else that they were, each and all, (just like
every other thing we ever in our lives do see,) gradually
created by virtue of the workings legitiLnately consequent
upon the undying  properties and powers in ELEMENTARY
SUBSTANCE contained; and set moving and in motion kept
by virtue of those same undying properties and powers within such orbs, as a grand Whole, residing; and so resident
therein, because part and parcel of the elernal elements themselves of which they are composed.  And since it is not
possible rationally to account either for their existence or
their motions, except upon one or the other of these theories,
so the following questions naturally present themselves:  I.
Which of the two theories involves the greatest miracle or
departure from what is known to be fixed law?  2, Which
is the most beautifully consistent with the general appearance exhibited by their ordinary movements?  3. Which is
the most consistent not only with their ordinarily regular
movements, but with their perturbed motions? -This we
ask, because, as seems to us, these irregularities in their
motions do shed much light upon the subject; and especially
since it has come to be admitted by all philosophers of any
note, that these deviations from their usual regular courses




128                 DEPARTURE.
are all of them caused to take place, not by any agency or
power outside the general system, but by the influence which
one celestial body ever exerts upon another, and consequently upon i*J movements, whenever any two or more of
those mighty moving powers into the same vast neighborhood do come. 4. Which is the most rational as well as
simple, and simple as well as best in keeping with what,
upon all sides round.us, we every day behold, this theory
which assumes nothing, but takes things just as it finds
them, (or at least as to our every sense they appear to be,) and:so lets the cause of all the different vasty world's creationthe same as that of the feeble mushroom-and the cause of all
their swift and varied movements-just like the gentle falling
of an apple from its parent tree-forever be and remain a
thing within their own conjoint Selves legitimately residing,
and so resident therein, because of their every composing
element eternal part and parcel; or the one which, contrary
to all observation and experience, as well as to every known
fact, starts off upon the assumption of the existence by
chance, or somehow else, of an uncreated Spirit Being, infinite in extent, infinite in wisdom, and infinite in power,
and hence possessed of power and skill sufficient to enable
him to make all these mighty and substantial orbs out of
nothing, and in harmonious motion set them going; and
then, because the assumed premises are broad enough to
cover the conclusion that he could so create them, and because they are here, and known to be one around another
constantly revolving, infers therefrom as a fact which must
never be called in question, that this said supposed Being
did thus, out of nothing, create, fashion, and bring into full
existence, all at once, these mighty moving powers, and bid
them in this manner forever on to run?
According to Solomon's view of the case, as stated in the
17th verse, of,the IIth chapter, of the Apocryphal book
called the Wisdom of Solomon, God made the world of matter
zwithoutjorm. And can it be possible it was because the
idea was here advanced by Solomon, that God made the
-world of matter without form, that is, of matter which, in its




GOD, CREATION, ETC.              129
primitive estate, was wide-scattered in the realms of space,
and hence shapeless, instead of out of nothing, that this said
book of his was denied a place among the canonical Scriptures,.by the men who, in that branch of the matter at least,
were acting the God? —That said production of Solomon,
the same as all the different Apocryphal books of both the
Old and New Testaments, was denied a place in the Sacred
Volume by the men who compiled it, either because it contained teachings that were thought to be in themselves
objectionable, else because it contained statements that were
seen to be irreconcilably at variance with some other writing which, for reasons known only to themselves, it was
determined must and should have a place in the Bible,
cannot be doubted.-Surely that must be rather poor divine
revelation which, by frail human beings, needs thus be
overhauled, assorted, trimmed, and a portion rejected as of
doubtful authority, in order to save it from impeaching
itself by its own contradictions.
And now, for the purpose of carrying the mind back a
few thousand years, permit us to suggest that there must
have been a time, away back somewhere in the world's past
history, when there existed no definite opinion upon the
subject of creation; also a time when men first began to
think and inquire within themselves, how all these great and
wondrous things came to be. There was doubtless also a
time when the pursuit of this train of thought finally led
some one of the more thoughtful and inquiring of the race,
to the then new and greatly advanced conclusion that all these
overwhelmingly great and beautiful worlds were made,made out of nothing, by some awfully great, wise, and powerful
Being. Indeed, if we will but run our mind's eye back over
the matter, it must be just as plain that this idea that the
worlds were created, or made out of nothing, by a great,
pre-existent, and hence extrinsic Maker, could not have
been in full existence in the heads of men to-day, had it
never in the head of mortal man a first beginning had; as it
is that the worlds themselves could not have been here today, had their creation never been begun.
IO




130                 DEPARTURE.
Or thus: Because, anciently, the same as now, this world
and all the different orbs of light were here; because, in
process of time, the animal called man became so far advanced that it was by feeble intellect adjudged, that the
different worlds could not have been here, had they not been
created and placed here; and because these things were
seen to be so exceedingly great and numerous and mighty;
therefore it was that somebody, at some time, away back in
the past history of man, not only conceived the great
thought, but gave it birth in language, that this immense
world of ours, the plants and animals thereupon, its daily
attendant Sun and nightly Moon and glittering stars, were
all made,-made out of nothing and placed here by some
awfully great, wise, and powerful, pre-existent Being. In
this plain natural way, and not by miracle, was this great
idea, this grand conclusion, at some time and somewhere by
somebody, for the first time in all the world arrived at, and
to others less bold and inquisitive told and taught. Wherefore, after being much wondered at and criticised by the
early savans, it finally grew into a great moral truth in their
heads, in form and substance nearly as follows: Some few
centuries ago, reckoning back by human generations, a great
self-existent Spirit Being in the form of a man and called
God, for reasons known only to himself, went at it with a
will and, in six days, out of nothing, made the heavens and
the Earth, and all things therein and upon, together with
the Sun, Moon, and stars to give light upon the Earth; and
then betook himself to his former state of rest.-Wherefore,
at some time, this said grand conclusion was by Moses, or
somebody else, for the first time in all the world written
down; consequently, long years thereafter, by a council of
men it was placed in the front end of a book called the
Bible as a sure foundation fact; and hence it is to-day quite
generally believed, and not because the idea is sustained
either by analogy or enlightened Reason. In other words,
it is to-day believed by a large majority of both.Jews and
Christians, just because it was anciently by somebody so
adjudged; just because it was anciently by somebody so




GOD, CREATION, ETC.               131
written down; and just because anciently, by a council of
men, it was placed in- a book called the " Holy Bible;" and
not for the reason that the present adult generation of either
Jews or Christians have ever given the subject any careful
consideration.
From the great patent fact that this our goodly Mother
Earth, the radiant Sun, milder Moon, and glittering stars
are here, was anciently drawn the conclusion that they
could not possibly have been thus in existence, had they
not been made out of nothing and placed here, by some
pre-existent Being that is greater and more potent than are
all these things together put; and, from the same great
patent fact, else from some imaginary data, the diametrically
opposite and greatly ascending conclusion was likewise
anciently drawn; namely, that such greater and mnore potent,
pre-existent Being not at all, himself, a maker needs. Can
we not see and would not our less than half-grown children.
see, (did'we not so early check the inquiry and prick it into
their tender brains differently,) that this said supposed
Maker of the ancients just as much stands in need of a yet:.
greater and more potent, pre-pre-existent MAKER, in order
to account for his being in existence, and clothed with such
inconceivably wondrous power and skill as enabled him, out
of stark naught, all these numerous and substantial worlds
to fnake and set moving, as did these mighty orbs themselves before that he was thus hypothetically conjured up
and brought to their relief?
Of course it is not supposed that all men are by nature
deeply thinking and inquiring, and yet we have known quite
a number of children who not only appeared thoughtful
upon the subject, before the waves of thought within them
by the banks of a false education were stayed, but who, in
spite of all the hindrances which are thus purposely made
to turn every way to keep the way of inquiry hereinto close
shut, ventured to look up to their mothers and ask, Who
made God?  Where did he come from? Where did he
live before he made the world, etc.? Thus clearly demonstrating, as seems to us, that of such innocent thoughts,




132                  DE1ARTURE.
feelings, and aspirations as little children do by nature possess, is the reign of happiness within, called the kingdom of
heaven, composed; and not of those narrow, superstitious,
and intolerant ones which seek to debar anybody, young or
old, weak or wise, from  inquirirg into the composition,
character, and whereabouts of the God that made them.
And so we now ask, Not which is most in harmony with our
early taught and hence preconceived opinions, but which is
the most exalting in its tendency, this theory which needs
no assumption upon which to stand, since it ever grows
right out of the nature of things themselves, (if we will but
permit them, in their own modest way, to reveal the story
of their gradual creation out of the eternal Elements, by
virtue of said Element's own incessant workings legitimately
consequent upon their different, undying properties and
powers,) or the one which, contrary to anything we ever,
anywhere, in our lives do see, assumes that, extrinsic of all
these Elements and endlessly before they were, there existed
a Being possessed of such wondrous power and skill as enabled him to make all the different worlds, and numberless
things thereupon, inanimate and animated, not out of fitting
portions of his own vast eternal Self, nor yet out of the
elements of which they are seen and known to be conposeZ,
but out of just nohinzzg at all? And which lies most open
to the charge of blind atheistic chance, this theory which
assumes nothing, but simply lets the infinitude of Elements.,
and every property and power resident therein, eternally to
have been in existence, consequently to have been eternally
operating in just such a manner as they needs must operate,
and so lets fixed law eternally in all things reign; or the one
which makes the existence of all the different elements,
consequently the existence of all their different properties
and powers, and hence the existence of all created things
that are of elementary substance composed, to depend upon
its having somehow pre-happened, some six thousand years
ago, to become and be the sovereign will and pleasure of an
infinitely great, wise, and powerful Spirit Being, who chanced
to be in full existence himself without ever having been




GOD, CREA TION, ETC.               133
created, to speak them into being, all at once and fullsized, out of naught?-Which?
But, to present the matter in a little different form, throughout universal Nature, all is cause and all effect, except the
GREAT FIRST CAUSE of all. And what is this GREAT FIRST
CAUSE of all other causes, and hence of all effects of every
name and kind that are?-Since it is a fact that the entire
range of vegetables and animals, with which we are acquainted, are composed of ELEMENTARY SUBSTANCE; since
it is a fact that the entire vegetable and animal creation, in
so far as we have any reliable knowledge of their rise and
progress, do all have their feeble beginnings so far back in
the vast ocean of elements, of one kind and another by
which we are surrounded, as that they are finally lost to us
therein; and since it is also a fact that it is ELEMENTARY
SUBSTANCE, and this alone, which has proved itself to be
indistructible, hence uncreated and eternal; therefore the
conclusion seems to be irresistible that it can be neither
more nor less than the eternal Elements themselves,.which
PARENT CAUSE do stand to all created forms and things that
are. Or thus: As we are certain that some things do gradually and legitimately come up into a great, complicated,
and powerful existence from very small beginnings, and as
we do not certainly know that anything whatsoever has ever
come into created existence in any other way; so, when reasoning from the little which we know instead of from the
much which we do not, but merely imagine or believe upon
trust, we are forced to the conclusion that it is these same
eternal Elements, these same innumerable tarti'les of substance, these same numberless first causes which, collectively
taken, do constitute all the causes there really are; consequently that they are the GREAT FIRST CAUSE of all other
causes and their efects; and hence that it is these which, by
their own spontaneous and incessant workings, co-workings,
and antagonist workings, have thus legitimately arranged,
transformed, aggregated, and cemented themselves into all
and singular the numberless different created forms and
things, high and low, great and small, that do to-day exist.




134                 DEPARTURE.
As these undying elementary particles are always active in
their nature, and hence have forever been operating and at
work with all'their feeble single and powerful combined
might, so we have no option, but are compelled to think
that the complex phenomenon, known as creation, is ever
steadily going on by means of their unceasing labors. We
say, when reasoning from the little we know, instead of from
the much that we do not, etc., we are thus led to conclude,
because we are not unmindful that the same organs which
enable men to reason from the known to the unknown do
also enable them to reason from the merely assumed-to-beknown, but actually unknown, to still deeper unknown, when
at strange conclusions they not unfrequently arrive.-If men
reason logically from premises which are false, they must
inevitably arrive at false conclusions, but if illogically therefrom, then it is barely possible they may blunder upon such
as are correct.
Again; as these undying elementary particles are ever in
possession of all their different inherent properties and powers,
and as they are eternally exerting their full strength, as well
when in aggregation joined as when they are not, so it
would seem to follow that in those immense aggregations of
them, called worlds, there must ever be bound together an
immense amount of the attracting force. And as this force
is eternally active part and parcel of the elements themselves, and hence of the different orbs which they compose,
so it would seem to follow that the different worlds ever do
and forever must attract each other at immense distances,
since they are themselves so very large, and hence their
attracting force so very great and strong. Indeed, the more
we reflect upon the subject, the more are we inclined to
think it may be by virtue of the constant operation of this
giant force in the different spheres legitimately residing, that
the different planets are not only held in their respective
places, and made to wheel themselves around that larger
and more potent orb the Sun, but to revolve upon their
axis in the manner which they do.
Our mundane sphere, with her single attendant luna, the




GOD, CREATIOiT, ETCG               135
same as the mighty Jupiter, with his greater number, ever
presents us with a very good miniature likeness of the Solar
system; the Earth standing, in relation to her lone secondary, ruling center, and cause of its orbital and axial motion,
the same as'does old Sol to her.  We say, the cause of the
Moon's axial motion, because such seems to be the existing
mutual relation between the Earth and her lone attendant,
as ever compels it to present to her the same side, a thing
which it could not do, did it not upon its axis turn in reference to the center of the system. In other words, that the
Moon is prevented from revolving upon its axis with reference to this mundane sphere, and hence compelled to turn
thereupon, with reference to the Sun, just as often as does
it make its full progressive circuit around the Earth, by
virtue of some influence that is legitimately exerted upon it
by the Earth, its ruling center, we must regard as being at
least probable.  Wherefore, by parity of reason, we are led
to think it probable that the Earth and other primaries are
made to revolve upon their axis by virtue of some influence
that is legitimately exerted upon them by the Sun, their
ruling center.  And it can hardly be necessary to add that
we can see no possible way by which this terrestrial globe
could exert any such influence upon the Moon, did not said
influence a permanent residence have within the limits of
the Earth's mass, by virtue of the nature of its composing
elements; or that the Sun could put forth the necessary
power to compel the Earth and other primaries around him
to wheel, and upon their axis constantly to turn, was not
said power one of the attributes of that shining orb; and so
an attribute thereof, because, deep in the nature of its composing elements, it has its seat.
The reason why stress is laid upon the fact of the Moon's
revolving upon its axis with reference to the Sun, just as
often as does it make its full progressive circuit around the
Earth, is this:  To suppose the Sun or any other power,
except this mundane sphere, to stand parent cause of the
Moon's thus turning upon its axis with reference to the
Solar system's center, consequently to its making its revolu



36                  DEPARTURE.
tions thereupon in the same length of time which it takes it
to travel around the Earth, and hence to stand cause to
compelling it, with reference to the Earth, not to have any
axial motion at all, is to suppose the happening of a coincidence more remarkable than any we ever chanced to meet
with upon historic record.With all the light and knowledge that are now in the
world, whenever an act, whether transitory, like the dropping
of an apple from its parent tree, or continuous, like the revolution of the Earth upon its axis, cannot be accounted for
upon any known principle, nor by any hypothesis which does
not, upon its face, just as much call for the assistance of a
second hypothesis to account for the first one, as does the
act under consideration for the aid of said first, and thus on;
it may safely be taken for granted, as we think, that the
cause of the act, not in whole, but in an essential part,
legitimately resides within the agent or thing which performs
the action.




CHAPTER XIII.
GOD, HIS COMPOSITION, AND CHARACTER.
As we cannot help feeling that the real difference of opinion which at bottom exists between the more observing and
thinking portion of believers in the old Mosaic theory of
God, creation, and his government thereof, and our humble
self, is far less wide than at first glance would seem to appear, so we propose very briefly to state, not only our views
upon those different points, but also what we incline to
think are the inner views of this class of persons thereupon;
to the end that the supposed difference, and hence the real
one, if such supposed difference be correct, may the more
readily be seen, and the merits of our respective opinions
the more correctly judged. In the first place we will give a
synopsis of what we are inclined to think are the views of
this class of persons, as deep down within them they do today exist.
For sundry reasons, then, we are led to think they inwardly
believe that spirit substance, or that kind of substance which
is so very ethereal that it cannot reveal its existence directly
to any human sense, is self-existent, and hence eternal; and
that material substance, or that kind of substance of which
the human senses are capable of taking direct cognizance,
is not self-existent, consequently not eternal, and hence
would never have been in existence, had it not by some
POWER that'is eternal been created, or brought into being
out of naught. Also that they inwardly believe it was this
same self-existent class of elements, called spirit substance,
which performed the act of creating, or bringing into being
out of naught, all that wide class of elements, known as
material substance, of every name and kind that anywhere
exists. Also that they believe it was this same infinitude of
self-existent spirit substance, (anciently transformed by a
bold figure of speech into an infinitely great, wise, and pow



138                   DEPARTURE.
erful Being, called God,) which performed the act of aggregating, arranging, and fashioning such created class of
elements, called material substance, into' all the numerous
worlds and different created forms and things, inanimate and
animated, that are. Yea, and that they further believe in
their very inmost souls, that it is this sanme infinitude of
self-existent spirit substance,-thus by figure of speech personified and called God,-which reigns in and rules over all
created forms and things, high and low, great and small, in
just such a manner as it needs must, because ever in accordance with the nature of its own undying properties and
powers. Such, in brief, is the substance of the views which
we incline to think are to-day entertained by this class of
persons, at very bottom.  We will now proceed to state, but
in a somewhat argumentative form, our feeble opinion upon
those same points.
As seems to us, then, the proofs are quite as numerous
and strong that material substance is unchangeable in its
nature and indestructible in its elements, hence self-existent and eternal, as they are that spiritual substance is.
Consequently we can no more conclude that spirit substance
created, or brought into being out of naught, material substance, than can we that material substance did spiritual;
and especially can we not since both classes, in so far as it
is possible to determine by the lights of reason, observation,
and experience, do seem to be standing upon the same eternal basis.  In other words, so far from being able to think
that either one of said classes of elements stands parent
cause to the pushing into existence of the other, and hence
reigns in and rules over that other, we are forced to conclude they are both, and both alike, self-existent and eternal.
Consequently that all created forms and things, high and
low, great and small, inanimate animated, are but legitimate
results of their continuous conjoint workings. Consequently
that not in six days or years or decades of centuries were
the worlds created, but that, for myriads of years, the process
of their creation has been going on, and is still progressing.
And consequently that it is by virtue of the conjoint pres



GOD, lITS COIMPOSTILON AND CLHARACTER.  139
ence and operation of the different undying properties and
powers inherently residing in said two classes of elements,
known as material and immaterial substance, that all created
forms and things are ruled and governed. Such, in brief,
being the substance of the views by us entertained upon
those several points, it follows, as a matter of course, that it
is neither material nor immaterial substance, but both combined in all their immensity, which constitute the great
eternal WHOLE which it is our habit to personify, and call
by thle different appellations, Nature, God, great Nature,
Nature's God, Elements All, etc., and towhose undying
properties and powers, otherwise eternal laws, otherwise
supreme decrees, no matter by which name designated, we
desire to bow in humble submission.  Great, glorious, and
mighty, then, as legitimately is the infinitude of spirit substance which they are wont to personify, endow with human
semblance, invest with such attributes as they themselves
prefer, call by the name of God, and bow down before and
worship, by unavoidable consequence, the God we adore is
inconceivably greater, more glorious, and potent; since lhe,
she, or it (no matter by which pronoun represented as the
elements by each denoted are forever resident therein) embraces, not only all and singular the immense amount of
elements of which their said spirit-substance God is composed, but all the inconceivably vast amount of material
substance in every form and condition besides.
In all this, of course, we may be wrong; but, whether
so or not, it wilN readily be seen that we not only look upon
the Sum of all Substance, material, immaterial, and mixed,
as constituting and being the eternal God, but that we regard creation, or more properly all currently existing created
forms and things, high and low, great and small, inanimate
and animated, man included, as being just as much and just
as legitimately part and parcel of the great Creator, as were
their different composing elements when in primary form
existing.
Or thus.: In a great dualistic Parent, or an eternal
Father-and-Mother God, so to speak, in the shape of the




140                        DEPARTURE.
eternal Elements All, material, immaterial, and mixed, we
firmly believe; also in a constantly changing, and hence,
upon the whole, ever advancing God in the shape of the
numberless forms and things, high and low, great and small,
inanimate and animated, that are ever currently being pushed
into created existence by such elemental Father-and-Mother
God, not out of nothing, but out of certain fitting portions
of his and her own vast Parent Self; but in the existence of
an eternal personal God, or a plurality of eternal Gods all
of the same sex, either personal or not, or in a mere Ghost
God, whether Holy  or unholy, we have no sort of faith.
And we will here add, notwithstanding it would hardly seem
to be necessary, that, as we understand the matter, the uncreated  Father-and-Mother God  or the eternal Elements,
and what is known as created  Nature or the vast infinitude
of forms, high and low, great and small, which, by the action
of such  eternal Elements, are thereof and thereout being
currently created, destroyed, re-created, and thus forever
on in some form  other in existence kept, are, in all essential
respects, one and the same God, the difference being merely
a thing of form and not of actual substance. Or, in still
plainer  terms, God we regard  as being neither more nor
less than the Sum  of uncreated Elements and created things
of them composed; and hence that suns, planets, vegetables, animals, etc., etc., are, each  and all, composing fractions, not only of that grand Whole which Creation doth
constitute and  is, but also of that Power by whose action
such grand'Whole was into created existence pushed and
ruled.-And such, we doubt not, is the Creator GPd that
will be believed in and reverenced by coming gen:6rations
of men;-a Deity possessed of both a body and a spirit, and
not one that is all spirit and no body.
NOTE. —We have spoken of God the Creator as being our Mother as well as Father,
for the reason that we believe we have a great common Mother as wvell as a great common Father. In other words, we have so spoken because, as we see it, the male or
father principle and the female or mother principle do both, and both alike, have their
seat in the nature of. the eternal Elements of which organic creation, inanimate and
animated, is ever currently composed. W-Vithout any tender mother, gentle nurse, or
other loving female friend to watch over and care for poor Adam and Eve, what wonder that they should have gone sadly astray and tasted all manner of evil fruit? Not
without the cheering presence and supporting aid of a Mother God could either plants
or animals, high or low, ever have been pushed into being or multiplied in existence
upon the face of the Earth by any amount of male Gods, no matter how great the
number. Or, at least, such has come to be our religious as well as philosophic faith.




GOD, HIS COiMIPOSITION AiND CHARACTER.  141
When we say that for sundry reasons we are led to think
the aforesaid class of persons do inwardly believe as hereinbefore stated, we would not be understood as doubting the
sincerity of their motives in claiming to believe otherwise,
or as calling in question the benevolence of their designs in
unremittingly endeavoring to inculcate and keep.alive the
idea of the existence of an actual personal Creator, and
Governor of the universe. i No, these inconsistencies and
all others of a like character, we regard as being the legitimate fruits of their false early education; and hence things
for which they are to be pitied and not blamed. But, the-n,
we would be understood as confessing our inability to persuade ourself into the belief. that, at very bottom they do
think that any other inconceivably great, wise, and powerful
Spirit Being created the worlds, and their movements in the
fields of space doth regulate and govern, than is the sumn of
tll spirit substance, thus personified.  Not only this, but
widely different as from early educational influences and the
force of,habit have come to be the settled forms of expression of this class of persons, when speaking of those things,
we are not clear they are not in reality of the opinion, the
same as are we, that spirit substance, notwithstanding by
ancient usage personified and called by a great name, is, per
se, just as devoid of thought, feeling, and intelligence, in
the common acceptation of those terms, as are the material
elements of which our physical eyes are composed, in their
primary form, of ability to see. In other words, it seems to
us, and we are by no means sure it does not seem much the
same to them, that the material elements of which our physical eyes are composed, are,per se, just as devoid of ability
to see, as are those which compose our ears or noses; and
that the sensation called sight, is the legitimate result of
certain functional acts performed by said material elements,
when in proper organic form and consistency they are aggregated and arranged. It also seems to us, and possibly so to
them, that said non-seeing, material elements, of which the
eye is composed, would never be able to perform that peculiar kind of function -Which creates within us the sensation




142                 IDEPARTURE.
called sight, but for the supporting aid and stimulating presence of said material element's coeternal conjoint element,
imnmaterial substance. It furthermore seems to us, and possibly so to them, that said ~inzcaterial substance, in the absence
of the properly organized )naterial elements, that is, in the
absence of the physical eye, is not only just as devoid of
sight, but just as incapable of performing the function
which speaks into existence within us the act of seeing, as
would  be and is such plysical eye, in said immaterial substance's absence. And of all thought, feeling, passion, and
emotion which anywhere exists, and the organs, each and
all, which speak these things into existence within the human
tabernacle, the same.  Or thus: Because, anciently, and
when language was much less copious and perfect than now,
men were in the habit of personifying almost every conceivable object, substance, and thing, and of dressing the same
out in just such colors, and giving thereunto just such
capacities and powers as fancy might suggest; and because,
by a most bold figure of speech, some ancient somebody
chanced to personify the class of elements, known as imnmaterial or spirit substance, and invest the same with all and
singular the faculties and powers possessed by man, only in
an infinitely superior degree; we cannot persuade ourself
that the more sober, intelligent, and deeply reflecting portion
of either Jews or Christians continue to believe, at very
bottom, that said infinitely vast and widely distributed class
of elements is a veritable, living, breathing, personal Being,
possessing and possessed of an infinitely large, invisible
head, body, and limbs to correspond; and hence of actual
ability to see, hear, think, talk, etc. Indeed, we could
almost as soon be persuaded that they inwardly continue to
believe 4ha-  old Father Time to be a veritable wretch of a
personal being, going up and down in the Earth relentlessly
swinging his ponderous scythe, cuttinzg down all both great
and small, just because duration, or lapse of years, is thus
personified and pictured out in the olden hornbooks. But
allowing, what must be conceded to be possible, that, at
very bottom, they still continue thus to think and believe,




GOD, HIS COM-IPOSI'TIOY  AND CHARACTER.  143
then all we have to say is, that we feel quite certain they
never Would have arrived at any such anti-common sense
conclusion, had it not anciently chanced to be so thought,
hence written down, hence in the Bible placed, and hence
most authoritatively impressed upon their brains in childhood, and all along, as a specially God-revealed verity. Be
these things, however, as they may, we cannot doubt the
two great, coeternal conjoint elements, material and immnaterial substance, are so inseparably connected that, was either
the one or the other to be struck from the roll of existence,
not only would their great, spirit-szbstance God, but our
much greater ONE, eternally be dead. In other words, was
spirit-substance to be annihilated, then would material substance be dead for want of anything to unite with it and act
upon it; and vas material substance'to be annihilated, then
would spirit substance be dead for want of anything for it
to unite itself with and to act upon; and hence, in either
event, not only would their great, fractional, spirit-substance
God be dead, that is, be powerless to produce any appreciable or living results, but our vastly greater WHOLE ONE, Of
the Sum of both classes of Elements composed. Not a
complete and efficient whole is either sexual principle or
class of elements alone, no matter how wide-spread or
abundant the same may be.
We say, their great, fractional, spirit - substance God
would be dead, etc., was material substance to be annihilated, because, notwithstanding it is conceded to be a thing
that is possible, still we are most unwilling to think this
class of men guilty of adoring a mere spirit-nothing God, or
a God that is wholly imaginary.  Or thus:  If the Spirit
God, in whom they believe and put their trust, is not composed of the szmz of all spirit-substance, as by us assumed to
be by them believed, or at least of some portion of such
substance, then, by unavoidable consequence, he is not and
cannot be composed of anything at all; consequently he
must be and is a mere spirit-nothing God, or a Being that is
made up entirely of imaginary spirit-substance, and not of
such substance as has any existence in the broad realm of




144                  DEPARTURE.
facts; and hence he must be andi is wholly an imaginary
~God. We appeal, from the very nature of things, Must not
this be so?
And now, for the purpose of enabling us to present our
views upon certain points embraced within the scope of the
foregoing subject in the clearest possible light, permit us to
descend a little in the scale, and avail ourself of the beauti-fully illustrative and vet familiar example by our own beloved country, its government, etc., presented.
What, then, is that august Being, or. great and mighty
Power upon the Earth, which is known and designated by
the name of Uncle Sam? —Manifestly enough,.His Supreme,
Republican Highness, Uncle Sam, is neither more nor less
than the sum of the American people. Feeble, then, as is
*the individual power of the most potent Ani"erican citizen,
the sum of the power by the American people possessed
doth legitimately constitute the sum of Uncle Sam's power;
his residence being nowhere in particular because everywhere in general, from the broad Atlantic on the East to
the Pacific on the West, and from the Gulf of Mexico on the
South to the British possessions upon the North. All this
-is so plain that doubtless every American citizen understands, that each separate division of men called a State,
doth legitimately constitute an important fraction of the
United States, and hence that every individual citizen of
every State, in all this vast Republic, is legitimately part and
parcel of this great nation; is legitimately a component part,of that august being or great somet/Zing, known as Uncle Sam.
Happily, then, it is not necessary to enter into any labored
argument to prove that Uncle Sam, whose existence is acknowledged the world over, and whose influence is felt in
every sea and every land, is not, after all, a real individual
or personal Being, possessing and possessed of a distinct
corporeal body of colossal size, with a single head and duplicate limbs to correspond, (as to mere babes in knowledge
upon such matters his great name and immense power
would seem to indicate,) or that he is not a spirit Being,
covering the major portion of all North America with his




GOD, HIS CO1JIPOSI7ION AZVND CHARACTER.  145
invisible personal presence, after the manner in which it is
by many supposed that God doth fill and cover the entire
universe. And since it is clear that His Supreme, Republican Highness, Uncle Sam, is not in reality a personal entity,of colossal size, nor yet a spirit Being without body, form,
or parts, but the suzm of the American people; it must needs
be reasonably plain that he has, for his composing elements,
some forty millions of living, breathing, human beings, scattered over some three millions of square miles of territory,
each possessing his own peculiar views, holding his own
individual opinions, and managin.; his own private, personal
affairs as to him seems best; but, for national purposes,
-firmly joined together upon much the same principle that
are the different composing elements of the globe we inhabit;
namely, by the spontaneous action of the joint and several
natures existing in the different heads and hands of said
composing elements, the American people. Hence, whenever any individual or set of individuals, anywhere within'the geographical limits of this majestic Union of which they:are a part, take upon themselves the responsibility of departing too widely from the general line of march which is
spontaneously pursued by the majority, and duly chalked
upon the statute book as being the sovereign will and pleasure of Uncle Sam by which all are to be guided, soon doth'the appropriate, contiguous, superior fraction of the great
wzehole in the form of District Court or other appropriate
tribunal, aided by its ministerial corps, put forth the necessary power to bow them into order.
Just so, as seems to us, whenever a heavenly body, pri-mary, secondary, or cometary, anywhere within the bounds,of the universe, comes to be deviating too widely from the
track prescribed by the general law of gravitation which
pervades the whole, soon doth the appropriate, contiguous,superior fraction in the form of circling planet or central Sun
exert the necessary force to arrest the wanderer, and bring
it back to place. And not only this, but as the government
of the American States is not only a government of and by
the people who constitute the nation, but a government
II




146                  DEPARTURE.
which was created, put in operation, and kept in motion by
the American people themselves; so this majestic Union is
both a self-created and a self-governhinzg thing.  In other
words, instead of this majestic Union being created or
brought into existence, all at once and full-sized, out of
nothing,.by some pre-existent and hence extraneous Uncle
Sam, who was greater and more potent than is its own vast
and complicated self, its creation, from the very beginning
until now, has been the result of the ceaseless joint and several workings, co-workings, and antagonist workings legitimately consequent upon the inherent nature of its different
composing elements, the different individuals who compose
the nation; the same in principle as was the Solar system,
in our judgment, not created or brought into being, all at
once and full-sized, out of nothing, by some extraneous
Being or Power, greater and more potent than is its own
vast comnplex self, but by natural process-extending back
into the tide of old eternity beyond all human computation
-legitimately consequent upon the eternal workings, coworkings, and antagonist workings of its different composing elements, the different kinds of Elementary Substance.
The more active, influential, and ambitious men in each
of the thirteen olden, feeble, American Colonies, had no
option in the matter, but were compelled by the nature that
was in them and the force of circumstances by which they
were surrounded, not only to hunger and thirst after becoming and being at the head of an American political organization, enjoying independence and wielding national sovereignity, but to feel their individual State weakness, and
hence to fear the interference and oppression of other and
more powerful States or political combinations of men.
Wherefore, by virtue of these their own strong feelings and
desires, aided by the force of surrounding circumstances,
they were spontaneously moved, as by the irresistible force
of attraction, to join themselves together into a common
Union, offensive and defensive; and thus out of a few, weak,
individual States, composed of comparatively a small number of feeble, individual men, holding different opinions,




GOD, ILlS COMfPOSITlON2 AND CIHARACTEI R.  147
possessing different personal interests, and occupying only a
fractional part of the eastern portion of the central division
of North America, was spoken into being that infant political fabric which to-day stands out, not only in point of
geographical size and numerical strength, but of national
enterprise and power, the pride of every true American, and
the wonder of the world.
And now, by way of concluding these illustrative remarks,
we will take the liberty of propounding a few questions for
the consideration of such of our readers as may be disposed
to reflect thereupon.-i. Is it not the people, and not the
soil they occupy, which, in a social, political, and theological point of view, constitute a town, a county, a state, an
empire, and finally the world?  2. Admitting James Stokes
to be an American citizen and a resident of the town of
Hamburg, in the county of Livingston, and state of Michigan, Does it not follow, as a matter of course, that he is a
composing fraction or component of said town, hence of
said county, hence of said State, and hence of the United
States of America?  3. And as such fraction of said town,
hence of said county, hence of said State and hence of the
United States, Does be not legitimately possess and carry
about with him, in his own proper person wheresoever he
goes, a corresponding fraction of the attributes and power
of this American nation, which by mere figure of speech is
personified and called Uncle Sam? 4. And hence is he not,
by unavoidable consequence, a component part of the God
of civil rule among men? 5. And wherefore is he not, by
unavoidable consequence, a component part, not only of the
God of civil rule among men, but of the world of human
life; and not only of the world of human life, but of this old
Earth from which his composing elements were taken, upon
whose surface he resides as tenant, and into whose bosom
he must soon return? 6. Infinitesimally small as comparatively he is, nevertheless, allowing the foregoing interrogatories to be answered in the affirmative, does it not, upon
the whole, look rather reasonable, that he is also a component
part of the universe itself, and hence of the universal God?




148                    DEPARTURE.
7. And should it be concluded that he must needs be and
is a composing fraction, and hence a component part, of the
universal God; then how is it possible to escape the further
conclusion, that he legitimately possesses within himself,
and so carries about with him  wheresoever he goes, a corresponding fraction of the attributes and power of that
august Being or grand Whole, of which he is thus a component part?  8. Laying aside the Bible, the Koran, and other
kindred writings, Is there any evidence to be be found going
to prove the existence of any kind, character, or quality of
Supreme Eeing, Essence, or Power, great or small, material
or immaterial, present or remote, except the one vast complex THING, the Universe itself?'
Because it is eminently proper for us, the people of the
United States, in a suitable manner and at the proper times
and places, to petition the, different branches, departments,
and officers of this vast government for such things as we
ardently desire, and as'it is within the province of the particular branch, department. or officer to grant, it does not
follow that it would be wisdom in us to meet together every
week, in our respective localities, and, upon our bended
knees, essay to ask Uncle Sam, the great Personification of
the entire governmental power of the nation, for those same
things or any other. Indeed, would it not. look a little
shallow to see a man who is desirous of having the village,
of which he is an active and influential resident, incorporated into a city, for example, go down upon his knees at
home, or anywhere else, and essay to pour out his wishes to
the great Personification of the American government, in
substance as follows:  0 great, glorious, and forever blessed
Uncle Sam! Be pleased to look down upon thy unworthy
supplicant with favor, and grant, I beseech thee, unto our
thriving village of H., a city charter? We appeal, Would it
not?  And yet in point of principle, and hence in point of
fact, Wherein does it differ from offering up petitions, in the
a By the term Universe is here meant not only our Solar system, with all its different kinds and character of tenants, but every other similar system; and not only every
such other system and its tenants, but every element in both primary and proximate
form, in all that vast expanse or sea of elements called space.




GOD, HIS COMPOSITJOX _AND CTIARACTER.  149
same manner and form, unto God, the great Personification
of the entire governmental power of the Universe, asking
him to do things which belong not to His Supreme Highness
to perform, and very possibly not to any of his different
higher branches or more numerous inferior departments.
And finally, we appeal, Do not large numbers of men betray, at this present moment, quite as strong symptoms of
being demented upon the subject of religion, by their systematically arranged practice of talking, praying, and singing to a merely imaginary personal God, as did the children
of Israel, in the days of Moses, by their unquenchable desire
to worship images, and bow themselves down before idols
of their own silly fashioning?
Whether the ancient Romans were indebted to St. Paul
for their favorite maxim, Vox pfCpull, vox dei, or whether that
great Apostle, from said adage, derived the notion that the
God of civil rule and the pebple are one and the same Personage, it is needless to inquire, since certain it is that, in
his celebrated Epistle to the saints at Rome, he inculcates
the same sentiment, the language only being different. Let
us compare and see.-" The people's voice is God's voice,"
says the Roman proverb. —" The powers that be, are ordained of God," saith Paul. —Rom., I3. r. By the phrase,
The ipozeers thcat be, that Paul meant the civil authority possessed and exercised by the different officers of government
is perfectly manifest; and yet no more so than it is that, by
the phrase, Are ordaained of God, he meant that the authority,
with which the different officers of government are clothed,
is ordained upon them, notby the heavens above, but by
the God of civil rule among men; namely, by the people
themselves. Wherefore, we feel warranted in saying that
the ablest man among all the New Testament writers believed and, by fair implication, publicly taught and enforced
the idea, that civil rulers, of every name and grade, derive
their authority to exercise dominion over the governed, from
the God known as the Will of the People; it not at all mattering whether that omnipotent will be positively proclaimed
through the ballot-box, as is the practice in republics, or




150                 DEPARTURE.
only tacitly expressed by their continued sufferance, as is
the usage in monarchies.-Such is the New Testament authority upon this point, and we doubt not its correctness.Nor can it be doubted, as we think, by any candid and reflecting man, that had that eminent Apostle chanced to have
taken a few more such strides in the same direction, then, in
so far at least as the Christian world is concerned, the mystery with which the character of God and his government
had previously been veiled by Moses and others would have
been mostly removed.
And now just three brief compound questions: —Is God
really a personal Being; or is he only so by mere figure of
speech? —Which? Is the Devil really a personal Being; or
is he only so by mere figure of speech?-Which? Is Uncle
Sam really a personal Being; or is he only so by mere figure
of speech? —Which? Surely these are all questions which
address themselves not to the imagination, but to our sober
intelligence as men.




CHAPTER XIV.
GOD, HIS COMPOSIT'ION, AND CHARACTER-Co;',''til'ed.
As from the united testimony of observation, experience,
and reflection, we are compelled to regard some things as
being certain, as we feel sure that not more than one of two
or twenty different and conflicting views of the same subject can possibly be correct, and as our innate love of inquiry seems to be quite as deep-rooted and strong, as is the
tendency in us to believe without evidence, (and the mere
opinions of men, whether ancient or modern, and however
dogmatically put forth, we can never regard as being either
argument or evidence a disputed fact to prove,) so we are
unable to believe any hypothesis, theory, or thing which to
us, doth seem incompatible with such facts and principles as
we have become satisfied must be and are eternal verities.
With this brief explanation, we will at once proceed to
state that, after long years of anxious thought upon the subject, we have at last become convinced by every form of inquiry and mode of reasoning known to us, that there must be
and is somet/hiPn which is uncreated, and hence eternal; also
that it must be and is this uncreated and eternal Something, be it whatsoever it may, which Parent Cause d6th
stand to all created forms and things, high and low, great
and small, inanimate and animated, that are; also that not
out of nothing nor all at once nor full-sized was existing
creation ever spoken into being, but that the act or process
whose result is creation is a work which is both constant
and gradual; and hence a work which not only had its beginning away back in the tide of old eternity far beyond all
human computation, but one which is still quite as vigorously being carried on as ever. Thus we have at last ar



152                  DEIPAR' URE.
rived at what to us doth seem to be a solid foundation upon
which to stand, as well as a sort of touchstone by which to}
test the quality and determine the character, not only of the
old Mosaic theory of God and creation, but of the numerous subordinate doctrines and parts of doctrines which have
incidentally grown thereout.
Adopting the above, then, as our foundation and starting
point, and we have no option, but are compelled to arrive
at the following prime conclusions: —I. That it is Elementary Substance, in all its different forms and vast extent,.
whichl is that great, uncreated, and eternal something.  2.
That it is the different elementary particles in the vast body
of Elementary Substance contained, which, by gradual process legitimately consequent upon their undying natures
and incessant workings, have aggregated, arranged, and cemented themselves into all the different worlds and systems
of worlds, which now do or ever did exist; and not only
into all these, but into all the infinite variety of inanimate
furniture and animated tenants of every name and kind,
that now have or ever had a place upon any of their surfaces. 3. That all this vast work of creation has been
brought about legitimately, because all made to take place.
and be by the incessant action of the different particles of
elementary substance, which, obedient to the law of their
respective natures, have forever been unceasingly at work
and doing the very things which they were compelled to do
by virtue of their different, undying properties and powers.
4. That Elementary Substance is not only ITSELF the great,,
uncreated, and eternal Something, which out of certain fitting portions of its own vast Self has thus produced into
being all created forms and things that are, but that, legitimately consequent upon its own undying properties and
powers, it is the very Power which all creation moves and
rules.
Such being the prime conclusions at which we are compelled to arrive from premises in which, as said, we have the
utmost confidence, it follows, as a matter of course, that it
must be impossible for us to believe or think we believe in




G 01, HIS COMPOSITION A ND CIARA CTER.  15 3
any hypothesis, theory, or doctrine, however ancient its origin or however widely it may be received, which is irreconcilably at variance therewith.  Moreover, from these said
conclusions as data, we are irresistibly led to infer still further, that the vast infinitude of uncreated Elements, material
and immaterial, and of created things which are of them
composed, do legitimately constitute all the God there really
is; and hence that the word God, in its very broadest literal
sense, is but another name for Nature, or the Sum of all
Elements and things that are, no matter in what form existing. And not only this, but that wherever, in all that vast
expanse called space, there doth exist any kind or character
of substance, material or immaterial, visible or invisible,
simple or compound; in created form or in primary condition, there also doth legitimately reside a composing fraction
of said great Something's mighty power and governmental
rule. And not only both these, but that wherever substance
of every name and kind and form doth end, there also doth
that same great and eternal Something end, call it God, call
it Nature, or by whatever name we may; the utmost limit
of all Substance being said great Something's full bound;.
the sum of the numerous and different acts and operations.
wlhich, in obedience to its undying nature, Substance All is
compelled to perform, the total of said great Something's.
creative, governing, and destroying power.
Strange as it may seem, often as the word God is used in.
the Old Testament, it is nowhere defined therein; except
that Moses tells the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 4th,
when cautioning them against the sin of idolatry, that the
Lord /z'eir God is a conszlzing. fire;  he having reference to
the Lord God zahom t/hey stood before izn Ioreb, wh!en tIhe
moantaiz burned writ/ fire unto th/e midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness, and that spake to thenz out of
the midst of. the fire.  Such being the case, it can never be
determined, with any degree of certainty, what idea the
writers of that book intended to convey by the use of that
high-sounding term; and hence it can never be positively
known whether all who contributed to that volume meant




154                  DEPARTURE.
the same thing when they made use thereof, be that thing
whatsoever it may, or whether each, by its use, meant something more or less different from what was intended by every
other. From a careful perusal of its pages, however, we are
led to think, not only that no two of the writers meant precisely the same thing by its use, but that not a single one of
the whole number had any very definite idea himself of the
thing or things, upon which he was so liberally bestowing
that appellation.
Long years thereafter, however, and when the New Testament was written, it seems to have been somewhat different, as he is therein declared to be a _Sj'z'ti; to be the
Word,' to be lziht; to be love. In addition to this, and in
imitation of Moses, Paul tells the Hebrews that " Our God
is a consuming fire." Wherefore, in so far as this Testament is concerned, we are not left wholly to conjecture as
to what its writers understood that word to mean, but are
bound to infer and believe that, by its use, they meant some,one or other of the aforesaid things, and perhaps all of
them.
And finally, to come down to our own time, Mr. Webster
defines God to be " The Supreme Being; to be Jehovah;
to be the eternal and infinite Spirit, to be the Creator, and
the Sovereign of the Universe."  In other words, that great
lexicographer has failed in his attempt at defining the word
God; and failed for the reason that every appellation or
phrase by him used in defining it is just as much involved
in darkness and doubt, as is the one which is thereby sought
to be explained.-To say that God is the Supreme Being;
is Jehovah; and that Jehovah is the Supreme Being; is the
eternal and infinite Spirit, and thus on, does not shed any
light upon the composition, character, extent, or whereabouts of God, and hence is, in truth and in fact, just no
definition at all. Of course, our definition of God may be
defective, —may be wholly wrong; but, whether so or not,
it is at least comprehensible; and hence it can be both understandingly attacked and understandingly defended.
Again, that Something is uncreated, and hence eternal,




GOD, H1IS' CO34P1OSITIONT A-VD CHIA.RA.CTER.   1.55
doubtless every intelligent and sound-minded man will admit; also that it is this same Something, be it what it may,
which PARENT-CAUSE doth stand to all created forms and
things that are. Thus far, then, all may be regarded as one
harmonious faith; and hence right here it is in the different
answers given to the directly out-growing question, What is
that uncreated and eternal Something which thus PARENT
CAUSE doth stand to all created forms and things? that divergence begins. As already suggested, simply to say that
it is God or that it is Nature does not shed any particular
light upon the subject, consequently doth not satisfactorily
answer the question, and hence amounts to little more than
saying nothing.
How God came to be, or, in plain unfigurative language,
how the ETERNAL ELEMENTS, one and all, material and immaterial, came to be in existence, and how of all their different undying properties and powers possessed, as a matter
of course, can never be known or explained; but the fact
that they are here, and in full possession of certain undying
properties and powers which are forever active and at
work, producing into existence results that are unto themselves legitimately correspondent, being perfectly obvious,
it becomes the province of Observation, with her quick,
clear eye, to note the variant results that are taking place
around her, and of sober Reason to trace those results backward to their parent source, if she can.
Aside from the teachings of feeble instinct, narrow intention. spirit communications, so-called, and what is assumed
to be divine revelation, Does not human knowledge consist
in the number and amount of facts which have been discovered and brought to light by successive generations of men?
And those same things being still left aside, Is there any way
by which original facts can be derived to men, except
through the three different channels, human observation,
human experience, and human reason?  Of course, after a
fact is discovered by observation, learned by experience, or
brought to light by process of reason from some other previously known fact as datzuzhm, it can then be transferred to




156                  DEPARTURE.
others indefinitely on by mere words, but not before. Assuming these questions to be answered-the former in the
affirmative, and the latter in the negative —-we will next inquire, What do the three great teachers, Human observations
Human experience, and Human reason, say in reference to
the great foundation question with which we started?
Do they not all unite in saying that not in a day, a week,
or an age, was yon stately pine, for example, ushered into
existence in its present form?  Do they not all declare
that it is not made of nothing, but of something, and not
only of something, but of a large amount of appropriate
somethings? Do they not all attest that was said ancient
tree to be riven into splinters by lightning, kiln-dried, burnt
to ashes, and these wide-scattered by the winds of heaven
o'er field and forest, slope and plain, still not a single particle of its composing elements would be destroyed, or the
nature of an atom, at very bottom, changed? In short, do
they not all bear testimony that, in so far as they have ever
been able to see and determine, it is of };L,LEM.ENTARY SUBSTANCE, and of nothing else, that all created forms and
things are composed; and consequently that it is the form
only of created things, whether high or whether low, whether
great or whether small, and whether more durable or whether less durable, which is perishable, and not their composing
elements?  Perishable are all created forms and things;
imperishable as the eternal God, their every composing element. Assuming all the' last group of questions to be
answered affirmatively, we will now submit the further and
much broader one, How comes it to pass that, in the face of
all' the vast array of testimony which is offered by the three
great and unimpeachable witnesses, Human observation,
Human experience, and Human reason, the mass of enliglitened human kind are, to-day, honestly of the opinion, that
ELEMENTARY SUBSTANCE is not indestructible, hence not
uncreated and eternal; and hence is not the THING which,
by virtue of its own vast presence, inherent nature, and incessant workings, PARENT CAUSE doth stand to all created
forms and things that are; and especially to all such created.




