Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-11-21
AROInrnG CONVENTIONS.

Avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and
contentious. ana strivings about the law; for
they are Improbable and vair.-TITUS, uH9.
Though the advice given above was in
tended for preacher of the gospel, it is not
inappropriate for Christians of all ranks,
whether they may he preachers and teachers
of the Word or men in the ordinary walks of
life. There is too much disposition among
ali classes Of religious people TO ignore the
great principles of Christianity and waste
their time in endeavoring to refUte the argu-
ments of mere babblers, which are self-re-
futlng. An instance in point: a few weeks
ago Bob Ipgersoli delivered a lecture at Chi
eago on the subject "What shall we do to be
saved!" The lecture was brilliant rhetori-
cal effort, abounding in VIII, sarcasm and in
yective against the Christian church. The
fact is not to be disguised that many of his
sarcasms of the church and its dogmas were
we'll deserved, but it is to his credit to say
that he did not attack the cardinal principals
OF Christianity, and had no word of censure
for any person who WAS truly and deyoutIy
religious. The succeeding Sunday, how
ever, more than half of the clergymen of the
CITY devoted their discourses to replies to this
tscture. Some combated one point of his
argument, some another, yet all seemed to
overlook tbs fact that Mr.. IngersoIl had not
attacked the cause of religion, but the false
Interpretation given to it and the insincere
practice of it by those who in these days pro
fess to be the opponents of the theory of re-
demption. They defended dogmas, but
did not defend the cause of
Christianity. Indeed, that cause
had not been assailej, though
the preachers in question did not seem to
realize the fact. They could not appreciate
the difference between dogma and religion,
and interpreted the assault upon dogma as
an assault upon the fundamental principles
of Christianity.
There is a difference between creed and
religion. Creeds ara the work of man;
religion the handiwork of deity. It is
neither sacreligious nor profane to question
the infallibility of mankind; it is both to
question the wisdom of deity. The promi-
nence that Ingersoll and his associates has
attained hes been given them by the efforts
of the ministers of the gospel TO prove them
to be blasphemers. If Mr.. Ingersoll had
not been directly antaeonized by the pulpit,
and his invective treated with silence, he
would not now be able to fill the largest
halls in the country with a mass Of human
lty ready to listen TO and applaud his utter
ances. The Christian ministers have sdver-
tized the ipfidel orator, and therefore he is
able to make money cut of his infdel-
ty-to be heard by thousands while
the preachers are listened to by but
hundreds.
The clergy make mistake, also, in dab
bling in matters foreign to the sacred Office.
a preacher cannot preach on political topics
without offending at least a half. of his con-
gregation, yet many persist in doing so, on
both sides OF the question. This practice is
decidedly reprehensibie, and the sooner it is
stopped the better it will be for the cause.
Let both preachers and laymen restrict their
discussions to topics that sre of vital interest
to Christianity, treat the gcoffngs of the un-
cody with the contempt they deserve