Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-02-09

lone day aahsd ono oe ths cleveress iadSes
of Now Yvfk whether no had met Col In
+gsrsnlL
"Nc," !" no answered, II never met him and
Do not wish 10 make his acquaintance"
NAY alk whyr aid
Shs replied: "Simply because am told
that q b impossible to know him without 3D.
mirins and loving him.
"Wellr
"wcll, don't want to admire or love
him"
! bad tho honor Of making his acquaint-
ance, and, fko all those who havc approached
and known him, soon admired him.
10 u one Of tho greatest figures Of his
great country. In book on contemporary
America ono must needs speak Of this ccle-
brated advocate. He Is personality apart.
He has little In common with the rest Of his
countrymcn but tho title Of colonel.
Onco moro say Il: In this book Of jottinss
do not sit In Judgment merely describe
impressions II e not necessary to indorso q
mans theories In order to enjoy his society,
and this Is especially true In the case Of Col.
Ingcrsoll, who is many sided in his powera
and who charms theologans and agnostics
alike whsn tho subject II religion Is not to
tho fore
Col Robert Ingersoll Is q man Of about 90,
dx feet high and strongly built, colossus
physically and intellectually. Ths eyes
sparkle with wit and beam with tho enjoy
ment OF lifo; tho mouth Is humorous and
smiling; tho head largo and well planted on
broad shoulders; the face shaven, the brain
bristlins with humanitarian thoughts; man
with the heart Of o lion to fight tho battles Of
life, but the heart Of O woman in presence OF
human suffering.
He has substituted for tho love Of religion
tho religion Of love and Of tho family. Ac-
cording to him religion should have but one
a,m---to teach US how to be happy in this life.
He repeats with Christ: "Loyo ono another:
10 not to others what you would not have
others do to you" And he adds: "a God
that IL represented as weaving webs to catch
the souls Of men whom he has created is not
adorable" As to future life, the colonel
does not commit himself. He says: I'VE do
not know; we cannot tell whether death is a
door or a wall, a spreading of pinions to soar or
the folding of wings forever" In the eyes OF
ble and he Is the Antic hrist; but the Ameri-
cans are unanimous in admitting his extra
ordinary talents, and among the dear friends
Of the colonel and his family are many Pres
byterians, some Of them ministers.
Antichrist II you will-that Is, II you can
imagine such parsonage endowed with
every moral and intellectual faculty.
In his presence men feel themselves small,
and women put tLeir hands over their eyes,
being careful to keep tho fingers well apart.
A decidedly dangerous Antichrist, this.
Mr.. Ingersoll's religion is tho religion of
humanity. He says: Happiness Is tho only
way to be happy Is to make others So" Live
to do good, to love and be beloved by those
around, and then lie down and sleep with the
consciousness Of having done your duty to
men. Do not ask pardon Of God for an in
jury done tn man. Ask pardon Of the man
and make reparation to him for your offense.
II rob Smith," cxclaims Mr.. Ingersoll in
the ironical language he Is such master Of;
''God forgives me. How does that help
Smith,"
He maintains that the Christian religion
merciful God than tho fear of a.demon thirst
ing for human victims This charge is borne
out by proverb used by tho Scot, who is
student of human nature:
IF the dell were deed, God wad ma be
served so weel."
The colonel maintains that IL man has
had hands given him to feel, eyes to see, ears
to hear, he has also brain to think, heart
to love and intelligence TO reason with.
He does not attack so much tho Catholic
religion, which rests on faith, for a religion
which rests purely on faith is not a matter
for reasoning and argument But he rather
attacks Protestantism which prides itself
upon resting on reason as well as on faith.
Tho theories Of Col Ingersoll arc the ma.
tural outcome of the introduction Of reason
ing into religious matters.
Things which are. felt only cannot be dis
cussed; things which are incomprehensible
are not matter for explanation.
Protestantism Is o mixture Of faith and
reason, agreeing pretty badly together, IL
must DO confessed. Tho Protestant takes the
Bible for a book every word Of which Is in
spired Of God. Ho interprets it in his own
he requires to found new sect. The very
dYunkard is not at q loss to find an excuse for
his drinking, and turning to Isaiah lIv, 49,
comforts himself with: "Behold, my servant
shall drink"
As he looks on at the Protcstants squab-
bling over tho sgni6cation Of biblical pas
sages, tho colonel laughingly says: "It Is to
beregretted that your deity did not express
himself more clearly"
ENeedless to say that he looks upon the
Bible not as an inspired book, but as a collec-
tion Of lteratures something akin to the
Arabian Nights" and this Is what makes
discussion with him difficult, II not out Of
question. How is it possible to imagine
discussion between faith and reasoni
George Sand said that the fanatic loved
God to tho exclusion Of man. The theories
of Col Ingersoll, lofty and noblo as most Of
them are, verge upon faraticisn in the sense
that they teach the love Of mankind to the
exclusion Of Him who so loved man. The
colonel robs the poor and sorrowing Of that
which helps them to endure their ills, a belief
in better world to come
Son Of a Protestant minister, Robert Inger-
SUI carly s-io"eu si'Scidi uptiiuue ioT tno us
cussion of theological questions. BY the age
10, he had thoroughly studied the Old Testa-
ment, and would reason upon it like q doctor
ofdivinity. Tho father in vain drew Roberts
attention to tho beauties of the Bible; the
son could see little in II but absurdities and
inconsistencies The old minister was heard
to say: ut grieves me to hear my Robbie
talk so, but declare he is too much for me;
cannot answer him."
Who can answer Ingersolli is question
often asked Apparently not tho ministers
L..