National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-05-06
REPLY TO INGERSOLL.
THE GREAT rNFrDEL CRITICISED.
Science and Rclision-The Prophesics and the
Jews-yiews OF Some OF the Early writers
The Proclamation OF Cyrus
A Historic Fragment.

Testament. " No ono knows who wrote them, and
they are indistinct, mysterious, and no one knows
whether they have been fulfilled or not" We
have not the space to make any comments on such
a total ignorance Of the Bible and prolane history,
and suppose 1t would be useless, ns he remarks,
"That the only way to understand is to rcad"-
viz, the Bible intimating his profound learning
in all the Bible contains, and moro especially the
prophecies, on which account he holds up TO ridi.
culc before gaping and gigging audience the
utlerances of Gods inspired prophets. "Compari.
sons are odious," aud VIC are aware that we shall
not do the old adHSc any good In comparing this
Goliath of Biblical lore with the heretofore emf.
mont scholar and philosopher Sir Isaac Newton,
who, IN speaking of these things in his Prophecies
of Daniel and tho Apocalypse Of 81. John" says;
1--WE account the Scriptures Of God TO be the most
sublime. | find moro sure marks of authenticity
in the Bible than IN any profano history whatever"
THE LATE ASTRONOMER, PROFESSOR MITCHELL, SAYS:
" Lot us turn to the language OF the Bible and
learn whether II cXalts the sensations and
sentiments we feel or crushos them by it's impo-
tencc Let the answer como nom tho Hebrew
psalmist and from the prophets md from those
grand apocnlyptlc visions of ST. John" Has
Colonel lngcrSoll broader forehead and brighter
intellect than n Newton or a Mitchell that he can
compare Revelations TO tho rawlings Of n lunatic
For he says: If tho cmnnations from a mad
house are not as bad then am very much mis-
taken" This every much mistaken reminds
us OF an eminent humorst Of our day, who re-
marks: 81 wouldn't give five cents TO hear Bob
Ingorsoi on the mistakes of Moses, but I'd give
$500 to hear Moses the mistakes of 1ngersoll."
II would be a mighty interesting occnsionl Think
OF Newton or q Mitchell comparing tho " cmaun.
tions from mGd.h to things most divine"
or to "thosc grand apocalyptic visions of st.
Johuw Such comparison would 10 n reduction
ud dbsrdtm. Our eminent thcologinn claims to
be scientific man, for ho remarks: 81 find
vVh Tho Diblp iuduiup IL from
the light Of science" In what branch of the
sciences he cXccls wo know not but this we do
know, that as an CSpoundor Of the BiDlo he Is
rdrd uris,
PROFESSOR DANA, THE EMINENT oEoLoGisr SAYS;
" By proving the record true scionco pronouncesi it
sdsit F ecrnS but od TGc @ sc
trous astronomer Sir John 1lerschcl, says: an
human discoveries seem to be made only for the
truths contained in the Holy Scripture" Bit we we
supposG Colonel Ingcsoll must refer 10 the light
of some other science than either geology or as.
tronomy, or is he better authority than Dana or
HcrscheI? But lot us look at tho prophecies.
Isaiah smith: I" ] am God and there Is none like
Nc, declaring tho end from the beginning and
from ancient times the things that arc saying: My
counsel shall stand and win do nll My pleasure"
Let us look ut a few of Gods declarations aud see
il they stand III Genesis we read "rhc sceptrc
shall not depart from Juda nor aw-giver from
between his feet until shiloh come" thus fixing
the time of His coming near l,70O years before the
event took place. The sceptre was taken from
mako Rim @ s Sdc lie did So BY OoT
ing sosius, governor ofsyra to nssist him. and to.
Gothcr they raised nn army Of GOO00 men, took Je.
TO the domain Of Hcrod. The Jews understood
this event was the fulnllmont Of the prophecy and
Hluh, but fJr the messenger to precedo Him.
prophc8ied by Isaiah The voice Of one crying
in the wilderness &c. Many held that
THIS MESSENGER WOULD BE ELIJAH.
