The Newtown bee., 1895-07-05
fall, but the spirit will simply be uncloth-

ed. What is mans word against such a promise? And mans word for it, would be very little. No mans guess either way will satisfy the soul. We want re- velation, a statement from one who can-l not lie. And this we have in Jesus Christ. He was good. He said he knew. He lived and died for his truth. He rose from the grave as he bade us expect to rise. There is no other adequate light or truth anywhere. No one else ever knew whence he came, and whither he went, orrose from the grave to bring life and ! immortality to light. In Christ is the light; and whosoever will, may bask in it's beams. Ingersoll is in the dark, and he stays in the dark, and says there is nothing else where he is. But O! Come out into the light. Let him not drag you into his dungeon of despair. Woe is the world, when darkness is it's only hope, l and eulogy of annihilation is it's only | hymn But walk in the light, in Christ the light, and it shall lead to the Fathers House of Many Mansions, and one man. sion prepared for you, in that house not built with hands, eternal in the heavens. Friend, dost thou ask, 'sWhat must do to be saved?" "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."
 It may be well to consider few of the utterances attributed to the eloquent man, whose attitude toward Christianity is so unfortunate. First He quotes, Eff ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses' and then says, II accepted the condition. I accept the terms, and will never ask God to treat me any better than treat my fellow men.' Concerning this have two things to say: That if Ingersoll will take 8 similar attitude toward all of | Christ's word, and accept their condi- | tions and terms with like heartiness, he will be Christian. But to have a | Saviour, he must dictate terms and not the one to be saved. And one can not take things that he likes, and reject those that he does not like, and be saved. If Ingersoll were going to save Christ, he could dictate terms to Christ. But if Christ be going to save Ingersoll, Inger- soil to be saved, must take Christ's terms. It is bold thing to say, 1T will never ask God to treat me any better than I treat my fellow men," It is big claim for any man to assert, that @
 | HE TREATS HIS FELLOW MEN him. l think the ordinary Christian would feel more inclined to pray that God would help him to treat his fellow men, after the pattern that Divine mercy has manifested toward himself; rather than make his own conduct the pattern form. I doubt if Ingersoll is as forgiving as God. Second: IngersoH is reported to have said: ''Fear Is the dungeon of the mind, and superstition is dagger with which by hypocrisy assassinates the soul" This is half truth. Undue, cow ardly fear is dungeon to the mind.'' But legitimate fear is the safeguard of the mind. Fear is natural passion of the soul, intended to keep us from that which will do us harm. It may be mis- used. It may be used aright. It is not unmanly to fear. But it is unmanly to fear the wrong things. Bravery consists in fearing the right things. He who fears God, fears to do evil, is brave. He who fears to do right is coward, and such an one's fear, is dungeon to the soul" He who defies God, is not brave, he is fool. s'Fear God and keep his l fnr is "a xuhn duty of man. And the state- ment concerning superstition may be similarly considered. Superstition is simply low order of religion. An un- enlightened conception of the supernatu. ral is superstition. An enlightened con ception of the supernatural is religion. and 1 say, better a recognition of the | spiritual world, though it be inadequate, better distorted and low conception of God and eternal things, than the dark ness and deadness and viciousness of ma terialism and animalism. I welcome all light. The more truly we see God the better. The very aim of the Christian church is to make men pure in heart, that they may see God, and to bring them to Christ, by whom alone men can come to the Father. But the most de- graded religion is better than no religion and checks more evil than it causes. With the religion all out of him, man is but brute. Even through worship of stones and dumb idols, where nothing better is known, hearts are made purer, nobler hopes are cherished, and the only true God is distantly worshipped. It is wrong, when one knows better, to wor- ship in lower way. And hypocrisy has used ignorant religion as tool for. it's ends. But condemn the hypocrisy and purify the religion. Do not try. to de- stroy the noblest emotions of man, .,
 BECAUSE FoRSooTH
 they have been perverted. Third, Inger- soil is reported as saying. "Have I q right to think? think I have for two reasons: First, cannot help it. Second, I like it. Do not believe that there is any being who would give to hisachil- dren the holy torch of reason, and then damn them for following that sacred light. I am in favor of absolute freedom of the mind.'' Now this is true or false, according as 1t is taken. It is very loose language, and may mean that which is worthy, or that which is deadly, as it is construed by the nearer. I think that it l is dangerous language. It would, ! be- <r.% %l,<,o