d not be proper for a man
in that hall to tell his honest thoughts, I would have heard him.

_Question_. Then I assume that you and Mr. Beecher have made up?

_Answer_. There is nothing to be made up for so far as I know.
Mr. Beecher has treated me very well, and, I believe, a little too
well for his own peace of mind. I have been informed that some
members of Plymouth Church felt exceedingly hurt that their pastor
should so far forget himself as to extend the right hand of fellowship
to one who differs from him upon what they consider very essential
points in theology. You see I have denied with all my might, a
great many times, the infamous doctrine of eternal punishment. I
have also had the temerity to suggest that I did not believe that
a being of infinite justice and mercy was the author of all that
I find in the Old Testament. As, for instance, I have insisted
that God never commanded anybody to butcher women or to cut the
throats of prattling babes. These orthodox gentlemen have rushed
to the rescue of Jehovah by insisting that he did all these horrible
things. I have also maintained that God never sanctioned or upheld
human slavery; that he never would make one child to own and beat
another.

I have also expressed some doubts as to whether this same God ever
established the institution of polygamy. I have insisted that the
institution is simply infamous; that it destroys the idea of home;
that it turns to ashes the most sacred words in our language, and
leaves the world a kind of den in which crawl the serpents of
selfishness and lust. I have been informed that after Mr. Beecher
had treated me kindly a few members of his congregation objected,
and really felt ashamed that he had so forgotten himself. After
that, Mr. Beecher saw fit to give his ideas of the position I had
taken. In this he was not exceedingly kind, nor was his justice
very conspicuous. But I cared nothing about that, not the least.
As I have said before, whenever Mr. Beecher says a good thing I
give him credit. Whenever he does an unfair or unjust thing I
charge it to the account of his religion. I have insisted, and I
still insist, that Mr. Beecher is far better than his creed. I do
not believe that he believes in the doctrine of eternal punishment.
Neither do I believe that he believes in the literal truth of the
Scriptures. And, after all, if the Bible is not true, it is hardly
worth while to insist upon its inspiration.