Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-23

| llOdcSLf, UuI II ISL lHeOlOSH-
Pagan-A being of infinite wisdom ha
no right to create a person destined II
everlasting pain Reply to Black
Common Sense-Who determines thu
rights of the Infinite?
Pagan do
Common Sense-Aren't you trying tC
hang up the whole Christian world On th,
five points of Calvinism
Pagan-Perfection is the test of purity
Show me perfect book and | will decide
on its purity.
Common Sense-Then You are the fnal
Judge of perfection?
Pagan-Certainly Religion simply EN-.
braces the duty of man to man. Religion
is simply the science of human duty and
the duty ofman to man. That's what it is
Common Sense-Well, this may be the
ology, but it isn't common school educa-
tion. A man needn't go to the Bible to
find out the difference between morality
and religion. Webster's dictionary will
do for that. Do you hate one book as in
tensely as the other?
In the city of Chicago the Rev. DIR.
Thomas, after listening to good deal of
this sort of stuff from Mr.. Ingersoll, ac-
cused him of being insincere. This is
what Mr.. Ingersoll said in reply;
" 1t makes no difference to him whether
| am sincere or not. The question is, Can
he answer my arguments? Suppose that
you want to prove that the maker of the
multiplication table held mathematics in
contempt-what of it? Ten times ten
would still make hundred"
Common Sense-But so long as ten times
ten do make a hundred, you cannot prove
that the maker of the multiplication table
held mathematics in contempt. It's be-
cause your ten times ten only make ninety
five that we can prove anything against
you.
| Here is a sample OF your multiplication
table taken from your reply to Talmage:
There can be no evidence of the inspir-
alton of the Scriptures. How do / know
they were inspired? They never were"
Now this ten times ten doesn't even
make bakers dozen.
First-There can be no evidence that
Mr. Ingersoll wasn't hired by the Meth
odistS to make the worst possible argu-
ments for infdelity.
Second-How do know he wasn't?
Third-He was.
1t is not likely that Christianity will
\ ever Dt HuIll6Q 10 us UuOullldln ldSlHeSSeS
by any such syllogism as this.
| How do | know something about moth
ing l don't. Then | deny and repudiate
it.
1t is the attempt of man to measure
truth by his incapacity to comprehend it
Such a man believes conscientiously that
if he cannot see a truth it does not exist.
If he had not had his attention called
to the fact that two parallel lines never
meet they probably would.
| hate and despise such 4 God" is his
familiar declaration.
Common Sense after an examination
finds that such a God " is an impossible
postuate like the maker of the multiple
cation table, who held mathematics in con-
tempt "Such a God" emanated from
Mr.. Ingersolps own factory
And from that moment Common Senses
surprise at Mr.. IngersolPs hatred of him
is gone.
| find him saying: For me it is hard
to see the plan or design in earthquakes
and pestilence; it is difficult; to discover
the design or the benevolence in so max
ing a world that millions of animals live
only on the agony of others, and when
think of the cruelty and malice of the de-
sign cannot convince myself that it is
the result of infinite wisdom, benevolence
or justice. (Reply to Black, North Ameri-
can Recielc, November, 1881
BoB's CONCLUSION.
Obviously, Mr. Ingersoll has here I'M
Willingly plunged into the conclusion that
the universe was made by malignant but
intelligent monster-for he imputes malice
to the Maker, and he would hardly dc
that to mere matter. Of course the results
of his own argument are not seen by him
he is too eloquent to be correct.
Again in the same article he says: u
know as little as any one of the design OF
place of the universe. 1t will not do tC
say that it was designed and therefore had
a designer"
What Mr.. Ingersoll does not know is al
ways more interesting and generally more
reliable than what he does know. We
ha, e seen what he does not know. Now
+ here is what he does know:
1.-The universe, according to my idea, is
always was and forever will be- 1t IS the
one etern;l being, the only thing that evel
did, does or can exist"
Passing by the egregious impudence 0
calling this pautheism his idea, we try t.
gather up the strands of his philosophy
into one comprehensive whole only Il
find that we have got an eternal self-ex
istent, malignant universe. Here common
sense can at least formulate what Mr. In
gersoll does and does not know, and it al
ways gives its weight of sympathy to wha
he does not know.
, He does not know that the universe wa
designed or has q place
He does know that man is a designe
and makes plans, and be knows, for he ha
} repeatedly asserted that man is produc
of the universe.
Consequently it follows that Mr.. Inger
soil knows that man the effect or createc
, is greater than his creator or cause.
1t is very doubtful if he can see deduc
ton any quicker than he can see plan
but it is quite in order for him, when h
can find relief from Mr.. Gladstone, to in
: form the common sense of this communit,
: at what particular stage in the existence o
; painless and purposeless universe it be
gan to exhibit qualities that it did no
possess.
There is something almost pitiabIe il
the sapient sickness with which this rhet
orician tumbles into his own pitfalls Be
IpTS lHSSS NOIuo dIt Coltl III VIC HlOuiu W
find him saying:
My doctrine is that there is only on
way to be saved, and that is to act in har
mony with your surroundings-to live il
accordance with the facts of Your being
: Reply to Black, North american Rerie''
November, 1881, page 503.)
. The most rudimental reason is onl
| needed to remind him at once that his sur
E roundiugs are malignant, malicious, plan
e less, cruel, discordant. How is he going t
s accord with that which is discordant
r Why act in harmony with that in whicl
f one can not find wisdom, benevclence O
: Justice?
a The simple fact is, that the genial Pa
t gan has skipped friskily on this line c
: argument over the closed circuit of lii
: where Huxley pauses and biology stand
puzzled, and with grandiose authorit
o that has all the cogency of practices
T joke, pushed his standard of contradi,
tions iauntily in the domain of the III
e known.
II There is but one small recompense fc
K trying to follow him.
We get a tolerably clear idea of ju: