Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1899-08-09


chimera. this delusion of the Gospel.
But no: in his last hour he asks for
Christian burial and asks that they
give him the sacrament of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Why. YOU cannot de
pend upon these first rUte infdels: you
cannot depend upon their power to re-
sist this great dciusion of Christianity
Thomas Paine, the god Of modern
skeptics. his birthday celebrated in
New York and Boston with great en-
observation-disclosures Paine, the paragon
of Bible haters-Thomas Paine about
whom his brother iufidel. William
Carver. wrote in letter which have
at my house. saving that he drank a
quart Of rum n day and was too mean
and too dishonest to pay for it-Thom
as Paine. the adored OF modern inf
delity-Thomas Paine. who stole an.
other mans wife in England and
brought her to this couutry-Thomus
Paine. who was so sQualid and so
loathsome and so drunken and so prof.
ligate and so beastly in his habits
sometimes picked out of the ditch.
sometimes too filthy TO be picked out
Thomas Paine. one would have thought
that he could have been depended on
for steadfastness against this great de-
fusion.
But no. In his dying hour he begs
the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy. Pow
erful delusion, all conquering delusior.
earthquaking delusion of the Christian
religion. Yea, it goes on. 1t is so inn
pertinent. and II is so overhearing, this
chimera of the Gospel, that. having
conquered the great picture galleries
OF the world, the old masters and the
young masters. il is not satisfied until
it has conquered the music OF the
world. Look over the programme of
any magnificent musical festival and
see what are the great performances
and learn that the greatest of all the
subjects are religious subjects.
Yes. this chimcra Of the Gospel is not
satisfied until it goes on and builds it.
self into the most permanent architec-
turc. so il seems as if the world is neF-
CT TO get rid Of it. What are some OF
the finest buildings in the world? ST.
Paufs, st. Peters and the churches
and cathedrals Of all Christendom.
Yes, this impcrtiuence Of the GOSPEL,
Nii'S NsAFA NNiuTihils - not SGl lltO ullli
it projects itself. and in one year gives,
contributes, $G.25O.oC0 to foreign mis-
sious. the work of which is TO make
ounces and fools on the other side of
the world-pcople we hayc never seen.
Deludcd doctors-22o physicians meet
ing week by week i'm London in the
Union Medical prayer circle TO wor-
ship God.
Deluded doctors-Lord Cairns. tho
highest legal authority in England,
the cN-adyiser OF the throne. spending
his vacation in preaching the Gospel
OF Jesus Christ to the poor people of
Scotland. Frederick T. Frclinghuysen,
of New Jersey, once secretary of state.
an old fashioned Evangelical Christian,
an elder in the Reformed church. John
Bright. n deluded Quaker Henry Will
son, the vice president Of the United
States. dying dcludcd Methodist or
Congrcgationalist. Earl Of Kintore
dying a deluded Presbyterian.
The cannibals in South sea. the
bushmen Of TERRA del Fuego, the wild
men OF Australia, putting down the
| knives Of their cruelty and clothing
! themselves in decent apparel-all un-
! der the power OF this Gclusion. Judson
and Doty and Abccl and Campbell and
! Williams and the 1900 missionaries
Of the cross turning their backs on
! home and civilization and comfort and
| going out amid squalor Of heathen-
| ism TO relieve il, to save il. 20 help il.
toiiing until they dropped into their
graves. dying with no earthly comfort
about them, and going into graves
withnoappropriate epitaph, when they
might have lived in this country and
lived for themselves and lived Iuxuri-
ously and been at last put into brilliant
scpulchcrs. What "A delusion.
Yes. this delusion OF the Christian re-
ligion shows itself i'm the fact that il
goes TO those who are in trouble. Now.
IL is bad enough to cheat "a man when
ne is well and when he is prosperous.
but this religion comes 10 man when
he is sick and says: "You will do we'll
again after awhile. You arc going into
land where there arc no coughs. and
no pleurisies, and no consumptions. and
no languishing. Take courage and bear
up Yea, this awful chimera Of the
Gospel comes TO the poor, and it saws 10
them: you are on your way to vast
estates and 10 dividends always dcclara.
BILE This delusion OF Christianity
comes 10 the bercft, and it talks OF re-.
union before the throne and of the
cessation OF all sorrow. And then. TO
show that this deiusion will stop at
absolutely nothing, it goes TO the dying
bed and fills the man with anticipa-
tions. How much better it would be
TO have him die without any more hope
than swine and rats and snakes! Shovel
him under! That is all. Nothing more
left Of him. He will never know any
thing again. Shovel him under! The
soul is only "A superior part of the body.
and when the body disintcgrates the
soul diSintegrates. Annihilatiou, va.
cancy, everlasting blank oblitcration.