by Freethinkers, and it confirms them
in their scepticism; but if a Christian reads infidel books he is lost.
Hearing the other side is fatal to his faith. It is Talmage who states
so, and, as old Omar Khayyam says, he knows, he knows.

Somewhat paradoxically--but who expects logic from the pulpit?--the
great Talmage declares, "I do not believe there is an infidel now alive
who has read the Bible through." He offers a hundred dollars reward to
any infidel "who has read the Bible through twice"--which discounts
his certainty that no infidel had read it through _once_. A good many
infidels might apply for that hundred dollars, but Talmage will never
hand it over. An infidel's word is not good enough--not for Talmage. "I
must have the testimony," he exclaims, "of someone who has seen him read
it all through twice." A very safe condition! for who has ever _seen_
any man read the Bible through? And if the witness happened to be an
infidel--as is likely--Talmage would want the testimony of someone else
who had seen him see the other man reading it; Talmage is not very wise,
but he is not exactly a fool, and he and _his_ money are _not_ soon
parted.

There is an "infidel" in America who _has_ read the Bible through. His
name is Robert G. Ingersoll. Talmage should discuss the Bible with him.
But he won't. He knows what his fate would be in such an encounter. "And
they gathered up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full."

There is also an "infidel" in England who has read the Bible through.
_More_ than one, of course, but we know this one so intimately. He was
shut up in Holloway Gaol for knowing too much about the Bible. During
the first eight weeks of his sojourn there the "blessed book" was his
only companion. It was the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the
Bible. That prisoner read it through from the first mistake in Genesis
to the last curse in Revelation; read it through as Talmage _never_ did,
for there were no distractions, no letters to answer, no morning and
evening newspapers, no visitors dropping in. It was a continuous,
undisturbed reading, and the man who did it would be happy to let the
public decide whether he does not know the Bible as well as Talmage.

Talmage has a very poor opinion of infidels. He thinks that "bad
habits" have much to do with scepticism. His narrow little mind cannot
understand how anyone can differ from him without being wicked. Still,
for decency sake, he makes excep