Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1880-03-04

also NAV be found the daily Cincin
natl Gazette and Commercial.
InfideIity of To-day.
Rev. Mr.. Wilson's sermon on tbs
above subject was. listened TO. on last
Sabbath evening, with the same interest
which deservedly marked the reception
of the three preceding sermons of this
series. The following is q synopsis:
From the earliest ages down to the pres
ent time opposition TO the Christian re-
ligion has craftily adapted itself to the
spirit of the day, making use Of the re-
finement, intelligence and even reli-
gious tendencies marking the period.
Notice some of the forms Of modern
infidellty. Some affirm that the discov-
cries of Geology initiate against reve-
lation. Their great mistake is that they
do not read Moses correctly-their sci
enee is all right but their Biblical exc
gisis is defective. As is apparent from
Its formations and strata our earth must
he millions of years old. So It is ar
gued that the language of the rocks con-
tradicts the language of Moses. But
the objector forgets that Moses says
"In the beginning God created the hea-
vens and the earth," and the "earth
was without form and void" for thous
ands upon thousands of years-the OBJ
jector forgets that between the first
verse of Genesis and the third there
was an interval of ages. Further than
this, he forgets, if he ever learned it,
that the word day does not necessarily
mean here twenty-four hours-that 1t Is
used all through Scripture in different
senses, sometimes meaning years and
sometimes centuries-that between the
chaotic state of the globe and its final
preparation as a residence for man there
was ample time for all the process and
changes which the geologIst may claim.
There is latitude of meaning here that
will meet all the discoveries of geology
and at the same time sustain the Mosaic
account of the creation. We have now
found that science is an important aux
Hilary of religion.
There is another form of infidelity
which comes TO us as German RATIONAL
ism and neologism. In philology, theol-
ogy, exegesls and church history we
owe more to Germany than to all other
nations, but with this influx of valua-
BILE German learning there has come a
flood of rationalism and skepticism
which has beat hard against the founda-
tions of the Christian faith.
The next form of infidelity to be no.
ticed is Ingersollism-a form to be little
dreaded, because in the first place all of
Mr.. Ingersoll's lectures and speeches
are but poorly attempted rehash of
Tom Palne's doctrines; in the second
place Mr.. Ingersoll is only word pain
ter, no logician-he never argues--he
never attempts to reason; thirdly, Mr..
Ingersoll is not scholar-his pages are
blotted all over with mistakes, errors
and blunders which no scholar would
make-I dare say he never lost pound
of adipose tissue in all his life from
hard study or deep thinking. Fourth
", he is unfair and intOlerant. He hates
the Christian Sabbath-Christ he rejects
with aversion-churches he considers
with an abomination. but what should
take their places If they were destroyed
he does not say.
Let us notice some direct effects Of in
fidelity. In the first place it takes away
from US our religion and gives us moth
ing in return. They tell us that our
present anchorage is not safe but they
point no other shelter from the storm.
If our charts ara false they provide us
no true ones. If they do prove that our
pilot Is incompetent they send us no one
who Is able to take the helm. Their
work Is done when they have destroyed
our faith and left us to be tossed upon
the wild pillows of the ocean--an ocean
of fearful doubts, of darkness, of deep
despair-no light-no star--nO beakon.
Blackness, blackness, blackness- - all
dark. On we drive with no pilot and
no compass-on-on-on to deaIh. Up
on our bark Is written--we know 1t
though we can't see it-"without God
and without hope" Upon the flag at
the masthead is written "no future
lIfe." No light from Calvary skirts our
horison, no voice says to the roaring
waters "Peace be STILL" no one near us,
nothing moving or living except the
midnight tempest-the lightning flash
the thunder's roar and now we are
where inidellty would put us. An
other effect of thisl skepticism. that it
tends TO undermine all morality. 1t
necessarily shuts off all the motives to
virtue and holiness that come from the
future life. Finally, infidelity destroys
the soul. Under whatever form it Ii
sdmltted-whether in connection with
science or literature or German erudi-
tlon and criticism--it is equally fatal to
the soul. 1t poisons and destroys the
vitals of our moral being. How many
lives has 1t blastedf o, young men, be
ware Of its snares-keep out of tn,
sphere of its influence. Make the Bi
BILE your guide-open your hearts to it
let Its motives urge you--let its hope
cheer you-let its light dissipate you
shadows; and it will render even tn
dark valley Of the shadow of death
glorious avenue to the Celestial city
It will, in short, "teach you the bes
way to live, the noblest way to suffe
and the easiest way to die!''