The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1880-10-14

NO. 26.
WEED AND INGERSOLL.
The Veteran Journalist Explains His
Views OF Christianity and Infidel-
ity, and Criticises Bob IngersolI,
The following letter from Mr. Weed
appears in the New York Herald:
To the Editor Of the Herald:
Men entertaining infdel opinions for
the last twenty or more years, and un-
til the appearance of Robert G. Inger-
soil, have seldom obtruded themselves
upon the public. There is nothing in
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 span
long" The minister of our day is a
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 scoffers and revilers, the re
ligion ofour time disarms and silence
unprejudiced criticism.
Col. Ingersoll, whom I do not know,
has the, reputation of being gentle
man of education, with well stored
mind and attractive personal manners,
who speaks fluently and eloquently. A
man thus gifted can do much good, but
much more evil, according to the prin-
ciples espoused and the line of conduct
marked out for himself. Col. Ingersoll,
it seems, upon the entrance into active
life, chose the left instead of the right
pathway, and becomes a reviler of, in
stead of a believer in, religion which
has been making the world wiser, bet
ter and happier for almost nineteen
centuries. Without questioning Col.
1ngersoll's sincerity or impugning his
motives, am persuaded that half the
time and labor expended in fortifyine
himself with arguments against religion
had been devoted to an intelligent and
impartial consideration of the evi.
dences establishing its truths the coun.
try would have had instead of a gifted
reviler a gifted follower of Him whose
missions, labors and character, viewed
nearly from worldly standpoint, in
spire admiration, affection and graft
tude. 1t is not, therefore, painful to
see men richly endowed, perverting
their gifts, misusing their talents in
presumptuous revilings and ribald jest
ings against Creator and Saviour
from whom every earthly bounty
emanates ?
No act of the Saviour's life and nc
word He ever uttered has been or 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 devine 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 teachings? After de-
priving its followers of their belief in a
future, how does it compensate them!
What does it offer in exchange for q
life of Immortality? If for example
COL Ingersol should be summoned tc
the bedside of a dying friend or relative
what words Of comfort or hope could
he offer? Of what service could he be
to that dying friend? Would he ag.
gravate the sufferings of one whose last
hours needed soothing by telling him
there was nothing but the cold, dark
grave awaiting him? This cruel theory
is repelled not only by revelation, but
by the laws of nature. Nature is in.
stinct 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 yet 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 brief existence to be
as though he never had been. Con
trast the labors of Voltaire and Paine
with those of John Wesley. Can it be
said with truth that the former two
ever made any one better or happier:
Hundreds of thousands of the followers
of John Wesley have lived and died
and other hundreds of thousands sur.
vive, rejoicing in their conversion from
a sinful to Christian life. The mem.
cry of Wesley is everywhere cherished
by the good and pure, while Voltaire
and Paine are only remembered for the
evil, rather than for the good they
did.
If it be urged that the promise OF
the Saviour have not all been realized
that sin still abounds and that the
world is as bad rs ever, it may be an
swered that Religions working its mis-.
sion; that it's benign influences are
constantly extending, and that light is
radiating into the darkest recesses OF
heathenism and idoltry. 1t requires
no argument to demonstrate. the fact
that our race is improved by civiliza.
ton, or that civilization owes its origin
and progress to religion. To religious
influences we are indebted for all the
reforms which benefit society. Our
Sunday schools were instituted in ODE.
dience to divine command. In these
schools children are taught, without
money and without price" all that
concerns their present welfare and flu
ture happiness. These intellectual
nurseries have enriched and fertilized,
and continue to enrich and fertilize
every city, village, hamlet and house
hold throughout the Christian world
If religion has done nothing more than
to bless our race with the consecratine
influences of Sunday schools scoffers
should be shamed into silence.
Our city furnishes many examples Of
the benefcence of religion. Forty
years ago locality too well known as
the Give Points, with population
of several thousands, was the home Of
the vilest of the vile, and the resort OF
others equally debased. Men, women
and children of all nationalities and
colors herded together, differing only
in the degrees of crime and the depths
Of profligacy habitually practiced.
Their days were passed in either idle
ness or depredations. Their nights
were spent in dance-house debaucher-
les. All healthy or wholesome iaf1u-