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 belonging to the kingdom of God; to the children whom we must resemble, in ignorance of false doctrines, to enter into the kingdom of God; to the children whom Jesus tried to protect in proclaiming woe on him who should cause one of the little ones to stumble! And the little children are obliged to learn all this, and are told that it is the only and sacred law of God. These are not proclamations sent out clandestinely, whose authors are punished with penal servitude; they are proclamations which inflict the punishment of penal servitude upon all those who do not agree with the doctrines they inculcate.

As I write these lines, I experience a feeling of insecurity, simply because I have allowed myself to say that men cannot render void the fundamental law of God inscribed in all the codes and in all hearts, by such words as these:—

“Manslaughter is not a transgression of the law when life is taken in pursuance of its mandate. … when we kill in war for our sovereign and our country.”

I tremble because I have allowed myself to say that such things should not be taught to children.

It was against such teachings as these that Jesus warned men when he said:—

“Look, therefore, whether the light that is in thee be not darkness.” (Luke xi. 35.)

The light that is in us has become darkness; and the darkness of our lives is full of terror.

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,