CGOD, HIS COJIPOSITIO.N ANvD CHIARA CTER.   157
forms and things as are seen and known to be thereof
wholly composed?-As seems to us, it is not because in the
mass of the present generation of enlightened men there is
a lack of brains, but because it chanced to enter into the
imagination of certain of the ancient Fathers that, only two
or three thousand years before they were born; ELEMENTARY
SUESTAN'CE, with all its different properties and powers, was
spoken into existence all at once, out of nothing, in the
complex form  of full-grown worlds, and their respective
furniture; and because, from that day down to the present
hour,, this same ancient, imaginary fact, as a specially Godrevealed verity, has been so exclusively taught to every
successive generation of children and youth, and so deeply
impressed upon their young and tender brains, that it is almost impossible for any amount of after-observation, afterexperience, and after-exercise of the reasoning powers to
erase it therefrom.
But again, so closely allied and interwoven are cause and
effect, everywhere; so perfect are the different adaptations
and relations which, between effects and their parent causes,
do everywhere exist; so dependent are the grades of things
above upon those below  by whose aid they have been
pushed onward and upward, step by step, into their present,
advanced state of being; and so slowly, silently, and systematically do all the different classes and varieties of things
spring up, grow, and multiply around us, that it is no great
wonder the ancient, semi-enlightened leaders of mankind
inferred, that all this vast round of dependent harmonies
must have been planned and brought into active existence by
some pre-existent Being, of infinite wisdom, power, and skill
possessed. And when it is considered that this same ancient idea has been carefully taught and religiously impressed
upon the plastic brains of every succeeding generation of
children by the preceding generation of parents and teachers, it not only ceases to be a matter of surprise that it has
so long and generally prevailed, but becomes, instead, a
marvel how men ever came so far to burst the fetters thus
early imposed by education, strengthened by the sanctions of




158                  DEPARTURE.
religion, and riveted by prejudice, as to be able to penetrate
the darkness which has thus been brought to surround the
naturally obscure subject of creation, etc., to the extent
which they have.  Thanks, however, to the law of progression, and hence to growing Reason, it has at last come
to be seen by many of the more observing and thoughtful of
the race, that the olden hypothetic answer by tyro Reason
given to the ancient feeble inquiry, How came the world to
be, and particularly the Earth, and all things thereupon?
does not in the least clear up the original mystery, but simply diverts attention therefrom by merging it in another and
a greater.  In other words, Reason is, to-day, just as anxious to inquire and be informed who' it was, where his
dwelling place, and what the composing elements of that
supereternal and super omnipotent BEING that made this
Spirit God of the ancients, and endowed him with the
necessary wisdom, power, and skill to make out of nothing,
all the different, substantial worlds, and systems of worlds
which float in space, as was she, in her olden, feeble, and
comparatively much less inquisitive estate, to know who
made the Earth and Sun and Moon and man and beast;
since she can no more comprehend, in her present superior
state of development, how a greater and more potent Being
or THING can rationally be supposed to be uncreated and
eternal, than can she how a lesser and a feebler may;-can
no more understand how a single, all-space-filling, Spirit
God could self-exist, than can she how innumerable particles
of elementary substance might. Indeed, she cannot quite as
well see how such an unsubstantial Being could ever have
made so many great and permanent realities ouit of stark
naught, as she can; how ELEMENTARY SUBSTANCE, by virtue
of its own undying properties and powers, might have managed to bring together certain fitting portions of its own vast
SELF, and fashion them into that spherical body called the
Earth, and which both observation and experience attest is
made up of just such elements, and of nothing else.
Under such circumstances, what is to be done?-As seems
to us just this. We must abandon the pursuit of light upon




GOD, O ILS' COMPOSITION AND CHARACTER.   159
this subject, the same as upon every other, by plunging into
deeper and still deeper darkness, and patiently wait and toil
on after knowledge upon the giant subject of creation, the
same as do we upon others, in the direction pointed out by
the- numberless veritable facts that are gratuitously furnished
by this our goodly Mother Earth, and her composing elements.
Or, to present the idea in a little different form, impossible
as it no doubt is for Reason in her present state of development satisfactorily to trace great Nature's operations backward and downward, step by step, through all created things
that are to their composing elements, as in primary form,
wide-scattered in the fields called space, originally they
were; or to follow said elements from this same point onward
and tipward through all the different evolutions, forms of'
union, etc., which their own incessant workings caused them
to undergo, perform, pass through, take on, assume, and
occupy before they were finally arranged and moving, as
to-day we see them, in the form  of worlds and systems of
worlds; nevertheless the idea, vast as it is, does not present
to /zer patient, searching eye that same dark, unfathomable
abyss, that does and forever must the theory which declares
that not the things we see and know are here, nor yet their
composing elements, are the great, uncreated, and eternal
SOMETHING, but, instead, an invisible, unsubstantial Being,
possessing and possessed of such incomprehensible wisdom,
power, and skill as enabled him not only to plan, but also
to execute, the doubly incomprehensible task of making allthese stern realities out of just nothing at all.
As has been elsewhere said, it is not surprising that such
of us as do not in the least allow ourselves to reason upon
the subject of creation, etc., should continue on till stopped
by death honestly believing just as in blank, confiding childhood we did, after having swallowed the dose so skillfully
dropped into our open mouths by others' hand; and yet it
is doubtful about there now being any very great number of
really observing, thinking, reasoning men and women among
us, who have not at least so far outgrown the impressions




160                  1 DEPARTURE.
made in childhood upon their tender brains, as that, in
relation to the old Mosaic theory of creation, they are compelled to entertain doubts quite as numerous and welldefined, as are all their remaining seeds of faith therein.
Who that is not blinded by prejudice cannot see, that as
long as shall men continue firmly to believe that an extraneous, Spirit God made the worlds, and all things else out of
naught, as long as shall they continue to believe that this
same all-wise, all-powerful, and everywhere-present Being
loth at all times reign in and rule over all created things
-that are, according to his sovereign will and pleasure, and
as long as shall they continue to believe it to be part and
parcel of his said sovereign will and pleasure, so to modify
and wary his governmental action as specially to please,
prosper, and otherwise upbuild such of his favorite, earthly
friends as shall, with prayerful humility and faith, request
him so to do, just so long will men continue to inveigh
against growing reason as a carnal and unholy thing;- as a
thing which is at war with the glory and government of
God?-Who?  And since it is certain that this olden view
of God, creation, and his government, doth so completely
embrace and cover the entire ground occupied by his created works, as not to leave exempt a single act or thing,
great or small, present or remote, which is not made to take
place and be pursuant to his said current, sovereign will and
pleasure, instead of pursuant to the operation of fixed laws,
deep in the nature of things themselves residing, therefore it
cannot be otherwise than that such a belief has a direct
tendency to dry up Reason at its very fountain.
What wonder is it then that the men of olden time who
were much more exclusively indoctrinated into these views
of God, his created works, and the government thereof, than
are the tenants of the Earth to-day, should have thought
within themselves that Reason was dangerous and infidel in
its tendency, consequently that it ought to be restrained and
its teachings put down by' every available means, not excepting the dungeon and the stake? And especially what
wonder, when is taken into consideration the fact that the




GOD, HIlS COMPOSITION AND CHARACTER.   161
semi-enlightened leaders of mankind, even in those days of
mental darkness, had seen too much of patient, plodding
Reason and her workings, not to understand that she never
allows herself to jump at conclusions, but always endeavors
to compare fact with fact, to the end that, from the ever
truthful present, she may be able to read both the future and
the past? Reasoning thus themselves whilst they were her
decrying, they came to the conclusion, and no doubt legitimately, that inasmuch as unbiased Reason can never be
brought to see how nothing could ever have been wrought
and fashioned into something, but only how something
might have been transformed into other and different some-things, therefore it would not do to let her have her own full
way; lest, in some of her wanderings in search of facts and
first principles, she might chance to go away back to the
time when creation was not,-away back to the time when
God, and God alone, (whatever that may be,) was all there
was in the vast immensity called space; the which, if she
should do, they felt quite sure it would be impossible for
her, from such data, to draw any other conclusion than that
the goodly worlds, and all things thereupon, inanimate and
animated, must somehow have grown, been made, or come
out of certain. fitting portions of this same pre-existent and
all-space-filling God; and consequently that they are to-day,
each and all, the same as were they at the first, part and
parcel of his and her own vast dualistic Parent Self.
Wherefore Reason was expelled from the ancient councils.
And wherefore there are multitudes of well-meaning men
upon the Earth to-day, who, notwithstanding convinced by
their own observation and experience, that it is a thing impossible to make the teachings of sober Reason tally with
their preconceived opinions, and thus aid them in their
spread, never once suspect it is because their early borrowed
faith is wrong; but, instead, unhesitatingly pronounce majestic Reason false, and worthy to be bound.  In other words,
the Christian world is full of men who see plainly enough
the inference which untrammeled Reason would be compelled to draw from the premises, and yet they feel quite
12




1 62                DEPARTURE.
sure the inference must be wrong; and thus feel just because
they were early taught and brought to believe that not out
of fitting portions of his and her own vast, eternal Self did
God create and fashion the worlds, and all things therein
and upon, but out of blank nothing.
And now, for the purpose of showing as clearly as possible the blighting effects which such a theory of God, creation, and particularly of God's character and government,
must have upon reason, and research into things natural,
consequently upon the growth and spread of genuine knowledge among men, allow us to descend a little into particulars.
In the first place, then, it must be borne in mind that
exercise, within the limits of abuse, is the natural parent of
strength. Simply to remember and a thousand times repeat
that a thing is thus and so, just because we have been told
and taught it was, does not call into action our reasoning
faculties, consequently doth not strengthen them. To become strong and ready reasoners, it is not necessary that we
should exercise those mental organs which stand parent
cause of our strong blind feelings, nor yet the moral and
religious group, but it is necessary that we should exercise,
and that vigorously, the organs of Causality and Comparison,
these being the ones which speak reason into existence within
the human tabernacle. Wherefore, to begin to quicken and
unfold our reasoning powers, we must begin to inquire and
pry into things; and to bring them up to the highest degree
of activity and strength unto which they are capable of
beingbrought, we must not only inquire into a few commonplace things, but perseveringly endeavor to discover and
trace the different causes, one and all, which produce into
existence the different phenomena and things, high and low,
great and small, by which we are surrounded.
Manifestly enough, then, the theory which makes the worlds
to be in existence in the form, of the size, and in the places
which they now are, not from any natural cause or chain of
causes, but simply for the reason that, a few thousand years
ago, it chanced to become and be the sovereign will and
pleasure of an extraneous, Spirit God. to speak them into




GOD, HIS CO0i3POSITION AND CHARA CPTEJR.   163
being all at once and full-sized, out of naught, does not
furnish any data for Causality and Comparison to work upon,
consequently not any for Reason to feed upon; and hence,
instead of tending to excite those organs to action and foster
them into growth and strength, it, in so far as the great
foundation question of creation is concerned, compels them
to wither an d die for want of anything to do. Or thus: Inasmuch as to each and every inquiry which can be made in
reference to the vastly interesting subject called creation,
said theory admits of but one arbitrary answer, It zis the soveregn will and pleasure of Almtgihty God, whose judgments are
unsearchable and ways past finding out that it should be so,
therefore, to that same extent, whether so intended or
whether not, it deals to human Reason a most deadly blow.
And since Reason, the purest, brightest jewel in the head of
man, is thus excluded from this most inviting field of facts
and principles, let us go a little further and see whether or
not, by this same old theory, the different minor walks in
nature are likewise barred against her patient researches.
It is not only universally understood that water falls upon
the face of the Earth in the form of rain, but that the falling
of water in this form is a thing indispensible to the growth
of sustenance for both man and beast; and consequently it
would seem to be both natural and holy that we should endeavor to acquaint ourselves with the causes, which so oft
and opportunely do speak this inestimable blessing into
active existence among us. But, then, as this ancient theory
does not make water thus to descend from the operation of
physical causes,.deep in the nature of things themselves residing, consequently not from any cause of which our reasoning organs can take cognizance, but simply because it
sometimes chances to become and be the sovereign will and
pleasure of Almighty God to shower it down upon us, so
here, also, is Reason hedged in by that same old, arbitrary
theory. And so the blessed phenomenon of rain falling
from heaven to water the thirsty ground and render it productive, just like creation, of which it is a part, furnishes no
food for Reason to feed upon, no data for Causality and




164                 IDEPARTURE.
Comparison to act upon, and hence, instead of fostering
them into manly growth and strength, leaves them to dwindle,
starve, and die of hateful inaction.
To prove that our most revered spiritual guides, the
writers of the New Testament, understood the Mosaic theory
of God, creation, and his government thereof as above
interpreted, and consequently that they believed in their
inmost souls, that water did not fall in the form of rain, because it was thereunto compelled by the natural operation of
physical laws, but because it occasionally chanced to become
and be God's sovereign will and pleasure that it should so
fall; also that they understood it to be a uniform practice
with Almighty God so to modify and vary his governmental
action, as to make the same conform to the views and wishes
of such of his different, earthly favorites as should, in a
special manner, earnestly request him thus to do,-thereby
making to a corresponding extent, not only the government
of the world, but also of the universe, to depend upon the
ever-varying views and wishes of these his said earthly
favorites,-we will introduce the testimony of St. James.This servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, when
writing to the twelve tribes that were scattered abroad, gave
injunction as follows: "Is any sick among you? let him
call for the elders -of the church; and let them pray over
him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and
the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall
raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be
forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray
one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."-Whether
the above apostolic teachings are in accordance with the
workings of natural law or whether they are not it is needless here to inquire, since they are certainly -v~tk a medical
system and the Bible medical system, and one which may
not inaptly be styled The Prayer-Cure.
But to proceed: —For the threefold purpose of convincing
the skeptical that there is such a thing as effectualfervent
prayer, and of riveting the same firmly in the minds of the




GOD, HIS COJlIPOSTIONV AND CHARACTER.  165
brotherhood, and of inducing them to have more frequent
recourse to this mighty governmental lever, and hence be, to
an extent greater than ever before, themselves the poawer behind
the throne, which governs in both earth and heaven, this same
witness goes on and cites them a precedent exactly in point;
and this is it:  " Elias was a man subject to like passions as
we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and
it rained not on the Earth by the space of three years and
six months. And he prayed again, [prayed that it might
rain, meaning,] and the heaven gave rain, and the Earth
brought forth her fruit."-James, 5. I4-I8.
So now we appeal, according to the plain teachings of the
Bible. Is not the fact established beyond a peradventure,
that, at the special instance and request of a single human
being, the inestimable blessing rain was withheld from the
face of the whole Earth for the space of three and one-half,
long, dry, and barren years? Also doth not said Bible testimony establish as firmly as can anything ever by Bible authority be established, that it is undying, part and parcel of
God's current sovereign will and pleasure, so to modify and
vary his govermental action, and hence the government itself,
as to make it conform to the ever-varying will and pleasure
of such of his earthly friends and favorites, as shall, in a.
special manner, earnestly request him  so to do?  And,
finally, is not the inference from the language irresistible, that
St. Jamers, and all the other so-called divinely inspired, New
Testament writers, believed, and would so have sworn upon
the witness stand, had they been called upon to do it, that
had not the man Elias prayed again, there would not any
more rain have fallen upon the Earth during all the days of
his natural life, and perhaps never; except that some subsequent favorite with the Lord had' taken it into his head to
neutralize such anti-rain petition, by offering up an equally
earnest contrary one? We appeal, Is it not?
Save only the great and terrible drowning by the flood,
there is not to be found in all the world's history, sacred and
profane, any calamity, which in point of extent, duration,
and terribleness, will at all compare with this that is said to




166                  DEPARTURE.
have been brought upon the Earth, by the earnest prayer of
a single human being called Elias. Were all the buildings,
public and private, together with one-half the population of
every kingdom, state, and country to be swept away by devouring flame, it would be a far less-overwhelming calamity
thaa a three-and-one-half-year's universal drought. In view
of these facts, then, how very careful ought righteous men
to be for what they pray! and especially how careful when
they pray in earniest.
But still more; Does not the foregoing testimony establish
the fact, that the different Bible writers honestly supposed
it to be a part of God's current sovereign will and pleasure,
so to modify and vary his govermental action, and hence the
government itself, not only in reference to healing the sick
and dispensing rain upon the earth, but in reference to every
other branch and department of both earth and universe, as
to make the same conform with the ever-varying desires and
needs of such of his earthly favorites as shall, in a special
manner, earnestly request him so to do? -Beyond a doubt
they felt just as certain that, at Joshua's special instance and
request, the Szun stood still in mizd-heaven, and hasted not to go
down about a whole day, as they did that rain was withheld
from falling upon the broad face of the flat, motionless Earth
for the space of three years and six months, at the request
of the man Elias. And thus on of all the numerous and
different miraculous performances and things in the Bible
recorded, and which they honestly supposed to have been
made to take place and be, in manner and form therein set
forth; it not at all mattering whether they supposed them to
have been specially made to take place for the purpose of
punishing some wicked Sodomite, towards whom or whose
place of residence the Lord himself was personally angered,
or whether directly in consequence of the earnest request of
some one or other of his different earthly favorites.-Of
course it will be understood as taken for granted, that all
who believe the Bible to have been written by divine inspiration of a special character, and hence to be the word of
Almighty God from beginning to end, have unfailing confi



GOD, HIS COMPOSITION ANVD CHARACTER.  167
dence in the correctness of the statements made, not only
by Moses, and Joshua his immediate successor, but by St.
James, and all the other so-called, specially God-inspired
writers.
Not until men shall come to see and to feel that between
such truths as are. real, and such as are merely mental, or
-moral, there is not unfrequently a heaven-wide difference,
and hence that it is possible to be very sincere and positive,
and yet altogether wrong, can they be expected to live out
in practice the advanced religious principle of refraining
from speaking evil of such of their fellows as shall, upon
some favorite dogma, chance to differ with them in opinion.
And yet, kind reader, may we not indulge the hope that you
will at least reflect upon the subjoined questions, before allowing yourself to heap calumny either upon us or our
feeble opinions? i. Do not wrong, narrow, and contracted
views upon any subject, no matter what, tend to beget and
foster into growth wrong, narrow, and contracted action
thereupon? 2. By unavoidable consequence, do not the
olden views of God, creation, and his government thereof,
tend to beget, and foster into growth within the heads of
such as are firm believers therein, a deep feeling, not of the
necessity of close observation, careful study, and much
thought, in order to store their minds with wisdom, but of
strong faith in prayers and tears to God addressed therefor?
3. Is it possible for men to continue firmly to believe indefinitely on, that they are specially instructed in knowledge,
guided in thought, assisted in action, and their mouths filled
with words of wisdom from on High, without becoming
more and more inclined, not only to fall into mental inactivity, but to look down with pity and contempt upon the
teachings of human science and the knowledge gained there-from? 4. And can it be otherwise than that such a belief
must have a tendency to render its possessors more and
more wise and great in their own conceit, (because wise and
great, without study or care, far ahead of the dull teachings,of observation, reason, and the natural sciences,) and hence
wise and great quite beyond their neighbors who are not




168                  DEPARTURE.
thus specially God-favored?  5. Do not these things, when
all together taken and fairly considered, sufficiently explain
why it was that anciently, and before the war against ignorance, superstition, and credulity was begun, there were so
many men who, mistaking their senseless dreams, incoherent
reveries, and the spontaneous promptings of their wakeful
brains for facts past, facts present, and facts to come, poured
directly into their heads by Almighty God as with a tunnel,
honestly supposed they were possessed of the spirit of
prophecy, consequently declared themselves to be in possession thereof; and hence, instead of being pitied and
shunned as unfortunate monomaniacs, were listened to and
honored, by a gaping, wondering world, as God-inspired
prophets? Aye, and is not here also revealed the cause of
there still being so many well-meaning men among us who,
filled to overflowing with the fancy that they are God's
specially chosen embassadors, presumptuously undertake
to lead and dogmatically to teach, when, outside a certain,
narrow, antiquated track, they are hardly qualified understandingly to follow?
As we have come to see it, the reason why there are not
as many prophets and as great ones, in the world to-day, as
there were in Old Testament times, is not because the spirit'
of prophecy is dead, nor yet because men cannot, now, quite
as well and pertinently prophesy as ever they could, but because a more advanced world has ceased to give encouragement to the further production of the article, by ceasing
longer to pin its faith upon the sleeves of such as would fain
be its producers. Hence, should there ever again spring up
as great a demand for prophecy as existed in the days when
the Bible was written, soon, again, not only with the prophetic spirit, but with the words of prophecy, would large
numbers of men be brimful and slopping over. In other
words, wherever prophets, witches, fortune tellers, spiritual
mediums, lecturers, school teachers, or any other kind and
character of men, come to be in active demand by the taste,
character, and condition of the people, there will soon spring
up and flow in from abroad the requisite supply.




GOD, HIS COMPOSITION AND CHARACTER.  169
Before taking leave of this subject, permit us to suggest
that, had some humble individual, only half a dozen centuries ago, dared venture to indulge the idea, and hence to
have expressed the opinion, that the time would not unlikely
come when the diameter of the Sun, the form and size of
the Earth, the distances and dimensions of the planets, the
character of the fixed stars, etc., would all cease to be hidden mysteries, and taught in the schools of every enlightened
land, he would no more have been credited than should we
now, were we to give it as ours, that the period will not unlikely arrive when men will quite as well understand the
general character and operation of the different laws by
which the worlds were gradually produced into being out of
pre-existing elementary substance, material and immaterial,
as do we to-day the character and action of those, which
regulate their movements -in the fields of space., And yet
we just as confidently expect that such, in all due time, will
come to be the case, as do we that men will continue to go
on growing in knowledge, and increasing in ability to grasp
facts, multiply arts, and augment the number and extent of
the natural sciences, precisely the same as have they in the
past.
O noble and exalted, but much abused, Reason! What
wouldst thou not do for us, could we only be persuaded
upon every subject to invoke thy friendly aid, instead of,
upon certain fundamental questions of paramount importance, eternally spurning thee from us as an enemy!




CHAPTER XV.
NATURE S LAWS AND JUDGMENT.
Allowing, as we claim and verily believe to be the fact,
that God is not of Nature the Author, nor Nature of God
the PARENT CAUSE but that they are both one; and consequently that the differently sounding terms, God, Nature, the
Lord, great Nature, etc., are neither more nor less than so
many different modes of expression the self-same thing to
indicate, it follows that the laws of Nature are the laws of
God, and sacred every one. Differ upon this point, however,
as honestly men may, still it can hardly be doubted, we
think, by the most firm believer in a God other than Nature
and superior thereto, that the laws of Nature are quite important, potent, and universal.
If the laws of Nature are the laws of God, are God's laws,
then their justice cannot be denied without also denying
that their Author is just. And if they are not His laws, and
hence may or may not be just, there, manifestly enough, has
his existence long-since ceased to be a matter of any moment to the human family; since it is wholly pursuant to the
operation of natural law that men are begotten, born, live,
and die. In short, since there is not a human being anywhere upon the Earth, who has ever seen a single object,
heard a single sound, smelled the faintest odor, tasted. a solitary morsel, or, by sense of feeling, felt the slightest thing
which is not both the creature and the subject of natural
law, where is the wisdom and what the benefit of spending
so much time in trying to teach, persuade, and scare.mankind into the belief that, by such a code, it is not safe to
live, and by such an one to die?  Since it has never been
proven and doubtless never will be that the laws of Nature




NATURE'S LAWS AND JUDIGMLENT.            171
ore not the laws of God, and sacredly binding every one,
Why should we be so very anxious to deceive ourselves and,others into the pernicious belief that it is possible so to
manage, and whip the Devil round the stump, as to commit
sin without being obliged correspondingly to suffer?
To this it may not unlikely be objected in substance as
follows: Some eighteen hundred years ago, God saw fit in
his wisdom so far to amend his great natural code, as to
enable men to escape the punishment due to their sins by
the simple act of believing on Christ, his only begotton Son,
who came upon the Earth in the form and appearance of a
man, took upon himself the sins of the world, past, present,
and prospective, and, in our stead, suffered their penalty,
that we through him might live; that is, might be saved
from the legitimate consequences of our numerous sins and
-iniquities. We say an objection of this kind may not unlikely be interposed, because it can hardly be doubted that
many good and worthy men honestly believe, not only that
the Bible teaches such a doctrine, but that every word therein contained is an eternal verity. And yet, with all due
deference to the feelings and opinions of such, we must be
permitted to think differently,-must be permitted to think
that a thing is not any the more an eternal verity, because
honestly believed to be a fact, or any the less a shallow
falsehood, because found between the lids of the Bible, or.any other book'in artificial language penned. Or still more'
plainly, in so far as the commandments of Moses, the sayings of the prophets, and the teachings of Christ are affirmative of the laws organically enstamped upon man, in so far
are they the commandments of the Power that made him;
and in so far as they contravene the laws thus organically
proclaimed, in just so far are they the mere misjudgments
of those ancient men, and hence, as guides to human actions,
are not worth the paper on which they stand recorded.
And here the question naturally arises, Upon whom are
the commandments of Nature obligatory?-As seems to us
they are obligatory upon such and only such as have received them; in other words, upon such and only such as




172                 DEPARTURE.
have them enstamped upon their organisms by those different branches of the great Creator, known as hereditary
causes, educational influences, the force of habit, or all these
things combined. The man who is actually coarse-grained,
low, and groveling, no matter how he came to be so, whether
so born or whether so brought to be by education and the
pressure of degrading influences, is no more commanded by
the nature of which he is himself possessed, and hence no
more by the Power that made him, to be delicate and hightoned in his desires, feelings, and conduct, than is a black
man to be a white one, or a dwarf to pull down as much
upon the scales as a giant; —not any more. By and through
his own individual nature, be it high, be it low, and be it
what it may, and not by and through the nature of Moses,
or any other individual or set of individuals, ancient or
modern, is every man commanded what to be, what to do,
what to love, what to hate, etc. Indeed, as we have come
to see it, one of the gravest errors of the old Mosaic system
of religion, and also of the Christian, as for the most part it
is taught and administered, is that, irrespective of the great
natural difference in the organization, taste, temperaments,
and mental balance of different individuals, (and no two
even of the same class, whether high or low, can anywhere
be found who are, in these respects or any other, exactly
alike,) they issue unto all the same mandates, and require
from all the same kind, character, and grad~e of obedience;
whereout unavoidably grows, not charity, brotherly-love,
and good-will one toward another, but unjust criticisms,
accusations, counter accusations, etc.; which things not only
greatly mar the beauties of those systems, but approximate
quite nearly to paralyzing their usefulness. No man, Jew
or Gentile, Turk or Christian, can any more reasonably be
required or expected to exercise talents, whether secular or
religious, of which he is not in possession, because some
other man or set of men may chance to possess them, than
can he to exercise ten, when in truth and in fact he has but
one. All men have not the same organization, not the same
mental balance, and not the same gifts either in quantity or




NAT URE'S LA WS AND. JUDGIMENT.        173
kind, consequently they are not by the great Creative Power
commanded to look all alike, think all alike, or practice all
alike, and hence, thus do, they. never did and never can:
all which must needs be, upon the whole, both good and
right, otherwise it would not, eternally, so have been and
be. And wherefore, to all such arguments and objections
as are herein before stated, we deem the following a sufficient
answer:If the God who created the Earth, and all things therein
and upon, bad ever amended a single provision of natural
law, or had ever annulled either conditionally or unconditionally a single clause thereof, relative to universal man,
he would not, as seems to us, have intrusted its revelation
and the chances of its spread to the narrow bounds of artificial language,, upon scanty rolls of parchment written; but,
in accordance with his ancient custom, would simultaneously
therewith have issued undying proclamation to that effect
throughout every sea and every land, by indelibly enstamping
such amendment or annulment upon all the appropriate
branches and departments of his created works; for, beyond,a doubt with us, he speaks not to man or any other of his
fractions, except by and-through his works; and hence they
are the whole of his OFFICIAL VOLUME.Legitimately consequent upon a command indelibly enstamped upon the organic structure of both man and beast,
each doth multiply and replenish the Earth, with his kind,
and neither the one nor the other of them does it, because by
the Bible so commanded to do. In other words, it was because the observing and philosophic Moses saw that such a
commandment had organic existence in both man and beast,
that induced him, for the enlightenment of the unthinking,
to write it down as being the express commandment of God;
and not because it was by him expected that his thus writing
it down would add one jot or tittle to its binding force. And
so of all God's commandments, since deep in the nature of
things themselves they have their seat and binding force;
and not at all upon mere human opinions, or the pages of any
written book, for their existence or efficacy depend.




174                 -DEPARTURE.
As fire uniformly continues to consume combustibles, as
cold uniformly continues to freeze whatever is subjected to its
chilly reign, and as men uniformly continue to be -begotten, born, and nourished* into growth and strength pursuant to the same old natural laws; so, pursuant to established
order, life, to death, is ever compelled to give way, all our
fond hopes and strong beliefs and fervent prayers to the contrary notwithstanding 0 Nature, blessed and lovely Nature!
When will men come to know and appreciate thee as they
ought? And when to understand that it only by rendering
obedience to the laws which are written upon the pages of
thy great and constantly growing, physical revelation, that
they can be saved from sin, saved from sickness, and saved
from a wicked, hence untimely, and hence the only death
that ever was or ever will be to mankind a curse?
Again; since Nature's laws aie permanently part and
parcel of her own eternal Self, (because of all her numerous
different properties and powers composed,) it needs must
follow that a due- proportion of these Her undying qualities,
or eternal laws, are forever present and active, wherever and
to the precise extent that any portion of her own vast Self
exists, no matter how small may be the fraction, where its
location, what its form, nor whence it came. Not only this,
but the fact that Her laws are thus, forever, coextensively
present and active with Herself, necessarily invests Her, and
hence them, with all and singular those powers of omnipresence, omniscience, etc., which, from the blinding effects
of early education and the force of habit, we have been
wont to ascribe to an extrinsic, immaterial, Supreme Judge
and Ruler of the World. In other words, the omniscience
of Nature's laws grows out of their omnipresence; and their
omnipresence, out of the fact of their being, everywhere and
ever, part and parcel of Her own vast, universal Self. The
laws of Nature being thus coequal, coactive, and coextensive
with her own vast Self, they must of necessity be self-executive; and hence they must ever and everywhere render, not
only the proper reward which is due to obedience, but the
proper kind, character, and amount of punishment which is




NA4TURE'S LA WS A _D JUD G.ENT.          175
due to each and every act of disobedience, as well as meddling improperly with any portion of that universal Whole,
of which such portion is a component part; be the thing
thus, in any way, improperly meddled with, large or small,
strong or weak, wholesome food or deadly poison.
This being how the matter stands out revealed to us, we
are compelled to infer that Nature's judgment can be no
other than a general one;-a general one not for the reason
that at some particular time and place, in the distant future,
she is going to try, judge, and execute judgment upon all
men, of every generation, condition, and clime, for all past,
present, and intermediate acts of obedience and disobedience to her numerous and, upon the whole, always good
and salutary laws, but because it is everywhere constantly
going on;-because her court is ever and everywhere open,
and in active business-session eternally engaged; and so
eternally engaged, because her universal laws, out of which
it grows, are everywhere and ever actively alive; consequently are, at all times, and in all places, exerting their full
force and effect; consequently are ever producing upon individuals, and hence upon universal, passing man, the same
as uporn all things else, their full quota of legitimately corresponding effects; and consequently are forever acting the
part, not only of universal Judge, but of full Rewarder and
final Executioner.  And now, reader, for the purpose of
enstamping this point upon your brain as indelibly as possible, suffer us to be a little tedious and relate a circumstance
which, although quite simple, is nevertheless directly in
point, and hence most strikingly illustrative of the subject..
In a neighboring town, a few years since, there resided a
man who, believing that the properties and powers of things
are not things' laws, hence that those laws are not permanently part and parcel of things themselves, consequently
not equally fixed and irrevocable as are the things of which
they are a part, and hence not self-executive, else believing
that they were, (and which we cannot tell,) threw himself
full upon the track, just as the ponderous train with lightning speed was bearing down upon him.  Yea, and strange




176                  DEPARTURE.
as the foregoing views may. appear to such as are firm believers in a great and terrible judgment, at some distant
future day, for present transgressions of law, consequently
have never seriously thought upon the subject of a current
general judgment, (which the necessity of any such great
future one doth wholly supersede,) nevertheless, in this instance at least, they are proven to be in consonance with
verity. For the stern gravity of that particular fraction of
the great Ruler, which the iron horse doth constitute and
is, did then and there, in full substance and effect, try,
judge, and execute sentence of awful dismemberment and
instant death, upon that frail organic structure which, up to
that moment, had constituted him a living man. Thus was
this individual, at that time, in that place, and not somewhere else nor'long years thereafter, tried, judged, and exe*cuted for his said transgression of a law of Nature, or of
God. But surely it cannot be necessary to multiply cases
or vary examples to prove what reason, observation, and
experience all unite in declaring to be both the universal
rule and constant practice, throughout all vast Nature's
infinitely diversified and never-ending round.




CHAPTER XVI.
MAN AND HIS DESTINY.
So intimately connected are the different links in great
Nature's chain, that, in speaking upon other subjects, some
things may have incidentally been said bearing more or less
directly upon the question of the final destiny of individual
man; nevertheless, upon that particular point, nothing has
thus far been advanced. And now, before entering thereupon, we desire to say that, if we know ourself, we have an
abhorrence to contending with our friends, neighbors, or
anybody else, simply because they chance to differ with us
in size, form, or opinion. We might,, therefore, be disposed
to pass this delicate question in silence, did we not take into
consideration the fact that, whether for weal or whether for
woe, we, too, have a through ticket in the great boat of
human life;.hence have, in common with every other individual that ever did, now does, or ever shall tread the
Earth, an equal interest not only in enhancing the pleasures
of the voyage, but in its safe arrival at its destined port, be
that port personal eternal life to all, or be it to each, as an
individual entity, and eternal sleep; and consequently that
we have no right to shrink from its discussion.
As we have come to see it, then, there are in the human
head quite a number of different mental organs, among
which is one that is specially commissioned to create within
us love of life, and hence desire to live; and another whose
function it is to create within us thee feeling or emotion
called Hope. And since this latter mental organ, just like
every other, is always, relatively, more or less large and
active in the head of every individual, therefore, like every
other, it always more or less helps to shape the views and
mould the character of every human being. In other words,
I3




178                  DEPARTURE.
as the natural Voltaic battery or mental organ called Hope,
whose function it is to create, and keep alive within us, the
feeling or emotion which is also called Hope, is, just like
every other mental organ, part and parcel of the human
machine; so it, the same as every other,.ever more or less
helps to shape the course and stamp the character of the
whole man, according to its relative size, activity, and power,
as compared with the other organs in the same head.
Moreover, whether aware of the fact or not, we do, each and
all, just as unavoidably revolve around our respective:dominant, mental organs, be they few or be they many, and be
they which they may, as do the different secondary planets
about their respective primaries. And of this the natural
consequence is, that, when thinking of our own dissolution,
(and no one is always thinking about this or any other one
thing, except he be permanently insane,) we all have ourhopes, more or less strong, not only that we shall live to a.
good old age, but on past death to all eternity; just the
same as do we hope for a thousand other impossible things
which it is within the compass of human nature strongly to,
desire to have take place, and hence to hope that they will.
In short, such is man's organic structure and such his men-.
tal balance, that we all have our turns, more or less often
and upon a scale larger or smaller, of soaring away upon the:
pinions of Hope in the same manner, and for the same general reason, that we have our turns of being wakeful, sleepy,
talkative, taciturn, angry, etc.  In the same manner, and
for the same general reason, we all have our turns more or
less often, and upon a scale larger or smaller, of feeling
lonely in the midst of company, sober in the midst of jollity,
angry without any just provocation, afraid when there is
in reality no danger, anci of hoping for things which have no
foundation in fact, and consequently can never come to take
place. All these mental acts, more or less often and upon
a scale larger or smaller, we perform; and we perform themr
partly for the reason that the several organs in our heads,
which stand parent cause thereto, are stone-blind, that is,
do not possess either judgment or discretion, and partly




M7YAN AND HIS DESTINY.                179
because it not unfrequently happens that, for want of being
duly exercised, they take on spontaneous action, the same
as did the boy's mouth at school when i zwhis/ted i/self
Again, notwithstanding we are all organized upon the
same general plan, consequently are all human beings, still
our different heads are no more all balanced alike than are
our different faces all shaped alike; wherefore we have not all
the same ruling organs, and hence do not all turn upon the
same mental axis.  On the contrary, Phrenology teaches,
and observation attests its truthfulness, that some are so
organized and balanced that, even in their most sober
moments, feeling and emotion are their governing angels,
intellect in their heads being quite subordinate, and hence
only holding a slightly modifying commission therein; also
that there are others whose mental balance is such, that,
when not laboring under some undue excitement, intellect
is naturally their guiding star, feeling and emotion acting
the subordinate part.  This latter class of persons, in their
ordinarily cool and reflective moments, are able to look
right over those mountains of causeless anger, groundless
fears, and foundationless hopes with which, but a short time
before, when laboring under some strong excitement or lost
in reverie, their heads were filled, and see that they are
merely the creation of their strong, blind organs of feeling,
and consequently that, as guides to real truth, their testimony is of little value,-a thing which the former class of
individuals can never do. We repeat, the former class of
individuals, can never do this, because, self-evidently, as
seems to us, they are'forever debarred from doing so by
their uniformly ruling organs of feeling and emotion,-the
very ones which create and keep alive those things within
them.  Indeed, it is just as certain that all men do not possess the same perspicacity, the same depth of thought, the
same amount of intellectual power, as it is that they do not
all possess the same bodily activity and muscular strength;
and hence it is just as certain that said latter class are able
to see, with their mind's eye, all around and far beyond the
utmost stretch of the formner's mental vision, as it is that the




180                  DEPARTURE.
orbit of Jupiter lies all around and millions of miles outside
old Earth's proud track.We have not been thus particular in elucidating this point
because we suppose it to be a new view of variant human
nature, but because we wish to explain as clearly as possible
how it is that some men are compelled to disbelieve in a
continued personal existence after death, notwithstanding
the blind organ of Hope, a,cting in concert with equally
blind Vitativeness, doth more or less often, and with greater
or less distinctness, create in their heads the pleasing emotion that they shall continue to live, not only to a good old
age, but right on past death to all eternity. And here candor bids us confess that one of the best arguments we ever
heard adduced in favor 9f the eternal personal-existence
doctrine is based upon this very fact; namely, that all men,
everywhere, do more or less strongly desire and hope thus,
eternally on, to live. The gist of the argument may be
briefly stated thus: Because universal man has in his head
a mental organ, whose function it is to create within him
deep love of life, consequently strong desire to live, also another whose function it is to create within him the emotion
called Hope; and because this latter organ, when actinig in
concert with the former as its leader, legitimately creates
within him the hope to live, not only to a good old age, but
right on past death to all eternity; therefore it is inferred
that he must and will so live, else were those organs made
in vain.
That this argument appears quite plausible upon its face
must be admitted; also that it would be unanswerable, but
for the fact that the premises do not warrant the drawing of
any such conclusion therefrom. We say, it would be unanswerable, but for the fact that the premises do not warrant the drawing of any such conclusion therefrom, because
the sound-minded, middle-aged man does not live who will
not find, upon carefully turning over in memory the pages
of his past life, that this said Mr. Hope, so far from ever
having proved himself a uniform truth-teller upon any subject, almost invariably stands convicted of being a gay and




MlAN A.ND IHIS DESTINY               181
unscrupulous deceiver. Indeed, so plain is this, that no
argument is needed to prove that not a middle-aged man,
Jew or Gentile, Turk or Christian, bond or free, can anywhere be found who does not know from his own experience,
that he has already buoyantly hoped for a thousand things
which he has not yet realized, and which he is now just as
certain he never can, as is he that the days of his youth, and
hence of his youthful hopes, are forever past.
It has already been stated in effect, that the blind organ
of Hope, when acting in concert with the equally blind organ
Vitativeness as its leader, legitimately creates, within the
heads of men, the hope that they shall continue to live personally, eternally on; and it was so stated because both
Phrenology and experience prove, that the object or thing
for which men hope is never determined by the organ of
Hope, but always by the organ or combination of organs
with which, as follower, it is blindly acting in concert. Thus,
for instance, when acting with Acquisitiveness as its leader,
it is not for life either long or short that an individual doth
hope, but for wealth; when with Alimentiveness, then not
for wealth, but something good to eat; and thus on. Whcrefore, if the inference be correct, that, because all men do
more or less ardently desire and hope to live, not only to a
good old age, but right on past death to all eternity, therefore they must and will so'live; then, manifestly enough, in
pursuance of this same kind and character of logic, we are
bound to infer, and hence to proclaim it aloud as a fact,
that, because all men do more or less ardently desire and
fondly hope to be great, rich, happy, and honored, therefore
all men must and will be great, rich, etc.;-a conclusion so
utterly at variance with both observation and experience,
that it would seem that no one who is not desirous of being deceived would be in danger of being misled thereby.
In short, it would seem as if the simple fact that all mankind
do more or less ardently desire and fondly hope to live, here
upon the Earth, not only for days, months, and years, but to
a good old age; whereas, notwithstanding all these strong
desires thus to live and fond hopes that they shall, full nine



182                  )DEPARTURE.
teen-twentieths of all these hopers are known to pass the
gate of death, before the green old-age of sixty years is
reached, ought of itself to be sufficient to prevent every
candid and reflecting man from placing any particular confidence in the whisperings of such a flattering and deceitful
guide. So much for the first and main branch of the argument which in substance declares, and effect, that, because universal man doth more or less ardently desire and fondly hope to
exist personally on, past death to, all eternity, t/herefore he
must and will so exist.  Now for the second and minor
branch which says, in substance and effect, that unless he is
permitted thus on to live, then were those mental organs,
which speak into existence within him such desire and hope,
formed in vain.
It is admitted that the fact that all men have eyes, for example, furnishes unmistakable evidence that they were created to be used, and also of the existence of something in
surrounding nature for them to see; but it is denied that
the circumstance of man's being created a finite being,
whereby he is denied the capacity of being able to see a
thousandth part of the visible things which are in the world,
or even of those particular places and objects which he is
more or less desirous of seeing, furnishes any evidence that
his eyes were formed in vain, or not for admirable ends. On
the contrary, if the universality of the fact that the tendency
in all men everywhere to perform the mental act of desiring
to see is greatly in excess of their ability to perform the
laborious and often impossible task of bringing themselves
within eye-shot of all those innumerable, visible places and
things which they are desirous of seeing, and hence of becoming ocularly acquainted therewith proves anything, it is,
that, as a legitimate consequence of their desiring to see so
very much, they will so bestir themselves as to come to see
and understand a vast deal more than they otherwise would,
and consequently be rendered correspondingly more wise
and happy. Because the apple-tree, for example, in obedience to a law of its nature, performs the act of putting forth
vastly more of blossoms than it is possible for it to bear of




MAN AND HIS DES'TIVY.               183
apples, it will not do to infer that the inherent tendency, in
this kind of tree, to perform the act of putting forth such
surplus, was created in vain.
Further, had universal man no such mental organ as Acquisitiveness, for example, he would no more love property,
no more desire to possess wealth, no more exert himself to
acquire it, and no more tax his ingenuity to devise ways and
means to perpetuate its existence in the hands of his posterity after him, than does the dog that feeds upon the
crumbs which fall from his table;-not any more.  And
had he no such mental organ as Vitativeness, he could no,
more perform the mental act of loving his life, or of desiring
to live either longer or shorter, here or hereafter, than could
he the act of seeing without eyes; and consequently he
would no more love life,. no more desire to live, and no more
dread death, than does the oyster. Obviously enough, the
effect of the existence of this organ, in the head of man, the
same as in the head of animals below him, is to cause him
to guard, protect, and prolong his bodily life as much as pos-.sible; and not to cause him to live a moment beyond such
organ's death, or the death of that physical structure of
which it is a part. Moreover, such is the frailty of man's
organic structure, and such the multitude of surrounding
agents competent to cripple and destroy him, that, but for
the existence in his head of this said organ which prompts
him to self-preservation, his destruction would steadily and
unconcernedly go on, until, within a comparatively brief
period, he would be blotted from the face of the Earth. Of
this there cannot be a rational doubt. Wherefore, allowing
it to be a fact, as we are compelled to think it is, that, of
personal existence, the close of this bodily life is the final
close, Is it not plain that this said mental organ, instead of
being created in vain, is, to the human family, not only a
blessing, but its savior?
Again, in addition to his other mental organs, man has in
his head such an organ as Acquistiveness; and the consequence is he loves property, desires to accumulate it, is
anxious to acquire a great deal, and studiously endeavors




184                   DEPARTURE.
to guard against the possibility of its slipping away froin
him. And inasmuch as these acts, each and all, are normally performed or spoken into existence within him by his
brain, therefore they afford him a species of pleasure;, and
therefore we have no right to infer that the organ, which
thereunto parent cause doth stand, was made in vain; —have
no right to infer it was made in vain, simply for the reason
that, as a natural incentive to action, it-causes him to wish
for vastly more of wealth than he possesses the general ability to obtain or to manage. Upon the contrary, if the
universality of the fact that such is the function of this organ
as legitimately confers upon men, at all times and everywhere, vastly more capacity for desiring property and of
wishing to possess it, than it does of skill and ability to
acquire it, proves anything, it is, that, as a natural consequence of their thus desiring to acquire and possess immense
wealth, they will be much more likely so to bestir themselves
as to keep the wolf from their doors than they otherwise
would, and hence be rendered correspondingly more comfortable  and happy.-Because all men, everywhere, are
desirous of possessing a great deal more property than they
are able to get or ever do get, therefore all men, everywhere,
must and will come to possess a great deal more property
than they ever do come to possess; else was the mental
organ which parent cause doth stand to such desire created
in vain. Because all men, everywhere, are desirous of living,
here in the flesh, to a good old age, therefore all men, everywhere, must and will continue to live, here in tlhe flesh, to a
good old age; (notwithstanding but few men, anywhere, thus.
long do live;) else was the mental organ which parentcause doth stand to such desire created in vain. And because all men, everywhere, are desirous of living personally
on, in some form or other, past death to all eternity, therefore all men, everywhere, must and will, in some form, thus.
personally on continue to live; else was the mental organ
which parent cause doth stand to such desire created in
vain. —Strange logic, this.!
But again; in addition to all his other mental organs, man




MALN AN1D HIS D ESTINY.            185
has in his head such an organ as Vitativeness; and the consequence is he not only loves his life, but desires to live as
long as he can; and hence he endeavors to acquaint himself not only with the laws of his being, but with the character and qualities of things about him, to the end that he
may be able so to adapt his action thereunto as to preserve
his health and prolong his stay upon the Earth, until his
physical machinery shall be fairly worn out, and he, in consequence, brought to die a strictly natural and hence
unpainful death. Wherefore, manifestly enough, this said
organ doth answer him a valuable purpose during all the
days of his natural life; and wherefore, should it become
worn out and die along with the rest of his physical organs,
it would no more have been created in vain than were his
eyes, his ears, or his nose, since every part of his proud,
bodily structure is compelled to share the same fate.
And yet further:  In addition to said organ of Vitativeness and all his other mental organs, man possesses one
called Hope; the which, if he did not possess, he could no
more perform the mental act of hoping for wealth, for success in his different undertakings, or for life either long or
short, here or hereafter, than can he manifest mind without
brains; —not any more.  Hope, although  not itself an
executive organ, ever freely lends its aid to Vitativeness,
Acquisitiveness, and such other organs and combinations of
organs as desire its support. And of this, the consequence
is, that man not only loves his life and desires to live, and
live on, to a good old age, and yet still on past death to all
eternity, but hopes he shall.
Wherefore, should this said hope-creating organ, the same
as Vitativeness,-the love-of-life-creating organ, after having thus afforded him much good cheer during all the dark
days of his natural life, finally become worn out and die
along with the rest of his physical structure, it would no
more have been made in vain than was his mouth, or any
other of his numerous bodily organs which afford him
pleasure so long as he lives, and which it is equally the
mission of. death to destroy, come whensoever it may. We




186                  DEPAR TUR E.
say, should this said hope-creating organ become worn out
and die along with the rest of his physical structure, etc.,
because the different organs, each and all, of which the brain
is made ade up, are just as much physical things as are
the heart and liver; consequently they are just as much
subject to the operation of physical laws, hence must just as
surely be. blotted out by death, and hence, of the emotion
called Hope, the same as of every other mental phenomenon, that must of necessity be the final close.
As sensation, thought, feeling, and emotion are, each and
all, mere creatures of the brain, so we are alike indebted to
that complex organ, not only for all the pleasures we enjoy,
but for all the pains we suffer. And since normal action of
the brain doth always afford a species of pleasure either
higher or lower, it must therefore be more happifying, as
well as more elevating in its consequences, to be busily engaged in tracing Nature's laws, unfolding her eternal facts,
and endeavoring, as far forth as possible, to reduce them
into practice, than it is or can be to be constantly meditating upon what some ancient somebody was led to think,
and hence write down.
It is not denied that the emotion created in man by the
organ of Hope is a pleasing one; but, then, it must be borne
in memory that such is the complexity of the human structure that man is not all Hope, any more than is he all
Acquisitiveness or Combativeness.  In other words, it must
be borne in memory that, in addition to Hope, he has numerous other mental organs, the normal exercise of each of
which ever affords him its own proper kind and quality of
pleasure. And whether right or whether wrong, we must
be permitted to think that Intellect is the purest, brightest,
and most substantial jewel in the head of man; consequently that the pleasures created and kept alive by the normal
exercise of the intellectual organs are purer in quality, more
exalted in character, hence more ennobling in their tendency, and hence more happifying in their effects, than are
those which are created by Vitativeness, Hope, or any other
of the blind mental organs. For others, of course, we can



MAN AND iHIS DESTINY.                187
not speak, but, as. for ourself, we have no hesitation in
believing that we derive more of real and abiding pleasure
from -the complex, mental act of endeavoring to read and
understand human nature as it is, in other words, from the
complex, mental act of canvassing, as far forth as possible,
the different facts and circumstances which bear upon the
origin, character, and final destiny of the animal called
man, notwithstanding the testimony thus gained doth tend
to diminish the possibility of deliberately indulging the hope
of a future, personal existence beyond the grave, than would
it be possible for us to derive from the simple act of blindly
hoping that, beyond such bound, we shall thus live. Understand, it is not denied that we should be willing and more
than willing-could we deem  such a thing possible-not
only to continue to maintain a conscious, spiritual, personal
existence right on past death to all eternity, in the society
of such of our beloved friends and acquaintances as have
gone before, and those that must shortly follow, but to live
this present, bodily life over, and over again, at least an
hundred times from early youth to this our seventieth year,
without ever tasting death at all, in the company of just such
kind friends, neighbors, and acquaintances as now surround
us. We repeat, we should be willing and more than willing
to do either or both of these things, could we bring ourself to believe in the possibility thereof. As, however, we
can no more believe in the possibility of the former than of
the latter, for the reason that we are compelled to regard
it as being directly at variance, not only with our own brief
observation, but with the plain teachings of natural law; so
we think we are not mistaken when we say that the absence,
in our head, of an abiding hope of the former, doth no more
leave an aching void therein, than does the absence of such
a hope of the latter; —not any more.
In the spirits of the living, in animal magnetism, and in
clairvoyance to a certain extent, we find no difficulty in believing, but in the spirits of the dead we have no sort of
faith. Simply because we hear of many things being done
that are claimed to be performed by the spirits of the de



188                  DEPARTURE.
parted, and for which things we are wholly unable to
account, the same as we do of numerous things being performed by magic art which we are equally unable to explain,
we are not prepared to believe they are not, one'and all,
somehow produced, or brought to take place and be, by the
agency of individuals that are still alive and in the flesh,
instead of by-the spirits of the dead.
Because almost every one experiences more or less of
those feelings which are called presentiments, because some
few of such presentiments may chance to bear a faint resemblance, either fancied or real, to something which doth
somewhere thereafter come to take place, and because this
wide class of mental phenomena may be most easily accounted for by assuming that all such presentiments are just
so many revelations to us made by the spirits of the departed, it does not follow that such assumption is a fact, or that
any such things as ghosts, or spirits of the dead, ever had
existence. Far from it!
As we see it, the way the so-called spirits of the dead do
act toward us the part of guardian angels, ever hovering
round us, is this: By the remembrance of the persons,
character, etc., of the honored dead, we are ever more or
less strongly inclined, not only to abstain from such practices and things as we know were to them abhorrent, but to
imitate their virtues both by word and deed. And the more
in-drawn, gloomy, and reflective the cast of mind, the more
marked will be the effect produced upon the individual by
the pale departure of near and dear friends.
Inasmuch, however, as we'do not know that individual
man will not continue to maintain a personal existence after
he is physically dead, any more than do others kozew that he
will thus continue to maintain it, so it may not be improper
here to say that in case it shall turn out to be a fact that
man is inherently possessed of such a nature, as renders
him personally an immortal being, then, manifestly enough,
as seems to us, such subsequent life will not depend upon
any miraculous bodily resurrection, but be a disembodied
continuance right on of this present life; and consequently




ALAN AND HIS DESTINE                189
that those who so live as to enjoy heaven now will continue
to enjoy it then, and those who so demean themselves as to
suffer hell now will continue to suffer hell then, except in so
far as different individuals then, the same as now, shall, pursuant to the law of progression, make advancement or
change their courses, and hence correspondingly alter their
conditions.
And since we have thus plainly declared our want of faith
in the personal existence of such as are physically dead, and
this notwithstanding we are compelled to admit we do not
know that they do not thus' continue to exist, consequently
may be in error upon this point; now, therefore, with a view
to making all possible amends for the promulgation of these
our honestly cherished views,-in case they shall turn out to
be erroneous, and we unexpectedly find ourself in possession
of a conscious, lersonal existence after that our body is no
more,-we do hereby pledge ourself unto such of you, our
friendly readers, as, shall then be living here in the flesh,
that we will make it our business to apprise you of the fact
as speedily as may be; provided we can be permitted to do
so, not in the awe-inspiring gloom of darkness, nor yet by
aid and instrumentality of any stand-between ourself and
you, whether he be friend or foe, but in some open and convincing manner in the cheerful light of day. And in case it
shall be contrary to the rules and regulations of the spirit
land for us to manifest ourself in such a way as we shall adjudge to be so plain and unmistakable, as to leave no room
for you to doubt whether it be really we who are present, or
whether some mere, living pretender to being in our confidence instead, then we shall deem it our duty to refrain
from making any attempt at communicating with the bodily
living tenants of Earth at all.
Remember this, our solemn pledge! also that it extends
only to such as are friendly to the doctrines herein advocated.
For, however much we may honor the persons and respect
the motives of such as are honestly of the opinion that it is
only by means of fiction on the back of fiction piled, that
the world is to be enlightened, religionized, and saved, con



190                 DEPARTURE.
sequently would be quite willing to have us seem to put in
our appearance, and humble confession make, whether we
so continue to exist or not, in their veracity, and especially
upon a point of this kind, we have not the same amount of
faith.
But to return: —There are, perhaps, not many passages in
the Bible which are oftener selected as the foundation of dis-.
course upon funeral occasions, than is the simple question
so anxiously asked by the disconsolate Job, "If aman die, shall
he live aga'i.? "-Standing upon this brief interrogatory as
their foundation, in the presence of the weeping living and
silent dead, the ingenuity of a naturally kind-hearted and
sympathizing clergy has been taxed to its utmost to prove
from Nature's volume the correctness of the miraculous.
dogma of the resurrection of the body entire; consequently
the personal existence of individual man in the distant
future; and hence that said question must be answered in
the affirmative. And probably one of the most taking arguments that has ever been drawn from natural revelation,.
upon such fitting occasion, in favor of the final resurrection
of the body entire, and hence in support of an eternal, per —
sonal existence consequent thereupon, is based upon the fact
that the vegetable kingdom is ever compelled to bow obedience to the annual changes of the seasons. The substance.
of the argument may be briefly stated thus:As in summer the forest is covered with leaves, as in fall
they wither, die, and drop to the ground, leaving the trees.
naked and desolate during all the long and dreary rule of
winter, and as, in spring they put forth buds, and again become clothed with verdure; So the man that yieldeth up the
ghost to-day, and to-morrow crumbleth back into his native
dust, there to remain during the cold and stilly reign of
death, shall again come forth, in the great spring time of the
resurrection, clothed with newness of life and immortality.
As this is not only a very pretty simile, but a beautifullyillustrative argument to prove what it does prove, be it much,.
be it little, and be it what it may, so it may not be amiss,
very briefly, to examine it. Between a large and flourishing




MAiN A-VD HIS DESTINY                 191
tree covered with green foliage, and a man in his full health
and strength, there exists a strong analogy; between its
leaves which, from the chilly blasts of autumn, have become
so withered and drooping as to be just ready to fall upon
the ground, and a man tottering with the infirmities of age
upon the brink of the grave, into which he is about to drop,
the resemblance is most striking; but between a tree that is
putting forth its buds in spring preparatory to expanding
them slowly, but surely, into another full leafy covering, and a
dead man suddenly rising from the. grave and again assuming his former personal identity, there is not the slightest
similarity. We say, between a tree that is putting forth buds
in spring, etc., and a dead man suddenly rising from the
grave, etc., there is not the slightest similarity, because, manifestly enough, it is not its former, dead, fallen, and partially
decayed leaves which, in spring, are being rejuvenated, elevated in air, and reattached to their respective parent stems,
and hence coming to clothe the tree suddenly in living green;
but a new generation of them, so to speak, which are gradually being pushed into organic existence from inorganic elements, in precisely the same manner that was its former leafy
covering only the spring before. Wheiefore this argument,
like all others that were ever drawn from nature to prove the
correctness of that miraculous dogma, the resurrection of
the body entire, and thereby the future personal existence
of the same individual beyond the grave, is worse than a
dead failure.
We say, this argument, like all others that were ever drawn
from nature to prove the correctness of' that miraculous
dogma, the resurrection of the body entire, etc., is worse than
a dead failure, because, if the comparison proves anything,
it is, that dead men, or past generations of men, just like
dead leaves, or past generations of leaves, so to speak, are
never resurrected entire, but only little by little, as decomposition proceeds in the form of gas; consequently that subsequent generations of men, just like subsequent generations
of leaves, are, ever, more or less composed of the self-same
elements that vwere their long-since dead and decomposed




192                   DEPARTURE.
predecessors; and hence, that it is the race of human beings that is immortal, the same as it is the race of leaves,
so to speak, and not the different, dead, and decayed individuals of the race, any more than it is the different, dead,
and rotten leaves of which the surface soil is composed;the very doctrine which we are endeavoring to prove. Indeed, self-evidently, as seems to us, every attempt to prove
from any portion of nature the existence of the unnatural,
no matter when nor where nor by whom made, must not only
fail of its object, but aid in establishing the diametrically
opposing conditions of things, the same as doth the preceding comparison, and also Paul's celebrated grain-sowing one.a
In other words, Is it not, in trfith and in fact, just as absurd
to attempt to prove from Nature the existence of miracles,the existence of a state of things which is wholly unnatural,
and hence with every act and principle of Nature's own vast
Self at variance direct, as it would be to endeavor to prove
from the almost infinite divisibility of matter, that matter is
not divisibl'e at all? We appeal, in truth and in fact, Is it
not?
a First Corinthians, I5, 36-38.




