Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-04-09
4 PLAGUE Of UNBELIEF.
..e MOVING CAUSE OF ALL THE
PLAQUES OF CITIES.

r,lmare's Mastery Contrast of the
cs.ct. of Christianity and Agnosticism.
The Glorious Results of a Living Faith.
wh.t Has Infidelity Done?
vrw YORK. April 5. Continuing his
,se Of sermons on "The Ten Plaques of
SH"cities." Rev. DR.. Talmage today took
bis snbiect 1.-The Plague of Infidelity."
Tbe discourse was delivered to large and
'anreciative audiences at the Brooklyn
aTasdqmy of Music in the forenoon and the
~ York Academy of Music in the even
~ The text was Romans iii, 4. LET
IN he true. but every man liar"
That IS if God says one thing aud the
-boIa bnman race says the opposite, Paul
rord accept the Divine veracity. But
,Ssre are many in our time who have dared
'.raian the Almighty for falsehood. In
sdeity is not only "A plague, but it is the
mother of plaques
II seems from what we hear on all sides
,hst the Christian religion is huge blum
Sor that the Mosaic account of the creation
: on al,surdity large enough to throw all
r,tions into rollicking guffaw; that Adam
and Eve never existed; that the ancient
sood and Noah's ark were impossibilities;
,bst there never was miracle; that the
pible is the friend of cruelty, of murder, of
nolrmmv. of all forms of base crime; that
ts CHRISTIAN religion is woman's tyrant
,Dd mans qualification; that the Bible
rom i'd to lid is fable, cruelty, hum
haf ha l..,
diqd for its truth were miserable dupes;
that the church of Jesus Christ is
Droperly gazetted rs a fool; that when
Tbomas Carlyle, the skeptic, said. 1.-The
Rhle is a noble book he was dropping
iptoinlbecilty: that when Theodore Parker
declared in Music hall, Boston, "Never a
hoy or girl in all Christendom but was
nro6ted by that great book" he was be-
omng very weak minded; that it is some-
thing 10 bring blush to the cheek of
every patriot that John Adams, the father
Of American Independence, declared, THE
Bble is the best book in all the world"
and that lion hearted Andrew jackson
turned into sniveling coward when he
aid. THAT book, sir, is the rock on which
our republic rests" and that Daniel Web
ser abdicated the throne of his intellectual
mower and resigned his logic, and from
being the great expounder of the constitu-
ton and the great lawyer of his age turned
Into an idiot when he said, "My heart as
sares and treasures me that the gospel of
Jesus Christ must be a divine reality.
From the time that at my mothers feet
or on my fathers knee | first learned to
lisp verses from the sacred writings they
have been my daily study and vigilant con-
temptation, and if there is anything in my
STYLE or thought to be commended the
credit is due to my kind parents in instill
ing into my mind an early love of the
Scriptures" and that William II. Seward,
the diplomatist of the century, only showed
bis puerility when he declared, "The whole
hope of human progress is suspended on
The ever growing influences OF the Bible;"
and that it is wisest for us to take that
book from the throne in the affections of
Hncounted multitudes and put it under
our feet to be trampled upon by ha-
, tired and Kissing contempt; and that
your old father was hoodwinked and
eajOled and cheated and befooled when
be leaned on this as a staff after his
hair grew gray, and his hands were
tTemulous, and his steps shortened as he
came up to the verge of the grave; and that
your mother sat with pack of lies on her
apwhe reading of the better country, and
Of the ending of all her aches and pains,
and reunion not only with those of you
who stood around her, but with the chill
dTen she had buried with infinite heart
ache, so that she could read no more until
she took off her spectaeles and wiped from
them the heavy mist of many tears. Alasl
that for forty and fifty years they should
have walked under this delusion and had
thunder their pillow when they lay a-dying
IN the back room, and asked that some
words from the vile page might be cut upon
the tombstone under the shadow OF the old
country meeting house where they sleep
today waiting for resurrection that will
never come.
This book, having deceived them, and
having deceived the mighty intellects OF
The past, must not be allowed to deceive
our larger, mightier, vaster, more stupen'
dous intellects. And so out with the book
rom the court room, where it is used in
the solemnization of testimony. Out with
hirom under the foundation OF church
and asylum Out with it from the domes-
nc circle. Gather together all the Bibles
the cbildren's Bibles, the family Bibles,
those newly bound, and those with lid
nearly worn out and pages almost obliter-
sied by the fingers long ago turned TO
oast-bring them all together. and let us
make bonfire of them, and by it warm
our cold criticism, and after that turn I'M
aer with the plowshare of public indigna-
uon the polluted ashes of that loathsome,
saalterOus, obscene, cruel and deathful
oook which is so antagonistic to mans
liberty, and woman's honor. aud the
worlds happiness.
AGNOSrIcs ATTACK THE VERY LIFE.
Now that is the substance of what inf
oeity proposes and declares, and the at
.Aek on the Bible is accompanied by great
!oeoslty and there is hardly any subject
aoout which more mirth is kindIed than
eoout the Bible. like fun; no man was
sseF Quilt with keener appreciation OF It,
ihere Is health in laughter instead Of harm
physical health. mental health, moral
4 1saith, spiritual health = provided you
.Aagh at the right thing The morning IS
!oeund- The Indian with its own mist bap-
,1es the cataract Minnehaha, or Laughing
water You have not kept your eyes open
y Your ears alert if you have not seen the
"a smile, or heard the forests clap their
lands or the orchards in blossom week