Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-08-12

or whose name every sclenuSI lne
world over uncovers his head, David
Brewster saying. ''Oh, this religion
has been a great light to me, very
great light all my days" President
Thiers. the great French statesman.
acknowledging that he prayed when
he said. Il invoke the Lord God. in
whom | am glad to believe" David
Livingstone. able 10 conquer the lion,
7 able TO conquer the panther. able To
conquer the savage. yet conquered by
( this delusion. this halluciDation. this
great swindle of the ages. so when
they find him dead they find him on
{ his knees William E. Gladstone. the
! strongest intellect in England, unable
| TO resist this chimera. this fallacy. this
| delusion of the Christian religion, went
| to the house of God every Sabbath
and often, at the invitation of the rec
tor, read the prayers to the people. If
those mighty intellects are overborne
| by this delusion, what chance is there
for you and for me?
About Infideis.
| Besides that, | have noticed that
first rate infidels cannot be depended
on for steadfastness in the proclama-
ton of their sentiments. Goethe,
leading skeptic. was so wrought upon
by this Christianity that in a weak
moment he cried out, MY belief in the
Bible has saved me in my literary and
moral life" Rousseau, one Of the most
eloquent champions of infdelity,
spending his whole life warning
against Christianity, cries out, ''The
majesty of the Scriptures amazes me-"
Altemont, the notorious infidel, one
would think he would have been safe
against this delusion of the Christian
religion. Oh, no! After talking against
Christianity all his days. in his last
hours he cried out. "Oh, thou bias
phemed but most indulgent Lord God,
hell itself is refuge if it hide me from
thy frown" Voltaire, the most talent
ed infidel the world ever saw, writing
250 publications, and the most of them
spiteful against Christianity, himself
the most notorious libertine of the cen-
turY-one would have thought he could
ha~c been depended upon for stead
fastness in the advocacy of infidelity
and in the war against this terrible
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 rate infisI,!S: you
rannot depend upon their pows. to 70
Bist this great delusion of Christianity.
Thomas Paine. the god of rIcleln
skeptics, his birthday celebrated in
New York and Boston with great eli
husiasm-Thomas Paine, the paragon
of Bible haters-Thomas Paine. about
whom his brother infidel William
Carver, wrote in a letter which have
at my house, saying that he drank a
quart of rum 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 country-Thomas
Paine, who was so squalid and SO
loathsome and so drunken and SO prof
ligate and so beastly In his bahits
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 delusion,
delusion of the Christian |
religion. Yea, it goes on. 1t is so i'm
pertinent, and it is so overbearing. this
chlmera of the gospel. that, having
the great picture galleries,
OF the world, the ole masters and the
young masters, it is not satisfied until
1t 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.
Gospel Structures.
Yes, this chimera of the gospel is not
satisfied until it goes on and builds it
self into the most permanent architec-
ture. so 1t seems as if the world is ney-
er to get rid of it. What are same of
The finest buildings in the world? st.
Paul's. st. Peters and the churches
and cathedrals of all Christendom.
Yes, this impertinence of the gospel.
his vast deluSiOn, is not satisfied until
t projects itself and in one year gives,
$6,250,0OO to foreign mis-
'ions. the work of which is to make
1unces and fools on the other side of
he world-people we have never seen.
Oe!uded doctors-220 physicians meet
ng week by week in London in the
Union Medical Prayer circle to wor-
ship God
Deluded lawyers-Lord Cairns, the
highest legal authority in England,
he ex-adviser of the throne, spending
lis vacation in preaching the gospel
" Jesus Christ to the poor people of
Scotland. Frederick L. Frelinghuysen
II New Jersey, once secretary of state,
N old fashioned Evangelical Christian,
N elder in the Reformed church. John
Bright, deluded Quaker. Henry Will
oh' 'hS VIC IleSiueHt vi lie OulIeu
states, dying a deluded Methodist or
Earl of Kntore
lying a deluded Presbyterian
The cannibals in South sea, the
of TERRA del Fuego, the wild
nen Of Australia, putting down the
,nives of their cruelty and clothing
themselves in decent apparel-all un-
er the power of this delusion. Judson
nd Doty and Abeel and Campbell and
Williams and the 5000 missionaries
f the cross turning their backs on
ONE and civilization and comfort and