CHAPTER XVII.
MAN AND HIS DESTINY-Continued.
Admitting the gift of life to be not only a blessing, but a
great blessing, it does not follow that the Donor-whoever
or whatever the same may be —is bound to bless us on and
on therewith forever; and surely the termination by death
of a blessing, which was thus gratuitously bestowed, cannot
be construed into a curse.  So plain is the principle here
involved, that the poor tradesman, for example, would be
pronounced either an ingrate or a fool, who should go
grumbling around simply because a rich kinsman of his,
unasked, had given him a dollar, instead of an eagle,-had
given him for an indefinite period -the free use of a shop and
grounds suitable for carrying on his business, instead of executing a clear deed thereof to him and his heirs forever.
What, then, becomes of the narrow, selfish and irreverent
idea, that it is only a cruel mockery to be blessed with life
at all, if we are not to continue to be blessed therewith right
on past death to all eternity?
But admitting it to be among the things that are possible
for human beings to continue to maintain a conscious, personal existence for a single moment after they are physically
dead, and hence, by parity of reason, forever on, notwithstanding their composing elements are returned to gas,
dissipated in air, and into numerous new, and different living
combinations entered; and also admitting that they will and
do thus live; still we are unable to see any ground upon
which to base an argument or build a rational hope, that
such after-life will be any more uniform in its character, any
less checkered with difficulties, any less marred with disappointments and unsatisfied desires, hence any more a
blessing, and hence a thing any more to be desired than is
14




194                  DEPARTURE.
this present one, which the mass of endless-personal-existence believers so much affect to despise. Indeed, it would
not seem possible, logically, to draw from the premises any
other conclusion than this:  As is this present life, so also
will be the next; since both, and both alike, must be presumed to be the spontaneous gift of the same, great, wise,
and self-consistent Author. Wherefore it is not surprising
that the more sober and reflecting portion of endless-personal-existence believers are fast coming to the conclusion
that the future life of man is simply a disembodied continu*ance of this present one; that heaven and hell are both of
them conditions of being, and neither of them places; and
hence that if we so demean ourselves whilst here in the
flesh, as to create and carry about with us in our bosoms
any particular species of heaven, we. shall naturally and unavoidably continue to carry that same about with us when
we shall have shuffled off this mortal coil; and if any species
of hell, then that same in the unending future.
Further, admitting that the animal called man is to continue to maintain a conscious, personal existence in the
distant future; admitting creation to be wholly a past and
perfected work, as by Orthodoxy it is claimed to be, and
hence that the more recent theory of progression is erroneous; also admitting the foregoing views of heaven and
hell to be correct; (which in principle we must think they
are, whether death is to man, the same as to the animals below him, the final wind up or not; ) then it would seem impossible to escape the conclusion that each heaven-creating,
hence heaven-deserving, and hence heaven-enjoying individual's heaven will forever be and remain the same thing,
no less happifying, and no more ecstatic; and each hellcreating, hence hell-deserving, and hence hell-suffering
individual's bell, forever be and remain the same, no worse:
and no better; and consequently that no man's heaven,
after the death of the body, will ever be to him a more blissfull reward than it was before that event, and no man's
hell, a more baleful and excruciating punishment. Or thus:
Admitting as above, and the conclusion seems to be irresis-t




MIAN AND  IS DESTINY.                195
ible, that for the good to die is simply for them to take
leave of the body, and have the same kind, character, and
amount of heaven which they themselves created and fostered into growth within their own bosoms, whilst here in
the flesh, continued right on without intermission, diminution, or addition to all eternity; and for the bad to die is
simply for them to take leave of the body, and have the
same kind, character, and amount of hell which they themselves created and fostered into growth within their own
bosoms, whilst in the flesh, continued right on without cessation, abatement, or increase forever.
Havinlg thus admitted our concurrence in the principle
involved in the more enlightened Christian idea, that heaven
and hell are both of them conditions, and neither of them
places, perhaps it may be well to go a little further and say
that, according to our understanding, of the matter, the two
above- named diametrically opposite conditions of being are
not only more or less mixed up in the life of every individual, who long survives the infantile stage, but that both
have their beginning, growth, and full maturity in the breast
of individual man, whilst a living, breathing tenant of Earth,
and at his physical death their final end.-Saints without
blemish or sinners wholly bad there are none.
Aside from the seeming if not actual impossibility of the,thing, (for that some things are impossible with the eternal
God, as well as very many with that feeble, animated fraction of him, short-lived man, seems to us quite clear,) we
can see no sort of necessity of any personal existence after
death for the virtuous, in order that they may be rewarded
with all the heaven to which they are justly entitled for
being good and obedient; since, by unavoidable consequence,
they not only currently enjoy all the heaven which they
themselves create within their own bosoms, but are partakers in the joys of a great deal more that is therein created
and kept alive by friends, neighbors, and associates.  For,
as we understand the matter, to obey the law is not to sin,
-is to enjoy the fruits of obedience,-is to be happy,-is to
be just as happy as we deserve to be, because just as happy




196                  DEPARTURE.
as the nature that is in us will admit of our being rendered
by our own virtuous thoughts, words, and deeds, and those
of friends and associates.  Nor can we any more see the
necessity of an after-life for the vicious, in order that they
may be punished with all the hell they justly deserve, and,
in fact, with all that it would be beneficial to them or anybody else to have heaped upon their heads; since, by unavoidable consequence, they not only currently suffer all the
hell which they themselves create within their own bosoms,
but are made to taste the pains of a great deal more which
is created and kept alive therein by associates, and other
companions in sin. For, beyond a doubt with us, to disobey the law is to sin,-is to'call down upon ourselves suffering, the legitimate fruit of disobedience, —is to be miserable,
~-is to be just as miserable as the nature that is in us will
admit of our being rendered by our follies and iniquities,
and those of our vicious companions. Or to present the
idea in a little different form, inasmuch as both virtue and
vice do naturally and unavoidably bring along with them
-their own rewards, and inasmuch as in the lives of even the
most virtuous and happy adults, there doth exist more or
less of vice, and consequently of that suffering condition
called hell, and in the lives of even the most abandoned and
miserable, more or less of virtue, and hence of that happy
condition denominated heaven; therefore, by operation of
natural law, each and all do suffer all of the former, and
enjoy- all the latter, which they create within their own
bosom, in addition to sharing more or less largely in what-,ever of the one or the other condition is therein created and
kept alive by friends, neighbors, and associates; and hence
do suffer and enjoy all of each which they justly deserve.
WVe say, in addition to the sharing more or less largely in
-whatever of the one or the other condition is created and
kept alive by friends, neighbors, and associates, because, in
a state of society, it is not supposed possible for the willing
and obedient wholly to escape the ill effects of the wrong
doings of the unwilling and disobedient; or of these latter
-to go wholly unblessed by the virtuous acts of the former.




aANT AN1D  II,' DES'TINE             197
As, by natural operation of the meteorological laws, the rain
is -made to descend upon, and bless, not only the just, but
the unjust; so, by natural operation of the great social law,
the consequences of men's acts, whether good or whether
bad, are not confined wholly to thenmselves, but unavoidably
more or less extend to and affect others.  Nor is it supposed that all men are organized alike; that is, are all alike
fine-grained and sensitive in their feelings; or that all are
equally coarse-grained and obtuse. Neither is it inferred
that all enjoy or suffer alike intensely for the same kind and
character of acts; but only that each doth suffer and enjoy
appropriately, because each through the medium of that organic nature of which he is himself possessed, and hence
through the medium  of that very nature, which, whether
coarse or whether fine, and whether sensitive or whether
obtuse, parent cause doth stand to all the different acts by
him performed.  In this way, as we have come to see it, by
operation of natural law, the bad, or those in whom vice
predominates over virtue, do unavoidably suffer all the hell
and enjoy all the heaven which they justly deserve; and the
good, or those in whom virtue is in the ascendency over
vice, enjoy all the heaven and suffer all the hell which they
justly merit, and, it is hardly necessary to add that, in a
great Parent of injustice toward even the most erring of his
children, or of special favoritism  toward even the least
faulty, we have no sort of faith.
And now, for the purpose of still further narrowing down
the discussion between these our more enlightened, hence
less bigoted and intolerant, and hence more widely social
and happy Christian fiiends, and our humble self, we propose to go a step further and confess our faith in the doctrine of human probation, to the extent that we deem the
same to be consonant to fact. It is admitted, then, that
what will be the character of man to-morrow, for example,
is to a greater or less extent immediately probationary or
dependent upon the character he forms to-day, and hence
mediately probationary or dependent upon that formed upon
each preceding one of his life. Or, to make it more plain,




198                 DEPARTURE.
suppose the life of an. individual to be divided into the five
popularly well-known periods; then the character, which
such individual will possess in his childhood, may be said to
be immediately probationary upon the character formed in
infancy; the character which he will possess in youth, to be
immediately probationary upon that formed in childhood,
and hence mediately upon the one formed in infancy; his
character in manhood, immediately upon that formed in
youth, and hence mediately upon the one in the- two preceding stages; and his character in old-age, immediately upon
that formed in manhood, and hence mediately upon the one
in each of the three preceding stages; and here, as we hold,
with the close of ripe manhood's towering stage, does his
probation come to an end
It must be obvious, we think, that, during the periods of
both infancy and childhood, it is to parents, nurses, teachers,
etc., that we are indebted for nearly all the so-called probation which is usually placed to our individual credit; for
much of that to us, thus credited during youth, to parents,
teachers, and. associates; and for not a little of that in ripe
manhood's stage, to companions and other circumstances
not of our own choice or creation, and over which we have
not unlimited control. Wherefore, as seems to us, it cannot
fail to be seen by the more thoughtful and observing, that we
do not individually come quite as near to being our own
creators, quite as near to forming our own characters and
shaping our own destinies as, in the heat of imagination and
fullness of'self-conceit, we are wont to claim.
But to return from this digression:-Why thus abruptly
end the probationary period with the close of ripe manhood's stage?-Because, as we understand the law by which
man's existence is regulated and governed, it is with the succeeding period of imbecility from tottering age that his personal existence doth come to a close'; and because, in so far
as we can see, there is no more evidence that the character
formed, more properly outlived and lost, by an individual
during the period of fading, dying, old age, is going to give
shape to a subsequent stage of personal character after he is




MAI4N A ND HIS DESTINY.             199
dead,. than there is that his character in infancy was shaped
by some fancied preceding stage of ethereal existence which
he never had. In other wordsi as we are satisfied that birth
is the beginning or first end of individual man's separate,
personal existence in any form, so, in the absence of any
evidence to the contrary, we are forced to the conclusion
that death is the close or last end of that same existence;
and hence that it is just as much a thing impossible for the
closing stage of an individual's life, be that closing stage the
period of old age, or whatever preceding one it may, to give
shape to a subsequent stage which is never to follow, as it is
for the first, or infantile stage, to have been probationary
upon a preceding one which never had existence. Of course,
it will be seen that we are here speaking of an individual as
a distinct, personal entity, separate and apart from everybody else; and not of an individual as inseparably forming
a part of that vast chain of human beings, past and to come,
of which the present tenants of earth are but the connecting
link.
That the race, without any special impropriety, may be
considered immortal, we doubt not; consequently we have
no difficulty in believing that very many members of the
race who, for long ages past, have been corporally dead and
buried, are living still; not personally, of course, but in
and through us their lineal descendants now here, as well as
in their other kind and character of works. In this way,
doubtless, the character of the next generation is quite
largely probationary, not only immediately upon the character and acts of the present one, but mediately upon the
character and doings of all that have ever preceded it. Indeed, it is a part of our religious as well as philosophic faith,
that Abraham, Moses, David, and very many more of our
long-since departed sires, by and through the characters
which they formed and lived out whilst here, do still continue to make their mark and stamp their likeness more or
less distinctly, not only upon us their thus-far-remote descendants, who legitimately  constitute the as-yet-latest
edition of themselves, but upon all those with whom we their




200                   DEPARTURE.
said latest edition do come into civil, social, or domestic
contact. And thus on and still on, whereby are rendered
immortal, not only individual men and women, but their
characters; and not only their characters, but even their
thoughts, feelings, and desires to the extent that they are
spoke out in acts appropriate forever on to live.
Of course, we may be wrong, but then, as we have come
to see it, there is not only vastly more of real truth, but of
stimulant to great and noble actions, in this simple, unpretending view of man, the character of his probation, the
nature of his immortality, and the means to be used by every
one who is desirous of securing to himself a chance of being a sharer therein, than there is in that olden, opposing
doctrine whose legitimate tendency is to limit inquiry, stint
observation, cripple reason, forestall' the judgment, narrow
down the natural flow of the social feelings to a select few,
and correspondingly to dry up the fountains of generous,
manly, sympathy for the destitute and suffering outside that
narrow circle, thereby rendering all who come within its
influence, and especially its votaries, just as narrow minded,
selfish, and intolerant, and hence unsocial and unhappy, as
it is possible for the most constant appeals to self and selflove, coupled with the most thrilling descriptions of selfdanger, and a narrow escape of darling self therefrom into
a state of crowned and shining immortality, all wrought up
in self, to make them. As self-love and fear do both have
their origin in the blind, selfish sentiments, and not in the
intellectual organs, nor yet the moral group, so science, observation, and experience all bear testimony, that notwithstanding the former is powerful to urge men on to the accomplishment of many narrow, selfish purposes, and the
latter to restrain them from doing such things as they adjudge
would be likely to result injuriously to self, or self-interest,
still they are neither of them natural incentives t9 disinterested action, benevolent action, patriotic action, or, indeed,
to acts which are truly great and noble of any kind. Hence,
think of it as we may and continue to practice as we will,
it is not by appeals made to either of these selfish senti



MAN AND HZS DESTINY.                 201
ments, but only by developing the intellectual and moral
departments of the human brain, that man can be dragged
upward, and still upward, from his originally low, selfish, and
savage estate, to a state of genuine manliness of aspiration,
feeling, and of character.
Watchfulness, prudence, circumspection, etc., are all of
them products of the normal action of the large mental
organ called Cautiousness, and fear, dread, terror, etc., of its
abnormal. Wherefore we should not, by appealing to men's
strong, blind fears, use terror as a lever to pry them into
embracing any theory or doctrine as unqualifiedly right, or
into the rejection of any as absolutely wrong.  In other
words, when it is some real truth we are aiming to impress
upon the brains of men, and not some nauseous dose of
deception that we are desirous of cramming down their
throats, it is to their sober judgments that we should address ourselves, and not to pallid fear.
In a philosophical point of view, between the deliberate
practice of appealing to the strong, blind passion, fear, for
the purpose of influencing men to believe and to act contrary to the dictates of their sober judgments, and persuasions made by tyrant lash and gloomy prison to effect the
same object, What is the difference? Indeed, at this late
day and age of the world, Is not the former course of action
quite as unjustifiable, as was the latter in days of yore?Between aspiring to be good for goodness' sake, and refraining from doing evil for fear of hell, the difference in' effect is
as broad as the firmament.
And now, for one moment, let us glance at the doctrine
of human probation, as the same is, to-day, quite generally
taught and believed. It is not only well known that some
few individuals do hold on to the vital spark to a great age,
but that they continue to cling thereto until they quite outlive their own personal characters as men, become infants the
second time, and hence are destitute of any existing, personal
character at all. If for such to die is simply for themn to
take leave of their earthly tabernacles and enter upon a
future state of disembodied, personal existence, and if their




20P                  D -DEP'AR'TURE.
-personal characters in that future life are to depend upon
the characters which they formed, outlived, and lost, whilst
yet probationers in the flesh, then, manifestly enough, the
future, personal existence of all this class of individuals
must be a most empty and worthless affair.  But, allowing,.as may not unlikely be claimed by its advocates, that it is
the character which is formed and manifested by such in
ripe manhood's stage, and not the one in drooping age, that
is'probationary to the character which they are to possess
-and carry about with them in the unending future, still there
~doth remain another difficulty quite as great. For if imbecile old-age is to be set down as a sort of blank in life, -or
rather as a period thereof in which those individuals who
attain thereto are not accountable to either God or man for
-what they say or do, but are simply hanging on to life upon
their own account, What then is to be done with that other
imbecile stage, first infancy? And what with all that innu-.:merable multitude of human beings that survive it not; consequently have no childhood, hence no youth, and hence no
manhood in which to be probationers, or form characters
for eternity?
It is certain that vast numbers of the race die in infancy,
-very many in childhood, and more or less in every succeeding stage. If, therefore, the millions of human beings that
~die annually, during the first hour of their brief, infantile
-existence, do not form any personal characters, (which they
manifestly do not,) if they are to continue to maintain a
personal existence after they are dead, and if their charac-'ters in that future state of existence, are to depend upon
those which they formed whilst probationers here in the
flesh, then most assuredly they must forever be and remain
as birth finds them, and death leaves them, characterless.;
or, at best, have only the character of puling infants, helpless and senseless to the very last degree.  If, to all this;class of individuals, death is not the final wind up, the same
as it undoubtedly is to animals of. lower order, then surely
they must possess a sadly blank, future life, and hence be
compelled to enjoy an equally void heaven, else to suffer a
correspondingly vacant hell.




MAN AND HiIs DESTIN1Y               203
Manifestly enough, as seems to us, there is but one way of
escaping the numerous difficulties with which error is constantly and upon all sides round beset; and that is to plant
ourselves squarely upon facts and abide the consequences.
And whether right or whether wrong, we can see no surer
way of determining, upon any and all questions, what is fact
and what is not, then to use freely our reasoning powers in
connection with our physical senses, and accept the testimony thus obtained, be it what it may.
Be it understood by all, and especially by such of our
readers as with us herein most widely differ, we do not state
these our feeble views for the purpose of dividing the house
of religious faith against itself and thereby destroying it, but
because we are desirous of having it become a thing united
and standing upon a living and constantly growing basis;
and hence a thing which shall endure and bring forth the
fruits, not of narrow, sectarian division and hatred, but of
charity and universal good-will forever. In other words,
we do not state them because we think them-popular, nor
yet for the reason that they were taught to us at some theological seminary on purpose that we might teach them to
others, but because, upon as full an investigation of the subject as we are able to make, we are compelled to regard
them as being really true; because we have an abiding faith
that real truth can never long and permanently be brought
to suffer loss by investigation, but will continue to go on
gaining in growth and strength thereby; and because it is
real truth, be'it what it may, that we are desirous should
speedily triumph, as triumph ultimately we feel sure it must
and will.  Or in still other words, as we regard free thought,
free speech, and free discussion, as being the promoters of
real truth, and lack of thought, restricted speech, and nondiscussion, of error, so we feel it our duty to do what we
can to speed the former, and destroy' the latter. Real truth,
like the diamond, will bear the light, bear handling, bear the
severest scrutiny. Not so such truths as merely moral are.
These, however seemingly beautiful in theory, and highsounding in empty declamation and thoughtless song, just




204                  DEPARTURE.
like the mock-diamond, must not be too closely viewed,must not be too severely tested. And why must they not?
Is it because they are too brilliant for human eyes to look
upon; or because of an origin too sacred to be pried into
by mortal man? —Neither. But because such is ever their
shallow origin, and such their consequent lack of intrinsic
worth, that they cannot bear the crucible,-can never long
endure the scathing light of full and fair discussion. In a
word, such truths not being by nature children of the light,
it is only at a distance or in semi-darkness they possess the
power to shine.




CHAPTER XVIII.
EDUCATION, MIND, BRAIN, ETC.
Upon that old, worn-out, and yet forever new subject,
Education, we feel constrained to say that too much care
cannot be bestowed upon the Common School; and especially in those countries where the will of the people, as
expressed through the ballot-box, is the supreme power of
the land. We say, especially in those countries where the
will of the people, as expressed through the ballot-box, etc.,
because, in such, it is almost without exception within the
walls of the District Schoolhouse that the laboring classes
receive their education, in the popular acceptation of
the term; and because it is the Heaven-born mission of
those numerous and diversified classes, whether enlightened
or unenlightened, polished or unpolished, to stand and be to
the social fabric what the foundation is to the building-the
support of the whole superstructure. Such being manifestly
the case, it requires no argument to prove it to be the duty
of all to try so to rear that rising generation of children,
who are fast coming to possess the Earth with all its rich developed and undeveloped resources, as to make of them
substantial men and women and not merely gilded automatons.-Between training up children in the way they should
go by pursuasion, kindness, and the force of example, and
merely restraining them from going in the way they should
not by the use of the rod, the difference in effect is fearfully
wide.
Because it is easier to put forth our hands and pluck the
goodly fruit which others have toiled long and hard to bring
to maturity, than it is to raise them for ourselves, because it
is less laborious to read, remember, and thoughtlessly repeat
what others have thought, observed, and written, than it is




206                  DEPARTURE.
to think, observe, and originate for ourselves, it does not
follow that verbal memory should be taxed to the verge of
idiocy, at the expense of golden, but stifled and sleeping judgment. Great and numerous'as have been the recent improvements in books, teachers, modes of instruction, school
discipline, etc., we must think this non-thinking and consequently barren practice is still quite too generally mistaken
for an expanding and ennobling process. Wherefore we
would urge it upon all having the care of children and of
youth, and especially upon those natural guardians and
instructors, the fathers and mothers in the land, to strive
diligently to cultivate in those that are fast coming to occupy their places, habits of industry, economy, and perseverance,-habits of observation, reflection, and thought,habits of self-reliance and self-government; as well as that
comparatively idle and easy one of reading, remembering,
and parrot-like repeating, what others before them  have
thought and said and written. In short, both early and late,
teach them the high and holy art of being useful to themselves and others by inuring them to the stern realities of
living and of life, instead of dwarfing all that is inherently
great and noble in their natures by loading down their memories with those numerous, formal,' sickly moralities which
must needs be forgotten, else unlearned, before truly wise
they ever can become.  Indeed, it would seem about time
that people generally, and especially the leaders in Israel,
should abandon the ancient idea of trying to save men, notwithstanding their numerous sins of omission and commission, by praying God to forgive the same; and turn their
attention to teaching those said sinners, and particularly
their' comparatively unoffending offspring, what they must
and what they must not do, would they save themselves from
sin, hence from its bitter penalties; and hence from all
necessity of that special salvation of which only the disobedient and law-breaking have need. Is it not manifestly
better policy to lock the door of the stable whilst the horse
is safely within, than it is to leave open the entrance to the
spoiler, and then run ourselves to death in our zeal to recover




ED UCATION, M'IND, BRAIV, ETC.           207
the missing goods, arrest the thief, and bring him to punish.
ment? In brief, Is it not a real truth, and one which is just
as applicable to the mental man as the bodily one, That an
ounce of saving preventive is ever worth a full pound of'
after-salvation or of cure?
We would not be understood as intimating that the teachers of the way and plan of salvation, as it is called, are not,
as a class, sincere in their endeavors, nor that the mass of
them do not honestly believe the bodily man to be one
entity, and the mental man another and vastly more important one. On the contrary, it is our' opinion that a large
majority of the clergy honestly regard the mind as being not
only an entity, but a personal entity; and not only a personal entity, but an entity which is wholly unphysical in its
origin, unphysical in its nature, and unphysical in its action;
and consequently an entity which is not dependent upon
physical laws, physical causes, or physical means for its existence, manifestation, or support; and hence an entity that:
will never cease to be, but continue to go on manifesting
the functions of thought, feeling, passion and emotion,
reason and of knowledge, when all physical organs, laws,
causes, and things shall have passed away.  Nor can we
doubt that the body of the clergy are just about as blindly
dependent upon a few master spirits in the profession to do
for them their theological seeing and thinking, as are the
mass of the laity upon such body to do theirs. Far be it
from us, therefore, to impute unto them any malintent for
thus generally neglecting, as, a thing not included in their
high commission, to doctor the bodily man; that is, to give
direction, activity, and power to the functional action of
those numerous physical organs of which the man of clay is
composed, notwithstanding it is upon these things that his
education, as a physical being, must and doth forever depend.
What! seriously think they are not acting according to the
light they have? Think they are thus going about teaching
and exhorting men with the corrupt intent of leading them
astray to their hurt? We hope it is not in our nature to entertain of any considerable number of our fellow-men so




208                  DEPARTURE.
ungenerous a thought; and yet, in reference to the real
truthfulness of their teachings, as well as to the effect which
they produce upon their followers, we are obliged with them
quite widely to differ. For, as with them, so with us, we
have no option, but are compelled to see according to the
light we have,-are compelled to regard man as being not
only animal in his instincts, and animal in his habits, but
animal in his origin, and animal in his nature to the very
bottom, and all the way through to his final. end, the same as
is the neighing steed; only that he is much mtre complex
in his structure, vastly more perfect in his nervous department, and hence of vastly higher capacity and order. In
other words, as man stands out revealed to us, he is neither
more nor less than one greatly complicated and yet most
perfect bundle of physical organs, possessing and possessed of
just such capacities and powers, in kind, quality, and amount,
as the action of those organs confer upon him, and no other.
The brain, that hidden source of thought, feeling, passion
and emotion, reason and of knowledge, is just as much part
and parcel of his animal structure, and hence as much a
physical thing, as is the skull that contains it, the blood that
feeds it, or the heart which pumps its nutriment thereto;
consequently it is no more subject to be operated upon by
agencies or laws, not within great Nature's code embraced,
than are the coats of his stomach or the linings of his intestines; and hence its education, or the education that is
commonly denominated mental, must needs be just as much
a natural and physical affair, as is that of his muscles, or any
other part.
As it is the act of seeing which constitutes the thing called
sight, so it is the act of thinking, feeling, etc., which constitute the thing called minzd. In other words, as the brain of
man, the same as that of every other animal, is a physical
organ and governed in its action by physical laws, so the act
of thinking in man is just as much a physical act, and hence
just as much governed by physical laws, as is the act of
thinking in the horse or any other animal. Such as are not
determined to disbelieve this, but simply doubt its accura



ED TCATIOIN,  ID,   BR, AI, ETC.          209
cy, let those watch carefully their own thoughts, feelings,
and emotions; observe closely those of the insane as clothed
in words they issue forth, or as in disjointed action they are
spoken out; also let them compare the thoughts, feelings,,d- tiize_   and emotions of great and good men in their
dotage, with those of the same individuals when in their
prime; and then if they are not more than half convinced
that thoughts, feelings, and emotions are the very things
which mind do constitute, consequently that mind is just as
much the creature of that complex, physical organ, the
brain, as is locomotion the creature of the muscular system,
and hence that it is from beginning to end a physical act
organically spoken into existence, we shall be a little surprised.
If it is desired to give the brain, or any particular organ
or department thereof, strength, expertness, capacity of endurance, or tendency to quick and ready as well as long
continued action, we must exercise it vigorously, being careful to keep within the limit of overtaxation or abuse.  Of
course, it is not claimed that, as a stimulant thereto, larger
and yet larger weights should be placed upon it, the same as
if it were a muscle that we were educating to carry heavy
burdens, or that more and yet more of the Sun's strong rays
should be let to fall upon it, the same as if it were an optic
nerve; but that we should apply to it its own proper stimulant, —should tax and exercise it by compelling it oftener,
quicker, longer, better, and more spontaneously to perform
the act of producing within us the desired thoughts, feelings,
or emotions, as the case may be, such being its proper
function.
The thing comnmonly called 9Vi1'd, (and which was doubtless so called because it, the same as every other phenomenon, must needs have some name,) we do not regard as
being an entity of any kind, but simply a compound act of
the brain, the same, for a familiar illustrative example, as is
the thing called jumping-the-rope, a compound act of the
muscles.  Jumping-the-rope! why, what is it but a compound act that is legitimately performed, or spoken into
I5




o210                ZDEPA4RTURE.
transitory existence, by certain contracting and expanding
movements of that compound organ or department called
the muscles? Surely this is all it is. And mind, when not
spoken out in either words or action, what is it but a compound act which is legitimately performed, or spoken into a
transitory existence within us, by certain undulatory movements of that compound organ or department called the
brain? As it seems to us it is just this and nothing more.
The fact is too well established to admit of doubt that, by
pressing upon the brain, where a portion of the skull has
been removed, consciousness becomes suspended, and the
compound mental act, which constitutes what is called
mind, at once becomes a non-existent thing, the same as
does the compound muscular act called jumping the rope,
the moment that motion in the appropriate muscles is
brought to a stand, no matter from what cause. We say,
the compound mental act, which constitutes what is called
mind, at once becomes a non-existent thing, because it is abundantly proven that as long as the pressure upon the brain continues, and as often as repeated, so long and so often is the
brain prevented from performing those peculiar undulatory
movements which speak into existence, not only consciousness, but thought, feeling, emotion, etc.-the very things
which mind do constitute and are. With these facts staring
us in the face, How is it possible, rationally, to come to any
other conclusion, than that the compound mental act wihich
constitutes mind is no more a being or entity of any kind,
and hence is no more a thing that is immortal, than is the
compound muscular act which constitutes jumping-therope? —How?  Properly speaking, then, the act performed
by the brain and called mind can no more be the subject of
educational training, than can the act performed by the
muscles called jumping-the-rope;-not any more.
If we wish to become more alive and active mentally, it is
the brain, the organ which speaks into existence within us
the act known as mind, and not the mere act itself by the
brain thus into existence spoken, which must be taught and
habituated to greater activity by appropriately taxing and




ED UC4 TION,.IIND,:BRAIN, ETC.       211
compelling it to perform, and accurately repeat, those same
undulatory movements which mind do constitute; the same
as must we by careful repetitions of the proper movements
educate the zmscles which speak into existence the act of
jumping-the-rope, and not the mere act itself, would we become expert in the performance of that muscular feat.
If the thing called mind is not a being or entity of any
kind,-is not in its primitive state of existence a homeless
stranger, wandering up and down the immeasurable fields of
ether and of atmospheric air in search of some vacant, puny
infant born, into which to enter and a temporary habitation
find, but is merely an act which is legitimately performed or
spoken into existence by the brain, the same as is the thing
called jumping-the-rope not a being or entity of any kind,
but merely an act which is legitimately performed or spoken
into existence by the muscles, then the question naturally
arises, How comes it to pass, since all men have brains, that
all have not the same amount of mother wit, or native capacity and talent? In other words, how happens it that, in
almost every age and land, there are a few downright idiots,
as well as another few who, though blessed with quite inferior
educational advantages, are nevertheless not only a living
law unto themselves, but stand boldly out as lights in the
pathway of science, creators in the fields of art, and guides
in the road to virtue and of happiness? Doubtless the noble
science of Phrenology would explain the matter somewhat
in this wise: It so happens for the reason that, pursuant to
the operation of hereditary causes, there are some few individuals born, in almost every age and land, with such a quantity, quality, form, and location of brain, as merely fit it to
perform those inferior.grades of function which are common
to animals of low order; whilst another few there are who
are born with such a quantity, quality, form, and location of
brain, as both fit and strongly predispose it, not only to be
vigorous and active,.but to perform  those peculiar undulatory movements which create within the heads of its possessors, such thoughts, views, and opinions as, with a greater or
a lesser portion of Nature and her undying laws, most beau



2112                 DEPARTURE.
tifully accord; and hence, in just so far, it constitutes them
intuitively strong in those certain directions, or natural
geniuses upon those particular subjects. And as we know
of no theory of mind, save this which makes the brain to be
not only the organ by and through which it is manifested,
but the thing which, speaks it into existence, that will satisfactorily account for one half of the different kinds of
mental phenomena which are constantly being exhibited
upon all sides round, so we must regard this circumstance
as furnishing presumptive evidence at least, that this theory,
and this alone, has its foundation in eternal verity.
"And have you any idea," inquires one, " that you will be
able to bring others thus to think and believe?"-To this we
answer: As we have come to see it, that is not a thing which
is optional with either them or us, but wholly depends upon
our being able so far to reach and operate upon the proper
mental organs in their heads, as to cause such organs to execute those same undulatory movements which create and
keep alive those ideas in ours. This done, and the same
thoughts, views, feelings, and opinions will just as certainly
be spoken into existence within their heads, as will the same
human arm, or ten thousand different ones, always execute
or speak into existence the same acts, whenever the same
muscular contractions and expansions shall come to take
place therein. In this way, it not unfrequently happens that
such is the influence exerted by brains of a positive stamp
upon such brains as are to them inferior, and of a negative
order, as to cause these latter to vibrate in unison with the
vibrations of these said former; and hence for the time being
to produce, within the heads of this latter class of individuals, the same thoughts, feelings, etc., that have existence
in the heads of the former class. In this way it happens,
more or less often, that children are brought to feel and to
think' themselves guilty-and hence to confess that they are
-of having committed some certain act which is now both
honestly and forcibly, but quite injudiciously, being laid to
their charge by parents, guardians, or teachers; the which
act they not only never did commit, but perfectly well knew




ED UCA TION1, H1IIND, BRAIN, ETC.       213
they never did, before coming to be thus charged therewith;
and which act was by them unqualifiedly denied at the
beginning, the same as it will be again, (if they are superlatively truthful children,) when from such overpowering influence, and its effects, they come to be freed, Yea, and it
also sometimes happens that an individual of mature years,
and one possessed of a brain of full average activity and
power, but of impressible order, by being suspected, accused,
reaccused, brought before the examining authorities, bound
over for trial, and otherwise wrought upon, is at last brought
to feel and to think that he must be guilty; —that he must
be and is guilty of the crime which'is thus wrongfully, but
persistently and with crushing force, being laid to his charge.
And wherefore, his brain being thus brought into this morbid and passively active condition, with reference to this one
particular matter, he finally confesses himself guilty, notwithstanding, in truth and in fact, he is perfectly innocent.
The sight of a mountain, or other object of interest from
which we have been separated for years, at once brings to
our recollection, as it is called, not only the name, but
various incidents connected therewith; and it does this for
the simple reason, that it again causes the same undulatory
movements to take place in our brains, which did its presence at a former period of our lives. The man who is drunk
remembers much better what he said and did a month ago,
when last drunk before, than he does what he has since said
and done whilst sober, and vice versa.-Corollary:-Like
condition of the brain, no matter how brought about, is just
as essential, not only to the existence of like mental capacity
and power, but to the production of like thoughts, feelings,
and emotions, as are like causes to the production of like
effects of any other kind.-As a man becomes old and childish, more properly childlike, his brain becomes old and
childlike; that is, it becomes lax and feeble like the brain
of a child. The old man's brain has now become incapacitated to perform those same, strong, undulatory movements
which it was wont to do when both he and it were in their
prime; and hence is just fitted to perform  such feeble,




214                  DEPARTURE.
fickle ones as it did long years ago, when in age, as well as
condition, he was a child before. And of this the consequence is, he fails to remember events which transpired
whilst in the vigor of manhood, but remembers quite well
such as occured when he was a child, notwithstanding so
many more years have rolled between. Also the sudden
recollection, or coming up in memory, as it is called, without
any known exciting cause, of a thought, name, or circumstance long-since forgotten, What is it but the simple recurrence of that same wave or undulatory movement in the
proper portion of the brain, which was present or taking
place therein, when the thought, name, or other circumstance
had existence there, long years before?-As seems to us, it
is just this, and nothing more. And thus on, of every kind,
character, and grade of mental act or thing, commonly
called recollection or memory, to the full chaDter's end.
Such for ages has been the current of men's ideas, and
hence such has come to be the genius of language to denote
and convey them, that it is no easy matter to express clearly
any thought which is measurably new, and especially is this
the case of ideas upon subjects that are purely mental in
their character; that is, of such as have sole reference to the
character and functions of the brain. This is a difficulty,
however, over which it is of no use to mourn, notwithstanding greatly embarrassing, since, manifestly enough, naught,
save time, patience, and perseverence, will ever work its
cure.  But the difficulty is upon us, and the consequence is,
we not unfrequently find ourself obliged to use words in a
way. which we deem, not only improper, but grossly absurd,
in order to make ourself even partially understood. Thus,
for instance, as we understand the matter, it is no more consonent to fact, and hence no more proper to say, studiy
strengthens the mind, than it would be to say, w Czalking
strengthens the walking.  And yet, when speaking upon
some subject on which we desire to be as fully understood
as possible, it becomes necessary to use such forms of expression as are in common use, and hence familiar to those
addressed.




EDUCA TION, JJiND, BRAIVA ETC.         215
As seems to us, of the foregoing example, this would be
the correct form of expression: Study strengthens the brain,
and particularly that portion of it which is called into exercise by the act of studying, the same as does walking
strengthen the muscles, and particularly that portion of them
which is called into exercise by the act of walking; it
being a law upon the human organism unalterably enstamped,
that exercise, within the limit of abuse, strengthens every
organ in the whole animal fabric.
Admitting the phenomenon called walking cannot be
manifested without the presence and action of less, it needs
must follow, not only that legs are walking's organs, but that
they are the organs which speak into existence the thing
called walking, as well as manifest it.  In the same manner,
admitting the phenomenon called mind cannot be manifested
without the presence and action of brains, it needs must
follow, not only that the brain is mind's organ, but that it
is the organ which speaks into existence the thing called
mind, as well as manifests it. And admitting not only that
the brain is mind's organ, but that it is a physical organ
either simple or compound, it matters not which; then it
needs must follow that the act of studying exercises the
brain, and hence strengthens it, just the same, and for the
same reason, that does the act of walking exercise the legs,
and hence strengthen them; and consequently there is,nothing more strange or unaccountable about the one than
about the other. We say, admitting the above facts, and the
case will so stand; and, as for ourself, we fully admit them.
That the brain is the organ of all the mind that is in man,
and hence of all the mind or mental action he ever manifests, seems to us just as clear as it does that the muscular
system is the organ of all the motion that is in him, and
hence of all the motion or muscular action lhe ever manifests.   And  wherefore, when from  overstudying  either
children or men become languid and weary to a state of
exhaustion, we must think it is not their so-called immortal
minds that are ti-red oLut and hence need rest, but their frail,
mortal brains.




216                  DEPARTURE.
And yet.once more we repeat, as we see it, the brain, notwithstanding within the dark and narrow confines of the
skull locked up, is just as much a physical organ as are the
muscles; and consequently that the act of thinking is just
as much a physical act, or an act which is spoken into existence by the appropriate physical organ, as is the act of
walking. In other words, for the reason that we are compelled to regard the act of walking, (which merely for example has been selected,) as not being an entity of any kind,
but simply an act that is spoken into transitory existence by
a certain portion of that complex, physical organ or department called the muscular system, for that same reason are
we compelled to regard the act of feeling devotional, for
another example, as not being an entity of any kind, but
simply an act that is spoken into transitory existence, within the human head, by a certain portion of that complex,
physical organ or department called the brain. And thus
on of all the different acts by the human brain performed;
and which acts, when altogether taken, the thing called
mind do constitute and are.
Such being our well-settled views, it follows that we are
compelled to think the compound act which is spoken into
a transitory existence within us by that complex, physical
organ or department called the brain, and which act is
called mind, just like the compound act of walking which is
spoken into a transitory existence by the proper portion of
that complex organ or department called the muscles, is not
an entity of any kind; consequently should never be spoken
of as such,-should never be spoken of as a thing possessed
of a permanent existence, but only as an act or passing performance of the brain; and hence the act of habituating the
brain to reproduce in regular order certain undulatory
movements, or the committing to memory, as it is usually
called, of this, that, or the other lesson, can no more properly
be called food for the minds of children or of men, than can
the act of running of a foot-race be called food for the running;-not one bit more. And yet, as has been said above,
and for reasons there stated, in the prosecution of this work,




ED UCA TO V, 3I.lzYD, BRA]4L, ETC.      217
we not unfrequently find ourself obliged to speak in this
same absurd manner.
As, however, time, patience. and persevering industry do
make their impress upon all things human, so we not only
hope, but confidently expect, that such will continue to be
the progress of ideas, and hence such the corresponding
changes in language to denote and convey them, that, for
the most part, the adjective lme'al,, and also the word moral,
shall ultimately be driven into disuse by a qualifying epithet
derived from the noun brain, in the form of breizaz or iraizaL.
And thus on, and still on, until the numerous difficulties in
language by which that complex act of the brain called
mind is at present surrounded shall all be removed.
As it is physical bread taken into the stomach and not
exercise, which is the food of both brain and muscle, so
this food they must both continue to have, else, of that
complex, brenal act which constitutes mind, as well as the
compound, muscular one which constitutes walking, there
would soon be an end.  WVe may be mistaken, but, then,
we are unable to persuade ourself that the more thinking
portion of our Christian friends are visionary enough seriously to suppose that there exists any such thing as human
mind, in the wilderness islands of the ocean or the depths
of the sea. And yet why should not mind have a dwelling
in both these places, and especially in the crowded cabins
of the numerous foundered ships, over which, and their unfortunate human freight, the dark blue waves have closed
forever, provided it be an entity, and not a mere brenal act;
and hence possesses the power to exist indefinitely on in
the absence of living human brains to speak it into existence?-Why?
Of course, the man who is in good health, and surrounded
by every pleasure which prosperity and the society of friends
can afford, when he rises in the morning, wakeful and rested,
cannot bear to think of taking leave of his friends that are
clustered around him, stepping into a dark chamber, getting
into bed, and sleeping all day. And why not?-Simply
because to do so at that particular time, and under the then




218                  DEPARTURE.
existing circumstances, is directly at variance with his fresh,
wakeful, and highly social nature.  In a few short hours,
however, the gloom of night is. sure to arrive, when, being
weary from action, dull from the past day's wakefulness, and
satiated with social pleasures, he gladly suspends his business, withdraws from his friends, divests himself of his
clothing, gets into bed, closes his eyes, and falls into a profound sleep. Now, most assuredly, this living, breathing
death, or state of unconsciousness even of his own existence,
to which, under the pressure of these altered circumstances,
he thus becomes a willing martyr, cannot be to him a thing
unpleasant, so long as shall it thus uninterruptedly last; and
hence could not be construed into a curse upon him, should
it thus continue from dewey eve to balmy morn.  And why
not?-Simply because, as remarked above, at this particular
moment, to take temporary leave of his business and friends,
as well as of a state of conscious existence, is in full harmony with his present tired and satiated nature.  Wherefore, by parity of reason, was this same profound sleep or
type of death imperceptibly to lapse into death actual, and
hence continue uninterruptedly on to all eternity, there
could not be, to such individual, anything more monotonous,
unpleasant, or dreadful in it, than there was in the first hour
of that sweet, death-like repose, which was by him, the same
as by us and everybody else, so iondly courted.  And the
fact that his friends, in obedience to a law which regulates
and governs human nature in the living, would be compelled
to mourn his departure, has nothing at all to do with the
case; since the dead man, the only individual now in qt;estion, is passed entirely beyond the reach and operation of
any such law. And hence, by the very plainest parity, much
as we may be compelled to dislike the idea of dying, (by
virtue of a certain law extending through and through all
animated nature, and having reference to the protection and'
preservation of this present, bodily life, and not to any state
of existence beyond the grave,) even when health is feeble,
prospects gloomy, and friends stand coldly aloof, nevertheless, in all due time, when prostrate upon a bed of sickn'ess




ED  CA AT0    liD,  BRAI N,  ETC.       219
we lie, or by the night of chilly age o'ertaken, our feelings
will become so much altered that everything about us will
seem to have undergone a change; and we in consequence
find ourselves gradually becoming more and more weary of
this toilsome, wakeful, conscious state of personal existence,
and hence correspondingly more and more willing to exchange the same for death's kindly proffered everlasting
sleep. In short, as certainly as do children dearly love to
slide upon the ice in the cold and the snow, and as certainly
as -does a fit of sickness temporarily, and old,.age permanently, quench out this desire, just so certainly, in all due
time, will dread of death be compelled to depart from us,
and desire to lay ourselves quietly down and be forever at
rest take its place. Such, in our humble opinion, is the verdict which the dispassionate judgment of enlightened man,
will ere long be compelled to pronounce, not only upon the
benign institution, sleep, which, by its daily interposition,
doth kindly relieve us about one-third of the time from a
state of conscious existence, but upon that equally benign
institution death, which, at the proper moment, dothkindly
interpose, and so relieve us eternally therefrom.
That it is trying to a parent's feelings to stand by and see
death's cold, destroying hand laid upon a son of culture and
of promise, just as he is entering upon broad manhood's
stage, we know by experience; and yet we must think there
is more of pleasure in the lives of such as are thus early
snatched away, in proportion to the perplexities and pains,
than there is in the lives of those who longer live. And
these are our reasons:  Up to that period of life, care is
measurably unknown. Up to that period, pleasures grow
almost everywhere. Up to that period, hope, expectation,
and confidence supremely reign. From and after that time,
life assumes a much sterner aspect. From  and after that
time, cares, anxieties, and disappointments constantly do
thicken.




CHAPTER XIX.
SOUL, SPIRIT, MIND, ETC.
Much as has been said and written about the immortal
sou'l, the immortal spirit, and the immortal mind of man, we
have never been able to obtain any very clear notion of
what is meant by those high-sounding terms. Wherefore we
will now take the liberty of inquiring, Do the different
terms, immortal soul, immortal spirit, and immortal mind of
man, all mean the same thing; or does each mean a different thing?-Which?
Allowing the two forms of expression, immortal soul, and
immortal spirit, to mean the same thing, to mean a thing
that is both spiritual and immortal, and the term immortal
mind to mean something different; then the question presents itself, Is the soul of man an organized structure, and
hence from bottom to top of spiritual organs composed; or
is it an inorganic spirit something, and hence of organic
structure, form, and parts devoid?-Which?
Allowing the soul of man to be an organized structure,
and hence of spiritual organs composed; then the question
arises, Is it governed in its form and limited in its extent,
by the form and extent of the physical human fabric with
which it is in companionship; or is it, in both form and extent, independent of its physical companion, the bodily
man?-Which?  And if it be an organized structure, and
hence of spiritual organs composed, Does it see, hear, feel,
think, etc., independently; that is, by means of its own appropriate, spirit organs; or is it indebted f6or all this class of
capacities and powers to the existence and action of certain
appropriate, physical organs, possessed and exercised by its
physical mate, the bodily man?-Which?  In other words,
Is the soul of man possessed of spiritual hands, feet, eyes,




SOUL, SPIRIT,- MIIYD, ETC.            221
ears, lungs, brain, tongue, etc.?  And if so, does it see, hear,
think, breathe, etc., by means of said spirit organs; or is it
indebted for its ability to perform those different organic
acts, either in whole or in part, to the existence and action
of certain appropriate physical organs, possessed and exercised by the corporeal being-called man?-Which?
Upon the other hand, allowing the soul of man to be an
inorganic spirit something, whether existing within the narrow limits of its physical companion, the bodily man, or
whether it exists in a state of diffusion, and hence occupies
a more extensive field, How can it be supposed to see, hear,
think, walk, etc.; since such things are none of them
entities, but each and all mere acts or things which are
spoken into a transitory existence by organic action; since
organit action was never known to be performed without
organs; and since inorganic substance, whether material or
spiritual, and no matter how "abundant, is not of organs of
any kind possessed?-How?
Further, Did the soul of the man Tiberius Cesar, for example, eternally exist; or was it created when Tiberius was
created? —Which?, And if it eternally existed, Did iteternally exist in its full manhood's strength; or was it from
all eternity up to the time when Tiberius was born, and began to wax great and strong, only of infantile size and
strength possessed?-Which?  Upon the other hand, if
Tiberius' soul did not eternally exist, and hence was created
an infant soul when he was created an infant man, and if his
said soul was in possession of zmifzd; then the question arises,
Did both the infant soul of Tiberius and the mind of Tiberius' said infant soul grow with his growth, strengthen with
his strength, sleep when he slept, awake when he awoke, etc,;
or did one or both of them do any or all of these things
independently of said physical Tiberius; or did they not do
them at all?-How about these things?
Allowing the human mind to be an attribute of human
beings; and not only of human beings an attribute, but a
real entity; and not only a real entity, but a something
which is immortal in fact, as well as in name; then the ques



222                 DEPARTURE.
tion presents itself, Is the mind an organized structure, and
hence of incorporeal organs composed; or is it an incorporeal inorganic something, and hence of organic structure,
form, and parts devoid?-Which? And if the mind of man
is an incorporeal organized structure, Is it governed in its
form and limited in its extent by the form and extent of the
physical human fabric with which it is in companionship; or
is it, in both form and extent, independent of its physical
companion, the bodily man?-Which?  In other words,
Does the mind hear, see, think, etc., independently; that is,
by means of its own appropriate incorporeal organs; or is it
indebted for all this class of capacities and powers to the existence and action of certain appropriate physical organs, possessed and exercised by its physical mnate, the bodily man?Which? Upon the other hand, if the mind is an incorporeal inorganic something, whether existing within the narrow-limits
of its physical companion's head, the head of man, or
whether in a state of diffusion it exists, and hence occupies
a much more extensive field, How can it be supposed to see,
hear, think, etc.; since such things are none of them entities of any kind, but each and all mere acts or things which
are spoken into transitory existence by organic action; since
organic action was never known to be performed without
organs; and since inorganic substance, whether material or
immaterial, corporeal or incorporeal, is not of any organs
possessed?-How?
Further, Did the mind of- the man Pontius Pilate, for example, eternally exist; or was it created an infant mtind when
Pontius was created an infant man?-Which?  If it eternally existed, then the question is, Did it eternally exist in
its full manhood's strength; or was it from all eternity up to
the time when Pontius was born, and began to grow and wax
strong, only of infantile size and strength possessed?Which? And if the mind of Pontius was created an infant
when he was created an infant, Did it grow with his growth,
strengthen with his strength, sleep when he slept, awake
when he awoke, swoon when he swooned, fail with age when
he with age did fail, etc.; or did it do any or all these things




SO UL, SPIRIT, H3IND, ETC.           223
independently of said physical Pontius; or did it not do any
of them at all? —How about these things?
With all the light which has been shed upon this subject
by the much that has been said and sung and written about
the immortal soul, the immortal spirit, and the immortal
mind of man, How many persons out of every ten, upon the
spur of the moment, will answer all the foregoing questions
alike? How many out of that number, after a week's examination of the different authorities, and another week for reflection thereupon, will answer them alike? And how many
be willing to abide by the logical consequences of each and
every answer, which, at the fortnight's end, they themselves
shall give?-How many?
Manifestly enough, to explain a mystery by a circumlocution which only tends to render the mystery still more dark
and mysterious, doth not particulary benefit the learner,
whether it does the teacher or not. Why, then, will not
some one of the many teachers, who seem to understand these
things, be kind enough to explain them briefly, straightforwardly, and without concealment or mystification; so that
we common mortals, whom they equally concern, may come
to have some faint idea, not only of what is meant by those
high-sounding terms, but of the character and extent of the
things wherein from the effect of early education and the
force of habit we are wont to imagine, and hence to say, that we
believe?-It is not the error that is clearly defined and plainly
spoken out, which is seriously hindering, misleading or dangerous;. but the one that is enveloped by the fogs of indirection, circumlocution, and uncertainty, as that by its advocates it can be made to mean anything or nothing, as the
exigencies of the case shall seem to require. Such will-witha-wisp errors, however grossly absurd, it is hardly possible
to tree and expose.
Self-evidently, as seems to us, whatever is possessed of
consciousness, or even of animated existence, except of very
low order, must be possessed of an organized structure, and
hence have body, form, and parts. And whatever is possessed of body, form and parts, must of necessity be finite




224                  DEPARTURE.
in dimensions, finite in character, and finite in the strength
of the functions which its different composing organs are
competent to perform. Wherefore, for the reason that the
eye can never perform the act of hearing, the ear the act of
seeing, the heart the act of thinking, the liver the act of
reasoning, or the kidneys the act of judging, for that same
reason it must be impossible for inorganic substance, whether
material or spiritual, and no matter how abundant or where
existing, ever to perform, or speak into existence, a single
one of the different organic acts which, when altogether
taken, the thing called mind do constitute and are.
As we have come to see it, brain, and the complex phenomenon called mind, stand in the -relation of cause and
effect; the human mind being the legitimate effect of the
existence and action of human brains; horse-mind, of the
existence and action of horse-brains; goat-mind, of goatbrains; and thus on downward until the thing called mind
becomes lost in instinct.-That mind exists in the absence
of brains to speak it into existence, Who in this enlightened
age is prepared to believe? And who that believes it is prepared to plant himself squarely upon the proposition, and,
from  the evidences afforded by Nature's. volume, publicly
maintain it over his own signature? —Who?-Because man
has a much. larger brain than has the horse; because the
brain by him possessed differs widely in form from that possessed by the horse; because it is much more complex in its
structure than is the brain of the horse; because his brain is
much more vigorously exercised as well as much more
highly cultivated than is the brain of that quadruped; and
because, legitimately in consequence of all these advantages,
the higher animal man possesses and manifests a much higher
order of mind than does said lower animal; it will not do to
infer that his mind is not, from beginning to end, a brenal
production, the same as is that of the horse; and hence that
its existence will not cease with the death of that noble
brain which is its parent cause.
As the brain of the horse Dexter, for example, stands
parent cause to the existence of all the mind by him pos



SO UL, SPIRIT, INIiVD, ETC.          225
sessed or manifested, be it little or be it much, and as the
brain of said horse is clearly a thing that is mortal and not
immortal, so the mind of said horse, the product of the existence and action' of his said mortal brain, must also be
mortal and not immortal. In like manner, since the brain,of the man John Jenks, for example, stands parent cause to
the existence of all the mind by him possessed or manifested, be it much or be it little, and as the brain of said John
is clearly a thing which is mortal and not immortal; so the
mind of said John, the product of the existence and action
of his said mortal brain, must also be mortal and not immortal. In short, because the ancient Fathers who wrote
the Bible were profoundly ignorant of the brain's character
and function; because that great muscular pump, the heart,
was by them supposed to be the parent of the affections, the
source of thought, and seat of understanding;. and because,
in consequence of such ignorance and misjudgments, they
were in the habit of speaking of mind just as if it was a real
entity, instead of speaking of it as being a mere act that is
spoken into transitory existence, within the head, by that
complex organ the brain; it will not do for us, from a blind
reverence for ancient men, ancient opinions, and ancient
modes of thought, to repudiate the testimony of facts, and
trample under foot, as worthless, the deductions of reason
and the teachings of natural science.-Not in this way is
-progress ever made.The soul of man and the spirit of man, we regard as being
-one and the same thing,-as being neither more nor less
than the life of man,-as being a thing which is spoken into
being and maintained in existence in the same way that is
the life, soul, or spirit, of the horse; namely, by organic
action. The hour a man finally' ceases to perform the organic act of breathing, that hour with him doth all organic
action come to an end; and hence, from and after that time,
he is just as devoid oftke thing called life, soul, or spirit,
as is the horse whose lungs have finally ceased to perform
the act of inhaling the inspiring influence in atmospheric air
contained. In other words, we have no option in the mati6




226                   DEPARTURE.
ter, but are compelled to think that organic structure, and
what is called by the different names life, soul, or spirit, stand
in the relation of cause and effect; human life, soul, or spirit,
being the legitimate effect of the existence and action of
certain vital organs, which are part and parcel of the organic
structure of human beings; horse-life, soul, or spirit, of the
existence and action of certain vital organs, which are part
and parcel of horse-beings; and hence that the life, soul, or
spirit, of a man, the same as that of the horse, is just as
much a thing which is mortal, as is his organic structure, its parent cause. WAe say, life, soul, or spirit, is the
legitimate effect of the existence and action of certain vital
organs, etc., because both men and horses possess sundry
organs which, although quite useful, are not essential to life;
and hence death doth not necessarily result from their loss.
Of course it is easy, very easy, to scoff at the idea of comparing a man to a horse in any respect, or for any purpose;
but then it fortunately so happens that scoffs and sneers are
weightless arguments with men of brains, and especially
with such as are sincere inquirers after real truth, whether
it accords with ancient moral truth or not.
The stock of elements from which all created things are
made, notwithstanding inconceivably vast in amount, is
nevertheless not unlimited.
Of the amount of elements, in some form, there is never
any variation; but, legitimately consequent upon the continuous acts of creation and destruction, their amount, in
any particular form, is constantly varying.
There never was and never can be anything, great or
small, material or immaterial, inanimate or animated, made
out of nothing: that is a thing which is simply impossible.
There never was and never can be any such thing as a
miracle, in the sense of that word as used by theologians;
and yet, of marvels or things wonderful, there is no conceivable end.
Great as God is, he is just as absolutely limited in power
and bound by law, as is the feeblest atom.
Much as the eternal God has done and is still doirg, he




SOUL, SPIRIT, MIND, ETC.           227
never works, except by the use of means, and never, except
by the use of just such means as are in existence at the time
and ready to his hand.
Vast as creation is, God never made a single thing which
is not a legitimate result of the means used in pushing it
into existence in created form; and hence never a thing
which is not, from beginning to end, the creature of law.The foregoing propositions, whether correct or whether erroneous, would seem to be, each and all, as fully self-evident
as any that can be named, which are not demonstrable.
From  the erroneous assumption that, " With God, all
things are possible," is drawn the equally erroneous conclusion that, notwithstanding it is an invariable custom with
him nowadays to work in accordance with fixed laws, he
was much in the habit of working contrary thereto in days
of yore, and thus performing miracles. What! God work
a part of the time in accordance with law, and thus produce
into existence things that are natural, and a part of the
time contrary to law, and thus perform miracles?  Why,
such a charge against the character of a God " With whom
no variableness, neither shadow of turning," is simply libelous.
As the elements of which our physical bodies are composed do fall back of their own weight into the common
stock whence they came, hence become the same as new,
hence are again seized upon by Creative Process, and hence
again by her used in building up such further created forms
and things as are they appropriate to do, thus rendering
creation's epoch one vast cycle; so, reasoning from analogy,
it would seem to follow that the same thing must needs befall the elements of which our spiritual bodies are composed,
provided any such bodies we really have. We say, provided any such bodies we really have, because if we have
such bodies, just like a spirit God, they must needs be composed of something,-must needs be composed of spiritual
substance; and, of that substance, the same as of material,
there must undoubtedly be some limit, however vast may be
the amount.  If, therefore, human beings have spiritual




228                 IDEPARTURE.
bodies, as well as physical ones, and if their spiritual bodies,
do not die, the same as do such physical. ones, consequently
the spiritual elements of which they are composed are not,
in like manner, emptied back into the common stock whence
they came, and hence are not and cannot be by Creative
Process, in like manner, reused and re-reused indefinitely
on; then, by unavoidable consequence, just as soon as shall
the original stock of spiritual elements, by the creation of
spiritual bodies, become exhausted, (and, at the rate human
beings are being created, thus exhausted at some time they
surely must be,) just so soon will the further creation of
human beings be compelled to stop, or at least the further
creation of them with spiritual bodies. Did not destruction
follow at the heels of creation and pull down, creation would
soon be compelled to cease building up for want of materials
with which to do it. Not until the Sun and Moon and
Earth and stars shall fall into decay can other worlds and
systems of Worlds be created thereout.




