The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-26

adverted To- besrdleu inndel sclrconndent, ioqua-
cious. magnetic has boon known 10 poison tue minds
Of half his juvenile associates The associations o. tne
school and the college touched on-the evil 10
nuence especially that must b. cxerted by honoreo
and revered teachers, Who with whatever reticencc
are known TO have sceptical leanings Much more; y
innde views stsalthily though only occasionally
insnuated.
The next source Of intdelity mentioned was need
less stumbling II mystery. There Is IN fallen man
everywhere tho old Edenic desire 10 "be as gods,
knowing good and evil In every age "vain man would
be wise. though man be born like wild asss colt
In respect to divine things, especially many are i'm
patient OF inevitable limisaiions They are I'M
They call in theology for what they ind nowhere cIse
We ind mystery everywhere even IN the lowest range
Of existence Each one OF US is breathing walking,
thinking, working mystery. So far IS the circle OF
mystery concerned, the proudest achievements both
OF and philosophy have only served 70 broaden
Il. II u DO SO with the 1nite, how much more with
the Infinite! II 1t DO 30 with the human, how much
more with the divinc
Two errors were spoken Of into which men Of phlo-
sophie thought have falIen they have gapped with
this subject They have failed duly discriminate ~
between facts and modes, ana ~ between apprenend
ing and comprehendng These kindred errors were
discussed At length and their important bearing
shown.
source of scept,cism. true Independence was de-
fined and commended, and the false was set forth as
consisting ~ in an undue independence Of Others
dom, foolish scorn OF whatever - traditional re-
nunciation OF important helps which God designed Tor
us; and ~ IN affected Independence OF our own
moral The doctrine OF indierrntism US to all
religious truth which have stouty contended for,
was considered at length and It's fnacies pointed out
4 The unhappy influence OF much OF our per iodical
and popular literature was next adverted TO- The COM
paratvc purity OF the American press was thankfully
admitted and emphatic encomiunsxas passed on haf
worthy class OF journalists, in particular who are never
obvious the moral and spiritual interests Of their
readers, and who carefully exclude from their columns
whatever would favor either lax modes OF lie or scep-
teal tendencies And very different class both OF
books and periodicals was described and dealt with.
g. Another and prolific Of nfdelity Is igro-
rance OF tho Bible. No other book OF Importance
suffers in this respect like tho Word Of God How little
some literary men know OF IL IL shown often by their
laundering quotations, and more abundantly In other
ways There few Of those who bcratc and re-
jcct II, who little more Of its conents-nay, IN
some cases. lcss-than OF the Koran tho Shasters.
The advocates OF Christianity often charged with
ignorance OF various folds Of scientific research Ana
tho charge H. In many cases, well founded. An &C
quaintancc with that
Elder Scripture writ by Gods own hand
m every way profitable II binders not, but helps
rather the wise and effective defence Of sacred vol
ume For there is aniagonism between nature and
the Bible. They have author one greu; emu aud
10 tho reverent ear there Is glorious harmony oe-
doclity the clearly will this appear But to
that the Bible should be studied ALSO and that not
ia the manner OF mere scollst No less than nature
requires profound study This urged BY various
considerations particularly by the TACT that the Bible
defence lift were daily and diligently read in all the
families Of the land sceptc,sm wond 60 to its own
place and the nation be saved. This point was dis
missed, with emphatic protest against the ex-
cIusion OF tho Bible from the common schools
g. misapprchen sion OF the evangelical faith
next named ~ being occasion often OF sccptcal
eanngs. Men of straw are never particularly seemy,
this is especially true in the sphere of religion.
II - not strange that becomes inde when the
fair form OF Christianity is NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. by
his fault or thnt OF Others-int0 scarecrow or
hobgobin. Such transformations the leading doc
faith have often undergone, and the sad
result been the rejection OF the genuine coin be-
Of the counterfeit Various illustrations OF this
competency wrongheadedness of the advocates of
Christianity hut il has resulted often from ignorance
the Bible from lack OF faithful Investigation and OF
fair and candid consideration Of what the defenders
OF the truth have had TO offer.
l. The source Of in6delity last named was lack Of
sympathy with the Gospel This Is not merely the
complement OF the SERIES but intimately connected
with the whole. 1t is said, indeed, you must beware
your discussions oil the 0dium tAeoL0gcnm. True,
very ruc, In certain relation Of the phrase. But
may Ely follow tho Divine method and God has de-
cared that sthc foor'-the fool moral
because "liked retain God in their kncwl-
edge" the Scripture airms, that He gave thom
to reprobate mind' II men like not the Bible
have ample warrant for saying Is because the Bible
likes not them. HE that is Of Cod" said
our Lord, shoarcth Gods words ye therefore
God" Il not affirmed that men OF sceptical lean.
ings always immoral-far from albert the tend
ency OF infdelity in itself considered is to all
OF deterioration. But immortality apart, there is
natural contrariety between the proud and selfish
human heart and the humbiing demands Of the Gospel
Christ So the heart reluctant to Yield fortihes it.
self with some specious form of sceptcism
Tho discourse closed with address TO the Gradual
ing class In which aectionate reference made TO
deceased member Of the clnss-the only who had
been taken IRON 1t by death In the whole our years.
course-Mr. Walter q W. Purer, Of Lowell, Masa