There was a misunderstanding as to the nature of liberty; he offered them a liberty for which they were not desirous. It was a dispute about liberty between Christ and those first Freethinkers. Now, may there not be some misunderstanding still? That is the subject of my sermon to-night. It is Christianity and Freethought. What do you understand by Freethought? Something opposed to Christianity; and by a Freethinker, one who rejects all or a part of Christianity. Why do such men give themselves that name? Because it expresses their conviction that Christianity is opposed to freedom of thought, that it puts a restraint on the human intellect. They say that Christianity shackles the human mind. “I boast of my freedom,” says the Freethinker; “you require me to submit the freedom of my intellect to the authority of a book. My mind resents such an attempt to fetter it, I submit to no authority. You priests and bigots that come to me with your authority, and threaten me with penalties for daring to think thus and thus, you are convicting yourselves of falsehood before you utter another word, for you are opposed to freedom. I cannot listen to your evidences of Christianity. No proof of miracle will make me give up my freedom of thought.” How often do we hear of the bigotry of the priest, and the enlightened Freethought of the age. Mark then, we have the issue raised between Christianity and Freethought. Let us understand it clearly, before we go further. It is true that Christianity comes with a claim of authority. It is true that Christianity says, Believe this and that, because Christ has said it. He is seeking men now, as he did, with authority; and it is true that Christianity does warn men of certain penalties, heavy and grievous penalties, if they don’t believe what Christ says. Christianity is authoritative teaching, accompanied with threats of penalties. Now we are told, that is just the point at which Christianity comes into collision with Freethought. Freedom of thought will not endure to hear of authority, and resents the very idea of penalty.