CHAPTER XX.
HOPE'S CHARACTER AND MISSION.
Hlope has her proper kind and quality of pleasures, the
same as does knowledge, for the reason that the act of hoping,
just like the act of knowing, is the legitimate offspring of a
brenal organ whose normal exercise doth speak it into pleasurable existence within us.  Hope, too, the same as knowledge, has her proper sphere in which to operate, also her
bounds which she can never pass: that sphere, the. entire
round of uncertainty; that bound, all knowledge whether
actual or merely upon faith dependent; it being no more
possible soberly to hope for what we know or even firmly
believe can never happen, than it is for this same bright, but
dark futurity-loving angel to feed upon the settled past. Or,
to present the idea in a little different shape, the emotion
called Hope, the same as the feeling of anger or fear, is a
creature of the brain, the offspring of the proper brenal
organ whose function it is to rear castles upon-the sandy
foundations of uncertainty, and to feast itself upon the glittering products of the unknown future.
Such being Hope's true character and mission, she is ever
bound to fly the approach of stubborn facts, the same as is
coward fear the awakening of manly courage, it being at the
point where certainty ends and doubt commences, that she
ever begins to flap her gilded wings. In other words, what
we know or even firmly believe can never come to take
place, we cannot possibly hope for; and, for what we know
or firmly believe is certain to come to pass, not any more.
Thus, for an assumed example, the hunter, who this evening
shall have the misfortune to get benighted and lost in the
wilderness, will no doubt impatiently wait and anxiously
watch for the coming of to-morrow's light to help him out;




230                  DEPARTURE.
but, then, he cannot possibly hope the Sun will rise at midnight and give him light, for the reason that he knows full
well it will not do it; and not a bit more that it will rise at
the proper time to-morrow morning, since of the taking
place of that event he feels equally certain.
Such is the nature of the human machine, and such the
distribution of labor among the different organs of which it
is composed, that neither actual knowledge nor unqualified
belief is any more competent to excite to action the brenal
organ called Hope, and thus cause it to create within us the
emotion called by the same name, than is the sound of a
drum or the odor of a flower to excite into action the optic
nerve, and so cause it to create within us the sensation called
sight; —not any more. Wherefore the fact that the best of
us Christians do more or less indulge the hope that death
may not be to us, as individual entities, an eternal sleep,do more or less strongly hope and believe that in the end of
the world when the "Sun shall be turned into darkness, and
the Moon into blood," we shall be raised from death unto life,
is conclusive evidence that we do none know that such will
be the case, nor yet with our whole souls believe that it will.
To this same effect taught the philosophic Paul some eighteen hundred years ago, when he said:  "For' we are saved
by hope. But hope that is seen, is not hope: for what a
man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?"-Rom., 8. 24.
Again, as of every other brenal organ, so of this particular
one whose function it is to create within us the emotion
called Hope, in different individuals it doth quite widely
differ, not only in its actual size, activity, and power, but
also in its relative, as compared with the other brenal organs
in the same head. Widely different, therefore, as forever
must be the strength of this emotion in different persons, in
the same individual its relative influence is always proportionate to the relative strength of its organ, and the weakness of the evidence which stands opposed to the taking
place of the desired thing upon the one hand, or in favor of
its taking place upon the other, and no matter which. As,
however, this is an important point, and as we are desirous




TIOPE'S CtHtAA CTER AND MISSION0.    231
of being clearly understood upon it, so we must be permitted
to be a little prolix, and illustrate the same in manner following:-Upon a beautiful autumnal afternoon, a mother
sent her little son a short distance to a spring upon the bank
of the river, for a cup of water. With a willing heart and
light step the little fellow started upon his mission, but, alas,
he never returned! The delay made aroused the mother's
fears, and in search of him she went. The father was hastily
summoned from his toil of felling the trees of the forest, and
he the search repeated. Soon were the few, hardy, neighboring settlers apprized of what was going on, and, ere the
Sun's last rays had faded in the West, the rough, bushy, and
deeply entangled margin of the old St. Lawrence, her adjacent wilds and deep blue waters had been as thoroughly
searched as time and circumstances would permit, and yet
of the missing child no trace was found. Night finally put
an end to their efforts, and as the probabilities all seemed to
point toward the fact of his having somehow fallen into the
river, by whose strong current he had been borne onward
and inward to a deep and watery grave; so filled with this belief, the sympathizing neighbors returned to their respective
cabins, and soon, by them, of the sad incident, no more was
thought or said. Not so, however, with those fond and sadly
bereft parents, notwithstanding to the same painful conclusion they were intellectually compelled to yield an unwilling
assent. No; for as Certainty had thus far failed to set her
seal upon the fate of their darling boy and only child, so
Hope, in them, still retained a sort of dreamy, spasmodic existence. We say, Hope, in them, still retained a sort of
dreamy spasmodic existence, because, in spite of the convictions of their better judgment, for days, months, and even
years were those fond parents more or less upon the watch
for that darling form, and instinctively listening to catch the
silvery accents -of his call. Oft upon the long evenings of
the ensuing winter, whilst seated before the large, open fire
watching the curling smoke in its lazy and fantastic ascent,
would instinctively spring up in memory, not only the name,
but the image of their dear lost one. And often, before they




232                  DEPARTURE.
were aware of it, would they be absorbed in conversation
and speculation, not upon what was his probable fate, but
upon what Hope whispered might possibly have happened
to their darling boy. We say, upon what Hope whispered
might possibly have happened, etc., for so deep and strong
was their love for their missing child, consequently so ardent
was the desire that he might somehow and somewhere be
still living, that, upon such occasions, they were almost certain so to talk the matter over, and cook the thing up in
their imaginations, as, for the time being, mutually to revive:
and strengthen each other's hopes up to a point bordering so
close upon belief as to be near akin to faith, that their dear
Herbert was not food for the fishes, but had been ruthlessly
torn from them by the hand of some of the few straggling
Indians that were occasionally known to pass up and down
the stream, in their light canoes. In this way, strange and
unaccountable as to the acerb old bachelor it may appear,
time after time did those fond parents become so filled and
temporarily carried away with this irrational, but comparatively pleasing idea, that, in fancy, they saw their unhappy,
little, chieftain son, of only seven summers, throw down his
tiny bow and arrows, run from the hated red men, thread his.
lone and tedious way through wood and thicket, across marsh
and stream, to the home of his birth, all naked and worn,
but safe and well.
And now, we appeal, when are taken into consideration
all the circumstances of the case, Were not the anxieties,
hopes, and feelings of those sadly bereft parents so perfectly
natural, as not to need analysis or comment? And yet, in
point of principle, wherein do they differ from the hopes.
and feelings by us indulged of a.future, happy existence for
ourselves and loved ones in some far-off, invisible world,,
when, in so far as it is possible for our surviving friends to
see and determine by sense, we are as dead and cold as the
clods of the valley? And not only the principle of the:
thing, but the means whereby those bereft parents, upon
the long winter evenings, did thus mutually revive and
strengthen in themselves such fond hopes, wherein do they




HOPE'S CHARACTER ANID MIISSIOr.    233
essentially differ from those by us used at our interesting
prayer meetings, and other religious gatherings of a like
character; where, by alternately talking, singing, praying,
and exhorting, we excite, cheer, and encourage each other
on, until, for the time being, we become mutually wrought
up to that peculiar pitch of excitement and hope ecstatic,
which we are wont to call Th2e ouztpourizgs of God's spirit,
getdinzg ouzr spiritudl stregth/ renewed, etc.?-Of course, we
may be wrong, but then, it really seems to us that, in all
this:. class of cases, we, his feeble animated fractions, mistake effects, by ourselves legitimately produced, for the
special interposition and influence of Almighty God.For the reason that those parents had in their heads such
an organ as Philiprogenitiveness, for that reason was their
innate love for their missing child both deep and strong;
and hence, for that same reason, was their desire that he might
live to cheer their pathway, bless their declining years, and
solace them in death correspondingly deep and strong.
They did not positively know that he was dead, wherefore
they more or less fondly, but dreamily, hoped he was not,hoped he had not fallen a prey to the remorseless waters;
but was somewhere still alive, and they by him remembered.
The breathing of those fond, dreamy hopes the one to the
other was perfectly natural, and the repeatedly doing so not
only tended to keep the feeling alive in each, but to strengthen the same in both. In like manner, for the reason that
universal man has in his head such an organ as Vitativeness,
for that reason is his innate love of life both deep and
strong; and hence, for that same reason is his desire to live
correspondingly deep-seated and powerful. He does not
positively know that he will not somehow, in some form, and
somewhere continue to maintain, on and on, a conscious,
personal existence after that he is physically dead, decomposed, his elements resurrected in the form of gas, dissipated
in air, and into millions of new and different created forms
have entered; and hence he more or less indulges a sort of
dreamy hope that he shall: And the breathing of this hope
the one to another at the conference meeting, and upon




234                 DEPARTURE.
other similar occasions, (for, during the mass of the time
which is not thus specially dedicated to the service of the
Lord, it would hardly be supposed from either speech or
action, that any such idea had ever entered into the human
head,) is not only natural, but legitimately tends to keep the
same alive, and strengthen it in each and all. And the reason why upon the Sabbath-day, and occasionally at other
times-when not with some more practical idea or pursuit
absorbed —we are wont to assemble ourselves together, to
the end that we may see each other and, by means of the
different instrumentalities invented and used for that purpose, the more readily be brought to fall into this same
magnetic condition, and hence into this same train of hopeful reflections, is partly because we are created social beings,
and partly because the doing so doth temporarily relieve us
from the monotonous round of thoughts, feelings, cares, and
anxieties of every-day life, by calling into play a deeply
rested class of our brenal organs which are panting for exercise. Or thus: Because we are organically commanded
to be social beings, as well as organically commanded to
love our lives, and hence to try to preserve them, therefore
we do earnestly desire to live and enjoy the society of our
friends, not only until we are old, quite old, but still on
beyond the bounds of the grave. And hence by the aid of
Hope, acting in concert with Vitativeness, the organ which
creates within us love of life, we come to indulge in a sort
of blind, dreamy belief, more or less strong, that we. shall
thus continue to live and enjoy; and so forget not the assembling of ourselves together, to the end that our strong
social organs may be gratified by the congenial companionship thus periodically afforded, and our weak faith therein be
renewed and strengthened. And finally, as we have come
to see it, and as has been elsewhere said and repeated, love
of life is neither more nor less than a physical feeling or
act, which is spoken into existence within us by the proper
brenal organ, the same as is love of children, of property,
etc., by their respective, appropriate organs; and, of the
strong desire which ewe feel to live, not only until we are




1IO1P'S CILRARACTER AND JIISSION1Y.    235
old, very old, but on past death to all eternity, the same;
and of the hope that we shall so live the very same. And
thus on of our every wish, thought, feeling, and' emotion,
just as surely as is the brain the organ of mind.
We are not unmindful of the fact that the individual, in
whose head the organ of Order, for example, is large and
active, is prone to think and to feel that he should have
been very miserable, had it been his fortune to have possessed that same disregard for method, that same slovenly
nature and slip-shod turn of mind which are possessed and
manifested by Mr. Careless. But, then, it must be borne in
memory that this individual, had he been born and brought
up a Mr. Careless, would then have been a Mr. Careless
from sole to crown; and hence would all along have been
compelled to regard his pet idea of " a place for everything,
and everything in its place," as being all a matter of fuss
and feathers. In like manner, to those who are so organized and balanced that hope in them is eternally springing
up and running over like a fountain, (the same being a leading trait in their characters, because a ruling organ in their
heads in point of activity,) it undoubtedly seems as if the
world would be all a blank, but for its constantly cheering
rays. And yet, because such persons by virtue of their organic structures and the force of habit are compelled to feel
thus, and because it really seems to theml as if the pleasures
derived from observation, reason, and knowledge, can never
come to equal those which, by the light of such observation,
reason, and knowledge, must needs be curtailed, crowded
out, and destroyed, it does not follow that these their said
feelings and opinions are correct interpretations of the general workings of Nature's laws. Upon the contrary, this is
manifestly a narrow, brenal error, and very similar to the
one which children and youth commit Awhen they fancy-as
not unlikely we all have done-that the pleasures derived
from sliding upon the ice, riding down hill, the merry party,
the crowded ball-room, etc., can never be equalled, much
less eclipsed, and finally crowded out of their heads to make
room for joys more rational,-to make room for those solid




236                  DEPARTURE.
and enduring pleasures that are ever incident to maturer
years. We repeat, all this, although perfectly natural under
certain circumstances and at a certain stage of life, is nevertheless a narrow, brenal error that is spoken into existence
within us by the strong, blind organs of feeling and emotion;
and hence it is an error which a more enlarged acquaintance
with ourselves, with human nature, and the fountains from
which legitimately flow the different tastes, capacities, and
streams of human happiness, will enable us intellectually to see
and correct. And thus on of all the different brenal organs
and combinations of organs which parent cause do stand to
all the different tastes, dispositions, and traits of character
by man possessed and manifested, in any and all the different stages and conditions of life.
Although not a single human being now alive has ever
tasted death, but only life, nevertheless are we not all intellectually convinced from the past history of the race as
written in the grave-yards, that we too are mortal; and
hence that, sooner or later, we also shall physically die? As
every reflecting man must be presumed to be convinced of
this; so every reflecting man must be presumed to know that
this kind and character of teaching is directly calculated to
preclude from rising up within him the fond Hope that, from
the reign of physical death, he, his own dear self, may possibly escape.  We repeat, every reflecting man must be presumed to know this; and yet who is prepared to say it is
not both wise and proper thus to teach, and thus believe?
And who to affirm that it is not, upon the whole, better and
more happifying to any individual to understand the fact,
even in reference to this most solemn of all earthly events,
than it would be for such individual to go on deceiving himself and others with the Hope that he, and all such others
as shall come to believe and practice as he does, will never
physically die,-will never, personally, be blotted from the
face of the Earth, the same as have uniformly been our
fathers? And not only this, but so long as it is universally
known that man's love of physical life is the strongest of all
his loves, and his dread of physical death the deepest of all




HOPE'S CHIARACTER AND 3~ISS1g0.        237
his dreads; and so long as it is admitted in both theory and
practice, that it is better for every one to understand the
fact that he must surely, physically, die, notwithstanding
this is the very thing which above all others he would most
gladly avoid, than it would be for him to go on from the
cradle to the grave indulging the hope that, unlike his predecessors upon the Earth, he will never be compelled to
yield up his physical life; How can it rationally be supposed
that the tinsel pleasures afforded by the soaring angel Hope,
upon this same subject or any other, do outweigh the sober,
solid joys afforded by the practice of that patient perseverance in the investigation of facts, which doth ripen into
knowledge, and which knowledge, by unavoidable consequence, must and doth have the effect, to an extent with
itself correspondent, to clip her gilded wings?
Self-evidently, as seems to us, actual knowledge is always
more enlightening in its tendency, hence always more elevating in its character, and hence always, upon the whole,
more happifying in its- effects, than is a mere hopeful belief
in even the most honeyed fiction. Wherefore we are compelled to think that the pleasures afforded by the normal
exercise of those brenal organs, whose function it is to fill
us with light and knowledge of what actually is, and is to be,
are always of a higher grade than those afforded by that
class of blind organs, whose function it is, in wisdom's absence, to swell us with the unreal, and puff us up with
windy conceptions of what is not, nor, indeed, ever can be.
And wherefore we have no' option in the matter, but are
compelled to hold that the pleasures which flow from knowledge, or rather from the vigorous exercise of those brenal
organs which lead thereto, and so bring us into its possession, are not only superior in quality, but also in kind, to
those derived from the riotings of Hope in the broad fields
of uncertainty.
But to return.nce more to those sadly bereft parents:Who does not know that they were anxious to embrace the
fact that their darling boy was drowned, if drowned he really
was? And who not that it is in the nature of us all to be




238                 DEPART URE.
anxious to learn as speedily as possible, that the dearest
friend we have in the world is dead, if dead he is?  And
yet it cannot but be manifest to all that such knowledge, the
moment it is received, must have the effect to blot out forever the hope by us so fondly cherished of enjoying that
friend's sweet society for long years to come.
Because every organ by man possessed is, upon the whole,
good, and not absolutely bad, a single one; and because the
normal exercise of every organ, within the limit of abuse,
doth legitimately afford him a species of pleasure, either
higher or lower; it must not be inferred that they are all
alike good and noble, and hence that they are all equally
exalted and happifying in their functions. Upon the contrary, as it is neither Vitativeness nor Hope, but the intellectual group, which first and foremost in the human temple
stand, so the pleasures afforded by this class of brenal organs
do legitimately constitute a superior order.  Wherefore,
whether reasoning from analogy or whether from facts, we
must regard it as being unphilosophical to conclude that,
when man shall come to know more of himself and more of
Nature's legitimate workings, and consequently to understand not only that he must surely, physically, die, (the very
thing he most doth fear and dread,) but that that event,
come when it may, will be to him, as an individual entity,
the final wind-up, he will any the less enjoy life, or be any
the less useful and happy in consequence of such knowledge.
Indeed, the inference would seem to be irresistible that, in
this latter branch of the case, the same as in the former, the
sober, solid joys which flow from knowledge, and the act of
endeavoring to acquire, must outweigh the pleasures afforded
by that Hope which it is Certainty's mission, upon any and
all subjects, to blot out and forever destroy the moment it
arrives. At any rate, in the enjoyment of such a faith, we
have lived happily for years, and by it, much as we love to
live, we are not afraid to die.
Moreover, unless we mistake human nature and the legitimate incentives to actions, great and noble, the settled
conviction that our only chance of living on, after we are




HOPE'S CHARACTER ASND JIISSIO1V.        239
physically dead, resides in the posterity we shall leave and
the works we shall have performed, would of itself almost
work miracles; —would almost work miracles, not only by
way of stimulating us, each and all, to try to do something
worthy to be remembered by coming generations, but by
impressing us with a more deep and lively sense of the duty
we owe to ourselves, our children, and to society. And
hence we must think that such a conviction would do more,
in a few brief generations, toward unfolding and elevating
both bodily and brenally that race of which we are a part,
than is it possible for any amount of timorous hope, and
narrow, selfish belief in a personal existence for darling self
beyond the grave ever to do.




CHAPTER XXI.
" WHATEVER IS, IS RIGHT."
"All nature is but art, unknown to thee;
All chance, direction which thou canst not see;
All discord, harmony not understood;
All partial evil, universal good.
And, spite of pride, in erring's spite,
One truth is clear,-WHATEVER IS, IS RIGHT.'
Whatever is, must of necessity be right, for the reason that
whatever is, is caused to be by Nature,-is made to take
place and be by operation of natural law. Or, to state the
proposition a little more fully, if it be a real truth, which we
must think it is, that
" All are but parts of one stupendous whole,
Whose body Nature is, and God the soul,"
(God and Nature being only different names for the same
thing,) then, manifestly enough, whatever doth come to have
existence, no matter when nor where, must come to have it
legitimately, because spoken into being pursuant to the
workings of some branch or department of Nature; consequently must be part and parcel of Nature herself; and
hence must of necessity be, upon the whole, not only right,
but good and riz,/t.  In other words, if God, the Creator of
all things, is, upon the whole, good and not bad; then, by
unavoidable consequence, must all created things be, upon
the whole, good and not bad. And if the Creator and Governor of the universe doth reign in and rule over all things,
upon the whole, right and not wrong; then, by unavoidable
consequence, must all things operate, upon the whole, right
and not wrong; and so be themselves productive of results
that are, upon the whole correspondingly right and not
wrong. Or, in still other words, between God, the PARENT




IJHA TETER ISd, IS RWIGiT           241
TREE, and his created works, the fruit, there can never be
supposed to exist the slightest discrepancy. —That like
begets like, and not unlike, is a law which can never be controverted.
WTe are not unmindful that, to this view of things, an objection may not unlikely be urged somewhat as follows: If
it be a fact that nature, God, and the Sum of all Substance,
material and immaterial, in created and in primary form, are
one and the same; consequently that the laws of Nature, or
of God, by which the universe is sustained and governed, are
neither more or less than the joint and several natures of
things themselves, working on and working ever in just such
a manner as they needs must work; consequently that all
thinks ever did, now do, and forever will continue to work
together in such a manner as currently to produce results
which are, upon the whole, good and not evil; consequently
that whatever is, is of Nature,-is of Nature's legitimate
workings, or of some branch or department thereof, and
hence must of necessity be, upon the'whole, rzihl and not
wrong; then what is the use of making any effort to bring
about a change in this, that, and the other thing, since everything is all good and right now? Or to state the objection
as for the most part it is our fortune to hear it presented,' If you believe, as you affirm, that the state of things which
currently exists, no matter what that state, where the place,
nor how widely different from what at some other point of
time it may have been, is, when taken in all its bearings and
consequences present and remote, not only good and right,
but is, in fact, the only state which, at that time, in that
place, and under the circumstances then and there currently
existing and operating as p:'oducing cause, could possibly
have been; then why are you not content to sit still, look
on, and rejoice over the old iMosaic account of creation,
since that is a thing that is and for thousands of years has
been, instead of thus endeavoring to overthrow it? "
And now, reader, before attempting to answer this objection, we must be permitted to state our position with regard
to certain branches of creation a little more fully than has yet
17




242                  D EPARTUr E.
been done, to the end that whether right or whether wrong,
whether we make a convert of you or whether we do not,
you may be put into more full possession of what are our
feeble views upon that underlying subject. As seems to us,
then, this Earth is, to-day, a very different thing from what it
once was,-is, as a whole and upon the whole, greatly iri advance of what in its early and cometary stage it must have
been; also that the change from a feeble embron body of
eccentric order to one far more perfect has been the work of
long and countless ages. In other words, we hold this our
goodly Mother Earth to be, the same as the present cometary
masses which sweep through space, one of Nature's legitimate offspring; and that she is indebted for her present
advanced size, rotund form, and queenly appearance to
what, for want of a more appropriate and expressive term,
we shall call progressive creation.  Moreover, from as full and
impartial a survey of this wide field as we are able to make,
we are compelled to regard it as being not only possible,
but probable, that when the surface of this Earth, including
its aqueous, aerial, and other external surroundings, became
so far advanced in the scale of perfection as anywhere to
offer, for the first time in its history, a fit, quiet place, the
proper equable temperature, and suitable abundance of nutriment to support in being and foster into growth the lowest
species of vegetable life, which ever had existence thereupon,
then, and not till then, was that species, for the first time,
spoken. into organic existence upon its face, out of certain
fitting, inorganic elements; and this not by miracle, nor yet
by design, in the common acceptation of the term, but pursuant to the operation of natural law; *in other words, by the
combined presence and operation of a few, low, feeble, appropriate, and appropriately pedisposed vegetable-creative
causes. In this way probably did vegetable creation begin;
and thus on, and still on, has been the advance of our
planet, and its adaptations to sustaining and fostering into
growth vegetables of a higher, and yet higher grade, vegetable life ever keeping pace therewith; because, as already
suggested, legitimately pushed up, step by step, thereby.




EWHATEVER IS, IS RIGHT              243
Or thus:  As, for the first time in its history, vegetable life
must have been pushed into being by the joint presence and
operation of a few, low, and  trifling vegetable-creative
causes, so the character of that first species must needs have
been correspondingly low and frivolous. And the more the
surface of the Earth and its different vegetable-life-sustaining surroundings became advanced, the more predisposed
vegetable-creative causes became advanced into ripe ones,
consequently the more numerous, as well as correspondingly
more complex and higher, legitimately became the acts or
processes called creation; and thus continuously on.
Because, at a creative point of time, inconceivably far
back in old eternity, predisposed vegetable-creative causes
became advanced to such a state of ripeness as legitimately
compelled the act or process of organic creation, out of certain fitting inorganic elements, to begin, and because, from
that time onward, said process was constantly extending its
domain and rising in character, we by no means -think there
was constantly being spoken into primitive existence a correspondingly increased and increasing number of new, different, and higher species of vegetables. Upon the contrary,
as we see it, it is just as much an act of creation or an
exertion of creative power to push a tiny, predisposed acorn,
upon the hill-top, into a giant oak, as it is, in a warm, damp
closet, to push the appropriate and appropriately predisposed inorganic elements into organic existence in that low
form of vegetable life, known as mildew; or as it was, at the
proper point of time in Earth's great history, to push into
organized being, from the appropriate and appropriately
predisposed inorganic elements, the first stem of that low
plant which ever had existence upon its face. And besides
we must regard'it as being a much higher and more powerful creative act.
Thus it will be seen that, not by chance, according to our
view, was the Earth clothed with her'past, rich, vegetable
garment or her present more beautifully variegated one, nor
yet by sudden stretch of some mighty Power that, outside
ALL SUBSTANCF, an independent existence had; but that




244                   DEPARTURE.
as a natural consequence of Earth's gradual advancement,
additional and higher vegetable-creative causes, one after
another in regular succession and ascending scale, were constantly being pushed into a state of ripeness. In this way,
not only was original creation imperatively commanded to
proceed and speak into primitive existence other, and yet
other, species of vegetables, but such low species as had
already come into being were compelled to feel the stimulating effects of these same constantly increasing genial influences; and hence were legitimately being pushed upward
and still upward, by slow gradation, (too slow to be by dull
sense perceived, because quite too slow to make any appreciable alteration during the life of any single observer,)
until, in process of time, m6re or less of these became so
much improved in character and elevated in condition, as
first to form a higher species of the same low order, then a
lower species of an order higher, and thus on till now; the
constantly increasing remains of each existing species, order,
and class of vegetables furnishing fit aliment for the creation
of others a little higher; whereby, by the joint and several
action of propagative and progressive creation, the further
original creation of vegetables was in no small degree superseded, without impairing the final, greatly multiplied result.
And as it is not unlikely that the same first and lowest combination of vegetable-creative causes simultaneously arrived
at maturity in many different localities, traversed by the
same isothermal line, so it is not improbable that the same
low form of vegetable life was spoken into original existence
in as many different places at one and the same time. In
other words, it is not unlikely that such was the case in
places having the same mean temperature; because it cannot be supposed that the same combination of creative
causes could simultaneously have come into ripe existence
at the equator, and in the polar regions, on the mountains,
and in the sheltered valleys; and consequently not, that the
act or process of vegetable creation began at the same time
all over the face of the globe.
And further, it is not supposed that the bottom  varieties




TVHA TE VER IS, IS RIGVT.             245
of vegetables, be they few or be they many, from which all
others by the joint and several action of propagative and
progressive creation have been derived, ever awaited the
slow process of propagating themselves in different lands
and upon distant islands by means of roots or seeds, brought
from some other locality, but, instead, it is believed that they
were spoken into primitive existence in numerous different
places, in one and the same way; namely, by means of the
presence and operation of the same kind and character of
ripe vegetable-creative causes. Hence, was an island, by
volcanic action, now to spring up from the depths of the
ocean, as in the world's vast history has more than once occurred, we doubt not that as soon as its form became settled,
and its surface so far mollified and enlivened by Solar
influence, gathering dew, descending shower, etc., as to render it a fit place for sustaining and fostering into growth
any low species of vegetable life, so soon would that species
there spring up; and that without the aid of man or beast,
bird or insect, wind or wave to transport and strew the
seed. And thus would creation, at that place, continue to
go on and advance paripasszr  with advancing circumstances,
until, not only mildew and the mosses would be there, but
until, in the long lapse of ages, it would be covered with
herb and flower, trees and fruits, similar in kind, character,
and appearance to those common upon other isolated islands
of similar size, soil, and temperature; because spoken into
being, and pushed up creation's gradually ascending grade,
by similar climatic and other creative causes.
Such being the views by us entertained, of course we see
no insurmountable difficulty, but only harmony and beauty
in the theory which proclaims, that when, in the progress of
events, our globe, and its aforesaid aqueous and aerial surroundings, with the above-named vegetable kingdom added
thereunto, had become so far advanced, elevated, and enlivened as to offer, for the first time in its vast history, a fit,
quiet place, the proper equable temperature, and suitable
abundance of the proper vegetable aliment to sustain and
foster into growth the lowest form of animated existence,




246                  DEPARTURE.
then, and not till then, was that said first and lowest form of
animal spoken into being out of elements, which were but
one degree elevated above the inorganic state; namely, out
of vegetable substance; and all this not by miracle, nor yet
by design, in the common acceptation of that term, but pursuant to the operation of natural law; feeble, and inanimate,
but ripe animal-creative causes. And thus on of animal
creation, the same in principle as of vegetable, until, by the
joint and several action of original, propagative, and progressive creation, were pushed into being, out of fitting elements, all the numerous and different kinds and grades of
animals that ever had existence upon this earthly ball.
For the purpose of elucidating the idea intended to be
conveyed by the term propagative, and also progressive creation, perhaps we cannot, from all created nature, select a
more universally familar example than that presented by
the common potato. As the potato, which to-day has a
place upon the table of both prince and peasant, is a very
different article, not only in quality, but in size and appearance, from what it was when its existence was first made
known to the civilized world by the early explorers of the
American wilds, so the question which presents itself is,
What has produced this change?-As we understand the
matter, the greatly improved condition presented by this
invaluable tuber is in part the result of the numerous additions that have been made to the number of its different
kinds or varieties by the simple act of propagating its original scanty ones, and partly the natural consequence of the
greatly improved conditions which time and climatic circumstances, as well as a much more enlightened cultivation
thereof, have thrown around certain superior kinds or varieties, thus by propagative creation obtained, and not because
there has been a new creation of this kind of plant, or any
special miracle wrought in its favor. Of course, it will be understood that what is true of this particular vegetable, in
these respects, must needs be true in principle, not only of all
other vegetables, but also of animals of every kind and
grade, only that the degree may be more or less different.




II-A1TETER 1,5 ISIS RIGIIT.         247
As vegetables of every kind and grade are sustained in
existence and advanced in growth by means of absorbing
from air, earth, and water certain appropriate, inorganic
aliment, so we must regard the vegetable kingdom as being
wholly composed or made up of what was inorganic substance, up to the moment of its incorporation into the vegetable fabric. In other words, since the vegetable kingdom
is a legitimate branch or composing fraction of the globe, (it
being wholly made up of substances which, in their elementary estate, are purely inorganic and of the globe a part,)
and since all animals derive their nourishment from vegetable substance, either directly by eating such substance
themselves, else indirectly therefrom by eating the flesh of
other animals, and which flesh, be it of beast or insect, fish
or fowl, is neither more nor less than vegetable substance by
such animal organisms elaborated and elevated; it cannot
therefore be otherwise than that the entire animal kingdom,
man included, is wholly made up of elements which, in their
primitive or uncombined estate, were devoid of any recognized order of life, and which remained in that condition up to
the moment when they were incorporated into the animal
fabric; except in so far as they had previously become elevated and enlivened above the inorganic' state, by having
entered into the composition of that great half-way station
legitimately existing between the two extreme domains, inorganic substance and animated nature, known as the vegetable kingdom. And moreover, as we understand the matter, vegetables and animals possess within themselves the
elements of progress to a greater or less extent; and all such
varieties, species, orders, and classes, both of vegetables and of
animals, as lack this principle, that is, do not possess enough
thereof to enable them to keep pace with Earth's advancement in the scale of perfection, or with the rising circumstances by which they come to be surrounded, are doomed
to dwindle down and finally become extinct.
Having thus stated our feeble views, in this brief and general way, not only upon the subject of vegetable and animal
creation, but of the causes which deep down in the nature




248                  DEPARTU=RE.
of the eternal elements do underlie all action, and hence all
progression, we will now endeavor to explain why it is that
we are not content to sit still, look on, and rejoice over the
old Mosaic account of creation, since that is a thing which
we are not only compelled to regard as having been for a
long time, upon the whole, good and right, but a thing which
will continue to be such, just so long, and to just as wide an
extent, as shall it continue to be an existing thing; that is,
just so long, and to just as wide an extent, as shall it continue to be a thing by currently existing men believed; and
not' any longer or any more widely.
As we understand the matter, then, not by chance, nor
yet by design, in the common acceptation of the term, but
by Natural ordinance, there are not only many different
things which have existence in the world, but many which act
in opposition, more or less directly, the one against the
other, whereby vastly more beneficial results are produced
into being than could ever come to exist, were the action of
one portion suspended, or did all act in the same direction.
Hence, as a very humble composing fraction of the wxorld of
mankind, consequently of old Earth from which our composing elements were taken, and hence of that eternal Nature
of which we are a part, it is not in our feeble, individual
nature to be content to sit still, look on and rejoice over the
old Mosaic account of creation, and consequently not in our
power to do it; both which, in like manner, being things that
are, we are compelled to regard them as being also, upon the
whole, good and right. In other words, as we see it, it is not
in the nature and consequently not within the power of any
human being possessed of an active temperament and
decided personal character to be content to sit still, look on,
and rejoice at sight or sound of things which affect him not
agreeably, but disagreeably;-to be content to sit still, look
on, and rejoice at sight or sound of things which are not in
harmony with his nature, but directly at variance therewith.
And we put forth our slender efforts to arrest the onward
progress, not only of this ancient doctrine, but of all such
opinions, doctrines, and practices as are to us offensive, for




WFHATEVER IS, IS BRGHT:             249
the cardinal reason that such -is human nature, everywhere
and ever, that it is not within the power of any human
being, possessed of strong feelings and a character of the
positive stamp, to neglect to manifest, in some way, his disapproval of and opposition to whatever doctrine, practice,.or thing his feelings detest, his moral sentiments disapprove,
and his judgment condemns. WVe repeat, such is human
nature, everywhere and ever, that it is impossible, under such
circumstances, for the aforesaid stamp of man to neglect or
refuse to put forth opposing efforts; and, to prove the correctness of the assertion, we offer in evidence the broad practice of universal man-with the single exception of the thinknothing, do-nothing, towstring order. Moreover men are not
only organically commanded and hence compelled to manifest
their disapprobation of and to put forth opposing efforts
against such opinions and practices as are to them obnoxious,
but, as might naturally be expected, and as observation and
experience prove to be the fact, the character of the opposition manifested is ever in harmony with the character of
the different individuals and associations of men who plut it
forth. If the strong, blind feelings predominate over the
moral sentiments and intellect, (which in that class of persons but little removed above the brute creation they ever
do,) then the opposition is sure to be of the harsh, denunciatory, and proscriptive order; and if the intellect over the
feelings and moral sentiments bears rule, (as in men of
highest grade it now quite largely does,-except when laboring under some undue excitement,) then not dictation or proscription, but persuasions and arguments, are the weapons
used. And thus on it goes, the character of the opposition ever
being found to vary according to the relative size, strength, and
activity of the different brenal organs and groups of organs,
which thereunto parent cause do stand;-all which being, as
we are compelled to think, in strict accordance with human'
nature, consequently with that eternal Nature of which
human nature is a part, therefore, notwithstanding unable to
trace its bearing but a little way, we cannot for one moment
doubt that so, upon the whole, it is good and right that it
should be.




250                 DEPA4R TURE.
As when we give it as our opinion that all things, at all
times, and everywhere, when taken in all their bearings
and consequences present and remote, do work together for
good and not for evil, we have just as direct reference to
the acts and doings of those feeble, animated fractions of
the universe called men, as to' the influence exerted by that
vast Orb about which old Earth and all things thereupon
are constantly made to wheel; so, for the purpose of ridding
the argument of all unnecessary incumbrances, we propose
to drop from the account not only the influence exerted by
those immense.fractions, the Sun, Moon, and different planets all, but the effects produced by earthquakes, floods, in
short, by all that class of physical agencies over which it has
come to be generally admitted that man has no direction or control, and consequently about which, whether their
workings are, upon the whole, productive of good or of evil,
it must be alike useless to argue and impious to complain.
We say, all that wide class of physical agencies over which it
has now come to be generally admitted that man has no
direction or control; because it was anciently quite generally
supposed that the iniquities of human beings were the provoking cause of countries being deluged, cities being swallowed up by earthquakes, etc.; and because the idea is
already to some extent extant, and not unlikely may take
root and grow, that the fraction man has more or less to do
with producing droughts, winds, and even tornadoes, by
draining and deforesting the Earth's surface; and more or
less with causing the rain to fall in showers, if not in torrents,
by digging canals, growing timber, building railroads, etc.
This, then, is our narrower and more practical position:
AWhatever, at any time, or anywhere, doth come to have
existence by human agency, must of necessity be, at that
particular time, place, and extent, when taken in all its
bearings and consequences, present and remote, both good
and rig/zt. We say, whatever, at any time or anywhere,
doth come to have existence by human agency, must of
necessity be, at that particular time, place, and extent, when
taken in all its bearings and consequences present and remote, both good and right, because we not only hold creation




IVIIA TEYER IS, IS RIGHT.           051
to be a continuous and'progressive viork, but that man, the
highest and noblest animated branch of all terrestrial creation
at least, is also progressive. Indeed, as we have come to see
it, eternal sameness, no matter what the kind, never was and
never will be in accordance with great Nature's course.
Consequently we have no idea that the state of things which
by human agency doth now exist in China, for example, and
hence is, upon the whole, good and right there, would also
be good and right here; or that the same state of things
which by human agency existed among men three thousand
years ago, for another example, and which state was, upon
the whole, not only good and right then, but was, in fact,
the only state which, by such human agency as then existed,
could possibly have been brought to have existence, would
also be good and right for men now.  Upon the contrary,
it is believed.that man is to-day, as a whole and upon the
whole, greatly in advance of what he was in the days of
Moses; consequently that he has no option in the matter,
but is legitimately compelled, by his advanced nature, to
stand parent cause or creator to correspondingly advanced
views, sentiments, desires, feelings, etc.; and hence to a correspondingly advanced state of things.
Three thousand years ago! why, only a little more than
three short centuries since, proud England's reigning queen
was in the habit of riding in state upon horseback, seated
on a pillion behind her chamberlain, who engineered the
train. Then, too, a common chimney was so rare a luxury
in that boasted land of civilization and refinement, that a
large share of the dwellings were warmed and the delicacies
of the table prepared by fires kindled by the walls, the
smoke being left to find its way out at the roof, doors, and
windows as best it could.
Now-, all this, notwithstanding quite improper in our fast
age, was, at that day, not only good and right, but stately;
and so good and right and stately for the reason that, at
that time, coaches, steamboats, railroads, stoves, etc., were
among the things not yet created; and not yet created
because the proper kind and character of creative causes




252                  DEPARTURIE.
had not yet come into ripe existence within the heads of'
men, the g9ds whose province it is to speak these things
into existence. In those good old bean-porridge days, too,
there was not a newspaper published in all the British
realm. To-day it is widely different, and to-day it is doubtless good and right that we the present tenants of Earth
should be all bustle and activity, straining every nerve to
make high or respective marks; and yet, before a single
century shall have rolled away, it will be equally proper that
we all quietly sleeping in our graves should be.  And thus
on cf man and his doings to his latest posterity.
If the more favored of the race could only be persuaded
calmly to consider the fact that, even at this late day and age
of the world, human beings are not spoken into existence in
the form of full-grown men and women, but are ushered
into the world puny, helpless and ignorant to the very last
degree; and if they would further reflect that the continued
presence and operation of unfavorable circumstances are
quite sufficient, in the brief period of a single generation, to
ruin the health, derange the form, dwarf the size, and blast
the brains of such infants as inherited from their parents
organizations and life-powers which legitimately entitled
them, under the kind care and guidance of favorable circumstances, to become and be models of physical perfection and giants in intellect; then, we think, they would find
no great difficulty in becoming converts to the continuous
and progressive theory of creation, the old six-day account
thereof to the contrary notwithstanding.-Only a few thousand years ago, according to the Mosaic account, and Earth
and Sun and Moon and stars were not.  Only six days
thereafter, and all were here as now; and creation a thing
forever past.-Most singular philosophy!
The fact is, or at least, so it seems to us, the world ever
belongs to those who are alive and upon it, and not to the
honored dead, or the yet unborn. Every future generation of
mrien, one after another in regular succession, the same as in
the past, will become and be first a present generation and
of the world possessed, then a past generation upon whose




~TVFIAl42E VER IS, IS WIGHT.        253
shoulders of observation, experience, research, and modes of
thought the next succeeding present one will stand. Consequently, the civilized world over, the present revered opinions upon all such subjects as have not yet come to be
accurately understood, the subject of creation among the
rest, are certain to become outgrown and left behind just as
soon asjer force of advanced observation, experience, and
reflection, this or any future generation of men shall come
to be in possession of opinions thereupon, which are radically different; precisely the same as has the past popular
and religious Opinion, that this our Earth was the great
primary and central thing in all creation, the Sun being
supposed to be a body of quite inferior size and importance,
whose business it was to rule the day upon the Earth, by
imparting light and heat to the upper and only habitable
side thereof, during a certain portion of the twenty-four
hours,-the duty of taking charge of the night, upon the
same side, devolving upon the Moon and stars,
As a matter of course, the grand idea which underlies the
present scientific theory of the universe, and the movements
of the different heavenly bodies, was, when first ushered into
existence, all new and wrong to the then stupid and blindly
superstitious mass of mankind who thought and believed by
ancient proxy, they not yet having been sufficiently touched
by live coals from the altar of human progression to see its
force, or appreciate its beauty. Wherefore the then new
and greatly advanced idea being a thing which, in so far as
their heads were concerned, had not yet come into existence,
consequently it was a thing which was not yet either good
or right to them; and hence, with one accord, they pronounced it false, contrary to the Bible, and treasonable to
God. And wherefore also, as was perfectly natural, they
denounced, proscribed, and imprisoned its promulgator;
which several acts, although very foolish, and notwithstanding a grievous wrong to the poor, suffering Galileo, had the
effect to invest the new doctrine with a much deeper interest than would a quiet reception of its unostentatious announcement; consequently served to give thereunto a far




~2.54                DEEPAR 2YTUR E.
more rapid and wide-spread circulation; hence tended to
hasten the removal of ignorance and the consequent elevation of the race; and hence were, when taken in all their
bearings and consequences present and remote, both good
and right.-" The blood of the martyr is the seed " of progression as well as "of liberty."
And here, perhaps, it may be well to suggest that, in
weighing great and complicated questions of this kind, it
must not be forgotten that it is one of the inevitable incidents of the social state, even in times of profoundest
national peace, that more or less frequently the liberty, and
even the lives of individuals, have to be yielded up a sacrifice to appease popular indignation, promote the general
quiet, and advance the public good.  And who that has
seriously reflected upon the subject is prepared to believe
that the different inevitable incidents of the great, God-ordained social state, whether in time of war or whether in
peace, are not, each and all, when taken in all their bearings
and consequences present and remote, good and right?
Obviously enough, the sanguinary struggle, for example,
which gave us birth as a nation, was not a blessing to the
hundreds and thousands of brave individuals whose mangled
forms were laid cold in death upon the different battlefields; and yet, when taken in all its bearings and consequences present and remote, who doubts that said revolutionary struggle has proved itself to have been a blessing to
the human. race, and especially to that particular portion
thereof called the American people?-Who?
But to return:-Ignorant, superstitious, and set' in their
borrowed opinions as were the contemporaries of Galileo,
still the more stubborn world did move and kept on moving,
not only upon its axis and around the Sun, but onward and
upward in the scale of perfection, and its feeble, shortsighted, self-willed tenants were compelled to bear it company, partake of its advanced nature, and drink in new and
additional ideas; until, finally, the olc, narrow, one-sided,
and anti-common-sense notion of a flat, stand-still Earth,
and revolving-about-it Sun, which for ages had been both




TfWHATEVER IS, IS RWIGIT.           255
the popular and religious opinion,-just because, by some
ancient somebody, it had been proclaimed to be a God-revealed truth, and because, during all those long ages, it was
a thing which filled and satisfied men's heads, —was compelled to give way to.make room  for another more in
accordance with man's advanced brenal condition, and
hence more in accordance with eternal fact.
Such being our well-settled views, it follows, as a matter
of course, that we are unable to conceive of any clearer
proof that the' condition of things which, at any time or
any where exists, and no matter what that condition nor
what the extent thereof, is, upon the whole, good and right,
than is contained in the fact that such condition, to such
extent, doth then and there existence have; nor can we
conceive of any surer'evidence that some other imaginary
state would not be, upon the whole, as good and right, at
that particular time and place, than is presented by the fact
that such other imaginary state doth not, then and there, existence have. In other words, we must think that every kind
of condition which, at any time or anywhere, doth come to
have existence by human agency, doth come to have it
legitimately, because, then and there, pushed into existence
and fostered into growth by a corresponding state of brenal
development which it fills and satisfies; and that every kind
of fancied condition which, at any given time or place, had
not such existence, had it not for the reason that it was not
legitimate,-had it not for the obvious reason that, with such
a state of brenal development as then and there prevailed,
it could not possibly coexist, much less have been spoken
into existence and fostered into growth thereby.
And now, whether right or whether wrong, we trust it will
be seen that we do not regard the harmony of the Universe
as consisting either in inaction or eternal sameness of any
kind, but, instead, are of the opinion that it ever legitimately
grows out of that undying law which, being internally part
and parcel of the eternal Elements themselves, imperatively
commands everything in all created nature, high and low,
great and small, inanimate and animated, to be ever active




256                 DE PA R T UR E.
and exerting all the power it has. Wherefore, as a very
humble fraction of universal active and progressive man, we
have no option, but, just like Moses and every other comparatively bold and independent thinker that ever was or
ever shall be, are compelled to put forth our feeble efforts to
bring the opinions and practices of others to be in unison
with our own. And wherefore, to the extent that this our
weak endeavor shall exert an influence upon human thoughts
and human actions, be that influence much or be it little, be
it wide-spread or be it only to a few confined, and be it of
long duration or only for a day, to that extent, and no
further, does it become and be a thi/zg tzhat is; consequently,
to that same extent, and no further, just like the old Mosaic
account of creation, the sayings of the prophets, and the
writings of every other man that ever wrote or ever shall
write, it must of necessity be, upon the whole, a thing which
is both good and rzg/zf. And hence, to the extent that such
endeavor shall have the effect to narrow down the existence
of said Mosaic account, to that same extent it must needs
be, upon the whole, both good and right that such olden
account should be narrowed down,-should cease to be an
existing thing; that is, should cease to be a thing by existing men believed, and hence unto them a moral truth.
And yet one thing further, Allowing our views of Deity,
his composition, character, laws, mode of government, etc.,
to be erroneous, and that God is, as by orthodoxy claimed,
a Spirit Being, unchangeable in his nature, and of infinite
wisdom, goodness, and power possessed; also allowing that
this Spirit Being, by virtue of a code of laws of ihis own
supreme enactment, doth reign in and rule over all created
things in Earth and heaven, according to his sovereign will
and pleasure, What, then, is the irresistible conclusion to be
drawn therefrom?-As seems to us, just this: In the plenitude of his wisdom, goodness, and power, he created-all
things good and not bad, right and not wrong; and, in the
same plenitude, doth reign in and rule over all in a way that
is consonant with his great, glorious, and eternal nature;
hence in a way that is pleasing and not displeasing unto




1WHATEVER IS, IS RIGHT.               257
him; and hence in a way which is, upon the whole, both
good and rzkht.  Indeed, we must confess ourself just
as unable to see how any other conclusion can ever, rationally, be arrived. at by such as. firmly believe in the existence
of an infinitely great, wise, good, and powerful Creator who,
either by a fixed-law government or without, doth reign in
and rule over all his works, according to his sovereign will
and pleasure, as we are to see how it can ever, rationally, be
concluded by anybody that the Sun is square, whilst all the
while firmly.believing it is round.
When from observation and reflection a man has become
satisfied that any theory or doctrine, no matter what, is
really true, he must of necessity be satisfied that all such
other theories and doctrines as are incompatible therewith
are false and imaginary. In other words, if certain things
are really true, it follows, as a matter of course, that such
other things as are incompatible therewith cannot also be,
and hence that they are unworthy of any serious consideration. Thus, for instance, if the elements of which the
numerous worlds and systems of worlds are composed are
self-existent, and if such elements, in all their inconceivably
vast amount, are not, in truth and in fact, a personal being,
nor yet a composing fraction of such a being; then, by unavoidable consequence, there is not and cannot be any such
thing as an all-space-filling personal God. If, consequent
upon the nature of their composing elements, such is the
permanently existing mutual relation between the Earth and
Sun, as compels the former to circle around the latter and to
revolve upon her axis in the manner which she does, then
there is not and cannot be any necessity for the existence of
a personal God, great or small, wise or simple, to superintend.
their movements or look after their welfare. If the soul or
spirit of man, the same as that of the horse or any other
animal, is not an entity of any kind, but simply organic
function, or a thing that is spoken into existence and maintained therein by the presence and action of his bodily
organs, then it is a thing which must of necessity be quite as
transitory as is his physical structure, its parent cause; and
18




258                  DEPARTURE.
hence there can be no such things as ghosts or disembodied
spirits, naked or clothed, stalking about among us either by
day or by night. And thus on, not only of'every known
truth, but of every firmly-believed-to-be-one, and all such
other things, whether few or many, as are incompatible with
either the one or the other. And if the souls or spirits of
men are really entities, and hence things which are capable
of existing independently; that is, are capable of existing in
the absence of living physical human beings to speak them
into existence and maintain them therein; then, to the existence and multiplication of human spirits or soul entities,
neither the multiplication of human beings nor, indeed, their
presence or existence, is a thing essential; and hence, of
such soul entities, there may be just as many and just as.
prolific, intelligent, and happy ones upon the uninhabited
islands of the ocean as in the crowded city.
Or, to present the idea in little different form, no matter
whether really true, or whether only morally so, to believe
that a God of infinite wisdom, goodness and power,created
all things that are, would seem to be equivalent to believing
that all created things are, upon the whole, good and right,
and not wrong and evil, a single one.-Indeed, to believe as
stated in the first instance must be equivalent to believing
as stated in the second, because, of the former belief as postulate or premise, no matter whether correct or incorrect, the
latter belief is a logical consequence from which there is no
escape.-To believe that this, that, or the other created thing
is not only relatively less good and right, but wholly wrong
and evil, is equivalent to believing that the God who created
them lacked the necessary wisdom to enable him to plan
their creation aright; else the necessary goodness to induce
him to desire so to plan it; else the necessary power to en-.
able him to carry into execution the plan, which his infinite
wisdom and goodness prompted him to conceive.'ro believe that a God of infinite wisdom, goodness and power
doth reign in and rule over all created things that are,
according to his sovereign will and pleasure, is equivalent
to believing that he reigns in and rules over them in a way




WtHA TEVER IS, IS _RIGHT.          259
that is, upon the whole, good for them and pleasing unto
him, and hence in a way which is, upon the whole, right and
not wrong. And finally, to believe that this, that, or the
other created thing doth operate and work, not only relatively less riht, but wholly wrong, is equivalent to believing
that the God who reigns in and rules over said thing lacks
the necessary wisdom to enable him to determine in what
manner it must needs be reigned in and ruled over, in order
that it may be reigned in and ruled over aright; else the
necessary goodness to induce him to desire thus, in and over
it, to reign and rule; else the necessary power to enable him
to carry into effect, in and over the same, the governmental
plan which his infinite wisdom and goodness prompted him
to devise.
Corollary: —Whatever is admitted to be planned by infinite wisdom, prompted by infinite goodness, and executed
by infinite power, naught, save quite finite wisdom, else less
finite folly, will ever attempt to impeach.




