believe, called it the sum of all
villainies. I have always been obliged to him for that. I do not
think he said it because he was a Methodist; but Methodism, as he
understood it, did not prevent his saying it, and Methodism as
others understood it, did not prevent men from being slaveholders,
did not prevent them from selling babes from mothers, and in the
name of God beating the naked back of toil. I think, on the whole,
Paine did more for the world than Mr. Wesley. The difference
between an average Methodist and an average Episcopalian is not
worth quarreling about. But the difference between a man who
believes in despotism and one who believes in liberty is almost
infinite. Wesley changed Episcopalians into Methodists; Paine
turned lickspittles into men. Let it be understood, once for all,
that I have never claimed that Paine was perfect. I was very glad
that the reverend gentleman admitted that he was a patriot and the
foe of tyrants; that he sympathized with the oppressed, and befriended
the helpless; that he favored religious toleration, and that he
weakened the power of the Catholic Church. I am glad that he made
these admissions. Whenever it can be truthfully said of a man that
he loved his country, hated tyranny, sympathized with the oppressed,
and befriended the helpless, nothing more is necessary. If God
can afford to damn such a man, such a man can afford to be damned.
While Paine was the foe of tyrants, Christians were the tyrants.
When he sympathized with the oppressed, the oppressed were the
victims of Christians. When he befriended the helpless, the helpless
were the victims of Christians. Paine never founded an inquisition;
never tortured a human being; never hoped that anybody's tongue
would be paralyzed, and was always opposed to private chaplains.

It might be well for the reverend gentleman to continue his
comparisons, and find eminent Christians to put, for instance,
along with Humboldt, the Shakespeare of science; somebody by the
side of Darwin, as a naturalist; some gentleman in England to stand
with Tyndall, or Huxley; some Christian German to stand with Haeckel
and Helmholtz. May be he knows some Christian statesman that he
would compare with Gambetta. I would advise him to continue his
parallels.

_Question_. What have you to say of the Rev. Dr. Fulton?

_Answer_. The Rev. Dr. Fulton is a great friend of mine. I am
extremely sorry to find that he still believes in a pers