The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-03-22
CHAPTER XIV.

O1&AI 4 En- <AAANs
lone day asked one of the cleverest ladies
of New York whether sho had met Col. In
gersoll.
s'No," she answered, 81 never met him and
do not wish to mako his acquaintance"
'May ask whyY' said.
She replied: "Simply because am told
that it is impossible to know him without adj
miring and loving him."
ssWell?n
swell, don't want to admire or love
him"
/ had tho honor of making bis acquaint-
ance, and, like all those who havo approached
and known him, soon admired him.
He is one of the greatest figures of his
great country. In book on contemporary
America ono must needs speak of this cello
brated advocate. He is q personality apart.
He has little in common with tho rest of his
countrymen but the tito of colonel.
Once moro say it: in this book Of jottings
do not sit in Judgment. merely describe
impressions 1t is not necessary to indorse
mans theories in order to enjoy his society,
and this is especially true in the case Of Col.
Ingersol, who is many sided in his powers,
and who charms theologians and agnostics
alike when the subject VI religion is not to
tho fore.
Col Robert Ingersou is O man Of about GO,
six feet high and strongly built, q colossus
physically and intellectually. The eyes
sparkle with wit and beam with the enjoy
meat of life; the mouth is humorous and
smiling; tho head large and well planted on
broad shoulders; the face shaven, the brain
bristling with humanitarian thoughts; man
with the heart of lion to fight the battles Of
life, but tho heart Of a woman in presence Of
human suffering.
He has substituted for tho love Of religion
the religion of love and of tho family. Ac-
cording to him religion should have but one
aim-to teach us how to be happy in this life.
He repeats with Christ: Glove one another;
do rot to others what you would not have
others do to you" And he adds: "a God
that is 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: 1--WE do
not know; we cannot tell whether death is a
door or wall, a spreading of pinions to soar or
the folding of wings forever" In the eyes of
most pious people, his theories are abonina-
BILE, and he is the Antichrist; 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 if you will-that is, if you can
imagine such O parsonage endowed with
every moral and intellectual faculty.
In his presence men feel themselves small,
and women put their hands over their eyes,
being careful to keep the fingers well apart.
A decidedly dangerous Antichrist, this.
Mr.. Ingersolls religion is the religion of
humanity. He says: Happiness is the only
good, the time to be happy is now, and the
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 to man. Ask pardon of the man
and make reparation to him for your offense.
~ rob Smith," exclaims Mr.. Ingersoll in
the ironical language he is such a master Of
''God forgives me. How does that help
Smith?n
He maintains that the Christian religion
teaches less the love of an infinitely just and
merciful God than the fear of demon thirst
ing for human victims. This charge is borne
out by proverb used by the Scot, who is a
student of human nature:
"If tho dell were deed, God wad ma be
served SO weel."
~ L..
had hands given him to feel, eyes to see, ears
to hear, he has also brain to think, a heart
to love and intelligence to reason with.
He does not attack SO much the Catholic
religion, which rests on faith, for religion
which rests purely on faith is not matter
for reasoning and argument. But he rather
attacks Professionalism which prides itself
upon resting on reason as well as on faith
The theories of Col Ingersoll are 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.
Professionalism is mixture of faith and
reason, agreeing pretty badly together, it
must be confessed. The Protestant takes the
Bible for book every word of which is in
spired of God. He interprets it in his own
fashion, and proves out of it every doctrine
he requires to found new sect. The very
drunkard is not at loss to find an excuse for
his drinking, and turning to Isaiah Qxv, 49,
comforts himself with: "Behold, my servant
shall drink.
As he looks on at the Protestants squab-
bling over the Specification of biblical pas
sages, the colonel laughingly says: at is to
be regretted that your deity did not express
himself more clearly"
q Needless to say that he looks upon the
Bible not as an inspired book, but as collcc-
ton Of literaturcs something akin to the
Arabian Nights" and this is what makes
discussion with him difficult, IF not out of
question. How is it possible to imagine
discussion between faith and reasona
George SAID said that the fanatic loved
God to the exclusion of man. The theories
Of Col Ingersolh lofty and noble as most OF