The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-15

liver his infidel lecture on Socialism" ,"
and went home, sat down and wrote these
words Jesus Christ is one OF the weak.
est characters in history, and the Bible is
tho greatest possible deception and then
| shot himself. David Hume wrote theso
words: at would be no crime for mo 10
divert the Nile or the Danube from its
natural bed. Whore, then, can be the
crime in my divcrting a few drops of
blood from their ordinary channel2" And
having written the essay he loaned il 10 n
friend, the friend read Il, wrote q letter of
thanks and admiration, and shot himself.
Appendix TO the same book.
Rousseau, Noltairc, Gibbon, Montaigne.
under certain circumstances were apo.
logetic for soli-immolation. lntidelity
puts up no bar TO peoples rushing out
from this world into tho next. They
teach us II does not make any difference
how You live here or go out OF this world,
YOU will land either IN an obllyious no.
where or glorious somewhere. And in-
fidelity holds the upper oud Of the rupc
Tor the suicide, and aims the pistol with
which u man blows his brains out. and
mixes the strychninc ior the last swallow.
II inidelity could carry the day and per.
suade the majority Of people in this coun.
try that II does not make any difference
how you 80 out OF the world YOU will land
safely, the Hudson and East rivers would
bc 80 full OF corpScs the fcrry-boats would
be lmpoded IN their progress, and the
crack OF suicides pistol would be no
moro alarming than tho rumble OF the
street car.
have sometimes heard Il discussed
whether the great dramatist was u Chris.
tian or not do not know, but know
that he considered appreciation Of q future
existence tho mightiest hinduncc 10 self
destruction:
"for who could hear the whips and scorns oi time.
The oppr~sors wtnug. the priud mans ,untumcly
lhc pnngs oi dcspisd love, the Laws delay,
Ihc insolcncc oi ongc, and the spurns
That patient mctit ut the unworthy takes
When lac himself might his uuictus make
With bare bulkin1 Who would hrlrls bear
10 gtuntand sweat under weary lie,
hnt that the dpnd ui something aftrf death
The undiscovered country ium whose bourne
No tmNolct returns puzzles the wlllf'
Would 10 God that the coruucrs would
be brave in rendering the right verdict,
aud when IN case OF irrcsponsibility they
say; while this man was dcmcntCd lac
took his liic,' In the other case say.
"lluying read iniidcl books and attended
iniidel lectures, which obiicratcd from
this mans mind all appreciation Of any
thing like future rctribution, lac committed
self-slaughtcr."
All. inddclity, stand up and take thy
sentence. In the presence Of God and an-
gels aud men stand up, thou monster, thy
lp blasted with bmsphcmv, thy check
SCARED with lust, thy breath foul With the
corruption Of the ages, stand up, atyr,
latsH8F.I 4
the centuries; stand up, thou monster in
fidelity pant man, part panther, part rep
tile part dragon stand up aud take thy
SENTENCED Thy hands red with the blood
In which thou hast washed. thy lcut Grim.
son with thc human gore through
which thou hast Wadcd, stand ~
and take thy sentenced Down With
thee ~ the pit and sup on u,c
sohs aud sroana Of families thou
hast blasted, and roll on tho bed oi knives
which thou hast sharpcncd for Others, aud
let thy music bc the everlasting miscrcrc
of those whom thou hast damned. brand
the forehead Of inGdrity with nll the
crimes oi self immolation ior the last con
tury on the part vi those who had their
reason.
Nv friends II ever Your lie through o.
abusipns aud al its molcstation- should
seem a. be- unbcarablr, aud YOU are
tempted to quit it hy your own bchcst, do
not consider yourself as worse than others.
Christ himself WIS tempted Ia east himself
from the roof Ul the temple, but ~ lac ~.
sisted -p rcsist yo. Christ came to modi-
elmo ull our wounds. In your trouble
prescribe lie instead OF death. People
who have had " worse than YOU will ever
have IL have gone songiul uu the way. Re-.
member that God Keeps the chronology ui
yuur life With NJ much precision m ho
keeps the chronology ui nations, your
death ~ well ~ your cradle.
Why was Il that at midnight Just nt
the destroying angel struck the
blow that YET the lsrBplitrs free from bond.
ngc7 The i3O ycnB were up nt ~ o'ClurA
that night The go ycnn were not up at
I O'Clock, mud O'Clock would have hcru
tufly and ton late. The lu years we're up
a ~ O'Clock. aud the destroying angel
struck tbr blow, mud Israel Wus Tree. Aud
God knows Just the hour when % b. timr
tu lead you ~ from earthly hond1.e
lIy his gnrc make not the worst ~
thur-. bat thr best ui them. u you must
take the pills, DO not elbow thrm. Your
rewards will 1rruri with your
earthly pDrufhaiiuns, just nH tuius uyu
90 Agupp1H chain oi gold ns heavy ns hnI
hr,u chain ul iron. lur the asking
and ! ip not know 10 whom ! speak iu
this august naoWh1ro hui the word may
hu especially appropriate Tor your asking
YOU may hutr ihH .iur grace that was
given a. lhr Italian mIlry. AIecrus, Who.
down iu lhr darkest oi dungeons, d1IvI
bis letter irrm "thr dvlcClHblc orchard of
the l,uuinr pri on"
Aud remember thni ihiaLrioi iilr II ouu
ls surrounded by a rim, Ncy thin, hul
very important rm, and close up 10 tbHt
um is % yult eternity uui YOU bad hpitrr
keep uut Dl it until God breaks thut rim
and separates this from tiui 10 gut ud
uf thy furUNH ol earth, DO not rush into
greater souoWH 10 g,i ui ui aHN1fu ui
summer insects leap not INFO 70 jungle pi
IruHl iivw
lurrp Do n snrrovlDa world. and it .H sD
uiIuut ihui thr uuuuIny suu Is only iIu
lowest doorstep. and tlu aurora iIHI lights
up oar uUuhpm heavens. cluiUuuIuF
tUunlurrs ls tu What be can bu, is tho way.
Iug of tnu banners oi fhu procession cYmp
a. tr.o tlp ruuvurruH home from church
militant 90 church triumphant, uul you
aud have tpu thousand reasons ilr Wuut-
Ius iU goo there. bat We will never gut there
either ug Holi.immu.uIiuu or imuruilpupy.
AIl Uur sins slain by the Chris, who ctmy
Iu DO tbui thing. We want to gU in ut just
tho time diNlnCly arranged. and irUm 70
couch dI,inply spread. and then ihp ,.tug
Ui The supuchIil gates behind us will he
ugcfpOWrfrl by the claug ui tho opening
OF ihr solid pearl before ua o, Cod,
whatever others may ChoIsp, give my
4 I....f..H.H. ]. l|I.s..F..a.HH a.
Christians burial, q Christians immortal