The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-31
A HOPELESS SORROW
Rev. E. F. Kingsley
Points to Legacy
of Agnosticism.
INGERSOLL'S DEATH A LESSON.
Peace at Death and to
Friends Afterwards
Is In God.
DEATH A LESSON.

an interesting sermon yesterday morn
ing in which he spoke OF the life and
habits of the late Col Robert G. In
gersoll. He also destroyed common be-
lief in regard to the feeling existing be-
tween the famous agnostic and his
father.
The subject was "a hopeless sorrow
of the legacy of an agnostic." The text
was from 1st Thessalonians, iv:13-
But l would not have you ignorant
brethren concerning them which are
asleep, that We sorrow not even as
others, which have no hope"
The Thessalonians were confidently
expecting the second coming of Christ.
They feared the pious dead would not
have part in the welcome, but the
fear was dissipated by the epistle from
st. Paul Sorrow is a merciful religion
to soul bereaved. A soul pressed and
stricken finds relief in tears The re-
ligion of Christ makes us no less human
than we were before. Sorrow for the
dead is aggravated by ignorance of
their future destiny.
A noted African traveller had SER
want named fonda in his employ One
day the servant died and the sorrow.
ing mother sought out the traveller and
conducted him to the hut where all that
was mortal of her son lay stretched on
bier, surrounded by about 200 native
women who were loudly bemoaning
their loss. Shortly after the mother en-
tered and approaching the body Of her
boy besought him to-. speak to her.
When she failed to receive an answer,
the air was rent with her shrieks, which
ceased only when exhausted she fell to
the ground.
This was, the heritage of ignorance,
which has no hope for the future. We
are not surprised at such a scene in the
heart of Africa, but the scene was par
allele1 at Dobbs Ferry, N. Y one week
ago Friday, when the leading expon-
ent of agnosticism, of the 18th century
lay dead at his summer home.
Col. Ingersoll had his first attack of
heart trouble soon after the republican
convention of 1896, and from that time
he took the greatest care to guard his
health. During the last three days of
his life the symptoms were aggravated
and so he remained quietly enjoying the
company of his immediate family He
spent Thursday evening playing bill
iards with members of his family. He
spent the fateful Friday morning in tis
hammock on the piazza of his home
with his wife and daughter. At 1890
o'clock he went upstairs stopping only
of playing billiards. Immediately after
coming down, he entered his wife's
room and talked over what they should
have for luncheon. His wife asked him
how he was feeling. "Oh, BETTER" said
he. Immediately his wife noticed
change. AS the whites of his eyes
showed, she sprang to his side and
learned that her husband, the great ag-
nostic was dead.
The sympathy of the whole country
was reused by the subsequent scenes
enacted in the death chamber. The wife
was unwilling to leave her idol for
moment. By day she sat by his side
holding his hand At night resting on
couch by his side still holding his hand
in hers. She would not leave the room
even for her meals. Her daughters re-
NAMED with her day and night, sharing
her uncomfortable grief. II cannot give
him up she would say. 81 cannot bear
that he should be buried in the ground"
Then it was announced that when they
took him away they would bring him
back with them, 1t being their purpose
to have the body cremated.
These things were the result of an
agnostic teaching. The sorrow of the
family was hopeless. There would be
no reunion in the future life. Nothing
to mitigate their grief.
Col. IngersolPs early life was passed
in the home of his father, Congrega-
tional clergyman, a man orthodox in
the extreme, but becoming more liber-
al as years went on, so that he was
unacceptable to several parishes which
he in turn served. His boy, Robert G.,
naturally sympathized with his father
in his controversies with the church
and eventually became so liberal that
he left the church altogether and be-
came an agnostic.
Notwithstanding the statement that
his father by his farshness drove him
from the Christian religion, the oppo-
site is true. The relations with his
father were always most cordial. When
the father died he did so in the arms
of his son. Col. IngersolPs relations
with his family were always most ten
der. He was true to his wife, and
loving father, while his moral life and
his relation with his fellow men were
above reproach. He was generous to a
fault and lavish with his great income,
derived from the lecture work Any
man who was needy received such aid
as he was able to give.
But of what availeth all this, judged
from the standpoint of the Christian
church?
Why trouble yourself about these
matters? The influence of Col. Inger-
soil was not far reaching. Right here
we underestimate the power of his
teaching. If only the family of Inger-
soil were involved we would say moth
ing, but there are others numbering
among the thousands, who are today
under the spell of his magnetism and
words. 1t is true, Ingersoll is dead
and we have no longer to deal with
him personally, but we have type of
Ingersollism unknown even to the
great agnostic, which under natural de-
velopment will lead to such excesses
and license as the master exponent
never dreamed of. Already literature
and public addresses, backed by evil
life, are bearing their fruit.
wish that Ingersoll might have had
the prolonged illness in order that the
faith he had preached might have
been put to the test. History reveals
the fact that the profession Of infidels
and skeptics were insufficient for the
last hours.
voltaire said to his physician, II win
give you half what / am worth II you
will give me six months Of life"
Hobbs, the nfidel philosopher: eff
had the whole world to dispose of,
would give 1t to live one day"
Gibbon, the historian and skeptic:
THE present is the fleeing moment.
The past is no more and my prospect
Of futurity is dark and doubtful"
But we go beyond the realms of rea-
son and to a world Of hope How diff
ferent is the testimony of Christians
as they are about to leave this world.
jeremiah Evarts: Glory, Jesus
reigns."
j. Wesley: THE best of all is, God
is with u.s."
Lady Huntington: II am encircled
in the arms of love and mercy; long
to be at home. o. l long to be at
home"
Alfred .Cookman: "I'm sweeping
through the gates, washed in the blood
Of the Lamb"
Rev John Adams: mo cloi1da nou,