CHAPTER XXII.
COMPOUND CAUSES AND COMPOUND EFFECTS.
Notwithstanding by usage of language almost all causes
and effects are represented as being single or simple, still it
can hardly be doubted, we think, that almost every effect,
which anywhere in nature doth ever come to take place, is a
legitimate result not only of a compound cause, l-ut of two
or more compound causes; and not only of two or more
compound causes, but of two or more which are more or less
directly opposed the one to the other, in both character and
action.  Not for tlhe simple reason that the rafters of a
building are set sloping in opposite directions do they support the ponderous roof, but for the compound one that
they are thus set in pairs, married at the top, and firmly
secured against spreading at the bottom.  Indeed, we must
think that creation, as the same exists around. us to-day, is
quite as much indebted to the opposing action of heterogeneous forces, as it is to the joint action of such as are homogeneous. And, whether reasoning from analogy or whether
from our own limited'observation and experience, we are
forced to the conclusion that, as in the physical world, so in
what is called the moral, effects, of every name and kind,
which are not actually simple, (and of such the number is
believed to be small,) are produced into being and sustained
in existence, not by the operation of any single or singly
acting cause, however prominent or powerful, but by the aid
and operation of a greater or lesser number of different
causes, acting in opposition, more or less directly, one against
another.
Compound causes, whether chemical, muscular, or brenal,
not only produce conftound results, but they produce results
that are different from those which must needs be produced




COJIPO UNVD CA USES AND EFFECTS.        261
by the lone operation of any single cause among the whole
number. Perhaps there are not a dozen laws upon any of
the statute books, which had the sanction of the entire lawmaking body by which they were enacted; and probably not
one which, in all respects, met the views of a single individual member, out of the whole number of those who
sustained it by their votes upon its final passage.'he laws
which are annually passed by a congress of men selected as
well from the different classes, as from the different localities,
and hence representing the different interests of the country,
are not only widely different from those which would be
enacted by any single individual among the whole number,
but are, upon the whole, much better adapted to guard,
protect, and foster the diversified interests of the nation.
The correctniess of the foregoing views being admitted, it
follows that, with the single unimportant exception of effects
which are purely simple, every act, institution, system, and
thing, which is the product of human brains, is spoken into
existence, or made to take place and be, not in a line of
accordance with the character of the lone influence exerted
by any one of the different causes, whether major or minor,
which help produce it into being, but in a line which accords
with the complex character of the combined influence
exerted by the entire sum of producing causes. In other
words, since each individual cause of the whole number,
whether chemical, muscular, or brenal, doth ever modify, in
a degree corresponding with its power, the result which
would naturally follow from the lone action of every other
cause; therefore the resultant effect, or final result, must
necessarily accord, not with the lone influence exerted by
any one of the different producing causes, but with the complex influence exerted by the whole combination of them.
As great and permanent results are seldom produced by
trifling causes, whether simple or compound; as every
change is not reform, and as almost every great and permar.ent change which ever comes to take place in the socalled moral world, as well as in the physical one, doth
gradually come to take place therein; so the conclusion is




262                  DEPARTURE.
irresistible that, for most of our reforms, social, political, and
religious, we are just about as much indebted to the rigid
conservative who acts as brake upon the wheels, as to the
fiery radical who, with headlong speed, would fain propel
the car. Or thus: Because different individuals and parties
of men take opposite views of the same subject, consequently act, and act with spirit, in direct opposition, the one
party against the other, and thus achieve a result at which
neither party was aiming; it by no means follows that such
result is not, upon the whole, a better one than could possibly have been brought about, had they all thought as did
either party, and hence all pulled at the same end of the
same rope. In a word, as it is only by being brought into
sharp collision that flint and steel can be made to emit their
strong sparks of light, so it is only by means of a thorough
interchange of opinions, boldly and squarely proclaimed,
that men can be brought to see their narrow pet errors, and
hence driven into the embrace of broader and more correct
views.
Wherefore let no man fold his arms in despair, because, in
comparison with the great world of human life, he so nearly
approaches to being a cipher, but rather let him arouse himself, and unremittingly put forth whatever of power he doth
possess to bring the neighborhood in which he resides, the
church of which he is a member, the state of which he is a
citizen, the nation to which he belongs, and the world of
mankind, of which he is a component part, to be what he is
desirous that they should become; never once forgetting
that, in proportion to the power he shall thus relatively exert,
in that same proportion will he legitimately exert a moulding
influence, not only upon the present generation of men, but,
through them, upon the next succeeding one, and thus forever on.




CHAPTER XXIII.
THE DECALOGUE S ORIGIN AND SCOPE.
Inasmuch as we Christians are wont to attach so much
importance to those certain lines of Scripture called the
Decalogue, and inasmuch as this importance is not thereunto attached on account of their substance, but because of
the miraculous manner in which they are supposed to have
been derived to us; so we propose very briefly to trace the
history of those tables of stone, upon which are said to have
been written " The words of the covenant, the ten commandments," and which tables the Israelites preserved with
such jealous care; to the end that our readers may be enabled to see and judge for themselves whether, from Moses'
own testimony-when it.. proper chronological order read
and considered, —-it was Almighty God who prepared those
said tables, and who wrote upon them the writing that is said
to have been written thereupon, or whether it was the man
Moses who did both the one and the other.
According to Moses' showing, then, in Exodus 24. I2, it
appears that God commanded him to come up into the
mount, and be there: and he, God, would give unto him
tables of stone, and a law and commandments which he had
written; to the end that he, Moses, as his specially chosen
servant and mouthpiece, might teach them. From the balance of the chapter it appears that Moses went up into the
mount as by God he was commanded, and there remained
forty days and forty nights. It further appears from the i8th
verse of the 3rst chapter, that God, after having made an
end of communing with Moses upon the mount, gave unto
him " Two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with
the finger of God." It also appears a little further on, in




264                 DEPARTURE.
the Isth and i6th verses of the next chapter, that " Moses
turned and went down from the mount, and the two tables
of testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on
both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they
written. And the tables were the work of God, and the
writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables."
As from this account it is clear that Moses did, at that
time, receive from the hands of the Almighty two tables of
testimony, tables of stone, the writing' upon which was the
writing of God and graven thereon; it therefore becomes
important to understand what became of those said tables,
and of the writing which, according to said Mosaic account,
God had written with his finger, and graven thereupon. As
appears, then, from what immediately follows, the people, for
whose special benefit and instruction all this had been done,
became so very anxious, during Moses' said forty-days
absence, to worship something which their eyes could see,
(as plainly enough doth the history of this ancient people
reveal the existence of their strong perceptive organs and
weak reflectives,) that they made them a golden calf, and
set it up as a god unto which to offer up offerings, and before
which to bow down and worship. It further appears from
what follows immediately thereafter, that, when Moses, upon
his return journey, came near enough unto the camp to see
the calf, and hear the impious singing with joy before it, his
"Anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands,
and brake them beneath the mount. And he took the calf
which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it
to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the
children of Israel to drink of it." And so, now, we appeal,
according to Moses' own immediate showing, Were not the
two tables of testimony,'tables of stone, which he declares God
gave him, and upon which he affirms that God had written
with his finger, right here by him, Moses, destroyed; and that
too without their ever having been published, or made public
at all?  And hence, right here, does not the full history of
said demolished tables, together with the writing that was upon
them, no matter what it might have been, come to an end?




THE DECAL OG UE'S ORIGIN AND SCOPE.   265
So much for the two tables of stone upon which, according to Moses' account of the matter, God himself wrote;
and so much for the writing which, according to his own
statement made at the time, or at least upon the very heels
of the transaction, never reached the people to whom it
was addressed; and hence was never seen by mortal eyes,
except his own and possibly by those of his right-hand man
Joshua,
After the stern, summary, and terribly bloody measures
adopted by Moses, upon his said angry return from the
mount, had again restored tranquillity and order among that
ignorant, superstitious, and rebellious people, it appears,
however, from the testimony of this same witness, as recorded
in the first four verses of the 34th chapter, of this same
book, that, at the close of another interview between God
and himself, the Lord said unto him, " Hew thee two tables
of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these
tables the words that were in the first tables which thou
brakest. And be ready in the morning, and come up in the
morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me
in the top of the mount. And no man shall come up with
thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount:
neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount. And
he hewed two tables of stone, like unto the first; and Moses
rose up early in the morning, and went up into mount Sinai,
as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the
two tables of stone." Now this quotation which begins the
history, not only of the second set of tables, but of the ten
commandments which were afterwards written thereupon,
preserved and handed down fromn generation to generation,
until, finally, they were copied upon paper, placed in a book
called the Bible, and so brought down to us, makes it plain
that Moses, and not God, hewed and prepared them. And
not only this, but it establishes another important fact;
namely, that Moses proved himself so handy at working upon
stone, that these tables, by him thus made ready, were like
unto the first; that is, were like unto the two, which, according to his statement, God himself, the great Master Work



266                 DEPARTU RE
man, had previously been at the trouble of preparing for
him, and which he, in his hot anger, broke.
Now, by just going back to the first part of this same
quotation, it will be seen that Moses not only represents the
Lord as,commanding him to hew two tables like unto the first
two, but as promising him that he, the Lord, would write
upon them the words that were in the first tables which he,
Moses, thus angrily cast from him and broke. We say, by
thus going back it will be seen, that, according to Moses'
statement of the matter, the Lord promised him that he would
himself write upon said second tables the words that were
in the first, because, in. order to come at a right understanding of the case, it is necessary that a clear line of distinction
be drawn between what Moses now and here says the Lord
promised he would do upon those said tables, and what he
subsequently and in another place tells us, that he himself,
and net the Lord, did upon them. In other words, as the
question which just now concerns us is, How did the words
of the covenant, the ten commandments, get upon those
second tables? so we will let the history, not of what Moses
beforehand says was promised to be done upon them, after
he should bring them up to the top of the mount, but of
what he subsequently declares was done upon them, and by
whom performed, after he got there with thenm and whilst he
was yet there, speak for itself.  Yea, and the very next
thing we hear about those said tables, we hear firom this same
witness Moses in the 27th and 28th verses of the chapter
last named, and which read as follows: "And the Lord
said unto Moses, write thou these words: for after the tenor
of these words I have made a covenant with thee, and with
Israel. And he [Moses] was there with the Lord forty days
and forty nights; he [Moses] did neither eat bread nor
drink water. And he [Moses] wrote upon the tables the
words of the covenant, the ten commandmnents." —And so,
now, in all sincerity we ask, Is it not plain, from Moses' own
testimony-when iti proper chronological order read and
considered,-that it was not the Lord, but the feeble fraction
of the great HIM known as the man Moses, who both held




THE DECALOG UE'S ORIGIN AND SCOPE.    267
said forty-days' fast, and who wrote upon those tables the
words of that covenant, which was then and there called
"' The ten commandments;" and which commandments, together with the tables containing the same, were by him
delivered unto the children of Israel, and by them  so
sacredly kept, preserved, and borne about with them wheresoever they went; and which var& finally copied upon paper,
inserted in the sacred volume, and so handed down to us?
And further, Is it not obvious that this Moses' first and
freshest historic account of the origin of the ten commandments, and of the particular manner in which they found
their way upon said tables of his own preparing, must be, as
-far as it goes, either really true or really false? And further
still, admitting this his first and freshest historic statement
of the matter to be true to the facts as they actually transpired, then can anything be plainer than that all subsequent
statements in reference to this same transaction must be
false to the extent that, in sense and substance, from such
first, they do irreconcilably differ? We say this his first
and freshest historic account of the way and manner in
which the words of the covenant, the ten commandments,
found their way upon said tables of stone of his own preparing, must be, as far as it goes, either really true or really
false, because we find, upon examination, that it seems to
have been quite customary with the Bible writers to repeat
a thing over, and over again, just as if they supposed the
oftener the history of a perfected transaction was written
down and clinched with a Thus-saitl/z-le-L-ord, the more a
fact and the less a fiction it become; and because we find
this same Moses, some forty years thereafter and near the
close of his eventful life, again attempting to travel over this
same historic ground; when, from a failure of memory or
some other cause, his iterated statement of the transaction
so far varies from his first historic account thereof, and
which was penned When the circumstances were yet fresh in
his recollection, that he now, at this late day, makes the
Lord, and not himself, to have been the person who executed the writing upon said second tables. And this is




268                         DEPARTURE.
what he now  and here at this late day says:   "At that time
[referring back to the time, now some forty years past, when
the Lord instructed him, in 34th Exodus, to prepare said
second set of tables] the Lord said unto' me, Hew thee two
tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into
the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. And I will write
on the tables the words that were in the first tables which
thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark. And I made
an ark of shittim-wood, and hewed two tables of stone like
unto the first, and went up into  the mount, having the two
tables in mine hand. And he wrote on the tables, according to the first' writing, the  ten  commandments, which  the
Lord spake unto you in the mount, out of the midst of the
fire, in the day of the  assembly: and  the  Lord  gave them
unto me.  And I turned myself and came  down  from  the
mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and
there they be, as the Lord commanded me." —Deut., Io. I-5And now, since it is a fact which can never be gainsayed,
that, from some cause or other, this ancient witness has, at
these different periods of time, stated the matter so very
differently that the one statement cannot be made to harmonize with the other, (except it be admitted that he and
the Lord with whom  he seemed  to be upon  such  terms of
intimacy, and in whose name he so oft and lengthily did
speak, were one and the same person,) What is to be done?
Shall we treat him just as we would any other man,-just as
we would a cotemnporary upon the Earth,-just as we would
a fellow-townsman who, in giving in his evidence before us
when sitting as a court, should thus contradict himself upon
a most material point? In short, shall we apply to him the
rigid rules of evidence; that is, treat him as a witness who
NOTE.-NO notice is here taken of what Moses says in the fourth, fifth, and ninth
chapters of this same book of Deuteronomy which closes his voluminous testimony, and
where, in his garrulous old age, he over, and over again. repeats the story of certain
tables of stone, etc., for the reason that since he does not in either of the two first-named
chapters inform us to which set of tables he refers, and as in the ninth he makes it
clear that he there has reference to the first tables, which he himself so unceremoniously destroyed at the foot of the mount, and hence not us or anybody else concern, so it
is but fair to presume, that in said fourth and fifth he had reference to the same; and
especially is it not since in both these chapters the accounts given are, as far as they
go, not only consistent with his account of said first tables, but are each in direct contradiction of the history of the second set, as given by himself almost simultaneously
with his performing the act of writing upon them.



THE DECALOG UE'S ORIGIN AD'SCOPE.   269
stands before us self-impeached, and so reject his entire testimony; or shall we, in consideration of his being not only
a very ancient witness, but the only witness there is or ever
can be in the case, so far relax toward him the judicial rule
as to receive his voluminous evidence, and, in so far as his
statements shall be found to be in flat contradiction the one
of another, adopt that statement as most likely to be consonant to fact, which was by him first made;-that statement
which was made with both clearness and precision directly
upon the heels of the transaction;-that statement which
seems the least well-calculated to forward his own personal
aims and interest, in a word, that statement which, upon the
whole looks most reasonable?  Although we cannot intellectually see any good reason why his evidence should not
be subjected to the same rigid rules that should the evidence of a man of to-day, still, when we reflect that he is a
very ancient witness; also that upon his lone testimony,
whether trustworthy or whether untrustworthy, must forever
rest the decision of this great question; also that, in spite of
all that intellect can say or do, there doth ever legitimately
exist in the heads of men a much stronger feeling of veneration for persons and things that are ancient, than for those
which are modern, we are forced to concede the policy, if
not the propriety, toward both him and his testimony, of
relaxing the rule.
Acting, then, in accordance with such concession, we will
now proceed to inquire, Situated as this most ancient witness was, at the head of that ignorant, superstitious, idolatrous, and rebellious people, and over whom he was anxiously
endeavoring to exercise supreme governmental control,
wrhich, in all human probability, would be most likely to
further his own. personal aims, promote his own private
interest, and crown with success his towering ambition, to
have them believe that the Creator and Governor of the
world was upon such terms of intimacy with their chief
leader and ruler, as that he graciously condescended to
gather his immense Self together upon the top of the mount,
to the end that he might, with his own august finger, trace




270                 DEPARTURE.
upon slabs of stone, for their special guidance and instruction, those said commandments which they were thus peremptorily required to remember and ol)ey, and which commandments were so very adverse to their strong, blind
feelings and boisterous practices; or to have them understand that they were siniply positive requirements of their
kindred fellow-mortal, the man Moses? —We may be wrong,
of course, but then, judging from human nature as exhibited
all around us; also from the way the people went a whoring
after false gods, and worshiping idols during Moses' first:
forty-days absence from  them, in spite of all that his subleaders and under-rulers could do to restrain them, we must
think the former. And which, upon the whole, looks most
reasonable, that it now took that same God, who, long years
before, in six days created the heaven and the Earth, and all
things therein and upon, forty days and forty nights to write
upon said tables the few brief lines in the Decalogue contained; or that Moses so contrived and managed the thing,
as that, in said space of time, he finally succeeded in scratching and.graving them thereupon himself? —Why,' since it
was clearly within his power, in that length of time, to have
done such a thing, (he having had, according to his own
showing as will be remembered, some little practice in working upon stone,) since the inducements to do the thing were
both numerous and strong, and since we can never presume
in favor of a'miracle to account for a phenomenon which
the natural alone is quite sufficient to explain; so we have
no option, but are compelled to decide that the latter does.
We say, since it was clearly within his power, in that length
of time, to have done such a thing, because, by counting the
words contained in the Decalogue, as by him originally
given in the 20th chapter of Exodus, it will be found to
contain but three hundred and seventeen words, Italics
included; and because any mere novice in the art of engraving upon stone would now be able to chisel the same
thing legibly, thereupon, in less than forty hours.  And we
say, by counting the words contained in the Decalogue, as
by him originally given in the 20th chapter of Exodus,




THE DECALOG UE'S ORIGIN AND tSCOPE.   2'71
because, as by him chronicled, long years thereafter, in 5th
Deuteromony, said document will be found to have become
expanded into three hundred and sixty-nine words, including Italics;-a phenomenon which, in so far as we now see,
can never be accounted for, except in one or the other of
the following ways: Either these words of the Lord, thus
laboriously traced upon stone, possessed the faculty of selfmultiplication; else Moses, pursuant to a law of human
nature which is quite widely manifested, after this most
ignorant and credulous people had become firmly established
in the belief that whatsoever he said or did was sanctioned
by the Lord, took upon himself the responsibility of making
such additions and amendments thereto, as he adjudged
expedient.
And now, since we have gotten to inquiring into the reasonableness of circumstances and things which are only
inciden'tally connected: with the subject, and hence only
incidentally important, as well as into such as are fundamentally so, permit us to go a little further and ask, Why,
in all human probability, did the cool, calculating Moses
thus unceremoniously, and without consulting the views of
the great Giver, break those first tables of stone which had
cost him so much valuable time in waiting for them, and the
Lord so much labor in preparing and writing upon them?Well, as seems to us, it was because he wisely concluded,
from the way the people were conducting themselves when
he came within eye-shot of the camp with the broad tables
in his hand, that they were not in a sufficiently calm, confiding, and submissive mood to welcome, with reverential awe,
those tables with their stringent contents; and hence not in
a mood that rendered it prudent to venture a trial of that
grand experiment upon. their credulity, upon the success of
which so very much depended. And, as broken tables of
stone, the same as dead men, tell no tales, so right here, at
the foot of the mount, they were forthwith destroyed; and
the experiment postponed until a more propitious time
should arrive. And why did Moses, directly upon the heels
of this transaction, cause some three thousand men of this




272                 DEPARTURE.
God's specially chosen people to be put to death?-See last
paragraph but one of 32d Exodus.-Well, judging from the
way politicians and office seekers, high and low, in this our
day, do manage to work themselves into places of power
and perpetuate themselves therein, we must think he caused
it to be done because he adjudged, from what he then and
there saw and heard, that the only way in which that people
could ever be induced peaceably to submit to his high pretensions, and reverently to receive at his hands, as the act of
God, such a set of laws as he was desirous of giving them,
was by reZttively increasing the number of the sons of Levi,
who were ascertained to be with him to a man, by actually
dimnizisling the number of such, of the malcontents, as he
knew were most actively opposed to him. We say, judging
by the way the politicians and office seekers, high and low, in
this our day, do manage to work themselves into places of
power and perpetuate themselves therein, because, in point
of principle Moses then anil there did just what these men
now and here do; only so widely different were the human
elements with which he had to deal from those which they
have to manage, that, necessarily, the character of the
degree had to be correspondingly different. In other words,
the same mild persuasives by which an intelligent populace
may be influenced and led would fail to penetrate the intellects or reach the feelings of a people, sunk in the depths of
ignorance and barbarism. Such a people, no matter in what
age existing or in what counfry found, can only be brought
to see, but by first being brought to feel; and, according to
his own account of the bloody transaction, make them feel
he did.
Again, when the Lord commanded Moses, in the 27th
verse of the 34th chapter of Exodus, to write upon the
second tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments, Why did he not remind the Lord that only just now
he had promised him, (as he could prove by just going back
a few verses to the beginning of the chapter where it was
duly recorded,) that He would write them for him, thereupon, Himself?-Well, as really seems to us, he was not




THE DECALOG U'E'S ORIGIN AND SCOPE.   273
deterred therefrom by his extreme modesty, but by the dimness of his recollection of the Lord's ever having promised
him any such thing.
And, finally, Why was there not a man allowed to be seen
throughout all the mount, during Moses' said second fortydays stay upon it? Also why were the flocks and herds
prohibited from feeding before it at that particular time and
no other?-Well, we must think it was not for fear that some
one drawn thither by idle curiosity, or coming there in search
of kine which were quietly feeding thereabouts, might chance
to discover an ini isible God, with his spirit finger, making
letter after letter, word after word, and sentence after sen-'nce leap into existence upon those slabs of stone; but to
guard against the possibility of the visible man Moses being
caught in the act of laboriously bending over them, with
graving tool in hand.
But, allowing all these queries and conclusions to pass
for naught, still it must be conceded by every intelligent
and candid man, that all the evidence there is in the world,
upon which to base the belief that the Lord ever performed
the celebrated miracle of writing the Decalogue with his
finger upon tables of stone, or anything else, is derived from
this single human witness, Moses; whose testimony upon
this very point is so contradictory that, by one of the plainest rules of evidence, he would be pronounced self-impeached, and his uncorroborated statements weightless, were
only a man of to-day, instead of being a man of some three
thousand years.ago. This, we repeat, must be conceded by
every intelligent and candid man; and yet, throughout all
Christendom, such is the blinding effect of that early religious education which has been so deeply impressed upon
the human brain, that we make no doubt there are scores of
well-meaning persons right here among us, who, if called
upon so to do, would unhesitatingly take the witness stand
and swear, that they know it to be a God-revealed fact.Nowhere is any portion of the Decalogue discovered traced
upon stone by the finger of God; and, yet upon every rock
and stratum under the whole heaven, is some portion of
19




274                 DEPARTURE.
the world's vast history found written by the hand of Time
One thing more:-Whether right or whether wrong in the
opinion that the ten commandments had their origin in the
head of the man Moses who penned their lines for the
special guidance, not of subsequent generations of enlightened men, but of that ignorant, superstitious, and stiffnecked people, whom he was endeavoring to lead and to
rule, and in whose ears he caused them so oft to be sounded,
we cannot be mistaken when we say that they were, each
and all, designed to operate as a restraint or otherwise upon
their strong blind feelings, selfish propensities, and moral
sentiments, and not one of them to act as a check upon inquiry, or a restraint upon sober intellect.-The first two
commandments read thus: " I am the Lord thy God,
which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of
the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image,
or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that
is in the Earth beneath, or that is in the water under the
earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve
them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third
and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing
mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my
commandments."-Manifestly enough, these were both addresse-d to Veneration, and designed to act as a check upon
that large and over-active organ, in the heads of the adult
portion of the Israelitish people, and thus prevent them
from bowing themselves down before all sorts of images,
and worshiping, as gods, idols without number.
Commandment third: —" Thou shalt not take the name of
the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him
guiltless that taketh his name in vain."-This was evidently
designed to operate as a check upon Combativeness, as that
organ, when large and especially when diseased, is prone to
create profanity of feeling, and hence to give itself vent in
profanity of both speech and action.
Commandment fourth: —" Remember the Sabbath-day to




TIHE DECALOG UE'S ORIGIN AND SCOPE.   275
keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy
work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy
God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son,
nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant,
nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for
in six days the Lord made heaven and Earth, the sea and all
that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the
Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it."-This, the
longest of all, was addressed to both Veneration and acquisitiveness, and designed, as well to foster habits of cleanliness, by setting apart every seventh day as a day of rest, as
to prevent the heads of families, masters, etc., from working
themselves, their children, servants, and cattle to death from
a mere thirst for gain.
Commandment fifth:-" Honor thy father and thy mother;'that thy days may be long upon the land which the
Lord thy God giveth thee."-This was an appeal to the organ of Veneration, as the same existed in the juvenile portion of the Israelitish people, and designed to operate as a
strengthening plaster thereto in the heads of the young,
(that organ ever being much weaker in children and youth,
than in adults,) and thus cause such juvenile portion to be
more deferential and obedient to their parents who, from
their greater knowledge and experience in the world, were
much better judges of what was for the good and safety of
this class ot persons, than were the children, the youths, and
the maidens themselves.
Commandment sixth:-" Thou shalt not kill. "-This was
addressed to the organ of Destructiveness, which was manifestly large in the heads of that people; and designed to operate as a check thereupon, whenever it should be inclined
to pursue its bent to kill and destroy beyond the bounds of
safety to the lives of others.
Commandment seventh:-" Thou shalt not commit adultery."-This was addressed to the organ of Amativeness,
and evidently designed to restrict sexual intercourse, among
that ignorant, idolatrous, and sensual people, within the
bounds of the proper marriage relation.




276                 DEPARTURE.
Commandment eighth:-" Thou shalt not steal." —This
was a further appeal to Acquisitiveness, and intended to
operate as an additional restraint upon that organ which,
when over-large and active, not only prompts men to work
themselves and those under them unreasonably, but to take
without leave what does not belong to them.
Commandment ninth:-" Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." —This was leveled directly at
the organ of Secretiveness, and designed to operate as a
check upon that cat-like individual who, when over-active
and strong, was doubtless then, the same as now, not only
quite prone to tattle and fib about his neighbors, but to
swear falsely against them, the better to enable him to carry
out some dark, nefarious plan.
Commandment tenth:-" Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor
his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his
ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's." —This the last was
yet another appeal to the organ of Acquisitiveness, and evidently designed to prevent the desires even, of that avaricious gentleman, from extending too far within the bounds of
his neighbor's rightful possessions; as well as being a pretty
sharp hint to Mr. Amativeness, that he must not look too
long and wishfully upon the fair face and form of his neighbor's better half.
Having thus run through the Decalogue from beginning
to end, and finding no such injunction; as, Pry not into
things which are dark and mysterious, whether ancient or
modern; Reason not, for it is carnal to do so; or Trust not
to the guidance of reason, for its teachings are false and deceptive; so again we repeat, whether the ten commandments
had their origin in the head of the great lawgiver Moses,
who penned their lines, or whether they did not, it is certain
they do not contain a word which can be tortured into conveying the idea that it is not eminently proper for all, young
and old, male and female, bond and free, to use their eyes;
and not one that it is not eminently proper for them to exercise their reasoning faculties to the fullest extent upon any




THE DECALOG UE'S ORIGIN AND SCOPE;   277
and all subjects.-No; not one. A single additional suggestion to such of-our readers as are firm believers not only
in the divinely inspired character of Moses and his writings,
but of the whole Bible, and we close.
Notwithstanding Moses' essays to go back to the creation
of the world and give us, in chronological order, the history
of Adam, of Eve, of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc., all the
way down through the long line of generations to the very
day of his death, he nowhere teaches the immortality of
individual man. Indeed, as we understand language, the
Bible ddes not furnish the first particle of evidence that any
such idea as a continued personal existence beyond the
grave, in spiritual form or any other, had ever entered into
the heads of either gods or men, until we are pretty well advanced in the pages of the last half of the Old Testament;
and, for many pages more, the contrary doctrine is quite as
distinctly shadowed forth as is this. Of all the numerous
personal rewards that were promised by Moses for obedience, not one was promised to extend beyond the bounds of
the grave; and not one of all the many personal punishments
by him threatened for disobedience was threatened to extend
a moment beyond the death and destruction of the bodily
man. Whoever doubts this, let him carefully peruse the five
foundation books of the Bible ascribed to Moses, and judge
for himself.
Corollary: —Either Muses was not, in any special manner,
inspired by God as to what he should say when, as a stimulant to virtue, he was penning his long list of promised rewards for acts of obedience, or when, as a check upon vice,
his dread catalogue of threatened punishments for acts of
disobedience; otherwise God, at that time, must have been
totally ignorant of the fact that men, unlike other animals,
do not actually die when to all appearance they seem to, but,
instead, continue to live, in spirit form, personally on past
their bodily death to all eternity.
Again; as from the language of the Bible, as well as from
that of natural revelation, the inference is irresistible that, at
the day and age when Moses wrote, God was not aware that




278                  DEPARTURE.
men could be much more suitably rewarded for acts of obedience, as well as much more effectually punished for acts of
disobedience, after they were physically dead and gone, than
whilst they were yet bodily alive and here; so it is not surprising that he did not instruct that great law-giver to resort
to the practice of appealing to their strong, blind fear of an
endlessly-long and dreadful future hell for the punishment of
sin, as a more effectual means of restraining their angry passions, and otherwise hawing them into civil, social, and religious order. No; in this respect, the olden teachings of
both God and Moses are quite behind the times.




CHAPTER XXIV.
RELIGION PROFESSED AND RELIGION ACTUAL.
The cultivation of one brenal or organ or set of organs no
more tends to give tone and direction to the action of another organ or set, than does the training of the muscles of the
fingers by writing have a tendency to give tone and direction
to the action of the toes in walking. There are doubtless many
persons who intellectually know much better than they practice,-many who, in spite of themselves, do often perform
acts and commit excesses which they are intellectually certain
they had better not; and this because their brenal education
when children instead of being general and harmonious was
partial and inharmonious,-because whilst intellect and
verbal memory in them were being carefully cultivated,
their strong, blind organs of feeling, passion, and emotion,
as things of little consequence, were neglected; thus
increasing the tendency of the organs of intellect and of feeling to alternate in action, instead of habilitating them to
work harmoniously together, under the guidance of the
former.
As it is not the intellectual organs, but the selfish ones,
the large strong organs of feeling, passion, and emotion
which incline their possessors to selfishness, to selfish indulgence, and into other low practices to fall, so it is these, and
not those, which in the majority of children and youth do
most need to be looked after, educated, and disciplined. In
other words, it cannot be doubted that the discipline, which
this large class of blind organs do early receive in the nursery and the school-room, does more towards forming the
characters of the mass of children, and hence toward shaping the destinies of the men and women into which they
afterwards do grow, than does all the intellectual advance



280                 DEPARTURE.
ment they in either place receive. And herein it is, as we
see it, that resides the chief merit which the Christian system of religion possesses over both the Jewish and Mohammedan, when taught and admitted in anything like its original purity. We say, herein it is that resides the chief merit
which the Christian system of religion possesses over both the
Jewish and Mohammedan, not because we think the teachings of Christ are more especially directed to the strong, blind
organs of feeling and desire than are those of Moses and
Mohammed, but because, unlike theirs, his do not pander
to those organs in the human head; consequently do not
tend to render them just so much the more strong and
active, and hence their possessors just so much the more
certain into low and sensual indulgencies to fall. Or thus:
As the teachings of Christ, unlike those of Moses and
Mohammed, were designed to operate as a restraint upon
the pet passions and desires of men, and as they are kindly
and persuasively put forth, therefore they do strongly tend
so to modify and restrain the latitudinous cravings of the
lower grade of brenal organs, as to bring them into subjection to the higher and more truly friendly and unselfish ones.
For this reason it is, as we see it, that wherever the Christian
system has bome to be dominant, there are the rich and the
poor, the strong and the weak, the male and the female
found to be standing more nearly upon the same plane of
civil, social, and religious equality than anywhere else.
But to return:-As it has already been stated, and the
cause thereof very briefly explained, that there are many
who know much better than they practice, so now we will
say there are many who practice much better than they know;
that is, much better than they intellectually know any good
reason for doing as they do. And this comes to take place
and be simply because their natural feelings and desires, unlike those of the former individuals, are much more evenly
balanced, delicate, and truthful, than are their intellects cultivated and strong.
And now, co prevent, if possible, any misunderstanding in
reference to our position touching to the Bible, we will here




RELIGION PROFESSED AND ACTUAL.               281
take occasion to say that we no more expect the numerous
real truths of a practical character, which adorn the pages
of that olden volume, will ever become outgrown and left
behind, than we do that the numerous real truths of a practical character, which adorn the pages of the text-bookson
natural philosophy, astronomy, etc., will;-not any more.
But, then, it is our opinion that the pages of the different
scientific text-books of to-day are.adorned with many more
such truths, and blackened with much less of actual and
misleading error, than are the pages of that ancient textbook of theology, called the Bible. In other words, for the
reason that man has heretofore been a progressive being, for
that reason has the Bible, that ancient text-book of theology,
both Jewish and Christian, become mostly outgrown and left
behind by the more thinking and intelligent religionists of
both classes; nor have we any idea that the end of progression in theological science, or any other, has yet come.
And here, perhaps, it may be well to state distinctly what,
in a general way, has already been said a number of
times before; namely, that, with Christ's gener-al re/zigious
teac/inzgs, we have but little fault to finct; our principle objection to them being that they are too limited in amount
and circumscribed in their breadth of sweep, to reach and
cover all the different needs of very much more enlightened,
hence greatly advanced and constantly'advancing man.
Wherefore, instead of wishing to cripple or destroy any of
the really truthful and practical fruit-bearing doctrines that
were taught by Christ, we are desirous of having added
thereto, and of currently adding, all and singular the teachings of genuine science of every name and kind; to the end
that both the theory and the practice of religion, no matter
by what name called, may come to be so broad and deep as
to take in all real truth, whenever and wheresoever found, and
so pure and undefiled as to cover with its mantle of charity
not only the zewidows and th/e fatherless, but every son and
daughter of Adam that is in trouble or affliction, no matter
what the form nor what the cause thereof. We say, with the.
general religiots teachings of Christ, we have but little fault




282                  DEPARTURE.
to find, because we can never consider the views or crotchets by him entertained and put forth in reference to his
being in both a literal and a special sense the Son of God,
etc., as forming any part of his general religious teachings;
and also because there are a few of his teachings which, although of a general and religious character, are not only
wholly impracticable, but erroneous.  Thus, for example,
Mark reports him as saying and doing thus: "And on the
morrow, when they [Christ and his disciples] were come
from Bethany, he [Christ] was hungry. And seeing a figtree afar off, having leaves, he came, if haply he might find
anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves: for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus
answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever.  And his disciples heard it."-Mark, II. 1214. In reference to this same subject-matter, Matthew reports him as saying and teaching as follows: "And when
the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the
fig-tree withered away!  Jesus answered and said unto
them, Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not,
ve shall not only do this which is done to the fig-tree, but
also, if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed,
and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done."-Mat.,
21. 20-21.
Now, plainly enough, it would not do for us to imitate
this his strangely absurd teaching, and so destroy our fruit
trees of any and all kinds, simply because we chanced to be
hungry for fruit, and because upon our orchards we found
nothing but leaves; and' that at a time when, by natural
ordinance, they were prohibited from having any fruit upon
them. And equally plain must it be to every candid and
reflecting man, that it is not within the bounds of the possible to remove a mountain either large or small, simply by
saying unto it, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the
sea," or into any other place we might chance to prefer;
and consequently that such teaching, notwithstanding put
forth in a most plain and positive manner, is both erroneous
and impracticable to the very last degree.




RELIGION PROFESSED AND ACTUAL.             283
Moreover, Matthew reports Christ as saying and teaching
thus: " Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord how oft
shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till
seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee,
until seven times: but, until seventy times seven."-Mat.,
18. 21-22.  Now, this teaching, however -beautiful it may
sound in theory, can never be lived out in practice; and for
the plain reason that it is expressly forbidden by general
human nature, as the same is organically enstamped upon
man by the God that made him. Hence, talk it as we may,
no man can endlessly forgive and keep on forgiving offenses
committed and repeated against him by father, mother, sister, brother, or anybody else: nor would it be a virtue in
him to do so, even if he could. There is not only a time to
forgive offenses committed against us, but a time to cease forgiving them, and also a time to resent their repetition and
punish therefor.
Again, in his celebrated sermon on the mount, Matthew
reports Christ as exhorting and teaching as follows: " Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they
reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of
you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies
of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they
spin; and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his
glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God
so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe
you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we be clothed? "-Mat., 6. 26-3 r. Now it
cannot but be obvious to every candid and reflecting reader
of the above, that, was either the letter or the spirit of this
teaching to be universally adopted and lived out in practice,
it would inevitably bring poverty, starvation, and nakedness
upon the whole human family, and that in comparatively a
short period of time. Neither the luxuries nor the comforts




284                -DEPARTURE.
nor the barest necessaries of life can ever long and permanently be enjoyed by man, without miuch taking- though/t, and
also much labor and care; wherefore all such teachings as
are thereunto adverse, no matter by whom put forth nor
when, are both unwise and impracticable.  But again;
Mark reports Christ as commanding and teaching thus:
"Afterward he appeared unto the eleven, as they sat at
meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief, and hardness
of heart, because they believed not them which had seen
him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into
all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He
that believeth and is baptised, shall be saved; but he that
believeth not, shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up
serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not
hurt them; they shall lay hands upon the sick, and they
shall recover."-Mark, i6. 14-18. Now this teaching, notwithstanding put forth in as clear and emphatic language as
any doctrine he ever taught, is, nevertheless, wholly erroneous in both its letter and its spirit. No amount of mere
belief or mere baptism or both can ever save men from the
commission of sin, and never from its painful consequences.
Neither are serpents and deadly drinks thus easily rendered
innoxious, nor the sick in this manner to be cured, teach
differently who may.
And yet again; John reports Christ as saying and teaching as follows: " Then the same day at evening, being the
first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the
disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus
and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto
you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his
hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when
they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus unto them  again,
Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even, so
send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on
them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and




RELIGION PROFESSED AND ACTUAL.               285
whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained."-John, 20. 19
-23.  Now this idea, thus plainly taught by Christ, that
his immediate disciples, and hence their successors to the
ministry, have the power to remit or pardon sins, is not only
directly at variance with fact, but fearfully misleading and
dangerous in its consequences; so very much so that more
than one-half the Christian world do still continue to believe
this same sadly erroneous teaching, and their priests to be
essaying to practice in accordance therewith; that is, essaying to pardon sins and granting indulgencies for their commission.  But, of this, enough; since it is not our aim to
mar the beautiful simplicity or detract from the transcendent merits of Christ's general religious teachings, when taken
as a whole; but simply to show that he, just like all other
great and good men, both ancient and modern, had his
weaknesses and faults; hence, just like such, was liable to
err both in judgment and practice; and consequently that
it is both foolish and wrong, and not wise and religious, to
attempt to defend or to follow such of his teachings as are
either manifestly erroneous or wholly impracticable.  In a
word, as we see it, the true course to pursue, as well in matters of religion as in politics or anything else, is this:  No
matter by whom taught, nor when, whatever is both truthful and practical adopt, and whatever is either erroneous or
impractical reject.
And here it may not be improper to say that, as a guide
to human actions, the Golden rule, so-called, and thus called
as well on account of its transparent simplicity and great
worth, as because forever present with us, if we will but ask
ourselves what it is that, under like circumstances, we would
have others do to us, is none the less wise or eminently practical, because pronounced and taught by the heathen philosopher Confucius, more than five hundred years before Christ
was born. Said rule, as thus early laid down by Confucius,
reads as follows: " Do unto another whatyou would he should
do unto you; and do not unto another what you would not
should be done unto you.  Thouz needest only this law a~lne;
it is the fbundation and principle of all the rest."-As taught




286                 -DEPARTURE.
by Christ it runs thus:  "All things whatsoever ye would that
men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law
and the prophets.  Thus parallel do the brains of men of like
taste and character occasionally come to vibrate, not only
at different periods of time, but in lands far remote.
Another suggestion: In this short sentence pronounced
by Christ, we have his warrant for affirming that, in substance and effect, both the law and the prophets were proclaimed and taught by that Chinese heathen, long centuries.
before the Christian system, which is based thereupon, had
its beginning.
And yet another: That Christ was largely indebted for
the sweetness of his temper, the kindness of his feelings,.
and the character of his aspirations to the singularly joyous
state of his mother's views, feelings, and aspirations, during
the period of gestation, cannot be doubted.  As to what
were her views, and what the character of her feelings and
aspirations, during that interesting period, Luke bears brief
testimony as follows: " And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word.
And the angel departed from her. And Mary arose in those
days, and went into the hill-country with haste, into a city
of Juda, and entered into the house of Zacharias, and
saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her
womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. And
she spake out with a loud voice and said, Blessed art thou
among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And
whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should
come to me? For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation
sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
And blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the
Lord.  And Mary said, Mfy soul doth magnify the Lord, and
my spirit hath i ejoiced in God my Savior. For he hath regarded the -low estate of his handmaiden: for behold, from
henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is
mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name."



RELIGION PROFESSED AND ACTUAL.           287
Luke, I. 38-49. Wherefore, we repeat, it cannot be doubted
that much of excellence was enstamped upon Christ by his
young and joyous mother, whether he inherited any virtues
from his putative Father or not.
And still another: The fact of its being impressed upon
Christ in infancy, in childhood, and all along, that he was
begotten by the Holy Ghost, and so was the Son of God,
undoubtedly had much to do with making him the kind and
character of man he was.  In other words, his constantly
laboring under the impression that he was begotten and
born to greatness and goodness, and hence that great and
good things were expected of him, had a strong natural
tendency to create, and keep alive within him, both ardent
desire and firm determination so to speak and to act as not
to disappoint those high expectations.-High expectations
and praises discreetly bestowed are much better calculated
to elevate the character of children and promote them in
the ways of virtue, than are low expectations and censure
unsparingly applied.
Religious science, the same as the science of medicine or
astronomy, should, as far forth as possible, be based upon
the hard pan of facts, be they what they may, and discovered
how and when they will; and not upon the quicksands of
assumed miracles, or theoretic conjectures either ancient or
modern. Yea, and here we cannot refrain from. remarking
that, so long as shall the avowed friends of the Christian system
of religion presist. in basing it, not only upon assumed
miracles, but upon miracles unto which, were they genuine,
not the slightest practical importance attaches, instead of
upon its real merits,-instead of upon its actual workings
in the broad fields of practice; in other words, in
endeavoring to make its value to consist, not in the living
out of the great human virtues which were taught by Christ
and exemplified in his life, but in a mere, blind belief in his
superhuman origin, divine nature, etc., just so long will they
be obliged, not only to keep industriously hedging against
the developments that are constantly being made by science,
but to make further, and still further, concessions thereto;




288                  DEPARTURE.
until, finally, of such assumed foundation, there shall be
nothing left. In order to be a Calvinist, in the very broadest sense of that term, it is not necessary for a man to believe, for an assumed illustrative example, that Mr. Calvin's
father was a wizard and his mother a witch, just because he
chanced to have the misfortune so to think and publicly to
state at divers times and places, but only that his religious
belief and practice should correspond with the distinctive
theological doctrines taught by that eminent divine.
The mere name," Christian," which was derived from the
name of the individual called Christ, and which, according
to Acts, I. 26., was, for the first time, applied to his disciples at Antioch, some twenty years after his death, may not
unlikely, in the long lapse of ages, die out and become forgotten; but the great human virtues by him so impressively
taught as being essential to happiness, and which he so beautifully exemplified in his own daily practice, such as kindness, charity, brotherly love, etc., will continue to live' and
bless mankind so long as civilized man shall tenant the
Earth.-It is not the name by which principles or a system
of principles may chance to be called that renders them valuable, but the quality of the fruit which they are found to
bear.
The heathen'philosopher Confucius, who taught and
exemplified in his life substantially the same great human
virtues that were taught by Christ, some five hundred years
later, was just as much a Christian practically, as was Paul
or'Peter. Or thus: Had the same religious principles and
practices which were taught by Confucius, and five centuries
thereafter by Christ, chanced to have been called Confucianism, after the name of that philosopher and leader, or
Naturism, because of their general concurrence with Nature
and her laws, instead of Christianity, after the name of
Christ, they would not have been one jot less intrinsically
valuable, and hence any less worthy of the world's approbation and esteem, than are they now. No; gold will be gold,
and brass, brass, be they presented'by whom they may and
called by whatsoever name they will.




RELIGION PROFESSED AND A CTUAL.           289
Among the different heathen nations of the world, there
are doubtless many men who, notwithstanding they never
heard the name of Christ, are quite as good Christians,
in actual practice, as any of us.-In order to reap the full
benefits of Mr. Graham's dietetic system, for example, and
hence be, in all essential respects, a Grahamite, it is not
necessary that a man should profess to be one, or even that
he should be aware that any such man as Mr. Graham ever
had birth; but only that, in the single matter of eating, his
practice should coincide with the dietetic teachings of said
Mr. Graham.
That there are many, very many. good Christians or practically religious men, among all the-different religious sects,
we are happy to believe; and yet we must be permitted to
think that there are far more of such among what are
called the world's people, than among the members of all
the different sectarian churches put together.-Profession,
however long and loud, is nothing; practice, however modest and unpretending, everything.
Nor can we resist the conclusion that the different agricultural classes from the nature of their employment, consequent habits, and modes of thought, are brought and kept in
closer relation with God, his promises, commandments, and
laws, than is any other large class of persons by their occupation, consequent habits, and modes of thinking; and hence
that the average farmer and mere man of the world, socalled, whilst busily engaged in turning the soil, scattering
the seed, tending his flocks, etc., doth more truly serve
not only himself and his fellow-men, but his great Maker,
than does the average man of any other class, notwithstanding a regular member of St. Paul's Church, for example,
whose steeple he is sure is half a foot higher than any other
in the town or county. Indeed, so close is the connection
between the intelligent tiller of the soil, whether a professor
of religion or not, and the God whom he is constantly invoking by the use of the plow and the harrow, the spade and
the cultivator, the shovel and the hoe, etc., etc., to bless his
labors, and supply him with bread to eat, to sell, to feed the
20




290                 DEPARTURE.
wayfaring stranger, and give unto the neighboring poor, that
there seems to be very little room fo-' any mediator or other
middle man to crowd himself in between them. Of course,
with the ignorant and blindly superstitious husbandman, the
case is somewhat different; and hence, upon such, the tax
that is constantly being levied upon ignorance and credulity
quite heavily falls.
Again, as it is a knowledge of God's facts which constitutes wisdom, and not blind faith in such things as may or
may not have any real existence that does it, so it must be
just as much our religious duty to search after knowledge
by reading, by observation, by the use of our reasoning powers, and experiments carefully made, as it is to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, or be kind, charitable, and forgiving
one toward another.-In his own proper day, that Dr. Franklin was a master electrician cannot be doubted; but then it
is not to be supposed that he understood, and hence taught
either directly or by fair implication, all of that sublime
science which it is possible for subsequent generations of
men, with their greatly superior advantages, ever to come to
know. Just so Christ: although a most eminent religious
teacher, in the day and age in which he lived, and that too
by example as well as precept, still he could not have understood, and hence could not have taught, however desirous he
might have been to do so, everything upon the great and
important subject of religion, which is necessary to guide the
steps and satisfy the yearnings of after generations of men;
-of after generations of men who, by the aid of his said
teachings, and their own observation and experience added
thereto, have become greatly advanced in knowledge, civilization and refinement. As we have finally come to see it,
whether right or whether wrong, just as certainly as is man
a progressive and not a stand-still being, just so certainly
must the system of religion by Christ introduced, and hence
called the Christian system, be correspondingly progressive
both in its theoretical teachings and practical workings,
otherwise it must of necessity fail to meet and satisfy progressive man's much more numerous and farther advanced




RELIGION PROFESSED ANID ACTUAL.            291
religious needs. Or thus: Self-evidently, as seems to us,
no matter what may be the living science or system, by
whom founded nor when, it can never remain stationary for
many decades of centuries, so long as shall man continue to
be a progressive animal.
Or, to state the matter a little differently still, to the leading of a religious life, it is not necessary that a man should
believe, in substance and effect,'that the God who created
the world, and all things therein and upon, was so stern,
self-willed, and unforgiving in his nature, that he would not
consent to pardon or pass by unnoticed the offenses committed by us his children, against himself, his dignity, and
laws;-is not necessary to believe that he, God, was so
exceedingly good and perfect, that he could not and would
not consent to look upon the sins committed by the frail
human beings whom he, unasked, had made, with the least
bit of allowance. Neither is it necessary to believe, in substance and effect, that the only Son he ever begat, in consequence of his being begotten in accordance with carnal
usage, carried by a real flesh-and-blood woman the ordinary
length of time, and then by her born into the world, was so
little like his stern old Father, and so very like unto his
amiable, young mother, that his heart did literally overflow
with the milk, not of God-kindness, but of human kindness
and other kindred virtues resident in the breast of man.
And consequently that this his said Son was not only willing
to forgive us our transgressions, but so exceedingly anxious
that we should be forgiven them that, to enable his stern
Father to do so without seemingly relenting or one jot to
relax the rigor of his laws, he consented to take them all
upon his own shoulders and suffer death therefor. Nor is it
necessary to believe that after being thus put to death for
our transgressions, and lying in the grave some three days
and nights, he arose bodily therefrom as fully alive and well
as ever. Nor yet is it necessary to believe that, because he
is said thus to have arisen, therefore shall we, one and all,
at some future day, in like manner and form arise. No;
these are all mere speculative questions, and not things




292                 DEPARTURE.
which, whether so or whether not so, can ever by anybody
be reduced into practice; consequently they do not constitute any part of a practical religious life and character; and
hence do not form any part of that religion which, entering
into men's daily lives, goes down into all their dealings and
doings both public and private,-the only kind that is really
worth having
Real, practical religion, no matter by what name called, is
not a mere Sunday garment to be worn at church, and then
laid aside for the rest of the week, but a thing which marks
men's deportment toward their kindred fellow-mortals of
every age, class, and grade;-a thing which enters into the
character of their goods, wares, and merchandize; —a thing
which characterizes their treatment of all such. inferior
animals as, from either pleasure or profit, they keep about
them. In a word, it is being good and kind and charitable
and forgiving ourselves, and not simply believing that Christ
was good and kind and charitable and forgiving, that makes
us Christ-like, makes us practically religious, makes us
happy.




CHAPTER XXV.
THE LABORER S BREAST, VIRTUE'S SEAT.*
" Those who labor upon the earth," says the sage of Monticello, " are the chosen people of God, if he ever had a
chosen people, whose breasts he has made the peculiar
~depository for substantial and genuine virtue.  It is the
focus in which he keeps alive that sacred fire which otherwise might escape from the face of the Earth. Corruption
of morals in the mass of cultivators is a phenomenon of
which no age or nation has' furnished an example."
From this brief expose of human nature and its workings,
we are led to infer that those who laber not upon the soil,
or at anything else, but feed and fatten upon the toil of
others, are the children of the Devil, if he ever had any
children; it being in their heads that those unhallowed fires
do have their origin, which consume the vitals of virtue,
work corruption in the foundations of society, and cover the
earth with pollution and wretchedness.  Not only this, but,
from the same brief text, we are led to conclude that not in
the heads of the toiling millions of either section of the
Union, but in the fertile brains of the planting aristocracy
of the South, and the manufacturing aristocracy of the
North,-aided respectively by their pampered political adjuncts and theological satellites,-were hatched into existence and fostered into growth those strangely antagonistic
ideas and bitter sectional feelings which have ripened into
that double attempt at revolution, that is now covering our
fair land with the blood of her children, slain by each others'
hand. We say, those strangely antagonistic ideas and bitter
sectional feelings which have ripened into that double
*NOTE.-This written for a Lyceum Paper during the dark days of the Republic,
in the fall of i863.




294                  DEPARTURE.
attempt at revolution, etc., because it is no more clear to us
that it was and is the design of the one aristocracy to create,
out of certain territory covered by the national flag, a new
confederacy of States, having negro-slavery for its chief
corner-stone, than that it was and is the intention of the
other to revolutionize such slavery, in its present legalized
form, entirely out of the Union, without suffering an inch of
territory to be withdrawn therefrom.
Be all this, however, as it may, it is certain that a revolution is upon us.-And yet, in the midst of all this gloom and
darkness, we have an abiding faith that all things, everywhere and ever, do work together just as, from the force of
currently existing circumstances, they needs must work;
and hence that they do, at all times and everywhere, upon
the whole, work together for good, and not for evil. Wherefore, let the end of this bloody, fratricidal strife, come when
it will, the future status of the negro among us be decided
as it may, and the map of America remain uuchanged or
not, we cannot doubt but that all this destruction of life, all
this waste of treasure, and these dreadful human sufferings,
are just so many needful agencies of enlightenment to us,
the American people, to open up the way to that higher
grade of civilization and consequent enjoyment which, pursuant to the law of human progression, awaits us in the
future. In other words, as we see it, such is human nature,
the world over, and such the character of certain obstructions that do occasionally come to block the wheels of progression, individual, state, and national, that they can never
be removed, except by the stern argument of brute force
unsparingly applied. But for the fierce storms of one kind
and another which have ever, occasionally, been taking
place in Earth's atmospheric envelop, it would not have
been that same pure and healthful thing which it now is;
and but for the fierce storms of war which have ever, occasionally, been taking place among the habitants of Earth,
men would not have been occupying that same high plane
of intelligence, civilization, and social equality which they
now are.




