The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-25

of the temptation with which they some
times assan the heart. If you
have never felt it I am glad. l confess 1 have
and thousands have Young men, thoughtful
men, accustomed to seek the reason of things,
to understand what they accept are peculiarly
liable to this temptation. Too often they turn
from Christianity to the things which they think
are movable and explicabe-to the exact and
demonstrable sciences, to the probabilities of
life, or to a philosophy founded upon pure
reason" expecting thus to rid themselves of
doubts and perpleXities The mistake they
make is palpable. There is a very general i'm
preston that mysteries exist only in the sphere
of revealed religion. The impression is as false
as it is common. They exist in every sphere of
life and thought. So far is religion from being
the one sphere in which they are found that
they only multiply in number and density the
further you remove from the gospel of Jesus
Christ If the plan of salvation is a mystery
would it not be greater mystery if man, with
all his mighty hopes and capabilities and long
ings, should be left to battle unaided, and all
experience shows, unsuccessfu1y with the
powers of evil? If the existence of mysteries
tempt you to go away from Christianity, remem-
Der that in leaving Him you will go to greater
difficulties and perpleXities.
And this leads to the third thought suggested
by the text-the folly Of going away from Chris
tianity until satisfactory substitute is offered.
Strong temptations may present themselves to
us to desert Jesus, but before we do it we want
to know to whom we shall go. The soul cannot
endure alone. Show some one better than
Jesus if you would have us leave Him. Right
here lies the great objection to the whole mod
ern system of so-called obstructive criticism"
1t is easy to find fault to critcise to sneer. 1t
is easy to overthrow faith in many hearts. The
fre-brand Of fool destroyed the Ephesian Tenn
pie of DIANA which had taken the wisdom of
centuries to build. These destructive critics are
the Nihilists of religion. Their one aim is to de
strOy, but they have nothing to build upon the
ruins they make. do not particularly object to
any honest criticism you may see fit to make
upon my house, certainly not to any kindly sug-
gestions as to possible improvements upon it,
though may entirely disagree with you; but
when you insist upon its demolition, without
providing me better one then do most seri-
ously object. Jesus is my Savior my tower,
my Defense my home. There is point up to
which criticism is iustifable and allowable, but
when. with Nihilistic madness, it would destroy
simply for the sake of destroying, with no
desire to correct the false and improve
the imperfect with no substitute to offer or even
suggest in the place of the destroyed, then it is
time to protest. Strauss, and Bauer, and Renan,
and the whole school of religious Nihilists may
prepare their bombs of destruction. Voltaire
and Ingersoll may sharpen their weapons of sa
tire and vulgar abuse, but before clap my hands
at the death OF my emperor or join their ranks,
| want to ask them, "What next"
The text teaches us that Christ alone is the
Savior of men, The modern substitutes for
Christianity are as old and older than the time
of Peter, The first is skepticism in one or the
other of its many forms, but whatever the form,
it assumes superiority on the side of reason.
Christ is rejected because reason rejects him.
The religion of reason is the claim which skep-
ticism urges in pleading to be accepted of men.
Skepticism seeks to satisfy the soul by denying
its needs as though a thirsty man would attempt
TO assuage his thirst by persuadng himself that
he is not thirsty Let there be no thought of
going away from Christ Rather let our prayers
be that He will remain with us.