o abate it; making it finite and brief,
instead of unending, as it must, without His interference, be. All these
conditions are met by the Christian religion; which has also stood the
severe test of many martyrdoms. "While, therefore," it is concluded,
"we regard ecclesiasticism and ritualism as among the greatest of evils,
we are convinced that Christianity is the only religion reconcilable
with philosophy; and we therefore accept it as true."

This declaration is reported to have met with very loud and angry
dissent from a considerable minority. The latter resolved themselves,
finally, into two schools: one, the larger in number, of rational deists
or theists, repudiating Christianity; the more extreme portion, into a
new sect or organization, which met shortly afterwards in Dresden.

These last free-thinkers, when assembled, declared that they were
discontented with all previous protests against religion, as not going
sufficiently far. "We have had enough," they said, "of futile efforts to
deny or ignore the existence of God. We believe that He exists, and we
_hate_ Him. We regard the Satan of Milton as the noblest character in
all literature and history. All honor from us to those who, in history
like Strauss, in philosophy like Schopenhauer, in science like
Hoeckel, and in literature like Heine, have tried, directly or
indirectly, to make the Christian's God seem unknowable or hateful to
men. But the time has come to pass beyond their moderation. We unite
ourselves in a league, not as atheists, but as _misotheists_, against
all that is called God; not in unbelief, but in revolt and utter
defiance."

Such is the substance of the programme, announced on the pages of the
"Anarchist," published in New York, of the new Misotheistic Association.
It fraternizes, very naturally, with the Anti-Christian Society of
London, and the Grand Order of the Knights of Lucifer at Rome.

Lower down in the scale still, but with much the same _animus_, is the
secret order, now said to number many members in nearly every city in
Europe and this country, though originating in Bombay, India, of _Thugs_
and _Burners_. These are vowed to take every opportunity to do injury to
the cause not only of religion, but of public and private virtue and
order; by arson, assassination, and other crimes. Through the vigilance
of well-organized police, they have, so far, been prevented from
effecting very much mischief; but they constitute one of the