THE LABORER'S BREAST, VIRTUE'S SEAT.  295
Corollary:-Reason as we may, when the weather is fair
and no breakers in sight, the case now before us belongs to
a class which can never be settled in accordance with the
workings of natural law, and hence never in accordance with
what is, upon the whole, for the best good not only of the
contending parties themselves, but of the world of mankind,
without ignoring for the time the gentle teachings of Christ,
and falling back upon the stern example of the old Mosaic
God.




CHAPTER XXVI.
FIXED-LAW REIGNS.
Admitting that man cannot so much as draw a breath,,
think a thought, or move a muscle, except he does it by aid
operation of natural law, consequently that, from sole to
crown, he is of Nature a legitimate part, it would then seem
to follow that the different kinds and grades of results by
him produced into being are, each and all, natural productions; and hence that, in a philosophical point of view, between the works of Nature and the so-called works of art,
there is not any real difference. Or, to present the idea a.
little more at length, because it is a fact that but for the.
pre-creation upon this Earth, by natural process or somehow else, of that complex bundle of elements called man,.
there could never have been produced into being upon its
face, any of the different kinds or grades of things which are
of human origin, or a single one of all that infinite number
and variety to whose production the labor of man, to a certain extent, is a thing essential, it no more follows that said
productions are not from beginning to end the productions.
of Nature, or the legitimate results of the existence and op —
eration of natural causes, than it does that the present vegetable and animal kingdoms are not; since it is certain that
the compound element called water is an essential ingredient
in the composition of every plant and animal under tle.
whole heaven, and since it is also a fact that but for the precreation upon this globe, by natural process or somehow else,.
of said compound element called water, there could neverhave been produced into being upon its surface, any of the
different kinds of vegetables or animals that are of aqueous
origin, or a single one of all that infinite number and variety
in whose composition water is both an essential requisite



FIXED-LA W REIGNS.                 297
and the principal ingredient. Water, the same as every
other element and thing, in a state of isolation, that is, in
the absence of anything to act upon it or by it be acted
upon, is powerless to produce results of any kind; and yet,
existing not by itself, but in intimate connection with almost
every other terrestrial element and thing,- it legitimately becomes an agent of great power, and hence stands prime
cause to the production of numberless different kinds of
phenomena or results; and the same of all the different
created agents, inanimate and animated, man included.
Again, admitting that, by the lone action of the natural
agent water upon other substances, numberless different
kinds of results are produced into being; admitting that,.by
the lone action of the natural agent atmospheric air upon
other substances, numberless other different kinds of results are produced into being, each and all of which are
essentially different from anything which ever was or ever
can be brought into existence by the action of water or any
other lone agent; admitting that, by the. joint, action of any
two natural agents or creative causes, say atmospheric air
and water, for example, there are yet other innumerable
multitudes of different kinds of results pushed into existence,
each and all of which are, in like manner, essentially different from anything which ever was or ever can be brought
into being by the lone action of either element or cause, or
by the joint'action of any other two; also admitting the
same. thing to be true not only of atmospheric air and water,
but of the joint action of every possible number of creative
causes above the binary; also admitting that all these countless myriads of different created products, whether the result of the lone action of some one creative cause or of -the
joint action of ever so great a number, are, each and all,
the production of Nature; and also that the complex bundle
of elements called man, in obedience to the organic nature
which is indelibly enstamped upon him, doth also join in
and work along with those other innumerable creative
causes, whereby are pushed into being yet still other innumerable kinds and character of things, each and all of which




298                  DEPARTURE.
are, in like manner, essentially different from anything
which could ever have been brought to take place and be,
but for the influence legitimately exerted by the presence
and action of man's inherent power; it would then seem to
follow that the things, one and all, to which that child of
Nature called man doth stand prime cause of their existence,
precisely the same as those to which the natural production
-called water doth so stand, are natural productions; and
hence that, in a philosophical point of view, between those
things which are usually spoken of as natural productions,
and the so-called works of art, there is not any real difference.
But again; inasmuch as water which is neither more nor
less than one of Nature's inanimate fractions, in obedience
to the law of its nature and the force of circumstances that
bear upon it, doth legitimately exert power, descend from
the clouds in torrents, and so washes or makes holes in the
ground, for example; inasmuch as the electric fluid which is
neither more' nor less than -another of Nature's inanimate
fractions, in obedience to the law of its nature and the
force of circumstances that bear upon it, doth legitimately
exert power, leap from the clouds, and so tears or makes
other holes'in the ground; inasmuch as the fox which
is neither more nor less than one of Nature's animated fractions, in obedience to the law of his nature and
the force of circumstances that bear upon him, doth legitimately exert power, and so digs or makes still other holes in
the ground; and as man who is neither more nor less than
another of Nature's animated fractions, in obedience to the
law of his nature and the force of circumstances that bear
upon him, doth legitimately exert power, and so digs or
makes yet still other holes in the ground; therefore is the
conclusion irresistible that the holes made by either one of.
said animated fractions, no matter which, nor what the form.or size of such holes, are, each and all, just as much the
work of Nature herself as are those which are made by
either one of said inanimate fractions; and hence that, notwithstanding the distinction which, by usage of language, is




FIXED-LA W REIGNS.                299
made to exist between those things in whose creation man is
known to act a part, and such as, in their creation, he no
sort of hand doth have, in a strictly philosophical point of
view, there is ro difference. That men, water, foxes, etc.,
do each make or produce into existence some things, and
also unmake or destroy some, cannot be denied; How then
can it be doubted that they are, each and all, composing
fractions of that Power which all created things doth make
and rule?
For the reason that the different acts which water, atmospheric air, and other inanimate agents perform, are natural
acts, and the results by such action produced into being
natural productions, for that same reason are the different
acts which the fox, beaver, and other animated brute agents
perform, natural acts, and the results by such action produced into being natural productions. And for the same
reason that the different acts and productions of either of
the above classes of agents are natural acts,-are the acts and
works of Nature, (because performed by one of her composing fractions,) for that very same are the different acts by
man performed natural acts, and the results produced into
being by such action natural productions. In other words,
for the broad reason that, throughout all vast Nature's realm,
not blind chance, but fixed law, eternally doth reign, for that
samne broad reason is each and every act by man performed,
the legitimate result of some natural, exciting cause; precisely the same as are all the different acts by inanimate or
brute agents performed. When the inanimate agent water,
for example, runs down hill, as in the form of brooks, rivers,
etc., it is seen to do, it performs such action because it is
thereunto compelled by the strong law of gravitation which
is one of its undying attributes; and when it performs the
act of running up hill, as in a portion of the siphon it is
seen to do, it performs such action, not because it is in
accordance with its nature thus to act, but because it is thereunto compelled by the presence and operation of a power
which it is impotent to resist; —because it is thereunto compelled in direct opposition to its own inherent nature, by the




300                  DEPARTURE.
pressure of the atmosphere upon the surface of the fountain
in which the shorter arm of the siphon is immersed. In the
same manner, when a condemned criminal, for another
example, in consequence of receiving a government pardon,
performs the act of walking out of that prison of which for
years he has been an inmate, he performs it because he is
thereunto compelled by the promptings of his own inherent
nature; and when such a criminal walks into that dark and
gloomy cell where, pursuant to legal sentence, he expects to
end his days, he performs such action not because he is
thereunto prompted by his own inherent nature, but because
he is thereunto compelled by the presence and operation of
circumstances which are too strong to be by him resisted;
and thus on to the full chapter's end.
But, to present the idea in still another form, allowing existing creation to be the legitimate result of the presence and
operation of certain creative causes, deep in the nature of the
undying ELEMENTS eternally residing, and not the production of a vast six-day miracle as was anciently supposed,
then it needs must follow that, throughout all vast Nature's
realm, fixed-law eternally doth reign; consequently that
great Nature, or the mighty God, (if that name any more
appropriate shall be deemed,) is, at all times and in all
places, limited in his power and governed in his action
thereby; consequently that all his different composing fractions, inanimate and animated, man included, are, in like
manner, limited and governed; and consequently that, from
the mighty God himself all the way down to his feeblest
elementary fraction, law-existing and law-limited agency is
all the agency there really is. As soon as by aid and operation of the appropriate simple, pre-existing creative causes,
the more important compound, inanimate elements or agents,
such as water, atmospheric air, etc., were ushered into existence, so soon did such compound agents, each and all, become so many additional compound creative causes to the
pushing into existence of such other additional created
things, and hence additional creative causes, as were the
legitimate result of the spontaneous action of their several




FIXEBD-LA W REIUGiYS.              301
inherent natures; and consequently just such different kinds
and character of things, inanimate and animated, as could
not by any possibility, before that time, have been
brought into being. In the same manner, as soon as by aid
and operation of the proper kinds and qualities of pre-existing, natural creative causes, the different bottom kinds of
animated structures were ushered into being, so soon did
such animated structures, each and all, legitimately become
so many additional created things, and hence additional
creative causes to the pushing into existence of yet such
other additional things, as, by virtue of their several inherent
natures and the force of surrounding circumstances, they
needs must. And thus forever on; every additional created
thing, high and low, great and small, inanimate and animated, man included, standing and being, as soon as into
existence brought, an additional creative cause to the pushing into being of yet still others; whereby and wherefore, of
newly created things, and hence of additional creative
causes, the end is not yet nor soon likely to be. Or, at least,
this is how it seems to us.
Simply for the reason that, a few short centries ago, the
causes which produce the rainbow, the rising and falling of
the waters in the form of tides, the eclipses of the Sun, the
occultation of the stars, etc., were wholly unknown, it would
not have been wise, in the men of those days, to have inferred that these phenomena where not, each and all, produced
into being by operation of natural law. In like manner,
simply because, in almost every branch and department of
animate nature, there are constantly taking place a great
variety of things, the precise causes whereof are not yet
understood, it will not do to infer that these things are not,
each and all, from beginning to end, the legitimate results of
the existence and operation of proper natural causes. And
simply for the reason that man, the highest and most complicated of all known branches of animated nature, is constantly feeling impressions, thinking thoughts, and performing
acts, the precise causes whereof he is unable to see or to
trace, it cannot be a mark of wisdom in him to infer that he




302                 DEPARTURE.
is not, from bottom to top and all the way through, the
creature of natural law, the same as is every other animal
and thing;-cannot be a mark of wisdom in him to infer that
he thus doth feel, think, and act independently, not only of
hereditary and educational influences, but of the influence
which is ever legitimately exerted upon him by the numberless different circumstances and things, inanimate, and animated, by which, from life's earliest dawn. to its final close,
he is constantly surrounded. And, finally, because there
are some circumstances and phenomena which, from  the
very nature of things, can never be knozein, but only more or
less strongly inferred and believed from the light which other
circumstances and things do shed upon them, it cannot be a
mark of wisdom in any set of men, no matter what their
profession nor what their standing, pompously to assume to
know all about them; and surely not of modesty to go about
dogmatically teaching such impiously assumed knowledge,
as God-revealed verity.-As from premises which are in
accordance with real truth not a single false conclusion can
logically be drawn, so whoever has abiding faith in any
theory or doctrine, no matter what, need have no fears that
its logical consequences will lead him upon ground where it
is not safe to stand.
Agreeably to our understanding of the matter, the leading
points in the olden theory of God, his government, the creation of man, etc., as to-day they are generally taught and
professed to be believed, may be briefly stated thus: God
is a personal Being that is all-wise, all-good, all-powerful,
free to think, speak, and do as he pleases, and is not
accountable for anything he may think, say, or do. Man is
a personal being that is exceedingly weak in knowledge, allbad and wrong from bottom to top, very nearly powerless,
free to think, speak, and do as he pleases; and yet, for
everything which he may please to think, say, or do, he is
accountable to that God who took upon himself the responsibility of thrusting the poor, feeble creature into existence
without his knowledge or consent; and in whose power it
was to have made him to think, say, and do precisely as he




FIXED-LA W REIGNS.                303
wanted that he should.-Of the obvious logical consequences of such a theory we shall say nothing, but simply
commend them to the consideration of its numerous friends
and admirers.
According to our view of God, his government, the creation of man, etc., and which has already been quite fully explained, the Creator and Governor of the universe is, by
unavoidable consequence, just as much compelled by the
law of his nature, that is, by the different undying properties
and powers inherent in his several composing elements, to
create whatsoever he doth create, to destroy whatsoever he
doth destroy, and, in short, to do, in all respects, just as he
does, as is water, one of his composing fractions, by the law
of its nature, to run down hill, when not therefrom prevented
by some one or other of his different composing fractions,
We say, as much as is water, one of his composing fractions,
by the law of its nature, to run down hill, etc., because, obviously enough, neither water nor any other of great Nature's
different composing fractions is great Nature's SUM;-is the
Creator and Governor of the universe;-is the mighty God
himself. Wherefore, notwithstanding it, the same as every
other of his fractions, doth forever possess and exert a pro
rata share of great Nature's vast power, unlike great Nature's
SUM, it doth not possess, in its comparatively brief, fractional
self, aN the power there is; and wherefore, in its action, notwithstanding the strength of its own inherent nature, it is
ever legitimately compelled not only to bow obedience to
the commands of such other of great Nature's fractions as
are to it superior, but more or less to feel the influence of
such as are thereunto inferior. And, of all of great Nature's
different fractions, man included, the same.
And yet a little plainer still: By unavoidable consequence, according to our view, great Nature, the eternal
Elements, or the mighty law-governed God, could no more help
creating the world when he did, where he did, and as he did,
than could the world help being by him created when it was,
where it was, and as it was; could no more help creating
man when he did, where he did, and as he did, than could




304                 DEPART URE.
man help being created by him when he was, where he was,
and as he was; and can no more help reigning in and ruling
over man in the manner that he does, than can man help being, by him, thus reigned in and ruled over. And thus on,
not only of all the different acts and things by God,-Nature, or the Sum of all Substance performed, but all those
by His, Her-, or Its different composing fractions of every
name and kind. In a word, not chance, nor choice, nor yet
design, in the common acceptation of that term, but fixedlaw, (which is but another name for the undying nature in
Elementary Substance resident,) in all things, and everywhere, eternally doth reign. Or whether right or whether
wrong, and be the logical consequences what they may, this
is how the matter stands out revealed to us.




CHAPTER XXVII.
HOW GOD TALKED WITH MOSES.
Strange as the views by us put forth of God, his commandments, heaven, hell, etc., may appear to many, we
think we are not mistaken when we say that some of their
leading features are more or less distinctly shadowed forth
in the teachings of both the old and New Testaments.
Thus, when John says, " He that loveth not, knoweth not
God; for God is love:" we do not understand him to mean
that the Creator and Governor of the universe is wholly
composed of that attractive and attracting principle which
performs so important a part therein, but only that as love
or attraction is an essential element in the nature of the
eternal HIM, therefore, in whose breast this same principle
doth not exist in a highly developed and active state, he
lives not in the enjoyment of the smiles of Heaven.-First
Epistle of John, 4. 8.
Christ, when speaking to the Pharisees about the kingdom of God, is reported by Luke as teaching as follows:
"The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
neither shall men say, Lo here! or, Lo there! for behold,
the kingdom of God is within you."-Luke, I7. 20-2I.
To the same effect taught Paul when writing to the saints
at Rome; and this is his language: "Let not then your
good be evil spoken of: for the kingdom of God is not meat
and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the
Holy Ghost."-Romans, I4. 16-17.
And when addressing the church at Corinth, Paul tells the
living, breathing members thereof that they are the temple
of God; and these are his words: " Know ye not that ye
are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth
in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall
21




306                 DEPARTURE.
God destroy: for the temple of God is holy, which temple
ye are."-First Corinthians, 3. I6-I7. And subsequently,
when writing to this same church and the saints in Achaia,
he enforces the same idea thus: "And what agreement
hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of
the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and
walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be
my people."-Second Corinthians, 6. i6.
In refe rence to the commandments of God being organically enstamped, or ingrained into man's nature, and hence
part and parcel of man himself, hear what Paul parenthetically
says in his celebrated epistle to the Romans, second chapter,
thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth verses: "For not the
hearers of the law are just befoie God, but the doers of the
law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have
not the law, [the written law, meaning,] do by nature the
things contained in the law, these not having the law are a
law  unto themselves. Which shew the work of the law
written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness,
and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing, or else excusing
one another."
As, however, this is little else than an extract borrowed
from Moses, so let us turn to the writings of that great lawgiver and see what it is that he himself doth say upon the
subject.
" And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord,
and do all his commandments which I command thee this
day. And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in
every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in
the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good:
for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers: if thou shalt hearken unto the
voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and
statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if
thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart and
with all thy soul.
"For this commandment which I command thee this day,
is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in




HOTV GOD TALKED WITH PROSES.           307
heaven, that thou shouldst say, Who shall go up for us to
heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldst say, Who
shall go over the sea for us, and'bring it unto us, that we
may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto
thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayst do
it." —Deut., 3o0. 8-14.
When we come to extend our mind's eye over the five
books of history and of the law that were written by Moses,
also to take into consideration the object for which those
books were written, the circumstances under which they
were penned, and the character of that people to whom, for
immediate effect, they were addressed; we find ourselves
compelled to interpret the singularly mystical language in
which he clothes his different historic narrations, and the
peculiar stereotyped forms of expression by him used in
issuing unto them his orders, and giving them his commandments, to mean, in plain common prase, just about this: As
your leader and chief ruler, I, Moses, have made nature, and
particularly that branch thereof which the creature man
doth constitute, my great study, to the end that I might
thereby discover what human nature is, what its normal condition doth enjoin and what it doth prohibit; never for a
moment doubting that, of all created nature, inanimate and
animated, God is the Author. And, in consideration of your
present deplorably low and ignorant estate, whatsoever thing
I thus find to be a law of any branch or department of created nature, I feel myself warranted in declaring that same
unto you, for your edification and guidance, as being the
express commandment of the Lord.
In this way, by and through the natural language of his
created works, and in no other, has God talked with me
from time to time and I with him. In this way, by and
through the emphatic language of their constant practice,
and in no other, has he told me that, in and by the act of
creating man, beast, fish, fowl, and insect, he commanded
them, each and all, to be fruitful and multiply, and replenish
the Earth.




308                -DEPARTURE.
In this same way also have I been enabled to see and to
read in human actions all around me, not only the strong
natural desire, but the ability,'of the animal called mian to
dominate over the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air,
etc. And having thus myself, by observation, experience,
and the deductions of reason, come to be in possession of
numerous important facts and circumstances which have the
force of laws or commandments, I have not hesitated to
omit all unnecessary explanation and to declare the same
unto you, for your edification and guidance, as being the
commandments of God to man and beast expressly given at
the time of their creation. And thus on of all the numerous
and different revelations to me made; and which revelations,
as your teacher and leader, I have, from time to time with
all due solemnity, and as the occasion seemed to require,
proclaimed unto you as being either the past doings or the
present declarations of the Lord, according to the nature of
the case.
Modern illustrative example:-"Charlie, dear, hang up
your little stockings in the corner; for just as like as not
Santa Claus, with his great, big pack, will come down the
chimney and fill them with something nice. Santa Claus
loves good little boys that mind their mothers." —Thus
spoke a fond and pious mother to her little son upon a
Christmas, some thirty years ago. Quick as thought, little
Charlie's half-closed eyes were wide open, and sparkling
like diamonds. As, however, his mother did not seemi to be
particularly communicative just then, he presently put away
his shoes in their accustomed place, hung his little blue
stockings upon a nail in the chimney corner, and went to
bed, there to dream of Santa Claus and candy.
Early next morning Charlie jumped out of bed, ran to
his stockings, found one stuffed with candy and raisins, and
in the other a nice, little, yellow-covered primer, in which
was contained the Westminster Catechism. By turns he
laughed, by turns looked admiringly upon his treasures, and
by turns he wondered how old Santa managed to get upon
the top of the house, work himself down the chimney, etc.




tOT W GOD TALKED WITHi MOSES.          309
Of course, his numerous sage inquiries were all answered,
but whether the answers filled him with light, or whether
they still further added to the darkness by which he was
already surrounded, may be regarded as a little uncertain.
" Why Charlie," cried a fond, pious mother, only two days
thereafter, to a little boy who had somehow managed to
wriggle himself into a closet of goodies, "come right out
here in one minute, or the great, big bugbears will bite you!
Don't you remember what lots of nice things Santa Claus
brought you for being a good boy, and minding your mother?"
And, strange to tell! about this time mount Sinai seemed to
be all on fire and quaking at its very base! —Or rather,
about this time, a sort of low, scraping, scratching noise was
heard upon the wall, somewhere in the vicinity of his
mother's large easy chair. Charlie heard the noise, and notwithstanding he was a little doubtful, still he was so far
mystified as more than half-way to fear and also to believe
it was a bugbear coming after him; and so, with the air of
a culprit, he quite hastily put in his appearance behind his
mother's big chair, in which she was comfortably seated
rocking the baby.
Now, that Charlie has since grown into a great and
learned man, we know; but whether or not he still continues
to put the same construction upon his mother's said mystical
language and feigned manner, and hence to regard the
teachings of said yellow-covered primer with the same superstitious reverence that, in those days of timorous, childish
ignorance, he did, we have not heard him say.  But then,
from certain indications, we strongly suspect he has longsince come to understand not only who was the mysterious
personage called Santa Claus, but the true character of that
said bugbear which he was sure he heard, and, by the eye
of faith, almost saw, and of which he was thus afraid. —It
may be well enough thus to create for ourselves a little
mirth at the expense of the ignorance and inexperience ofour children when small; but, then, we must insist that it
would not only be unwise, but absolutely wrong for us, (we
knowing better,) both early and late, and all along, and in




.310                DEPARTURE.
every conceivable way, to do all in our power to prevent
them from ever outgrowing such fabulous teachings upon
any and all subjects.  Encourage inquiry in every one,
young and old, and not endeavor to smother and prevent it
in anybody, should be the motto of all; and especially of,such as are acting the part of leaders and teachers.
That Moses reasoned correctly when he inferred that, of
every branch and department of created nature, God was
the Author, consequently that the bottom laws which regulate and govern the actions of the animal creation, man
included, are all ingrained, and hence that they are the
commandments of the Lord, every one, as seems to us, cannot
reasonably be doubted.  And yet, when he took it upon
himself by his authoritative manner, mystic phraseology,
and dark proceedings, so far to mislead that ignorant, superstitious, and credulous people over whom he was acting in
the threefold capacity of teacher, supreme lawgiver, and'
chief executive officer, as to cause them to think and verily
to believe, that not by natural process, which they should
try to learn and imitate, did he come to be in possession of
his knowledge of what are and what are not God's commandments, but that the Lord graciously condescended to
reveal them unto him in a personal and miraculous manner
upon the top of the quaking and fiery mount; to the end
that he, in God's stead, and as his specially chosen servant
and mouthpiece, might declare the same unto them, we
must think he committed an error, the ultimate consequences
of which he little dreampt of.
And what are some of those ultimate consequences?Why, by thus assuming to speak authoritatively, and as
God's specially chosen servant and mouthpiece, instead of
only in the capacity of an industrious historian, profound
philosopher, and able statesman, he was not only the means
of temporarily deceiving that most ignorant, superstitious,
and credulous people in reference to the matter, but of permanently misleading a large and worthy portion of the
world of mankind from quite an early day, down to this
present hour. In short, by so doing he was the means of




HOW GOD TALKED WITI M'OSES.            311
enstamping the seal of superstitiously believed-to-be verity,
not only upon his numerous sound opinions in said five
books contained, but also upon his numerous misjudgments
therein recorded; and not only upon both these, but upon
all his numerous, political ordinances and ceremonial religious requirements that were instituted and proclaimed for
present effect; thus conferring upon all he said and all he
did, no matter for what purpose said or with what object
done, a sort of immaculate immortality.
In the same way that God talked with Moses, in that
same way, doth he talk with men now; every carefully made
observation or experiment being a question propounded
directly to God, and the result thereby obtained, his emphatic answer; call it prophecy, divine revelation, or by
whatever name we may.  Or, at least, such has come to be
our well-settled opinion.
But again; it is no more clear to us that the different fountains that are in the world stand immediate cause to the
creation of'the different streams that are therein, than it is
that the different kinds and character of men that have
lived upon the Earth have stood immediate cause to the
creation of all the different kinds and character of Deities
that were ever believed in and worshiped. Wherefore we
must think it about time that the God which was created by
Moses for the special benefit of the children of Israel, a people who, without preparation or fitness, had been suddenly
elevated from a condition of the most abject slavery to that
of freedmen, and who were unquestionably the most ignorant,
superstitious, idolatrous, and vindictive people known to historic record, should be made to give place to a Deity that is
more in accordance with that high order of intelligence,
civilization, and refinement, at which the leading nations of
the world are now arrived.
Judging of Moses' character and designs from the character of his writings and the things which he did, we are
led to conclude, not only that he was a shrewd observer of
men and things, but that, by his strong personal ambition and
active philanthropic spirit, he was led and ruled. Wherefore




312                DEPARTURE.
we must think that he was much more intent upon devising
some plan whereby he might successfully restrain, manage,
and elevate, in the scale of humanity, that hitherto ignorant
and down-trodden people, whom he had been so largely
instrumental in freeing from bondage, and towards whom it
was his ambition to act the part of sole law-giver, prime
leader, and chief ruler, than he was of making such vast
improvements in civil polity, and deep discoveries in natural
science, as to cause himself to be looked up to and reverenced by remotest posterity as the father of statesmanship,
and of philosophy the founder. Not only this, but, from the
character of his writings and the things which he did, we
are led to infer that, at the very time when he conceived the
bold idea of creating the kind and character of God which
he did, he was far more desirous of creating such a mythical
Deity as would so completely fill, satisfy, and confound the
heads of that ignorant, superstitious, and idolatrous people,
as to compel them to look up thereto with profoundest awe, and
thus cause them to cease bowing themselves dowvn before idols
of brass, or any other god of their own foolish making, than
he was of creating such an one as would be likely to command the respect and receive the homage of enlightened
generations of men for thousands of years thereafter. In
other words, because the shrewd, aspiring Moses, for the
purpose of obtaining the strongest possible influence over
that proverbially ignorant, rebellious, and stiff-necked people whom, as has been said, he was so largely instrumental
in freeing from bondage, and hence of bringing into a condition where they were without law to restrain them, precedent to guide them, or government to protect them, was
induced to resort to the bold expedient, not only of claiming to hold communion directly and specially with God, but
of speaking to them in his great name, and as by his express
authority, whenever it' became necessary for him to give
unto them such laws and dictate to them such practices as
he adjudged were best suited to their then ignorant and
savage condition, we can see no good reason for believing
it to have been his wish that such, without alteration or




fIO W GOD TALKED WVITH[ MOSES.        313
amendment, should continue to be the law and the practice,
even among this peculiar and peculiarly situated people, for
a single day after the circumstances which then rendered
such laws and practices necessary should have passed away.
Upon the contrary, in our judgment, the evidences are both
numerous and strong, that he expected, that even this most
ignorant and degraded of all people would gradually improve in manners and morals,-would gradually make
advancement in knowledge, civilization, and refinement; and
hence that, sooner or later, they would outgrow the necessity
of having everything sent home to their superstitious fears
and riveted thereupon with a Thus saith the Lord;-would.outgrow the necessity of all such fabulous teachings and
high-handed measures to restrain their angry passions, deter
them from worshiping idols, and keep them within the
bounds of common decency and order.




CHAPTER XXVIII.
DESIGN.
Because man, the masterpiece of all creation, by virtue of
his composing elements and peculiar organization, possesses
a certain faculty called Design, as well as numerous other
capacities and powers; and because everything in nature,
with which he has come to be acquainted, seems to bear
upon it the marks of having been formed and placed where
it is with reference to its filling the place it does, and which
place, had it not been filled, would have left a break in creation's chain that would have been destructive of the general
strength and harmony; therefore it is inferred by numerous
brains of the first order, that existing creation cannot be the
existing result of those numberless, undying causes which,
inherently residing in the nature of vast creation's composing
elements, have forever been at work and doing the things
which, by virtue of their undying natures, they were legitimately compelled to do; and hence been forever at work
producing into being, here, there, and everywhere, just such
results as, between which and their parent causes, there ever
legitimately exists that perfect order of mutual adaptation
and relation which is the parent of harmony and of Design
the very essence; but that it must be and is the perfected
work of a pre-existent Being, greater and more potent, than
are all these his created works together put. And yet,
strange to say, by the same strong brains that it is concluded
that these countless myriads of created harmonies, inanimate
and animated, could not have been in existence, had they
not been made and placed here by a pre-existent and hence
extrinsic Maker, greater and more potent than are all created
things, their composing elements included,-by those very
same it is also concluded that this said greater and more




D)ESIGN.                    315
powerful extraneous Being, not at all himself a MAKER
needs must have. How such diametrically opposite conclusions, drawn premises precisely the same in character,
may strike others we know not, but, to us, the case seems to
present the most perfect example of straining at a gnat and
swallowing a camel, humps and all, of any to be met with in
the history of enlightened man.  Just think of it! At the
same time that it is gravely concluded that the vast amount
of elements, which are known to be in existence in the form
of worlds and systems of worlds, cannot possibly be selfexistent; hence cannot possibly be eternal; and hence cannot possibly be of active, creative, and destroying power
eternally possessed;-at that very same it is just as gravely
concluded that the infinitely vast amount of elements, which
are supposed to exist in the form of an infinitely great, extraneous, personal Spirit God, can be and are self-existent;can be and are eternal; —can be and are, of active, creative,
governing, and destroying power, eternally possessed.
And why is it that so many men of good natural abilities,
excellent learning, and undoubted piety, draw such very
different conclusions from premises which, in point of principle,'are exactly alike, the degree only being different?As we have come to see it, it is simply because they are so
prejudiced and blinded by their early religious education as
to be incapable of seeing clearly or reasoning dispassionately
upon this subject. Wherefore, for the reason that they are
unable to see how, during a long past eternity, the particles
of elementary SUBSTANCE which, from their indestructibility, proclaim themselves eternal, and, from their active
natures, are known to be forever at work exerting all their
power, could have managed to work themselves into all the
different worlds and systems of worlds which are seen to be.
floating in that illimitable ocean of elements called space, —
for that same reason they do not seem to have any difficulty
in seeing how  an extraneous, pre-existent, unsubstantial
Spirit Being, greater and more potent than are all these
together put, could in full existence be without a MAKER,
and, out of stark naught, make all these mighty and sub



316                  DEPARTURE.
stantial things. As certainly as would these men have been
pagans and not Christians, had they chanced to have been
born in a pagan land, brought up under pagan institutions,
and, from early childhood,, been educated in the pagan religion and no other, just so certain is it that their early
education upon this subject stands parent cause to these
particular preconceived opinions thereupon, which have
grown with their growth and strengthened with their
strength until, finally, they have come to be in relation
thereto their settled opinions and established modes of
thought. And not only this, but as certain as does their
early education upon this subject stand parent cause to their
present, settled opinions and established modes of thought
thereupon, just so certain has that same education been the
cause of producing in their brains, to a corresponding extent, the permanent habit of vibrating in just such a manner
as shall speak into existence within their heads, that same
set of narrow and discordant ideas which were so indelibly
enstamped upon them whilst they were yet pliant and soft.
Of course, it is not claimed that the power of habit is
omnipotent; but only that, inasmuch as all habits derive
their power to dominate over men, to the extent they ever
come to possess it, directly from the brain and not from the
bones or muscles; therefore, by unavoidable consequence,
this particular brenal habit, in these men, (just like the one
which, by virtue of early education, doth take root, grow,
and gather strength in the brain of the pagan; until, in spite
of all his general good sense upon other subjects, a pagan
in belief, a pagan in his manner of reasoning, and a pagan
in practice he unalterably becomes,) is altogether too deeprooted and strong to allow them to see clearly or reason dispassionately upon this subject.
Nor are we unmindful that there are brenal habits of different kinds; consequently, that it not unfrequently happens
that the minds of men upon various subjects are brought to
run, as it were, in a groove,-are brought to revolve around
some strange idea as its centre; and hence that it is possible
it may be by virtue of an overwhelming habit into which




DESIGN.                      317
our brain has somehow fallen, that we ar4 compelled to think
and believe upon this subject in the manner which we do.
But, then, when we reflect that the old Mosaic theory of
God, creation, etc., was most thoroughly pricked into the
brains of these men, during the susceptible periods of infancy, childhood, and youth; also that our present opinions
thereupon were not thus manufactured and stamped upon
our brain by others' hand; we are irresistibly led to conclude that, in reference to this particular subject at least,
upon which so many moulding influences are brought to
bear, it is much more probable that their brains do still
retain those same particular habits and modes of thought
which were so deeply impressed upon them whilst they were
yet blank sheets, than it is that ours has been able since its
arrival at maturity, not only to burst the shackles imposed
upon it by a like, early orthodox education, but to perform
the feat of creating unto itself a different habit sufficiently
strong to cause it to speak into existence within us a set of
ideas in reference thereto, which are widely different in
many respects from anything. we ever happened to hear
advanced,-except that such ideas are the legitimate outgrowth of a careful study of natural revelation.
But again; -because all animals of importance with which
we have come to be acquainted are ushered into being and
pushed up creation's gradually ascending grade, step by
step, into their ripe estate, by the aid and operation of light,
for example, as one of their fractional parent causes; and
because such fractional parent cause has enstamped its likeness or left its creational impress upon all such animals in
the form of an organ whose special function it is to take
cognizance of its said stimulating parent cause, and so afford
them pleasure; and also because, between the thus legitimately created effect, the eye, and its special, parent cause,
light, there is seen to exist that same perfect order of
mutual adaptation and relation which, throughout universal
Nature, doth everywhere exist between effects and their
parent causes; it has therefore, by very many worthy men,
been hastily concluded that these said mutual adaptations




318                   DEPARTURE.
and relations could not have existed, had not a pre-existing
planning Mind been careful, when he created the thing
called light, to enstamp upon it just such properties as would
render it agreeable to that feeble and then uncreated thing
called the eye; and which it was determined should not be
created until the next day. Obviously enough, the moment
the ancient supposition is adopted that creation is a perfected work which, at a certain time, a few thousand. years
back, was brought into being all at once and full-sized, out
of naught, just as it now is. from and after that moment
there is no way left for accounting for the numberless different adaptations and relations which are seen to exist between creation's different parts, but by ascribing the whole
matter directly to the action of some inconceivably great,
wise, powerful, pre-existent, and hence extraneous Being.
But, then, since it is certain that such ancient assumption is
at variance not only with observation, but also with experience, and not only with both these, but with the plain
deductions of reason drawn from them as data, it follows
that such ancient assumption cannot be an eternal verity.
We say, since it is certain that such ancient assumption is
at variance not only with observation, but also with experience, and not only with both these, but with the plain deductions of reason drawn from  them  as data, because not a
single vegetable, animal, or thing, in all creation, did we
ever see thus spring up, all at once, full-grown and great,
either out of nothing or from appropriate elements, but,
upon the contrary, always by gradual process from very
small beginnings. In other words, as all created things,
small and great, with whose rise and progress we have come
to be acquainted, do gradually come up by growth or accretion of some sort, out of pre-existing elements, from very
small beginnings, (if not from beginnings, quite beyond the
reach of human sense to discover,) so it is perfectly logical
to conclude that all other created things, the worlds included, came into being and obtained their present forms
and size, in the same way. And since not a single created
thing was ever known to spring up, all at once and full



DESIGN.                        319
sized, out of nothing, or even out of pre-existing elements;
it must therefore be wholly illogical to conclude that the
worlds were ever thus produced into being.  Wherefore, instead of blindly'assuming that creation was ever thus, all at
once, sprung into being the grand harmonious-whole which
to-day it is seen to be, we have, as seems to us, the best
reasons for believing that, for countless ages and by gradual
process, the same thing in principle, which, from life's earliest dawn to its final close, we all around us see, has been
steadily going on; each created thing, as soon as into being
brought, standing parent cause to the creation of some
other as its legitimate effect; and said effect, as soon as into
creation sprung, standing parent cause to the creation of yet
another legitimate result; and thus on till now; every effect
occupying the two-fold position of a legitimate result with
reference to its own proper parent cause, and of parent cause
with reference to the effect which, in turn, it doth itself produce; whereby, by the operation not only of single causes,
but also of compound ones, the number and variety of created effects, and hence of creative causes, have long since
become infinite, and are still increasing. And wherefore, as
creation as are effects, by unavoidable consequence, forever
true to their parent causes from beginning to end, bottom
to top, and all the way through, just so certain are all the
beautiful adaptations and relations, which effects are seen to
bear and have to their parent causes, part and parcel of said
effects themselves. Or, to present the idea in a little different dress, as certainly as doth a parent cause push into
existence an effect, no matter what the kind, just so certainly must it, by unavoidable consequence, push into existence,paripassu therewith, all and singular those beautiful
adaptations and relations which such effect doth bear and
have to its said parent cause. And since such adaptations
and relations must of necessity be correspondent to their
producing causes, and since what is true, in this respect, of
one parent cause and the effect by it produced, must needs
be true of all parent causes and the effects by them produced, so this is all the premeditation that is requisite and




320                  DEPARTURE.
all the Design that is needed to insure between the countless
myriads of different parent causes and their effects, of which
creation is ever currently composed, that general and particular harmony which everywhere, in all vast Nature's
realm, doth constantly prevail.
Or in yet another dress; the properties of Substance, in
all its vast infinitude and numberless different forms, being
fixed and immutable, no amount of desire or design can ever
change the nature of the feeblest atom, or one jot alter its
mode of operation. Hence not a single act can ever be
performed, or a single phenomenon or thing produced into
existence, except it be done in accordance with the rulings
of some branch or department of natural law, no matter
what may be the thing designed to be accomplished, nor
who th2 designer. In a word, as we see it, it is the undying
nature of the Elements themselves, or the inside God, so to
speak, that all things creates and moves and rules, just as
He, She, or It needs must; call the same fixed-law, foreordination, predestination, design, chance, or by whatever
name we may.
Instead of going back, then, to the days of Moses for
light, and adopting the supposititious theory that the Earth
was made and perfected upon the very day on which creation first began, and that the blind fishes, within the Mammoth Cave, were created therein just four days thereafter,
and therein created without eyes, because it was foreseen by
their Maker that there would never be any light in that
place for them to see; we are compelled to infer that the
Earth, in crude form, was created a long time before said
cavern had existence beneath its crust. And not only this,
but that, at some time thereafter, certain fishes which had
been pushed into being by the aid of light, as one of the
fractional creative causes unto which they were indebted for
their existence, and which were consequently in possession
of eyes to see and enjoy its sparkling beauty, unfortunately
found their way into its dark, subterranean waters; where,
for want of the cheering presence and supporting aid of
that said special eye-creative cause, light, their orbs of vision,




DESIGN.                     321
from non-use, gradually became more and more feeble;- and
thus on, with every succeeding generation of fishes brought
into being therein, until, finally, upon the principle that like
begets like and nothing begets nothing, from the organization
of their remote progeny, light's special organ was dropped.
This we regard as being an uncreating process; and one
which, we doubt not, if brought continuously to beariupon
the animal called man for only a few hundred, brief generations, would add yet another link to the chain of evidence
going to prove that neither creation nor uncreation is the
work of a week, a year, or an age.
No matter when or where operating, the same kind and
character of causes, whether creative or uncreative, ever
produce the same kind and character of effects. Hence the
reason why within the same isothermal lines, upon the Eastern continent and upon the Western, upon the spacious
islands of the Atlantic and of the Pacific, the same general
kind and character of indigenous plants and animals are
found. And hence, also, the reason why, in a few brief generations, the same breeds of cattle, horses, sheep, etc., may
be, here, there, and everywhere, so much improved, simply
by improving, the creative causes that do bear upon them;
namely, their food, treatment, and general surroundings.
Plainly enough, as seems to us, had the creative causes
inherent in the elements of ancient Mother Earth been different from what they were, then a correspondingly different
flora and fauna would have been here; and no extraneous
Spirit God could have prevented it, much less have. spoken
into being such as now'exist, in opposition thereto. And
had the character of that great vivifying agent, Solar light,
been different, then organs composed not only of correspondingly different elements, but of correspondingly different form, size, etc., to take cognizance thereof; hence a
correspondingly different set of adaptations and relations
would have existed all around and all the way through;
consequently just as perfect harmony would have prevailed
as now; and hence equally as strong evidence of Design
would have been everywhere manifest.
22




322                  DEPARTURE.
And now, may we not indulge the hope that our readers
will do us the favor and themselves the justice to consider
candidly the different evidences by creation presented, and
then answer, unto themselves, the following questions: —Do
you believe that, at the end of a million of years, the progeny of a pair of those eyeless fishes would also be blind,
were said pair to be now taken from their dark abode and
placed in a sunny pond where not a fish exists, and where,
during such full period, said pair and their progeny should
have sole occupancy? And should you be forced to the
conclusion that such progeny, at the expiration of that comparatively brief period in the world's vast history, would be
in possession of eyes, such as other fishes have, then, the
further question, To what god, other than the inanimate and
yet animating rays of Sol, would you ascribe their creation?
-Of course, it is hardly necessary to say that we regard the
so-called rudimental eyes, observable in the heads of those
fishes, as being neither more nor less than the feeble and
constantly fading remains of what were perfect orbs of
vision in the heads of their foreparents, at the time of their
falling into this dark abode.
Day after day the Sun looks down upon the Earth and,
by slow gradation, from appropriate elements, into being
speaks, not only the feeble plant, the gorgeous flower,.the
perfect fruit, and stately tree, but, by aid and operation of
these legi\timate effects, as so many additional creative
causes, all that vast variety of animals which, but for the
pre-creation and hence pre-existence of the vegetable kingdom, could ne'er have here a being had. And surely the
eye of man never beheld anything more divinely bright than
is the kingly visage of its father Sol;and never anything
more transcendently beautiful than is the queenly face of
Mother Earth, when in her rich summer livery clad.




CHAPTER XXIX.
FACTS VERSUS FICTION.
As we have come to see it, the more widely observant and
thinking men of the clerical profession do not, at very bottom, so much differ with us as to the origin of the book
called the Bible or the truthfulness of its different pages, as
they do in reference to what is and what is not, upon the
whole, for the best good of mankind that they should be
taught and brought to believe. In other words, whilst they
are honestly of the opinion that, upon the great and important subject of religion, it is, upon the whole, better for all,
and especially for the lower classes in society, to be taught
and brought.to believe a certain kind and quality of fiction,
than it is that they should be instructed in the genuine facts,
we are just as honestly led to conclude that, when taken in
all its bearings and consequences present and remote, the
teachings of facts upon that subject, the same as upon every
other great. and important one, must necessarily tend to enlighten, elevate, and bless, all the different classes and grades
of men to a greater extent, than does or can the continual
teaching of any kind or character of fiction; and consequently that sober facts a great deal more, and cunningly
contrived fictions a great deal less, had better be studied,
taught and believed. We repeat, as we have come to see it,
the more widely observant and thinking portion of the
clergy, although quite too wise and prudent openly to avow
or even privately admit-outside their own narrow fraternity
-any such unpopular belief as would be the one that, upon
the great and important subject of religion, fiction is better
than fact, do nevertheless believe, at very bottom, that it
would be an injury to society, and especially to the lower
classes, to be instructed in the facts in reference thereto;




324                  DEPARTU-RE.
and consequently that it must needs be and is a benefit to
them to be taught and brought to believe a certain class of
fictions instead. Nor can we for one moment doubt that
these men believe it to be their duty, in order to render
their doses of deception more palpatable, and hence more
certain to go down, to christen theim with the fair name of
Fact; and not only believe it to be their duty thus to
christen them, but to maintain in the most solemn and
asseverative manner, that they are not administering mere
religious fictions, but God-revealed verities.  Of course, it is
not supposed that there are any among these who are seriously afraid that knowledge upon this subject, or any other
great and important one, will ever mislead or injure them,
but only that it would be bad, very bad, for their neighbors
and others. Such men, notwithstanding entirely sincere in
their course of action, can never be supposed to be worshipers of real Truth, for the reason that they are not in
love with her for her own dear sake; and they can never be
expected to fall in love with her for her own sake, so long as
they do honestly think it is not through the agency of fact,
but of fiction, alias pious falsehood, that the world is to be
enlightened, elevated, and from dire destruction saved.
Allowing the real issue between these our much respected
Christian friends and our humble self to be correctly stated;
also allowing that, unlike the mass of their kindred fellowmortlIs, they are not more influenced in their religious
opinions, and guided in their action thereupon, by those particular habits and modes of thought which are impressed
upon them during the susceptible periods of infancy, childhood, and youth, not only by parents and teachers, but by
the general tone of that society by which they were surrounded, than they are by the unbiased teachings of sober
intellect; then it would seem that all which is necessary to
induce them to cease teaching unto others, as specially Godrevealed verities, such things as they are quite well satisfied,
within themselves, ar merely gospel fictions of man's own
invention, is to convince their judgments that, upon the
whole, it would be better, as far forth Ias possible, to teach




FACTS VERSUS FICTION.              325
them the unadulterated facts.-A gigantic religious system
with its hundreds of thousands of churches, teachers, and
other appliances to keep the tiger knowledge chained; in
other words, to keep men in ignorance upon the subject of
religion, to the end that they may be kept from becoming
vicious and unmanageable; and a gigantic school system
running parallel therewith to disseminate knowledge upon
all other great and important subjects, to the end'that men
may be rendered wiser, and consequently better! Where
speech, as well as thought, is free, how a house, thus
strangely divided against itself, can be expected to stand
and to prosper we are wholly at a loss to discover.
From the little light we have, we are forced to the conclusion that there is no such thing as absolute evil in the world,
but only an infinite variety of things which are, when taken
in all their bearings and consequences present and remote,
more or less good, every one. Doubtless great Nature, or. the'
eternal God, just like his created works which are part and
parcel of him, is, upon the whole, good, but not perfect.
Indeed, in so far as it is possible to see and discover, there
is no such thing as absolute perfection in anything or anywhere. That great and good'men are the highest animated
fractions of God of which we have any reliable knowledge
will hardly be denied; and yet the very best man in the
world is not wholly devoid of faults and weeknesses, nor the
very worst, of some good and redeeming qualities.
Such being our views, we needs must think, not only that
all the vast variety of facts, which are in the world are, upon
the whole, more or less good and profitable to man, but that
all the vast variety of fictions are. But whether right or
whether wrong herein, it is certain that some things are far
better than others from beginning to end, bottom to top, and
all the way through. Thus, for a plain example, a beautiful prairie is a much higher grade of good, than is an
impenetrable swamp; and yet we do not feel authorized to
pronounce even this absolutely bad, but only relatively so,
or a greatly. inferior grade of good; since, being clearly a
thing that is, it must needs be presumed to be one of




326                  DEPART URE.
the legitimate results of Nature's workings, and hence to
reflect a certain portion of the character and attributes of
its blessed Author. And then, again, there are some things
which, although radically different in both character and
kind, are nevertheless not only manifestly good and profitable to man, but good and profitable to an extent so nearly
equal, that it requires some little observation and reflection
to determine which of the two is the more so. And such is
the case, in our judgment, not with any kind or character of
fiction in perpetuity, when compared with fact, but with certain kinds of fiction temporarily, when with the proper kind
of factscompared.
Or, to present the idea a little more clearly, self-evidently, as
seems to us, of all the numerous and different kinds of fact
that are in the world, those are to man the most valuable which
are, upon the whole, to him the most useful; and, of all the
numerous and different kinds of fiction, those are the best
which the most strongly savor of such superior class of
facts, and hence are temporarily made to serve as so many
indexes or guides to lead men onward and upward in the
scale of knowledge, toethe more or less complete discovery
and comprehension of the facts themselves towards which
they point. In like manner, of all the vast variety of facts
that are in the world, those are of the smallest value to man,
which are, upon the whole, the least useful to him; and, of
all the vast variety of fictions, those are lowest in grade
which the least do tend to lead men onward ar,d upward
in the scale of knowledge, toward the discovery or better
comprehension of any kind or quality of facts. This much
being assumed as admitted, also that the character of every
intervening fact and intervening fiction must necessarily
reside somewhere between their two extremes, we will next
endeavor to define our position a little more fully, in reference to that creature of the imagination called Fiction.
As we have come to see it, Fiction, Parable, and Fable
do none of them derive their value from the circumstance
of their being received and treasured up in memory as sober
realities, but all, and all alike, from the compound fact of




FACTS VERSUS FICTION.               327
their not being so received, and yet being so framed as to
have the effect to arrest attention, quicken thought, and
stimulate inquiry; and hence the effect to lead men on to
the embrace of those certain facts and principles, toward
which they are thus significantly made to point, but which
quite beyond their scanty words and narrow limits lie. It
cannot be doubted that the brief old fable of The Belly and,
the A/embers, for example, has made its salutary impress upon
many a youthful brain; and yet it is difficult to see how the
brightest boy in the world would be rendered any the more
wiser or better by committing that old story to memory and
regularly repeating it himself, or having it sounded in his
ears from the pulpit, every Sunday for the next forty years;
provided he should be so unfortunate, during all that length
of time, as to mistake it for a literal fact. And, of all the
numerous so-call miracles and other religious fictions which
are being dogmatically taught, not only to children, but also
to men, for the purpose of so far stifling inquiry and forestalling their judgments as to cause them to embrace the
shadow instead of the substance, the same.-Fictions, fables,
etc., just like bank-notes, are only valuable when significant
of something which has inherent worth.
But, notwithstanding the radical difference which exists
between fact and fiction, and notwithstanding the inherent
supremacy of the former over the latter, it cannot be denied
that it is frequently better modestly to teach for a season,
unto the young, the ignorant, and  inexperienced, such
fictions as are more simple and easy of comprehension than
are the facts toward which they are so unerringly made to
point as that they must necessarily, more or less serve to
arrest their attention, quicken their thoughts, and stimulate
them to inquiry, and hence more or less tend to lead them
onward and upward to a more full and correct understan'ding of the facts of which they are symbolic, than it would
be to attempt, in the very first instance, to teach them such
facts as it would be quite difficult and perhaps impossible
for them to grasp and follow up, without some such preliminary aid. And hence, for this reason, if for no other, as




328                  DEPARTURE.
soon as by the use of any set of fictions, no matter what
kind nor how appropriate as stepping-stones,'any class of
learners, young or old, weak or wise, shall be brought to see
and measurably to understand the facts toward which they
point, just so soon should their use, as a means of instruction to that class of learners, be discontinued, and the facts
themselves be presented and commented upon instead.
And now we appeal, How can it reasonably be supposed
to have a tendency to enlighten, elevate, and bless any
human being, young or old, ignorant or wise, dogmatically
to teach and, in the most authoritative manner possible, to
enforce it upon -him that those certain religious fictions,
which so oft and eloquently are being sounded in his ears,
are not mere fictions used for the purpose of enabling him
the more readily to see and comprehend the facts of which
they are' symbolic, but are, instead,?hemselves those facts;are themselves a class of facts so awfully grand, that it is a
sin against God and his own soul to doubt for one moment
their divine reality? Among all the numerous and different
instrumentalities that were ever invented for the promotion
of good among men, Does not a falsehood rank quite low
down in the scale, if not at the very bottom? And no matter by whom taught or whom believed, Are not such fictions
as not at all of facts do savor, and not toward the discovery
or elucidation of any fact do tend, unto falsehobd quite
nearly allied? Before the bar of Reason and of Common
Sense, Is it not wholly unjustifiable for any man or set of
men deliberately to invent and go about teaching downright
falsehoods unto anybody, young or old, weak or wise? And.
no matter where nor by whom the thing is done, Is it not.
almost as unjustifiable deliberately to invent and go about
teaching a class of fictions which are so dark and mysterious, and so very little of fact do savor, that, whether so intended or not, they are almost certain to be mistaken and
swallowed by the young and immature, for sober realities
from beginning to end, as it would be deliberately to invent
and go about teaching downright falsehoods, for eternal verities? If the ill effects of wrong actions. are in no way




FACTS VERSUS FICTION.               329
modified or arrested by the good intentions of the actor, if
it is a-greater sin against our fellow-men to deceive them
upon a subject of vital importance than it is upon one which
is of little or no consequence, and if religion is a subject of
vital importance to universal man; then, by unavoidable,
must it not' be a much greater crime against an anxiously
inquiring and implicitly trusting people, to go deliberately
about endeavoring to deceive them in reference thereto,
than it would be, in the same systematically arranged manner, to the same wide extent, and for the same liberal compensation drawn from the same confiding source, to go about
among them dealing out false statements upon the subject
of'politics, finance, or any other of only ordinary interest
and importance?
Admitting the eternal God to be the SUM of all SUBSTANCE and THINGS that are, corporeal and incorporeal, in
created and in primary form, then is not the inference irresistible, not only that every human being is a composing
fraction of the great HIM, but that every wrong committed
against any individual is a wrong committed against God,
because against one of his component parts? Or admitting
God to be wholly an extrinsic Spirit Being, as by Orthodoxy
he is represented, and also admitting him to be the cbmmon
Parent of us all; then does it not just as clearly follow that
the ignorant, paying taught, each and all, are just as much
his children as are the learned and salaried teachers? And
consequently does it.not follow, as night the setting Sun,
that- a wrong committed against any individual or branch of
God's family, whether high or whether low, is a wrong committed against Him and his supremacy; provided that, in
the welfare of his children,' whose very hairs are all said to.
be numbered, he takes any sort of interest? Whether'
viewed from the one stand-point, then, or whether from the
other, the conclusion seems to be irresistible that it is just
as much a sin against God, for a man to say or do such
things as are injurious only to himself, as it is.for him to say
or do those which are to the same extent injurious unto
some other individual of equal' weight and importance, but




330                  DEPARTURE.
not at all so to himself; the rule being, among us His children, or fractions of equal value, as increases the number
injured, so increases in magnitude the offence which does it.
By the same plain line of reasoning, it must be a serious
crime against God for any set of men to make it the study
and business of their lives to discover, not the best method
to be adopted for enlightening their kindred fellow-mortals
upon the subject of religion, (more properly upon the relation which they bear to their great Maker,) but the surest
way of so far stifling inquiry, and forestalling the judgment
of the present generation of children, consequently of the
men into which they shall ripen, and hence through these
of those which are to follow, as to continue endlessly on, in
reference to this vitally important subject, all the impeding
errors of the dingy past.




