The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-06-21
CAN GOULD GO TO HEAVEN.
Questions Discussed in Wall Street-What
Ingersoll Says.

L
illness of Jay Gould has been the
weeks topic for gossip in Wall street.
4 story told there with much positive
ness was that Jay Gould had not only
made special study of the Biblical
parable of the camel and the needles
eye, but had consulted with his pastor,
the Rev. John r. Paxton, on the sub
ject OF rich mans chance Of getting
into the Kingdom of Heaven. 1t was
told with a circumstantiality that
caused general belief that Mr.. Paxton
had, in consequence Of Goulds anxiety,
preached q sermon setting forth that
the Bible teaching was not that 4
Crosus was inadmissible to Paradise.
OF course, such atalc faded slowly out
when investigated with view TO writ
ing it truthfully. a visit to Dr. Paxton,
in whose 42d street PresbyterianChurch
the Gould family occupy pew, yield
ed prompt denial of the whole story.
ut is true that Mr.. Gould and have
had many casual social meetings, "said
Mr.. Paxton, land our conversation has
been to some extent on religious sub
jects, but surely he never consulted me
as to his wealth shutting him out Of
Heaven. That is preposterous."
"Is Mr.. Gould a Christian::"
"It is not for me to either form or cX-
press a definite opinion as tosany indi-
vidual's Christianity. Mr.. Gould is
not member of any church, and there
fore is not an avowed Christian. He is
a quiet, reticent gentleman, who would
be apt to keep his religious experiences
largely to himself, in any event. His
wife is a Presbyterian and a good one,
contributing Of her money and time
freely to the church and philanthropic
objects"
The sermon preached by DR.. Paxton
was general in its nature, and in doc
trine was that rich man could get into
Heaven as easily as a poor man if he
used his riches properly. But Gould
was listener to this discourse, which
did not seem to apply more particularly
to his case than to that of Russell Sage,
J. D. Rockefeller, the Standard Oil
chief, or to any other of the score Of
very wealthy men in the congregation.
Col. Robert G. Ingersoll said: ".!ay
Gould could no more go to Heaven, if
the Bible be true, than could the devil
himself, and he knows it. Moreover,
Jay Gould never talked with Paxton,
or anybody else, on the subject, except
by way Of diversion, because he is a
total unbeliever in orthodox Chris
tianity. I know this for a positive fact,
because I have more than once had
conversation with him on the subject.
Naturally, as I am q conspicuous
pagan, people are quick to speak to me
on religious subjects. Sometimes they
tacitly assent to my unbelief without
really agreeing with me, and sometimes
they assail me fercely; but Mr.. Gould
is what I call reasonable unbeliever.
Just as there are millions Of profcssed
Christians who have no absolute views
of their own, and do not know why
they are Christians at all, so there are
unbelievers who have not brought
themselves to that profession by any
course of reasoning. But Mr.. Gould is
a calm, deliberate agnostic-that is to
say, man who has thought the whole
thing over, and has come to the conclu-
sion that he knows as much as any
body else about future state, and that
is just nothing at all. Mr.. Gould is a
student. He devotcs more time tha'!
people imagine to reading, and that on
subjects entirely disconnected with
finance Christianity received for many
years his careful, searching attention,
and the result of it all is that he stands
to-day an agnostic."