The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-07-28
REIIGIors pMlFr AND DIsCussIoN.

RELIGIOUS DRIFT AND DISCUSSION.
A WASHINGTON letter TO the Sunday Ga
:dk, OF Erie, tells how the acquaintance
began and ripened between Rev. Alexan'
der Clark and Robert G. IngeBoll. 1t
says: about year ago, whilst on q visit
to this city, DR.. Clark introduced himself
atthe Capitol to Col. Ingersoll; and the
circumstance was SO entirely uncommon
as to elicit from the latter the remark, in
his good HUNDRED, laughing way, that he
had for 10 long time been armed cap'd-
pie to encounter Clergymen in deadly ICON
troversiaI) strife, that he experienced un-
usual sensations when one Of their number
advanced toward him with a smile
and with the outstretChed hand Of friend
ship. They talked freely for half an hour
or longer and in this time the Colonel
outlined his own conceptions OF religion to
the Reverend Doctor.
Justice, Love and Humanity (he said,
in substanCe), are all that any religion
contains or inculcates worthy OF preserva.
ton; take these from 1t and nothing OF
value Is left; add any religion TO them,
and they are combined with 1t, no greater
than they were beiOre-no more deserving
OF our acceptance. My principal objection
to your religion is founded on It's doctrine
OF hell. This doctrine is so horrible and
revolving to my mind that would rather
be annlhilated-yes, ! would rather that
the universe should be thrown back into
primordial chaos-than to know or believe
that even one soul should suffer for ever.
Here Doctor Clark admitted the hard
ness OF the doctrine, but hoped somehow
or other all would he well yet, as God was
merciiul. The Colonel then adverted to
his own persistent claim for the freedom
OF the mind and the liberty to utter, with
out danger OF any social, civil or political
penalties, all the thoughts and conclusions
Of the mind upon every subject which en-
cages mans attention; not any mere toll
Grafton OF differences, but such real free
dom as will permit no man to be perse-
Cuted, DETAINED or injured because the de.
auctions Of his reason differ from those OF
men; in brief, that man should be judged
by his deeds not by his thoughts.
The St. Louis Republican throws out a
hint that there ought to be new system
OF theological teaching to meet the tend
ency Of the times. The course OF theo,
logical instruction is much the same as it
was centuries ago, while the questions to
be met and settled to the satisfaction Of
congregations are totally different, since
Renan, Strauss, Huxley, Darwin, Spencer,
Mill and others wrote and read. Church
congregations are full OF men and women
who are ''read up" and the old style ser.
mons, which were well enough when
preached to implicit faith, are unsatisfac.
tory as appeals TO reason. The imperative
demand Of the times is that every preach.
or should be theOlogitally trained and
armed to combat and unhorse the think
ers and philosophers. named above, and
annihilate their hobbies. That's what's
wanted in the pulpit, and the preachers
do not seem to 6e doing the right thing in
sermonizing in the old style, while the
people are full Of the new thought OF the
age. Illustrations OF how the congre.
cations are thinking and going is the re-
suit Of the trial OF the Rev. William Rob.
ertson Smith for heresy, by the Free
Presbyterian Church OF Scotland In a
lecture before his theological school he
said that, in his opinion, the book OF Deu.
teronOmy was not written by Moses, but
by some later Hebrew author. This does
not seem to be so wild an opinion after
all, since the book itself records the
death and burial Of Moses, and says that
no man ever found his grave. But some
otthe good old Calvinists thought the sug.
gestion that somebody after Moses wrote
the book, rank heresy, and tried the pro.
lessor for his Htterance. But the congre-
cation was evidently "read up" for they
have arrayed themselves on the side ofthe
arraigned professor. Atany rate he will not
be burned at the stake, as he would doubt
less have been disposed OF little while
ago.
Mr.. STURGEON, in recent humorous ad.
dress in Rev. Newman Halls Church in
London, said that sooner than go and
listen to some Of his reverend brethren's
preaching he would have the govt Those
who had had the govt would appreciate
what he meant. 1t was awful. He had
the privilege once Of hearing reverend
brother-he would not say how, when or
where; but he always considered heshould
be rewarded for it at the resurrection OF
the just. A preacher should try to make
his preaching good. In Germany it must
be made evangelical to the extent OF sixteen
ounces to the pound il the church was to
be kept full; but regular attendance at
places OF worship there had gone quite out
OF date. Would any man 60 and listen to
some German divines il they preached
their books? II he were bad with the
headache, and wanted to sleep, he Ger.
tainly would go. They had some OF the
best books printed from the German, but
they had some almighty dry books which
wanted 10 have sin taken out OF them in
the same way as Eve was taken out OF
Adam-when in deep sleep. rRoars OF
laughter.l II preacher did not preach
well, "pray him up, added Mr.. Spurgeon,
When he occupied the pulpit and saw two
or three old ladies shaking their heads he
always preached to perfection; those who
smiled and were pleased he thought were
persons Of great judgment. In conclusion,
he said that they would all remember q
verse which he thought was by Sir Walter
Scott, and which he would apply to them
as church.workers, "On, on, on, were the
last words OF Sturgeon"
Dr.. GEORGE, of this city, commenting on
recent statement OF the Zion's Herald to
the effect that New England preachers
were accepting gracefully the reduction
in their salaries, necessary to conform
them 10 a hard,moncy basis and to the
altered condition OF things" says:
1.-THE inevitable had better be accented
gracefully, and yet the inevitable may be
unjust and cruel. The salaries OF minis
tiers before the war were generally low and
insufficient. During the imitation times
they were somewhat advanced, but BY no
means in the same ratio as the deprecia.
ton OF the currency. While the price OF
labor and produce advanced from one hun.
bred to three hundred per cent, the sala.
RIGS Of ministers did not increase beyond
twNnkv,fiVe TO fifty per cent The nar;o1