The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-10-08
THE WEED OF THE no UR.

Some of our Northern Presbyterian
contemporaries have recently been re-
marking on the want Of progress in the
Presbyterian Church during the past
year. The figures Of the Northern Pres
byterian Church, it is observed indicate
that this alleged absence of progress is
not merely fanciful. The Philadelphia
PresByteriaa in looking for the cause of
this, says, that there is "skepticism in the
air" and that "worldliness has come in
like food" The Herald and PreSby-
ter of Pittsburg, adds, in commenting on
the above, that folly and fashion, not
withstanding the recent hard times are
more prevalent than ever before" We
think these remarks are, perhaps, more ap-
phcable TO the state of things at the North
than in the South, but they apply here
also. Some of the causes which have
operated at the North have not been well
developed here yet. Our fashions come
from that quarter, and we are always
somewhat behind.
A spirit of worldliness certainly does
prevail, both in Great Britain and Ameri-
ca, to an unusual degree, and folly and
fashion and extravaganza were rarely
ever at so high a mark in any previous
experience of Vanity Fair Christian
effort has not, we think, declined; on the
contrary, there is great activity through
out the world. 1t is an industrious, stir
ring age, and the activity which prevails
in the secular world, extends itself to
the Church. There is roar Of wheels,
and movement of bands and cranks and
pulleys on every side; but Secularism
seems on the whole to have encroached
on the Church.
What is the cause of this? 1t is due,
we think, to the rapid advance made in
science and the industrial arts. The
world is mad with progress, intoxicated
with its achievements in discovering the
secrets of nature, and the resulting ma
terial development, At the South, es-
pecialIy since the war, owing to the pros
tratiOn of our industries, and our pro
vincial position, this has not been SC
sensibly experienced. The Church here
has langUshed from the want of the
means to expand it. But at the North
the influence which we are discussing
has been peculiarly felt, even in compari-
son with Europe. No people have ever
been raised to a higher pitch of self-com-
placency than have the people Of the
North during the past twenty years OF
our history, and the unchecked prosperity
and growth of the nation during that
period have impressed upon the public
mind of the people Of that section an al
most boundless confidence in the ability
of humanity to go on advancing from
stage to stage until, as Mr.. Beecher i'm
plies, we shall have, through the efficacy
of heredity and science, new breed OF
men and women who can almost dis
pense with the Divine aid in the work Of
regeneration.
This sentiment has been largely crea-
ted, and continues to be fOstered, by the
new theories which Science has pro-
pounded with regard to the origin and
nature of man and human society, and
with regard to the origin of life itself,
and with regard to the general course of
nature. When it becomes widely &C
cepted that the course Of nature is
purely mechanical, self-originated, and
self-sustaining, and that man is merely
an accidental direction of the general
stream of life in its process of self-trans-
formation from lower to higher animal
forms, the feeling Of responsibility and
freedom is silently extinguished, and a
philosophy Of Naturalism fastens on the
minds Of men which leads them ineYita-
bly, to cast off all faith in supernatural
and spiritual environment. There is nc
ground left for Morality Ito say nothing
of Religion when our young men have
embraced Herbert Spencer's or Prof
HuxIey's pedigree Of conscience. AL
these things seem very harmless as long
as they are confined to the proceedings
of Scientific Associations, or to learned
- 1 H. ], 80 IL ,,r.f ,-r,,.- L. thnr