The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-29
SOPHISMS OF INGERS0LL.

ence.
Rev. DR.. Leech. pastor Of the Metho-
dIst Episcopal church at Morgantown,
,ectured before the Epworth league at
parkersburg. Tuesday evening, on the
"sophlsns Of IugersOll." The conclud-
,nr part of the lecture was:7s
THE Bible has been pounded by the
,-,p hammers Of false friendg and pro-
nounced foes; by fallacies and scholar
shin; by paralogy and intense analysis.
voIney in his Ruins Of Empires, Glbbon
IN his History Of Christianity, MeslIer
IN his supersuuons OF All Ages. Bush
per in his Force and Matter, Paine in
his Age Of Reason, Waite In his History
Of the Christian Religion. Bennett In
his sages, Thinkers and Reformers Of
the World, and pontlfEs 10, their Bulls
OF prohibition against IT, circulation,
have piled distractions ip the path OF
me scriptures. 1t has had to fight It's
v,y forward through lines Of mallg-
nant enemies as Roosevelt fought his
CAV on to Santiago. Europe Is billlowed
yIin the martyr raves of its friends.
Il mas been tossed by politicians from
The desks OF thousands Of public schools
and vet every time the setting sun
throws his waning splendor Of light on
The tops Of the western mountains thirty
thousand new Bibles have been bound
SSr circulation, Its onward march has
been from jubilee to ovation, from VIC
tory to conquest.
"Nlllons OF sincere Denltents have
followed the guidance OF the Bible and
have found zest for the affections and
igy FOR the soul Numberless have been
the poor and the sick to whom 1t has
Epan fountain OF bliss. Like the stars
In multitude have been the dying Chris
tians who have seen Its glory illumining
the dark tunnel uniting time to eternity,
ms earthly entrance being a radiant
death bed victory, while the celestial
terminus opened into the New Jerusa-
lem whose light is Jesus Christ.
See, II is the twenty-hrst Of Septem-
Der, 1882. The illustrious author, Sir
WaltcrScott, Is dying at Abbottsford.
He has won Immortality in literature
by such pure creations as The Lay or
the Last Minstrel" 1.-THE Lady of the
lothian" "The Bride Of Lammermoor,"
'.The Legend Of Montrose," 1.-THE Life
OF Napoleon and Kenilworth.' To pro-
long his earthly career the British gov
eminent for a year has placed war
ship at his disposal on the Mediterra-
mean sea. He sits In a great arm chair,
dropped with pillows. He gaEes on the
beautiful Tweed and the glorious land
scape bathed in the light Of the setting
sun. He whispers to the accomplished
MIR. Lockhart, Reach me the Book. He
has n great library. Mr.. Gockhart re-
spends, What book?' The dying schol-
ar replies, There is but one Book he
whispers, Read to me thef-fourteenth
chapter Of john Mr.. Lockhart begins,
Let not your heart be troubled He
reads of the celestial mansions. The
authors enraptured SOUL catches It's
earliest glimpse OF the Kings city. he
closes his eyes on the Fippllng Tweed
that he may open them on the river OF
he flowing from the throne Of GOD
clear as crystal. The gorgeous Septem-
Der sunset fades from his vision that he
mag the better look ON the heavenly
metropolis having no need OF the sun
or moon to shine In It. Could prop
erly pronounce Scotch words l would
lust Ike here to adorn this address
With the poem Of Agnes E. Mitchell on
Scott's dying words, There is but one
Book.
"Tha life. death and funeral OF Mr..
mge-soll were alike destitute OF moral
beauty See, He has spent a long life
of brilliant opportunities for great use
fulneas ridIcullng the Bible for rev.
enue He has wrecked the religious
faith OF muliltudes Of young men. Sud
denly he dies as much Of an agnostlc as
was Sophocles. who sang:
MANS happIest lot is not to be.
Aud when We tread LIES thorny steep,
Most blest are they who. earliest free
Descend TO deaths eternal sleep.
"Hls worthy family sit IN sorrow, des-
dilute Of the faith Of Christianity as his
body is being cremated according to the
ancient pagan usages prevailing In
Gresce, Rome and other lahds. His wife
receives from the cremator, his ashes for
the domestic urn
How unlike the magnificent crema
tons OF q long line OF distinguished
Christian martyrs, men like Bliney and
Hooper, Rogers and Baymaii Saunders
and Taylor. Huss and Cranmer. whose
last eXuitant expressions Mt the stake
are among the treasures of history!
II stood once in Florence, In the
square Signorla, where on the Sth OF
April, 1898. the INDUSTRIOUS 'Saronarola
was burned He is bound with a cross
engirt with fagots saturated with oils.
The papal bishop Of V 'osa eXclaims, /
separate thee from the church militant
and the church triumphant. The re-
nOwned monk answers, Not from the
church triumphant, for that is beyond
thy pOwer,' The flames climb about his
roasting flesh, but like EhjGh, passing
upward In a chariot OF IRE, his SOU
ls . -. zs,A nd Ia a
are tossed into the dark ArnO OF such
heroes Charles Wesley's words are true:
"'Lo, the heavenly spirit towers
Like flames DER natures funeral pyre;
TrIumphs In immortal powers
And claps its wings Of fire.
''Lamartine, In his History OF Mary
Stuart. tells us Of the deep impression
John Knox made on the beautiful young
queen MS he stood In her place holding
hls Bible in his left hand. Let us love
Gods Word. and be familiar with each
cedar and palm, rose and lily. In this
garden OF Cod In faithful and prog
ressiys study We should bend over this
volume IS the college student studies
the illHd OF Homer and the Orations of
cicero. We should master its chapters
a1 completely as SclpiO Afrlcanus mas
tered the histories OF Senophon, or
T5mrraue mastered the facts In the life
Of Cyrus. Instead Of sklmmlng arti-
hria.y over these sacred compositions
s5 the butterfly dances over an acre
or blossoms let us dig down into the
chapters ls the bee cuts Its way to the
h. ~ % o flower and revels amidst Its
hidden nectar.
When skeptlc1l friends sought to
undermine the confidence Of the poet
A"fr.T 10 the Bible he wrote his cole.
bIi.1 verses, with the final stanza Of
winch I close this address:
~, hou uest friend man ever knew,
" ------ncy I've irlnl: