him free, he would engage to cover the floor of the apartment on which they stood with gold. Those present listened with an incredulous smile; and as the Inca received no answer, he said with some emphasis, that "he would not merely cover the floor, but would fill the room with gold as high as he could reach;" and, standing on tiptoe, he stretched out his hand against the wall. Although this ransom was paid, the Spaniards on some frivolous accusation, sentenced him to death. When the sentence was communicated to the Inca, he exclaimed, "What have I done, or my children, that I should meet such a fate? And from your hands, too," said he, addressing Pizarro, "you, who have met with friendship and kindness from my people, with whom I have shared my treasures, who have received nothing but benefits from my hands!" In the most piteous tones, he then implored that his life might be spared, promising any guaranty that might be required for the safety of every Spaniard in the army, promising double the ransom he had already paid, if time were only given him to obtain it.

Finding, however, that he had no power to turn his conqueror from his purpose, he recovered his habitual self-possession, and from that moment submitted himself to his fate with the courage of an Indian warrior.

CIVILIZATION AND THEOLOGY.

Many of these cruelties were committed by those who prided. themselves on being in the head and front of the civilization, which is claimed to have sprung from the teaching and influence of Christian theology, but which, in fact, has sprung up in these our times as it has, in other times, in Egyptian, Grecian, Roman and South American communities, under the advantages afforded by the accumulation of wealth which goes, hand in hand, with mental culture and the development of the arts and sciences, each fostering and forwarding the other. The discovery of the art of printing has been of immense service in increasing and perpetuating civilization in later days, by diffusing and retaining knowledge for the benefit of each succeeding generation, and by bringing mind into collision with mind.

PRINTING AND CIVILIZATION.

But the inventor of the printing press was denounced by the Christian theologians of his day, as being in league with the devil,

PRINTING AND CIVILIZATION.

119

inasmuch as copies of the Bible could be produced by means of printing, with a celerity, and in quantities, never before heard or dreamed of-thus leading the way to the discovery of the cheat which the theologians were practising on the masses. Now, however, the Church authorities seize upon the evident and rapid advance in intellectual culture and knowledge in Christian countries, as compared with others, and claim that this is due entirely to the promulgation of Christianity; where, as it is due entirely to the circumstance that the printing press was invented and put into operation in a Christian country, in despite of the theologians who denounced it. That the dark side of human nature here presented, is the exception and not the general rule, even in Christian countries, we freely admit. It is one of the objects of this work to maintain that the good, the true, and the kind in the human nature largely predominate, notwithstanding the habit of the clergy of representing unregenerate man—that is, all not within the pale of, and paying tithes to the church—as utterly corrupt and having no good in them. This habit of dilating so continually on the darker side of human nature amounts to a gross and palpable libel on the species. Theologians, habitually measuring character by its aberrations, and estimating strong and passionate natures by their failings, rather than by their virtues which largely predominate, have fallen into a signal injustice. And this is the more inexcusable, inasmuch as in their own sacred volume, the Psalms of David are a conspicuous proof how a noble, tender, and passionate nature could survive, even in an adulterer and a murderer.

Now, from whatever cause this persistent course of the Christian Theologians, in representing man in his natural state as alto ether under the empire of evil, proceeds-whether from love of denomination, interest, or other causes-nothing can be more certain than that excellence and not vice is prominent and distinctive in human nature in its most primitive state.

The more the intellectual faculties are cultivated and lend their aid to the moral perceptions, and kindly promptings of the heart, the more rapid is the advance in the pursuit of the good, the right, and the virtuous. But good greatly preponderates over evil, even in the incipient stages of human society. Benevolence is more common than cruelty. The sight of suffering produces pity, rather than joy. Gratitude, not ingratitude, is the normal result of a

conferred benefit. The sympathies of man naturally follow heroism and goodness. In fine, virtue and not vice-love, and not hate, predominate in human nature; while vice itself is usually but an exaggeration or distortion of tendencies that are in their own nature perfectly innocent.

We have herein presented to notice some of the great crimes known to history, that have been committed by the inhabitants of Christian countries, who are understood to have had the benefit of the teachings of the Church. And we would remind those who attempt to build up Church interests, and prove its beneficial effects upon man, by contrasting the moral conduct of Christian nations with that of Heathen, that-when fairly made-Christians lose rather than gain by the comparison. As to attributing the advanced state of mental culture and civilization to the influence of the Church, instead of the art of printing, the cause of truth will be served by calling attention to certain doings of the Church here given, before the printing press came into use.

LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED,

AND FROM WHICH EXTRACTS HAVE BEEN MADE.

4:

Essays on the Language, Writings and Religion of the Parsees,' by Martin Haug.

"Ancient Faiths Embodied in Ancient Names," by Thomas Inman, M. D.

"Sangermano's Burmese Empire," by Tandy.

"The Rig-Veda Sanhita," Translated by Wilson and Cowell. Legge's "Life and Teachings of Confucius."

Grote's "Plato."

"The Ten Tribes of Israel, and Mexican Antiquities," by Mrs.

Simon.

"The Koran," by George Sale.

"A Voice from the Ganges."

"The Dervishes," by J. P. Brown.

"A Brief View of Greek Philosophy," by a Pariah.

"Philosophical Theories, and Philosophical Experience," by a Pariah.

The Works of Thomas Hobbes; Dugald Stewart; John Stuart Mill; Lord Macaulay; Dr. Channing; Theodore Parker; Humboldt; J. G. Fichte; and George Combe.

"The Bridgewater Treatises," by Drs. Chalmers, Whewell and

others.

Bishop Colenso on the Pentateuch.

Bunsen's "God in History."

Buckle's "History of Civilization in England."

Lecky's "History of European Morals, from Augustus to Charle

magne."

Renan's "Life of Jesus."

"New Life of Jesus," by Strauss.

"The Divine Government," by Southwood Smith.

"Fellowes' Religion of the Universe."

"The Universal Church."

"Maurice's "Religions of the World.'

McCausland's "Adam and the Adamites."

"Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation."
Prescott's "Conquest of Mexico;" and "of Peru."
"Essays and Reviews

Draper's "Intellectual Development of Europe."
Mansel's "Bampton Lectures."

Froude's "Short Studies on Great Subjects.'

"Ecce Homo."

"Force and Matter," by Louis Büchner. Lewes History of Philosophy."

"The State of Man before Christianity."

S. W. Hall's "Law of Impersonation."

"Discussion of the Unity, Duality and Trinity of the Godhead."

Bernard's "Cambridge Free Thoughts."

Quarterly Review on "The Talmud."

F. W. Newman's "Phases of Faith."

"What is Truth?"

Coupland's "Incentives to the Higher Life.

Leigh Hunt's "Religion of the Heart."

"The Creed of Christendom," by W. R. Greg.

"The Method of the Divine Government, by Dr. McCosh.

"Pindar," and "Cicero," in Bohn's Classical Library.

"Indigenous Races of the Earth."

Milman's "History of the Jews;" "of Christianity;" and "of

Latin Christianity."

"Chips from a German Workshop," by Max Muller.

D'Aubigné's "History of the Reformation."

"Christ, and other Masters," by Archdeacon Hardwick. Appleton's Cyclopædia.