Now and then, in the history of this world, a man of genius, of sense,
of intellectual honesty has appeared. These men have denounced the
superstitions of their day. They pitied the multitude. To see priests
devour the substance of the people filled them with indignation. These
men were honest enough to tell their thoughts. Then they were denounced,
condemned, executed. Some of them escaped the fury of the people who
loved their enemies, and died naturally in their beds. It would not be
for the church to admit that they died peacefully. That would show that
religion was not actually necessary in the last moment. Religion got
much of its power from the terror of death. Superstition is the child of
ignorance and fear. The first grave was the first cathedral. The first
corpse was the first priest. It would not do to have the common people
understand that a man could deny the Bible, refuse to look at the cross,
contend that Christ was only a man, and yet die as calmly as Calvin did
after he had murdered Servetus, or as King David, after advising one son
to kill another.