The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-11-22
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 issue of THE TRAvELER, find nine questions psopounded by the edisor of the Sss F11sxlsses to Hon. Rober, C.. IsFersoll with his replies. There is 90 mnch involved in the first one of these questions. of which Mir. ingersoll rakes 70 sose. thaF shah busy myself osly vifh the 6rst question in this paper, promising you little iAaer-nexs ~eek, if It is your pieasure-,o resume the discus sion.
 The 6rss question of ,ke lis is the fol- loving: l" Docs christianity advance os retard eiviliza.scn r The answer begins, -if by christianity you mean the orthodox church, then 1 unhesi.ai- inely answer that ii does retard civiii1a- ,icn, always has retarded il, and always will The ans.er inpresses Mir. lnser- scIl as needing both apology and defense. and ne sets himsefto work to supply .ts need. He says < can imagine no man who can be benefited by being made a Catholic, or a Presbyterian. or Bap,is,. or a Methcdis,-or in other words by be- ing made an or;hocox christian" - can imagine this is rot matter ofimagir- ation, but of facts. and ough, to be So considered Then lei each reader for himself go into some community of an orthodox church, and pick him ten of the best men in the comIn1nity Of the church. and ten of the best DO, of the church 1: also ten of the worst men of the church and ten of the worst men TO. of the church. Now, if the good of the church are better men than the good not of the church, and If ,he wors, of the church are no, so bad as the vors, DO; Of the ch. -ch. then mel are benefited by being or,ho- dox christiaps; and If the reverse be true. they a7e not benensted. have vel to find the man who spoke against chris tianity who did no, feel his cause ~eaken under this test, which is plain matter of fact, candid way 10 make the tes,. There is no fault found with the manner of the test, but with its results. kDo~ of no reas on for his use of imagination on such & matier of facts, except ;ha, the facts were pot suitable to his purpose and could no, be used.
 He continues: But by christianity. l do not mean morality, kindness, for- giveness. These virtues are not distinct lively christian. They are claimed oy Mohammedans and Baddhistx by infidels and asheisss-.and prae,ioed by some of all of them. Christianity consists in the miraculous, the marvellous, and the irn- possible" In this passage we have his definition Of the christianity ,ha, re,ards civilization The christianity be dehres as not aiding civilization is alio~ed DO claims to morality, kindness, forgive ness. justice"
 These virtues are claimed by Mo- hammedanS Buddhisss. inhdels and atheists. and practiced by some of ali of them If they are prAetioed. too, by christians, and are found in their teach ings, ought not christianity to have a, least the rights of tenants in common with others to these virtues. MT. Inger- soil allows no such claim. He disallows to it all that is not distinctively christian, without making any sueh limitation upon Buddhist MehAmmedan, inddel and atheist. Their tenure of any virtue tound in christianity makes such a virtue dis aIloved to christianity. Why does he net disallov to Baddhis,, Meaanmedan, inhdel and atheist virtues found in chrissianitys He does not dispose of the claim to the virtues of morality, hnd- ness, forgiveness, justice" fairly. To maintain his answer that christianity re- tards civilization, christianity mus; be presented as destitute of : morality, kind ness, fosgiveaess, iussioe,r robbing il of all claim to virtue, he feels that il needs definition, and says " christianity consists in the miraculous, the marvel- ous and the impossible" The answer that if retards dviliz asion, rests upon this definition of is, and if the definition IT false or detective, the answer is false and detective
 Mr. Ineersoll does not come fairly to the statement that christianity has 10 virtues, but he would conceal them hy making dehnitions- His reasoning isto the effect that it retards civilization be- canse t consists in the marvellous, the miraculous and the impossible. Chris- tian men do not reject the idea of mira cles, and miraculous things in their re- hgioo, but that this is all there is of ii is surprise to any man vho thoughtfully rr~->~sAn~~ st Thrsr<s azs&x, a< rr,r<.S~~~1