of Secularism_, and he spoke of my _Shadow of the Sword_ as "a noble
plea for peace." But he complained of my exposing the absurdities and
immoralities of the Bible--a book which is thrust into the hands of
little children in our public schools. He also complained of my dragging
to light the Crimes of Christianity. But his anger was most excited by
one of my "Bible Romances"--_A Virgin Mother_. Some fastidious persons
even object to the title, thus showing their abysmal ignorance of
Christian literature. The phrase is common in Catholic books of
devotion, like the Mother of God. It occurs in Milton's Ode on the
Nativity and in _Paradise Lost_. I have marked it a dozen times in
Professor Palgrave's collection of Sacred Songs. But Dr. Coit objects
to my comparison of the Holy Ghost's "overshadowing" of the Virgin Mary
with the divine impregnations of earthly women by the gods of the Greek
pantheon. He regards the one as a "mystery" and the others as vulgar
amours. But this depends on your point of view. Lord Bacon found a
mine of hidden wisdom in some of these "amours," and Mr. Morris makes
beautiful poetry of the loves of Zeus and Danae, which is more than
any one has ever succeeded in doing with the relations between the Holy
Ghost and Mary. I admit, however, that taste is not disputable; and
I refer Dr. Coit to the passage of my _Virgin Mother_ in which I cite
Justin Martyr as appealing to the Pagan not to mock at the Incarnation,
on the express ground that they also taught the same doctrine in their
stories-of the demi-gods who were born of women after the embraces of
deities. Surely, then, it is idle to complain of _my_ disrespect of this
Christian dogma. Nor is it just to say that my criticism of it cannot be
read to a mixed audience. That is the fault of the _doctrine_. So far
as my _words_ go, there is not a syllable to shock any but a prurient
modesty.

With respect to Dr. Coit's plea for bringing the kindness of social
intercourse into the war of ideas, I have this to say--It is impossible.
Timid persons have always sighed for this policy, but when the fight
began they have found themselves "between the fell incensed points
of mighty opposites." Religion should be treated as freely as other
subjects. That is all I claim, and I will not be satisfied with less.
I cannot consent to relinquish any weapon that is legitimate in other
warfare. Nor for the sake of temporary _feeling_ will I be false to
the permanent _