Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-05-23
THE DECAY OF FAITH,


Skcpticism q SYMPTOM not the Ell.
Client Cause Of Existing IreligiOn-
AgnOsticlsm FOred0omed to oblivion.
From the Toronto Mail.
The ayowed unbelief Of the time is not SUM-
Client Of itself to account for the decay of faith
Skeptlcism is a symptom, not the efficient cause
Of such irreligi0n as exists. Indeed, when the
phenomenon is carefully analysed it will appear
clearly that theoretical unhelief plays only q
subordinate part in the matter. OF all those
who are practically without God. and have no
hope in the world, the agnostics are but q feeble
folk, and form an Insignificant portion. The
reason for this obvious fact lies on the surface.
With all its clamor0us pretensiousness, dog
matte inf1delity is hollow and unnatural. The
majority of it's vOtaries accept from scientific
men, who are not philosophers still less stu
dents of comparative theology. certain vague
statements upon trust, with all the fervOr Of
unreasOning superstition.
For the solemn prelude Of Scriptural law or
admOnitiOn, THUS saith the Lord" men are
treated with what Tyndall says, or Clifford
thought, or Spencer is specializing upon. To the
agnOstic 1t does nOtappear necessary to examine
the premises, 1t Is quite enough to cOndense the
fog which gathers about the pseudo philosophy
III.
English reviewer lately remarked that the crud-
ity of recent speculatiOns, outside the range of
physical science proper, Is simply marvellous. In
periods Of scientific advance new wave Of
fashionable Demo-crittcism'' sweeps over hui:
mainly, and the deepest and best thinkers are
forgotten. "Such wave has been passing once
more over US and the old errors exploded hun
dred times seemed for while to have fairly
covered spiritual philosophy out of sight. There
are various signs, however, that this wave has
INF unn n fon
spread over wider surface, it has never carried
more rubbish in its sweep. 1t never was more
superficial and more arrogant, and future gen.
erations will be astOnished at the influence which
resuscitated these sOphisms."
The agnestic dish is thus compounded: Take
equal parts of evolution and molecular physics.
garnish with little Lucretus. add a liberal
qndntum of Hume, and serve up with Buddhist
sauce. 1t is clear that sucn a creed can have no
hold upon any human soul. 1t lacks the first
bread, and agnosticism dsdalns to offer SO much
as stone. 1t knows nothing except that there
Is nothing except the material universe, of
which man forms VAIN and insignificant part.
Unbelef of that type can never succeed, because
it cannot satisfy the instructive warming Of the
race 1t fails to content the scientists, who are
perpetualy stretching out their longing arms to
the "UnknOwable" 1t cannot content their
humble followers, who take everything on trust
with childlike faith that Is almost touching in
its simplicity.
To the mass of mankind it's theories are as If
they were not Few people care jot about
prOtoplasIn, or take the trouble to inquire how
it came into existence. The broad chasm which
yawns between being and no being, between
matter and vacuity. does not alarm men. be-
cause they care nothing about the matter.
Nevertheless, agnosticism Is the outgrowth Of
the epicurean and materiallstic tone of the age.
1t Is the intellectual flower which springs from
soil rank with moral and spiritual decay.
Hence. even where it Is either ignored or I'M
known as a formulated system it nevertheless
serves as decent covering to practical goddess
ness. Those who do mot like to retain God in
their knowledge" are practical agnOstics,
whether they SO profess themselves or not. Men
who have smatterng of the no creed sympa-
tive for conscience-an impunity for selfshness,
for cOvetOusness, for reckless living.
One OF the gravest stumbling blocks to reli-
gion is the hard materialism of the age. The
triumphs in invention of which we boast so
loudly have their sinister side The openings
for speculaton-the new world to conquer-are
secured at the cost OF human spirituality. That
engrOssing wOrdiness which infringes even
upon the Sabbath calm pursue the race with
its sting as the tabled gadfiy harassed the fugi-
tive. The love of the world when it becomes an
absorbing passion is Incompatible with religion
and with much else that is lovely in the char
acter. Christianity does not eniOin neglect of
worldly duties. "Ths we commend YOU" said
st. Paul, THAT if any would not work, neither
should he eat" The Saviour Himself, in sup
plicatlOn for His disciples said: Il pray not that
Thou shOuldest take them out of the world, but
that Thou shoudest keep them from the evil"
The evil in our day consists in the universal
haste to be rich; and there is surely no passion
so utterly destructive OF moral and spiritual
well being. 1t is going far below the mark to
say that all the fantastic systems of materastic
agnOsticism have together wrought less harm
to the race than the confused and heartless
scramble for worldly success among men who
call themselves Christians. We hear much of
Christian unity; what our age demands is more
spirituality. more self-denlal. less money grub
bling. AS it is, the faint of Mammon worship
pervades the atmosphere to the exclusion of
faith and its sister graces. Where mans treas
ure is there will his heart be also. Energy, en-
terprise, business sagacity are all noble quail
ties, but they may be pressed into the service.
When the issue comes to lie between God and
MammOn. the effort to serve two masters must
result'in terrible damage to the soul of man.
Journalism is the natural result of absorption
In earthly pursuits. profession Of religion, so
far as church attendance may serve to indicate,
Is often not only a matter of habit or fashion,
but positive necessity with those who aim at
the main chance The pew regularly filed at
the beginning of the week seems, in some sort.
portion of the mans stock in trade. 1t gives
him tone, credit and character with his fellows;
but beyond that religion has no significance to
such an one. Yet it Is surely clear that if Chris
tianity is to have free course and to be justified
by It's fruits, itmust permeate the life. To bal
ance Sunday worship against 1.-THE wretched
remnant of the week" is terrible mistake in
ones life reckoning. Yet that is too often the
way In which men keep their current account
with heaven and conscience.
Is it any wonder that faith decays. when those
who claim to be its adherents thus deal with it?
AgnOsticism is fOredoomed to oblivion. nOtwith-
standing its hollow clamOrOusness. Upon it is
Inscribed the solemn announcement: "He that
drinketh of this water shall thirst again" But
with all its sinister intentions, it has never nor
ever can, entail a 1.-THE of the evil brought about
by the unsp!rituality of protested Christians
Who shall breathe upon these dry bones, that
they may live?
The Wedding Vail.
Travellers in Japan describe the Japanese
malden's wedding vail as long. flowing piece
OF gauze, white and soft in texture. 1t is used
but tWice-frst for bridal vail and again when
1t serves as winding sheet