_Christian_--True, gentlemen. Fancy, or imagination, does, in active moments, bring for our amusement some fantastic pictures. Her work, however, is never simple, but always complex. This that we are in search of is the idea of a simple being--a being that is single, and not duplex. I will now illustrate the extent of the power of the imagination. Taking a walk through nature's flower garden, we gather one of every variety, and examining them closely, one by one, we notice their difference in form, color and size by the eye. Their fragrance we note by the smell. Thus, by the aid of the senses, we note all their sensible properties. Now, allowing that memory is perfect, we have in store all the peculiarities of each and every individual flower. Gentlemen atheists, am I correct in this conclusion? _Atheists_--Well, yes. _Christian_--Very well; then I'll proceed. Having learned, by what we saw, the art of combining, we can and will imagine all these single flowers blended in one large conglomerated flower, containing all the peculiarities of each and every single flower. Now, gentlemen, is not this all that the imagination can do? _Atheists_--It is. _Christian_--Very well. Is this a simple or compound idea? _Atheists_--It is a compound idea. It is simply the blending of the idea of each single flower. _Christian_--And this is all the imagination can do? Then, gentlemen, do you not see that as the idea of God is the idea of a single person, it would be utterly impossible for imagination to be its author? It is not a conglomerate idea, but a single one. Now, if there is no God, we have a clear, definite idea of _nothing_. How will you account for this? Are you not now unable to give a reason for your premises? Is it not the truth that fools are wiser in their own conceit than men who can give a reason? _Atheists_--Mr. Christian, we did not think that you would thus call us all fools, and as our investigation has taken such an unlooked for turn, we must ask time for consultation before we proceed further. _Christian_--Very well. When will you be ready to resume? this I am anxious to know; as you are "liberalists" and "free-thinkers," you will be equally anxious to reach the truth in the premises? _Atheists_--At two P.M. It is two o'clock, and all are present. Mr. Reason, who was an atheist, opens the discussion as follows: "Mr. Christian, we have held a council on the subject under discussion, and our conclusion is that you are right. There must be, and is, such a being as God. Were this not so, we never could have had the idea of him. We are now deists. We deny that he has ever imparted knowledge to man by revelation." _Christian_--Gentlemen, do you think your present position is a scientific one?