Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1881-08-11
"Acquan! mcmcnto rchus in arduiS


Sevare mentem. ''-Hordce, Bk. H. ole 3
There appears i'll the August number of the
Norh -imcrica" Reric,c lengthy disquisition
upon the claims which Christianity has to
the respect and crcdence of mankind. Mr.
Robert G. Ingersoll as the representative of the
Sponded to by no less eminent person than
the Hon jeremiah $. Black. While express
ing our unqualified disapproval Of discus
-ions Of this character, as tending to demean
the revealed word Of God into a mere theo-
rem inviting doubt and denial, we cannot re-
press a profound disappointment that mas
much ~ the debate has been thus thrust
upon the public, the cause of Christianity
should not have been more ably advocated,
and its beauties more sllillfully impressed,
than has been done by the distinguished
.iurtst.
! pcrusal OF Judge Blacks paper must
inform any one that the gentleman has been
unfortunate enough to lose his temper, and
while large body Of Christians are looking
ligion against the calumniations Of our enc
mics he mortifes them by becoming angry
and retiring from the fray with words of hot
ltupcgaton thereby weakening their cause
and leaving with our foes the right to affirm,
You have asscvcrated much, brought your
prciudiccs to bear witness to your strength,
hat have in fact disputed nothing" Certain
y it is extremely difficult to remain calm
when We hear those things cherished most
dearly III our love y,assaled by one
who must be necessarily depraved to wan
tonly trench upon reyered ground. 1t is
nevertheless true that to yield to the natural
instinct of resentment under such circum-
stances totally units even the ablest for an
equitable consideration and discussion of the
subject matter which thus eXcites his pas
sion. 1t is unfortunate that Judge Black
should have allowed himself to be drawn
into the arena of discussion upon a subject
which is far too closely interviewer with his
reverence to allow of unimpassiOned consid-
Grafton. We must admit that If a subject
nearS discussing at all it does so only under
the recognized rules of reasoning, and must
be subjected to the same test as to the why
and wherefore that might be applied against
amy lay topic. Mr.. lngersoll and his few un-
fortunate followers who will not admit the
divinity OF Christ might very reasonably in
sst that an attempt to refute charge by
simply asserting rs Mr.. Black does, that to
deny would be almost as scandalOus rs to
make the charge, that I'VE have neither juris-
dction nor capacity to rejudge the justice OF
God, is iii fact no rctutation at all, but Oh
the contrary an admission that we are IN
the charge was worth anything before, it has
lost nothing OF its force by our reiOiner. 1T
Is not discussing but dogmatically asserting
tAc correctness OF our position, and then
hurting this t'ath at the head of our irrever-
cnt opponent to convince him he is wrong.
Judge Black has so manitestly fallen into
me error OF casuistry and evasion that his
defence loses the dignity of an argument.
nc says: The more clearly one sees the
grand procession of causes and effects the
more awful his reverence becomes for the
author Of the sublime and unbroken law
which links them together. Not self-conceit
"hd rcbellous pride, but unspeakable humll-
~, and deep sense Of the distance between
me Creator and the creature fills the mind Oh
him who looks with rational spirit upon
me works Of the All Wise One.n He assumes
without just grounds that this sense of the
NaStness Of the Creator, and the relative
hothingness of puny man, lives not in the
breast of the infidel. We do not presume to
Know whether it does or not. but surely this
mas nothing to do with the matter in hand