pondence method, covering four
years,--and longer if necessary to cover the full prescribed
course,--that is practically equal to the curriculum of the average
Divinity School, minus the advantages of class room instruction and
class lectures. It was this course of study that I pursued, prescribed
by the bishops of the M. E. Church. And it was here in these orthodox
books, prescribed by the bishops of my church as necessary for me, not
only to read, but to study, learn and digest, to fully equip me for the
ministry, that I learned the lessons that completely upset my faith,
and finally led me to abandon the church and religion entirely! I
might add that it was perhaps as much what I _failed_ to learn from
these books, things that I was looking for and could not find because
it was not in them, that led me to this course, as it was from the
affirmative facts I did learn.

Up to this time, and long afterwards, I had never read a book that
might be called at all liberal in theology, much less anything of a
sceptical character. In fact I had read nothing, outside of school
text books, except such books as were authoritatively published by some
Baptist or Methodist publishing house. Robert G. Ingersoll was then at
the height of his fame, and I would not even read a political speech of
his, because he was an "infidel." The strange anomaly of the whole
thing is that I was led, or rather driven, clear out of the church into
practical agnosticism thru and by my earnest and intense efforts to
more strongly fortify and establish myself in my preconceived beliefs
about the Bible and religion. This will appear more fully as we
proceed.

First of all, all orthodox Christianity is based upon the doctrine that
the Bible is the supernaturally inspired, infallible word of God. Upon
this Bible as the sole authority, every doctrine, creed, dogma and
ecclesiastical practice is based. Take away this doctrine of Biblical
infallibility, and orthodoxy crumbles to dust. As long as it is held
to be infallible truth, every creed in Christendom can find abundant
material in it to prove every point it claims. Every one knows that
among the many Christian denominations which fully agree with each
other the Bible is an infallible revelation from God; yet the doctrines
and conclusions they deduce from it are as diametrically opposed to
each other as midnight and noon.

As I have already said, I never had any doubt, up to this time, of the