The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-11-29

4 49,
which man Is the central figure. There
are additional facts, but no contradiction.
We second the lecturer in advising, the
reader 10 study the two chapters Tor him
self. The first account ends with the gen.
eral sentiment that mani e., the hrst
representatives OF the human race-were
! made male and female. The second
, groups oil terrestrial being around man as
center. 1t does not represent MN a.
created before the beasts. It mentions
him first TO contrast him with other beings
whose succession has already been con.
cisely stated. We are cody informed
that God caused all the animals to pass be,
fore Adam to see II he could not pick out
, one that would do for helpmeet for him.
Verse nineteenth Of chapter second DIS
closes that God brought them unto Adam
tn see what he would call them. Adam
did name them, and the added TACT "eut
for Adam there was not found e., did
not vet exist IN helpmeet" for him Is the
sole origin OF this precious charge and q
volley Of jests as to the possible result OF
the marriage OF man with beast.
The next subject for witticism L. the
formation OF Eve out Of one OF Adams
ribs. We do not pretend to explain the
process, but its literal truth Is tar more
probable than that all the varied existences
tthis world OF ours came into being with
out an intelligent cause, or God who has
hid His personality from His suffering
creatures. The lecturer claimed TO reason
out infinity Of time and space from his
knowledge OF their finite divisions. Yet
he could not imagine creative God.
Finite mind afforded him no glimpse Of
the infinite. Daniel Webster once said
man could not understand the arithmetic
OF heaven, and Col. Ingcrsoll is obviously
ignorant of the alphabet OF reasoning. He
can not conceive the infinite anywhere.
Humanity can grasp only immensely,
which may be an approximation, but Is
very different thing.
The origin OF evil through the serpent,
or the malignant spirit which took its
form, was q subject for boisterous humor.
Il matters not whether the story be true TO
the letter or IN allegory, signifying that
by mans yilliul disobedience sin and evil
came into the world. The practical fact is
that they are here, and that the condolences
OF all men, savage or civilized, are bearing
testimony to the unwelcome fact, and to
their own responsibility, If there is no
God, the facts arc not changed, but there
is no longer promised remedy. Sin and
suffering are all around us, and, if blind
fate brought us Into misery here, who can
say that It may not plunge US into hell at
death? Not Col. Ingersoll.
The lecturer was not content with laugh
ing at the account OF the fall. He must
misrepres0nt it. He said Eve fell on the
first day OF her lie. Where did he learn
that? The serpent, he says, seduced the
woman. Why shouldn't he? God had
told Adam that il he ate he should die,
but he never told her. Eve was Of q dif-
ferent opinion. She said (Gen, ill.,, 9, 81.
ave may eat OF the fruit OF the trees OF
the garden, but OF the fruit OF the tree
which is in the midst OF the garden God
hath said We shall not eat OF it, neither
shall We touch it, lest ye die" The italics
are ours. Such peryorsiou as ne have e8..
posed may be wit, but it Is not truth, and
sensible men want truth.
Another gross Misrepresentation gave
the lecturer an opportunity for some
eloquent olaptrap about the nobility OF
labor. The fall brought the necessity OF
work, he said and work was not an evil.
We find in Genesis XII, Is, that God put
Adam in Eden ito dress it and keep it.
The curse imposed at the fall was Cursed
is the ground for thy sake; ip sorrow shalt
thou eat OF it all the days OF thy life.
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring
forth to thee; and thou shalt cat the herb
OF the field. In the sweat OF thy face
shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto
the ground" Genesis iii, l7-l9.) The
NoachIc delugO, il It eoYpred the earth,
was stupendous miracle, and not a
natural phenomenon, even II limited to all
humanity, then spread over comparative
~ small part Of tho eartb'g surface.
There is, however, no more widely spread
tradition than that OF the food. Legends
agreeing surprisingly in important respects
arc found among the natives OF Europe,
Asia, America, and the islands OF the
Pacific. There must be basis OF fact to
this almost universal belief. The declara-
tons OF the text, that all the high hills I'M
der the whole heayans were covered, may
seem 10 conflict with this limitation Of ex-
tent. Yet similar 0rientalisms are
foundin the statementsth that "all countries
came into Egypt To buy corn, and that
God put the fear and dread OF Isreal upon
every nation under heaven"
Wea not concerned, so much, however,
with the delugeas with two OF the lecturers
statements concerning it, In both OF which
he expresses his ''invincible ignorance"
First, the little window OF the ark, over
which he laughs, is called in the original
tsohar, which has been Interpreted to mean
a course OF windows or skylights OF some
transparent material. The window through
which, Noah lot out his birds is cllallon in
the Hebrew, and the windows OF heaven
are called arabhoth. Tho challon and
tsohar we're very different affairs.
Second, he raised laugh over the situa.
ton OF the tropical animals in the ark
when it rested on the snowclad peak OF
Ararat. Th0re Is no reason, biblical or
otherwise, for believing thatth mountain
was the spot. The Scripture says the
mount9ils Of Ararat, and traditions and
theories respecting the locality arc very
diverse.
Having apparently studied Bishop Co
lenso little, Col. Ingersoll made himself
merry over the assertion that the lsraelite
women in the wilderness must have had
IS children apiece since there were S,OOO,-
900 persons In the camp, and 99,37S first.
born males were redeemed by the Israel
ties. He reckoned there could not have
been over 45, 900 mothers for the first born
boys and girls, or an average Of 6S chill
dren to each. Now 1t 50 happens that the
redeemed males were only those born
since the exodus, and they must be at once
the first child OF the father and the first
child Of the mother also, The regulation
did not extend to those OF the three mill
lion who we're born before the departure
from Egypt. The picture of the priests be-
ing compelled to eat several hundred tur-
tie doves at once was amusing as drawn,
but too absurd to need retutation.
We might dilate on the lecturers trav-
esty Of the plaques Of Egypt, but our space
is nearly exhausted. For popular dis
custom Of tho visitations, and one which
sets them in their true light, we know no
better book than Walkers acute, but rath'
or ohsournly named Philosophy CT tho
Plan OF Salvation. OF slavery under the
| To,,.{sb tbaorrnct, II ia nnOuVh IN saw that