, 1881-10-23
INGERSOLL TO BLACK.

The debate between rol. Robert &. lnger-
soil and .1Edge Jere S. Black OH the subject
of the Christian religion, which was pub
lisl,ed in the August nl1ulber Of the North
american. Rcuic.r, was FIR from being con-
cntled III that issue. In the November NUM-
bcr of the same Ilcuic,c, just ont, Cui. lnger
soil publishes IL lengthy rejoinder to Judge
Dack's reply to his first article. lie states
that not until his first uapcr was written did
he know that Judge Black was to reply to ii.
lie sscSpected Ill answes tram some pro-
fessional lllcoloyian, and WIS surprised tn
find that Il reply had been written
by Il policeman who imagined
meuts ,y simply telling ne that
my statements were false After dcpre-
eating certain Objectionable portions of Judge
Blacks article rs ''blowll ;lint tainted with
malicious Words" M:.. lngersoll addresses
himself reply wl;c, occ,pies almost one
half tho entire magazine, and of which we
give The following extracts:
The universe. :tccoSdii. TO MY idea, is, a.
ways was, and forever will be. 1t did not
''cUnle into btlng:'; it is the one eternal be-
ins-the only thing that ever lid. does, ur
can exist. IT did not make its own 1tws.'
WE know nothing OF what We call the la"s
OF Nature except as we gather the idea Of
law from the uniformity of phenomena
springlns from like conditions. To make
myself clear: Water always runs down I,il1.
The tl,eist says that this happens brca.rs;.
there is behind tile phenomenon AL active
law As 4 matter Of fact iaW is this siuo Of
the phenomenon. Law does not cause tho
pl!enomcnnn. but the phenomenon caslses
the idea of law in our minds, and this
idea is produced FROM the fact tllat under
like circumstances the sai:le phenomena Ill
ways l,;lplens. Nr. Glack probably thinks
that tho difference III the weigh; nf rocks ;!lu
lilles fail tn unite only hecanse 1t is illegal:
thai diameter and circumference ctln have
been 50 ,.i;ttic that it wo,lld be: Ere;stcs dis
lance :acruSs than around II CIRCLE, tilat It
straight line could mclose i Triangle il nor
prevented by law, and that 1lttlc legislation
could make it possible for two bodies 10 oe
ctlpv the SAME space al tile >:lnlt time. Il
seems to ule that law canlsot be tl.c cAuse nf
phenomena, hut it is ln etlecs prolnceti in
our minds by their succcsson and rescn- ,
bi:lacc. To put Il God back nf the universe.
colnpeIs us to admit that there was Il time
wien nothing existed except this God; that
this God had lived from eternity III an iti!,lit
vacuum aud III all absolute i.tlcncss. The
mimi Of every thoughtful man Is forced 10
one Of these two conclusions. either that the
universe is self-cXistttt Or that 1t WIS created
BY u set-exist:nt being. 'ro my mind tllert.
are far more difficulties in the second hy-
patllcsiS than in the first.
Of course, ul'olt 4 question 1lkG tn's.
nothing Can be absolutely known. We live
", All atom called Earth, and what We know
OF the iniinit is almost lnillltly limited:
but, little It's We know. I'LL have All en,l;ll /
right to give their honest Thought. I.f;. is.
s1Eulowy, strange, altl winding road OH
wIici, we travel for :, little way-a few short
from tie cradle, with its lullaby