The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-09-21
a Chlnaman Answers incersoil.

Chinaman, to IngersoIl's attack on
the Bible:
In recent article in the North Amer
lean Review, Robert Ingersoll arraigus
the Bible on the ground that it is very
common. plain book, and 1t needed
more inspiration 10 write any OF the
plays Of Shakespeare than 1t did TO
write all the Books of the Bible, from
Genesis to Revelation. He claimed that
as history the Bible is a failure. and
that Gibbons Rome or Macaulay's Eng
land are infinitely its superior. In fact,
Mr.. Ingersoll would have us believe
that the fountain head of knowledge
is concealed under his hat. | am
free to confess that there are, as he
suggests, many repetitiOns in the
Bible. but these repetitions are but the
result of the Oriental style of writing,
and the very men whom he, In his great
wisdom, have declared TO be superior
TO any of the inspired writers, have
bowed. and that too with 10 mock
humility, before this greatest Of all
books and have learned from It,.
Shakespeare was evidently familiar
with its contents. Macauley read
and re read 1t with great profit, aud
the greatest minds that the world has
ever known are men who have looked
on il as q store house of knowledge.
IL is always a sign of vulgar and un-
educated mind, it is the mark Of a
want of information on the part OF any
man who derdes the Bible and claims
that it contains nothing of importance.
Were the Bible taken out of literature,
the Libraries of to-day would be but
small in compass.
presume that Mr.. IngersOll could
easily write the frs: few books OF the
Bible. but instead Z. cOndemning the
whole book. suppose he or some of his
gifted admirers write for US something
that will equal the Book OF Job, that
will rival the Psalms of David. or that
will surpass the Proverbs OF Solomon.
When this is done, perhaps we will be
content TO follow this blind leader OF
the blind, this inconsistent man who
breaches temperance one day and sends
whisky as a precious gft to his
friend the next. This Bull of the
| Woods whose timOrous soul compels
him to 20 through life declaring THAI
there is no God, much as the schoOlboy
goes through graveyard at night ana
whistles to keep up his courage. 1t Is
singular fact that all the best men the
world has known, that the best educa-
Gated men that have walked the earth.
aud the men who have swayed the des-
TIMES of nations. that have been hon
ored by their fellOwmen, that have left
unsullied and undying memories, are
men that have read the Bible and have
profited by its counsels.
On the contrary, the ignorant, the
vicious, the uneducated, the man who
dies and is forgotten, one whom the
world can get along best without, the
Anarchist. the Socialist, the COmmur-
list, the Oif-scOuring OF society are the
men who deny the Bible and seek wis
dom in the Police Gazette or hunt for
information in the dime novel. Singu-
lar, isn't it? |, for one, SIN
cerely hope that Mr. Inger-
soil will try his hand on some
new proverbs that will be wiser
than Solomon S, and give us a grander
poem than jobs. 1t takes an artist to
make a picture, but any fool may daub
it with paint and deface it, and yet the
picture that has been painted in the
Bible and daubed at since the time Of
Julien, and when the discoloratiOn has
dried it fell to the ground and the pic
ture shone as clear as ever. | await
with little hope the production of any
human being that cannot comfort the
mourner. raise the fallen, and point
TO immortality as does the writers OF
the Bible.
The cOmmanderin chief of an army
does not heed the guns nor the rattle OF
musketry-he watches the effect of shot
and shetland so the Chinese. being
practical people, care not for the wit.
the eloquence of Ingersoll, they look
only for the results of his teachings.
No other religion, no system of belief
or unbelief can point to the monuments
of human charity as can Christianity.
No other religion has given to the
world hospitals. the founding asylums.
and the libraries that dot this fair earth.
Wherever there is charity there Is
Christianity, Wherever there is help
for the dOwn-fallen. there the Bible Ii
known. Wherever the orphan and the
widow is cared for, Christ is preached.
Wherever the naked is clothed and the
hungry fed, his doctrines prevail. In
all lands, in all times whatever has
been done to better the condition of
mankind has been done in His name.