The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-11-06
Dol. I~ngorsoll's Lecture on "rho
Foundations of Faith"
A LARGE AUDIENCE APPLaUDS HIM.
His Bold neaunoIstIon OF Revealed
Religion Sometimes Seems to Ap.
pal his Hearers, but he has for the
Most Part the Sympathy or Admira-
tion of Most OF those In tho House.

very Wen nlleui upstairs anu uoWuI
when he stepped on the stage,
The world's molt famous aSnoStIc Of
this age has not been heard hero for
fifteen or sixteen years, Curiosity at
tractod many people last night, no
doubt yet Col. lnSersol'u audience was
unexpectedly sympathetic. Laughter
and applause were hearty and frequent.
When no made sons Of his bOIdest re-
marks the majority Of the audience
seemed Rwed, and kept quiet,
Colonel IngerIOll ia a large man, Ger.
taiply elk feet tall, very white haired,
where he has any hair, and lie has not
much more than Bill Nye, Tho top Of
his head Is smooth az u boxing glove,
and SIMMER. 10 those who have not
seen him for several years no shows
unexpected siguS Of aye. lie has not
lost any lssh, Ills head is as big and
as level as ever, aud gives tho strongest
evidence OF the error OF the phronolO.
gists, for the "bumps" which have boon
accepted as indicating the religious
faculties arc worry prominent, Tho line
OF reverence IL particularly we'll do
velopsd, aud there ia nothing 10 inter-
ioro with observation as to the top line
Of hh head.
His voice seems little husky, and he
has a sort OF country preacher accent,
with u certain evidence, occasionally, OF
shorlness Of breath. None of his pic
lures adequately conveys an idea oil his
present rotund form, smooth head,
close ears. expressive countenance,
lie had his manuscript laid out on
the reading desk before him, but no con-
suited it very seldom. lie walked on
tho staGs alone, and the applause was
not very great lie bowed slightly,
aud began in q conversational way, with
the remark that hundreds OF thousands
Of people had accepted the Hindoo rs'
ligions ne true thousands Of people had
accepted Vishuu, other thousands
Buddha, aud thousands each OF the
other thousands OF dGiti0s. Now, he
said, WI all know that is oil wrong. We
"a prove they were all ignorant and
mistaken. We have our own God, our
own Son Of God, who We say is God, IL
own Holy Ghost.
He went OH to criticiso, frat among
tho foundations Of the Christian faith,
the Old Testament He eloquently dis.
cuSIsd 1t, critiCising the stories, the
theology and everything else about ii
in his inimitablo way, Referring to tho
orthodox ministers, he asked, in that
way OF his which would make apreacher
himself laugh, "lsn't il wonderful how
little sense a man could preach within
Then he continued: All your minis.
tiers can say Is, "lngsrsoll 10 a bad
man." All right; l admit it. Go on.
But some say, S'Your objections are
old" tell yon an objection is as fresh
as q morning.Glory with its heart full OF
dew until 1t has been answered.
All, but they say: "Wo have yet the
New Testament left" The New losta.
ment is as much woras than the old as
fire and tormont arc than droamless
sleep. In tho Old TaItamsnt whom 10.
hovGh got q man dead he wns done
with him; his trnuble was I'VE then.
In tho New Testament that Is whero
the trouble binina
Coming to the New Testament, he
compared tho stories told N tho gos.
pels, claiming they were inconsistent.
Concerning the killing OF all male in.
fants under two years old BY Herod's
order, he said. "Why did but Que
man aver know Of that2 Could such u
thing be and no pititul little wall still
living as q song, como down TO us?'
HO paid one Of the most eloquent
tributes to the character OF Christ aS a
man ever heard anywhere, and said he
did not deny tho existence OF q God nor
tho possibility Of a future life. llu WAS
not trying to destroy tho life hereafter,
but to keep The thGOlogian9 from de-
siroying this one.
81 know as little about tho existence
Of a God rs the most inhnitossimal in
sect that ever famed with happy wings
the sunshine oil q momoni, and know
as much "a all the popoS aud priests
and parsons itom MelchiEGdGck till 10.
day-Rnd that 10 nothing"
Speaking oil eternal punishment, he
SAID:
Christians believe in infinite torture,
in eternal pain. Eternal pain! All tho
meanneIs Of which tho heart Of man Is
capable IL In that one word-Hell.
That word isG den, II cave, in which
crawl tho tlimy reptiles Of revenge.
That word C%Ortiiles to the sAvngory Of
primitive man, That word ia tho depth,
tho dungeon, tho abyss, from which
civilized man has emerged. That word
is tho disgrace, tho shame, tho lniamy
Of our revealed religion. That word
fills all tho future with tho Bhrieks OF
the damned. That word btutali2oi tho
New Testament, changes tho Sermon on
the Mount To hypocrisy and cant. and
pollutos and hurdcns tho very heart Of
Christ That word adds an iulnite hor.
ror TO death, aud makes tho crAdlo as
terrible 10 tho coffin. That word IL tho
assassin OF JOY, the knocking murderer
Of hope. That word cXtinguishoa tho
Light OF lilo and wraps tho
world in gloom. That word drives rGA'
son from his throne, aud gives tho
crown to madness. That word drove
pity from tho hearts Of mon, ataihod
countlOsB swords with blood, forged
chains, built dungeons, erected sCailOlds
and tllod tho world with poverty and
pain.
That word 10 a coilod serpent IN tho
mothers breast that lifts its Hanged hoHd
and lisBOs Ia her Gari "Iout child Will
DO tho mOl Of Oicrnal fire."
That word bla8 from tho ornament
tho star VI hope and leaves tho hCRyonB
black. That word makUB tho Christians
God an ctotnnI lorlutCr, M everlasting
lnqulSitor-m infinite wild beast, This
is tho Christian prophecy Of tho Ctornal
future. No hope In he'll, No pity In
hOnyOn. No motcy IN tho lu ri VI God.