d the ghosts
knew nothing of benefit to man; that they were entirely ignorant of
history; that they were bad doctors and worse surgeons; that they knew
nothing of the law and less of justice that they were poor politicians;
that they were tyrants, and that they were without brains and utterly
destitute of hearts.

The condition of this world during the dark ages shows exactly the
result of enslaving the souls of men. In those days there was no
liberty. Liberty was despised, and the laborer was considered but
little above the beast. Ignorance, like a vast cowl, covered the brain
of the world; superstition ran riot, and credulity sat upon the throne
of the soul. Murder and hypocrisy were the companions of man, and
industry was a slave. Every country maintained that it was no robbery
to take the property of Mohammedans by force, and no murder to kill the
owner. Lord Bacon was the first man who maintained that a Christian
country was bound to keep its plighted faith with a Mohammedan nation.
Every man who could read or write was suspected of being a heretic in
those days. Only one person in 40,000 could read or write. All
thought was discouraged. The whole earth was ruled by the mitre and
sceptre, by the altar and throne, by fear and force, by ignorance and
faith, by ghouls and ghosts. In the 15th century the following law was
in force in England: "Whosoever reads the Scripture in the mother
tongue shall forfeit land, cattle, life and goods, for themselves and
their heirs forever, and should be condemned for heretics to God,
enemies to the crown, and traitors to the land."

During the period this law was in force, thirty-nine were hanged and
their bodies burned. In the 16th century men were burned because they
failed to kneel to a procession of monks. Even the Reformers, so
called, had no idea of liberty only when in the minority; the moment
they were clothed with power, they began to exterminate with fire and
sword. Castillo--and I want you to recollect it--was the first
minister in the world that declared in favor of universal toleration.
Castillo was pursued by John Calvin like a wild beast. Calvin said
that such a monstrous doctrine he crucified Christ afresh, and they
pursued that man until he died; recollect it! They can't do that
now-a-days! You don't know how splendid I feel about the liberty I
have. The horizon is filled with glory and the air is filled with
wings. If there are any in this worl