Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1899-08-12


fortunes or miSfnrl":irS. Tie litter
anccs were Of such II nature i!:hi You
could read them any way you wanted
to read them.
Myrlnda OF "Dupcs."
So the ancient augur!cs deceived the
people. The priests of those nuSurics
by the flight of birds or by the inlona-
ton Of slain animals told the fortunes
or mlsfortuncs of individuals of ma
lions. The sibyls deceived the people.
The sbyls were supposed TO be inspir-
cd women who lived in caves aud who
wrote the skyline books afterward
purchased by TarQuln the Proud. SO
late as the year 1879 Il man arose in
New York. pretending to be divine
being. aud played his part so we'll that
wealthy merchants became his dis
ciples and threw their fortunes into his
keeping. And SO in all ages there
have been necronancics, incantations,
witchcrnfts, sorccries. magical arts,
entertainments. diHinatons and dclu-
sions. The one Of the text was only q
specimen of that which has been oc-
curing in oil ages of the world. None
of these delusions accomplished any
good They deceived. they pauperized
the people, they were as cruel as they
were absurd. They opened no hospi-
tails they healed no wounds. they wip-
ed away no tears, they emanclpated no
serfdom.
But there are those who say that all
these decisions combined are as moth
Ing compared with the deluson now
abroad in the world-the delusion OF
the Christian religion. That delusion
has today 4lO,oOo,0O0 dupcs. 1t pro-
poses TO cncircle the earth with its
gIrdle. That which has been called
deluslon has already oyershadowed the
Appalachian range on this side Of the
sea. and 1t has overshadowed the Bal
kan and Caucasian ranges on the other
side Of the sec. 1t has conquered Eng
lnnd and the United States. This cham
Of the ages. as 1t has been called, has
gone forth TO conquer the islands of
the Pacific. and Melanesia and Micro
nesia and Malayan Polynesia have al
ready surrendered to the dclusion. Yea,
it has conquered the Indian archipela-
60, and Borneo aud Sumatra and Gel
ebes and Java have fallen under Its
wiles. In the Fiji islands. where there
are 100000 people 100000 have al.
ready become the dupeS Of this Chris
tinn religion. and If things 20 on as
they are now going on md If the In
fluencc of this great hallucination OF
the ages cannot be stopped 1t will
swallow the globe. Surprising, then.
that Christianity Is the delusion Of the
centuries as some have pronounced 1t.
propose to show you what has been
accomplished by this chimera, this
fnllacy. this hoax. this swindle of the
ages. 81
And. In the first place. | remark that
this deluslon Of the Christian religion
has made wonderful transformations
Of human character. will go down the
aisle Of any church in Chrstcndom,
and will find on either side that aisle
those who were once protiigate. pro-
fame, uncIeaa of speech and unclean Of
action, drunken and lost. But by the
power Of this delusion Of the Christian
religion they have been completely
transformed. and now they are kind
and amlable and loving and useful.
Everybody sees the change. Under the
power of this great hallucination they
have quit their former associates. and.
whereas they once found their chief
-elight among those who gaInbled and
sworc and raced horses. now they find
their chief Joy among those who 20 to
prayer meetings AMI churches. so COM
plete la the delusion. Yea. their own
families have noticed II tie wife has
noticed 1t. the children have noticed
1t. The money that went for rum now
goes for books and for clothes and for
education. He Is new man. All who
know him say there has been won
derfai change. What Is the cause OF
this changer This great hsllucination
of the Christian religion. There Is as
mucn 0lnerence between wnat ne IS
now and what he once was as between
q rose and q nettle, as between q dove
and q vulture, as between day and
night. Tremendous delusion!
Admiral FnrFngut.
Admiral Farragut, one of the most
admired men Of the American navy,
early became victim Of this Christian
delusion, and, seated not long before
his death at Long Branch, he was CIV
Ing some friends an account Of his
early life. He said "My father went