The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-12-20
REV. FRANCIS DAVIES

REV. FRANCIS DAVIES
On Robert Inssrsoil or the Problem OF
Infdslity.
On list FRIDAY evening Rev Francis
Davies delivered his second lecture, en-
titled Robert Ingersoll, OF the Problem
of Infdelity," at the N E Church. He
was greeted by large audience, even
larger than upon the occasion ofhis first
lecture, and for two hours he intereste 4
the assemblage with discourse On the
above subject.
Those who attended the lecture ex-
pecting to hear Ingersoll and his theo-
ries teachings and practice taken up,
torn to shreds, and scattered to the four
winds, were disappointed. Noreference
was made to Ingersoll except as to his
organism, his antecedents, birth and
surroundings, supposed causes of his in
fidelity No attempt was made to dissi
pate his in6delity, and no allusion was
made to any of his sayings with but one
exception.
The lecturer commenced his remarks
with pretty illustration of the origin
and growth of infdelity in this country,
and then took up Ingersoll. He said
that although he meant to confine him
self to Ingersoll as an infidel, and to a
criticism on his inidelity, still he be-
lieyed him to be rank atheist. He was
rough and very profane in his lectures,
and ladies attending them would know
what to expect. Large audiences at Gin
cinnati laughed at and applauded him.
but these audiences we're composed OF
the very bottom of Cincinnati society.
Not a single paragraph of Ingersolls
most noted sayings and writings was
original with him, unless it might be a
flight of word painting or rhetoric. Ev-
erything else that emanated from him
was original with Thomas Payne. Vol
taire, Rosseau, or some of the other not
ed iniidels of history. Ingersoll himself,
he said, is not an original thinker, but is
a mere smatterer, dabbIer in scientific
terms, and the use he makes of them is
just sufficient TO make himself ridiculous.
He says, IF were God, would make
good health contagious instead of dis
ease No human being has any right to
dictate to God, or to say what they would
do if they we're God. The shameless
boldness of the man is unbounded. He
is not aware of the great and good pur-
pose God had in view in causing disease
and making it contagious. and any one
ignorant of the purpose of an act should
not and has no right TO criticise it. That
was not the way at all.
The speaker said that he was ashamed
of the thunderous American applause
that greeted Ingersoll in New York and
Cincinnati, which was 80 much the
louder the more clumsy and ridiculous
he made himself in his logic. He has a
way of making a.fallacy apparently a
truth, but in all cases reasoning will es
tablish the fallacy. Ingersoll is no rea-
soner, never uses and never has used
reason, in any of his efforts, with the ex-
ception of his speech on the nomination
of Blaine for the Presidency, at the Re
publican National Convention at Gin
cinnati. He uses the wrong system oi
logic, the deductive method, which is the
wrong method ofreasoning. The Undue
tive method is the only method for q
logician to use. The soul of Ingersoll's
infdelity is vicious, logical system, its
body, blazing rhetoric.
The lecturer then went on to explain
by what process Ingersoll became an in
fidel. He said that seed, soil and zone
were very important questions in the
growth of animals and vegetables, and
that they were likewise important ques-
tions in the growth of the human family
Everything depended upon birth, train
ing and surroundings. When man was
born of good parents, trained well, and
surrounded by good acquaintances and
associates, then he was a natural saint,
good, pious and so on. But when his
birth, training and surroundings were
unpropitious, then followed harvest OF
Paynes, Voltaires, Roeseaus and Inger-
soils. The direct cause of Ingersoll's
infdelity may be traced to his bad birth,
bad training and bad surroundings. The
speaker said that Robert was bald, that
his Creator probably thought there was
enough between him and heaven without
putting hair on his head. His head was
flat on top. showing from chronological
point of view, the absence of the bump
ofveneration. The heads of Payne, Vol
taire, Rosseau, and other infdels possess
ed the same popularity. Ingersoll's
father was not a good man, and though
an Evangelical minister, he was bad
man to have in the parsonage Robert
didn't like him. The common expl.na-
ton given why minister's children are
as a rule, apparently worse than other
is because they are looked to more as
examples, and their conduct is more
conspicuous and criticized more than
other peoples children. This may be
true in part, but is not wholly so. 1t is
more apt to be that they are bad from
bad example at home. That while their
parents were christians away from home
and teaching others to be good, at home
they were not exactly what they ought
to be, and children have eyes. Ingersoll
is q jovial, good fellow, fond of beer and
lively company, while his mother was
solemn. melancholy individual, with a
long face, and mouth perpetually drawn
down at the corners. When a circus
was in town, Robert, boylike, would be
wild to go, but his mother in groaning
whining manner, would forbid him do
ing so with "Oh no. Robert, circusses are
bad, wicked things stay at home, and
I'll take you to s:e your grandmother's
grave"
Young people were not bad 80 much
because of the devil in them, as because
religion and goodness is made so unat-
tractive to them. The young are censur
ed and wondered at for not attending
prayer meetings more than they do. This
is not surprising. So long as the features
ofprayer meetings are long, grave and
mournful exhortations, and stereotyped
prayers made over and over again, year
in and year out, just 50 long will they re