Chapter I: Front Matter

THE WORKS OF Robert G. Ingersoll

"There Can Be But Little Liberty On Earth While Men Worship A Tyrant In Heaven."

In Twelve Volumes, Volume V.

DISCUSSIONS

1900

DRESDEN EDITION

CONTENTS OF VOLUME V.

SIX INTERVIEWS ON TALMAGE.

(1882.)

Preface--First Interview: Great Men as Witnesses to the Truth of the Gospel--No man should quote the Words of Another unless he is willing to Accept all the Opinions of that Man--Reasons of more Weight than Reputations--Would a general Acceptance of Unbelief fill the Penitentiaries?-- My Creed--Most Criminals Orthodox--Relig-ion and Morality not Necessarily Associates--On the Creation of the Universe out of Omnipotence--Mr. Talmage's Theory about the Pro-duction of Light prior to the Creation of the Sun--The Deluge and the Ark--Mr. Talmage's tendency to Belittle the Bible Miracles--His Chemical, Geological, and Agricultural Views--His Disregard of Good Manners- -Second Interview: An Insulting Text--God's Design in Creating Guiteau to be the Assassin of Garfield--Mr. Talmage brings the Charge of Blasphemy--Some Real Blasphemers--The Tabernacle Pastor tells the exact Opposite of the Truth about Col. Ingersoll's Attitude toward the Circulation of Immoral Books--"Assassinating" God--Mr. Talmage finds Nearly All the Invention of Modern Times Mentioned in the Bible--The Reverend Gentleman corrects the Translators of the Bible in the Matter of the Rib Story--Denies that Polygamy is permitted by the Old Testament--His De-fence of Queen Victoria and Violation of the Grave of George Eliot--Exhibits a Christian Spirit--Third Interview: Mr. Talmage's Partiality in the Bestowal of his Love--Denies the Right of Laymen to Examine the Scriptures--Thinks the Infidels Victims of Bibliophobia --He explains the Stopping of the Sun and Moon at the Command of Joshua-- Instances a Dark Day in the Early Part of the Century--Charges that Holy Things are Made Light of--Reaffirms his Confidence in the Whale and Jonah Story--The Commandment which Forbids the making of Graven Images--Affirmation that the Bible is the Friend of Woman--The Present Condition of Woman--Fourth Interview: Colonel Ingersoll Compared by Mr. Talmage tojehoiakim, who Consigned Writings of Jeremiah to the Flames--An Intimation that Infidels wish to have all copies of the Bible Destroyed by Fire--Laughter Deprecated--Col. Ingersoll Accused of Denouncing his Father--Mr. Talmage holds that a Man may be Perfectly Happy in Heaven with His Mother in Hell- -Challenges the Infidel to Read a Chapter from St. John--On the "Chief Solace of the World"--Dis- covers an Attempt is being made to Put Out the Light-houses of the Farther Shore--Affirms our Debt to Christianity for Schools, Hospitals, etc.--Denies that Infidels have ever Done any Good--

Fifth Interview: Inquiries if Men gather Grapes of Thorns, or Figs of Thistles, and is Answered in the Negative--Resents the Charge that the Bible is a Cruel Book--Demands to Know where the Cruelty of the Bible Crops out in the Lives of Christians-- Col. Ingersoll Accused of saying that the Bible is a Collection of Polluted Writings--Mr. Talmage Asserts the Orchestral Harmony of the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, and Repudiates the Theory of Contradictions--His View of Mankind Indicated in Quotations from his Confession of Faith--He Insists that the Bible is Scientific-- Traces the New Testament to its Source with St. John--Pledges his Word that no Man ever Died for a Lie Cheerfully and Triumphantly--As to Prophecies and Predictions--Alleged "Prophetic" Fate of the Jewish People--Sixth Interview: Dr. Talmage takes the Ground that the Unrivalled Circulation of the Bible Proves that it is Inspired--Forgets' that a Scientific Fact does not depend on the Vote of Numbers--Names some Christian Millions--His Arguments Characterized as the Poor-est, Weakest, and Best Possible in Support of the Doctrine of Inspira-tion--Will God, in Judging a Man, take into Consideration the Cir-cumstances of that Man's Life?--Satisfactory Reasons for Not Believ- ing that the Bible is inspired.

THE TALMAGIAN CATECHISM.

The Pith and Marrow of what Mr. Talmage has been Pleased to Say, set forth in the form of a Shorter Catechism.

A VINDICATION OF THOMAS PAINE.

(1877.)

Letter to the New York Observer--An Offer to Pay One Thousand Dollars in Gold for Proof that Thomas Paine or Voltaire Died in Terror because of any Religious Opinions Either had Expressed-- Proposition to Create a Tribunal to Hear the Evidence--The Ob-server, after having Called upon Col. Ingersoll to Deposit the Money, and Characterized his Talk as "Infidel 'Buncombe,'" Denies its Own Words, but attempts to Prove them-- Its Memory Refreshed by Col. Ingersoll and the Slander Refuted--Proof that Paine did Not Recant - -Testimony of Thomas Nixon, Daniel Pelton, Mr. Jarvis, B. F. Has-kin, Dr. Manley, Amasa Woodsworth, Gilbert Vale, Philip Graves, M. D., Willet Hicks, A. C. Hankinson, John Hogeboom, W. J. Hilton, Tames Cheetham, Revs. Milledollar and Cunningham, Mrs. Hedden, Andrew A. Dean, William Carver,--The Statements of Mary Roscoe and Mary Hindsdale Examined--William Cobbett's Account of a Call upon Mary Hinsdale--Did Thomas Paine live the Life of a Drunken Beast, and did he Die a Drunken, Cowardly, and Beastly Death?--Grant Thorbum's Charges Examined--Statement of the Rev. J. D. Wickham, D.D., shown to be Utterly False--False Witness of the Rev. Charles Hawley, D.D.--W. H. Ladd, James Cheetham, and Mary Hinsdale--Paine's Note to Cheetham--Mr-Staple, Mr. Purdy, Col. John Fellows, James Wilburn, Walter Morton, Clio Rickman, Judge Herttell, H. Margary, Elihu Palmer, Mr.