The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-12
INGERSOLL REFUTED.
Rev. 4. N. Williams breaches on the
Famous AgnOStiC'S Doctrine.

Ingersou's Ideas on Immortality.
Out of -Four Sources of Knowledge
Rev. Mr.. williams Says Two of
Them Confirm Beliefin Existence Be-
yond the Grave-These Are Ratioci-
nation and Communication of the
Truth From Christ Whose Testi-
mony as a Witness Must Stand I'm
challenged.
Rev. A. NJ Williams rof Wesley Monu-
mental church, preached a most interest
! ing and instructive sermon yesterday
morning on the famous inquiry of that
| famous agnOstic, Robt. G. Ingersol,
Does Death End Alll'
/ Rev. Mr.. Williams has made study of
this and similar theories and ideas,
comparing them carefully with the
| teachings Of the Bible, and pointing out
! their'weak features. There was a large
| congregation in spite of the rather incle-
ment weather,
! The text was taken from II Timothy
/ /: 10, Jesus Christ, our Savior, hath
/ brought life and immortality 10 light
/ through the gospel" A synopsis of the
| sermon is as follows:
/ In an interview Mr.. Ingersoll said Il
| do not say that death ends all; neither do
| l say that man is immortal An I can saw
about immortality is there was a time
when was not, after that [ was, now
am and it may be that it is no more won
/ oerful that | should continue forever now
that have start, than it was that
should start. We love, and those we love
| die, and we cling to the hope, the wish,
that we meet again. Love was the first
dream of immortality, and as long as we
| love we shall hope"
A LEARNING OF THE HEART.
This is one of the most beautiful
| utterances of this eloquent man. 1t is the
| expression of universal yearuing of the
human heart. His creed is a sad one. But
| Christianity cries out joyously, Il know
IN whom | have believed and that he is
able to keep that which have committed
TO him against that day
The don't know philosophy
IS frivolous and unreasonable
frivolous because it is
mere play on wOrds-unreasonable be-
cause 1t presents a definition of knowl-
| edge that would paralyze secular life if
applied to its affairs. The Christian can
meet the agnostlc and say: | have such
knowledge of immortality as would Justify
me IN engaging in stupendous secular I'M
| dertaklngs if it were the basis of that
class OF action. No man can know the eff
feet of tariff bill, a currency, railroad or
banking law. Yet met men do not cease
TO legislate on that account.
FOUR SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE.
There are four sources of knowledge.
First, EXperience-We cannot know i'm
mortality this way. No being can know
from experience that he is immortal
Such knowledge must come to him in
some other way. But the young do not
know old age or death from experience.
/ Second (1bgppVa fiOp- t.
subject of knowledge from this source
We do know old age and death from what
we see in others, but immortality is be-
You'd the possibility of any observation
Our personal knowledge would be very
limited If it had to be gained through OBJ
servatiOn. How would l know that there
was Russian language, a Chinese indus
trial system, the existence of Rome or
Jerusalem if | had to depend on observa-
tiOn3 Third, RatiOcinative Processes
J can study nature and human nature,
Ind out some of their laws, and by com
parlsOn Of one truth with other truths
increase my knowledge. This form of
knowledge gives a good foundation TO the
belief IN immortality, and also confirms
that derived from another source, to be
mentioned later. Let us consider two of
its suggestions:
"Q.) A yearning always correlates with
the possibility of qualification Hun
ger means food. Thirst implies water.
Pain suggests an8sthetics Why should
not this longing after life, immortality, the
loved mean continued evistence2
seq Without immortality life is the
darkest of mysteries. 1t is needed to ex-
plain much that is here. How can YOU
explain the cultured intellect, the loving
heart, the noble character cut off in early
| life before it had time to more than show
its posi- bilities without the thought of
another sphere of action and relationl
THE KNOWLEDGE OF IMMORTALITY.
"Anotner and the last l shall discuss as
a source of knowledge is communication.
| We know most things because they have
been communicated to us by those who
were in position to fathom them This is
| the source of the Christians knowledge of
! immortality-Jesus Christ has brought
! Immortality to light He tells of it is his
TRANSPORTATION, is his visit to the weeping
sisters of Bethany. in his farewell to his
! disciples, in his reply to the questioning
| Sadducees. Is is he credible2
1t is very probable that God would
| find some way to give this hope to man,
| and who is so well qualified to reveal it as
his only begotten, incarnated son-the
wonderful parsonage of our gospel
The indirect testimony given to him in
| the gospel shows his competency to reveal
| such truth. His wonderful insight into
found as to raise expectation of a deeper
revelation. The story of his life is so
actual and real, his utterances so sublime
common sense as to preclude the thought
of self-deception. His story is so SIMPLIFY
and unaffected as toassert atten ton Of all
who have read it.. The use he makes of
this revelation is so free from personal
| benefit to himself as to commend it to us
as honest His own character as recog-
nized by all critics is so pure as to pre-
! clude the idea of falsehood.
THE result of these considerations Is
that we have a testimony for immor-
tally presented to US in a witness that
would justify us in finding a verdict in
! the most difficult legal cause. We have,
then. more than dream of immortality, a
| hope of meeting the loved We have as
| surance from the author Of our being and
of all Immortality
The sermon was concluded by reading
Robert J. Burdette's pathetic account of
the death of his wife.
AN AUENGER nE WD nNnS