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midst of the sulphurous orthodoxy of Scotland； dared to say；
〃The fear o' hell 's a hangman's whip
To haud the wretch in order；〃
he was oily appealing to the common sense and common humanity of his
fellow…countrymen。
All the reasoning in the world； all the proof…texts in old
manuscripts； cannot reconcile this supposition of a world of
sleepless and endless torment with the declaration that 〃God is
love。〃
Where did this 〃frightful idea〃 come from？ We are surprised； as we
grow older； to find that the legendary hell of the church is nothing
more nor less than the Tartarus of the old heathen world。 It has
every mark of coming from the cruel heart of a barbarous despot。
Some malignant and vindictive Sheik； some brutal Mezentius； must have
sat for many pictures of the Divinity。 It was not enough to kill his
captive enemy； after torturing him as much as ingenuity could
contrive to do it。 He escaped at last by death； but his conqueror
could not give him up so easily； and so his vengeance followed him
into the unseen and unknown world。 How the doctrine got in among；
the legends of the church we are no more bound to show than we are to
account for the intercalation of the 〃three witnesses〃 text； or the
false insertion； or false omission； whichever it may be； of the last
twelve verses of the Gospel of St Mark。 We do not hang our
grandmothers now； as our ancestors did theirs； on the strength of the
positive command； 〃Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live。〃
The simple truth is that civilization has outgrown witchcraft； and is
outgrowing the Christian Tartarus。 The pulpit no longer troubles
itself about witches and their evil doings。 All the legends in the
world could not arrest the decay of that superstition and all the
edicts that grew out of it。 All the stories that can be found in old
manuscripts will never prevent the going out of the fires of the
legendary Inferno。 It is not much talked about nowadays to ears
polite or impolite。 Humanity is shocked and repelled by it。 The
heart of woman is in unconquerable rebellion against it。 The more
humane sects tear it from their 〃Bodies of Divinity〃 as if it were
the flaming shirt of Nessus。 A few doctrines with which it was bound
up have dropped or are dropping away from it： the primal curse；
consequential damages to give infinite extension to every
transgression of the law of God； inverting the natural order of
relative obligations； stretching the smallest of finite offenses to
the proportions of the infinite； making the babe in arms the
responsible being； and not the parent who gave it birth and
determined its conditions of existence。
After a doctrine like 〃the hangman's whip〃 has served its purpose；
if it ever had any useful purpose；after a doctrine like that of
witchcraft has hanged old women enough； civilization contrives to get
rid of it。 When we say that civilization crowds out the old
superstitious legends； we recognize two chief causes。 The first is
the naked individual protest； the voice of the inspiration which
giveth man understanding。 This shows itself conspicuously in the
modern poets。 Burns in Scotland； Bryant； Longfellow； Whittier； in
America； preached a new gospel to the successors of men like Thomas
Boston and Jonathan Edwards。 In due season； the growth of knowledge；
chiefly under the form of that part of knowledge called science； so
changes the views of the universe that many of its long…unchallenged
legends become no more than nursery tales。 The text…books of
astronomy and geology work their way in between the questions and
answers of the time…honored catechisms。 The doctrine of evolution；
so far as it is accepted； changes the whole relations of man to the
creative power。 It substitutes infinite hope in the place of
infinite despair for the vast majority of mankind。 Instead of a
shipwreck； from which a few cabin passengers and others are to be
saved in the long…boat； it gives mankind a vessel built to endure the
tempests； and at last to reach a port where at the worst the
passengers can find rest； and where they may hope for a home better
than any which they ever had in their old country。 It is all very
well to say that men and women had their choice whether they would
reach the safe harbor or not。
〃Go to it grandam； child；
Give grandam kingdom； and it grandam will
Give it a plum； a cherry and a fig。〃
We know what the child will take。 So which course we shall take
depends very much on the way the choice is presented to us； and on
what the chooser is by nature。 What he is by nature is not
determined by himself； but by his parentage。 〃They know not what
they do。〃 In one sense this is true of every human being。 The agent
does not know； never can know； what makes him that which he is。 What
we most want to ask of our Maker is an unfolding of the divine
purpose in putting human beings into conditions in which such numbers
of them would be sure to go wrong。 We want an advocate of helpless
humanity whose task it shall be； in the words of Milton；
〃To justify the ways of God to man。〃
We have heard Milton's argument； but for the realization of his
vision of the time
〃When Hell itself shall pass away；
And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering day；〃
our suffering race must wait in patience。
The greater part of the discourse the reader has had before him was
delivered over the teacups one Sunday afternoon。 The Mistress looked
rather grave； as if doubtful whether she ought not to signify her
disapprobation of what seemed to her dangerous doctrine。
However； as she knew that I was a good church…goer and was on the
best terms with her minister； she said nothing to show that she had
taken the alarm。 Number Five listened approvingly。 We had talked
the question over well； and were perfectly agreed on the main point。
How could it be otherwise？ Do you suppose that any intellectual；
spiritual woman； with a heart under her bodice； can for a moment
seriously believe that the greater number of the high…minded men； the
noble and lovely women； the ingenuous and affectionate children； whom
she knows and honors or loves； are to be handed over to the experts
in a great torture…chamber； in company with the vilest creatures that
have once worn human shape？
〃If there is such a world as used to be talked about from the pulpit；
you may depend upon it；〃 she said to me once； 〃there will soon be
organized a Humane Society in heaven； and a mission established among
'the spirits in prison。'〃
Number Five is a regular church…goer； as I am。 I do not believe
either of us would darken the doors of a church if we were likely to
hear any of the 〃old…fashioned〃 sermons； such as I used to listen to
in former years from a noted clergyman； whose specialty was the
doctrine of eternal punishment。 But you may go to the churches