



Produced by David Widger









THE WORKS OF ROBERT G. INGERSOLL

By Robert G. Ingersoll

"EVERY BRAIN IS A FIELD WHERE NATURE SOWS THE SEEDS OF THOUGHT, AND THE
CROP DEPENDS UPON THE SOIL."

In Twelve Volumes, Volume VII.

DISCUSSIONS

Dresden Edition


1900

CONTENTS OF VOLUME VII.


MY REVIEWERS REVIEWED.

(1877.)

Answer to San Francisco Clergymen--Definition of Liberty, Physical
and Mental--The Right to Compel Belief--Woman the Equal of Man--The
Ghosts--Immortality--Slavery--Witchcraft--Aristocracy of the
Air--Unfairness of Clerical Critics--Force and Matter--Doctrine of
Negation--Confident Deaths of Murderers--Childhood Scenes returned to
by the Dying--Death-bed of Voltaire--Thomas Paine--The First
Sectarians Were Heretics--Reply to Rev. Mr. Guard--Slaughter of
the Canaanites--Reply to Rev. Samuel Robinson--Protestant
Persecutions--Toleration--Infidelity and Progress--The
Occident--Calvinism--Religious Editors--Reply to the Rev. Mr.
Ijams--Does the Bible teach Man to Enslave his Brothers?--Reply to
California _Christian Advocate_--Self-Government of French People at
and Since the Revolution--On the Site of the Bastile--French
Peasant's Cheers for Jesus Christ--Was the World created in Six
Days--Geology--What is the Astronomy of the Bible?--The Earth the Centre
of the Universe--Joshua's Miracle--Change of Motion into Heat--Geography
and Astronomy of Cosmas--Does the Bible teach the Existence of
that Impossible Crime called Witchcraft?--Saul and the Woman of
Endor--Familiar Spirits--Demonology of the New Testament--Temptation of
Jesus--Possession by Devils--Gadarene Swine Story--Test of Belief--Bible
Idea of the Rights of Children--Punishment of the Rebellious
Son--Jephthah's Vow and Sacrifice--Persecution of Job--The Gallantry
of God--Bible Idea of the Rights of Women--Paul's Instructions to
Wives--Permission given to Steal Wives--Does the Bible Sanction
Polygamy and Concubinage?--Does the Bible Uphold and Justify Political
Tyranny?--Powers that be Ordained of God--Religious Liberty of
God--Sun-Worship punishable with Death--Unbelievers to be damned--Does
the Bible describe a God of Mercy?--Massacre Commanded--Eternal
Punishment Taught in the New Testament--The Plan of Salvation--Fall
and Atonement Moral Bankruptcy--Other Religions--Parsee
Sect--Brahmins--Confucians--Heretics and Orthodox.


MY CHICAGO BIBLE CLASS.

(1879.)

Rev. Robert Collyer--Inspiration of the Scriptures--Rev. Dr.
Thomas--Formation of the Old Testament--Rev. Dr. Kohler--Rev. Mr.
Herford--Prof. Swing--Rev. Dr. Ryder.


TO THE INDIANAPOLIS CLERGY.

(1882.)

Rev. David Walk--Character of Jesus--Two or Three Christs Described
in the Gospels--Christ's Change of Opinions--Gospels Later than the
Epistles--Divine Parentage of Christ a Late Belief--The Man Christ
probably a Historical Character--Jesus Belittled by his Worshipers--He
never Claimed to be Divine--Christ's Omissions--Difference between
Christian and other Modern Civilizations--Civilization not Promoted
by Religion--Inventors--French and American Civilization: How
Produced--Intemperance and Slavery in Christian Nations--Advance due to
Inventions and Discoveries--Missionaries--Christian Nations Preserved by
Bayonet and Ball--Dr. T. B. Taylor--Origin of Life on this Planet--Sir
William Thomson--Origin of Things Undiscoverable--Existence after
Death--Spiritualists--If the Dead Return--Our Calendar--Christ and
Christmas-The Existence of Pain--Plato's Theory of Evil--Will God do
Better in Another World than he does in this?--Consolation--Life Not a
Probationary Stage--Rev. D.O'Donaghue--The Case of Archibald Armstrong
and Jonathan Newgate--Inequalities of Life--Can Criminals live a
Contented Life?--Justice of the Orthodox God Illustrated.


THE BROOKLYN DIVINES.

(1883.)

Are the Books of Atheistic or Infidel Writers Extensively
Read?--Increase in the Number of Infidels--Spread of Scientific
Literature--Rev. Dr. Eddy--Rev. Dr. Hawkins--Rev. Dr. Haynes--Rev.
