The Bee-Hive. — 1872-03-30 (London, England)

BEE-HITE.  Six,—There are some men who would seem to think that it has nothing to do with everyday life whether there is a God or not; andthat if there were no God they could live for self alone, without being responsible to anyone, provided they passively conformed to the letter of the law. And there are others who would seem to think themselves justified in actively using the law as an instrument to condemn, excommunicate, and persecute as evil, all who do not profess belief in some ancient stereotyped dogma; and these practically treat morality and belief in a God as quite secondary, and valueless as compared with acceptance of their authority• as infallible, and, power as supreme. But if there wore not a God, and " the few" powerful and rich cared not either to .appease the sufferings, or propitiate the favour of the masses in order to reconcile and bring them to be at one with themselves, why should the mass respect the few ? And if there were a God, who, as a loving and merciful Father, cared for the masses' then why should the mass respect 'the few," unless they acted towards the mass as such a God would have His servants and worshippers act towards the mass? But if the few rich cared for the suffering mass, then such men would be as instruments, angels, or servants of God to the mass, and their presence would be as the presence of God amongst the mass, whether the poor believed in a God or not. And such conduot of the rich towards the poor would at least cause the poor to think the rich believed in a God; and so this conduct would lay a foundation for bringirg unbelievers to believe not only that there was a God, but that He was also loving and merciful. And this, a true faith in God, would be founded on a true faith in man. But when on account of either hypocrisy, false testimony, evil deeds or doctrines, a true faith could not be placed in those who occupied the seats of the Scribes and Pharisees, then this foundation for a true faith in Goci would be destroyed, and justice would require that the destroyers of such a divine faith should, as false stewards, be put out of their exalted seats. And if there were not laws in force for the adequate redress of these wrongs, then the masses would be provoked andsjustitied in redressing these wrongs themselves with a high hand, if justice was not to be obtained by any other means. And since those who at present occupy the National Churches testify against one another, making it as impossible to believe both or either as it was impossible to believe the testimony of either of the elders in "the story of Susannah ; " therefore the masses ought to rise and secure a hearing in the National Churches for those who are unjustly excluded from addressing them on behalf of the crucified Jesus, as the people of Israel secured a hearing for Daniel on behalf of the accused Susannah. And this would be the people's duty if there were no God, but it increases their duty to do so, when the good and merciful God they profess to believe in is falsely accused of evil and slandered, because Bishop Dupanloup in Franco asserts that the slanderer of a priest is as bad us a murderer of hostages; and, therefore a slanderer of God must be worse than either. And whilst priests accuse God of evil (as they do) and revile one another, the testimony of some must be false; thou for the sake of God and truth let the people require that the pulpits of the National Churches shall be opened without favour or fear to a free and fair discussion of what is taught as necessary to be believed. This is the duty of the people, because evil doctrines are established as true and are themselves the cause of an immense host of evils.— Yours, &c.,  T. G.