Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-10-08
WEED AND INGERS0LI.
The Veteran Journalist Explains His
Views of Christianity and Infidel
ity. and Critici-es Bob IngersoII.

JoW' fStHol ~ nc LIcFtd0;
Men entertaining intidel opinions ioI
the last twenty or more years. and un
til the appearance of Robert G.. Inger
soil, have seldom obtruded themselve,
upon the public, There is nothing il
the manner or matter Of modern di
vines either To provoke or invite antag
onism. Clergymen do not, as formerly
dwell and linger upon the dark feat.
ures of theology Nothing is now
heard OF the fate Of infants not Il spar
long. = The minister Of our day is II
minister Of peace charity and good
will. This generation learns to love
and serve rather than To dread and dis
trust our Creator and our Saviour
Whatever grounds existed formerly
to tempt seotIers and revilers, the re-
liglon ofour time disulms and silence
unprecedented criticism.
Col. Ingersoll, whom do not know.
has the reputation of being Il gentle
man OF education, with we'll stored
mind and attractive personal manners.
who speaks tluently and eloquently. A
man thus gifted can do much good, but
much mare evil, according to the pin
ciples cspouscd and the line Of conduct
marked out for himself. Col. lngerSoll,
il seems, upon tire entrance into active
life chose the left instead of the right
pathway, and becomes revilcr of. in
stead of believer III, religion which
has been making the world wiser. bet
ter and happier for almost nineteen
centuries. Without questioning Col.
lngersoll's sincerity or impugning his
motives, | am persuaded that half the
time and labor expended in fort fying
| himself with arguments against religion
had been devoted to an intelligent and
impartial consideration of the evil
dcnces establishing its truths the coun-
try would have had instead of u gifted
reyllcr Il gifted follower of Him whose
missions, laborS and character viewed
nearly from a worldly standpoint, in
spire admiration, affection and graft.
tude. II is not therefore, painful to
see men richly endowed, pcryerting
their gifts, misusing their talents in
iprcsumptuous revilings and ribald Jest
ings against 4 Creator and u Saviour
from whom every earthly bounty
emanateS
No act of the Sayour's life and no
word He ever uttered has been OF can
be constructed or tortured into hostility
TO the welfare and happiness Of every
member of the human family. Human
laws are founded upon the devinc law.
All that concerns our happiness here
and hopes of happiness hereafter is de-
rived from the Scriptures. On the 9th
er hand, what has infidelity done for us?
Who profits by its tcachings2 After de-
priying its followers Of their belief III
future, how does il compensate them?
What docs it offer in exchange for il
life Of Immortality? If for example,
Col. lngcrsoI should be summoned to
the bedside Of Il dying friend Or relative
what words of comfort or hope could
he offer? Ofwhat service could he be
To that dying friend? Would he ag-
gnyatc the suilcringS of one whose last
hours needed soothing by telling him
there was nothing but the cold, dark
grave awaiting him? This cruel theory
is repealed not only by revelation, but
by the laws of nature. Nature is in-
stnct with evidences and combinations
of the truths of revelation. The vege-
table and floral world only die to live
again. The products Of earth live and
die annually, The buried acorn re-
PRODUCES the living oak. And vet in
fidelity insists that man. the image Of
the Creator, wonderfully endowed and
gifted, under whose auspices the world
has been enlightened elevated and
adorned, is after Il brief existence to be
&c thnlIuI ~ Nod
trast the laborS of Notairc and Paine
with those Of John Wesley. Can it bc
said with truth that the former two
ever made amy one better or happier?
Hundreds of thousands Of the followers
OF John Wesley have lived and died.
and other hundreds of thousands sur
viyc, rejoicing in their conversion from
a sinful to n Christian life. The mem
DRY of Wesley is everywhere cherished
by the good and pure while Noltaire
and Paine are only remembered for the
evil, rather than for the good they
did
If il bc urged that thc promise of
tho Saviour have not all been realized.
that sin still ahounds and that the
world is us bad rs ever ii may be an
sWered that Religions working its mis-
SION that its benign influences are
constantly extending, and that light is
adiating into the darkest reccsscs of
hcathenism and idoltry. II requires
no argument to demonstrate the fact
tnat Cur race is improved by ciyliza-
ton, or that civilization owes its origin
and progress TO religion. To religious
influences we arc indebted for AL the
reforms which benefit society. Our
Sunday schools were instituted IN ODE
dicnce 10 divine command. lii these
schools children are taught, without
money and without price" all that
concerns their present welfare and fu-
turc happiness These intellectual
have enriched and fcrtilizcd.
and continue to enrich and fcrtilize
every city, village. hamlet and house
hold throughout the Christian world.
If religion has done nothing more than
70 bless our race with the consccrating
influences Of Sunday schools seofiers
should bc slammed into silence.
Our city fltnishe. many examples of
the henctiecnce of religion Forty
years ago locality too we'll known as