Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-03

r-is Argun,sns. and Ell. meshsiss.

Ottoman Hebren Bo:haeaer. In Tribune Denver, Co..
MT. lngersoH IL o great phrase maker. He
has many mBsieal manaerisEss. The element
m hts lectures which tend most tn make them
widely read is the exquisite fGgue on domestic
tse which he r. constantly playing HIS argu-
hienfs are net new. nor il the basis OF his de
eia,natory unbeiicf foundation recently built
Fo:t.aire sneered before him; Yoluey philoso-
phi1ed before him; Tom Paine rallied and Dc
hounced before him. They were hard, logical,
analytical and sterile he covers the hardness
and sterility with flowers Of rhetoric. he adsls
10 borrowed reason an artificial srHtim eEtaiissn
Beauty and brutality 60 hand IN ElEss, With him,
Ills iRfdchty IL q Lilith who lures to spiritual
rBIn.
Men u ith strong brains d0not follow hiu, and
therefore he II most GaEzeGDGs III, is the
apostle OF the saa'iev; the iei!Ii-.oh q: amateur
tliiskeTS- Tue frsicas or his oF.ttG,ry hpid AUDI
c:ces "h'r1 are above the substance VI
his speech lie i'edizeas in:piety With pretty
words. and exhibits reason a. oi;e wCliId a nun
pet sios 10 make Jhc erourdfnrs Iauch Al
eloquent iuggler, he attempts 90 teach truth by
ticsFry EP hides the snake under a tropical
lGXsTianee Of Yori.i-hossons. Distinctly lrac-
tied. BE billIcts at the fCrnI because, the es-
s''nee s bsyead him. He Hays with language
III that which IS essentially splTiinai and bey0nd
EiagGssse Ec answers aa organ tone with
.fnsle. 2 r1etn with a Dbe. he is phrase
hGct ier. preaching the gospel IF unrest; mo-
ment bravf hing ~ Eternity. Andy yet this man
has dope E-G-e 10 nure Christianity than any
one VINO has ever written or spoken against It,
Lacking tii1 fESr iJEe himself he has been siu-
sGs,riy ridii'-ntsli in bruising or destroying it
WHOLLY IN ciaers There haTe been many an
sTerJ to him, hut the majority Of them have
been a. ter failures in effect So far he has held
his own against the Christi world
The rt'ssons FOR this are palpab.e An analyt-
ic''I examination OF his position shows that it
rt'StS upon three pillars.
FiTst-ftIc cont radietions of the Old Testament
as contained in certain texts
Seconj-fhe rapine and murder cniOine,l upon
ts's ciosen Feope of God in certain passages of
tap fiid Test SI.:ept.
Thlri--A sestimentaiisrn which, charges that
tire family -c.atinns are destroyed and slavery
Taught IN certain portions of the Bible
IhtSs pili1!s would be pillars of sand but for
thr s!nhtornness ard stupidity Of the men who
nave attempted TO reply to him. As long as it
- ma. staihed that the Bible from Genesis to
Revelations, Is The inspired word of God, that
Those Who wrote its various books were the
HspsT'd aria1uensea of the Almighty and
taIf, IN all the centuries from It's first de-
livery to the present time there have been
neither changes the aBtEorthodox will have an
advantage which will strike every reasoning
mind The moment the theory of Inspiration is
abandoned, ard the historical portion of the
E.h'c are regarded as history subject TO the En-
and to the alterations OF time Christianity Will
re on q foundation from which it eauIiot be
stasca. The essence of the deiiyerance is in
sentence from Matthew Arnold: '.fIe, the histo-
nan, mag gige usin the very same work current
errors. and also fruitful and profound new truth.
the errcr's future corrective Why should
l'i'Isit,ls Gf tie gospel cling to this theory Of
inspiration? Ii is not maintained in the Bible
fseif Indeed the Bih:e Is Itself
contradiction of it. The Old Testament
l. history of the the creation of the world.
