Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-02-02
INFIDEL BOB.
Talmage on IDgersOll-The 80 Champion
BlsSphemer of America" Handled
Without Gloves by the
Great Brooklyn Preacher-His Opinion
Of the Creation OF Woman and
P0lygamy.


Ingersoll, the Champion Blasphemer OF
America" the subject of Talmsge .
morning discourse yesterday. An immense
congregation crowded the Tabernacle, and in
his prayer Talmage said that they :" came as
empty pitchers to the great fountain, as un-
lighted torches to the great fire. Alter the
prayer Mr.. Talmage gathered himself to-
gether, strobe TO the edge Of the platform and
shouted "The fool hath said in his heart
there is no God" After crossing his arms
on his chest he paused, looked at the congre-
CATION and said: "The fool hath said so"
adding as an aside that "no one but q fool
would say So" at which the congregation
laughed atheism and infidelity are twin
brothers, The war against the Bible and the
God of the Bible is no new thing. IDgersoll
only uses second hand furniture in his lee
lures, gathered from Volney, Voltaire, Hume
and the race of infidels. Never did man
carry on so large business on small cap
tai as Ingersoll. All his lectures are the
same kind of stuff, whether on skulls liberty
or Moses" Here Mr.. Talmsge raised hearty
laugh by comparing Mr.. Ingersoll TO dog
everlastiDgly gnawing juieeless bone, refer
ring TO his frequent mention of the story of
God making woman out of Adams rib. "Pm
an infdel," cries Ingersoll, and he tries to
laugh God and the Bible out OF existence. He
cant do it. Applause. To obliterate the
God of the Bible Is not fratricide; worse: this
is only the murder of a trothsr. 1t is not
particle; worse: this is only the murder of
father. 1t is not matricide; worse: this is
only the murder of a mother. 1t is not regi-
eide worse: this is only the murder of a
king. 1t is decide: the assassination OF a
Godp Mr.. Talmage then referred to Mr..
Iugersoll's criticisms OF the Bible, and de-
clared that the champion blasphemer showed
his ignorance in everything he advanced.
Moses did not write Genesis to teach US as
oka Il
hundred other sciences; he gave US a plain
account of the origin ard outfit of
the world. If Moses had gone into
particulars fifty thouss nd volumes would not
have contained the sacred literature. Bible
writers were not ignoramuses; they knew
more than lngersoll. Old Job knew all
about evaporation and the laws OF refraction
thousands of years ago. Job was the first
Old Probabilities he knew ell about the
winds and their currents. What modern
astronomers have just found out Isaiah
knew thousands OF years ago. Solomon
knew all about the circulation of the blood.
james Watts's application of steam and
Morse's magnetic telegraph were known TO
antiquated Job. All the law of Burke,
Blackstone, Curran, Choate, Everett, Web
ster; all the English, Roman and American
law is founded on the ten sentences by that
venerable lawyer recorded in the twentieth
chapter of Exodus. Moses never imagined
that the sky was a solid roof, with the stars
hung up against it as ornaments. Laugh
ter All, at the risk of raising another
laugh" said Talmage, 81 must speak OF H.
gersolls favorite joke. l must snatch at his
bone-Adam's rib, from which woman
was made. There's no absuIdity in this,
when We know the word translated rib means
side. But Ingersoll doesn't know it; he
doesn't know a word or syllable of Hebrew.
Matthew Henry thinks that woman was
taken from the left side of man, nearest his
heart; but / say she was taken from the right
side, from under the right arm, suggesting
that he should fight her battles, strike down
her assailant, avenge her honor. You may
cheat a man, abuse him, assault him, but he
becomes liyid with rage if you say anything
of his wife " This point was pathetically
illustrated by reference TO the couple who
were found in each others embrace on the
wrecked Hudson river train. "They went
side by side TO DEATH" said Mr.. Talmage,
"and they were laid side by side in the
grave. Ingersoll says the Bible favors
polygamy. Does the Almighty God uphold
polygamy? How many wives did he make
for Adam? Onei All! Mr.. Iugersoll, it
would have been Just as easy Tor one
God to have given Adam five, ten or thirty
wives, but he didn't; he started the business
as he wanted it continued. All the great
men ofthe Bible stood aloof from polygamy
or were punished within an inch of their
lives for the sin. But did not David and
Solomon favor polygamy? Yes, and they
were banished for it. David was chased by
the Bsdouins, the Moabites, sickness, de-
thronement and death; yea, the Lord God
Almighty got after him. Solomon had
something TO do with polygamy, but read
his Book OF Ecclesisstics, and learn how he
loathes the sin and calls it all vanity. Why,
his seven hundred women pestered the very
life out OF him. Laughter and stamping of
feet No house is large enough to hold two
women married to one man. Renewed
laughter My Bible does not favor polygamy,
Iugersoll, and i take the ulcerOus and
accursed SANDER and hurl it back in y1ur
teeth" After calling George
Eliot a literary adulteress, and passing
a eulogy upon Queen Victoria, Mr.. Talmage
said that before he got through with Inger-
soil be would prove that the Bible was the
only book for the household, and that it was
the friend of all things pure, and that in
fidelity WIS the advocate of all things i'm
pure. Those who go and pay fifty cents or
one dollar to hear the Lord Jesus Christ in
sulted will come some day to need the cheer
of his promises When we come TO die we
shall want our choice of pillows. The pill
low of regret is stuffed with nettles; the
pillow of gloomy anticipation is stuffed with
What we shall need is the
soothing, comforting pillow stuffed with the
feathers of the Almighty"