New-York tribune., 1878-02-04
DENOUNCING THE BELIEF IN HE'LL
QUOTATION ARGUMENT, APPEAL AND WRATH

QUOTATION, ARGUMENT, APPEAL AND WRATH IN
COLONEL INGERsOLEs LECTURE.
The interest aroused by Colonel 1ngersOlPs
lecture was shown by the eagerness with which tickets
were sought at the box Office last evening At least
three or four hundred people unable to gain al
mission. and those holding tickets had difficulty IN
getting in. It q great audience, including many
ladies' and not few prominent citizens. politl-
cans and merchants. The number or bald-hraded
men present was, conspicuously largej ana al
listened to the lecturer with the sharPest attention.
Fora "v0luntary" the organst played with ivey ehect
a selection from " La File de Madame Angot," ana
other opera boute airs Colonel Ingerso was warmly re-
ccved and appeared the image of physical health ana
mental vgor. His figure slightly round. his face open
and benevolent. When he adjusted his spcctaces,
put his hands under his coat-taiis ana as
sumed STOPPING attitude III order TO read
quotations from Scripture, and the theologians,
his appearance closely resembed Cruikshanks portrait
Of Samuel Pickwick, standing on chair anu laying
down the law of the Pckwick Club. Colonel lngerSoil
was intensely in earnest when he was most broad
ly humorous. and when speaking OF the orthodox
idea OF hell he said: :" I hate it," he ground
his teeth in wrath. Part OF the audience
for the first minute oT two, appeared stunned Ater-
wards il was either Intensely STILL loud with applause
or laughter The lecturer kept seemingly unwearied
for two full hours and the audience was unwaveinS III
attention.
Colonel Ingersors lecture was in part ms follows:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN The idea Of hell was born OF
revenge of brutality the one side OF cowardlce on
the other In my Judgment, the American people
are too brave, too charitable, too generous too
magnificent to believe III the Infamous doctrine OF
eternal he'll. | have no respect for any human
being who believes IN 1t. Applause.I Wait until you
see me IN he'll before you enjoy yourself in laughing
at me. | have no respect for The man who
prenches it. I have no respect for the man
who will pou;e the Imagination Of childhood
Iio Ami. I4Vp I,
respect the who will add to the sorrows OF the
world that frighfu dogma. have respect sa. for
any man who endeayors to put that terrible cloud tnat
dark shadow in the heart Of humanity hate this doc
trlnr; VIII Datr and DEFY this doctrine. lApplausai
For good many years the learned aud intellectual OF
ChrstendOm have been examining into the religions OF
the old countries They have examined into tne re-
li.ions of India OF Greece, OF Rome, ot the
scandinavian countries, in the presence Of the
wonderful ruins OF those religions, unawed Dy
their crumbihg temples The learned have saih
these religions baselcss; they were Fraudulent,
they passed away and while this was being done
the Christians OF century appauded and when they
got through they turned their attention to religion
l.- the same mole of reason by the same argument.
they will overturn the religion OF our day Why'
every religion in this world is the work OF Every
book has been written by man. Man existed before
books n books had existed before man, ! mignt
have admitted that there such thing as
idea, man will have an III A. except
those suggested to HIM by his surroundings. Every
idra in the world must get from nature. ion
cannot conceive Of anything hint OF wach
YOU have not received from your surroundings
We are making religions to-day, We are making
religions to-night-tha is are changing thein-and
the religion oi to-day the religion of 100 years
We have civilized it, science has done il. education ami
the growing heart of done IT, Just 20 that eN-
tcut We Dcromo eiriliA-, ourselves 10 that
.s.f 90, Al.
make the progress during the fifty that
we have made during the last century it will have to
rcmouctizcd by that time or it Will not be legaeuder.
lApplus Every rcli gion in the world has denounced
every other religion a fraud laughtcf which proves
10 that they all tell the truth about others zap
plAusc1
Truth does rot require miracles. Whenever n man ap.
pcals miracle he tells what + not Truth
the assistance Of the wonderful. Truth relies
upon reason and upon the undertaking
OF tie laws Of nature. believe in Twin,
for thi- world, here, now, To day. tonight.
Make everybody happy you now let the
future take care of itself. lAppausc.l And II l
touch tie shores of another wo d. VIII be just will
ng To 20 rcmun,I Ihiive employment is
any otucr angel III the world. IGrcat aHshtcrl Just
ia proportion man has ceased to believe rel glou.
man has bccom" great and har able. II they hal yci
# as thoy "ncc believed IT, would not b. allowed 20
N the t,d rsi Pa"G M t a1t al & ,Ss Ss5 y5si Gaiy
II WAS or moi. They say thar If IL had Yol
been f,r The sin ol Adam, there would Eot h,,ye
IS d".h bean e that gives me- chance IHTpIaa.c .i
aughtrrl Tnerc woud not be room for al. always
10 lI.c ,omevA,rc about tae same time trat lived.
aiWu>s had the ided tat should have som. Nore IN
choosing ms representative lnJ II had lad Noire
never would nave voted for that gentleman called Adam
1n toid now that this Bible is the foundation ol
liberty and civilization. but sav to you tonight hat
th Bible ~ The foundation of hell AMI never will sct
ud the idea of he'll until get rid q, the ea that tins
book is the. The Only wn 10 ind out whether this
people NOW read H. ~l read you few verses. Colonel
InscIso!i then read portion Of The account oi the
they had been conquered. Tine people VINO were thus
murdered were guilty OF the crime OF hgnng for uier
homes. Then they tell of the mercy 0i such a God
II living accordance with reason takes perd0n.
wltnont it, IXiplaiseI The Bible says that # woman
would learn any ying let her ask OF her husband. Does
Imagine the ignorance of a woman who has only tha
source of niormation lLanghcr Man Is not OF won-
was taken aud not the wonan's. lrhe speaker read
from the Bible the account Of thc swine casting
themselves into the sea. never believed that. why
Bccaus" the prophecies that are there made have
been fulfilled Thou shalt cast out devils" / mover
dd ihon shalt take up serpents.' never tried |
sath doctrines as the Bible tcachcs hate such
hooks; hate sucn gods rs VIII write such cooks |
When the jews crncihed Christ did he not reap |
The world wouid have gone to eternal he'll |
devil il arkcs me that what they call The Avnemeni is
moral bankruptcy. Man Is allowed TO sin upon credit
IT," In my Judgment this Kind OF boOkkeep |
ing breeds exIray"gance III sig Did yoa ever |
hear going To lhii NcW-loh |
who hada million dollars laughterl, or VINO rode in
carfagei Never! These are the gentlemen who talk |
about masses and say, | can ali the lIXuclcs
| need; give he'll to the poor" VINO T.
he'll lranp<! GGreat laughterI Do you know |
nobody would have had any idea about |
hell had II not been for the volcanoes. They
supposed to be the chimneys OF hell. Colonel ngerSO
read the descriptions OF hell given by old theOlOgi
These words were all said by gentle who died CARTS
laus aud are now IN the harp business IN the world OF
joy lLaugherI
Did il occur to you what contradiction il is to
say that the devil will pcrsccute his own friends Ac |