Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1888-05-05
A REPLY TO INGERSOLL.
MR.. GLADSTONE REPLIES TO
THE MODERN PAGAN.


THE MODERN PAGAN.
A Severe Criticism Of the Atheist's Flipan.
81 Regarding Things Sacred 70 Christ-
ians - Religious Investigation y
Duty-Resuit Of Ingcrsoii's Logic.
In the North american Reriew for May
the Right Hon. W. +. Gladstone rises to
confront Colonel Robert q. Ingcrsoll, or
rather the heterod0x beliefs. The ex-
Premier describes himselfas listening from
across the broad Atlantic to the clash Of
arms and the combat between Colonel In.
gersoll and DR. Field. lie pleads guilty to
not having 1.-THE personal knowledge which
assisted those doughty champions In max
ing reciprocal acknowledgement, as broad
as could be desired with reference to per.
sonal character and motiye. Such &C.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS are in high value IN keep
Ing the issue clear, if not always Of adven-
titious. yet Of all venomous matter. Des.
titute Of the experience on which to found
them as original testimonies, still In at.
tempting partially TO criticise the remark.
able reply OF Colonel Ingersoll, can both
accept In good faith what has been said
by DIR. Field. and add what Il seems to me
c0nsonant with the strain OF the pages I
have set before me. Having said this, I
shall allow myself the utmost freedom in
remarks. which will be addressed exclu.
sive to the matter not the man."
Believers in the perpetuity Of the life Of
the church. adds Mr.. Gladstone, are not
tied to believing In the perpetual health
Of the church. Even the great Latin com.
munion and that communion, even since
the council Of the Vatican In 1870. theore.
.cany numIts, OF uoes NOT eAciuue' Tue
pos:'TI.y oi wIue range ., local anu
,".ua, eIIo, IN opln.'on ~ wei, ~ cohouc..
L'scMneIe ,"c W.nIssloh wouiu NC moIe
.a"eIuVocai. ~. sucn cIIo1s ~ tehe', OF
,emI,eI anu ,ech.g ",o'coI less h"tush'
gu Ih,o .enet, the,e mas oeeh crop a.ke
a sa' anu . .,u. EacI NhIist-
~. an P"I? - s.ncey w. W IIUgn.e
,n's 'ac. WIN IegaIutoe'ery otne. Oh.ist-
.an party ; anu Tue more ihpar'tai ana re-
necuve m'nus are aware tnst NO party Is
eAemP. Ioih mlscnIe'sl wnch ne NJ tue
~. W VIZ uu'I'"'' ecns'isu''"h in ns warp
~, '"rs ,' aI'u u,s"1"s com''''u".
Na.uy c"ousn' .hesc uc'oImities help
W I'u.sp"sc micn c""" uhueme'' anu
wnen TINS ihu'spos"Ioh ms oech geVciop..
gu mo system 1 negative warfare, aii
'ne Inu.: VI Mi ,ne chnsuah oodies anu
SUBDIVISIONS oi nouies' are: rs u was nat
u'a' 20 eApec. 'ney woum NC. caIeiuIiy
Iaseu ~gctheI anu uecome par anu par
ee VI, y. ."e 'n ,. "s"'"S' Tue "'''"c
se"c"'c VI 'e"e"'p''oh.
HOSTILITY TO RELIGION.
notice these things In the mass. with.
out particularity which might he i'm yidious
for Two important purposes. First. that
we all, who hold by the GOSPEL and the
Christian Church. NAV learn humility and
modcsty. as well MS charity and indulgence.
in the treatment of opponents. from our
consciousness that we all. alike by our ex.
aggeraiions and our shortcoming in belief.
no less than by faults of conduct. have
contributed 10 bring about this condition
Of fashionable hostility 10 religious faith ):
and. secondly, tia. We may rcsolutely de.
cline to be held bound to tcncts. or 10
consequences Of tene,s. which represent
not the great Chr,s,cndom of the past and
present, hut only some hole and corner of
lis vast organization. and not the heaven.
~ treasure, but the rust or the cankcr 10
which that treasure has been exposed
through the incidents Of its custody In
earthen vessels.
| do no, remember ever To have read n
composition in which the merely local
coloriny of particular. and even very Iimi.
ted, sections of Christianity was more sys.
tc,.c.ticallv used MS IL il had been available
and legitimate argument against the whole
! than in the reply before US. Colonel In.
gersoll writes with rare and enyiablc bril-.
| liancy, but also with an impetus which he
seems unable 10 control. Dcnuncia,ion.
sarcasm and inveciiycs. NAV be said TO
constitute the staple of his work; and. If
argument or some favorable admission
here and there peeps out for a moment.
the writer soon leaves the dry and barren
heights for his fayoriie and more ,uxuri.
Gus galloping grounds beneath. =
The paper. noteworthy rs IL is. leaves on
my mind the impression of "A battlefield
where every man strikes ut every man.
and all his noise, hurry and confusion.
! bctter, surely, hau II beer, AMI wor;hier
snhisc, If The c"n,rovcrsv haJ n".n ws ~.
I'll ,,f,.r lbs na,,ern ~ ,hosc orr. ,,.,,,.nss
wha,o n ci,os.n ch.r,,,;"r ~, ILL.,. III.
in a snace limited and rss.rv.j J"os h.,'
II. on ,.h,If 81 .scI, s;ien, anJ asno.,a,,
hos, The nrom;scuoms crowJs ,er,esan,
nIl III. ,ow.r elements which on,p. ;.,.,
human coni,icis The chosen cham,;"ns
AM, ,h. order III ,h.;r nrnc..j;n~ Limit.
ha. nf a sta
;ns, 49,. 49, ,i,a .n,.r.;.,n a.,.,,a. - -.
rr.ai ""ss,ions ,,,,, ;nyn,v. H.. main ., .n.
inv IN man. / will civ. another ;n.,.nc..
of In. ,nmml,nons me,hoJ 4" which ,h..
rsniv conJmc,s M, ;nJ.s,, Ia "r,,,,,,.''
I'M, h ease Dr Field had .yh;h;,"J M
sSan,,Ic ~ wh., l.. ,hom,S,, s,,rars,;,,am '
and 'aJ dr,,xn .I;s,;nc,;on ,,o,,,.an.'
S"r.r.,;,;o" md r.I;,;"n H., "a IT, a,
III, ~ ~. ,."iy ali r.,;,;an ! :" s, -. ~"
,;"n .nJ .c.ar,;",,,. H.. .;,. '"pe' -,
i"ws ' wv 80 'o''
"vo, nv. shocL.d n, III. Ir;,J,.,,.
whan sLc n,yas her cI,;,J 10 LII, y, 81. =
smnnas"J ,.or,nand 80 h.r',, WI, ". ~,
van ,h;nt or Ahrshams ~ I.rh,ha '' 10
yVhs, !. yo,,r on;n;"" ~ tohdwai, H.,
ss,Ss" fo" '"" "'"''
SEVERE REJoiNDER'
Taking these three anne ais In the re-.