Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-04-17
BOB lNGERS0ll'S CREED
SERMON TO THE ALTON OF
THE CHIRrH MILITANT.
In small Towns He Would Have All
Churches Combined In One
Intellect uRI Center.

ingersoll spoke before the Militaht chufch
today in response to an In
vitauon extended by the pastor, Rev. |
John Rusk The Militant church is or
ganized for the purpose of lettering the !
condition of mankind regardless OF creed
or lack of it.
Colonel lngersolfs address. which was
given in Hooley'S theater was in part
as follows:
Man has advanced just in the proper
ton 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, generous and
heartless, extravagant and misery she
is. is our mother and our only teacher,
and She is also thd deceiver of men. Above
her can not rise below her We can
not fall. In her We find the seed and soil
of all that is good, of all that is evil. Ma
ture originates, flourishes, preserves and
destroys
Yet for many years man in all direc
tions has relied upon and sincerely be
lieVed in the existence of the supernatu-
raj. He did not believe in the uniform
ity of nature. He had no conception of
cause and effect of the indestructibility
of force. For many centuries his only
conception of mprality was the idea OF
obedience, not tp facts they exist in
nature, but to the supposed command OF
some being superior to nature. by ex-
perience, by experiment, possibly by ac-
cident, man found that some diseases
could be cured BY natural means: that ne
could be relieved in many instances of
pain by certain Kinds of leaves or bark.
This was the beginning. Gradually his
confidence Increased in the direction OF
the natural and began to decrease in
charms and amulets. The war was waged
for many centuries, but the natural gain
ed 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. Ceremonies,
| prayers and Inspired books. miracles.
| special providence and divine interfer
| ence belong to the superna tural and forms
| no part of rea religion. Every science
| rests on the natural, on demonstrated
facts. In order, morality and religion
| must find their foundations in the neces-
| 5ary nature of things.
| Ignorance being darkness, what We
| need is intellectual light. Man should
lease to expect any aid from any super
natural source. BY this time he should
| be satisfied that worship has not created
wealth and that prosperity is not the
child of prayer Man should turn his
entire attention to the affairs of thu
world, TO the facts in nature"
SHOULD END SAVAGE FORCE.
Colonel Ingetsoll said there should b,
4 stop put to appeal to the savage force
For 1900 years he said, peace had Deei
preached, yet The civilized world had i'm
poverished itself supporting vast armies
and navies. Instead of paying thes'
amounts out for the purpose of "killinl
and preparing to Kill our fellow men.
| they would be better applied in building
| schools and supplying the wants of tn
| people. An International court wherei
national differences might be settled wa
the proper solution of the question, h
thought.
! There was another direction in whc
| energies and wealth of man Were WASTED
Immense amo lnts had been paid for tn
| erection of cbstly church editces, an
vast other sums were paid for keepin
them up. TIE returns are remarkabl
small, said he, the good accomplishe
does not appear to be great There is n
great dminut on in crime. The decreas
of immortality and poverty is hardly pei
ceptible.
, In towns of 1000 5000 people, Colon
IngersoI world have all churches con
bned in one. in great building. In TIL
\ | building should be the library of tt
r town. 1t should be the club house
+ the people; plays should be presented
r. home talent; rooms for billiards, care
and chess SHOULD be arranged. 1t shou
n be the intellectual center.
"1'hey could employ a gentleman
ability possibly of genius" said he, -
T address them on Sundays on subjects TIA
would be of real interest, or real impo
IL lance. He should base his sermons
history. philosophy of art and the gent,
Of the Greeks. Let him make his co
- gregation conversant with the philos
e phies of the world, with the great thin
= ers. the greht poets. the great artist
actors. orators, inventors. captains
= industry. thh soldiers of progress. J.
r them have a Sunday school in which 4
IS children shall be made acquainted wi
e the facts of nature. with botany. ent
ic mology. something of geology and i
ut tronomy."
I'd In spite of all that has been done
m the reformation of the world 1t is q;
ir cursed with poverty and crime Penite
Id | tiaries he said should be transform
n into schools and workshops and the ca
ID victs should be educated and paid
ne reasonable sum for their labor.
1e TRIBUTE TO THE HOME.
he Colonel Ilgersoll paid a pretty trib,
!! to the home The more homes, said
NJ the broader the foundation of the natl
n and the more secure. Everything sho,
be done to keep this from being a natl
of tenants The men who cultivate
IN earth should own IL. He would exen
homes from sale not only under exc,
ton, but frbm every description of tax
In granting divorces. he would give
,. wife a divorce "if she requested 1t, If
~, wanted it, There is no danger of
y, moralizing the world through divor
-, He would not allow the man to cast
10 his wife unless she had hagranty y
a., lated the marriage contract. But for
mo- | sake of the community he would give
woman a divorce for the asking. Tn
-oo | would never be a generation of great n
IA until there had been a generation of f
a. women.
al The speaker referred to the labor III
"a ton and said he saw no satisfactory
=, luton of Il, except through the civil
ton of employers and employed. Or
railroads should pay pensions to Il
worn out employees and care for them
their old age. The employe must lie
to make reasonable demands of his
ployer.
Every child should be taught to be $
,el | supporting and every one should be tau
md to avoid being a burden on others a
his would shpn death. Children should
,tai | taught to think to investigate to