orld with blood. It has filled the asylums for the
insane. It has cast a shadow in the heart, in the sunlight of every
good and tender man and woman. I say let us rid the heavens of this
monster, and write upon the dome "Liberty, love and law."

No matter what may come to me or what may come to you, let us do
exactly what we believe to be right, and let us give the exact thought
in our brains. Rather than have this Christianity true, I would rather
all the gods would destroy themselves this morning. I would rather the
whole universe would go to nothing, if such a thing were possible, this
instant. Rather than have the glittering dome of pleasure reared on
the eternal abyss of pain, I would see the utter and eternal
destruction of this universe. I would rather see the shining fabric of
our universe crumble to unmeaning chaos, and take itself where oblivion
broods and memory forgets. I would rather the blind Samson of some
imprisoned force, released by thoughtless chance, should so rack and
strain this world that man in stress and strain, in astonishment and
fear, should suddenly fall back to savagery and barbarity. I would
rather that this thrilled and thrilling globe, shorn of all life,
should in its cycles rub the wheel, the parent star, on which the light
should fall as fruitlessly as falls the gaze of love on death, than to
have this infamous doctrine of eternal punishment true; rather than
have this infamous selfishness of a heaven for a few and a hell for the
many established as the word of God.

One world at a time is my doctrine. Let us make some one happy here.
Happiness is the interest that a decent action draws, and the more
decent actions you do, the larger your income will be. Let every man
try to make his wife happy, his children happy. Let every man try to
make every day a joy, and God cannot afford to damn such a man. I
cannot help God; I cannot injure God. I can help people; I can injure
people. Consequently humanity is the only real religion.

I cannot better close this lecture than by quoting four lines from
Robert Burns:

"To make a happy fireside clime
To weans and wife--
That's the true pathos and sublime
Of human life."

INGERSOLL'S LECTURE ON SKULLS,--And His Replies To Prof. Swing, Dr.
Collyer, And Other Critics--Reprinted from "The Chicago Times."

Ladies and Gentlemen: Man advances just in the proportion t