Gentleman With an Inquiring Mind

with the necessary information upon the subject (laughter), there was the opportunity. (Laughter and applause.) He said unto Him, Which? Jesus said: "Thou shalt do no murder; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not bear false witness; honour thy father and thy mother; and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." He did not say to him: "You must believe in me, that I am the only begotten Son of the ever Living God." He did not say: "You must be born again." He did not say: "You must believe the Bible." He did not say: "You must remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." He simply said: "Thou shalt do no murder; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not bear false witness; honour thy father and thy mother; thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." And thereupon the young man—I think he was a little fresh (laughter), and probably mistaken—saith unto Him, "All these things have I kept from my youth up." I don't believe that. (Laughter and applause.)

Now comes in an interpolation. In the old times, when the Church got a little scarce of money, they always put in a passage praising poverty. So they have this young man ask, "What lack I yet? and Jesus said unto him: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasures in Heaven." (Laughter.) The Church has always been willing to swap off treasures in Heaven for cash down. (Roars of laughter and applause.) When the next verse was written the Church must have been dead broke. (Laughter.) "And, again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." Did you ever know a wealthy disciple to unload on account of that verse? (Laughter and cheers.)

And then comes another verse, which I believe to be an interpolation: "And every one that hath forsaken houses, and brethren, and sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." Christ never said it (applause); never. "Whosoever will forsake father or mother!" Why, He said to this man that asked Him, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" among other things, "Honour thy father and thy mother;" and we turn over the page, and he says again, "If you will desert your father and mother, you shall have everlasting life." It will not do. "If you will desert your wife, your little children, and your lands,"—the idea of putting a house and lot on an equality with wife and children! Think of that? I do not accept the terms. I will never desert the one I love for the promise of any God. (Lond applause.) It is far more important that we should love our wives than that we should love God, and I will tell you why: You cannot help him; you can help her. (Applause.) You can fill her life with the perfume of perpetual joy. It is far more important that you love your children than that you love Jesus Christ, and why? If He is God, you cannot help Him; but you can plant a little flower of happiness in every footstep of the child, from the cradle page 8 until you die in that child's arms. (Loud applause,) Let me tell you to-day that it is far more important to build a house than to erect a church. (Applause.) The holiest temple beneath the stars is a home that love has built. (Applause.) And the most sacred altar in all the wide world is the fireside, around which gather father, mother, and children. (Applause.) There was a time when people believed that infamy. There was a time when they did