The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-11-01

even BY spirit, least of all by some scurvy
knaye whom this world was glad 70 see
the last Of
The Burlington Eavtsy. says OF Colonel
Inees6IFs recent article;
IN treating these gDeat problems Of life
Mr.. InSersOl hiss fascinating and plausi'
Die way OF stating thing, but they certainly
are As unphilosophical as they are un.
tenablc. Water always runs down hill,
SAWS Mr.. InSetsoll. But it does not. SOME
times il runs up hill, and We call it capil'
lary attraction. We have mode OF ex'
planning il By the attraction between the
particles Of mobile matter and the inert
matter Of the tube in which the fluid rises.
Mr.. IngerSoll would explain It by Saying
that the fluid rises because It rises
That is certainly childlike and sim
pie, but it is hardly in keep
ing with the role philosopher who
proposes to dethroue God-the God who
Is the designer and creator Of the universe
We not only find that Mr.. Ingersoll is mis-
taken in inserting water alwaysruns down
hill, but there is wonderful process OF
nature that exceeds even capillary action.
The Iite.bearing sap ascends the tree and
carries with il nourishment that sustains
and enlaryes the plant. The tree has q
system OF water works that actually ex-
tends its own water mains. This phe-
nomenon, we are told by Mr. lngersoll,
happens because it happens II that Is
not superstition that eclipses anything OF
the kind so vehemently denounced by him,
we do not know what superstition Is. us
genesis is clearly traceable to the pagan be-
lief that the world is u great plane resting
upon the backs OF four mighty oxen, and
the oxen rest upon great elephant, Mnai
the elephant rests upon the pagan beiIel
failed to state. Mr.. lngersOll goes one step
further and atiirms that the elephant rests
upon himself"
The editor of the New York Christian
.ldrOcGtc, now in Europe, has had an inter
esting talk at Edinburgh with Prof. Robert
son Smith, who impressed him as "almost
phenomenon Of intellectual yigor and
alertness" and thoroughly sincere" The
professor says he retains the same standing
| in the church he held before the heresy
proceedings were brought against him, and
he could accept pastonte at any time,
though no shall not do 10 for the present. to
prevent controversy. As TO the effect OF
his trial, lectures, publications and the
general discussion OF the subject, he said !:
"The more intelligent ministers and lay
men are looking into these things. They
feel that they have not had placed before
them all the established results Of the
studies OF recent times 1t has come to be
believed that the less studious and thought
full element has exerted disproportionate
control over the public mind and over the
action Of the church. Precisely how lar
this will 90, and what form the final results
will take, the future must show 1t is not
nv desire to disturb the church. have
not in doctrine departed from its standards.
But il Is folly to suppose that upon colIat-
eral issues an unvarying form OF express
sion can be perpetuated from age TO age,
or that investigation can yield no further
results When asked how he answered
the charge that his criticisms led to unbe.
lieving ntionalism, lie replied: "What !
} maintain Is simply that what the Bible
contains is valuable only us 1t assists in
presenting Christ to the hearts OF men.
This is not rationalism Far from It.
begin with Christ and end with Him. Ger
tain parts OF the Old Testament have only
a local and temporary application, and the
human element in them is not binding on
our consCiences, or capable OF being .asslm-
Hated with true and symmetrical con-
ception Of Christ" Still he does not
preach on these questions, and he
thinks no minister ought to; they
should devote themselves to positive
truth-truth which can be proved,
illustrated, applied" Then he said some
thing about ecclesiastical discipline which
is OF special interest in view OF the late
hersey trial at Chicago. at is impossible
for an organization 10 exist without Il COM
mon basis Of belief. II minister breaches
contrary to the standards no should be sup.
pressed. II I had been guilty and proved
guilty Of denying the standards Of the
church to which ! belong, but one course
would have been open TO the assembly,
namely, 10 remove me from the ministry.
Ministers, indeed, who do not agree with
the recognized standards which form the
bonds oiunion should not remain. Honesty
requires them not TO wait to be thrust out.
As | Said few moments ago, while my
opinions on some points differ widely
from the opinions held thereon by some
others, claim that upon the doctrines oil
the church, have uttered nothing contrary
TO the standards"
Prof. CULVER, Of Andover Theological
Seminary, docs not believe that New Eng.
land theology has deteriorated or under.
gone any material change in the last
hundred years. lie read an essay on the
subject before the Boston ministers meet.
ing last week, and took up each Of the lead
Ing orthodox doCtrines-as the trinity, re.
generation, miracles, inspiration, the souls
immortality and future punishment-ex-
aminng them In connection with the va.
rious theories TINT have been held with
more or less tenaCity from time to time;
and his conclusion was that the New Eng.
land theology was as sound now, from an
orthodox viGw,as II WINS In the days Of Ed.
wards, and that the opinions TO the con.
trary have resulted from giving to theory
the place and importance OF doctrine,
and making it tho bone OF noisy
contention. But two Of the doctrines
treated are repoted-original sin
and the atonement. Speaking OF the for.
mer hC gave distinctness to the several
theories that have been held con.
corning II, such MS SHINING in Adam by
every individual Of the race; federal head.
ship, or constructive sin, or, which Is the
an mn tLtpU n utuf,,1 t,rs, b,, IirII nS f.,
heritanCe from Adam; and sin only as the
voluntary act Of each individual. Without
giving the view Of Edwards, Prof. Gulliver
went to the question, What is essential to
an orthodox belief Of original sin, or hu.
man sinfulness? and he was understood TO
say that one who believes that sin begins
with the first voluntary act Of every indi.
yidual and not before that, is orthodox on
that point, and his rejecting all other
theories does not impair his claim to
l