The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-15
a FOIL TO INGERSOLL
GEORGE R. VENDING breaches 4
SERMON IN LOCAL CHURCH.
His Views Widely Different from
Those of the Agnostic Who Lee
tured Last Night.

the End?" The church was filled 10 the
doors and many were compelled TO stand.
Mr. Vending will lecture tonight at En-
glish's Opera House on Unseen Realities"
He spoke. in part. yesterday morning. as
follows:
you remember that Hamlet, i'm his IA
nous soliloquy To be or not TO be. eX-
presses doubt as TO the existence of flu
ture state. Shakespeare has been criticised
herein and charged with inconsistency Tor
the reason that only night or two before.
Hamlet had met and conversed with visi-
tor from the other world in the person or
his fathers ghost. But Shakespeare is
wiser than his critics. He has made no
blunder In that marvellous mOnOlOgue. Why
Hamlet would still doubt / cannot tell. but
it is the nature of man TO doubt in the
presence of mystery, and SO both Christ
and Shakespeare read human nature alike,
when the one says in the New Testament,
there are truths which men will not be-
lieve. though one rise from the dead.
After this opening passage, the lecturer
of immortality and described a catalogue
of seven thousand Volumes four thousand
of them in the English language, and ali
OF them devoted to the question of future
life.
AGAINST ANOTHER LIFE.
He then passed TO a review of the va
ious arguments against another life and
classified them under four separate heads,
or as springng from four different sources.
First, reaction against the absurdities
and superstition of Pagan religion and the
old mythologies. Second. the undeniable
fact that all the visible phenomena of death
imply annihiliation. Third. an intellectual
pride which has begotten modern rational
ism and says. Il will not believe what | do
not know Fourth. the deductions OF
modern science. Discussing each of these
In turn the lecturer passed from the mega
tive side of the question to an affirmative
argument, TO which he devoted the remain
der Of his address. He took for the corner
stone of his argument the famous saying
or st. Paul. There is a natural body. and
there is spiritual body. The relation of
the mind 10 the brain, the control OF the
physical organism of man by spiritual
power of which every man is conscious as
existing within him. the wonderful range
and nature of that spiritual power: the diff
ferences between that power and mere
physical power, were all discussed and IL
the conclusion reached that the spiritual
body in man is distinct and superior
entity-the very image of God himself. The
lecturer then proceeded to an argument and
illustration of the statement that nowhere
in all nature can be found a single analogy
or presumption showing that the spiritual
body dies with the death of the natural
body. on the contrary, the modern doc
trine of the conservation of force; the
scientific fact that in all nature nothing
is ever annihiliated; the fact that annihi-
liation Is impossible because Ii deprives
God of the power to do justice among men
by rewarding these suffering ones who live
lives OF purity and sef-sacrifice and power
ty for the sake of humanity: the universal
and instructive faith in n future lffes and.
above all. the stupendous fact that the hu-
man race is a failure IL there be other
lfe-all these arguments were adduced and
presented in the order stated to show that
1.-The spiritual body of man passes into
another sphere of existence when the nat
ural body" dies.
LIFE OTHERWISE A FAILURE
In advancing the thought that If there
be no other life than this the human race
is a failure he said:
Go and set up for yourself what theory
you will concerning the object of man 5
creation and II you exclude a life beyond
the grave. man is a failure. Remember,
however. that throughout all nature every
created object fitly serves some discovera-
bic purpose, and is fully capable of per-
forming it's mission. We know what the
sheep in the pastures and the cattle upon
the hills are for; we know the uses of the
fruits and the ripening grain We can tell
the purpose for which birds and fishes are
made, and from the clouds yonder with
their rain and thunderbolts; yea, from
the sun, moon and stars behind the
clounds, down through the infinite ether
10 the earthS crust, and down farther vet
coal. and in the great lakes of oil and salt,
everywhere throughout every highway and
Dypath and into every recess of nature,
may We trace a purpose. discern object
or recognize q mission for every created
thing. and find each thing capable of per-
forming that mission. But what is your
What was the purpose of your creation
Where do you belong in the catalogue of the
universe What are you doing here on this
planet? For what are you designed? Name
any purpose you will for man. ascribe 10
him any mission you will. assign 10 him
any place you Will in the economy of ma
ture. and II you do not include the posi-
bilities of a future life. man is an absolute
failure"
EVANESCENSE OF ALL THINGS.
II know it is said that this man or that
man is successful man. Successful In
what? In the accumulation of wealth
Naked he came and naked will he go, and
his estate is scattered before the second
generation passes. Is it fame as "A lawyer
that you seek? The penniless daughter OF
world renowned chief justice was a poor
government clerk i'm Washington the other
day. Is ii military glory? Napoleon died
with broken heart. and the homage OF
the world could not lift the cloud of sor.
row which gathered on the heights Of
Mount McGregor around the form of tn,
dying ehieftain. General Grant. Would yoJ
become mercantile prince? Ninety-tivs
| or every hundred Is the percentage OF un
successful merchants. Would you master
the sciences? Sir Isaac Newton, with hi:
gigantic intellect. confessed at four scor,
| that he had picked up only few pebbles
| on the shore of the ocean. Is il iiterary
| reputation that you wish for? How many
authors have appeared, the word over
| IN the last forty years whose works will
| be read forty years hence? / doubt i
| there be five. Would you achieve greatness
! Ia the held of historical research and specu
| lation? Only twenty-five years ago the
| world hailed Buckle the rising star II
| that domain; and 1 recall an afternoon.
| once passed with Gen. Frank Blair. h,
| many years my senior but finding com
mon tie in our common admiration for TIN
great Buckle; and / shall not forget tn
| Buckle. while / gave warm assent
I Within five years from that conversation
| the best thinkers had discarded Buckle
| theories and repudiated Buckles conclu
| sion. Would you found school of phi
| losophy? No English philosopher in TIL
| last two centuries has so great a numbe
/ of followers as Herbert Spencer and we
| Spencers influence upon educated thinker
Is waning to-day. and some of his book
| are going now 10 the top shelf. Is do
| mestic happiness. noble wife. happy chill
| dren. and a glowing fireside your highes
| aim? So be II, for that is indeed the yer,
| family circle with no hope OF life beyond
| and many grass-covered mound between
| the cradle and sthe grandsire and not a
| hours ride from the threshold to the Gem
| etery out there beneath the trees.
| Turn then where you will look I'D an
| down every avenue. view life IN all it
| varying phases, and there can be but on
| solemn conclusion--if there is no life be
| yond the grave. man is an abject failure
| failure, Can that be- Mo- No, Ma
| standing 1T the summit. the heir of all IN
| ages. destined TO ultimate dominion owe
J the whole earth. the master of steam an
electricity. the autocrat OF earth and sea
| and compelling even he stars to WELD thei
| secrets to his SPECTRUM analysis; man, walk
| ing 10 and fro In the corridors OF the uni
| verse. naming and weighing the planets