The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-02-16
.ASe Ministers Parsuing the Prop.
or Course in IGuoring Scientific
InquIries:"


Under the above title some one who
signs himself Watchipg and Waiting"
has au article in your issue OF Februa-
~ l4th. For lis own benefit and for
the many others in like situations, as
be says, with himself, although 1t
would be doing inj justice to them to
suppose he was correct, | would inform
him that the pulpit has by 10 means
iaiied al "tackiing the ideas pr'judi-
cial to religion" Aud it would be too
huch OF personal reflection TO suppose
that any one at all acquainted
with the religious world would cay &c.
And as to the honesty OF any one not
acquainted with The religious world
making such statements as the above
author did, l leave your readers to
Judge.
But as he seems to be sadly in need
OF information, whether he wants 1t is
another thing, let me cite him 10 the
following works which will give him all
the information his ca acity is able to
digest for some time: Whether the gas.
trio powers OF his mental organization
will be able to sssimilate such copious
and lucid defenses Of Christianity may
we'll be doubted.
As to the difficulty he is 10 about
ministers not spending their time in re-
futipg scientific objections to christian
ity, I would say that such elections do
not commonly emanate from the lpit.
If men will read elsewhere TO secure
such scientific objections, they ought,
il they are candid, TO read elsewhere for
their refutatiou. But like the above
author they can tell you the works
against christianity great deal better
Il &C they can tell those Ior it. They
are very careful to know all that is
written against religion, while they
have no concern 10 know anything that
defends it. They can tell OF many
books and authors against christianity,
but cannot go much as name single
book or author that defends it.
1t ,is very little use for ministers to
to spend their time preaching to such
people, for. 10 the first place they donot
as q rule come to church to hear the
minister il he did, and secondly they are
not the mos, profitable class to preach
to. The minister, like the farmer,
likes to cultivate the field that briggs
the best crops. And most ministers
have found that they can do more good
by preaching 10 sinners hungering aud
thirstipg after righteousness" than 10
scientific objectors and other babblers,
The minister uho follows preaching 70
that class will fad his spiritual iold
getting empty. The stare in his Grown
OF rejoicing . will be few and far be.
tween. Suppose that every minister in
Wheeling next Sabbath was 10 refu:e
Darwin, and Huxley, and ReDan
and Spencer. and q Froude. and
Others, these objectors would
no. be there, and would not know
whether they were reluted il they were
there. They know nothing about
these objectors except that they op.
pose christianity. II they were asked
ior the reasons OF their rejecting it they
could not give you one. Beside, sup
pose that every obiector in Wheeling
was satisfactorily refuted and his objsc.
| tions silenced, they would be no near
er being christians then they were with
their lnfdel notions. Their hearts
would still be es;ranged from Christ
4 They would still be in Q state ready to
perish, So, then, what real good has
been done when Q mans infdelity hal
been refuted, If there is nothing more
done for biu. After his infdeiity il
abandoned, then the minister mus
preach Christ unto him until be is cor
verted, which is the plan that
most Of ministers follow.
| But to satisfy the man who il
"wsiting and Watching" if he wi
Just be "up and doing" aud get SON,
, or all of the following works ard resc
. them carefully, I'll venture that sits
, be 10 done be will never again be guiitI
Of saying the subject has been "studH
. ously avoided" "Alexapders Eviden
ess OF Christianity" "McIlysius EVi
, dences Of Chrirtiani:y;" Gregory
Evidences OF Christianity" Abbott.
} Yoapg Christian; aNelson on 1n6del
! ity;" "Watson's Reply to Paine !
. I"wstson's Reply to Gibbon;" Lies