The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-10-02
Religious Drift and Dlscussisu.

The Reformed Episcopal Church ia in
luck. A New Englander has given land
estimated as worth $1,000 900 for the ben.
eft Of the proposed college Of theology at
Chicago.
"Soomon's Song" seems 10 be the start.
ing point toward an expurgated Bible in
the opinion Of the Baptist clergy OF Chi.
Csgo. 1t was generally agreed, the ALI.
anCe reports at recent association meet.
ing, that the effort 10 interpret it as an
allegOry Of the love OF Christ for his
church was unsuccessful. DR.. Oven noted
its resemblance TO the songs OF the Z.nd
Aveata. Prof. MRimon OF the chair OF
Hebrew in the theological seminary did
not think Solomon wrote the song, and
tina. it was simply a picture OF conjugal
love. r-.-.
Rev. Washington GLADDEN. has in the
Iadeptndent a good article on axioms in
theology, which contains these admirable
sentences: No theology will stand that
is in conflict with the primary truths Of
reason, the fundamental laws OF thought.
Man is older than revelations, and this is
the very first law Of interpretations
law which has been despised and rejected
by theologians OF every age. The Bible
was made for man, and not man for the
Bible. The revelation must be adapted
TO the mind TO which it is given; and
must be interpreted in way that shall
not conflict with the fundamental laws OF
that mind. The facts Of the Bible are
probable; the first truths Of reason are
certain"
The Philadelphia ministers who have
been making fools OF themselves in call.
ing the ruin Of John S. Morton "a visi.
tation Of heaven" on account Of his share
in opening the Permanent Exhibition
there Sundays, have the6 fellows among
the religious editors. There were other
grounds for a visitation which it seems
impossible that even sectarian density
can ignore. The Sunday SehOO! Times hits
upon an Interesting variation in these re-
marks: "He has resigned his place at
the head Of the exhibition; but after all,
II that IL to be opened on Sundays, be
would seem just the sort Of man to have
it in charge. lie is qualified for the work
now, il he was not before" And yet over
in England Dean Stanley and several
other good Christians are advocating the
opening Of art galleries, Libraries, and all
useful exhibitions on Sunday.
The New York Observer responds to
Col, Ingeraoll's challenge to earn s., 600 BY
proving that Tom Paine died abjuFlug
lnfdelity, by simply saying that it never
made that assertion, and then going on
prove the truth of the assertion ii really
did make. This was that Paine "died a
drunken, beastly DEATH" The whole
weight Of evidence yet given is to the
effect that, during his last 10 or Is years,
he lived life to which those adiectiyes
are justly applied, and that he did NOT
change At the end. Paine was disgust.
ing wretch, there can be no doubt about
that, and yet he may have died as stout
an infdel as ever, though no one can be.
lieve so except by believing that the
Quakers Stephen Grellet and Mary
Roscoe lied about his excited Ian,
guage on his death-bed, aOnce
when she MARY RoScoe) was there .
says Grellet, "Ihree OF his deistical asso.
ciites came to the door, and in a loud
unIeeling manner, said: Tom Paine, i. il
said you are turning Christian, but VIC
hope you will die as you have lived and
then went away. 0n which, turning 10
Mary Roscoe, he said, You see wha,
miserable comiorters they are. onee he
asked her II She had ever read any Of his
writings, and on being told that she had
read but very little Of them, he inquired
what she thought Of them, adding, From
such one as you l expect a correct an.
swer.' She told him that when very
young his Age Of Reason was put into
her hands, but that the more she read In
It the more dark and distressed she felt,
and she threw the book into the Gre, Il
wish all had done as you he replied;
for II the devil ever had any agency in
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