e" was the battle cry of those who did it. He did more to
bring about religious toleration than any man in the galaxy of those
who strove for the privilege of free thought. He was always on the
side of justice. He was full of faults and had many virtues. His
doctrines have never brought unhappiness to any country. He died as
serenely as anyone could. Speaking to his servant, he said, "Farewell
my faithful friend." Could he have done a more noble act than to
recognize him who had served him faithfully as a man? What more could
he wished? And now let me say here, I will give a $1,000 in gold to
any clergyman who can substantiate that the death of Voltaire was not
as peaceful as the dawn. And of Thomas Paine, whom they assert died in
fear and agony, frightened by the clanking chains of devils, in fact,
frightened to death by God--I will give $1,000 likewise to anyone who
can substantiate this absurd story--a story without a word of truth in
it. And let me ask, who dies in the most fear, the man who, like the
saint, exclaims: "My God, my God! why hast thou forsaken me?" or
Voltaire, who peacefully and quietly bade his servant farewell? The
question is not who died right, but who lived right. I look upon death
as the most unimportant moment of life, and believe that not half the
responsibility is attached to dying that is to living properly. This
Rev. Mr. Kalloch is a baptist. He has a right to be a baptist. The
first baptist, though was a heretic; but it is among the wonders that
when a heretic gets fifteen or twenty to join him he suddenly begins to
be orthodox. Roger Williams was a baptist, but how he, or anyone not
destitute of good sense, could be one, passes my comprehension. Let me
illustrate:

Suppose it was the Day of Judgment tonight and we were all assembled,
as the ghosts say we will be, to be judged, and God should ask a man:

"Have you been a good man?"

"Yes."

"Have you loved your wife and children?"

"Yes."

"Have you taken good care of them and made them happy?"

"Yes."

"Have you tried to do right by your neighbors?"

"Yes."

"Paid all your debts?"

"Yes."

And then cap the climax by asking:

"Were you ever baptized?"

Could a solitary being hear that question without laughing? I think
not. I once happened to be in the company of six or seven baptist
elders (I never have been able to understand since how I got into such
bad company), and they wanted to know what I th