Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-11-22

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Professor DrummOnd, Rev. John Watson,
author of Beside the Bonnie Brior Bush;
Professors Driver, Cheyne and G. A.
Smith, Archdeacon Farrar Rev. R. T..
| Horton and multitudes of other English
men; ascertain the views of President
Harper of Chicago university, Professor
Brown of New York city, Dr. Parkhurst,
DR.. GLADDEN., Rev. Frank Gunsaulas and
thousands of other American Christians,
he would find that nearly all the wind was
taken out of his sails. Why does he over
look the large, progressive wing of the
| Christian church and attack the rear of
| the army, which is fast coming up, or
| pitch upon religious nations that are near
ly deadH He conspicuously fails in this.
He fails in being destructive, while not
being constructive. Criticism is perfectly
fair. But criticism that ends in criticism
is false to the great interests at stake. Mr.,
| Ingersoll is not talking on trivial subjects.
When he touches religion, he is touching
what makes up large part of the lives of
multitudos. The great Russian, TolstOi,
clearly sees that religion embraces the
truths that men live by Carlyle we'll put
it when he said that all the bakers and
clothiers and confectioners could not sat
isfy bootblack, for length of time, be-
cause of tho divinity that is in him. If
Mr.. Ingcrsoll were really in earnest to
help his generation, he would not attempt
to tear down the best part of our earthly
house-that part that has the outlook to-
ward heaven, with its sunshine and starry
realms-and go off whistling, with his
hands in his pockets. He is simplya great
doubtcr, and hooking one at that. Here
is where he fails Men cannot lean on
| doubts The soul becomes lean and the
heart faint. If Mr.. Ingersoll could show
better way, could turn sinful men to
ways of righteousness, could comfort the
countless mOurners, could bring joy to
sad hearts and laughter to crying eyes,
could construct some better method of
picking men out of the CUTTERS could
bring more flowers to the sickroom, more
softness to the dying felon; could move
men to give themselves more to carry
messages of hope to benighted races and
construct homes for the orphans and blind
and deaf and dumb and aged, his message
of doubt would receive n more patient
hearing. Let the great preacher of works
as against faith show his works. Believ-
ers, jew and Christian, stand ready to
prove their faith by their works If you
are to cross a river and a boat be offered
that has made the trip manifold times
with safety and some one tells you that 1t
is poorly made, that it needs repair, that
it's maker is unknown and its captain is
overrated, what will you dor If there is
some hope of new and better boat being
constructed, it might be well to wait
awhile. But if our doubling friend pre-
sents no plan for the new boat and there
is no prospect of its being built you will
take the boat at hand, especially if, like
the Cunard line, it never lost passenger.
Mr.. Ingersoll fails in offering nothing in
place of what he destroys.
He is not fair to the Bible and the
great Christian doctrines of faith and re-
demption. l can put my hand ON men
who are purcr men, better husbands,
truer citizens because they read the Bible.
Such men are amultitude. l can put my
finger on nations whose best life has re-
ceivcd its inspiration from the Bible.
After Mr.. Ingersoll has finished with his
criticism of the Bible he hasn't touched
the very citadel of the Bibles powers. Its
chief power is inspirational, and this pow
er doesn't depend upon the results Of crit
icism. May give chapter of my own
hearts experience? For several years
was troubled with the chronological, his
torical and scientific mistakes of the Bible.
1 felt that the Bible must go if these
things were so. But I read on. read
the matchless aspirations of the psalmist
after holiness. l caught somewhat of the
vision of Isaiah of the kingdom Of right
eousness. began to feel in my own life
the mighty power of faith-not credulity
Int n1,n IN, hn .pi, Of
the spirit within as the power of salvation
from sin-and when l touched the edge of
the great master spirit, Jesus of Nazareth,
and he helped me to understand the depths
of divine love and the power of sacrifice
ther the results of criticism affected me no
more than the warts and wrinkles affect
the life current in man. Mr. Lincoln,
whom Mr.. Ingcrsbll honors with eulOgistic
words, we are told, had Il large wart in
his right check.
eff Mr.. Ingersoll should draw a picture
of that wart, though it were true sketch,
and call it Mr. Lincoln, it would be unfair.
He would ignore the majestic life of the
great commoner. Mr.. Ingersoll himself
would call it most impious caricature.
1 fear he has done the same thing with
the Bible and with Jesus the central fig
ure of Bible history. l do not find fault
with his criticisms Of the Bible. Many of
them accept. He has drawn picture of
the warts and wrinkles of the Bible and
passed them off for the Bible itself. He
has overlooked the unparalleled struggle
of Israel after righteousness, overlooked
the matohiess portrayal Of the human
heart in its sins and frivolities, overlooked
the aspirations after holiness and the deep
strivings to solve the problems of sorrow
and death, overlooked the great life of
Jesus who, Goethe, the poet; Renan, the
critic; Napoleon, the man of war, said was
unapproachable in glory.
"Mr. Ingersoll is not fair to the Bible
and Jesus. He is pleader. He has a
case in court. He makes caricature of
religious history by becoming wart and
wrinkle painter.
"Much more l might say, and in all
kindness. He is defective in spiritual vi
sion. He offers no remedy for sin. He
places no emphasis on personal response
bility. He refuses to call wicked man to
account because he is the creature Of cir
cuInstances. He offers no adequate motive
for this life and no adequate hope for the
life to come. The true answer perhaps to
Mr.. Ingersoll and to the hearts whose
thoughts he expresses is Christian life.
The Salvation Army, with its halleluiahs