Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

THOUGHTS ON RELIGION AND

PHILOSOPHY.

CHAPTER I.

NEED OF SPEAKING OUT. THE PRESENT POSTURE OF AFFAIRS.-THE TRUE CHARACTER OF ATHEISTS.-THE CAUSES OF THEIR INCREASE AND CONFIDENCE.-HOW THEY SHOULD BE MET.—POSTSCRIPT.—BARROW'S SCRIPTION OF ATHEISTS.

DE

I AM resolved once more before I die, to try if I cannot, GOD helping me, awaken the minds of Christian people to a sense of the tremendous issues now at stake in the rapid progress of scepticism and infidelity, and the need of vigorous and united efforts in order to repel the assaults which are made upon our holy faith. It is not that people are not aware of these things, but they take far, too little heed of them, and suffer the mischief to accumulate without serious attempts to stop it.

B

2

THE PRESENT POSTURE OF AFFAIRS.

What is the present posture of affairs? The present state of things is very remarkable. The large majority of the people of this land call themselves Christians; nine-tenths of the educated and most influential persons in society rejoice in the name; we are surrounded with Christian institutions-many new ones are growing up-new churches, new schools, new religious societies: and yet somehow or other scepticism and infidelity are stealthily growing upon us,-nay more than stealthily, they are openly and boastfully increasing; atheists are openly promulgating their doctrines-many feel no shame in denying the truth of CHRIST; some of our ablest periodicals are infected with the disease, and if they do not advocate infidelity, yet open their pages to its discussion; our very universities, founded by the piety of our forefathers, are strongly tainted; and, what perhaps is the most evil sign of the times, the clique of infidels in the legislature have succeeded in forcing upon it the unheard of proposition that Christianity need not, and in some cases shall not, be taught in our primary schools.

How is this? How is it that with the prestige of eighteen hundred years of Christian teaching, with the hold which Christianity still has on the nation, nay the increasing energy of Christians in many departments, still the opposing forces seem to make so great advance?

« VorigeDoorgaan »