The herald., 1896-04-13
Associated Press Special Wire


G. Ingersoll spoke before the Mtlfea4G
church congregation today in respOu1p4
to an invitation extended by the paoto1a
Rev. John Rusk. The Militant ohurd4
is organized for the purpose of betteFlnE
the condition of mankind, regardle9Do&
creed or lack of it.
Colonel Ingersoll's address. whick
was given in Hooley's theater, was In
part as follows:
Man has advanced just in the propor>t
tion that he has mingled thought with
his work; just in the proportion that he
has succeeded in getting his head and
hands into partnership. Nature, gener1
Gus and heartless, extravagant and
miserly as she is, is our mother ana ouu
only teacher, and she is also the de-
ceiver of men. Above her we cannot
rise; below her we cannot fall. In her We
find the seed and soil of all that il good
Of all that is evil. Nature originates
nourishes, preserves and destroys.
Yet, for many years man in all direc-
tions has relied upon and sincerely be-
lieved in the existence of the
supernatural. He did not believe
had no conception Of cause and
effect; of the indestructibility o.
force. For many centuries his only con-
ception of morality was the idea of obe-
dience, not to facts as they exist in
nature but to the supposed command Of
perience, by experiment, possibly by
accident, men found that some diseases
could be cured by natural means; that
he could be relieved in many instances
Of pain by certain kinds of leaves or
bark. This was the beginning. Grad
ually his confidence increased in the die
rection of the natural and began to de-
crease in charms and amulets. The war
was waged for many centuries, but the
natural gained the victory.
So our ideas of morality have changed
and millions now believe that whatever
produces happiness and well-being is
in the highest sense moral. Ceremon-
les, prayers and inspired books, mira
cles, special providence and divine in-
reference belong to the supernatural
and forms no part of real religion. Ev-
cry science rests OH the natural, on
demonstrated facts. So morality and
religion must find their foundations in
the necessary nature of things. Igno-
rance being darkness. what we need
is intellectual light Man should cease
to expect any aid from supernatura1
source. BY this time he should be satis-
fed that worship has not created
wealth and that national or individual
prosperity Is not the child OF prayer.
Man should turn his entire attention.
to affairs of the world-to the facts in
nature.
Colonel Ingersoll said that there
should be a stop put to the appeal to the
savage force. For fifteen hundred
years. he said, peace had been preached
yet the civilized world had impover.
ished itself supporting vast armies and
navies. Instead of paying theses
amounts out for the purpose of killing
and preparing to kill our fellow men.
they would better be applied in build
ing schools and supplying the wants Of
the people," An international court
wherein national differences might be
settled was the proper solution of the
question. he thought.
There was another direction in which
wealth and energies of men We're
wasted. Immense amounts had been
paid for the erection of costly church
edifices, and vast other sums We're paid
for keeping them up. The returns ara
remarkably small, he said; the good ac-
oompliShed does not appear to be great.
There is no great diminution in crime.
The decrease of immortality and pow
erty is hardly perceptible. In towns of
1000 to 5000 people Colonel Ingersoll
would have all churches combined In
one in a general building. In this build
ing should be the library of the town.
1t should be the clubhouse of the peo-
pie; plays should be presented by home
talent; rooms for billiards. cards and
chess should be arranged. 1t should be
the intellectual center.
'They could employ a gentleman oh
ability. possibility of genius" said he.
TO ADDRESS them Oh sundays On SuD-
jects that would be of real interest, OF
real Importance. He should base his
sermons on history philosophy of the
| arts and the genius of the Greeks. Let
him make his congregation cOnverSant
| with the PHILOSOPHERS of the world. with
| the great thinkers, the great poets the
| great artists, actors. orators. inventors.
| captains of industry, the soldiers OF
| progress Let them have Sunday schools
| in which the children shall be made ac-
| quainted with the facts of nature, with
botany. entomology something of geol-
| ogy and astronomy.
| In spite of all that has been done for
| the reformation of the world it is still
cursed with poverty and crime. Peni-
tentiaries. he said. should be trans
formed into schools and workshops and
the convicts should be educated and
paid q reasonable sum for their labor
Colonel Ingersoll paid a pretty trihuts
to tlne home. The more homes, said he.
| the broader the foundation of the ma
| tion and the more secure. Everything
should be done to keep this from being
| a nation of tenants. The men who cul-
| tivate the earth should own 1t. He would
exempt homes from sale, not only un-
der execution, but from every descrip-
, ton of taxes In granting divorces he
would give the wife divorce 1T she
requested it, If she wanted It," There
| Is no danger in demoralizing the world
| through divorce. He would not allow
| the man to cast off his wife unless she
| had fiagrantIy violated the marriage
contract. But for the sake Of the CONF
| lNunity he would give the woman = de
| vorce for the asking. There would never
| be = generation of great men until thGgo