The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-06-06

that by this he has gained the respect Of
other men. But j am sure she would
rather see him be plain William Mckinley
all his life than that he should do one
thing derogatory to his manhood or the
right. It IS through his mother. I doubt
not, that much Of McKinIey's strength
comes, and venture to say that his rer
spect for her opinion and her training has
enabled him to resist many temptations.
MISTAKES OF MOSES ]
lngersolps Lecture Exposed and Re-
:. futed. 3
Last. week the Irish Standard briefly
referred to Father Harrison's book upon
Ingersolls famous lecture, and now pre-
sents review of the work from the
Tribune of this city. - >.
Ingersolls best lecture, from the ag-
nostic point Of view, and the one which
gives the most stunning bows to Chris
tianity, is unquestionably the Mistakes
of Moses" It is his great stock IN trade.
All his other attacks on the existence OF
God or on revealed truth are really only
developments of the points raised IN his
address ON the errors made by that in
spired writer. The Mistakes OF Moses
is, even from literary standpoint, his
masterpiece. Paragraphs may be Sc
lected from his speeches more eloquent
than any found In this lecture; but, taken
as whole, no other subject gives him
such an opportunity for displaying his
keen wit Or letting loose his vivid i'm
agination. And it does seem curious
that while Christianity has had SO many
champions, while Ingersoll has had so
many and often brilliant opponents, no
Bayard until now seemed to pluck up
courage enough to. shiver lance with
the .plunled knight" for the honor Of the
author Of the Pentateuch.
At last the challenge is accepted and
Moses now has q derender-one, too,
without fear and without reproach."
1t may be said that there is no need to
reply to Ingersoll's objections, as. they
are already answered in Bible .cQmmen1
taries; but we know that thousand Will
read his lecture to one who has ever
heard of a commentary. 1t may be like
wise urged that there is a danger in pre-
senting the views of the great agnostic,
even when accompanied by an exposure
of their fallacy. This reasoning, would
certainly be valid if the answer was not
as apt ais the objection, and the truth so
clearly set forth that it remains in the
mind of the reader long after the OBJ
lection is forgotten.
Now we claim-and every Intelligent
reader will agree with us-that Father
Harrison's reply to Ingersoll is at once
clear and complete. He meets the re-
nowmed orator on his own ground and
literally does not leave him a foot to
stand on. And when we say that the au-
thor of the book before us has as good a
command of the English language and
Yields aus incisive a pen as lngersoH HIM
self, we give some idea of the rich treat
which is in store for the lovers of contro-
versy. It lis simply Greek against Greek,
with the advantage, however, on Father
Harrison's side in that he has the truth
to defend and knows how to do 1t.
The reason why Ingersoll's Mistakes
of Moses" have not been exposed long
ago is very evident. He aims, as we all
know, at destroying belief rather than
in establishing q religion. His method
of attack is to tear down; and when we
remember that the Pentateuch was, writ
ten more than 5000 years ago, the diff
Guilty of successfully refuting him is con-
siderably increased. It is easy to urge
an objection; it often requires master
mind to expose fallacy And when we
remember that Ingersolps objections in
this one lecture are many and ingenious,
and when we advert to the fact that they
cover almost every phase Of dogma, and
make assaults on history as we'll as in
spiration, then we can the better appre'
ciate the task that Father Harrison has
undertaken, and lay our tribute OF ad-
miration, if not gratitude. at his feet.
His book is not merely rejoinder to In
gersoll's onslaught, but the information
it contains on the many subjects which
it touches and illumines can be found In
no one volume which it has ever been
our privilege to read. To follow Inger-
soil through his thousand errors, to ex-
pose his fallacies, to point out where he
is weak as log1cian, and unreliable as
a historian, to trace each statement. to
it's original source and verify it-this
is work which is herculean In It's pro
portions, but which Father Harrison has
successfully accompl ished. - 49, 49,
We believe that while this book
will be welcomed by thousands for its
brilliant defense OF Moses, while i WIZ
have many admirers for the cleverness
with which the author parties a thrust
or deals blow, while its power will: be
felt for the ease with which mgersoll is
made to ref,te himself, still its pernla-
nent value as contribution to religious
literature will rest ON the vast amount
Of information 1t contains, and the clear
and precise expression of the authors
views. 1t is not the exposing of soph-
isms so much as the statement of his
own side Of the question that makes
Father Harrison's book so useful, and
randara IL Invaluable for reference. II
we were asked the meaning of "lnsptr-
ation;". If we desired to know what may
be held about "Creation:'' IL we wished
for a clear idea of the much mooted
Miracle we do not know to what book
we would more confidently turn than to
Ingersolps Mistakes Of Moses Exposed
and Refuted." There we find the result
of vast research. and careful study-the
consolidation of years Of thought.
But If there is one chapter to which
we would draw special attention because
of the hope it inspires and the faith 1T
proclaims, it is the one on the Ten Com
rnandments. Here Father Harrison is at
his best; and not only rebukes the runbe-
liver for his perversity, but shows that
the commandments given of old to
Moses on Sinai were merely the pres-
sion OF a law which nature had already
IMPLANTED in the heart Of man. He
shows that the commandments were
given not to crush art, but to stimulate
It; not to discourage SCIENCE but to fos-
ter it. s
.Wedo not quote any EXCERPTS from the