those　of　Calvin；　are　not　even　worthy　of　examination　in　the　light
  of　rational　logic。
  Greatly　concerned　about　his　salvation；　having　an　excessive　fear
  of　the　devil；　which　his　confessor　was　unable　to　allay；　Luther
  sought　the　surest　means　of　pleasing　God　that　he　might　avoid　Hell。
  Having　commenced　by　denying　the　Pope　the　right　to　sell
  indulgences；　he　presently　entirely　denied　his　authority；　and　that
  of　the　Church；　condemned　religious　ceremonies；　confession；　and
  the　worship　of　the　saints；　and　declared　that　Christians　should
  have　no　rules　of　conduct　other　than　the　Bible。　　He　also
  considered　that　no　one　could　be　saved　without　the　grace　of　God。
  This　last　theory；　known　as　that　of　predestination；　was　in　Luther
  rather　uncertain；　but　was　stated　precisely　by　Calvin；　who　made　it
  the　very　foundation　of　a　doctrine　to　which　the　majority　of
  Protestants　are　still　subservient。　　According　to　him：　‘‘From
  all　eternity　God　has　predestined　certain　men　to　be　burned　and
  others　to　be　saved。''　　Why　this　monstrous　iniquity？　　Simply
  because　‘‘it　is　the　will　of　God。''
  Thus　according　to　Calvin；　who　for　that　matter　merely　developed
  certain　assertions　of　St。　Augustine；　an　all…powerful　God　would
  amuse　Himself　by　creating　living　beings　simply　in　order　to　burn
  them　during　all　eternity；　without　paying　any　heed　to　their　acts
  or　merits。　　It　is　marvellous　that　such　revolting　insanity　could
  for　such　a　length　of　time　subjugate　so　many　mindsmarvellous
  that　it　does　so　still。＇1＇
  ＇1＇　The　doctrine　of　predestination　is　still　taught　in　Protestant
  catechisms；　as　is　proved　by　the　following　passage　extracted　from
  the　last　edition　of　an　official　catechism　for　which　I　sent　to
  Edinburgh：
  ‘‘By　the　decree　of　God；　for　the　manifestation　of　His　glory；　some
  men　and　angels　are　predestinated　unto　everlasting　life；　and
  others　foreordained　to　everlasting　death。
  ‘‘These　angels　and　men；　thus　predestinated　and　foreordained；　are
  particularly　and　unchangeably　designed；　and　their　number　is　so
  certain　and　definite　that　it　cannot　be　either　increased　or
  diminished。
  ‘‘Those　of　mankind　that　are　predestinated　unto　life；　God；　before
  the　foundation　of　the　world　was　laid；　according　to　His　eternal
  and　immutable　purpose；　and　the　secret　counsel　and　good　pleasure
  of　His　will；　hath　chosen　in　Christ　unto　everlasting　glory；　out　of
  His　mere　free　grace　and　love；　without　any　foresight　of　faith　or
  good　works；　or　perseverance　in　either　of　them；　or　any　other　thing
  in　the　creature；　as　conditions；　or　causes　moving　him　thereunto；
  and　all　to　the　praise　of　his　glorious　grace。
  ‘‘As　God　hath　appointed　the　elect　unto　glory；　so　hath　He；　by　the
  eternal　and　most　free　purpose　of　His　will；　foreordained　all　the
  means　thereunto。　　Wherefore　they　who　are　elected　being　fallen　in
  Adam；　are　redeemed　by　Christ；　are　effectually　called　unto　faith
  in　Christ　by　His　spirit　working　in　due　season；　are　justified；
  adopted；　sanctified；　and　kept　by　His　power　through　faith　unto
  salvation。　　Neither　are　any　other　redeemed　by　Christ；　effectually
  called；　justified；　adopted；　sanctified；　and　saved；　but　the　elect
  only。''
  The　psychology　of　Calvin　is　not　without　affinity　with　that　of
  Robespierre。　　Like　the　latter；　the　master　of　the　pure　truth；　he
  sent　to　death　those　who　would　not　accept　his　doctrines。　　God；　he
  stated；　wishes　‘‘that　one　should　put　aside　all　humanity　when　it
  is　a　question　of　striving　for　his　glory。''
  The　case　of　Calvin　and　his　disciples　shows　that　matters　which
  rationally　are　the　most　contradictory　become　perfectly　reconciled
  in　minds　which　are　hypnotised　by　a　belief。　　In　the　eyes　of
  rational　logic；　it　seems　impossible　to　base　a　morality　upon　the
  theory　of　predestination；　since　whatever　they　do　men　are　sure　of
  being　either　saved　or　damned。　　However；　Calvin　had　no　difficulty
  in　erecting　a　most　severe　morality　upon　this　totally　illogical
  basis。　　Considering　themselves　the　elect　of　God；　his　disciples
  were　so　swollen　by　pride　and　the　sense　of　their　own　dignity　that
  they　felt　obliged　to　serve　as　models　in　their　conduct。
  4。　　Propagation　of　the　Reformation。
  The　new　faith　was　propagated　not　by　speech；　still　less　by　process
  of　reasoning；　but　by　the　mechanism　described　in　our　preceding
  work：　that　is；　by　the　influence　of　affirmation；　repetition；
  mental　contagion；　and　prestige。　　At　a　much　later　date
  revolutionary　ideas　were　spread　over　France　in　the　same　fashion。
  Persecution；　as　we　have　already　remarked；　only　favoured　this
