Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1896-02-21

GEMS OF THOUGHT.
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.
From recent sermon by the Rev. Minot j
Savage CUnitarian) as reported IN the Bos
ton Post.
The ideas of which Colonel In
gersoll is at present the most
prominent exponent in this coun-
try are not new. | suppose that
he would not claim that they are.
Nor our his methods original, ex-
cept as far as they spring out OF
his personal characteristics and
peculiarities. His ideas are very
largely those Of Voltaire, of Glib
bon, of Hume, of Thomas Paine,
Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin
Franklin, and good many others
Of our prominent Revolutionary
heroes; and, curious enough, they
are largely the ideas Of the most
intelligent biblical critics of the
modern world, of men who are
nominally connected with the or
thodox churches. Colonel Inger-
soil, is in my opinion, the most
remarkable popular orator today
on earth. Does he prostitute
those gifts of his for the purpose
of making money? This is the
common charge that is hurled
against him. 1t has been charged
against him that he was without
reverence for his parents in that
he attacked Presbyterians. But
he himself has shown that men do
no honor to their parents by 60
ing around swearing that the false
views held by their parents were
true. l believe that he is honest
and as earnest as John Calvin or
Richard Baxter, or any man that
ever lived or spoke. He is able
to earn money as a successful
lawyer. and he does in that way
earn all that he wishes or needs.
Colonel Ingersoll is not an athe-
list. He is only what Huxley,
and Herbert Spencer, and many
other scientific men today are-an
agnostic. If you asked him
whether there is any god, he says:
II don't know" He only feels
that there is no such god as the
one which has been set forth in
the creeds Of the orthodox church.
He does not fight against God,
but only against certain partial,
incomplete, unworthy, cruel con
ceptions Of God. l know nothing
more sweet and beautiful than
some Of the things he has said
about death and Immortality.
Here, again, he is an agnostic,
saying SIMPLY: 81 don't know"
He has never uttered a single
word Of ridicule for the bible
itself. He has only ridiculed GER
tain unfounded conceptions Of the
bible which he regarded as stand
ing in the way of human freedom
and the progress ofhuman thought.
He does not believe in the theo-
logical Christ, yet he has uttered
a tender, admiring tribute to Je-
sus, isolated, rejected, cast out by
the same kind Of bigotry whose
sting has been felt in his own
heart. | do not know anywhere
in the world finer and grander
teaching than his concerning lib
erty, justice, patriotism, the char
acter and possibilities of woman,
and the beauty Of home. | am
willing to put myself on record as
saying, with all the emphasis Of
which | am capable, that though,
as you know, | do not agree with
Colonel Ingersoll concerning some
of the points that | regard as OF
unspeakable importance-if |
must choose between the concep-
ton Of the world. of God. man,
and destiny, as set forth in the
authoritative creeds of the ortho-
dox churches of today-if | had to
choose between these and the
positions of Colonel Ingersoll, |
would take my place gladly, and
lovingly, and tenderly by his side,
let the outcome be whatever it
might. l do not know one word
of his positive teachings concern,
ing human interests that we need
blot out.
The young men and young wo
o.