The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll Volume V Part 43

_Answer_. Certainly not.

_Question_. Has the honesty of his belief anything to do with his future condition?

_Answer_. Nothing whatever.,

_Question_. Suppose that he tried to believe, that he hated to disagree with his friends, and with his parents, but that in spite of himself he was forced to the conclusion that the Bible is not the inspired word of G.o.d, would he then deserve eternal punishment?

_Answer_. Certainly he would.

_Question_. Can a man control his belief?

_Answer_. He cannot--except as to the Bible.

_Question_. Do you consider it just in G.o.d to create a man who cannot believe the Bible, and then d.a.m.n him because he does not?

_Answer_. Such is my belief.

_Question_. Is it your candid opinion that a man who does not believe the Bible should keep his belief a secret from his fellow-men?

_Answer_. It is.

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_Question_. How do I know that you believe the Bible? You have told me that if you did not be- lieve it, you would not tell me?

_Answer_. There is no way for you to ascertain, except by taking my word for it.

_Question_. What will be the fate of a man who does not believe it, and yet pretends to believe it?

_Answer_. He will be d.a.m.ned.

_Question_. Then hypocrisy will not save him?

_Answer_. No.

_Question_. And if he does not believe it, and ad- mits that he does not believe it, then his honesty will not save him?

_Answer_. No. Honesty on the wrong side is no better than hypocrisy on the right side.

_Question_. Do we know who wrote the gospels?

_Answer_. Yes; we do.

_Question_. Are we absolutely sure who wrote them?

_Answer_. Of course; we have the evidence as it has come to us through the Catholic Church.

_Question_. Can we rely upon the Catholic Church now?

_Answer_. No; a.s.suredly no! But we have the testimony of Polycarp and Irenaeus and Clement,

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and others of the early fathers, together with that of the Christian historian, Eusebius.

_Question_. What do we really know about Polycarp?

_Answer_. We know that he suffered martyrdom un- der Marcus Aurelius, and that for quite a time the fire refused to burn his body, the flames arching over him, leaving him in a kind of fiery tent; and we also know that from his body came a fragrance like frankincense, and that the Pagans were so exasperated at seeing the miracle, that one of them thrust a sword through the body of Polycarp; that the blood flowed out and extinguished the flames and that out of the wound flew the soul of the martyr in the form of a dove.

_Question_. Is that all we know about Polycarp?

_Answer_. Yes, with the exception of a few more like incidents.

_Question_. Do we know that Polycarp ever met St. John?

_Answer_. Yes; Eusebius says so.

_Question_. Are we absolutely certain that he ever lived?

_Answer_. Yes, or Eusebius could not have written about him.

_Question_. Do we know anything of the character of Eusebius?

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_Answer_. Yes; we know that he was untruthful only when he wished to do good. But G.o.d can use even the dishonest. Other books have to be sub- stantiated by truthful men, but such is the power of G.o.d, that he can establish the inspiration of the Bible by the most untruthful witnesses. If G.o.d's witnesses were honest, anybody could believe, and what be- comes of faith, one of the greatest virtues?

_Question_. Is the New Testament now the same as it was in the days of the early fathers?

_Answer_. Certainly not. Many books now thrown out, and not esteemed of divine origin, were esteemed divine by Polycarp and Irenaeus and Clement and many of the early churches. These books are now called "apocryphal."

_Question_. Have you not the same witnesses in favor of their authenticity, that you have in favor of the gospels?

_Answer_. Precisely the same. Except that they were thrown out.

_Question_. Why were they thrown out?

_Answer_. Because the Catholic Church did not es- teem them inspired.

_Question_. Did the Catholics decide for us which are the true gospels and which are the true epistles?

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_Answer_. Yes. The Catholic Church was then the only church, and consequently must have been the true church.

_Question_. How did the Catholic Church select the true books?

_Answer_. Councils were called, and votes were taken, very much as we now pa.s.s resolutions in political meetings.