Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-04-28
eI.DsyoyE am IygERsOLL.

ment drawn by Robert q. Ingersoil against
the Bible and the Christian religion. "a
d, not remember" says the great Englisl
statesman and scholar, ''ever to have reac
a composition in which the merely local
coloring of particular. and even very linn
tied, sections of Christianity was more sys
tematically used as IL it had been available
and legitimate argument against the whole
than in the reply before us. Col. Ingersoll
writes with rare and enviable brilliancy,
but also with an impetus which he seems
unable to control. Denunciaii0n. sarcas IN
and invectives may be said to constitute
the staple of his work; and, If argument OF
some favorable admission here and there
peeps out for moment, the writer soon
leaves the dry and barren heights for his
fsvorite and more luxurious galloping
grounds beneath. The paper,
noteworthy, as 1t is, leaves on my mind
the impression of battlefield where every
man strikes at every man, and all is noise,
hurry and confusion"
That is certainly judicial statement OF
Colonel Ingersolrs style of argument.
The greatest man Of his time continues:
Not only Is the name of Jehovah en-
circled in the heart Of every believer with
the profoundest reverence. but the Chris.
tlan religion teaches, through the incarna-
tion, doctrine of personal union with
God so lofty that it can only be approached
in deep reverential calm. do not deny
that person who deems given religion
to be wicked may be led onward by logical
consistency to impugn in strong terms the
character of the author and object OF that
religion. But he is surely bound by the
laws Of social morality and decency to con.
slider well the terms and manner Of his In.
ointment"
OfCol. Ingersoll's attemptto ridicule Gods
command to Abraham to sacrifice Ishac, Mr..
Gladstone replies with this grand generaliza-
ton: And further, il the few struggling rayi
ofour knowledge in case of this kind rather
exhibit darkness lying around us than
dispel il, We do not know all that was in
the mind Of Abraham, ana are not in con-
dtion to pronounce upon ii, and cannet
without departure from sound reason,
abandon that anchorage by which he proba-
bly, held, that the law of nature, though
the means of the reconciliation between the
law and the appearances have not been
fully placed within our reach"
Col. Ingersoll asserts that the system OF
Darwin is fatal to the claims of the Bible
and the authority of Christianity, but Mr..
Gladstone differs from him, at the same
time showing himself to be a true and rea-
sonable believer in evolution. ut is not "
says Mr.. Gladstone, possible to discover,
from the random language of the reply,
whether the scheme of Darwin Is to sweep
away all theism, or is to be content with
extiDguishing revealed religion. II the
latter is meant should reply that the
moral history of man, in its principal
stream, has been distinctly an evolution
from the first until now, and that the sue
cinct though grand account of the creation
in Genesis is singulsrly accordant with the
same idea, but Is wider than Darwlnism,
since it includes in the grand progression
the inanimate world as well as the history
of organisms. But, as this could not be
shown without much detail. the reply re-
duces me to the necessity of following its
own Unsatisfactory example In the bald
form Of an assertion, that there is no color
able ground for assuming evolution and
revelation to be at variance with one an
other"
Mr.. Gladstone is broad and generous In
his treatment of Colonel Ingersolps claim
that Buddha was the greatest Of religious
teachers, rsmsrking that of it he should
only say ''that an attempt to bring Buddha
and Buddhism into line together Is far be-
yond my reach, but that every Christian.
knowing in some degree what Christ Is, and
what He has done for the world. can only
b, the more thankful if Buddha, or Con-
fucius, or any other teacher, has In any
point and in any measure. como near to
the outskirts Of His ineffable greatness and
glory"
No doubt this paper Of Mr.. Gladstone's
will be brought out, in separate form, for
general distribution. There will certainly
be demand for it.