St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-08
ING RRs0LL, uISr iKEs.

Mr.. INGERsoLL often oversteps the lines Of
truth and soberncss In bis attacks upon
Christianity. His quiet, whitening sarcasm
falls powerless when he gets beyond the
bounds Of truth that every man knows to
be true. There are exceptional ministers
who use their pulpits in such way as to give
plaushility to the truthfulness OF IngcrsoIl's
ridicule. Occasionally we find a comic
preacher whose POPULARITY In the pulpit Is
calculated to bring his office into disrepute.
1t is too much the custom with some OF our
popular preachers to diversity the lamenta-
tons of JEREMIAH with the jokes of joe Mil
LEi, and the more serious his subject the
more jocular he becomes. II may be that
INGERsoLL has drawn lesson from these
clerical humorisls and it has occurred to him
that bis native wit was equal to that OF the
average pulpit joker, aud that free and easy
style Of popularity applied to the Christian
faith might be made to pIy better from the
molth Of lawyer In theater, than from
that of preacher in the pulpit. His great
expectations have been realized, and what
ever injuries Christianity may have inflicted
upon his sensitive nature, he owes some
gratitude to /; for putting money in his purse.
Yet, when Mr.. INGERSOLL says that re-
ligious belief has never had the effect
toward making people good. and
that the Christian church has been
a useless pauDcr on the world, be
simply brings himself into ridicule instead Of
throwing contempt upon the subject OF his
assault Such talk is sheer nonsense. and
the wonder is that man with tn, powerful
aud original brain that INGERsOLL possesses
should get so far astray. Benefcence Is the
most powerful feature OF Christian teaching,
and, therefore, the probability is that
Christian will be quite as willing to assist
fellow creature in distress as one who SAYS
with INGERsoIL, ~ dor't believe in return
ing good for evil, aud loving ones enemirs,
aud doing good TO those that prosecute us:
| want justice aud no more" The persecu-
tons and inhumanity which man has in
Aicted upon his fellow mau are the breach,
snd not the observance Of Christian precepts.
Mr.. ISeERsoLL tells us that ''no one In dis
trrss would go to Christian for help" Such
an utter~nee is tho nuusensical TO discuss.
Two iuldels OF far greater brains than Mr..
ISGERsoLL have credited Christianity with
some beneficial results. GIBBONS admits
that hospitals for the sick are one Of these,
aud FRANCIS WILLIAM NEWMAN says
that Christianity has upliftel woman
from being "a sensual tow aud vo-
lapiuous ap2endage'i to man into the very
equality which Mr.. ISeERsoLL SAYS It denies
TO her.
Mr.. ISGERsoLL imagines that he makes
strong point against Christianity by naming
few ilustrious men Of modern times, who
nave rejected religion. The CbristiIn church.
whether we cOutnc ourselves to the Roman
church with its hierIrchical spleudor OF in
Glide the humber churches Of the Refurma-
ton. can show men among its memhe who
stand in the first rauks Of science, phioIo-y.
archaeology aud that eager pursuit Of frrsn
discovery, which Mr. ISsERsoLL thinks the
highest aim Of man What about SHAKEsPEARE
MILroS, DASrE, ERAsNCs, NEWTON. LOCKS.
BUTLER, aud in cur own time MrvAsT. FARA-
DAY. SAccHI. or our own flusirious
JOsEPH HESRrl As 10 his argument that
English Jaws formerly put men to death for
all sosts Of crime against the common good,
When twenty Bishops sat in the House Of
Lorsls, and that, therefore. the eIrFxy vas re
spousihls for These laws. the reply might be
that because crime Is committed in the
oeighboraood Of schools aud colleges then.
sccoriin z to lNeExsoLL logic. education does
no gnoi.
Admitting al that eau be trathIully said
q priestiy corruption, against ii stand the
reeor;s % Sisters Of Mercy % the battle
Geld aud in the hospital; NJ missionaries who
have lahored aud died IN hr4taen lands; OF
pastors in oar own great Giles and those Of
Europc, in DAYS Of pes,Ilense ard danger.
have proved The sincerity u their faith By
uaselksa devotion To others Mr. ISsEEsoLL
eries cot AZ II Re lad made q new ana ~os-
derfsl discovery. .'Away with taeil0<y; lei
Us lei men that they must reap What they