In sustaining this proposition I shall introduce no witnesses but those
whose perfect reliability is vouched for by the Atheist himself; so we
shall have no dispute concerning the credibility and perfect reliability
of witnesses. For the Atheist, claiming to be a votary of reason, as
well as a boasted free and fearless thinker, certainly can not impeach
the testimony of his own mind. And, being a free and fearless thinker,
he will not try to conceal or prevent the witness, when on the stand,
from telling the whole truth. I am now ready for the evidence.
The scene changes; Christian is alone in his studio, and a rap is heard
at the door. It is opened, and Mr. Atheist is invited to enter, and
being seated, Christian addresses him thus:
Mr. Atheist, I am glad you have called, and if you have the leisure time
and are perfectly free to do so, I would like to talk with you on the
evidence of the existence of God.
_Atheist_--I am not only willing, but as anxious as you can be to
examine this question.
_Christian_--Very well. I suppose you have examined the evidence in the
premises, and from all the testimony, carefully analyzed, made your
decision.
_Atheist_--You do me justice in thus supposing, for I claim to be a
reasonable being, and to follow fearlessly the lamp of reason; and,
doing this on scientific and philosophic principles, I have become
satisfied that there is no God.
_Christian_--Will you allow me to state my analysis of the mind and ask
you if it is correct?
_Atheist_--You, Mr. C., are approaching from a singular yet a pleasing
stand-point; will you please give me your analysis? If it is good, I
will say so; if defective, I will point out its errors.
_Christian_--It is this: The mind of man may be divided into ten parts
or powers; five external, or the five senses; and five internal. The
external I need not name. The internal may be presented thus: First,
perception; second, reflection; third, memory; fourth, reason; fifth,
judgment, or decision; each of these entirely dependent upon its
immediate predecessor for support and action. We can not judge of that
upon which we have not reasoned, nor reason where we have not
remembered, nor remember that of which we have not first thought;
neither can we think of that which we have not perceived, nor perceive
without the action of some one of the five senses.
_Atheist_--I admire your analysis--it is scientific; but, Mr. C., I
should not think that you, with your present belief in the existence of
God, would adopt this system of mental philosophy.
_Christian_--Why?
_Atheist_--_Did you ever see a God?_
_Christian_--If you please, I will test the question with you, and, in
order to do so, I will personify these powers. I will suppose them to
represent ten men, all of whom are Atheists, and we will rely upon their
testimony.
_Atheist_--That is an honorable offer; I will accept it most cordially.
_Christian_--Then, we are to consider the powers of the mind as so many
men, and hear their testimony?
_Atheist_--Yes.
_Christian_--Will you examine the witnesses?
_Atheist_--You would more properly do that; I wish to hear you.
_Christian_--Very well; I will, then, call on Mr. Judgment, and ask,
Have you given a decision on the question of the existence of God, and
if so, what is your decision?
_Judgment_--There is no such being.
_Christian_--Tell us whether you created the idea of a God, or brought
it into the world with you, and how you obtained the material from which
you manufactured your verdict?
_Judgment_--"Did I bring the idea into the world with me, or create it?"
_What a question!_ Had anybody but a Christian asked it I would have
thought it an insult; but, then, Christians are never thinkers. You
ought to have known that the thought could not have been created by me.
To say I created it would be an endorsement of your foolish idea that
_something_ was made of _nothing_. I have no creative power, much less
the power _to make something out of nothing_; neither did I bring it
into the world with me. _We have no innate ideas._
_Christian_--Then where did you get the material from which you made
your decision that there is no God?
_Judgment_--"_Where!_" I have but one porter, Mr. Reason. He gives all
the material upon which I ever act. If you doubt this try and judge of
anything upon which you have never reasoned. If you can not do this you
must agree with me that judgment can only act and decide by the aid of
reason.
_Christian_--Your argument is conclusive. Now, as you have decided that
there is no God, and also claim that your only aid, Mr. Reason, gave you
the material out of which you made your decision, will you call him and
allow me to ask him a few questions?
_Judgment_--Most willingly. We all are free thinkers, and delight in
investigation. Brother Reason, please call in; Christian is here and
wishes a little information of you.
_Reason_--Mr. Christian, Brother Judgment informs me that you wish some
information from me. Please state your question.
_Christian_--Did you present the idea of the existence of God to your
brother Judgment, and if so, where and how did you come by it?
_Reason_--I received it from Brother Memory, and opened it out and held
it up so that Brother Judgment could scan it thoroughly, and he decided
there was no such being, and I agree with him.
_Christian_--Will you call Memory, that I may learn where and how he
obtained the idea? (_Memory enters._)
_Christian_--Mr. Memory, are you an Atheist, and did you give Reason the
idea of a God? If you did, how did you get it? Did you bring it into the
world with you?
_Memory_--"Bring it into the world with me." _What an absurd question!_
I never had an idea only as it was given me by Brother Reflection. If
you doubt this, try and remember something you have never thought of, or
think of something you never perceived. This, then, is the truth:
Reflection received the idea from Perception and gave it to you, and you
gave it to Memory, and he held it up to the eye of Reason, who, with
your aid, spread it out before the mind of your brother Judgment, and he
gave the decision, that there is no God; so we are all Atheists. Have
you any more questions?
_Christian_--Yes, one more at least; I wish _now_ to know how your
brother Perception obtained the idea of a God--will you tell me, or call
him?
_Memory_--Oh, I can tell you; he has five porters who bring him all he
ever gets, and they, with us, are all Atheists. But one or another of
these must have brought him the idea.
_Christian_--Will you ask them which one gave it to your brother
Perception?
_Memory_--You, for some reason, are very particular. I will, however, to
gratify you, call them, or at least some of them. Brother Eye, Christian
wishes to know if you gave the idea of a God to Mr. Perception?
_Eye_--_What a foolish question!_ You, an Atheist, ask me, another
Atheist, if I have ever seen a living God where there is none to look
at--you have let Christian lead you out until he has almost drawn from
you the proof that David told the truth about us when he called all
Atheists fools. I have seen all visible things, but _nothing_ is too
small a mark for me to discover!
_Christian_--Mr. Eye, don't be in a hurry; just let me ask, do Free
Thinkers get scared and refuse to think?
_Eye_--I will leave you now, and tell the other porters what a fix your
philosophy has led us into.
_Christian_--Good-bye; I will call one month hence and hear your
conclusion.