The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-09-02
ThurlOw Weed on IngersolI.

concerning CnrlStElAltN anu nlluellt1f
Colonel IngersoI, whom l do, not
know, has the reputation of being a
gentleman of. education. with a weH-i
Stored mind and attractive personal
manners, who speaks fluently and elo-
duently. A man thus gifted can do
much good, but much more evil, ac-'
cor1ing to the principles espoused and
the line of conduct marked out for HIM
self Colonel IngersolL it seems, upon
the entrance, into active life, chose the
left instead of the right pathway, and
becomes a reviler. of, instead of be-
lever in, q religion which has been
making the world wiser, better and
happier for almost nineteen centuries.
Without questioning Colonel lngersolrs
sincerity or impugning his motives, ],
am persuaded that il half the time and
labor expended in fortifying himself
with arguments against religion had
been devoted to an intelligent and I'M
partial consideration of the evidences
establishing its truths the country
would have had instead OF a reviler
gifted follower of Him whose mission,
Iabors taud character, Viewed merely
from a worldly standpoint, inspire adj
miration, affection and gratitude. 1sit
not, therefore, painful to see men rich
ly endowed. peryerting their gifts, mis-.
using their talents in presumptuOus re-
vikings and ribaId jestinSs against a
Creator and Savior from whom every,
earthly bounty and blessing, emanate?
80 No act Of the Saviorsi life and no
word He ever uttered haSlbeen or can
be construed or tortured into hostility
to the welfare and happiness of every
lneniber=of the human family. Human
laws are founded upon She Divine law.
all that concerns our happiness here
and hopes of happiness hereafterlis de-
rived from the Scriptures. Qn,the 9TH
er hand, what, has infdelity done for
us? Who profits by its teachingSP
After depiiving its followers dof their
rbeliefin a future, how does it. eompen-
safe them? What does it offer in ex-
change for q HE of iHfnloftalitys i'lfg
forexample. Colonel Ingersoll should be
summoned to the bedside of a. dying
friend or relative, what words of conf
fort oro of hope could he offer? OF
what service could he be to that strick-
en- friendg Would he aggravate' the
sutferings 'ofone whose last hours need
ed soothing by telling him there was
nothing but the cold, dark grave await
inc him? This'cruel theory is repeHea
nOs only by revelation but by the laws
of Nature. Nature is instinct with evil
dences and combinations of the truths
of revelation The vegetable and floral
world only die to, live again. The pro
ducts of the earth live and die annual-
Aly. The buried acorn Teproduces the
living oak. And yet intidelity insists
that man, the image of the Creator,
wonderfully endowed and gifted, under
whose auspices the world ihassbeenl en-
.lightened, elevated. aqd adorned. is
after a brief existence to be as though
he had never been. Contrast the labofs
of. Voltairer and Paine with; those of
John Wesley. Can it be said with
truth that the former two m AIDE any one
better or ihappier?f Hundreds of thou
sands of the followers of John Wesley
hhave lived and died and other hundreds
of thousands survive, rejoicing in their
conversion from sinful to Christian
life. The memory of Wesley is every
where cherished by'ithe good and the
pure, while Voltaire and Paine are only
remembered for the, evil, rather than
the GOOD they did! ~ - " .lA
If it be urged sthatfthei promises of
the Savior have not al, been realized,
that sin, still ,abounds, and that the
world is as bad assever, il 'nl8y be am
swered that religion is working out its
mission; that its benign influences are
constantly extending, and that light is
radiating into the darkest reeesses 'of
heathenism aud idolatry. 1t requires
40 argument to demonstrate the fact
that our race is7 improved by reiviliza-
! ton. or that civilization, owes its origin
and progress to religion. To religious
Influences we areindebted for all the
reforms, which benefit gsOciety, Oul
Sunday schools were instituted in ODE
dience to d. Divine command. In these
schools children are taught, without
money and without price" all thai
concerns their present welfare and
/ their future happiness. These intel
lectual. nurseries have enriched and fer
4 t3iZed, and continue to enrich and fer
tilize, every city, village, hamlet and
household throughout the Christian
world II re eISil nau e0.ie .!ig M
more tnan 70 pes our race w Snd .he
conseeraIlilg 9 lhl Ie,1d n1a e1' = y
sGnoolsi ~ ~ y me- ~
silence ,.o;,..,...,-,.,.-,...,a
WHAT RELIGION HAS DUNE FOX NE"
rs Ig,m1gsE lgYoRK.I shEln .snai
Our city furnishes many examples o
the benefcence OF religion Forty
! years ago q locality too Well Known a
thetiikiye Points, Wlth a poPulaa1floln