The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-09-14

every Sabbath. and often, ct the invi.
tation Of the rector, read the prayers 10
the people. II those mighty iutellects
are overborne by this delusios,, what
chance is there for you and me?
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 weak
moment he cried out: my belief III the
Bible has saved me in my literary and
moral life." Rosseau, one Of the most
eloquent champions of infidelity,
spending his whole life warring
against Christianity, cries onts 4The
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 againet
Christianity all his days, in his last
hours he cried out: "Oh, Thou blass
phemed but most indulgent Lord God,
hell itself is refuge If it hide mo from
Thy frown!" Voltaire. the most talent
ed infidel the world ever saw, writing
$50 publications, and the most Of them
spiteful against Christianity, himself
the most notorious libertine Of the cen-s
tury-one would have thought he could
have 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 NJ; 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 inddcls; you
cannot depend upon their power to re-
sist this great delusion OF Chrfstianity
Thomas Paine, the god Of modern
skeptics, his birthday celebrated a.
New York and Boston with great en.
thusiasm-Thomas Paine, the paragon
of Bible haters-Ih homas Paine, about
whom his brother infdel, William
Carver, wrote in a letter which havs
at my house, saying that Ne drank I
quart of rum a day and was too mean
and too dishonest to pay for it. Thorn
as Paine, the adored of modem inf
deity Thomas Paine, who st1le an-
other mans wife in England ard
brought her to this country Thoraas
Paine, who was so squalid and ~
loathsome and so drunken and 50 prof
ligate and SO beastly in his habits,
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 delusior
earthquaking delusion Of the Christian
religion. Yea, it goes on. II j. 20 Inn
pertinent, and it is SO overbesrfne, this
chimera Of the Gospel, that, haying
conquered the great picture &alleries
of the world, the old masters and the
young masters, it 10 not satiaded until
it has conquered the music of the
world. Look over the programmes Vt
any magnificent musical festival and
see what are the great performances
and learn that the greatest Of al the
subjects are religious subjects.
Yes, this delusion Of the Christian re-
ligion shows itself in the fact that Is
goes to those who are in trouble. Nosv..
it is bad enough to cheat i man when
he is well and when he is iprosperpus
but this religion comes TO 4 man when
he is sick and says: eYouwill do veil
again after awhile. You are going into
a land where there are no coughs, and
no pleurisies, and no consumptiops, and
no languishing. Take coursgelnd bear
up" Yea, this awful chimere of the.
Gospel comes to the poor, and 4 says ~
them: "You are on your waY 10 yast
estates and to dividends always declnrn-
ble." This delusion Of GhristfRnity
comes to the bereft, and il talks of re-
union before the throne and Of the
cessation of all sorrow. And then, to
show that this delnsion will stop e
absolutely nothing, it goes to the dying
bed and fills the man with anticipa-
tions. How much better it would ~
to have him die without any more hope
than swine and rats and snakesl Shovel
him under! That is all. Nothing more
left OF him. He will never know aly-
thing again. Shovel him underl The
soul is only superior part Of the body.
and when the body disintcgr1tes the
soul disintegrates. Annihilaticu, -
cancy, everlasting blank obliterations
Why not present all that beautiful doe
trine to the dying instead Of coming
with this hoax, this swind1c of The
Christian religion, and filing the dying
man with anticipations ofSancthef BE
until some in the last hour have clepped
their hands, and some have sh0uteds
and some have sung, ana some hAse
been so overweight with joy that they
could only look ecstatic? Palace getea
opening, they thought-diamond coro.
| nets flashing, hands becRoning. AZ.
chestras sounding. Little children ~.
ing actually believing they saw theil
departed parents, SO that although Chs
little children had been 80 weak and
/ feeble and sick for weeks they c0N1d
- x,,rr. IN their dr-snup r,s1fnvn1 ~ I'M