The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1881-09-01


( history records have been the worl
Of politicians, aided often by priest.
and ministers who we're willing tc
deny their Lord and desert 10 th,
enemy, for the sake Of their tempora
interests. Take the cases most com.
monty cited and see If this be not .
true account Of them. The auto IA
fe Of Spain and Portugal, the burn
ings at Smithfeld, aud the whipping
OF women in Massachusetts,, we're
the outcome Of a cruel, false, and
unchristian policy. COligny and his
adherents we're killed by an order OF
Charles IN, at the instance OF the
Guises, who headed a hostile faction,
and merely for reasons of state. Louis
| XIV revoked the edict of Nantes,
and banished the Waldenses under
pain Of conascation and death but
this was done on the declared ground
that the victims were not safe sub
jeots. The brutal atrocities Of Crom
well and the outrages Of the Orange
lodges against the Irish Catholics
we're not prosecutions by religious
people, but movements as purely DO
litical as those Of the Know Moth
ings, Plug-Ugly, Blood Tubs Of this
country. II the Gospel should be
blamed for these acts in opposition
to its principles, why not also charge
it With the cruelties of Nero, or the
present persecution Of the Jesuits by
the in6del republic of France 2
Christianity is opposed 10 freedom
Of thought. The Kingdom OF Christ
is based upon certain principles, to
which it requires the assent Of every
one who would enter therein. Ifyou
are unwilling to own his authority
and conform your moral conduct to
his laws, you cannot expect that he
Willadmit you to the privileges OF his
Own government But naturalization
is not forced upon you if you prefer
to be an alien. The Gospel makes
the strongest and tenderest appeal
to the heart, reason and conscience
OF n--entreat5 him to take thought
for bis own highest interest, and by
all its moral influence provokes him
TO good works; but be is not con-
strained by any kind of duress to
leave the service or relinquish the
wages Of sin. Is there anything that
sayors Of tyranny in this 2 A man
OF ordinary judgment will say no.
But Mr. Ingersoll thinks it as op-
pressiye as the refusal Of Jehovah to
reward the worship of demons
Accounts Of miracles are always
false. Are miracles impossible? ? No
one will say so who opens his eyes
to the miracles ofcreaton with which
we are surrounded on every hand
You cannot even show that they are
priori improbable. God would be
likely to reveal his will to the ration
al creatures who were required to
obey It; he would authenticate in
some way the right Of prophets aud
apostles to speak in bis name super
natural powers was the bread seal
which he aliixed TO their commission
From this it follows that the improb-
ability Of a miracle is no greater than
the original improbability Of a reye-
lation, and that is not improbable at
all. Therefore, if the miracles Of the
New Testament are proved by sutli-
oienI evidence, We believe them as we
believe any other established fact
They become deniable only when it
is shown that the great miracle OF
making the world was never perform
ed. Accordingly Mr. Ins ersoll
abolishes creation 0rst, and thus
clears the way to bis dogmatic con
cluslon that all miracles are "the
children of mendacity"
Christianity is pernicious in its
| moral effect darkens the mind, mar
rows the soul, arrests the progress
Of human society, aud binders civili-
zation. Mr. Ingersoll, as a Jealous
apostle of "the gospel Of dirt" must
be expected to throw a good deal of
mud But this is too L4uch it in
lures him instead Of delling the OBJ
! iect Of his assault When / answer
that all we have of virtue, justice,
intellectual liberty moral elevation,
refinement, beneyoleuce and true
wisdom came to US from that source
which he reviles as the fountain OF
evil, ! am not merely putting one
assertion against the other; for ]
have the advantage, which he has
not, OF speaking what every tolora-
bly well informed man knows to ID
true.
Reflect what kind OF world this wal
when the disciples Of Christ under
took to reform it, ana compare i
with the condition in which thei
teachings have put it. In its mighty
metropolis, the center OF its intellect
ual and political power, the best mel
are addicted to vices 80 debasing tha
| could not even allude To then
without soiling the paper writ
upon. All manner of unprineiple'
wickedness was practiced in the pri-
vate life Of the whole population
, without concealment or shame, an,
/, the magistrates were thoroughly an'
! universally corrupt Benevolenc
, in any shape was altogether unknown
I The helpless and the weak got neithe
Justice nor mercy. There was 1t
4 relief for the poor, no succor for lh
sick, no refuge for the unfortunate
J. In all pagandom there was not
! hospital, asylum, almsh0use OF OF
qanized charity OF any sort Tn
h Indifference to human life was literal
!. lly frightful The order Of a success
4 ful leader to assassinate his oppo
4 nents was always obeyed by bis 70
lowers with the utmost alacrity an
nj pleasure. II was 8 special amuse
Z ment Of the populace to witness th
shows at which men we're cOmpelle
to kill one another, to be torn
N pieces by wild beasts, or otheFwis
\ "hutchered, 70 make a Roman hol
4 day" In every province paganis
n enacted the same cold blo0dg
r. cruelties; oppression and robbel
"a ruled supreme murder went Famna