CHAPTER XXX.
HEALTH, SICKNESS, AND DOTAGE.
Much as we admire the patient industry and self-sacrifice
of medical men generally, and unwilling as we should be to
say anything which would seem to implya distrust of the
sincerity of their faith in their respective curative theories,
still we must be permitted to think that the most successful
practitioners are those who have learned by experience to
use placebo remedies a great deal more and powerful remedies a great deal less, thus leaving it with nature in the system to do the curing, whilst their particular medical theory
gets the praise and they the emoluments.  Moreover, that
most ancient of teachers, Experience, has abundantly proved
that those are not the best nurses who most fussy are, and
who, during all the live-long night, on tip-toe at the patient's
elbow stand with lighted lamp to see if they cannot help him
of something either that he does or that he does not want,
but those who, without confusion or ado, keep everything
about the sick room looking as cheerful and life-like as possible, and at the same time exclude, beyond the reach of eye
or ear, everything which it is found annoys the sufferer.
Whether right or whether wrong, such is our confidence in
great Nature, hence such in that particular branch of her
within the human system resident, that, casualties aside,
we have abiding faith that nature in us, through the medium
and instrumentality of our animal'structures and their composing elements, is so related and adapted to those other and
older portions of great Nature by which we are surrounded,
and by whose workings we have been pushed onward and
upward, step by step, into our present exalted state of animated existence, as that it doth amount to full ability in her
vested to keep and maintain the human species, the same as




332                  DEPARTURE.
the undomesticated animals of the brute creation, in uninterrupted health from the cradle to the grave; and consequently that she would do this very thing for us, but for the
numerous sins which are committed against her. Nor is
this all' but hereout grows the strong assurance we feel that
it is this same branch of great Nature within the human system resident, which, by virtue of the tendency she is constantly imparting unto its every organ normal action to
perform, doth stand parent cause to all the good health we
ever enjoy; and consequently that she is the only angel
which has power so far to blot out transgressions committed
against her as to erase their sad consequences from the system, and thus abnormal action into normal again to change.
This eternal bathing, half-bathing, washing, and watersoaking, because a very little sick, or because not content
with being merely well, seems to us to be just about as injudicious as doesthat everlasting dabbling with some one or
other of the thousand-and-one nostrums in the shape of
anodynes and cordials, balms and balsams, oils and ointments, pills and plasters, salves and syrups, etc., etc., which
for the same foolish reason is constantly going on. Of
course, it is not claimed that either the one or the other of
these pernicious practices is taught or sanctioned by the
particular system out of which, as a monstrous excrescence,
it has incidentally grown. Upon the contrary, it is cheerfully admitted that infant Hydropathy no more inculcates
or upholds such aquatic folly, than does ancient Allopathy
the ridiculous practice of making a patent apothecary shop
of ourselves; —not any more.
Notwithstanding we have abiding faith in human progression, and hence confidently expect that men will yet
come to understand the laws of health and causes of sickness much better than they now do, still we are unable to
conclude that the time will ever arrive when there will be a
perfect health millennium. Casualties and overpowering circumstances all aside, more or less sinners, or transgressors
against the laws of life and health, there will doubtless ever
continue to be; and, as a necessary consequence, more or




HEALTJH, SICKNESS, AND D 0 TAGE.           333
less of sickness, transgression's bitter penalty.  And as we
cannot persuade ourself into the belief that full-grown men
and women will ever spring up in a day, but will always
continue to be, much the same as now, the product of time
and care; so we have no hope that the healing art will ever
arrive at such a state of perfection as to possess a medicine
capable of so incorporating itself with fiber and tissue, as
to cause nearly half the human fabric to slough itself off in
a single day, and thus entirely supersede nature's olden
remedy, fever-fire, the Augean stable to cleanse.
And here, perhaps, it may be well to state a little more
distinctly what, in the course of these pages, has indirectly
and in a general way been said a number of times before;
namely, that we owe the mass of our strength of head and
of heart, of digestive and evacuating powers, in short, of
our every organ, muscle, and fiber, not to their having been
eternally rocked in the cradle of ease and inaction, but to
the hard service which from time to time, by the force of
circumstances, they have been compelled to perform, inside
the limits of overtaxation or abuse. But whether right or
whether wrong in this, it can hardly be doubted, we think,
that there is located in the human head an organ whose
special function it is, not only to create within us the feeling
called combativeness, more properly resistiveness, but to
distribute and keep. alive in every nook and corner'of the
system this same elastic principle, or tendency to put forth
resistive efforts, extraordinary, and even most extraordinary,
whenever sufficiently irritated or crowded upon by some
obnoxious intruder.  It is to this resistive principle that we
are indebted not only for our ability to stay the influx of
morbific elements into the system, when thereunto exposed,
but to expel them therefrom when, from being overtaxed
with labor in some other direction, they have been, suffered
to enter and measurably to become domiciled.  Indeed, it
is this principle within the system resident, which fights the
system's battles, and wins for her the victory over intruders
of every name and kind, to the extent that victory over
them is ever by her won.




334                 DEPARTURE.
In this land of boasted light and knowledge, there are
doubtless thousands upon thousands of poor, deluded,
slaving, suffering, worshipers of mammon who, from year's
end to' year's end, do not know what it is to be rested, and
consequently are never actually down-sick, because never
well enough to be. Not well enough to be actually downsick! not enough of snap and elasticity left in their constantly worn and jaded systems, to enable them to rally and
make a determined effort to free themselves of the accumulated impurities of years which, like a mill-stone, are weighing them down, or nobly perish in the attempt. Half-dead,
half-alive, bowed down with cares, anxieties, and watchings,
they really are, as they do often say, but just able to drag
their legs along. In fact, their whole frames from head to
foot have come to be in the passive condition of an old and
constantly running sore, which has become so inured to
being a sink of corruption and open crater that it has not
only lost all desire to close its mouth and be healed, but
begins to delight in bathing its face with such impurities, as
the more healthy parts of the system spurn from them with
loathing and disgust. In a word, the nature that is in us is
always very much like us.  Wherefore the nature that is in
any man may be as effectually broken and cowed into submission by the accumulated seeds of disease, in the shape
of morbific elements creeping into the system when jaded
and worn by too much labor, or in the form of medicines,
when too long and regularly swallowed, as by the accumulated use of tyrant lash upon the back applied; when, as a
matter of course, she is no longer her former free and elastic
self, but the now cringing and abject slave. In other words,
as by the long-continued use of tobacco, for example, it
ceases to be nauseous, becomes pleasant, and finally to be
intensely.hankered after, so, by being for a long time tired
or sick, no matter from what cause, the system gradually
becomes inured to that particular condition of things, and
hence correspondingly indisposed to make a single effort to
bring about a change of programme. In this way, doubtless, do agues, fevers, and many other diseases, come to be,




HEA LTH, SICKNESS, AND DOTAGE.            335
in the course of time, more a matter of habit'into which
nature in the system has fallen, than of anything else.
Eating too soon after rising in the morning, or before the
blood has become properly aerated by the inhalation of
fresh air, is no doubt a bad practice, especially for such as
sleep in illy ventilated apartments; and that dormitory
which, to a person who has taken an hour's exercise in the
open air, still retains a close, disagreeable smell, is too confined. Indeed, no sleeping room or other apartment that is
much occupied is properly ventilated, which has not at least
two air-holes; one in or near the ceiling overhead, for the
escape of rarefied air, and one at or near the floor, to let out
the impure air expired from the lungs; and especially is this.a fact in regard to rooms in which, during their occupancy,
no fire is kept burning.
Whether it is more conducive to health and longevity to
lie with head to the North, or whether it is not, we are unprepared to say; but we do incline to the opinion that it
would be better for all, and especially for the sick, the old,
and infirm, to lie upon beds' having a regular inclination
upward, from foot to head, of some several degrees, instead
of upon such as are abrubtly elevated at the head by means
of bolster and pillows. This we infer partly from our own
observation and experience upon the subject; partly from
the fact that, in both the upper and lower portions of
the system, the circulation of the blood is ever more or less
effected by its own inherent gravity; partly from the circumstance that the beasts of the field and fowls of the air
whose habit it is, during their waking hours, to keep their
heads above the level of the mass of their bodies, likewise
to keep some'certain portion of their bodies in a position
more elevated than are certain other portions, the heart being regarded as the central point, do also, for the most part
of the time when sleeping, more or less nearly approximate
to maintaining in the same relative position, not only their
heads, but every other great and important portion; and
partly from the further fact that, in nineteen cases out of
twenty, men are instinctively led to place themselves in such




336                  DEPARTURE.
inclined position, when laying themselves down to rest in the
shade upon ground that is. not inconveniently sloping, and
which is quite perceptibly so. But, for the purpose of rendering this point as clear as possible, permit us to present
the case in the following exaggerated form: Allowing man's
natural as well as habitual r osture to be, by day, that of
general uprightness, with his feet downward, What would
probably be the effect upofi his health and longevity, was he
to ignore this fact, and so, regardless of the influence exerted by gravity upon the circulation and distribution of his
bodily fluids, nightly betake himself to the repose of sleep
in a position nearly vertical, but with his head downward?
As man is undoubtedly a living, breathing, feeding, moving, organic structure, the same as are the beasts of the
forest,. fowls of the air, and fish of the sea; so, as seems to
us, had he always been as obedient to the laws of nature, as
the same were organically impressed upon him and ingrained
into him by the causes unto which he owes his creation, as
have been and still are the undomesticated animals in their
-native homes, to the laws upon their organisms in the same
way enstamped, he would be no more subject to sickness,
pain, and distress, than are they. And as, beyond a question,
*not a few of the diseases which, to-day, afflict mankind,. are
the legitimate creation of those vast piles of medicines which
have been taken into that citadel of vitality, the stomach, to
cure some real or imaginary ail, located no matter where;
and as, from generation to generation, there has been transmitted down to us by hereditary descent, a more or less
strong predisposition to be afflicted by those same diseases
which were thus superinduced upon ou.r ancestors; and as
it is not possible for nature in the system, in the brief space
of time allotted to a single generation of men,. wholly to,eradicate the taint;. it therefore becomes necessary, in order
fully to regenerate and save the race therefrom, -that both
the repentance and the works done meet for repentance,should be about as general, thorough, and chronical, as have
been the sins which thereunto parent cause have stood and
stand. Wherefore let no man falter in his efforts to know




HEALTi, SICKN~ESS, AND DOTAGE.             337
and obey the laws of life and health, simply because, by
reason of his thus vitiated nature, he ever finds himself
more or less strongly tempted to do the unnatural deeds of
his fathers: or turn infidel to the faith that his sicknesses
are all of them brought upon him either by his own sins, or
those of his ancestors, just because, for a few brief years,'he
has been practicing repentence of former personal or ancestral follies, by living out a life of obedience and self-reformation, and yet doth not find himself wholly freed the
seeds of disease; and hence from a predisposition to pain
and sickness.
Since it is undoubtedly a fact that nature in the system
can never vigorously prosecute a multiplicity of actions,
whether nlormal or abnormal, muscular or brenal, at one and
the same time, it therefore becomes necessary when hard
sick, if we desire to be speedily and thoroughly healed, not
only to abstain from labor with our hands and labor with our
brains, but to keep ourselves in all respects as quiet and
comfortable as we can. And as the weather in this region
of country is never steady and seldom very warm, so let the
hard sick, if possible, have the benefit not only of the invigorating effects of sunlight, falling into the room through the
windows, but of a constant open fire. If this cannot be,
then do not for an hour deprive them of the less genial
warmth of a stove-fire, always remembering that there is a
wide difference between warm air and impure air; also that,
with the same amount of external openings, a room with a
brisk fire in it will not only be twice as quickly and twice as
thoroughly cleared of such impurities as may chance to be
therein, but twice as well supplied with pure air from without, as will be one in which no fire is kept burning. It is not
folly merely, but a species of madness to assume and act
upon the assumption, that a person, when hard sick, is as
able to resist the effects' of dampness, ward off cold, endure
draughts of air, etc., as would be that same individual or
almost anybody else when well, though compelled to occupy,
day after day, the same place. Wherefore, if it be the inten23




338                  DEPARTURE.
tion to do all that can consistently be done to save the man
that is hard sick from unnecessary suffering, and perhaps
death, let him occupy not some pentup back-bedroom without fire, and almost without light or air, but the most commodious and cheerful room in the house. Also let the location of his bed be such as to give him the benefit of pure,
warm air, without having his head, or any other great and
important portion, exposed to a draught, even should he
chance to become and remain wholly uncovered; ever
remembering that such air is much better adapted to relieve
the skin of its constantly accumulating load of impurities
than are piles of quilts and coverlets, besides being less
burdensome and in no danger of getting kicked off. In this
way, without the trouble of water baths or even of spongings, may the sick man's stock of comforts be augmented, the
chances of his taking cold diminished, and the nurse relieved
from not a little unnecessary labor and care.  Nor should
the feelings of a person who is well, and perhaps heated by
exercise in waiting upon the sick, be the standard by which
to regulate the temperature of the sick-room, but.the feelings of the sufferer, if rational; and if not, then let it be
done by a thermometer indicating some seventy or eighty
degrees, Fahrenheit, when hanging against the wall on a
level with the body of the sufferer. For, as already intimated, by thus maintaining the air in the room at a uniformly
high and comfortable temperature, the patient can be permitted to lie almost naked; and so enjoy, practically, not
only the luxury of a constant air-bath, but its purifying and
healing effects. Beyond these things, which not at all disturb the patient's quiet or tax his strength, do as circumstances shall currently seem to demand, always being careful not to neutralize the healing efforts of nature in the
system by doing too much. For, be assured, the best physician in the world is always at hand and ready to administer
to our necessities, be they great or be they small, if we will
only possess our souls in patience and let her; and that physician is nature in the syslem.




HEALTH, SICKlYESS, AD DOTAGE.             339
As a rule, the way to insure continuous good health is
continuously to take good care of ourselves when well; and
the way to get well when sick is to abstain from those practices and things which brought disease upon us, provided
we know what they are. In case we do not know this and
are quite ill, then our safest course is to call in a physician
in whom we have confidence, and scrupulously obey his
orders. And if, from any cause, this cannot consistently be
done, then our next best course is to abstain from labor,
both muscular and brenal, eat little, lay ourselves quietly by
in a warm comfortable place, and trust to said physician,
nature in the system, aided by time and a little nursing, to
effect our cure. One of the crying wants of the age is more
good nurses of the sick. And we can think of no surer way
of obtaining and continuing the needed supply of ~this class
of persons, than by elevating that hitherto low, inconstant,
and ill-requited service into a profession,- next in dignity, as
it is in importance, to that of prescribing physician. Or
whether right or whether wrong, this is how we see these
things.
And here, in this connection, we will take occasion to say,
that a well man and a sick man are two very different things
consequently do give out very different manifestations; that
is, do feel, think, and act very differently. This being universally well known, our readers will not deem it surprising,
and especially not after what has been said, that now, when
we are well, we have no notion of sending for a physician.
Of course, they will not. And so let us go a step further,
and see whether it ought to be considered any more remarkable, if, should we be taken hard sick, (which we by no
means intend to be,) then not we, the well man, with his
usual strength of body and of brain about him, but the sick
man, the mere shadow and mockery of the well, in his then
weak, fidgety, and childlike condition both of body and of
brain, should hear sounds, see visions, dream dreams, be
haunted with specters, seized with fear and trembling and
a dreadful looking forward to death, judgment, and an




340                   DEPARTU'RE.,eternity to come; and hence should call in not only a doctor
of physic, but one of divinity also. Under the pressure of
circumstances thus widely different, such somersets of feeling, opinion, and action are perfectly natural; consequently.ought not to excite surprise; and hence should never be
sought after and seized upon as trophy evidence of former,error. Perfectly natural?-Why, yes; just as natural as it
is unfortunate and foolish for the constitutionally robust to
be eternally sick from August to Lent, and Lent to August.
Perfectly natural?-Why, yes; because, as in health, so in
sickness, the brenal man is but a composing fraction of the
general physical one. It would therefore be just as reasonable and quite as proper to herald abroad the fact, to an
eager, gaping, wondering world, that this, that, or the other
noted prodigy of muscular strength and gymnastic feats was
formerly in error, when he verily thought he could perform
such wonders, just because now, when prostrated by sickness, or when by chilly and shriveling age o'ertaken, his
muscles, the father of his strength, are as unequal to the
task of putting forth the necessary power to perform his accustomed exploits, as are those of the puling infant. What!
an old and worn out brain; a sick and disordered brain; a
brain shorn of its power by reason of disease, preying upon
its natural supporting aids below, expected to canvass facts,
sift evidence, weigh arguments, and coin conclusions which
are to outweigh and overturn the opinions by the same brain
carefully formed and deliberately put forth, when it was not
only itself in full health and strength, but faithfully backed
and supported by a sound and vigorous system beneath?It is folly, nay, worse, it is madness to expect it! As by
common consent of mankind, insane men, men prostrated
by sickness, and men in their dotage, the same as little children, are not held responsible for what they either say or
do; so, because these same individuals, under the pressure
of such circumstances, may chance to say and do some very
silly things, we have no right to infer, and proclaim it abroad
to the world, that the opinions entertained by such insane




HEALTIH, SICKNESS, AND DOTAGE.             341
persons when rational, such sick, persons when well, and
such dotards when in their prime, were not sound. In reference to this matter there still seems to be lingering among
us a lamentable want of clear understanding, else of fairness
and candor. —By natural ordinance, it is the silly, talkative,
little child, and not the half-grown boy, much less the fullgrown man, that is fa/her to the dotard.




CHAPTER XXXI.
HUMAN NATURE RELIGION'S SEAT.
Did love of dominion have its origin in the Bible; or is it
a thing deep in human nature resident? Did religion have
its origin in the Bible; or is it also a thing deep in human
nature resident?
As human nature must needs be coextensive with universal man, so the inference is unavoidable that wherever upon
the face of the globe the higher animal called shall come to
exist, no matter how low the race, there also will dominion
or government of some kind come to exist. And, of religion, the same., In other words, Religion of some kind is
always found to exist wherever man is found to reside; and
it is thus universally found, not because the Bible into all
the world has gone and introduced it, (for not one-fourth of
its present occupants are aware of the existence of any such
book,) but because, as already suggested, it has its seat deep
down in human nature itself. Or, in still other words, inasniuch as the Bible cannot be the cause of man's being a
religious animal in those parts of the world where its teachings are wholly unknown, and inasmuch as it is a broad historic fact that wherever man is found to reside, there also is
some form of religious faith and practice found to exist,
therefore is the conclusion irresistible that the Bible is not
the cause of man's being a religious animal anywhere.
Again, the Bible cannot be the cause of religion among
men; for, clearly enough, long before its pages were written,
deep down in the nature of man resided, not only that same
strong love of dominion which stood parent cause to all the
numerous and different governments which had existence
prior to the appearance of that book, but that same unquenchable desire to pay homage to such personages,




HIUIIAN IY TURE RELIGION~'S SEA T.         343
whether real or imaginary, as they adjudged to be their
superiors, and be themselves looked up to and reverenced
by such as they their inferiors deemed. Wherefore, so far
from the Bible standing parent cause to the existence of the
strong, innate, religious feeling and desire that is in man, it
is this innate desire which stands parent cause to the existence of all the numerous and different religions that anywhere existence have.  In other words, the broad history of
man, which reveals the existence of not less than a thousand
different religions in the world, fully justifies the conclusion
that the book called thie Bible, with all its religious teachings, the same as the book called the Koran and other religious standards, with their respective teachings, is a legitimate.outgrowth of that same religious nature, which deep down
in universal man inherently resides, instead of its being, of
that nature in any human being, the producing cause.
Viewed in the light of these facts, the only question of importance upon which the more intelligent adherents to the
old stand-still religion of the Bible, and the advocates of a
constantly growing and progressive religion, based upon
currently advancing human nature, can reasonably be supposed to differ, is the following:
At this late day and age of the world, and especially in
this most free, enlightenect, and highly Christian land, Are
the ancient inelastic religious teachings, upon the different
pages of the Bible standing, as a whole and upon the whole,,still in advance of the spontaneous religious promptings of
~the more enlightened and better portion of the people; or:have they, as a whole and upon the whole, become by them
outgrown and left behind? If, as a whole and upon the
whole, of this class of persons, its religious teachings are
still in advance, then it is plain that not even here has that
venerable book ceased to be an instrument of religious elevation, whether it has of advancement in light and knowledge upon other subjects or not. Upon the contrary, if, by
this class of persons, these said teachings have,'as a whole
and upon the whole, become so far outgrown that they are
no longer competent to fill and satisfy the yearnings of their




344                 DEPARTURE.
higher religious nature, then, as seems to us, it is clear that
the time has arrived when they should be made to give
place to a set of teachings which are thus competent; never
for one moment doubting but what these latter, by proper
care and simplification, will prove quite as efficient in dragging upward those laggards that are still below, as have been
and would continue to be the highly parabolic former. Because, by the semi-enlightened inhabitants of the world at
the day and age when the Bible was written, its dark and
mysterious teachings were regarded as being a mine of
thought and a mass of beauty, it does not follow that the
men of to-day are bound to regard them in that same light.
So long as shall the Bible continue to be made the rule of
human faith and the measure of its practice,. so long must it,
in some way, be brought to harmonize with the lights of
Science. And as it is daily becoming more and more difficult to bend growing science, which is naturally unyielding,
so as to make it with all the different Bible crooks conform;
so the question to be settled is, How can such a reconciliation best be brought about and maintained?
Unless we greatly err, there is but just one way of doing
it; and that is by so far currently straightening the crooked
parts and passages in that volume found, as that, at all
times, its teachings shall be made to accord with those of
fair Science, be they what they may.-Men are fast losing
their admiration for miracles, and becoming the lovers of
sober fact.




CHAPTER XXXII.
DIFFERENT RELIGIONS AND DIFFERENT SECTS.
As religion, in its very broadest sense, has its foundation
in the nature of universal man, so do all the different kinds
and grades of religion have their foundation in the nature
of the different kinds and grades of men. Not only this,
but every sect, into which the different kinds and grades of
religionists do anywhere form themselves, has its foundation
seat, not in the heavens above, but in the peculiar nature of
that class of individuals who, from a similarity of tastes,
inclinations, etc., are led to band themselves together to
compose it, Such being the case, it follows that the class
of persons who are by nature, and hence in practice, the
most stern, unchangeable, uncharitable, and unforgiving, knot
themselves together into a sect of the strictest kind, whilst
those less stern, less unchangeable, less uncharitable, and
more forgiving, unite and form a sect correspondingly more
liberal; and thus on. Wherefore the round-headed, hence
excitable, and hence unstable class of persons, whether
numerous or not, will ever be found to gravitate toward that
sect whose articles of faith are most loose and general,
whose discipline makes most allowance for its members to
err without impairing their standing in the church, and
whose modes of worship are least uniform and particular.
And wherefore that sect whose faith and rules of practice
comport most nearly with the tastes, inclinations, and habits
of the most numerous class of individuals, is certain to take
the lead in point of numbers, whether it does in point of
intelligence and refinement, or not.
Wl"hen, therefore, we come to take into consideration the
great diversity of tastes, capacities and talents that exist
among men; also to reflect that ministers to be of any par



346                  DEPARTURE.
ticular service to their flocks must not be too much above
them, —must at least in appearance, if not in fact, quite
nearly be standing upon the same plane of intelligence,
morals, etc., with those they are endeavoring to teach and to
lead; we are forced to the conclusion that the leading managers of the sect called Methodists do manifest much practical good sense in ordaining, and sending forth into the
field as ministers, men not only of high, but of low grade of
character and intelligence, the Better to reach and influence
not only the higher, but the lower grades of human beings.
By this practice of ordaining, and sending forth as teachers,
all kinds of men anzamong all kinds of men, instead of only a
certain kind amoing all the different kinds, they do much
toward relieving their ministers, each and all, from the
necessity of having to resort to the hypocritical and demoralizing practice of becoming all things to all men, without
impairing the beneficial results which Paul in so doing was
aiming to secure.
We say, by this practice of ordaining, etc., they do much
toward relieving their ministers, each and all, from the
necessity of having to resort, etc., without impairing the
beneficial results which Paul in so doing was aiming to
secure, because as certainly as does that which comes frcm
the heart of the speaker more readily reach and affect the
heart of hearer, than does that which not thus from the
heart, but only from the cunning hypocritical head doth
come; just so certainly will those ministers who are low in
the scale of intelligence, and hence do themselves believe,
at very bottom, the things which they preach, gain more
converts among that class of persons who are yet a little
lower than themselves, than will those whose ignorance is
feigned, whose sympathies are not genuine, and whose teachings, instead of being in accordance with their honest convictions, are, for the most part, just so many fictions conjured up and put forth to meet the occasion.-To effect the
greatest amount of good with any given force, the right man
in the right place is just what is needed.-That it is not the
higher, but the lower grades of men, who most need to have




DIFFEREFNT RELI(TON2Sr AND SE'CTIS.       347
thrown around them the restraining influence of churchmembership, chuich pride, church-watching, etc., not only
to keep them from crime, but within the bounds of common
decency and order, is a fact which it is as unwise as unsafe
to attempt to ignore. And surely it will not be contended
that churches, either high or low, can ever anywhere be
formed without members; or that they can ever anywhere
be formed, except they be made up of such materials as do
at the time exist in the locality-.
Truly, " they that be whole need not a physician, but they
that are sick." Wherefore let us all who are so fortunate as
to be well,-so fortunate as to be, by nature, a law unto ourselves, remember that we are God-appointed guardians over
such as- are not. And wherefore let us take these our less
favored fellow-mortals of every caste, color, and condition,
just as we find them and, by all proper appliances, try to
elevate them,-try to render them wiser and better, as well
for our own sake as for theirs; since, more or less mixed up
with them, we unavoidably are, and hence, more or less debased by their presence and downward-dragging influence,
whilst low they shall remain, we unavoidably must be. In
other words, let us try and be at least selfishly wise, if we
cannot be benevolently so.
And here, in this connection, we will take occasion to say
that, according to our interpretation of the signs of the
times, the day is not far distant when numerous Naturists,
or persons whose religious views are substantially the same
as ours, will become tired of courting concealment, each
by himself in some out-of-the-way corner, and commence
the work of organizing themselves into a society or order, having for its object the discovery of real truth, its more rapid
spread, and the enjoyment of its blessings;for its bond of union,
similarity of taste, of feeling, of interest, and general goodwill; for its motto, Progression; and the " Golden Rule " as
the basis of its creed. This done, and they will begin to
hold up their heads like men who are not ashamed of the
faith that is in them. This done, and many, very many,
who are not even suspected of having a leaning toward




348                  DEPARTURE.
Naturism, will rush to its embrace. Yea, this done, and
such will soon come to be the numbers of the order as to
enable its members, here, there, and yonder, to begin the
work of erecting suitable buildings in which to meet for
consultation, for meditation, for amusement, for the hearing
of lectures, for mutual improvement by a free interchange
of opinions, for concerting measures of relief for the neighboring poor, and all such other social, charitable, and religious purposes as may be deemed proper.
Without organization, there can be little concert of
action; and without concert of action but little of
moment can ever be achieved. Or thus: Just as long
as men are content to hide their light "under a
bushel," that is, to remain silent and inactive, or to speak
and act only separately, no matter how great may be their
numbers, what their form of faith, nor how unimpeachable
their characters, just so long must they be content to be
despised for their weakness. Yea, and just as soon as they
become tired of this state of things-tired of being mere
ciphers, take upon themselves a name, organize themselves
into a body thereunder, and hence come to act in concert,
just so soon do they become a power in the land commanding the respect of their enemies. In a word, the time has
come and now is, when Naturists in religion may take their
place at the head, where they properly belong; or remain
at the foot, just as they please.-The Lord ever helps such,
and such only, as look boldly up, step manfully forward, and
help themselves.
The great religious rule that was first laid down by Confucius, as we have every reason to believe, and of which
that philosopher declared, "Thou needest only this law
alone; it is the foundation and principle of all the rest:"The great religious rule of which, some five centuries thereafter, Christ emphatically said, "This is the law and the
prophets;" and which rule has long since come to be called
"golden," because of its beautiful simplicity and great intrinsic worth, What is it, and what its real import?  Let
us briefly examine it and see. " All things whatsoever ye




DIFFERENT RELIGIONS AND SECTS.            349
would that men should do to. you, do ye even so to them:
for this is the law and the prophets;" [for this is the sum and
substance of the teachings of both the law and the prophets,
meaning.] Such is the brief letter of that invaluable rule,
as worded by Christ; and this we regard as being its
sober import: Before thou, 0 man! whosoever thou art,
shalt say or do any thing that will necessarily affect thy fellow-beings, one or more, ask thyself this one plain question:What is/tthat, under like circumstances, thou wouldst have
such individual or individuals say of thee or thine, or do
unto thee or thine? And whatsoever, untQ such question
shall be thine own candid answer, that say thou of them or
theirs, or do unto them or theirs, as the case may be; and
whatsoever thou wouldst not have them say of thee or thine,
or do unto thee or thine, that say not thou of them or theirs,
nor do unto them or theirs.-Such, as we understand the
matter, is a fair interpretation of the rule and nothing more.
And now, who cannot see that, in and by the act of laying
down this rule, Christ just as good as said, (as far forth as it
was possible for him to do so,) unto every son and
daughter of Adam present and to come, and no matter how differently organized, educated, or circumstanced, Be thou thyself, and for thyself, from thine
own feelings and the light which thou hast, the candid judge
as to what, under the circumstances, it is right and proper
that thou shouldst say and. do? Yea, and who not that
this is neither more nor less than letting currently existing
and advancing man, with all his variant tastes, temperaments,
and different degrees of development, be the currently existing and advanced judge as to what, under the circumstances, it is right and proper for him to say and do; instead
of laying down to all men, of every clime, age, capacity, and
condition, one and the same inflexible rule therefor?
Between a sliding scale, or a rule thus adapted to every
kind, character, and condition of men, and every kind, character, and grade of circumstances, and a fixed standard
adapted only to a single class of men, a single kind of conditions, and a single set of circumstances, the difference is




350                  DEPART URE.:heaven-wide, or, at least, such seems to have been the judgment of Christ in the premises, and we cannot for one moment doubt its correctness. It must therefore be a sad
mistake to attempt to measure everybody else by ourselves;a sad mistake to suffer ourselves to feel vexed, not to say angry,
because a naturally thoughtless and careless neighbor, for
example, leaves out upon the ground in the storm some
favorite tool he has borrowed of us, when we see and know
that that is precisely the kind of care he takes of his own
tools; hence is precisely the kind of care which to him doth
seem proper;.and hence, unto him and for him, is all good
and right.
When men, no matter who nor of what class or grade,
treat others and others' things, whilst in their employ or
possession, just as they treat themselves and their own things,
they are evidently doing as they would be done by; —are
evidently obeying the great foundation rule laid down by
Christ; —are evidently doing what to them doth seem to be
proper; no matter how widely different may be the teachings
of Moses, the prophets, or the views of any other kind and
character of men, whether ancient or modern. Or, at
least, this is unquestionably the view which Christ
took of the matter when laying down said rule; and who,
upon a careful survey of the matter, is prepared to say that
he was not eminently right? It is plain that Christ had
faith in his fellow-men,-had faith in the integrity of variant
human nature, whether the old Mosaic God had or not.
In a word, no man lives up to the letter of the "golden
rule," and certainly not to its spirit, who lets Moses, the
prophets, the priests, or anybody else decide for him, as to
what is his duty to his fellow-men; but only he who, regardless of all opinions, ancient or modern, does by others as he
himself adjudges that, under like circumstances, he would
have others do by him. Or thus: As men are far from being
all alike in looks, taste, feeling, or judgment, and as they
will doubtless thus forever continue to be; so it must be
exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, for any one to be a
Christian in either feeling or action, who, in his intercourse




DIFFERENT RELIGIONS AND SECTS.              351
with his fellow-men, fails to take into consideration this
great God-ordained fact.
And here we will take the liberty of adding that, as we
have finally come to see it, within the letter of this brief rule
of the heathen Confucius, and also of the man Christ, resides the spirit not only of all that is important in the Laue
and t/ze prop/hets, but the substance of all Christ's practical
religious teachings. And not only this, but that, in truth
and in fact, of all that is of any practical value in the Christian system of religion, not only is said rule the foundation,
but of broader and more advanced Naturism, it is also the
rock. And wherefore, sadly as in our daily walk and conversation we fall short of coming up thereto, it is upon this
rock that with unwavering faith we have been striving to
stand and endeavoring to grow in religious breadth and
stature, for the last quarter of a century; or ever since our
narrow escape from the quicksands of that general infidelity
into which, for a time during, middle-age, we felt ourselves
sinking.
And yet one thing more: We cannot but regard it as
being a mistake in our brother Naturists to allow themselves
to speak disrespectfully, not to say sneeringly, of Christ as a
man, simply for the reason that he had the misfortune to be
early taught, and hence brought to believe, that, instead of
being a mere flesh-and-blood being and of human origin, he
was the Son of God and equal withl the Father;-a mistake
in them not to give a hearty welcome to any and all of that
good man's religious teachings which are manifestly in accordance with high-toned human nature, and hence consonant to a religious state of society which it is most desirable
should come to exist, simply for the reason that, just like
every other man, of many things he was entirely ignorant,
and in reference to some others greatly mistaken; or because, by his particular friends and admirers, he is believed
in and idolized altogether too much. And no less a mistake
must it be in our Christian friends to suffer themselves to
speak disrespectfully, not to say contemptuously, of such of
Nature's teachings as are manifestly in accordance with




352                 DEPARTURE.
fact, and hence with eternal verity, simply for the reason
that they were not understood by either Moses or Christ,
and hence not by them taught or attempted to be; or because, by the particular friends and admirers of Nature and
her laws, certain of her teachings may be indiscreetly lauded,
or thrust into ridiculous prominence. In short, let our
Christian friends pursue whatever course they may, it cannot be wisdom in us Naturists to make the gap between
them and us any wider than are we compelled to do, by a
paramount regard for what we know to be real truth, or at
least have every reason for believing to be such; —cannot be
wisdom in us to reject from our religious fabric a single
stick of sound timber, simply because it was recommended
by Christ, or its use commanded by Moses.-No; not with
broad Naturism is any such narrow, fanatical course consistent.




CHAPTER XXXIII.J
BRIEF REMARKS UPON NUMEROUS SUBJECTS.
DISCRETION A PRIMARY VIRTUE.
As a rule, men are in duty bound to speak the truth, as
they at the time understand it to be; in certain cases, however, they are not only at liberty not to tell the truth, as
they believe the same to be, but to prevaricate, and even to
state what they know to be false. As, for a too familiar example, when one is being perseveringly questioned by some
inquisitive busy-body in the guise of a friend, as to things
which do not concern him; and where the answers, if truthful, would be powerless to do good, and only potent to work
mischief.  Men are in  duty bound to be prudent toward
themselves as well as just toward others; —are in duty
bound so to speak and so to act as not unnecessarily to injure themselves, or be the cause of dissentions which give
no promise of yielding any compensating benefits.
DEATH A PURIFIER.
No matter how good or how great, all men whilst living
are seen to be human beings, are known to be imperfect,
have many warm friends, and many bitter enemies; and
hence they are not unfrequently applauded and condemned
for the self-same acts. In passing through the gate of death,
*NOTE. —.AS this volume is wholly composed, as its title imports, of selections made
from a mass of fragmentary writings, extending over a term of full twventy years; so,
when reading this chapter, it would be well to understand that nearly every piece
herein is really supplemental to something which has already been said in some one or
other of the preceding chapters,-all of them having been written and closed up, a long'
time before any portion of this one was penned.
24




354                 -DEPARTURE.
however, they become purged of nearly all their faults, without
losing a single one of all their many virtues; by lying in
their graves a number of years, they become perfect; and,
by lying therein for long centuries, veritable saints. —Such
is the influence of veneration upon intellect and memory.
FOLLY NOT CONFINED TO YOUTH.
The fact is, and all of us who have lived to be old ought
to know it, we can no more see, feel, act, or desire to act as
legitimately do the young, than can we wear their fresh and
joyous looks upon our wrinkled brows; nor can they any
more, before the proper time arrives, see, feel, act, or desire
to act as legitimately do we, than can they, before such
time, shriveled and cadaverous looks put on. Wherefore,
would we be loved whilst living and remembered with pleasure when dead, by that young and rising generation which
is fast coming to possess the Earth, we must not eternally
be harping upon their childish indiscretions and youthful
faults; but remember that, of all these things in them, the
same as has it in us, time will work a perfect cure. It is no
more a sin to be young, than it is to be middle-aged or old;
and hence it is no more wicked for the young to possess and
manifest the feelings that are incident to youth, than it is for
the middle-aged or old to'possess and manifest such as are
incident to persons of their respective years; not any more.
That the boys with their guns, the girls with their dolls, and
the youths and the maidens, in the merry dance, are just as
appropriately and acceptably worshiping God, as are the
middle-aged and old with their solemn faces, long prayers,
and numerous sacraments, as seems to us, cannot rationally
be doubted. In a word, it is that religion which makes
people feel more cheerful and happy, whether young or old,
and not that which renders them fearful, gloomy, and despondent, that is valuable unto them, and hence pleasing
unto God.
KINDNESS AND CHARITY VS. SEVERITY.
As the world has no use for any more devils, severity, or
hell than it has already gotten within its borders, and as




REAMARKS UPON NUM-IERO US SUBJECTS.    355
there is great need of more kindness, charity, and forbearance among men; so it would be well for us all to cultivate
these things, within ourselves and others, a great deal more,
and those a great deal less. Yea, and as long as men will
persist in believing and teaching that " the heart [the heart
of man] is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked," just so long should they remember, when preaching its abominations, that their hearts are but the hearts of
men; consequently that these their denunciations against
that particular organ must necessarily partake to the fill of
this same great wickedness; and so try and let their heads
learn charity, forbearance, and good-will, if their hearts will
not.
MAN AN ANIMAL.
Of such as are disposed to ridicule the idea of man's
being animal in his origin, and hence an animal in fact
throughout every stage of his existence to his final end, only
of superior, order, we would like to inquire-And what is
it that you would. have others believe concerning their
origin, nature, and final destiny, provided yours was the
right to enforce upon them your desires in that regard?
Would you, in reference to these fundamental questions,
permit them to rely upon the testimony of their Creator, as
the same stands out revealed to them upon the human
organism enstamped; or would you, instead, have them believe the honeyed whisperings of their strong self-love,
unchecked by the lights of reason, observation, and experience?-To become truly wise, as seems to us, it is not with
our fond imaginings, because flattering to our vanity, but
with real truth, be it whatsoever it may, that we must be supremely in love.
NAKED GHOSTS.
It would seem that men must have a gigantic capacity for
believing to be able to believe that all the different articles
of apparel by people worn are possessed of souls, and hence
able to put in their appearance upon the bodies of the ghosts
of their former wearers, the same as they did when by them




356                  DEPARTURE.
being worn whilst yet in the flesh, and moving about among
us. We say, men must have a gigantic capacity for believing to be able to believe that all the different articles of apparel by people worn are possessed of souls, etc., because,
unless such inanimate articles do possess souls, then must
the ghosts of departed men and women always present themselves in a state of nudity; provided always that, outside the
disordered imaginations of the beholders, they ever present
themselves at all.
MIND.
By the term " mind," we do not mean, as has already been
said and repeated, an entity of any kind, but simply a certain complex act which is spoken into existence within the
human tabernacle by the brain, and by nothing else; the
same as, by the term " digestion," is not meant an entity or
something which independently of the stomach doth anywhere exist, but simply that certain complex act which is
spoken into existence within the human tabernacle by the
stomach, and by nothing else. And here let us add that,
notwithstanding the much which is still believed and taught
to the contrary, mind has never yet been even presumptively
proven to be spoken into existence, or maintained therein,
by any organ, except the brain, and never in any way or
anywhere, except by the action of the brain; else are we
wholly mistaken as to what doth constitute presumptive evidence of a fact in natural science.
THE HIGHEST GRADE OF RELIGION.
That some men are so organized and balanced as to delight in tumult, broils, and blood cannot be doubted,-cannot be doubted that they would, at almost any time, rather
see two dogs, bulls, or men fight than to eat. Such persons,
of course, the same as the kind-hearted philanthropist, are
compelled to derive their pleasures from just such organs
and balance of organs as they possess; and they cannot by
any possibility derive them from any other. Wherefore, notwithstanding it must be conceded that such do enjoy a sort




REMARKS UPOX NUNIERO US SUBJECTS.    357
of pleasure, still it cannot be denied, as we think, that the
kingdom of heaven which they create, enjoy, and carry
about with them, in their bosoms, is of quite a low grade.
Indeed, in our judgment, those are the highest grade of
religious men, and hence do currently enjoy the highest
grade of heavenly kingdom, whose pleasures are derived not
from making or seeing the meanest thing that is miserable,
but from seeing and trying to make every human being, and
every needful creature about them, comfortable and happy.
Or whether right or whether wrong, such are our notions of
the highest grade of religious sentiment and feeling; and
hence such our notions of the highest grade of a religious
God.
MAN OF GOD A PART.
Impious as may seem the idea to many, that individual
man is a composing fraction of that Power which reigns in
and rules over all things, in earth and heaven; nevertheless
we must think a similar idea, if not the very same. was
struggling for birth in Paul's brain, at the time he was penning the following sentence:  "There is one body, and one
Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all,
who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Eph., 4.
4-6. We say, we must think a similar idea, if not the very
same, was struggling for birth in Paul's brain, etc.; for, obviously enough, had he extended the sentence a -very little
further, by adding thereunto its plain, brief corollary, And
of wehonz ye are each a part, he would then have covered the
entire ground, not only by fair implication, but in express
terms.
LIFE.
As we have finally come to see it, not only is organic
action organic life, but the life which, in Nature's great laboratory, doth underlie this, and that parent cause thereunto
doth stand, is electric life. Hence certain elements which
in their primary estate are purely inorganic, consequently
only of electric life possessed, legitimately become and are,




358                 DEPARTURE.
when by electrical agency elevated and arranged in certain
organic order, vegetable life; and when thereafter in a certain
other and more complex organic order, animal life; and
when in that particular organic form and order which constitutes them a perfect living eye, for example, then those
heretofore inorganic and sightless elements legitimately
become possessed of the faculty or power of creating within
us, by the aid of the brain, the sensation called sight; that
is, they are then capable of performing that peculiar kind
and character of organic function which constitutes what is
known as the act of seeing. And thus on of all the numerous and different nervous, muscular, and brenal faculties
possessed and manifested, not only by animals of low order,
but by man, the most complicated of all known organic
structures, and hence the highest of all known animated
beings. In a word, it would seem from numerous indexes,
that the existence of that. immaterial something, known as
the electric fluid, must be coextensive with all material substance; and also that, between the two, there is a strong
mutual affinity.
MIRACLES OR SUPERHUMAN ACTS.
That much practice, added to strong natural talent in the
same direction, has a tendency to make perfect, and hence
has enabled certain individuals in all ages of the world to
perform many strange and apparently unnatural things, is
not denied; but that Moses, Joshua, or anybody else ever
performed a miracle, that is, an act which was not from
beginning to end in strict accordance with some branch or
department of natural law, we are wholly unprepared to
believe.  What! human beings perform  acts which are
superhuman?  Beings who owe their very existence to the
operation of natural causes, consequently are themselves
from sole to crown of Nature a part, perform acts which are
wholly unnatural,-acts which, with her eternal laws, are at
variance direct? As seems to us, no such phenomenon ever
did or ever can occur.




REAMARKS UPONV V UlMERO US SUBJECTS.   359
MAN-WORSHIP.
Allowing God to be, as by us claimed, the Sum of all
Created things and uncreated Elements that anywhere exist,
and hence that Earth, man, beast, and all things else, are of
him a legitimate part; it needs must follow that in point of
knowledge, within the bounds of this our mundane sphere
at least, the fraction man doth stand pre-eminently at the
head; and hence tbat, aside from the acts and doings of the
animal called man, there is naught of power, in all this
portion of the universe at least, that is exerted by design or
wielded by discretion, in the common acceptation of those
terms, except the little that is put forth under the guidance
of the feeble brenal light by dumb brutes possessed. Not
only this, but if the foregoing views are correct, much as the
idea of man-worship is ridiculed by some, we do none of us
greatly err when, obedient to the mixed nature that is in us,
we up to men of superior wisdom, goodness, and power, as
unto gods, with reverential awe do look. Nor are such of
the lords of creation as believe in their truthfulness acting
inconsistently when, in obedience to the mixed nature that
is organically enstamped upon them, they adore, as angels,
the more lovely and exalted of the gentler sex; since, obviously enough, in such case, save what of the angelic within
the pale of blessed humanity resides, angels there are none.
" ALL HAVE ONE BREATH."
As has been elsewhere said and repeated, we must think
that animal life is neither a created nor uncreated entity, but
simply organic function and death its total absence. Or, to
be a little more explicit, organic action, or function performed by animal organs, is the very thing which animal life
doth constitute; and hence is the only thing which, from
any animal, high or low, must needs step out to leave it dead.
Wherefore, as with the horse he rides, so with the animal
called man who rides him, the duration of that organic
action which his life doth constitute can never one moment
exceed in duration the organic structure which speaks it into
existence.




360                  DEPARTURE.
Who doubts that the life of a horse is organic life?-Probably no one. What warrant, then, have we for doubting it
in the case of man?
Is it because man dearly loves his life?-So evidently does
the hdrse and numerous other animals to him inferior.
Is it because he manifests intelligence, foresees consequences, and lays up in store for the morrow?-All these
things are performed by the bee, the beaver, and sundry
other animals of quite inferior order, only upon a scale less
grand.
But man has a will and the power of choice.  Very well,
and has not a horse the same? Does he not often declare
by his acts, that he does not choose to be caught, and therefore will not be? And does he not upon such occasions
manifest foresight, as well as power of choice, by keeping
out in the body of the field, instead of suffering himself to
be worked into a corner? Yea, and does he not reveal
quite enough of determination of purpose when, by his acts,,he most unmistakably declares that he has gone far enough,
and so will not budge another inch? We repeat, Does not
the horse manifest all these things, the same as does the
superior animal called man, only in an inferior quality and
degree?
Again, if human life is a real entity and not organic function, and if the life of the horse is organic function and not
an entity, then how happens it that both men and horses are
not only multiplied into being in the same way, but nursed,
kept alive, and growing,by the same kind and character of
means; namely, by taking food into the stomach, inhaling
atmospheric air, etc.?
Of course, we do not pretend to know that the life of man
is not a real entity, or that he does not possess existence
independently of organic action, both endlessly before he is
born and after he is physically dead; nor do we know that
the life'of a horse is not also such an entity. Just what we
intend to affirm is, that, in so far as we are able to see and to
judge, the evidences all seem to be against it; and consequently it is no more possible for us to believe it than it is




REMARKS UPON.NUMERO US SUBJECTS.    361
to plant ourself upon nothing, and there stand. In a word,
as, in a philosophical point of view, we are unable to see
any difference between the life or spirit of a man, and the
life or spirit of a horse, so we are unable to believe there is
any;-are unable to believe there is any, for the reason that,
think differently who may, actual belief, whether wise or
foolish, is never a matter of choice, but always a thing of
necessity.
"And moreover I saw under the Sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. I said in mine heart, God
shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a
time there for every purpose and for every work.  I said in
mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that
God might manifest them, and that they might see that they
themselves are beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of
men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the
one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath;
so that a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast: for all
is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and
all turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit of man that
goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the Earth?  Wherefore I perceive that there is
nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own
works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to
see what shall be after him?"
Such were the views entertained upon this subject by the
ancient Preacher.-Last paragraph of third chapter of
Ecclesiastes.
POPULAR OPINION EVER CHANGING.
In a land where no man is born with a gold spoon in his
mouth and none with a spade in his hand, but where the
avenues to learning, wealth, and honor are equally open to
all, it is natural that men should come to think and to speak
with a freedom that is unknown in the olden aristocratic
countries of the world.  Wherefore it should not be forgotten by any member of that great debating club, into which




362                 DEPARTURE.
the people of such a country are certain to resolve themselves, that, notwithstanding it may be his fortune to be
standing upon a pinacle of social respectability and honor
to-day, he is liable, by a change in public sentiment and
feeling, to be found occupying a very different position tomorrow. From the same high gallows which a proud and
insolent Haman may to-day be erecting for the suppression
of some humble Mordecai, who cannot find it in his heart
to pay homage either unto him or his opinions, it is possible
that he himself may ere long be left to dangle.
MAN TB' E CREATURE OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
As the nature which an infant possesses at birth is the
creature of hereditary causes over which it had no control,
and as the nature which an individual possesses in manhood
is that same infantile nature, strengthened by time, developed by education, and moulded by circumstances; so, in
truth and in fact, these are the branches of the great Creator
which, by their joint and several action, have made him the
kind and character of man he is. And consequently, it is
upon these said branches, or creative causes, and not upon
the individual himself, the mere effect, that must rest the
responsibility, not only for his being the kind and character
of man he is, but for his doing and desiring to do as he
does,-if responsibility therefor anywhere doth rest.  In
childhood, from hereditary causes, educational influences,
etc., we are led to desire and determine to pursue a certain
course of action through life, but, by the presence and operation of various unforeseen circumstances that come to
surround us in youth, we are deterred therefrom, and compelled to pursue some other; by the pressure of yet some
other circumstances which unexpectedly come to surround
us in early manhood, we are again compelled to change our
course for yet another; and thus on all through our lives,
not in a broad, smooth sea of independence of surrounding
things do we sail, but in the narrow, jagged channel of circumstances which urge us on and direct our course.'In



REMIARKS UPON NUIMERO US SUBJECTS.    363
stead of an individual's creation being begun and ended at
birth, or upon any other particular day, it is from the date
of his death backward, and still backward, through a long
line of ancestors and ancestral influences that the period
of his full creation legitimately extends. And not only this,
but, from the cradle to the grave, (ancestry and ancestral
influences being all left aside,) circumstances and things
apparently trivial have much more to do with moulding the
character and shaping the destinies of men, and hence in
currently making them the kind and character of persons
they currently are, than do any of the greatly superior
branches or departments of the Creator and Governor of
the Universe. —Of an endless chain, not the present link,
nor yet the next preceding one, is the end.
INSPIRATION.
Much as has been said, sung, and written upon the subject, we can see no good reason for believing that the men
of olden time were any more specially inspired, or taught
of God, than are the men of to-day, knowledge then, the
same as now, being, as we think, the product of human
brains; and hence limited in kind, character, and extent by
the capacity of that organ to speak it into existence within
the human tabernacle. To the extent that Moses, St. Paul,
Mr. Volney, or any other writer, ancient or modern, correctly interprets the' laws of Nature and lays bare their mode
of operation, to that extent doth such writer proclaim
eternal verity; and hence to that extent is he taught of
God by natural process, but not by him specially instructed,
or made wise by miracle.
Allowing the men of to-day to be more enlightened, than
were the men of olden time; in other words, admitting
that, by the aid of all the arts and sciences which have been
brought to light since the days when the Bible was written,
and all the vast array of schools and other educational
machinery which have since been put in operation to promote their spread, the present tenants of Earth have come




364                  DEPARTURE.
to know more of great Nature, more of her laws, and more
of their modes of operation to produce results, than did
the ancients, or any intervening generation of men; it
would then seem to follow and that quite plainly, that the
men of to-day are just so much the more specially inspired,
or taught of God, instead of less or none at all; consequently that their inferences, opinions, and.statements are
just so much the more likely to be in accordance with eternal fact; and hence that they should be correspondingly
more sought after, examined, and believed. —Not with the
ancients did wisdom die; neither will it with this generation.
As no man is capable of drinking in all of Nature, so no
man is ever inspired by Nature's Sum; and as almost
every man is capable of drinking in some small portion of
Nature, so almost every man is by some small fraction of
her vast Self inspired. The man does not live who is
capable of delivering a masterly extemporaneous address,
to an audience that is wholly composed of gaping fools; and
yet men of only fair ability, not unfrequently become eminently inspired, when addressing congenial audiences of
highly intellectual and silently attentive heads. The traveler derives inspiration from lakes and rivers; the geologist
from rocks and stones; the botanist from leaves and flowers;
the speaker from his hearers; and thus on. In short, from
the cradle to the grave, we are all of us more or less inspired
in our thoughts, feelings, and sentiments, and hence moulded
in our characters, by the character of the different circumstances and things by which we are surrounded. And such,
we cannot doubt, is all the divine inspiration there really is,
ever was, or ever will be.
FIRST PRINCIPLES THE BEST GUIDE.
Not only do the views and opinions of different individuals of equal eminence in the same profession quite widely
differ, but also those of the same individual, at different
periods of time. Hence the man who plants himself upon
the opinions of the Christian Fathers, the framers of the
Constitution, or, indeed, upon precedent of any kind, can




REMJIARKS UPON NU-M-ERO US SUBJECTS.    365
thereby jprove almost anything he chooses.  With first
principles, it is not so. Wherefore, it is these a great deal
more, and those a great deal less, that should be consulted
by both divines and statesmen, would they advance themselves and us in wisdom's pleasant ways, instead of perpetuating, in both us and them, the errors of the past.
CREATION CONTINUOUS AND PROGRESSIVE.
Notwithstanding from the force of habit and the usage of
language we are frequently led to speak of creation as being
a thing which at sonime time had a beginning; nevertheless it
is our opinion, not only that the elements, of which all created forms and things are composed, are eternal, but that
creation, in some form, has eternally existed. Of course, it
is not thought that the same worlds, and other minor forms
and things which, to-day, do constitute creation's sum, eternally existed, or that they will endlessly continue to be, but
only that the complex act or process, whose result is creation, is eternal; and hence that, of created things in some
form and stage of maturity, there was never a vacancy and
will never come an end.
Or thus: Of creation, which we regard as being both a
continuous and progressive work, destruction is a preparatory process, and hence a branch.  Simple comparative
illustrations.-Preparatory to constructing a substantial edifice from the materials of which an old, tumble-down, stone
castle is composed, such castle has first to be razed to its
foundation. Preparatory to raising a crop of wheat from a
field of growing clover, the clover has first to be plowed
under, and there left to die and to rot. Preparatory to
rendering steel intensely hard, it has first to be heated until
quite soft. Indeed, so closely do creation and destruction
follow at each other's heels, that the elements which compose the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and even those of
which we are ourselves made up, have all been used before;
-have all been possessed of organic life either vegetable or
animal, and that not unlikely a thousand times before.  In
fine, it can hardly be doubted, as seems to us, that, through



