Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-07-28

oI debllng the object Of his assault.
When ] answer that all We have Of
virtue, justice, intellectual liberty,
moral elevation, refinement, bencyo.
lence aud true wisdom came 10 IA
from that source which he reviles az
the fountain Of evil, | am not merely
putting one assertion against the 9TH
er; for ! have the advantage, which
he has not, Of speaking what every
tolerably wcll-iniormed man knows TO
be true Reflect what kind Of world
this was when the disciples Of Christ
undertook 70 reform il, and compare
1t with the condition in which their
teachings have put it. In It's mighty
metropolis, the centre Of its intellect
ual aud political power, the best men
were addicted 10 vices 80 debasing
that could not even allude 10 them
without solling the paper | write upon.
All manner Of unprincipled wicked
ness was practiced in the private life
oi the whole population without CON
cealmcnt or shame, and the magis-
trates were thoroughly and universal.
ly corrupt. Beneyoleuce in anv shape
was altogether unknown. The help
less and the weak got neither Justice
nor mercy. There was 10 relief for
the poor, no sdccor for the sick, no
refuge for the unfortunate. In all
pagandOm there was not a hospital.
aImshou-e or organized charity Of any
sort. The indifference to human life
was literally frightful. The order Of
successful leader 10 as-assinate his
opponents was always obeyed by his
followers with the utmost alacrity and
pleasure. it was a special Amusement
Of the p0pulacc 10 witnes. the shows
al which men were compelled to kill
one another, 10 be torn in pieces bv
wild beasts, or otherwise "butchered
to make a Roman holiday" In every
province pagaulsm enacted the same
cold.blooded crueltie-; oppression and
robbery ruled supreme; murder went
rampaging and red over all the earth.
The Church came, and her light peDe-
trated this moral darkne-- like a new
sun. She covered the globe with in
-iituiIons Of mercy. and thousands
upon thousand. Of her disciples de-
voted Themselves exclusively to works
Of charity at the sacrifice Of every
earthly interest. Her earliest adher-
cnt- were killed without remor-e-
beheadcd, crnciGcd. .awn a-under,
thrown to the beasts, or covered with
pitch, piled up in great heap. and
slowly burned 70 death. But her
faith was made perfect through -uf-
icrIug, and the law OF love rose IN
triumph from the ashes Of her mar
tyr-. Thi- religion ha, come down to
u through the age, attended all the
way by rlghie9u,He,-, justice, temper
auce. mercy. Transparent, truthiulness,
exultinz hope, aud white-winged char
Itv. Never Wa it. influence for good
more plainly perc,piible than now.
II has not converted, purified, and re-
formed all men. for IT. first principle
i, the freedom Of the human will. and
there are those who choose 10 reject it.
But 10 the mas, Of mankind, directly
and indirectly, it has brought uu-
counted benefits and blessings Abol.
i-h it--take away the restraints which
It imposes on evil passions-silence
the admonitions Of il preachers--let
all Christians cease their labors Of
charity-blot out from history the
records of it, heroic benevolence-re-
peal the laws it has enacted and the
institutions it has built up-let its
moral principles be abandoned and its
miracles Of light be extinguished-
what would we come to- | need not
answer this question the experiment
has been partially tried. The French
nation formal Y renounced Christian
ity, denied the existence Of the Su-
preme Being, and 80 satisfied the hun
ger of the infdel for a time What
followed? Universal depravity, gar
ments rolled in blood, fantastic crimes
unimagined before, which startled the
earth with their sublime atrocity. The
American people have and ought to
have no special desire TO follow that
terrible example of guilt and misery.
1t is impossible to discuss this sub.
ject within the limits Of review. No
doubt the effort to be short has made
me obscure. If Mr.. Ingersoll thinks
himself wrnngcd, or his doctrine mis-
construed, let him not lay my fault at
at the door Of the Church, or cast his
censure on the clergy.
"4dsum que .Joci, IN me conuerttte
terrum." ]. 5. BLACK.