The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-06-24

ming of the soul. The foundation OF
wit is logic, and it has always been the
enemy of the supernatural, the solemn
| and absurd. a nation IS judged
by its laws-by the punishment it in
hicts. The nation that Furnishes or
binary offences with death is regarded
as barbarious, and the nation that tor
lures before it kills is denounced as saw
age. What can you say of the govern
ment of Jehovah, in which death was
| the penalty for hundreds OF otfenses 3
death for the expression of an honest
thought-desth for making hair oll-tor
eating shew bread-for initiating in
cense and perfumery? There Is
another test, How does man treat
the animals in mis- power-his
bis loving dog2 How did Jehovah
treat the animals in Egypt Would a
loving God, with fierce hail from
heaven, brui.e aud kill the Innocent
cattle for the crimes of their owners?
Would he torment, torture and destroy
them for the sins of men? You
admit that "great believers are not able
to explain the inequalities of adjust
ment between human beings and the
conditions in which they have been
set down to work out their destiny.
How do you know that they have
been set down to work out their des-
tiny? If that was, and is, the pur-
pose, then the being who settled the
destiny" and the means by which it
was to be worked out, is re-
sponsible for all that happens.
And is this the end of your argument,
THAT you are not able to explain the
inequalities of djustment between
human beings? Is the solution of this
problem beyond your power? Does the
Bible shed no light? Is the Christian in
the presence of this question as dumb
as the agnostic? When the injustice of
this world is so fragrant that you can
not harmonic that awful fact with the
wisdom and goodness of an infinite
God, do you not see that you have sur
rendered, or at least that you have
raised a flag of truce beneath which
your adversary accepts as final your
statement that you do not know and
that your imagination is not sufficientto
frame an excuse for God? Creeds
can not remain permanent IN a worldin
which knowledge increases. Science
and superstition cannot peaceably &C
cupy the same brain. This is an age
of investigation, of discovery and
thought. Science destroys the dogmas
that mislead the mind and waste the
energies Of man. 1t points out the
ends that can be accomplished; takes
into consideration the limits of our
faculties; fixes our attention on the
affairs of this world, and erects bescons
of warning on the dangerous shores,
= Science is tbs enemy of fear and
credulity. 1t invites investigation,
hoI otir, 1of IN
quiry, and welcomes the unbeliever,
1t seeks to give food and shelter, and
raiment, education, and liberty to
the human race. 1t welcomes every
fact and every truth. 1t has fur
philosophy for the guidance of man.
From all books it selects the good, and
from all theories, the true. 1t seeks to
ton Of the intellect and heart. 1t re
drema-giviDg voice and expression to
every NOBLE thought. The mysterious
does not excite the feeling of worship,
but the ambition to understand.
And, above all, it teaches that all our
duties are here-that all our obligations
are to sentient beings; that intelligence,
guided by kindness, is the highest pos
sible wisdom; and that man believes
not what he would, but what he CAM
Robert G. IngerS0IL IN The North amer
tcGn RsUieo1 for June.
IS DEATH ALL?
There come up in connection with
Colonel IngersolPs eulogy delivered
upon the life and character of
Roscoe Conkling some serious
thoughts. He is described by the
orator as being brave, true, clean,
in his friendships, and IN
alterable in his love. The country knew
that long ago. Take this great Ameri
can as he is put upon Ingersoll'S can
vas. Look at his face, his eyes, his
pose, his stature, and his whole COM
handing preSence in every feature and
aspect. Is no soul there? If there is
soul, who gave itP Into whose hands
does it return? Is it humiliation! It
is against reason, common eense, re-
vealed religion, the Bible, the agony in
the garden, the torture on the cross.
1t is also against human nature. Man,
in any state, is supremely selfish. He
wants hereafter. He wants another |
world when be gets old, place to lie |
down, to sleep, perhaps to dream. Lies |
battle may have borne against him |
heavily. Bosoms-despite all love, and |
courage, and watchfulness-have been |
stricken at his side. He knows where |
his graves are. The dew falls upon
them like a benediction. The birds |
sing above them as they do when they
find sweet seed in the summer grasses.
He is worn now, and feeble and far
spent. He dies, and Ingersoll says
that death is the last of him. He turns
to a leaf, sprout, shrub, perhaps a |
four-leaf clover, perhaps head of tim
othy, it may be one thing or il may be
another, but whatever it is, the end is
utter OBLIVION. 1t is against every sell
fish instinct of man that such fate is
desirable. In his inner being there is a
constant revolt aga ust such abominable /
organism. Indeed, it is worse than
oaeanism. Paganism did have
is alters, its shrines, its
sacred groves, its temples. its vestal
virgins, its priests, its augurs, its elysian
ields, its gods, its goddesses, its spirits
If good and of evil, but it never had
extinction. That has remained for the
superior development of the nineteenth
,entury-steam everywhere; electricity
oceans speaking to the
and through great coils of wires that
,vpn teach the fiSheG q sneech apd