366                  DEPARTURE.
out all past eternity,. like elementary particles or creative
causes have been constantly at work, producing into existence and also destroying, over and over again, like created
forms, things, or effects, great and small, inanimate and animated; and not any more that they will continue on repeating and re-repeating these same acts throughout all eternity
to come.
ALL MEN BRETHREN.
As all men have the same common parents; namely,
Mother Earth and Father Sol; and as all men belong to the
same common church; namely, the great church of humanity; so all men are not only brethren, but doubly such.
And not only this, but inasmuch as every man is a priest by
divine right; that is, was born one; therefore no man has
need of being ordained by any of the so-called successors
of the apostles, or other set of his fellow beings, to enable
him to exercise his natural, and hence divine right of performing priestly labors, whenever and wherever his services
may be acceptable, and he disposed to render them. Or
thus: A4s Father Adam must be supposed to have been endowed with the right to offer up his own sacrifices and carry
his own soul to market; so his descendants, one and all,
must be supposed to inherit the same right equally with
Aaron, the apostles, or any other set of men descended from
the same common ancestor. Of course, it is not claimed
that all are alike qualified either by inclination or ability, to
execute this or any other right in the same skillful and impressive manner, or with the same infinitude of measured
ceremoniousness; but only that such is every man's right
by inheritance, if he chooses to exercise it.
CONSCIENCE.
It'must ever be remembered that conscience, in order to
be a promoter of real good and a guide to any high grade of
happiness, must be enlightened; that is, it must be governed
in its decisions, not by the blind feelings, however active
and strong, but by the teachings of sober intellect. That




REMIARKS UPON NUMERO US SUBJECTS.    367
the Jew, the Turk, and the Christian are alike conscientious
in their religious beliefs and practices cannot rationally be
doubted, and yet it is hardly supposable that they are all
alike really good and happy; that is, that they are all good
and happy in the same high degree. That the restless, energetic, and impulsive Paul was acting just as conscientiously,
when going about persecuting the saints, as when, only a
few days thereafter, he was journeying from place to place
preaching the gospel of Christ, no sane man will deny; and
yet, that the pleasures he derived from thus trying to injure
the pure and the innocent were of a much lower grade than
those derived from trying to comfort, elevate, and bless his
fellow-men, —than those derived from trying to lift them out
of the slough of sin and consequent suffering, we have his
own emphatic testimony.
SELF-HELP THE BEST HELP.
All past observation and experience bear testimony, that
those who, by dint of their own persevering efforts, manage
to work themselves up to some ardently desired summit, no
matter how high nor what its kind, do almost invariably
prove themselves equal to the task of sustaining themselves
there; whilst those who have to be coaxed up, dragged up,
and every conceivable means used to get them up, are almost
certain, when they come to be left to themselves, to topple,
fall, and ultimately sink back into their original nothingness. And what is true of individuals, in these, respects,
must needs be true of classes, nations, and even races; since
it is of individuals, and of nothing else, that these are all
made up.
FEELINGS STRONG, INTELLECTS WEAK.
No matter how highly social the individual nor how well
bred, it is impossible for a man, in whom intellect is weak
and the organs of feeling and emotion strong, ever long to
discuss a question with anyone holding opposite views, without becoming more or less angry or, in milder phrase,
excited; and hence becoming more or less piquant and cen



368                  DEPARTURE.
sorious. For this, of course, he is to be commiserated and
not blamed; unless, indeed, it can- be shown that he is to
blame for being organized and balanced in the way he is.
Nor is it possible for men possessed of strong and highly
cultivated intellects, but of still stronger feelings and emotions, long to discuss a question, whereon they are evidently
getting the worst of the argument, without so far forgetting
their dignity and losing their self-command as to be guilty
of violating the proprieties of debate. Of this, the halls of
Congress furnish some notable examples.
Ambitious and keenly sensitive as are the organs of feeling and emotion, they can neither see nor reason.
CONVERSATION AND WORKS.
That some persons exhibit much more of method and
talent in their conversation than in their works, and others
much more of these in their works than in their conversation
must be manifest to all; and yet who will explain the cause
thereof, either upon the supposition of the brain's being a
single organ, or upon the one which makes mind to be a
real entity, consequently to be a thing which exists and acts
independently of the brain, and hence a thing whose existence and action will not cease with the death of that physical organ? Agreeably to our understanding of the matter,
the thing may be briefly explained thus:
As mind, is not a real entity, but merely organic function,
and as the brain is not a simple but a complex organ; so in
the heads of some persons, either from hereditary causes,
the force of habit, or the influence, of both combined, the
intellectual organs ever readily join in and work along with
the organ of Language, but not along with those which are
executive in their character and functions; and hence they
are able to manifest considerable intellectual ability in their
conversation, although but little in their works. And then
there is another class in whose heads, from the same cause
or causes, the intellectual organs ever readily join in and
work along with those which are executive in their character, but not with that of Language; wherefore it cannot




RE1AIARKS UPOXN _V UMERO US SUBJECTS.   369
otherwise be than that these should be able to exhibit much
more of intellectual ability in their works, than in their conversation.-Corollary:-It is folly and not wisdom to undertake to judge of a man's capacity for business, from his
conversational powers; or of his ability to entertain an
audience by his conversation, from the appearance of his
fWrm, the variety of his manufactures, or the beauty of his
other kind and character of works.
NATURAL ORDER.
The funeral sermon of the man whose long and eventful
life has finally come to a close, from age, may be preached
in an hour, and yet not in an hour, a day, or a year did his
decease come to take place, but gradually, beginning back
at that point in his existence where his second childhood
began. When such- a person dies, be the individual our
own dear father, mother, or other near relative, it "is not
possible for us to experience that same deep feeling of grief
which we ever do when a near and dear friend in the prime
of life, by fell disease, is stricken down; and why not? As
seems to us, it is because gradual death from age is a natural institution, and hence a blessed one; whereas sudden
death in' the fullness of life, from disease, being an ab~normal
or superinduced event, therefore it is an event which is at
variance with natural Order, and consequently one with
which nature's pulse in our bosoms can never beat in unison.
Wintry days in the season of winter being perfectly natural,
therefore, at that time, they are not particularly annoying;
but, was so unnatural an event to take place as the dropping down upon us of a late December day, in early August,
we should doubtless find it exceedingly unpleasant.
HOW IT IS DONE.
As the vast infinitude of pebbles, with which old ocean's
shore is lined, do none of them possess the power spontaneously to stir, but are ever made to move and rub one against
another by the action of the waves, whereby each is brought
25




370                  DEPARTURE.
to act upon and affect the. other, and whereby they are, one
and all, just as effectually rounded and smoothed as if each
possessed the power, not only of spontaneously stirring, but
of thus abrading and polishing its own surface; so it is not
upon himself, however great and powerful he may be, that a
man's influence is exerted, but upon his neighbors and associates, they in return doing the same thing upon him. Yea,
and in this way is society just as effectually enlightened,
civilized, and elevated in the scale of humanity, as if each
individual member thereof possessed the power of acting
directly upon and affecting himself; —as if each individual
member thereof possessed the power to make himself,-possessed the power to mould his own character,-possessed
the power to lift himself from the ground by pulling at his
boot straps, the same as can he thus elevate any of his
neighbors by pulling at theirs.
THE SHEEP A GOOD SHEEP-THE WOLF A GOOD WOLF.
As all the different kinds and grades of animals, the same
as plants, must be presumed to have been spoken into being
just as they now are, by a pre-existent and hence extraneous
God, else to have been sprung into existence low down, and
so pushed up creation's gradually ascending grade into their
present state of being, by operation of natural causes, deep
in the nature of the undying elements eternally residing;
therefore every kind and grade of animal, as well as vegetable, must be presumed to be, upon the whole, more or less
good, and not absolutely bad, a single one.  Indeed, take
whichever view of the case we will, the conclusion seems to
be irresistible that kites, hawks and wolves, the same as the
sheep, cow and horse, are, each and all, part and parcel of
Nature's grand harmonious Whole; and hence that they,
each and all, are acting properly and not improperly, when
they live out in practice the nature that is organically
enstamped upon them.
Simply because we are unable to see the precise beneficial
use which a thing subserves in the great natural economy, it
will not do to infer that it doth not subserve any.




REMARKS UPON NUMERO US SUBJECTS.    371
OBEDIENCE REWARDED, SIN PUNISHED.
To the extent that a man is prosperous and happy, to that
extent is he righteous and not wicked; or more properly, to
that extent is he an obeyer and not'a breaker of the laws
upon which the particular kind of success and happiness by
him enjoyed depends. In like manner, to the extent a man
is unprosperous and unhappy, to that extent is he disobedient, and hence sinful; no matter what may be his standing
among his fellow-men, nor whether his disobedience is the
result of ignorance or of deliberate intent. In other words,
a man may live in constant violation of one set of laws, consequently be, in so far, an awfully wicked wretch; and yet
be a scrupulous observer of some other set, say those upon
which life and health are dependent, for example, and hence
be, in reference to these, righteous and not wicked. Wherefore, notwithstanding all his transgressions in other directions, he is entitled to reap the rewards of obedience, in the
direction and to the extent that he is obedient; and wherefore, instead of being prematurely cut off by death from
disease, he is almost certain to be healthy and live to a good
old age. Plainly as by the aids of natural science these
things have come to be seen by a large class of persons now
upon the Earth, it is evident that Job was not sufficiently
inspired to understand them; otherwise he would not have
inquired with such great fear and trembling, " Wherefore do
the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?"
Job, 21. 7.
INTELLIGENCE THE GUARDIAN OF LIBERTY.
As not religion of any kind, but intelligence is the natural
guardian of liberty, so it is much to the schoolmaster
and little to the priest that we are indebted for the enjoyment of that inestimable blessing. Notwithstanding the
much, however, that has already been done by the schoolmaster, that there is still lingering among us much of
unreasoning religion, much of stolid ignorance, blind superstition, arrogant bigotry, and rank intolerance cannot be




372                 DEPARTURE.
denied; and yet, so long as shall speech remain free, the
press untrammelled by law, and the natural sciences be
taught, the old bloody scenes of religious persecution can
never be re-enacted by Catholicism, Protestantism, or any
other religious ism. No; never!
EARLY-MADE IMPRESSIONS LASTING.
"Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he
is old he will not depart from it:"-Thus saith the great
Proverbialist. By the same plain rule, teach children erroneously, that is, impress upon their young and tender brains
as facts, things that are dark and fabulous, and they will
continue to believe those same when grown up to manhood.
And not only this, but should they be fortunate enough,
during ripe manbood's stage, to outgrow such erroneous
teachings, in their declining years, and pari passu with the
sagging back of their brains into the lax and feeble condition of childhood, will they sag back into those same
opinions that were thus early impressed upon them. Everywhere and ever, like causes, whether chemical, muscular, or
brenal, produce like effects.
For the reason, then, that it is so very difficult to erase
early-made impressions, or eradicate such opinions and
practices as are gained in childhood, whether correct or
whether erroneous, for that reason ought children never be
taught dogmatically; that is, be told and retold authoritatively, that things are thus and so absolutely; but instead,
that such and such things appear to be facts or are believed
to be so, and upon such and such evidence, or for such and
such reasons; thus leaving the door of after-inquiry thereinto, for themselves, widely ajar. In short, in educating
children, the aim should primarily be to awaken a spirit of
inquiry, and beget in them habits of thought and reflection,
instead of a passive tendency to believe, remember, thoughtlessly repeat, and re-repeat, whatsoever may be unqualifiedly affirmed by their superiors in age, fame, or condition.




REMIARKS UPON iNUMER 0 US SUBJECTS.    373
WHERE THE BLAME OR. RESPONSIBILITY?
As God undoubtedly created that American animal called
the skunk, and organically enstamped upon him all and
singular his peculiar characteristics, so the poor feeble thing
is no more to blame or responsible for being a skunk, and
hence for smelling thus disgustingly skunky, than is God for
having created him thus, or are we for disliking his company because he doth so smell;-not any more.-No man,
high or low, weak or wise, is organically commanded, and
hence required, to be what he never was and cannot be, or
to do what he never did nor ever can do. In other words,
no man is organically commanded, and hence required, to
love what to him is decidedly hateful, or to hate what to
him is especially lovely; and hence', talk it as we may, no
man is to blame or responsible for not doing either the one
thing or the other. Who or what then is to blame or responsible for all this; provided blame, or responsibility
therefor, anywhere there be?
ALL LIKE ADAM, AND ADAM LIKE HIS MAKER.
"In Adam's fall we sinned all."  In other words, our
forefathers, the Adams from whom we descended, being imperfect, they transmitted to us their imperfections as well
as good qualities; we the same to our children, and thus
forever on. Or, in still other words, as not perfection nor
absolute imperfection but imperfect goodness is an attribute
of all created things, so it needs must have been an attribute
of that Power which Adam and all things else created.
And hence, theorize as we may and sing it as we will, it is
"upon this line " that, in actual practice, the great battle of
life has got to be fought out.
HOW MANY MORAL TRUTHS ORIGINATE.
It sometimes happens that what was known to be a falsehood, when first stated, comes to be to the utterer by its oft
repetition a moral truth; and hence becomes a thing unto
which he would be able conscientiously to make oath. And
it is doubtless no uncommon occurrence for things that are




374                -DEPARTURE.
wholly imaginary, but seemingly possible, to become transformed into moral certainties by the same process; and
especially in the heads of such as are by nature, and hence
in practice, greatly given to wondering and hankering after
the wonderful.
With some, the more strange and unnatural the tale, the
more readily it is swallowed; with others, the more miraculous upon its face the story, no matter what nor by whom
told, the stronger must ever be the supporting evidence to
create in their brains that peculiar undulatory movement
which faith therein doth constitute.
A BEGINNING PRESUPPOSES AN END.
When there is no possible way of escaping the conclusion
that a certain existing thing, no matter what, never had a beginning, but endlessly existed, it may doubtless be inferred,
and that legitimately, that it will never come to an end; but
how it can be inferred by men of brains that a thing is going
to exist endlessly on, when they are compelled to admit it had
a beginning, and hence has not endlessly been, we are at a
loss to discover. Or thus: What better evidence can be
required to prove that a thing will endlessly continue to
exist, than the fact that it has endlessly been in existence?
And what better, that a thing will not thus endlessly continue to be, than the fact that it had a beginning, and hence
has not thus endlessly been? As seems to us, none.
Corollary:-The primitive idea intended to be denoted
and conveyed by the word iznmzortal, when applied to mind
or any other created function or thing, has no foundation in
the realms of fact; and hence is merely a moral truth, or a
thing that is wholly imaginary.
BY WHAT POWER RULED.
As all the different parts of a thing are not only equal to
the thing's sum, but are the thing itself, so all the different
properties and powers of all the different elements of which
a thing is composed must not only be equal to the sum of




REYMARIKS UPON NUMIERO US S UBJECTS.    375
its properties and powers, but must be themselves such sum.'It cannot therefore be unreasonable to suppose that, by the
same undying properties and powers which now hold together in globular form, the various elements of which the
Sun, Moon, Earth, and other planets are composed, by those
very same were their composing elements brought into contact, arranged in proper order, located in their appropriate
places, and there in harmonious union joined. Nor is it
rash to presume that, by the same undying properties and
powers which to-day retain in their respective orbital places,
the different bodies of which our Solar system is composed,
by those very same were those heavenly bodies, one after
another, arrested in their wanderings in the fields of space,
brought into their said respective places, and there, revolving
in harmonious union, commanded to remain. When it shall
finally come to be admitted, no matter how reluctantly, that
the elements of which all created things are composed are
not evanescent but eternal, it will also have to be admitted
that their different properties and powers are likewise eternal. And when these two basilar facts shall be conceded,
not of any hypothetic Spirit or Being, outside vast creation's
limits placed, but of the different composing fractions of
that great complex Something which ever within creation's
bounds doth legitimately reside, (because all creation it
doth constitute and is,) will men enquire, and seek for light
and' rules by which to discover and unlock, all such of
creation's present mysteries as are not beyond the utmost
reach of human comprehension.
Yon grand luminary that rules the day, imparting light
and heat and life unto more worlds than this, what is it but
a vast infinitude of particles of elementary substance,
brought together by the law of attraction, which is Fart and
parcel of their undying nature, and there, by such law, fast
bound in So/?  And in what resides Sol's power to hold
and guide the mighty spheres in their vast journeys through
fields of space, but in this same undying nature of his composing elements;-but in the undying nature of just such




376                  DEPARTURE.
elementary particles as, in their primary form and uncombined estate, no human eye could see nor human touch perceive.
CAUSES ARE EFFECTS AND EFFECTS CAUSES.
As there is never an effect without an appropriate cause,
and as every effect, as soon as into existence pushed, itself
becomes an appropriate cause to the pushing into existence
of some other effect, and thus forever on; so the conclusion would seem to be irresistible that the thoughts, feelings,
and acts of men, the same as the thoughts, feelings, and
acts of the brute creation, the revolutions of the seasons,
changes in the weather, and every other kindred act and
thing, are all of them effects; and hence are, in some appropriate way, all caused, or brought to take place and be,
by the operation of natural law. Of course, it is not concluded that all the vast variety of causes, simple and compound, by whose operation these numberless results are
produced into being, stand clearly out revealed, or that all
the innumerable effects by them produced are directly backward traceable to their respective causes; but only that cause
and effect, through all created things, great and small, inanimate and animated, their parallel courses eternally do run;
and hence that fixed law, in man and beast, and all things
else, and everywhere, eternally bears rule.
DIFFERENT TEACHINGS PRODUCE DIFFERENT EFFECTS.
To teach men such things as are only morally true,such things as merely have existence within the human
head, no matter how great may be the number of the heads
in which residing or what the class, is to darken their understandings,-is to sink them still lower in the depths of ignorance,-(they, poor deluded souls, all the while fancying
themselves to be growing in wisdom,-) is to curse them.
To teach men such things as are really true,-such as are
consonant to fact, no matter how unpopular or greatly ridiculed the same may be, is to enlighten their understandings,-is to elevate them in the scale of intelligence,-is to
bless them.




REMARKS UPON NUIMERO US SUBJECTS.    377
Ignorance of God's facts, " is really the curse of God;" and
Knowledge of what actually was and is and is to be, and
not of what Moses, the prophets, or any body else may
chance to have thought and believed, " the wing wherewith
we fly to heaven."
IDEAS BETTER THAN WORDS.
Far be it from us to speak disparagingly of a thorough
classical education; and yet, since life at best is short, we
must think it would be well as a general thing, to spend
more time in gathering facts and augmenting the stock of
ideas, and less in learning to express a smaller number in
more languages than one. It is of ideas, clear and practical, and not of words, the mere signs by which ideas are
denoted and expressed, that knowledge doth chiefly consist.
THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, ETC., CAUSED.
Not the human brain nor any other created thing is seemingly more fickle and uncertain in its action, than is the
wind, and yet who seriously supposes the air doth ever
stir. except it be commanded so to do by some appropriate
exciting cause; —except it be commanded and empowered
so to do by the operation of natural laws, deep in the nature of the elements themselves residing? —Whlo?   And'just as surely as is the air governed in all its movements by
the operation of fixed laws, whereby winds of every kind,
character, and grade, are all of them appropriately caused
or brought to have existence upon the Earth's surface;
just so certainly, as seems to us, is the human brain governed in all its movements by the operation of fixed laws;
whereby thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc., of every kind,
character, and grade, are, in like manner, all of them appropriately caused, or brought to have existence within the
human head.
LIFE AND DEATH BOTH BLESSINGS.
As neither life nor death, in our judgment, is a real enity,
and as of the former the latter is belie-ved to be an inevitable
consequence; so we must think it would be wisdom in every




378                 DEPARTURE.
one to try to adapt his course of action unto the conditions
upon which health, longevity,. and protracted usefulness are
made to depend, as that of him it may be said, when from
age he is ultimately compelled to lay himself down everlastingly to rest, By the gift of life, thou wast blessed; by
faithfully discharging the duties of life, thou wast blessed;
and finally, when no longer able to bear life's burdens or
enjoy its pleasures, thou wast blessed by death.
CHRISTIANS.
It is no evidence that a man is a Christian, that is, that
he doth shape his life in accordance with the teachings of
Christ, because he makes a public profession of religion;
and none that a man doth not thus shape it, because he
does not seek either to bridge over his past errors or add to
his present popularity and standing, by placing himself in
connection with some popular church. Indeed, the fact
that a man doth steadfastly resist the temptation of endeavoring to obtain for himself a public certificate of good character, by uniting himself with some popular sect, society, or
order, we must regard as being evidence in his favor rather
than against him. Of course, it is not thought that a man
who was honest and upright before he joined a church will
not continue to be so afterwards; but only that bad men,
after uniting themselves with a church and thus making a
public profession of being good and pure, will bear quite as
close watching as before coming to be thus backed and
supported.
WHAT IS BEST IS WHAT WILL BE.
It cannot be doubted that men do more or less desire and
hope to live, personally on, to all eternity; and not a bit
more that they do often desire and hope for things they can
never have, and which things, had they not been denied
them, would have been their undoing. If, upon the whole,
it is for man's good that, in some form or condition, he
should personally continue to live right on past death, to all




REMiAR~KS UPON NIUMERO US SUBJECTS.    379
eternity, then doubtless he will; and if, upon the whole, it
is not for his good that he should thus continue to live, then
most undoubtedly will death be to him, as an individual
entity, the final close. A Creator that is, upon the whole,
good and just, will do what is, upon the whole, for the best
good of all his created works, be the same whatsoever it
may. Or, at least, so it seems to us, and we are by no
means sorry that it does.
CHRIST AND HIS DOINGS.
It would be well for all candid inquirers after real truth to
remember that there is no evidence, whatsoever, that Christ
ever wrote a single word of what is contained in the New
Testament, the chart of that religious system  which from
him derived its name. Indeed, all we know or ever can
know about Christ, his teachings, sayings, and doings, we
gain from  the declarations of men of quite low estate, and
who, from their own account of the matter, cannot be supposed to be wholly disinterested witnesses; else from mere
heresay testimony of a more or less roundabout and exaggerated character, and hence from testimony that is still less
reliable.  And not only this, but allowing all the recorded
statements of such as were either eye-witnesses to Christ's
doings or ear-witnesses of his teachings and sayings to be
strictly correct, and also admitting all the vast amount of
hearsay evidence in reference to this same subject matter,
and upon the pages of the New Testament standing, to be
really true; still, of formal ceremonies, stringent creeds,
narrow articles of faith, and other trammelling church machinery, Christ is not the author.
SIN AND CONFESSION.
Allowing that God is not in reality a personal being, either
great or small, but simply the Sum of all Substance personified, material, spiritual, and mixed, it follows that it is a
thing impossible for us to sin against him as a Whole, or, indeed, against any of his different component parts, except




380                   DEPARTURE.
only that comparatively insignificant branch, known as animated nature or the animated kingdom.  This being admitted,-and it must be unreasonable to suppose that we
can sin against the Sun, the Moon, the stars, or any other of
his inanimate fractions, whether great or small, present or
remote, —it follows that, with the exception of wrongs done
to brutes, or at least something that is possessed of animated
existence, and hence of the low sense of feeling, it is only
against himself and his fellow-men that a man can perpetrate wrong,-can do iniquity,-can commit sin of any kind.
And such being admitted to be the case, it is perfectly obvious, not only of what particular branch of the great eternal
Whole it is that forgiveness for sin should be asked, but also
unto what individuals of such branch, as far forth as possible,
amends therefor should be made. Yea, and such being
conceded to be the fact, it is plain that there are certain sins
which are of such a nature, instance adultery, incest, etc.,
that, wrong as it is to commit them, it is a still greater sin to
confess them; —a still greater sin to confess them for the
reason that confessing cannot possibly undo or heal any
thing, and it is more widely damaging in its consequences.
Wherefore, manifestly enough, as seems to us, in reference
to all this class of cases, the true course to pursue is to remain silent, and " go," and be sure and " sin no more."
ACTS BOTH CAUSES AND EFFECTS.
Notwithstanding thoughts rank first and foremost among
the elements of which the thing called mind is constituted,
and notwithstanding thoughts are merely brenal acts, hence
are, in and of themselves, just as feeble and transitory in
character, as are the pulsations of the heart; yet, as stimulants to muscular action, as well as to further action by the
brain, they may stand exciting cause to the pronouncing of
words and the performance of acts whose consequences
shall be as enduring as the granite hills. Thus, for example, the simple, lucky thought, suggested by the boiling of a
tea-kettle, (for thoughts it must be remembered are all of
them caused, and hence are themselves effects as well as




REMARKS UPON.NUMERO US SUBJECTS.    381
causes,) that steam might be so confined, liberated, and applied to machinery as to constitute a motive power, was undoubtedly the exciting cause which prompted the Marquis
of Worcester, Savary, Newcomen, and others to experiment
thereupon, to the end that they might ascertain whether
such thought or idea.was correct; that is, whether it was a
real truth, and hence a thing of value to the world, or
whether it was only a moral truth, and hence a thing entirely worthless. And so this simple thought, this simple
exciting cause, has stood bottom cause to the harnessing of
that power, and bringing its use to such a state of perfection
as largely to work a revolution in the industries of the world.
Yea, and the still further improvements therein, unto which
this same simple thought, this same single exciting cause, is
destined to stand bottom cause to the working out, who
can forecast?-Causes which, in and for themselves, are as
feeble and transitory as a breath of air or an undulation of
the brain, may lead to results at which the world shall stand
aghast; whilst those as potent and enduring as the mighty
waters which precipitate themselves over the falls of Niagara, may remain wholly barren of any noteworthy results.
THE EVITABLE AND INEVITABLE.
Whether God is, upon the whole, good, or whethet he is
not, or whether his created works, like himself, are, upon the
whole, good, or whether they are not, it is certain that both
he and they are as they are. Wherefore, to the extent that
we his feeble fractions are obviously unable to work any
change in either him or his works, it must be more happifying, as well as becoming, to take a cheerful view of things
as they currently exist;-must be more happifying, as well
as becoming, to conclude that, whether they are or whether
they are not, upon the whole, all good and right, they are,
at least, quite as nearly so as we should be likely to make
them, was ours the privilege to run the universal machine;must be more happifying, as well as becoming, than'it is to
go grieving, grumbling, and growling about because it is so
hot or because so cold, because it is so wet or because so




382                  DEPARTURE.
dry, etc. Not in being displeased and disheartened with
what is and cannot be helped doth the kingdom of heaven
consist, but in accepting the inevitable in humble submission, and trying therewith to be content.  In other words,
such things, whether high or whether low, whether great or
whether small, as do not suit us, and as we have the power
to alter or to modify, it is weak and unmanly to sit still,
mourn over and grumble about, but manly and religious to
grapple with, and do all that we can to mould them to our
liking; and such as do not please us, but which we are
obviously powerless to ameliorate or one jot to change, it is
alike weak, unmanly, irreligious, and irreverent to grieve
over or wage war against.
Sad, dyspeptic, grumbling, growling, vinegar-faced sinners
exist in plenty both in the church and out; but sour, peevish,
cross-grained, fault-finding, unhappy saints, Who ever saw
any?-Gloomy, discontented, and unhappy saints; cheerful,
contented, and happy sinners; strange things, these! Not
in mere profession, however sincere, nor yet in hanging down
the head like a bulrush, and grievously complaining of everybody and thing about us, high and low, great and small, doth
religion consist; but in reverencing and yielding cheerful
obedience to all such currently existing powers, laws, and
commandments as it is obviously impossible for us to alter
or evade. In a word, professor or non-professor, to love
and obey is to be religious,-is to be reverent, —is to be
dutiful,-is to be happy; to hate and dis6bey is to be irreligious,-is to be irreverent,-is to be undutiful,- is to be a
miserable sinner. Or, at least, such are our views in reference to the matter.
EFFECTS MISTAKEN FOR THEIR CAUSES.
So close is the connection between certain effects and
their parent causes, that there is no little danger of mistaking the former for the latter, and hence being seriously misled. Thus, for an assumed example, a sound and healthy
man of unexceptionable habits, but of impressible order,
meets a friend in the streets, at a time when the cholera is




REMARKS UPON NUiMERO US SUBJEC7S.    383
claiming its victims in that vicinity, and, among other things,
is told in substance, that he looks bad-looks as if he was
going to be sick-looks as if he might have the cholera
hanging about him. The next day, in about the same place,
he meets another friend, and, among other things, is told in
substance, that he does not look at all well-looks as if he
was going to have a hard fit of sickness-looks as if he might
have the cholera, unless he took the very best of care of
himself. The day after, and near the same spot, he meets
yet another of his friends, and one in whose opinions he
places great confidence; and, the usual greetings being over,
is told in substance, that he looks ill-looks hollow-eyed and
bad-looks almost exactly as Mr. B. did just before coming
down with the cholera: adding, as a clincher, " Poor fellow!
how much he suffered from fear of that terrible disease and
then had to die with it at last." And thus on, as often as
once or twice a day, and always in nearly the same place, is
he met and told substantially the same thing by some one or
other of his numerous friends; until, finally, sure enough, he
is attacked by that fell disease and carried off thereby.
And now the question is, What caused that rugged man,
thus to have the cholera, and hence to die therewith? Did
the repeated remarks, thus made to him by his said friends
about his looking ill —looking so hollow-eyed and badlooking so very much like a cholera subject, so work upon
and effect his mind, as finally to bring his physical system
into such a diseased condition as to invite the cholera's attack? Or did such remarks so operate upon and effect his
brain, the seat and centre of the nervous system, and the
organunto which, through the agency of the ear, they were
specially addressed, as to cause it to vibrate in such a manner as to speak into existence within him, more and more
frequently and distinctly, the sadly depressing thoughts of
cholera, of its premonitory symptoms, terrible agonies, the
fear of having it, and dread of dying therewith; until, finally,
that organ became so far diseased, in consequence of such
monotonous and painful vibratory action, as to cause it not
only to keep said depressing thoughts, feelings, etc., con



384                  DEPARTURE.
stantly alive and revolving within his head, but so far to
affect the balance of his bodily organs,. (of which the brain,
no matter what may chance to be its tone or condition, is
ever the ruling center,) as finally to generate within him, or
superinduce upon him, that most fearful malady? —As we
see it, the latter is just as certainly the fact, as is it that
complex physical organ called the brain, which speaks into
existence within us the complex brenal act called mind, and
not such act which speaks into existence our brains. And
so of all the numerous ills of which mind or imagination
usually has the credit of being the producing cause.
When a man becomes unsound of mind, either partially
or wholly, it is because his brain has become either partially
or wholly diseased; and hence it is unto such diseased organ
which causes him to think, speak, and act thus strangely, and
not to the mere acts by it produced or spoken into existence,
that remedies should be addressed.




CHAPTER XXXIV.
QUESTIONS AND  EXPLANATIONS.
QUESTION TO CHRISTIAN FRIENDS.
To the generally received opinion, whether sound or unsound, that, inside the prohibitions of positive law, men
have a right to do with their surplus means as they may see
fit, we shall offer no objection; and yet we must be permitted to ask our good Christian friends, one and all, and particularly such of them as reside in the larger towns and
cities, this one plain question: Do you not candidly think
it would be, upon the whole, more Christian, and hence, upon
the whole, more happifying both to youselves and others, to
build equally substantial, roomy, and comfortable, but far
less magnificent and costly churches, in which to assemble
and sing the praises of the meek and lowly Jesus, and expend the money thus saved in erecting neat little cottages
for the free occupancy of the neighboring sick, lame, blind,
and other unfortunate poor, such as Christ when here was
wont to pity and to bless?
ANOTHER.
Why in all probability was it that the men who wrote the
Bible,-the men who were essaying to lay down a chart of
rules for the guidance of all coming generations,-the very
men of old wh6 had so much to say about the mind, did not
lisp a syllable about that crowning part of man, the brain,
upon whose presence and action mind is dependent not only
for manifestation, but also for existence within the human
26




386                 IDEPARTURE.
tabernacle? Was it because of the brain's non-importance
in the animal structure, as compared with the heart, liver,
kidneys, and other oft-mentioned organs? Or was it because,
with the aid of all the divine inspiration which, at that day
and age of the world, was vouchsafed to man, they were as
profoundly ignorant of the brain's nature and use in the
animal economy, as was Nicodemus of the new birth?Which?
Into such ancient darkness, Must it hot be a poor place
for advanced moderns to be peering in search of light?
AND ANOTHER.
Whether God is really a personal Being or whether he is
only so by mere figure of speech, of what use can it be to.
pray him to bless us for Christ's sake, for Paul's sake, or any
other great and good man's sake, ancient or modern, living
or dead? In other words, if it be a fact, (which it undoubtedly is,) that " whatsoever a man soweth," whether it be the
seed of blessings or of curses, "that shall he also reap;"
How, then, can it otherwise be than that, if we would ourselves be blessed, it is we ourselves, and not somebody else,
who must be obedient, must be good?
AND YET ANOTHER.
If God really is a Spirit, really is an omnipresent Being,
really is a Being that fills all the vast immensity of space
with his personal presence, How can he reasonably be supposed capable of withdrawing his personal presence from the
wicked, for a single moment, or of bestowing, at any time,
a double portion thereof upon the righteous, no matter
where congregated? In other words, How can a personal
God withdraw himself from a locality and still be and remain
therein? And still be and remain in every locality he certainly must, if he really is continuously omnipresent and not
merely spasmodically so. In short, How can an omnipresent
personal God, either in a special or a general way, ever visit




QUESTIONS AND EXPLANATIONS.             387
any place, ever go anywhere; since he is already there and
all the time there, being always everywhere?-H-ow?
QUESTION TO BIBLISTS.
What great good caln result from  men's believing the
Bible to have been conceived and written by Almighty God,
instead of by men who were subject to like passions, prejudices, and misjudgments with ourselves?-The obvious
ill effects of such a belief is this: It operates as a check
upon inquiry into the propriety of its cdommands, and the
truthfulness of its statements, and so hinders progress.
QUESTION TO CLERICAL FRIENDS.
When you come to look back upon the past and also forward into the future, Are you not more than half inclined
to think that, by preaching less of incomprehensible theology
and more of plain common sense, you would gain more
hearers, make more converts, and hence achieve not only a
greater amount of good, but good of a higher grade?-Of
course, it requires not a little of both will-power, and exertion, to get out of a deep ancient rut; but, then, the thing
is sometimes done, and well doth it pay.
QUESTION TO FRIENDLY READERS.
"A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the
land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear
rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and
what will ye do in the end thereof?"-Such is the testimony
of the Weeping prophet not only against his brother
prophets, but also against both the priests and the people:
and that, too, at the very time when it is claimed, that the
spirit of the Lord in the shape of the spirit of prophecy
was most abundantly being poured out upon the children of
men.-Jeremiah 5. 30, 3I.-And what think ye, friendly
readers, Is not the thing still running in much the same old
groove?




388                  DEPARTURBE.
QUESTION TO EVERYBODY.
Is the sexual distinction in the human race, the same as
in the lower animals, a God-created distinction, calculated
to perpetuate and bless it, and consequently is the race,
irrespective of such distinction, one grand, indivisible, and
God-created whole; or is it a mere dualistic system of
which the male sex is the Sun, and the female its solitary
attendant planet? In other words, are the two sexes coeval
and coequal, because each alike essential to the continuance
and well-being of the other, and hence of the race; or is
man, because not more than half woman, the fountain source
of all the light and heat that are in the social system? And
does woman, because not more than half man, only shine by
borrowed rays, only possess just such and just so many
wants, rights, and interests as the great masculine Sun may
see fit to smile down upon her?
Do not all past observation and experience bear testimony
that it is the weak and the timid who need the assistance of
that outgrowth of the ballot-box, the law's strong arm, to
shield them from the rapacity of the bold and the strong; and
not the strong and the bold, to save them from being
plucked and trodden under foot by weakness and timidity?
Thanks to the law of progression, the time-honored maxim
that the king can do no wrong to his subjects has long since
become outgrown and left behind, upon this side the Water;
and thanks to that same ever onward-moving principle, the
one that husbands, fathers, and brothers can do none to their
wizes, daughters, and sisters is fast falling into disrepute, and
is certain ere long to become a thing of the past.
QUESTION TO SPIRITUALISTS.
How can a thing which is. so very ethereal that it cannot
be seen at all be any better seen in the night than in the
day-time? Why do ghosts, goblins, and spirits " love darkness rather than light," or prefer singularly constructed cabinets to fair open rooms? And how are they any more able




QUESTIONS AND EXPLANATIONS.              389
to go rapping and thumping about, without feet or hands,
than to sit down quietly by our sides and speak to us in
plain English without throat or tongue?
THE POSITION WE OCCUPY.
Not with religion, whether Jewish or Christian, Catholic
or Protestant, are we at war; but only with what to us doth
seem to be ignorance, superstition, bigotry, intolerance, and
error, no matter what may be their different guises or multifarious forms. Or thus:  With all such teachers of religion,
whether Jew or Turk, Catholic or Protestant, as are faithfully trying to teach all of real truth, as they do honestly
believe it to be, which they think their readers or hearers
will be able to comprehend, and hence be benefited thereby,
are we in full sympathy; but not with such pretended religious teachers, whoever they  mlay be, as are studiously
endeavoring to perpetuate and thicken the fogs of ancient
ignorance, the better to enable them to bleed the people's
pockets and lead them  by the nose.-Sincerity, however
erroneous, is always to be tolerated and respected; insincerity, ever to be reprobated.
WHEREIN WE HAVE MOST ERRED.
That the views which we have at last come to entertain,
and which are herein thus briefly and feebly set frth, are
somewhat radical, must be admitted; and yet, when is fairly
taken into 4hz consideration the legitimately trammelling
effects of early education upon the action of the human
brain, we cannot resist the conclusion that we have erred
twice in hugging too closely the shore of the narrow sea of
conservatism, where we have once by having launched out'too far into the broad ocean of radicalism. Yea, and such
in our humble judgment, will be the decision of the next
generation of men.
Of early made impressions and youthful modes of thought,
however narrow and erroneous, it is no easy matter to disabuse one's self, seek to do so who may.




CHAPTER XXXV.
LOOSE THOUGHTS —FOR WHAT THEY MAY BE WORTH.
CURSED OR BLESSED? —-WHICH?
By a line of argument not easily proven fallacious, if fallacious it be, the worm that is blotted out, as a worm-entity,
by being swallowed by a robin, is, by such act, as a whole
and upon the whole, elevated in the scale of existence, consequently is, as a whole and upon the whole, thereby blessed;
and for the following reasons: By natural process of digestion, absorption, assimilation, and incorporation, a portion
of the worm's composing elements, consequently a portion
of the worm itself, is thus brought to become and be part
and parcel of that familiar songster; and consequently, to
an extent corresponding with the amount which such incorporated worm-elements bear to the entire bird, it is thus
brought to have a share in the sweets of robin-life. By the
same line of argument, the worm is still further up the
ladder of existence pushed, consequently still further blessed,
when the bird which the worm now helps compose is eaten
by a man; since, by! still further process of digestion, absorption, etc., a portion of the robin's composing elements,
consequently a portion of the elements of which the late
worm was composed, now becomes incorporated into the
human fabric. In this way, by the aid of the robin that
swallowed the worm and the further aid of the man who, at
the proper point of time, ate the robin, to an extent corresponding with the amount which said late worm's composing
elements in the form of bird-flesh thus by the man eaten,
and hence incorporated into the human fabric, bear to the




LOOSE THO UGSHTS.                 391
entire man which they now help compose, in the joys of
human life the feeble creeping thing is brought to have a
share.
Or thus: Could a million of worms be instantly killed
and, by some elaborating process, transformed, within a few
hours, into a beautiful redbreast, Would they not be thereby
elevated in the scale of existence, and hence, as a whole and
upon the whole, blessed by the change? And if, as a whole
and upon the whole, they would be thereby blessed and not
cursed, then why is not each and every worm that is swallowed by a robin, and hence by process of digestion, absorption, etc., brought to become and be a composing fraction of
a redbreast, in like manner blessed?
Admitting life of every kind and grade to be, upon the
whole, a blessing, consequently that inanimate substance is
blessed by every kind and character of creative cause, which
elevates and enlivens it into animated existence, and the
higher the form of such existence, the greater the blessing;
also admitting the foregoing stray thoughts to be in accordance with the rulings of natural law, (which it would seem
they must be, unless Nature is with herself inconsistent,)
then, obviously enough, is their field of application inconceivably vast. In short, Is that great law of Nature, which
irresistibly inclines superior animals to kill and eat such inferior ones as are to them both palatable and nutritious,
founded upon the broad principle of general benevolence,
and hence is it, upon the whole, a blessing not only to those
eating superiors, but also to the inferiors thus eaten; or is it
based upon the narrow principle of special favoritism to
such superior animals, at the expense of the well-being of
such inferior ones in point of power, if not in kind?Which?
MEATS AND DRINKS.
In so far as has yet been determined by analysis, the two
compound substances, nitric acid and atmospheric air, are
composed of the same elements in kind, differing only in
proportions; and yet the one is fatal to animal life, whilst




392                 DEPARTURE.
the other is essential to sustain it. With the exception of
atmospheric air, water is the most plentiful of all known
compounds and composed, in so far as is yet known, of the
two gases or elements called oxygen and hydrogen; the former being prime supporter of combustion, the latter one of
the most inflammable of all known substances, and yet the
two when existing together in the form of water will neither
burn nor support combustion, but are, when in that state of'
union joined, flame's most effectual extinguisher.
From the foregoing facts, which are selected merely as.
examples, it would seem to follow that it is no evidence that
a stable chemical compound, no matter what, is deleterious.
to life and health, just because some one or more of its dif-.
ferent composing elements may chance to be; also that
compounded substances are much more dependent, not only
for their powers to nourish the system, but to destroy it,
upon the strength of the union which exists between their
different composing elements, than they are upon the nature
of those elements when separately existing. In a word, the
foregoing facts would seem to indicate that various articles,
used as food and drink, would quite soon destroy us, were.
our stomachs capable of annulling the strong mutual affinity
which binds in union their different composing elements;
and thus setting each at liberty to prey upon our organic
tissues, instead of each being compelled to hold fast its
gripe, so to speak, upon the other. The same amount of
saleratus, for example, that may be swallowed with impunity,
when held in chemical union by and with a pint of hard
cider, might injure and perhaps kill a man, if taken into the
stomach by itself alone. Or should a very small pocket
knife, for a clumsy but analogous example, be accidentally
swallowed, when shut, it would not be likely to produce any
very disastrous effects either to the stomach or bowels, for
the reason that the dangerous element, the blade, however
keen and sharp-pointed, is then locked, as it were, in a.
chemical embrace by the handle, too strong to be by the
digestive powers overcome; and yet, was the blade of the:




LOOSE THO UGHTS.                 393
same knife, when detached from the handle, to find its way
into the stomach, the case would not unlikely be different.
POSSIBLE ORIGIN OF PRAIRIES.
No matter how spacious or how rich may be the inclosure,
if kept constantly overstocked with cows, horses, and sheep,
for example, the cows would all be compelled to suffer,
starve, and die, before the sheep would be greatly pinched
by hunger. Herefrom we are led to infer that it is at least
possible, that the mastodon, which, from his enormous size,
must have required a large amount of food to sustain him
in health and strength, and whose capacious jaws were
capable of craunching, as browse, shrubs, limbs and even
the bodies of small trees, had something to do with deforesting those vast tracts of country in the West, known as plains
and prairies, before he finally succumbed to starvation and
so became extinct.
That those huge animals once roamed that wide region is
certain. Wherefore it would seem to be certain that there
must once have existed, in that locality, plenty of something
for them to eat besides grass and such other small herbage
as the buffalo, deer, etc., were much better calculated to
grasp and subsist upon; and especially during the long cold
months of winter. By a plain natural law, as seems to us,
nq sooner did that vast region become overstocked with the
mastodon, buffalo, deer, and other herbivorous animals, than
the further multiplication of trees, and hence the further
renewing of the forests, became a thing impossible; since,
in such case, not a seedling or sprout could long escape the
voracious jaws of some one or other of those vegetable consumers. Thus, in process of time, the trees then existing,
large and small, one after another, would be compelled by
age, if nothing else, to pass away; and, as a necessary consequence, the animals requiring the largest amount of coarse
vegetable food to sustain them in existence would be obliged
to dwindle down and finally become extinct. The forests
being thus once destroyed, the red man with his fires would
be amply sufficient to keep trees from ever again growing,




394                  DEPARTURE.
and multiplying themselves into forests, upon so much of
that vast region as was both dry and exposed to the sweep
of that devouring element.
That herbivorous animals had being before vegetable creation came into existence, or that the mastodon, elephant,
buffalo, and other giant vegetable eaters ever, anywhere, became abundant before, in such locality, trees had time to
shoot up their strong boles, stretch out their spreading
limbs, and mantle the rich dry soil with their luxuriant foliage, it is unphilosophic to conclude.
That many of the fine marsh-meadows upon the small
streams, in Michigan at least, are largely indebted for their
creation to the industry of the beaver, doth seem to be evidenced both by the remains of their dams and the undecomposed bodies of the tamarack, black-ash, soft-maple, and
other swamp-timber, found imbedded in the mucky soil of
those meadows from one to three feet beneath the surface.
By damming a creek at some point near its egress from a
swamp, and thus overflowing the same, the beavers were
enabled to live upon the bark of the trees, during the severe
months of winter, until, by them and the water, the timber
was finally all killed out, and they, in consequence, compelled to seek some other locality.
The timber being thus all killed out in a swamp of the
proper natural soil and dryness, it is not unlikely that time
and the grasses, aided by the Indian with flame and his
ponies, were the creative causes which did the rest.
" THE BLOODY CHASM." 
It was not so much from strong love of the institution of
negro slavery as from deep hatred of the Yankees and
Yankee traits of character, that caused the South to rebel
against the Union; neither was it so much from strong
love of the Union as from deep hatred of the Johnnies and
Johnny traits of character, that caused the North to press
the war so fiercely against the rebellion.  Wherefore, as
seems to us, the only way in which we can ever reasonably




LOOSE THO UGZTS.                 395
expect to become and be a united and happy people is by
becoming more assimilated in taste and character, by means
of a liberal flow of emigration from the less fertile and more
populous North, to the more fertile and less populous South.
In other words, it is only by intermaingling as neighbors upon
the same soil, that the Johnnies will ever become sufficiently
Yankeefied and the Yankees sufficiently Johnnyfied to enable
them to stand harmoniously together upon the same common platform of American sentiment and feeling, and hence
to constitute, in truth and in fact, a united People.-The
snake has only been "scotched, not killed."
STEAM.
As one of the constituents of water is prime supporter of
combustion and the other exceedingly inflammable, so may
it not be possible that this fluid may be heated to such a,
degree, when confined in strong boilers, as to cause a divorce
to take place between its composing elements, and thus
brought to produce results that are not properly chargeable
to steam?




CHAPTER XXXVI.
SUGGESTIONS AND CONCLUSION.
HOW TO KEEP TIRE TIGHT.
By keeping the wheels of. wagons and other heavy vehicles
well covered with paint, (lead paints the best,) the tire will
remain tight upon them until they are worn out; and when
from neglect to keep them thus covered the tires have become
loose, all that is necessary to render them tight again is to
repaint the wheels thoroughly and, after the paint has become dry, give them a good soaking in water. In both
cases, of course, it is taken for granted that the wheels were
all right in the beginning; that is, that they were well put
together, the timber thoroughly seasoned, and the tires properly fitted and set upon them. And in the latter case, or
when shrunken wheels are being repainted for the purpose
of retightening the tire upon them, it is further assumed
that they are still sound and reasonably perfect.
As upon every part of a wheel, except the fellies, a good
coat of paint will remain reasonably perfect for a long time;
as it is this part of a wheel which much the most needs to be
kept coated with paint, in order to keep the tire tight thereon; and as it is only from the sides of the fellies that it soon
becomes worn off; so, in the majority of cases, it is only
this small part which needs be repainted to.,keep the tire
from ever getting loose,'or to render the same tight aggin
when it has already become so.  Hence, allowing the tires.
upon all the wheels of a wagon to be loose, any man who is,
competent to drive a team can manage to daub over this.




SUG GESTIONS AND CONCL USIO1N.             397
small amount of plain surface with paint, in less time than
he can drive to a smith's, get the tire reset, and come home
again; and fifty cents will more than cover the expense of
paint and oil with which to do it.
And this, as we understand, is the rationale of the thing:
Neither air nor moisture is capable of penetrating iron, or
passing through a good coat of paint. In other words, so
long as wood is kept perfectly covered by either iron or
paint, it cannot materially shrink or swell. Or, to be still
more explicit, by covering a wheel with paint upon which
the tire has bIecome loose,-the same having been originally
well fitted and set,-the air is excluded from tlhe entire surface of the fellies, with the exception of their outer edge
directly under the tire, which cannot of course be reached
with the brush;. and by soaking the wheel in water after the
paint has become dry, the outer, or unpainted edge of the
fellies, under such loose-fitting tire, will readily absorb
moisture and keep on absorbing it, until they become so
much swolen as again to fill the tire perfectly full; when, as
a matter of course, no more moisture can enter and none
that has already entered make its escape.a
If the farmers of America would all adopt and pursue
this course, it would doubtless add to the length of life of
this class of vehicles at least one fifth; and hence, in addi.tion to the hundreds of thousands of dollars which would
annually be saved to their pockets, it would work a saving
to the country, in the shape of valuable timber, of an
amount equal to one fifth part of all the vast quantity that
is now being consumed in their construction, and which
timber is daily becoming more and more in demand for
other useful purposes.
Irrespective of the improvement in the looks, that it is
good policy to keep the wheels of buggies and other light
carriages well covered with paint cannot be doubted; and
yet, owing to the small amount of wood which-has come to
be used in the construction of this class of wheels, it may
aWe prefer this method to that of swelling the wheels before painting them, or to
soaking them in oil for the purpose of retightening the tire.




398                 DEPARTURE.
not always be possible, by the use of paint, to keep the tires
permanently tight upon them, or again to render them so,
when once they have become loose.
WHEN TO CUT STADDLES.
Experience seems to prove that, in a majority of seasons
in this latitude, trees, staddles, etc., which are cut late in
August or forepart of September, will not sprout much;
those late in September or forepart of October, less yet;
and those late in October or forepart of November, least of
all. The reason we suppose to be this: To trees, shrubs,
and other perennials, Spring is the season of activity and
preparation for labor; Summer the season of labor and
growth; Fall the time for maturing and hardening the
growth which the labor of Summer has added; and Winter
a season of rest. Hence, by severing the bodies of trees,
etc., from their roots at the time when the roots, from having parted with their juices to add new growth and bring the
same to maturity, are in a state of greatest exhaustion,
Winter, their natural season of rest and recuperation, becomes converted into one of suffering and death.
Timber cut in June, or when the bark peels freely, is not
only less liable to become worm-eaten, but will outlast,
either in the weather or out, that cut at any other season of
the year.
HINT TO PARENTS.
For children to grow up healthy, happy, clear-headed,
and strong, it is necessary that they should be sent to bed
early, and theie let to lie until they spontaneously wake up
all over and all the way through. Indeed, it is better, not
only for the young, but for the middle-aged, and even the
old, to cultivate the habit of going to bed an hour before
sunset, —if that be necessary, in order to secure sleep
enough by morning,-than, by remaining up late, to fall
into the habit of lying in bed an hour after sunrise.
Children that are habitually early retirers and good sleep



SUTG GESTIONS AND CONCL UTSION.        399
ers are not apt to become nervous, seldom get sick, and rarely
make bad men. In a word, it is only whilst resting,
whether sleeping or not, that old men recuperate and children grow.
A WORD TO BROTHER AUTHORS.
Have patience, think more, write less, publish less yet,
and your works will longer live.
CONCLUSTON.
And now, kind readers, one and all, a single assuring word
before the final parting: Whether right or whether wrong,
and whether acceptably or whether not, less blind faith
and more investigation, less religion in empty forms and more
in substance, less love toward God in mere words and more
in action, are the things for which, in and through the act
of penning these humble pages, we have sincerely prayed.








LIST OF ERRORS.
Page 7, line 26, the words " the faculty of " left out between " of"
and "so."
Page 17, line 16, the word "influenced " should be "uninfluenced."
Page 21, line 29, the last "those" should be "these."
Page 23, line 9, the word "men " should be "then."
Page 29, line 15, the word " engraved" should be " ingrained."
Page 67, line 21, the word " him " left out between " treated " and'with. "
Page 69, line 1, the word" On" should be " In."
Page 93, line 3, the word "some" should be "seven."
Page 109, line 3, for " It is not," read "Is it not."
Page 139, line 11, the word " those " should be "whose."
Page 149, line 29, the word' and " should be' not."
Page 155, lines 27 and 28, the word "intention " should be "intuition. "
Page 164, line 33, the word " with " should be "both."
Page 166, line 6, the word " that" should be " than."
Page 170, line 16, the word "they " should be "then."
Page 182, line 7, the word " declares" should stand between
"which " and "in," instead of following the word " substance."
Page 200, line 25, the word "wrought " should be " wrapt."
Page 241, line 14, the word "thinks " should be "things.'
Page 243, line 12, the word "creative" should be " certain.'
Page 246, line 6, between the words "law;" and " feeble' are
left out the words, " in other words, by the combined presence and
operation of a few.'
Page 255, line 35, the word " internally" should be "'inherently."
Page 280, line 4, the word " admitted" should be " administered."
Page 287, line 34, the word m' more " should be "mere."
Page 290, line 8, the word " or " should be " of."
Page 319, line 22, the word "' creation " should be " certain."
Page 324, line 36, the word " as" should be " are."
Page 317, line 16, the word "so-call " should be' so-called."
Page 331, line 14, the word' think " left out after the word' him."
Page 378, line 1, the word "so" left out between " try " and " to."
Page 380, line 2, the word "animated' should be'animal."
Page 381, line 4, the word "Ne Xvcomrer " should be "Newcomen."
Palge 883, line 30, the word " into " shotuld be " unto"