Morning journal and courier., 1884-05-14
uugersollism.

What Colonel stBob,, Has to Say About | OrthOdoxy-He Pays His Respects to the Authors of the New Creed-PrO- fsssors, With Moss on Their Backs.
 Colonel IngersoH delivered his lecture on "Orthodoxy" last night at Peck's Grand 1 Opera House to fair-sized audience, charm ing and delighting many by his eloqueDce, sarcasm and wit and shocking others. His views on orthodoxy were expressed about as follows:
 ssAnyone believing in the. Christian religion cannot attack it. for he thereby jeopardizes his own soul. In country where it is pre- tended to give, rewards and pleasures for opinions it is easy to say you believe in relig- ion. It is the road to preferment; it helps a man into Congress; it pays. It gives me pleasure to say that the Christian religion IS waning; it has the softening of the brain; it fails longer to satisfy head or heart or com- mon sense; it is an infinite falsehood; it dies hard because of the cunning of ministers and priests But it is dying Doubt is en- tering and doubt is the bud of progress. | Judaism died hard but it lived longer than Christianity Intelligence will supplant 1t, but intelligence is of slow growth. Few men think and many rewards are offered to join the multitudes. There is advancement. Orthodoxy of to-day was infidelity to your | erandfathers. Error must die; only demon strated fact will live. don't want to enjoy heaven while my felIow-men are in he'll l | am opposed to, despise, I defy the threat eninps of heaven and hell. I want to be damned" "
 They tell me I fight ''man of straw, " l that am mistaken in what is orthodoxy. l No man in New Haven would say now that the old Congregational creeds were ever hls
 beliefs But they change and bubble ID l words. vho have moss on their backs from whose hats you would have to blow the dust oi | ages, strange, abnormal monsters, were ap pointed to get up new, progressive creed. The church is boa constructor; what It can not dodge it will swallow.
 | Through the rest of the evening the lee. turer read from the new Congregations creed and commented on it's sections
 | The infinite does not want me or my help There can be no relation between me and the infinite. You can form but an imperfect idea of the infinite Your ideas are human | and your human virtues are the virtues oi
 your God. I should suppose he would bs disgusted with your fattery and tired o your nonsense.
 | "One God only! How lonely! NO Mrs God, no companions but few Methodists
 and Presby terians! You say he is without
 body, heart or passions. What better de
 scription of nothing or vacuum?
 | s'How do you account for martyr? Why
 don't God protect him2 What do you say o
 slavery, men dying on the scafold, justice l not prevailing and yet 8 world governed bJ | an infinite and wise God? Statistics kill thu
 idea of special Providence. In Washing
 ton, D. O., the Y. M. c. A. rooms were
 struck by lightning, and in the very sam'
 building was my office. That was bad work
 manship in especial Providence" Specia
 Providence is founded on egotism and lgno ! rance.
 'Does anybody now believe in the Garder \ of Eden2 Nobody does since Charles Oar
 win wrote, Why did he not watch his ser
 pent, why did he not drown it in the delug'
 instead of mankind?' God invented fever consumption and malaria to kill off his peo pie so they should not live too long, ana | then fixed for them hell to which earth Ii ! paradise. The absurdity of the fall of mal
 brings up the atonement. do not wish tt
 be pauper- angel by the merits Of another
 person. I am willing to settle on my owl
 merits. will never worship slave-holdint
 God My reason is my salvation and vii ! follow that as an oracle"