  propagation。　　Each　execution　led　to　fresh　conversions；　as　was
  seen　in　the　early　years　of　the　Christian　Church。　　Anne　Dubourg；
  Parliamentary　councillor；　condemned　to　be　burned　alive；　marched
  to　the　stake　exhorting　the　crowd　to　be　converted。　　‘‘His
  constancy；''　says　a　witness；　‘‘made　more　Protestants　among　the
  young　men　of　the　colleges　than　the　books　of　Calvin。''
  To　prevent　the　condemned　from　speaking　to　the　people　their
  tongues　were　cut　out　before　they　were　burned。　　The　horror　of
  their　sufferings　was　increased　by　attaching　the　victims　to　an
  iron　chain；　which　enabled　the　executioners　to　plunge　them　into
  the　fire　and　withdraw　them　several　times　in　succession。
  But　nothing　induced　the　Protestants　to　retract；　even　the　offer　of
  an　amnesty　after　they　had　felt　the　fire。
  In　1535　Francis　I。；　forsaking　his　previous　tolerance；　ordered　six
  fires　to　be　lighted　simultaneously　in　Paris。　　The　Convention；　as
  we　know；　limited　itself　to　a　single　guillotine　in　the　same　city。
  It　is　probable　that　the　sufferings　of　the　victims　were　not　very
  excruciating；　the　insensibility　of　the　Christian　martyrs　had
  already　been　remarked。　　Believers　are　hypnotised　by　their　faith；
  and　we　know　to…day　that　certain　forms　of　hypnotism　engender
  complete　insensibility。
  The　new　faith　progressed　rapidly。　　In　1560　there　were　two
  thousand　reformed　churches　in　France；　and　many　great　lords；　at
  first　indifferent　enough；　adhered　to　the　new　doctrine。
  5。　　Conflict　between　different　religious　beliefsImpossibility
  of　Tolerance。
  I　have　already　stated　that　intolerance　is　always　an　accompaniment
  of　powerful　religious　beliefs。　　Political　and　religious
  revolutions　furnish　us　with　numerous　proofs　of　this　fact；　and
  show　us　also　that　the　mutual　intolerance　of　sectaries　of　the　same
  religion　is　always　much　greater　than　that　of　the　defenders
  of　remote　and　alien　faiths；　such　as　Islamism　and　Christianity。
  In　fact；　if　we　consider　the　faiths　for　whose　sake　France　was　so
  long　rent　asunder；　we　shall　find　that　they　did　not　differ　on　any
  but　accessory　points。　　Catholics　and　Protestants　adored　exactly
  the　same　God；　and　only　differed　in　their　manner　of　adoring　Him。
  If　reason　had　played　the　smallest　part　in　the　elaboration　of
  their　belief；　it　could　easily　have　proved　to　them　that　it　must　be
  quite　indifferent　to　God　whether　He　sees　men　adore　Him　in　this
  fashion　or　in　that。
  Reason　being　powerless　to　affect　the　brain　of　the　convinced；
  Protestants　and　Catholics　continued　their　ferocious　conflicts。
  All　the　efforts　of　their　sovereigns　to　reconcile　them　were　in
  vain。　　Catherine　de　Medicis；　seeing　the　party　of　the　Reformed
  Church　increasing　day　by　day　in　spite　of　persecution；　and
  attracting　a　considerable　number　of　nobles　and　magistrates；
  thought　to　disarm　them　by　convoking　at　Poissy；　in　1561；　an
  assembly　of　bishops　and　pastors　with　the　object　of　fusing　the　two
  doctrines。　　Such　an　enterprise　indicated　that　the　queen；　despite
  her　subtlety；　knew　nothing　of　the　laws　of　mystic　logic。　　Not　in
  all　history　can　one　cite　an　example　of　a　belief　destroyed　or
  reduced　by　means　of　refutation。　　Catherine　did　not　even　know　that
  although　toleration　is　with　difficulty　possible　between
  individuals；　it　is　impossible　between　collectivities。　　Her
  attempt　failed　completely。　　The　assembled　theologians　hurled
  texts　and　insults　at　one　another's　heads；　but　no　one　was　moved。
  Catherine　thought　to　succeed　better　in　1562　by　promulgating　an
  edict　according　Protestants　the　right　to　unite　in　the　public
  celebration　of　their　cult。
  This　tolerance；　very　admirable　from　a　philosophical　point　of
  view；　but　not　at　all　wise　from　the　political　standpoint；　had　no
  other　result　beyond　exasperating　both　parties。　　In　the　Midi；
  where　the　Protestants　were　strongest；　they　persecuted　the
  Catholics；　sought　to　convert　them　by　violence；　cut　their　throats
  if　they　did　not　succeed；　and　sacked　their　cathedrals。　　In　the
  regions　where　the　Catholics　were　more　numerous　the　Reformers
  suffered　like　persecutions。
  Such　hostilities　as　these　inevitably　engendered　civil　war。　　Thus
  arose　the　so…called　religious　wars；　which　so　long　spilled　the
  blood　of　France。　　The　cities　were　ravaged；　the　inhabitants
  massacred；　and　the　struggle　rapidly　assumed　that　special　quality
  of　ferocity　peculiar　to　religious　or　political　conflicts；　which；
  at　a　later　date；　was　to　reappear　in　the　wars　of　La　Vendee。
  Old　men；　women；　and　children；　all　were　exterminated。　　A　cer