the persons he now calls Christians would
have been burnt as heretics and Infidels. Let us compare the
average New York Christian with the Christian of two hundred years
ago. It is probably safe to say that there is not now in the city
of New York a genuine Presbyterian outside of an insane asylum.
Probably no one could be found who will to-day admit that he believes
absolutely in the Presbyterian Confession of Faith. There is
probably not an Episcopalian who believes in the Thirty-nine
Articles. Probably there is not an intelligent minister in the
city of New York, outside of the Catholic Church, who believes that
everything in the Bible is true. Probably no clergyman, of any
standing, would be willing to take the ground that everything in
the Old Testament--leaving out the question of inspiration--is
actually true. Very few ministers now preach the doctrine of
eternal punishment. Most of them would be ashamed to utter that
brutal falsehood. A large majority of gentlemen who attend church
take the liberty of disagreeing with the preacher. They would have
been very poor Christians two hundred years ago. A majority of
the ministers take the liberty of disagreeing, in many things, with
their Presbyteries and Synods. They would have been very poor
preachers two hundred years ago. Dr. Deems forgets that most
Christians are only nominally so. Very few believe their creeds.
Very few even try to live in accordance with what they call Christian
doctrines. Nobody loves his enemies. No Christian when smitten
on one cheek turns the other. Most Christians do take a little
thought for the morrow. They do not depend entirely upon the
providence of God. Most Christians now have greater confidence in
the average life-insurance company than in God--feel easier when
dying to know that they have a policy, through which they expect
the widow will receive ten thousand dollars, than when thinking of
all the Scripture promises. Even church-members do not trust in
God to protect their own property. They insult heaven by putting
lightning rods on their temples. They insure the churches against
the act of God. The experience of man has shown the wisdom of
relying on something that we know something about, instead of upon
the shadowy supernatural. The poor wretches to-day in Spain,
depending upon their priests, die like poisoned flies; die with
prayers between their pallid lips; die in their filth and faith.

_Question_.