The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-08-13

true. Before it inferior types of religion
disappeared.
The Roman Catholic form of Christian
ity-despite its great oorruptions-has
run parallel career. They commenced
about the same time-and they are likely
to end about the same time. Romanism
was better than Paganism; it announced
many glorious truths and the truth which
it held has impaired to it its wonderful
vitality.
But strong as were Islamism and Ro-
manism, overloaded with error they car
ried in themselves the seeds of decay
They shone like luminaries in dark age
they paled before pure form of Christi
anity as did the old lighthouses on our
coasts as compared with the calcium and
electric lights. The history of Europe
since the Reformation continues to illus
trate our argument Those nationalities
which embraced the Truth are precisely
those which constitute to-day the powers
of Europe. The little realm of Scotland
has grown under its stern Presbyterian
convictions to be one of the most notable
communities in the world. England,
Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany,
have completely overshadowed Spain,
Portugal, Italy, Austria. France is a
powerful and prosperous nation, but even
here the elements Of strength are derived
from the weakening of the power of Ultra
montana thought, and the elements of
weakness are due to the absence of strong
religious conviction.
And now, surveying the whole field of
history and philosophy from the begin
ming, what system is it which has, in COM
parison with all others, exhibited the
greatest amount Of vitality? has held it's
own and continued to grow amid the
wreck and decay of all other systems?
Friend and foe will at once recognize that
that great ENDURING system has been
CHRISTIANITY. In three hundred years
Paganism-all.the culture and philosophy
of the Roman world-fell before it
Gradually-even in corrupted form-it
pushed its way over the entire continent
of Europe, and made that continent what
we see it to-day-without any parallel
as an example of civilization in the his
tory of the world. The same Christian
ity in its Protestant form has created a
similar civilization in this western world,
and is building up another highly civil
lied community in Australia--not to
speak of the influence it begins to exert
in India. Every other form of religion
vanishes before its touch 1t is plain tC
see that Mohammedanism Brahmanism
Buddhism, Confucignism, JTao-tse-ism
venerable as they are, and though count
ing their adherents by scores Of millions
will succumb to its impact. The most
stubborn resistance it has ever encoun-
tered has been from its elder brother
Judaism. Note the vitality that lay in
the revelation of the Old Testament,
maintaining itself from the days of the
Pharaohs against Assyrian, Greek Ro-
man, through the Middle Ages, down to
the present time, in every country on the
face of the globe. Prophecy assures us
that it will nevertheless be merged in the
higher revelation.
If Christianity manifests this indestruc-
tibility-and this cOnquering power-as-
sailed as it has been too by every form
of philosophical speculation as we'll as by
the sword and the power Of the State
for eighteen centuries-is it not because
it is impossible to exhnguish the torch
of truth?
1t is engaged in great conflict now,
with Infdelity. Suppose the sceptical
philosophers like Huxley and Haeckel
should triumph, do we not all know
that we should have Chaos? Is not this
guarantee that Infdelity will not tri-
umph? Can the mother of Chaos devour
the child of Mary, whose precepts are the
bond Of modern society, and whose faith
has awakened the sweetest affections
that ever melted with charity the hui
man heart? Can LOVE be banished from
the world? and shall the Pure in Heart
be driven away as lie from the bosom
of society?
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