Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1878-11-29
INGERSOLL.
~, LECTURE ON SOME MISTAKES OF
N'' MOSES.
r, n the Bible-Arguing, DenOuncing
''n nd Swearing Against it-Diserepan- it
''r r;,s, Crudities, ExaggeratiOns,
Superstitions and Outrage of
the Church, Etc., Etc.

a.,roi the Opera House and about
Itch. : ais oi the gallery. assembled
..r.nin. ,'' TO hear Robert q. IngersOll
~ = ,bp mistakes oi Moses. In the au-
r.r..wrrr maRy prominent citizens
l,i.,r Ia lies. The lecturer made his
,s,r,uc. punctually at S o'clock and
~. two hours, keeping the atten-
oi1ar audience and eliciting APP
yause.
II healthy looking man, about six feet
-, inches in height, and with some
.t.,, ot 4 iat paunch. His head is
'..,. '~,. and we'll shaped, hall bald, and
:.T,-tiyr oi strength. His face is clean
.S,rsn and doublc-chinned, is mild and
'I'ss,nt. and little expresses the COM
l,.;v@nr.S for which he is distinguished.
T..roir,. j. clear and strong, and his
',sr,pcrs distinct. He is rather grace
-, IN Nj, manner. though sledge-ham-
strength rathcrthan cloquence char
....ri,rs his delivery. He is perfectly
.r,pt, never hesitatimg for a word, and
rr,rr dragging or dropping from his
~.,sl yi,or. He knows when he says
,.1I thing. and occasionally laughs
:. nj. own wit. He gcsticulates
,..ly and walks occasionally 10 and fro
., .ir platform. but he is free from OBJ
...ipnahIr mannerisnS and has no
- ,ial hobby in delivery or favorite at
,rj-. He can snrer well, and use the
r~,rlI ~ goud effect in sending home
n ipy,rri,n. He does not speci-
sTy ip,uirr confidence or impress YOU
With his fairness; for he appears IL a
.n,.ial pIrader. who will stop at nothing
q, make out his Ease. He shows no
.,mruthy with his opponents and is not
man tu be easily cOnciliated. He
,.gk, a, ii hc were certain OF what ne
.lv>. and j. very d0gmatic in his man
rrr His lecture Was we'll received, show
m, that the lecturer had many sympa-
t..,rrs in the audience.
H., began his lecture by explaining
vIv he troubled himself about these
matters. and said, in the first place, he
Wished to ircc the public mind OF this
uln,rv. He would like to- take the
fnn> and the manacles from the pulpit
the country and assist in giving liber-
Hio thought He wanted to free every
.5'i,irian. So that it would not be neces-
Mv tu be Il hvpOcrite Ia get any posi-
ion in this land; 10 assist in making
r,-,pr noble enough, grand and sub
Line enough, to allow every being intel
-,nll liberty. 40 that man running
IN office wiil not have to pretend that
l- Methodist or Baptist, or that
ls wife j. a Presbyterian, or that his
Eanlmnthrr was Il Catholic; so that the
.-plr will not care what his religion
aiy be-. but will judge him by his acts
m deeds. instead of his professions. If
T. are 10 have free Government, he
N.l, il must be founded upon free
thought. Ii our Government ever goes
aJgn. it will be because people
have not been allowed to ex-
g-->> their real honest thought.
He wanted every minister in the land
d tr an investigator; To dive into facts;
rI,D,c them. and show them up To the
!r,plc aS they were. There seemed to
lea feeling that Christian ought not
:; br like the man at the legerdemaln
Slw, who looks under the magician
ay,r and tries To- SEE whether the egg is
20 the hat or whether the pistol is really
saied, but that he should act the gen
truan, and turn his back when the
i"riJrurr Mas about To execute the
,rrS. Laughter. This was great
mistake, Ia begin with, and it didn't
happen 20 hc the exclusive error OF Mr.
Woes. He believed the clergy were do
NJ The best in their own way Tor the
Ayatlon OF mankind, but he did not be-
D~ye they We're meeting with very flat
irrng success They hitchcd themselves
la creed or a church and stuck there.
10 be- a Methodist or q Presbyterian
Tamihistcr Of any other denomination,
aasto be- always minister of that denOm-
nation, and ii perchanCe lot OF peo-
p" cnt up pony purse To educate n
!aung man aS Baptist minister, and III
alter HE he embraced some other form
% religion, they would think them
N.ycS swindlcd. What he wanted was
'- men and women to think and act
~ themselves aS they went along. Not
"a- aIn he had seen an immense and
S'Hhiy old Bible, put together long be-
"'' I!c art of printing was discovered,
qua clasps and hasps and hinges upon
" h's enough for penltentiary. In
:" az when no one in 10000 could read
Srte, he could readily imagine what
a! effect the productions of this enor-
nous book would have upon the simple
E0P.r gathered in the awe-insplrlng
[Nhedral hut he could not account for
"e effect the same book had upon some
FNp.r ENJOYING the benefits of this
H'Iizatlon. We have sacred records, and
VIZ sacred records are like the sacred
words "i other countries. Mingled with
s'"e good things will be found an I'M
ms p.,., nIaNN "i superstitious rubbish.
"'ir he MAS willing Ia believe every
~thE that Is good. sweet, tender, pure,
%aN he could not believe that such a
""''S l. meraclc ever was performed.
,APPanSe. He could not believe that
::.Hlurr i any different to-day from what
+ i4' been through all the ages. He be-
SS'."l that all the laws, principles and
IN nature always have been and
I"H!S VIII remain the same. lie bellev-
:. uiat hire Is always hot; that water is
,NaES Wet that the attraction of grari-
r',.'h iiaS always been at work; that
S,a'ef has always run down Hill. and
S""@!S VIII, and nothing more wonder
"rNtf HAPPENED in the history of this