Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-09-27
B0BS' BIBLE.
Rev. DIR. Guard, OF San Francis,
GO, G0gs. Through Engersoll's
InIideI SpIurge.

The S.n Francisco Chronicle sa,
c that the announcement that the Re
DR.. Guard would lecture on "Ince
soll--the Bible an Immoral Book
gathered such a vast assemblage in Il
Grand Opera House that the immens
theatre was filled to overlooking bv
highly respectable audience Of adult:
Every available seat was seized, eve
in the gallery far up under the ceiling
The aisles were filled, and standin
room was even desiratum: row O
seats was placed across the stage to ac
commodate the eager audience, anC
even then many left the theatre. una
bic to find acceptable standing room
The audience must have numbered
1000.
After the Congregational singing o.
the hymn ''All Hail the Power Of .Je
sus Name'-the lecturer entered into
his subject. He said that IngersolI
called the Bible an immoral book; that
1t lncuIcated bad ideas, and that il
was antagonistic to modern science.
II he also ais sad that thc Old Testament
least West Indian and South African.
The Bible is, according to the infdel,
thoroughly and essentially an immor-
al book In it were contained many
instances Of outrageous principles and
vile tendencies. How did rba Savior
nourish his greatness and attain the
pinnacle of purity? Simply by His
companionship with those noble proph-
cts mentioned in the Holy Scriptures,
which, says IngersolI. is an immoral
book"
The lecturer then took up the doc
trine OF the depravity Of human ma
ture, on which Ingersoll dwelt. He
said never did philosopher explore the
range Of thought without finding more
or less depraVity. But when Iuger-
soil says the bible is all depravity he
speaks falsely. 1t sets forth the one
great idea that it is the deliverer of the
human race. Is there anything i'm
moral in that ? Scientific men whose
discoveries have been accepted by In
gersoll himself. have told us that man
born OF woman must have an ancestry.
The Bible, as an historical work, per-
force gives the genealogy Of its charac-
tiers. Is there anything immoral in
that?
And Solomon-it must be an i'm
moral book that gives us the history
OF Solomon Ii you deny the bible you
cannot deny Solomon. His history is
accepted as full y as is that OF CYRUS.
Solomon, man Of marvellous intellect,
profound thought and amazing erudi-
ton, endeavored to solve the problem :;
What IS man? He was an astronno-
mer, geographer and philosopher. but
he deterolorated, Notwithstanding
How great his falf He became the
Brigham Young of Palestine Oaugh-
ter), and Jerusalem became the Salt
Lake City Of. Palestine, which, in
turn became another Utah. When
Solomon died of softening of the
brain Increased Iau9hter) he had
seven hundred concubines to wait up-
on him. Seven hundred concubines
just think Of it, 0, what an immoral
book Is the Bible, to tell US of this in
not more than eight or nine paragraphs.
Does the bible, like the artist who
gives US libidinous pictures, lead us
step by step from one lickerish specta-
Gle to another, dwelling with horrible
proficiency upon each until the mind is
inHamed? No; the Bible Is sparse on
this subject How reticent; What
beautiful reticence it is chastity it.
self How unlike that picture of An
thony and Cleopatra, for instance O,
that picture 1t ought to be hidden |!
1t is only fit for brothel. 1t is, in
fact, only floating brothel. I dare
not permit my daughter to see it.
How gross, how sensual Fit only for
dens of lnfamy, and shocking to the
public gaze. How the artist, with
marvellous skill, strains his art on
each nude figure? How perfect is the
picture, even IN every minute detail !!
But 1t is gross. gross. Now, how diff
ferenl docs the Bible narrate Solomon's
Wickedness. 1t is condensed into a
few lines of cold fact. Now, take
Solomon, We lovers of Ingersoll, and
plunge into free love, for it is the next
step IN your belief. (Great laughter. }
The lecturer then took up the Oar
win theory of the survival of the fit
test.
The best tree, shrub or animal has
the best right to live, and it shall.
The best cat has right to live, and
if its mission is no higher than to be
the soIace of some old woman, if it is
| sleek, fat cat, it has a better right
to live than yowling, emaciated cat.
The best donkey has right to live
But the chief donkey of the world is
now on the coast, and he lives. Sc
you see the law is applied to every
thing. The destruction Of the Am
mo1ltes was TO give place to the fttest
w mere are the Ammonites, the Ca
NANTES? Homer, Plato, Pcricies
Socrates, Aristotle they are all pas
and gone, but the Jew still lives
The Roman crushed him and bea
down his city : the Egyptian drov,
HIM with the slaves lash. The city o
the Caesars is ruin. but the Jew still
lives The Yandall, Goth and HUI
swept down on Rome and destroyed it
They, in their turn, are gone but tn,
jew still lives. 1t is asked Wha
has the jew done? What, indeed
!, Remember what he has done for Com
! merce Remnnn hnr thnt Il La, Ill