The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1881-09-01
BLACK DEFENDS CHRISTIANITY.
Continued from last ,seek. J

It is not necessary or possible for mt
TO discuss here. As matter Of fact
Christ died that sinners might b,
reconciled 10 God, and in that sense
be died FOR them that Is, to furnish
them with means of averling divine
justice, which their crimes bad pre-
voked.
Il d What, he again asks, would We
think ofa man who allowed another to
die for a crime he himself had com
mittedf / answer that man who, by
any contrivanee, causes his own Of
fense to be visited upon the head OF
an innocent person is unspeakably de.
PRAYED But are Christians guilty OF
4 this baseness because they accept the
I blessing Of an institution which their
/ great benefactor died to establish
Loyalty to the King who has erected
a most benedcent government for us
ct the cost Of his llfe-fdelity to
Master who bought US with bis blood
lis not tke fraudulent substitution
gof innooent person 10 place Of a
criminal.
The doctrine Of non resistance, for.
i giveness Of injuries, reconciliation
with enemies, as taugh in the New
Testament, is the child Of weakness,
degrading, and unjust. This is the
whole substance Of a long, rambling,
daitribe, as incoherent as a sick man. Z
dream Christianity does not TOR.
bid the necessary defense Of civil so
ciety, or the proper vindication Ct
personal rights But to cherish
animosity, to thirstfor more revenge,
to hoard up wrongs, real or faneied
and lie and wait for the chance to pay
them back to be impatient, unfavor
ing, malicious and cruel to all who
/ have crossed us--these diabolical
propensities are checked and curbed
| by the authority and spirit Of chris
ton religion, and the application Of
1t has converted men from low sava
ges into refined and civilized
beings.
The punishment OF sinners In eter.
nal hell is exercised. The future Of
the soul is q subject on which we
have very dark views In Our pres
ent state, the mind takes in no idea
except what is conveyed through the
bodily senses All our conceptions
OF the spiritual world are derived
from some analogy to material things,
and this analogy must necessarily be
remote, because the nature of the
| subject compared is so diverse that
similarity eaan0t even be supposed.
No revelation has lifted the vail be-
tWsen time and eternity; but in
shadowy figures we are warned that
q very marked distinction viii be
made between the good and the bad
10 the next world. Speculative opin-
ions concerning the punishment OF
the wicked, its nature and duration,
vary with the temper and the imagi-
nations of men Doubtless we arc
many OF us IN error but how can
Mr. Ingersoil enlighten us9 Ae-
knowledging no standard of right and
wrong in this world, he can have no
theory of rewards and punishments
| in the next, The deeds done in the
body, whether good or evil, are all
morally alike 10 his eyes, and II there
be any heaven q congregation Of the
Just, he sees no reason why the worst
rogue should not be a member of it.
It's supposed, however, that man has
soul az well aa . body, and that
/ both are subject to certain laws,
I which cannot be violated without in
curing the proper penalty-or con
sequence, ifhe likes that world better
II Christ was God, he knew that his
/ followers persecute and murder men
for their opinion; yet he did not for
bid IT, There is but one way to deal
with this accusation, and that is to
contradict it fatty, Nothing can be
conceiYed more striking than the pre-
hibitipn, not only Of persecution, bul
al the passions which lead or incitC
to it. No follower Of Christ INDUCES
in malice even to his enemy without
violating the plainest rule of biz
faith He cannot love God and hate
his brother If he says he can, St
John pronounces him liar. Th,
br0sdest benevolence, universal phi
lanlhropy, inexhaustibe charity, ar,
included in every line in the New
Testament Il is plain that Mr. In
, gersoll never read chapter Of il
otherwise he would not have ventureC
upon this palpable falslfeation OF il
doctrines. Who told him that thl
devilish spirit Of persecution was au
thorized, or encouraged or not for
hidden, by the Gospel The per
son, who ever it was, who impose,
upon his trusting ignorance should
be given up to the just FepFobatiol
Of his ielloW citizens.
Chrislians In modern times carr
on wars Of detraction and slande
aeainst one another. The disoussio
Of theological subjects by men VIII
believe in the fundamental doctrine
Of Christ are singularly free iror
: harshness and abuse or course
cannot SPEAK with absolute Certainty
; but I believe most confidently tha
: there q not II ell the religious pole
s mics OF this century as much slandel
E Gus inyective as can be found in an
! ten lines Of Mr. Ingersolrs writing
Il OF course / do not include politics
4 preachers among my models Of cha
\ ity and forbearance. They are
Z mendacions set Christianity is n
4 more responsible for their miscon
+ duet than Il is for the treaehery {
: Judas Iscariot OF the wrongs dor
4 % Paul BY Alexander the copper
: smith.
n Bu says be. Christians have bee
Il guilty OF Hanton and wicked pers'
e oution L Is true that some person
n protesting Christianity, have violate
Il the fundamental principles Of the
n faith By inflicting violent injuries 81
= bloody wrongs upon their fe
g low men. Bat the peFpelrato
a. Of these Outrag0s were IN "a
not Christians they were eth
F. hvnoorifes from the beginning