OF wars aud cOnquests. of jewish victory
and jewish defeat. Is il necessary to maintain
ia'st this narration OF facts is inspired? The
keS Testament Is a record Of the BIRTH. life aud
ocf'h OF t:i!:St. with subsequent detail of the
growth Of Ills doctrine Isit necessary to main
tam that these historical books. colare,, by thu,
tiiiifs and varying, with the memories of the
ArdStias are Inspired? BY no neaias What
C.tEIst himself said is thrilled with Inspiration
VIA: ts'e nien who read his utterances by dim
Eight, Toe D,Pl who disputed rs to who should
81 upon the right and who upon His Ieft hand
in the kingdom OF heaven, the meU who slept
white H. cried ai9ad in his agony in the SOM
pre- shadows and sPntient silence Of Get i,se!nane
TIE rncn who deserted Him at the crcss and left
HIM TO breathe cut the God-life upon an at,nOs-
pfiere tainted with jeers--what they wrote with
hnperiecf understandings, need not be called in
srirei. fJT ell reason is Opposed to it. Ii Ia of
profound interest. but no more.
III What p'en have given as Gods utte-anees
are trde, t5ea tho old charge which has trav-
eied G0ys tie years and lodged in IHgersoips
MOUTH. 4 r-t God teaches polygamy and Ihufter
~ true. H reason Is consulted. and these pass
a-es IN TIE Oli Testament are accepted ga the
utterances OF r.en only, the charge falls in
SANITY to the ground and Christianity ia I'm A
Position 10 fi.-tft back
The answer To the theory of inspiration may
% found - che life of Christ He was horn i'm
Nazareth, On the shores of Gai:fee He was
5aiScd IN ay.siage under the teachings of rabbis
Vho>e Iess35ss III customs and religion were
oraI ;rg:i the records Of the nation as found
III The oHi Testament Yet his entire ministry
eas protest against the Journalism. the cere-
rson'ais. the caste distinctions the bypoc-
risV. and the false doctrine which were SO
constantly tanEht- His life and teachings
were utterly aa.ayaa;stic to tie INTERPRETATIONS
OF the Scrites and the Pharisees VINO taught
the very doctrines in the Gid Testament which
to-day furnish iu-efsali, and those Of his Kind
snch rich sGuTc. for ars-IuneHtative rp;FagSs
aSd NOISY dcuunciatian. Christ saw the detects
hn9 eeiore they lid. and the realization OF IT
was expressed in that terrible u.bftfst berlin
ring, Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees
syIpcriteA for We pay titne OF mint, anise and
cnmin, and have omitted the weiefItier matters
CT the taw-justiee. mercy asid ndeiity. Blind
guides that yon are straining at .nats and
swallowing ca1aels'' The ,loe,riue of the fjvin-
ny OF Christ and the doctrine of the inspiratiOn
CT tie Bible are by no means Identical 1t is not
Necessary 10 believe one to believe the other
lideed, the latter belief Is almost sufficient to
m. 10
h BOT necessary for His followers TO teach.
when ti.is IS conceded there will be- an end Of
text-uon@erinI by loud debaters. The muck
Euilters wiz cease TO pick over contradictions
AUD hold fresh one up in triumph whenever it
js discovered The men who keep their eyes go
closely upon detail that they miss the general
whole viii be less notorious than now. Com
fradlctions viii take their proper places As or
Tors VI man, and truth win take its proper Mace
~ one OF the "erdered pulse heats of the Dr.
vine All The veciferous declaimers who pass
from platform 70 platform prosecuting attor-
Dcys with case against the Almighty will
turn TO other occupations. and christianity will
stand upon rccS instead Of the quicksaud il
seems to have CHOSEN for a battle ground Then
\ the insects upon the rOsebush will not make one
1nyeigh against the roses
Hr. in!erscfs second great position is that
fhrlstian,ty teaches murder and polygamv and
DESTROYS the family relations 1t does nothing
OF the kind ii IT did murder and polygamy
Weuid be as common in America to-day as day.
hyiit for Christianity Is stronger here titan ever
was In Judca. The Christianity which ia
TAUGHT in the New Testament is the Christianity
which was preached by Christ against
tie Doctrines OF the Scrihes and