ted and enthroned upon the ignorance of
mankind.

Now let us admit, for the sake of argument, that the bible is true. Let
us admit, for the sake of argument, that God once governed this
world--not that He did, but let us admit it, and I intend to speak of
no god but our God, because we all insist that of all the gods ours is
the best, and if He is not good we need not trouble ourselves about the
others. Let them take care of themselves.

Now, the first question is, whether this world shall be governed by God
or man. Admitting that the being spoken of in the bible is God, He
governed this world once. There was a theocracy at the start. That
was the first government of the world. Now, how do you judge of a man?
The best test of a man is, how does he use power? That is the supreme
test of manhood. How does he treat those within his control? The
greater the man, the grander the man, the more careful he is in the use
of power--the tenderer he is, the nearer just, the greater, the more
merciful, the grander, the more charitable. Tell me how a man treats
his wife or his children, his poor debtors, his servants, and I will
tell you what manner of a man he be. That, I say, is the supreme test,
and we know tonight how a good and great man treats his inferiors. We
know that. And a man endeavoring to raise his fellow-men higher in the
scale of civilization--what will that man appeal to? Will he appeal to
the lowest or to the highest that is in man? Let us be honest. Will
he appeal to prejudice--the fortress, the armor, the sword and shield
of ignorance? Will he appeal to credulity--the ring in the nose by
which priests lead stupidity? Will he appeal to the cowardly man?
Will he play upon his fears--fear, the capital stock of imposture, the
lever and fulcrum of hypocrisy? Will he appeal to the selfishness and
all the slimy serpents that crawl in the den of savagery? Or will he
appeal to reason, the torch of the mind? Will he appeal to justice?
Will he appeal to charity, which is justice in blossom? Will he appeal
to liberty and love? These are the questions. What will he do? What
did our God do? Let us see. The first thing we know of Him is in the
Garden of Eden. How did He endeavor to make His children great, and
strong, and good, and free? Did He say anything to Adam and Eve about
the sacred relation of marriage? Did He say anything to them about
loving children? Did He say anything to them about learnin