The dogma of rewards and punishments as taught by Christ is fatal to all reality of virtue. To do right from hope of heaven: to avoid wrong for fear of hell: such virtue is only skin-deep, and will not stand rough usage. True virtue does right because it _is_ right, and therefore beneficial, and not from hope of a personal reward, or from dread of a personal punishment, hereafter. Christianity is the apotheosis of selfishness, gilded over with piety; self is the pivot on which all turns: "What shall it _profit_ a man if he gain the whole world, and lose _his own_ soul?" (Mark viii. 36). "He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet _shall receive a prophet's reward_; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man _shall receive a righteous man's reward_. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he _shall in nowise lose his reward_" (Matt. x. 41, 42). "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, _him will I confess also_ before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, _him will I also deny_ before my Father which is in heaven" (Ibid, 32, 33). "Pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, _shall reward thee_ openly" (Ibid, vi. 6). "We have forsaken all and followed thee: _what shall we have therefore_?... When the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, _ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones_" (Matt. xix. 27, 28). The passages might be multiplied; but these are sufficient to show the thorough selfishness inculcated. All is done with an eye to personal gain in the future; even the cold water is to be given, not because the "little one" is thirsty and needs it, but for the reward promised therefore to the giver. Pure, generous love is excluded: there is a taint of selfishness in every gift.