f his early education oppose his heart. He is growing and
has been growing every day for many years. He has given up the
idea of eternal punishment, and that of necessity destroys it all.
The Christian religion is founded upon hell. When the foundation
crumbles the fabric falls. Beecher was to have answered my article
in the _North American Review_, but when it appeared and he saw
it, he agreed with so much of it that he concluded that an answer
would be useless.

--_The Times_, Kansas City, Missouri, February 23, 1884.

REPLY TO KANSAS CITY CLERGY.

_Question_. Will you take any notice of Mr. Magrath's challenge?

_Answer_. I do not think it worth while to discuss with Mr. Magrath.
I do not say this in disparagement of his ability, as I do not know
the gentleman. He may be one of the greatest of men. I think,
however, that Mr. Magrath might better answer what I have already
said. If he succeeds in that, then I will meet him in public
discussion. Of course he is an eminent theologian or he would not
think of discussing these questions with anybody. I have never
heard of him, but for all that he may be the most intelligent of
men.

_Question_. How have the recently expressed opinions of our local
clergy impressed you?

_Answer_. I suppose you refer to the preachers who have given
their opinion of me. In the first place I am obliged to them for
acting as my agents. I think Mr. Hogan has been imposed upon.
Tacitus is a poor witness--about like Josephus. I say again that
we have not a word about Christ written by any human being who
lived in the time of Christ--not a solitary word, and Mr. Hogan
ought to know it.

The Rev. Mr. Matthews is mistaken. If the Bible proves anything,
it proves that the world was made in six days and that Adam and
Eve were built on Saturday. The Bible gives the age of Adam when
he died, and then gives the ages of others down to the flood, and
then from that time at least to the return from the captivity. If
the genealogy of the Bible is true it is about six thousand years
since Adam was made, and the world is only five days older than
Adam. It is nonsense to say that the days were long periods of
time. If that is so, away goes the idea of Sunday. The only reason
for keeping Sunday given in the Bible is that God made the world
in six days and rested on the seventh. Mr. Mathews is not candid.
He knows that he cannot answer the arguments I have urged against
the Bi