Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-07-28
BLACK W. lNGERSOLL,
An Able Defense OF Christianity.

Judge Black Meets The Great I!fiel lee.
hrer in Debate in the Pages Of he "NOrh
american Rcvicto" and Gives Him Taste
Of His Quality.
Hon. Jeremiah 5. Black and Col.
Robert G. Ingersoll have contributed
articles TO the August number of the
North Ameaican Revie,C in which the
former defends the cause of Christian.
ity and the latter attacks and opposes
it. Colonel Ingersoll's arguments are
the same rs those with which the pub
lie has been made familiar in his lee.
lures. Judge Black in mastery rhet-
oric and with fund of illustration
that is remarkable, defends the Jewish
theocracy and then proceeds to dem
onstrate the truth of the Christian
religion. We regret that we have
room for only a small portion of this
able paper and As we are obliged to
select n part we prefer to give that
which relates more particularly to the
Christian dispensation. Judge Black
reasons as follows:
When Jesus of Nazareth announced
Himself to be Christ, the Son of God,
in Judea, many thousand persons who
heard His words and saw His works
believed in His divinity without hc7i-
tation. Since the morning of the crea-
ton nothing has occurred so wonder
ful as the rapidity with which this re-
ligion spread abroad. Men who were
in the noon of life when Jesus was put
to death as a maletactor lived to see
Him worshipped as God by organized
bodies of believers in every province
of the Roman empire. In n few more
years it took complete possession of
the general mind, supplanted all other
religions, and wrought radical change
in human society. 1t did this in the
face of obstacles which, according to
every human calculation, were insur-
mountable. 1t was antagonized by
all the evil propensities, the sensual
wickedness, and the vulgar crimes of
the multitude, rs well as the polished
vices of the luxurious CLASSES and
was most violently opposed even by
those sentiments and habits of thought
which were esteemed virtuous, such a.
patriotism and military heroism. 1t
encountered not only the ignorance
and superstition, but the learning and
philosophy, the poetry, eloquence, and
art of the time. Barbarism and civil.
ization were alike its deadly enemies.
The priesthood Of every established
religion aud the authority of every
government were arraycd against it.
All these, combined together and
reused to ferocious hostility, were over
come, not by the enticing words of
mans wisdom. but by the simple pre-.
sentation of a pure and peaceful doc
crime, preached by obacure strangers
at the daily peril Of their lives. 1t is
Mr.. Ingersoll's idea that this happen
ed by chance, like the creation of the
world If not, there are but two 9TH
er ways to account for it either the
evidence by which the apostles were
able to prove the supernatural origin
of the gospel was overwhelming and
irresistible, or else its propagation was
provided for and carried on by the
direct aid of the Divine Being Him
self. Between these two infdelity may
make its own choice.
Just here another dilemma presents
its horns to our adversary. If Chris
tianity was n human fabrication its
authors must have been either good
men or bad. 1t is a moral impossi-
bility-a mere contradiction in terms
to say that good, honest and true
men practiced a gross and willful de-
ception upon the world. 1t is equally
incredible that any combination of
knaves, however base, would fraudu.
lently concoct a religious system to
denounce themselves and to invoke the
curse of God upon their own conduct.
Men that love lies, love not such lies
as that. Is there any way out of this
difficulty, except by confessing that
Christianity is what it purports to be
"a divine revelation
The acceptance of Christianity by n
large portion of the generation CON
temporary with its Founder and His
apostles was, under the circumstances
an adjudication as solemn and author
itative as mortal intelligence could
pronounce. The record of that iudg-
ment has come down to us, accompa.
MED by the depositions of the princi-
pal witnesses. In the course of eigh-
teen centuries many efforts have been
made to open the judgment or set it
aside on the ground that the evidence
was insufficient to support it. But on
every rehearing the wisdom and virtue
of mankind have reafiirmed it, And
now comes Mr.. IngersolI to try the
experiment Of another bold, bitter,
and fierce reargument. / will present
some of the considerations which