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suggested perfect harmony； sorrow and suffering were defects which that
Mind must feel and eventually regulate。
〃Yes；〃 he said； 〃not a sparrow falls but He is noticing； if that is what
you mean； but the human conception of it is that God is sitting up nights
worrying over the individuals of this infinitesimal race。〃
Then he recalled a fancy which I have since found among his memoranda。
In this note he had written：
The suns & planets that form the constellations of a billion billion
solar systems & go pouring； a tossing flood of shining globes；
through the viewless arteries of space are the blood…corpuscles in
the veins of God； & the nations are the microbes that swarm and
wiggle & brag in each； & think God can tell them apart at that
distance & has nothing better to do than try。 Thisthe
entertainment of an eternity。 Who so poor in his ambitions as to
consent to be God on those terms？ Blasphemy？ No； it is not
blasphemy。 If God is as vast as that； He is above blasphemy； if He
is as little as that； He is beneath it。
〃The Bible；〃 he said； 〃reveals the character of its God with minute
exactness。 It is a portrait of a man； if one can imagine a man with evil
impulses far beyond the human limit。 In the Old Testament He is pictured
as unjust； ungenerous； pitiless； and revengeful； punishing innocent
children for the misdeeds of their parents； punishing unoffending people
for the sins of their rulers； even descending to bloody vengeance upon
harmless calves and sheep as punishment for puny trespasses committed by
their proprietors。 It is the most damnatory biography that ever found
its way into print。 Its beginning is merely childish。 Adam is forbidden
to eat the fruit of a certain tree； and gravely informed that if he
disobeys he shall die。 How could that impress Adam？ He could have no
idea of what death meant。 He had never seen a dead thing。 He had never
heard of one。 If he had been told that if he ate the apples he would be
turned into a meridian of longitude that threat would have meant just as
much as the other one。 The watery intellect that invented that notion
could be depended on to go on and decree that all of Adam's descendants
down to the latest day should be punished for that nursery trespass in
the beginning。
〃There is a curious poverty of invention in Bibles。 Most of the great
races each have one； and they all show this striking defect。 Each
pretends to originality； without possessing any。 Each of them borrows
from the other； confiscates old stage properties； puts them forth as
fresh and new inspirations from on high。 We borrowed the Golden Rule
from Confucius； after it had seen service for centuries； and copyrighted
it without a blush。 We went back to Babylon for the Deluge； and are as
proud of it and as satisfied with it as if it had been worth the trouble；
whereas we know now that Noah's flood never happened； and couldn't have
happenednot in that way。 The flood is a favorite with Bible…makers。
Another favorite with the founders of religions is the Immaculate
Conception。 It had been worn threadbare； but we adopted it as a new
idea。 It was old in Egypt several thousand years before Christ was born。
The Hindus prized it ages ago。 The Egyptians adopted it even for some of
their kings。 The Romans borrowed the idea from Greece。 We got it
straight from heaven by way of Rome。 We are still charmed with it。〃
He would continue in this strain； rising occasionally and walking about
the room。 Once； considering the character of Godthe Bible God…he said：
〃We haven't been satisfied with God's character as it is given in the Old
Testament； we have amended it。 We have called Him a God of mercy and
love and morals。 He didn't have a single one of those qualities in the
beginning。 He didn't hesitate to send the plagues on Egypt； the most
fiendish punishments that could be devisednot for the king； but for his
innocent subjects； the women and the little children； and then only to
exhibit His power just to show offand He kept hardening Pharaoh's heart
so that He could send some further ingenuity of torture； new rivers of
blood； and swarms of vermin and new pestilences； merely to exhibit
samples of His workmanship。 Now and then； during the forty years'
wandering； Moses persuaded Him to be a little more lenient with the
Israelites； which would show that Moses was the better character of the
two。 That Old Testament God never had an inspiration of His own。〃
He referred to the larger conception of God； that Infinite Mind which had
projected the universe。 He said：
〃In some details that Old Bible God is probably a more correct picture
than our conception of that Incomparable One that created the universe
and flung upon its horizonless ocean of space those giant suns； whose
signal…lights are so remote that we only catch their flash when it has
been a myriad of years on its way。 For that Supreme One is not a God of
pity or mercynot as we recognize these qualities。 Think of a God of
mercy who would create the typhus germ； or the house…fly； or the
centipede； or the rattlesnake； yet these are all His handiwork。 They are
a part of the Infinite plan。 The minister is careful to explain that all
these tribulations are sent for a good purpose； but he hires a doctor to
destroy the fever germ； and he kills the rattlesnake when he doesn't run
from it； and he sets paper with molasses on it for the house…fly。
〃Two things are quite certain： one is that God； the limitless God；
manufactured those things； for no man could have done it。 The man has
never lived who could create even the humblest of God's creatures。 The
other conclusion is that God has no special consideration for man's
welfare or comfort； or He wouldn't have created those things to disturb
and destroy him。 The human conception of pity and morality must be
entirely unknown to that Infinite God； as much unknown as the conceptions
of a microbe to man； or at least as little regarded。
〃If God ever contemplates those qualities in man He probably admires
them； as we always admire the thing which we do not possess ourselves；
probably a little grain of pity in a man or a little atom of mercy would
look as big to Him as a constellation。 He could create a constellation
with a thought； but He has been all the measureless ages； and He has
never acquired those qualities that we have namedpity and mercy and
morality。 He goes on destroying a whole island of people with an
earthquake； or a whole cityful with a plague； when we punish a man in the
electric chair for merely killing the poorest of our race。 The human
being needs to revise his ideas again about God。 Most of the scientists
have done it already； but most of them don't dare to say so。〃
He pointed out that the moral idea was undergoing constant change； that
what was considered justifiable in an earlier day was regarded as highly
immoral now。 He pointed out that even the Decalogue made no reference to
lying； except in the matter of bearing false witness against a neighbor。
Also； that there was a commandment against covetousness； though
covetous