Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-12-15
@PAGAN BOB.s
His Scattering Ideas on Saliva
vatfon-Heaven and Earth
ana sway Beyond" all
Discussed.

ana sway Beyond" all
Discussed.
Pittsburgh POst.l
The reputation OF Colonel "Ingersoll
as an orator and the interesting ques-
ton he was to attempt to answer,
what Shall We Do to be Saved p
drew a crowd to the Lyceum last night
that filled every chair and occupied a
large part of the standing room. The
audience was largely of the we'll
dressed class, many ladies being pres
ent, and met the brilliant word
pictures and good points Of the orator
with loud applause.
Mr.. Ingersoll asked in beginning
that all should free their minds from
the shackles of prejudice and super
stition. He said, fear is the dungeon
of the soul. Superstition is the dag
ger BY which manhood is assassinated.
A Jew once went into a restaurant to
get his dinner. The devil Of tempta-
ton kept whispering in his ear,
Bacon He had been taught that
if there was one thing hat made his
God madden than another, it was for a
jew to eat pork, but still he took a
| slice. When he came in the weather
was pleasant and the sky was as blue
as June, but when hewent out a storm
had arisen and the thunder rolled
across the sky. He went back, and
trembling with fear whispered to the
waiter, my God, did you ever hear
such a fuss about a little piece Of
fitch p There was superstition,
pure aud simple. But reason is the
pilot of an honest mans mind, and
he who lets the poison vines of creed
and dogma shut out the light Of truth
abdicates the throne Of his soul. If
there is an infinite being your reason
teaches you that you cannot hurt nor
can you help him. You are not able
to affect infnity in any way. If man
has no right to think, why is he given
a thinker? What are opinions worth
a dozen when the thinker believes in
the outset that be will be blessed
e~ternally if he comes to N cenclu-
sion, and damned everlastingly if he
comes to any other2
Religions are all made by man, and
that country most orthodox, Portugal,
is the most miserable, and that one
nearest infdel, France, is most pros
porous. This country, they say, is q
Christian country, yet we have never
kept a single treaty with the Indians,
the first lords Of the soil, unless we
made one yesterday. Our treatment
of them has set the brand Of shame on
the forehead of civilization. The
| Christian religion says God made the
world, well knowing beforehand that
He would have TO damn the most oft.
He had no right to do it. No man.
with a drop Of kindness in his veins
would give one being life, knowing it
Wo.A be miserable %eternally. The
scheme by which lnVsc n" are % DC
saved are saved is revealed in the New
Testament. / have read it, for if
have a soul | want to have it saved.
although | have noticed that th'
people with the smallest souls usually
make the most fuss about them.
He then took up the first three Cos
pels and read from them to show that
they said little or nothing about what
a man should believe in order to be
saved. They teach that heaven il
given to the poor in spirit, the merci.
lul, the peacemakers, those who are
prosecuted for righteousness sake
C"ihat's me'), those who keep anC
teach the commandments, those who
forgive men who trespass agaiDs.
them, to those who do the will of God
those who become as little children
that we shall be judged as we judge
others, that every man shall be nc.
warded according to his works. thai
we must sell all we have and give t
the poor and that we must forsak,
wife aud parents and children to fol
low God. AL these, he said. are fail
and right, but the last two. OF thest
the first is nonsense. The poor would
have to sell it again or be damned
The church says you shall receive
treasures in heaven, if you give al
to the POOR The church is al
ways ready to trade treasures il
heaven for cash down. Except y
become as little children" Think 0
/. those darlings Of the deity, the in
quisitors, who kept the horizon Of tht
future ablaze with faggot fires. H
denounced the verse, He that be
lieves and is baptized shall be saved
but he that belieyeth not shall b
damned" as an Interpolation and tn
gospel of John as an invention to fur
nish an Excuse for a priesthood
They" who believe shall cast on
= devils Will the preachers Of Pitts
burg get together and est out just on.
, little devil2 IF they drink an.
[ deadly thing it shall not hurt them.
/ [ think | could fix a dose that woult
lay out an average believer. 0
Christ he said he was a good mar an,
for that he gave him his respect an,
the tribute Of his tears. He was al
infdel and said more hard thing
! about the church of his day than eve
the speaker had said.
? The lecturer criticised the variou
creeds at some length, and closed b.
giving his own. Liberty to think a
3 youE reason dictates, to enjoy thi
world, for we do not know it we viii
ever see another, to do good to on.
fellow men, to love our wives an,
children, TO raise the altar of love il
the palace Of home. To help thu
poor to help themselves, without
, crushing their manhood, and t,
! preach a gospel Of health, cheerful
ness, justice, intelligence, liberty anC
humanity, and at the end, if dealt
] ends all, to lie down in the tongueles.
e silence Of the dreamless dust, havin,
made the best of life; or If there b
e another world and a God, to trus
& that He will not make a little hel
hereafter for one who has made a lit
R tie heaven here.
. The Tennessee PenItentiary.