The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-06
WIT AND INVECTIVE.
FL. L. Hastings Has No Use
for Science OF Unbelief.


ance was large, nearly every seat in
the body of the hall being taken. Mr..
Hastings is editor Of THE Christian"
and an able speaker.
The first part of the address was de-
voted to a discussion of the relative
standing of men and women from a
Christian and practical, every day
standpoint, and the latter part to a
scathing arraignment of infdels and
intidelity.
Mr.. Hastings said in part: 1T has be-
come a general impression among many
so-called scientists at the present time
that the Bible and religion are prGc-
tically done for at the present day.
They say religion does very we'll FOR
women and children, but 1t is a thing
OF the past for strong men. Statistics
show that of the church communicates
In the world, women outnumber men
about two to one. In Massachusetts
only q per cent of church members are
men.
Women are characterized as the
weaker vessel, even in the Bible. Some
men are able to drink pint of whis
key without showing visible effects,
while some women are unable to drink
a cup Of tea without lying awake half
the night. Men leave their employ
ment on strike to have their working
hours reduced to eight hours day,
While woman puts in about 1G hours
a day trying to support him.
Men sit or stand about corners or
in bar rooms blowing in their week
salary, while the woman stands over
the wash tub or ironingboard, trying to
keep the family going, her expenses
for the week in most cases being the
few cents that drop in the collection
box at the weekly prayer meeting.
This, l suppose, goes to show that wo-
man is the weaker vessel.
Not long ago / was calleJ to adj
dress the congregation of fashionable
and wealthy church. AS | looked over
the array of millinery, the fact was
noticeable that there were very few
men present, but 1 knew where the
men were. They were at home wadins
through a half acre or so of what are
termed Sunday newspapers, smoking,
riding bicycles, or pursuing come other
equally intellectual pursuit.
Il addressed another congregation a
few weeks later, composed entirely of
men, about 900 in number. They sat
throughout the entire service and did
not go out before the sermon was I'M
ished. This was in the state prison,
This body of men was made up of
splendid strong-minded specimens of
the sex, some were expert penmen, so
expert as to be able to write other
mems names better than their own in
many cases; mechanics who under
stand getting inside safes and other
structures; accountants who under
stand the theory thoroughly, in fact
too well for their own good or that of
their employers.
Most so-called scientific men have
thrown the Bible over, and are inclined
to look on man as the result of sort
of evolutionary product; in fact, sort
of high-class monkey, with few mod
ern improvements.
It am told that infidelity is spread
ing, and that there are more skepttcs
in the world at present than ever be-
fore. 1 know there are plenty Of men
who are willing to pay the sum of 81
to have the Bible reviled but very few
of these men are willing to pay one
cent for religion.
"A few years ago, I knew a woman
who was brought up in a Christian
home. She deserted her family and
faith to marry an infidel. A few years
later. when she had been deserted and
cast off and had nothing left in life
er of her faith asking what she should
do. She received no reply until a
few years later when this champion of
the cause. replied through the columns
of the New York papers to the effect
that If a person were sick, degraded or
in trouble. from which they could see
no way of escape, to hang themselves,
take poison, blow their brains out, or
commit suicide in any way.
SNft J, to wit iob
the New York press was flooded, show
ed its work. There was a perfect cpl
demic of suicides. a majority of the
unfortunate beings having their pockets
filed with clippings from papers setting
forth the infidel's idea. Twenty years
ago statistics show there was about
1000 suicides annually, while in 1897
there were over 10000 suicides, a much
larger proportion.
What is an anarchist? I answer,
nothing more than an inf1del gone to
seed. The advice of the sl5eptic to a
poor misguided Individual is to go and
hang himself, while the religion of
the Christian mother as she lies on her
deathbed, is The Lord is my shep-
herd and is bequeathed to her chill
dren.
This theory of suicide advanced by
the promoter of infidelity in this coun-
y
Office Three of his clerks attempted
suicide, two We're successful and the
third made a brave attempt. Four
men commit suicide to one woman.
Women trust in God and pray for the
welfare of their husbands and children,
while men, self-conceited and proud get
into a little trouble and blow out their
brains. Suicide in case of this sort
is confession that life has been a
blank failure.
Previous to the reign of terror, over
century ago. France was flooded with
infidel literature. and during the three
years and half that followed, the prn-
ciples of infidelity were thoroughly
worked out. The streets ran blood and
hundreds of innocent women and child
rem were butchered France has never
recovered from that period, which is
proved by the fact that since that time
there have been 10 changes in constltu-
ton and 16 changes in government in
the unhappy country.
THE infidel orator has stated that
ShakSpere's works is his bible But
SHAKESPEARE was q believer in God, and
hundreds of places in his works quote
from the Bible. Where can we find in
fldels among the people who have at
tanned worldwide fame in the world of
music. literature, art. or sculpture
Who of the great jurists, emancipators
statesmen, military men, explorers, as
tronomers or scientists are infidelsP
Representatives Of these different
classes were God-fearing men.
AT the present time the Bible or
parts of it are printed in over 400 differ
ent languages and distributed among as
many nationalities. This work may be
said to be wholly due to the work of the
little band of missionaries who go forth
in all directions preaching the word of
God. On the other hand, where is the
country that has been made better by
infdehty?