Although he has remained in print since 1876, he seems forgotten by all except freethinkers and religious historians. He was a strange compound of revengeful morality, malicious forgiveness, ferocious charity, egotistic humility, and a kind of hellish justice. In other words, he was as near like the God of the Old Testament as his health permitted. Laughing has always been considered by the theologians as a crime. Ministers have always said you will have no respect for our ideas unless you are solemn.
Solemnity is a condition precedent to believing anything without evidence.
And if you can only get a man solemn enough, awed enough, he will believe anything. Jehovah was not a moral god. He had all the vices and he lacked all the virtues. He generally carried out all his threats, but he never faithfully kept a promise. Under this government of God, the flames climbed around the limbs and blinded the eyes of Michael Servitus, because he dared to express an honest thought.