, 1889-02-16
CHAPTER XIV.

/ one day asked ono OF tho c~leverest ladies
of New York whether sho had met Col In
gerSol.
mo" sho answered, II mover met him and
do not wish to mako his acquaintance"
MAY l ask whyf' l said.
She replied: ''Simply because l am told
that it Is impossible to now him without I'D
miring and loving him"
"WcnP
"wel, l don't want to admire or love
him
l had tho honor of making his ~acquaint-
anoc, and, like all those who have approached
and known him, l soon admired him.
Hc Is ono of tho greatest figures of his
great country. In n book ON contemporary
America one must needs speak of this cele-
braied advocate, He is n personality apart
He has little in common with the rest of his
countrymcn but the tito of colonel.
Once moro | say it, In this book of jottings
| do not sit in Judgment. l merely describe
impressions II Is not necessary to indorse a
mans theories in order to enjoy his society,
and this is especially truo In tho case of Col
Ingersoll, who is many sided in his powers,
and who charms theologians and nguostics
alike when tho subject, N religion Is not TO
tho fore.
Col Robert lngersoll Is n man Of about co,
six feet high and strongly built, n colossus
physically and intellectually. The eyes
sparkle with wit and beam with tho enjoy
ment of life; the mouth Is humorous and
smiling; tho head large and well planted on
broad shoulders; tho face shaven, the brain
b~ristling with humanitarian thoughts; a man
with the heart of a lion to eight the battles of
life, but the heart of a woman in presence of
human suffering.
He has substituted for the love of religion
tho religion Of love and Of tho family. Ac-
cording TO him religion should nave but one
aim-to teach us how to DO happy in this life.
lie repeats with Christ: Love ono another;
do not 70 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 n future life, the colonel
docs not commit himself. He says: Two do
not know; we cannot tell whether death is a
door or a wall, n spreading of pinions to soar or
the folding OF wings forever" In the eyes of
most pious people, his theories arc abomina-
bio, and he Is the Antichrist; but the Ameri-
cans arc unanimous In admitting his extra
ordinary talents, and among the dear friends
of tho colonel and his family arc many Pres
byterians, some of them ministers.
Antichrist II you will-that is, II you can
imagine such n parsonage endowed with
every moral and intellectual faculty.
In his presence men feel themselves small,
ana women put their hands over their eyes,
being careful to keep the fingers well apart
a lp~i1aIIy 1anparnn1 A ptf,brfgt th;,
Mr.. IngersolIs religion is the religion Of
humanity. He says: Happiness is the only
good, the time to be happy is now, and the
way to DO 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 mako roparation to him for your offensa.
81 rob Smith," exclaims Mr.. Ingersoll in
tho ironical language he is such a master Of;
God forgives mo. How does that help
SmithF'
He maintains that the Christian religion
teaches less the love of IN infinitely just and
morciful God than the fear of a,demon thirst
ing for human victims. This charge Is borne
out by a proverb used by the Scot, who Is q
student of human natures;
"If tho dell were deed, God wad M be
served so weol."
The colonel maintains That If man has
had hands given him to feel, eyes to SEQ, ears
to hear, he has also q 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 a religion
Y,II,l, .,-t, ...--I -. IA G-
for reasoning and argument But he rather
attacks a Professionalism which pridos itself
upon resting ON reason as well as on faith
Tho theories of Col. Ingerson are the ma
tural outcome OF the introduction Of reason
ing into religious matters.
Things which arc felt only cannot be dis
cussed; things which arc incomprehensible
are not matter for explanation.
Professionalism is a mixture of faith and
reason, agreeing pretty badly together, it
must be confessed. The Protestant takes the
Bible for n 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 u now sect The very
drnnkard is not at n loss to find an excuse for
his drinking, and turning to Isaiah Qxv, 19
comforts himself with: Behold, my servant
shall drink"
As ho looks on Mt the Protestants squab-
ohng over tho Specification of biblical pas
saGes, tho colonel laughingly says: at is to
be regretted that your deity did not express
himself moro clearly"
ENeedleSs to say that he looks upon the
Bible not as an inspired book, but as a coIlec-
ton of literatures 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 a
discussion between faith and reasoni
George Sand said that the fanatic loved
God 10 the exclusion of man Tho thnorio.