The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-03-04
DR.. Hawthorne Deals the Ag-
nOstic Some Telling Blows
lie Challenges Him to Inject Into His
Next Performance Answers to
Certain Propositions.
Wisdom of Majestic Men to Listen
to the Rhetorical VapOrings
of An Infidel Hlreling.

NASHVILLE, Feb. 28.-Dr. Haw-
thorne's sermon at the First Bap- |
fist Church yesterday morning, re-
plying to Robt. Ingersoll's lecture,
delivered at the Vendome Theatre |
last Monday night, was heard by a |
very large audience. DR.. Haw-
thorne took as his text: Proverbs
xix. 7-8, 1.-THE law of the Lord is
perfect, converting the soul. The
statutes of the Lord are right, rejoic-
ing the heart" He spoke as fol-
flows:
On last Monday evening Robert
Ingersoll delivered his lecture on
why 1 Am an Agnostic, in one of
the theatres of this city. Our COM
munity is too loyal to the constitu-
tional right of free speech to refuse
even such a character as Ingersoll
an opportunity for the public eX-
preston of his views and senti-
ments.
Every rational man must and does
admit the eternal existence of some
thing. II Mr.. Ingersoll denies that
the universe came from something,
he is the only infidel WIN does. On
ly a lunatic or an idiot would say
that something came from nothing.
1t is incontrovertably and everlast-
ingly true that "from nothing moth
ing comes" This being true, we
are compelled to believe that some
thing has always existed, and that
in that eternal something, which
antedates all other things the uni
verse had its origin. If Mr.. Inger-
soil is not at variance with all other
inf1dels he accepts this conclusion.
What is that something which
antedates all other things, and from
which all other things derive their
existence? The Bible calls it God,
but Mr.. Spencer has named it the
unknown and unknowable."
The name is not essential, but
whether You call it protoplasm, or
fire. mist, or force, or the unknown
and unknowable, or God, you must
admit that it is eternal, and of it all
: other things have come into exist
ence.
If that original something is the
parent of all other things it has in
telligence. If that original some.
thing is protoplasm it is thinking
) protoplasm. If it is fire-mist it is
, intelligent tire-mist. II it is force il
A is rational force.
Why do I say this? Because it il
a self-evident truth that thing car
communicate only what itpossesses
l Was that Iirst thing protoplasm'
Then you and came from it, and i
r you and | are intelligent beings
4 there is Intelligence in protoplasm
: If it has intelligence it is suprem,
y Intelligence, for there is nothing
anterior or superior to it.
What was the origin of matter
D Was it created? If it was Their
IS must be a personal creator, becaus
# creation without a creator is un
thinkable. If you say that matte
was not created but has always eX
: listed, 1 will ask you another ques
ton. What was the origin of mo
ton? Was it created? If it wa
10 there must be personal creator, be
Is cause, there cannot be creatio
Is without creator.
% If you say that motion is eternal
" that it never had beginning, l wi
L ask you third question. What
the origin of thought? Is it a cref
ton? fit is there is a persons
es creator. If it is not creation, an
=, has existed from all eternity, the
70 we are compelled to admit the el
a. istence of an eternal thinking beinj
j., challenge this infidel teache
g. who comes to enlighten the b.
nighted minds of our people for
consideration of $500 night, to II
iect into his next performance a
" answer to this argument.
l. In common with other materia
ne lists, Mr.. Ingersoll claims that HI
Ia man life is transmitted. L Will n
~ controveTt that proposition. But
te him tell us from what the first man
life was transmitted. Perhaps
would answer, "From the monkey
h. IF that be true, from what was u
- monkeys life transmitted. Pc
GU hans he would answer, From Il
In ALLIGATOR If that be true, fro
a what was the alligator's life tran
h mitted. From the lizard? TIL
" from what was the lizards Ii
VT transmitted? Thus we may go ba
We and back until we come
protoplasm. ~,
What relief to men like lngt
ed soil if the human mind would st
asst there. Butt will not stop the
NJ No sooner has the infidel declar
y that human life had its origin
d nrotoplasm than 1, and all 9th
)er men who think, want to know wht
of protoplasm got its life.
no The evangelists tell us that Jei
M performed miracles, but Mr.. Ing
,ut soil says no one knows who VIZ,
ie- the four gospels. When he SO
is this he convicts himself either
-as stupidity or dishonesty =,
- He does not doubt that John M
ton wrote paradise LOST, OF VI
that Tom Payne wrote the Age