The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-11-22

q loss thines are Cods exAihition cf His os. acss and poser to heap the szpport q s;rsne and snppsess all vices- h i'm possibilities are Cod's posahles that He nigh, sustain the rsgh, and suppress the wrong. Ii gives heaven of re~ar0s tcr virsue and hell for the wrongs rom which men viii net turn awsy. h the face of these facts of its record Mir. ! ingerson has not the hArdihood to leave his declaration. .tha; i, re4ards civilization unsil he first denies II all claim so virtue and then places its great sanctions of virtne and all graces as " the miraculous, the maryelo1s and the impossible He says " by christianity do not mean moral iy, kindness. torgiveness, lussioe-r Be cause others claimed those v.rtues as ~ell as christians, others have belief in God Why did he not say also sha, ckrssiAas are wi,hou, tha, helief because others believe in God also, and Il Is not dixfincfively christian to believe in God: Is se consas- tent he oagh, 10 1sny miracles to chris- siAnity, because they are claimed by Buddhist and MohAmmedan- He clearly sho~s tha, his answer oompels him to take all good and claim of good GU, of christianity before i, can be sustained. Ar answer which has 10 be supported in such a way shows itself 10 be false by i,s method of defense. lfthese virtues are no, taken from christianity, Mir. lngersou has she odium oi sAyn ng tkA, the possession of these retards civilization. which he does DO, propose 10 have If poor logic will allow him to escape from i. Chris tiAnity certainly holds to the doctrine oi miracles, so does any religion believed in by mankind. The miracles are gwen as witnesses that the poser of Cod is in the religion. Withou, the witnesses ] O. this class no religion has gained the fai;h of mankind. Mi. lngersoH says li ii is necessary 10 believe n God now the witnesses ought 10 be On hand now.7 Al one tune be gave as his reason for moi believing in christianity the s,aiemen, ;hA: all sne rer ~ho <a- its miracles died before he ga. born. Ii no religion exists or earth xl.hoat rnlr4- cles, then f there were reag,ens ~i,hol, miracles, saey dped ts he lack of be- heve-S The sss-d aesdes not ID rehg.sse C. TSe Author of ef~ -.x. enough 10 kno~ men ID ihis rz,seI II ~isdorn is odions then the miracles of Shr,s;lani;y are odioas. for D them !, commanded and s.il commands the faith ef mankind. and If Mir. Ingersoll ever moves nen a~a, from christianity !, wil nc, oe done by the declaration thai miracles are .u.- possible, absurd, and. Ii IS nc; within me poser of man 10 sGhs.an,laie the supernatural. l, IS beyond the po~er of evidence" The history of religion shows j iha, II Is not within the po~er of man 10 unsuossantlaie the supernatural. One beief ID the supernatural never gives say Sci before a stronger belief tn a stronger supernatural. The denial of its super natural never overth.sw rei,g,on until a more oreditAble supernatural ~as offered. S1ch is the history of rehgioR, and the proposition to wreck Christianity by making il odiors on aocoun, of i.s mira cles IS as harmless as i, is foolish. Mir. lngersoll feels that his task IS well nigh done when he alleges miracles Agains; christianity, because he can assert the idea that miracles are absurd beyond the po~er of evidence.
 | Lr, us take look at the doctrine Of miracles and the supernaurai Every living creature from the loves, forms of ! lie up to man has a power of voluntary acton h this acton tAey manipulate 1 the material lavs and forces of Easure for their o~n purposes and plans Man has large province Of power over nsture in which he is supernatural -cver nature He speaks across oceans, rdes their waves. torcasss sheir storms, seeks havens of safefy from them He has large province Of power over nature which he is still enlAgins. and IS super natural in the sense that he manipulases the forces and material of nature to his own ends and purposes The difference bes~een him and the lower animals in this power is only one os grade, every living animal down to the loSess lays hold Of and uses something of satures na.erial and forces Supernaturalisn IS not noe-uaiurai but is natural so all living being,
 Tall living beings have a measure of supernatural poser by which they manip-