The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1881-08-25

the subject. II would be imprupe
Tor me TO set them forth here. H.
knows, probably, that the influence OF
the Christian Church alone, and with
out the aid Of state enactments, has
extirpated this bad feature Of Asiaue
manners wherever its doctrines were
carried. As the Christian faith pre-
walls 10 Eny community, In that pro-
.portion precisely marriage Is conse-
Grated 10 its true purpose, and all
intercourse between the sexes refined
and purified. Mr.. Ingersoll got his
own devotion to the principle Of mon
ogamy-his own respect for the high
est type Of female charaeter-his own
belief in the virtue and fidelity to
one good Wife-frOm theexample and
precept Of his Christian parents
speak confidently, because these are
sentiments which do not grow in the
heart Of natural man without being
planted Why, then, does he throw
polygamy in the face of the religion
which abhors II T? Because he Is moth
ing II not political The Mormons
believe in polygamy, and the Nor
mons are unpopular. They are guilty
Of having not only many wives but
much property, aud il a war could
be hissed up against them, its fruits
might be more "gayne pilladge than
wee doe now cOnveyve Of" II is q
cunning mAnenver, this, Of strength
ing atheism by enlisting anti Nor
mon rapacity against the God Of the
Christians: lean only protest against
the use he would make Of these and
other political interests. It is not
argument; it is mere stump oratory.
I think / have repelled all OF Mr.
IngersOlPs accusations against the
Old Testament that are worth no
ticing, and / might stop here. But
] viii not close upon him without
letting him see, at least, some part Of
the case on the other side
] do not enumerate In detail the
positive proofs which support the
authenticity OF the Hebrew Bible,
though they are at handin great abun-
dance, because the evidence in sup
port Of the new dispensation will es-
tablish the verify Of the old-the two
being so connected together that II
one is true the other cannot be false.
When Jesus Of Nazareth announced
himself to be Christ, the Son of God,
in Judea, many thousand persons
who heard his words and saw works
believed in his divinity without hesi-
tatIon. Since the morning of orea-
tion, nothing has occurred so wonder
ful as the rapidity with which this
religion spread itself abroad. Men
who were in the noon Of life when
Jesus was put to death as a malefae
tor lived to see him worshiped as
God by organized bodies of believers
IN every province in the Roman EN-
plre. In few years more it took
complete possession of the general
mind, supplsnted ell other religions,
and wrought radical change in hu-
man society, It did this in the face
Of obstacles which, according to every
human calculation, were insurmount
able Il was antagQpized by all The
evil propensities, the sensual wicked
ness, and the vulgar crimes OF the
multitude, as we'll as the polished
vices of the luxurious classes; and
was most violently opposed even by
those sentiments and habits Of
thought which were esteemed virtn-
Gus, such as patriotism and military
heroism. II encountered not only
ignorance and superstition, but the
learning and philosophy, the poetry,
elOquence, and art Of the times. Bar.
barism and civilization we're alike ils
deadly enemies. The priesthood Of
every established religion and the
authority OF every government were
arrayed against it. All these com
bined together and aroused to fero-
cious hostility, we're overcome, moi
by the enticing words OF mans wis
dom, but by the simple presentation
Of 3 pure and peaceful doctrine
preached by obscure strangers at thG
daily peril Of their lives Is it Mr.
Ingersolrs idea that this happened b.
chance, like the creation Of tbs
world2 II not, there are but two
other ways to account for il; eithei
the evidence by which the Apostles
were able to prove the supernatura
origin Of the gospel sss ovsrwhem
ing and irresistible, or else it's prop
agation was provided for and carried
on by the direct aid Of the Divinu
Being himself Between these two
infdellty may make its own choice
Just here another dilemma pre-
sents its horns to our adversary.
/ Christianity was a human fabrication
Its authors must have either bee
| good men OF bad. It is moral im
/ posbibility-a mere contradiction
ln terms-to say that good, honest
and true men practi0ed q gross an
/ wi.lful deception upon the world !
Is equally incredible that any comb
nation Of knavss, however basl
would fraudulently eoncoct 3 religi
ous system to denounce themselves
anI TO invoke the curse Of God upo
their own conduct. Men that Ioy
| lies. love not such lies as that
there any way out Of this difficulty
except by confessing that Christian
ity Is what il purports to be-a divir
revelation
The acceptance Of Christianity /
q large portion of the generatie
contemporary With its Founder an
bis apostles was, under the cireua
stances, an adjudication as soleu
: and authoritative as mortal INTEL
gence could pronounce. The reeoi
e that judgment has come down
as. accompanied BY the deposition
; Of The principal witnesses. Ia q
course nf eighteen centuries maj
. efforts have been made to open 9
9 judgment or set It aside on G
D ar0nnd that the evidence was sul
< Client to support il. But on eve
+ reheaing Tie wisdom and virtue
. mankind have realIlrmed H. And M
9 comes Mt Ingersoll % try The e