dhounds were considered apostles? Was God
governing the world when the prisoners were confined in the Bastille?
It seems to me, if there is a God, and someone would repeat the word
"Bastille." it would cover almost his face with the blood of shame.
But they say heaven will balance all the ills of life. Let us see: A
large majority of us are sinners--at least a large majority with whom I
am acquainted; and a majority of the Christians with whom I am
acquainted are worse than sinners. And if their doctrine is true, you
will be astonished at the gentlemen you will see in hell that day. You
will know by the cast of their countenance that they used to preach
here. They say that it may be that the sinners here have a very good
time, and that the Christians don't have a very good time; that it is
awful hard work to serve the Lord, and that you carry a cross when you
deny yourself the delights of murder and forgery, and all manner of
rascality that fills life with delight. But they say that while the
rascals are having a good time, they will catch it in the other world.
But, according to their account, ninety-nine out of a hundred will be
damned, and I think it will be a close call for the hundredth. Like
that dear old Scotch woman, when she was talking about the Presbyterian
faith, some one said to her: "My dear woman, if your doctrine is true,
nobody but you and your husband will be saved." "Ah," said she, "I'm
na' sae sure about John." About one in a hundred will be saved, and
the other ninety-nine will be in misery. So that on the average there
will not be half as much happiness in the next world as in this. So,
instead of God's plan getting better, it gets worse; and throughout all
the ages of eternity there will be less happiness than in this world.
This world is a school; this world is where we develop moral muscle.
It may be that we are here simply because men cannot advance only
through agony and pain. If it is necessary to have pain and agony to
advance morally, then nobody can advance in heaven. Hell will be the
only place offering opportunities to any gentleman who wishes to
increase his moral muscle.

A gentleman once asked me if I could suggest any improvement on the
present order of things, if I had the power. Well, said I, in the
first place, I would make good health catching instead of disease.
There will be no humanity until we get the orthodox God out of our
religion. I want to do what little