Thus we read in the Gospel that when Hcrod
heard OF the miracles that Jesus did. said "John
the Baptist was was risen, Dni Others said. - Elijah
senger should appear he would do the works of
the old prophets over again y IN, JCsephus in speak
imposters and deceiIcrs who pretended that they
would exhibit manifest wonders and signs that
should be performed by the providence Of God"
He mentions case In particular: An Egyptian,
filse prophet, who told the Jews that II they
would 80 out 10 the Mount of Olives he would
rusalcm would full down" Thus initiating Joshua
at Jericho Felix sent out bis horscmcn and slew
oftho expectations of the times. The Book Of
Enoch, Psalms of solomon, written at the time Of
Pompcy,s Invasion, nTe full Of tho coming Messiah,
at the birth of Christ, and also the Book of Rnouh
Tacus, SuetoniGs, and Joscphus attest the an.
the seige of Jerusalem by the Romans says: /" But
what did most elevate them was an ambiguous
oracle that wGs to be found in their sacred writings
NOW ABOUT THIS TIME
one from their country should become governor
over the hnbitHble earth. How this oracle
certaiuly denoted tho government Of Vespasnn,
refers TO the same cXpectation in almost the same
words. The PTophSt Micha, 5j9 D. g. mentions
the name of His birthplace The Rabbis held
that His birthplace must be Bethlehem (see Ier
Targum on Len, Xix. King David, about 100
before death BY the cross was known 10 the Jews;
he also lrophesied Of His resurrection. To deny
that lie came is TO deny the existence Of Chris.
tiauity. Should these pruphescs he " mysterious"
we have Others. Hear Isaiah: "That, saith Cyrus
Heis my shepherd aud shall perform my pleasure,
saying TO Jerusalem thou shalt be built, and TO
the temple Thy foundations shall be laid" This
100 years before Cyrus was born, and Josephes
,Ry Syy oo sOb ToS kSM SSn y fgS y ms
Here is the proclamation
COPIED FROM JosEPHus
which Cyrus made aud sent throughout all Asia
Thus saith Cyrus the king "Since God Al.
mighty hath appointed me to be king OF the
ha6ltablo earth, l believe that He is that God
indeed he iortod my name by The prophets,' and
that should build him 9 house at Jerusalem,
takes brilliant intellect and profound erudilion
TO likcn this prophecy to New York political
stump speeches, none can or win deny. No one
but q skilled lhGOlCginn could make such a strik-
ing comparison Tne prophet Ezekiel seems 10
cause him considerable merrmcnt. In speaking
Of Eglt the prophet sSth S ~ shgl be the bssest
above The nations, for will diminish them, that
they shall no more rule over tho nations, and
Bgyptln This startling, prophecy was delivered
neSE 2,,CO year, ago; HSt o9r ilhGolHElan nsts.
proyal oithe lecture by frequent bursts Of daughter
and applause" surely they must have laughed
the wise in their own ciaitine,s." The fulfill
pagcs OF time so plain "'ihat the wayhiring man,
though he be fool, need not orr therein" Again,
Ezekiel pTophcsed against Tyle when In her
glory. Nolney, the intide historian, says: at
was the center ofan Immense commerce and navi-
gation the nursery of arts and science, and the
city Of, perhaps, the most active people ever
known. aud, IN sgcaking Of this same prophets
description of Tyre, says: 1T Is
a VALUABLE HISTORICAL FRAGMENT"
Thus saith Ezekiel; "Thoy shall destroy the
walls Of Tyre nnd break down her towers. I will
EcrapC the dust from her and make her like the
top ola rock. II shall be place for the spreading
forth II lro from the midst of thee. = : pass
ye over TO Tnrshish, pass over 10 Chittim,
Thou shall die the death of them that slain In
the midstoi the sea; The children OF Israel also
and the children Of Judah have go sold will re-
turn the ICcOmpensc upon your own head"
NebuChndnczzlr came against Tyre, and aller
thirteen years took the city and destroyed 1t. In
3s2 B. C. IL WAS rebuilt on M island about half
mile from shore Alexander the Great In seven
months siege, took the city. The manner Of his
taking il was this; Being surrounded by II wall
160 feet hlPh he built n mound from tho shore 10
the land isce Quntius Curtius) and the ruins Of
old Tyre furnished the material literally scTaping
the dust nom on old Tyre,
vOINEY, TUE ISFIDEL HISTORIAN, SAYS;
alt Is now place where the fishermen spread
their nels arid that the yicssitudes of time or
Empire, together with the MahOmeans, have nc.
Complishcd the prediction" Alexander ordered
the ciiy to be burned by fire, Fifteen thousand
TyTlnns escaped In ships and thirty thousand were
sold into slavery. Df Robinson says columns
OF red and gray granite sometimes forty aud fifty
heaped together, lie broken and slrewCd beneath
the waves in the midst Of the sea-" Such are a few
oftho prOphesGs, They are historical facts. The
dn1lc laughs ut the Christians fnith in the BiLlp