The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1885-01-28
.-- A WORLD WITHOUT FAITH.

Fearful Social Condition Whtch WOuiu
Result from the Banishment OF = Reiig-
| ious Faith from. the World. nE
m. Y. Examiner.]
Sir James Stephen seems to have spoken
the last words of unbelief. Probably some
one else, envlous Of HIS bad renown, will
soon surpass him in pfofahe extravaganza
Of assertion, but at present he wears the
champion belt, In the Contemporary Re-
piep for June last, with the courage of his
skeptieism he used the following Lam
guage: ~ do not see what materials there
are for any religion, or, indeed, what
would be the use Of one, or why it is
wanted. We can get on very well without
It." In nonchalant aud even jocular vein
he goes on TO declare that this is good
world enough, and that fairly well regu-
lated people can get plenty of enjoyment
out Of life without any help from religion
| Of any sort. We are afraid thai this Is the
opinion Of many persons Of culture and re-
| flnement all about US. We personally
know several Of this class.
| In the December number of the same
Review Frances Power Cobbe, under the
title quoted above, fearlessly takes up Mr..
Justice Stephens glove, and inquiries into
''the chief consequences that would be
likely to follow the downfall Of such re-
lgion as at present prevails in civilized
| Europe and America" Her definition of
religion, as might be expected, is Of the
broadcast. She denotes thereby simple
Theism which embraces "faith in God and
Immortality" At present we accept this
definition, or rather allow it to pass un-
challenged.
"a faithless worldw The conception is
indeed CHASTITY one. The prospect which
the phrase conjures up Is as appalling as 1t
is new. 1t certainly becomes the religious
destructives to forecast the future, and dis
tinctly face the state Of things which they
are preparing for us. They con fidently
and gaily prophesy the speedy downfall of
all religion; what condition of society will
emerge from such a tremendous change in
old habits of thought and feeling?
Miss Cobbe very justly argues that,
from individual Atheists of to-day, with
the blood of many generations of Chris
tians in their veins, and encompassed by
Christian atmosphere, 1t would be abb
surd to infer what will be the state Of
society when Atheism has become prac-
tical and universal creed. No one denies
or doubts the high character of many OF
the present generation of unbelievers; but
how will it be when the world, for say q
century, shall have been really "faith-
less worldW
1t is perfectly obvious, as Miss Cobbe
remarks, that in the millennium of unbe-
lief public and private worship will be
suppressed, including the destruction Of
churches, chapels, cathedrals, and the ex-
; tinction of the Christian ministry. The
s abolition Of Sunday, as a sacred day or
day Of rest, would, Of course, follow, to be
replaced by "ffty-six Bank Holidays in
stead of four" These four, we may add,
are now the shame and terror of London.
The Bible would become a mere literary
curiosity, and, so far from being vener-
able as an inspired volume, would have no
authority as q book of morals.
: Among the deeper and more fatal conse-
: quences of this overthrow Of religion would
be the belittlfng Of iiJe. With the departure
of faith in God and Immortality would
e come an inevitable narrowing of the hu-
1
a purposes and activities. Nature, art, duty,
a love, death, would all grow gray and cold,
u and man sink into poor pigmy, moving
!. aimless amidst the scene Of pigmy world,
With the removal OF religion poetry would
die at its roots. Spirit, providence, high
+ ideals and nobler possibilities are the soul
r of poetry. Blank materialism would prove
Il a soil in which its flowers can not grow.
t The absence Of religion would cdrnalizs
3: life. Sensual qualification would soon be
d regarded as the supreme good. With
5 deepening and spreading atheism the DOM
!, ination of carnal appetites and coarse
J. passions would grow apace. The
(: "heshy school" Of writing and living
. would be the only one that could support
Q itself by any well-founded philosophy.
With the lower classes brutal greed and
!, lust could be opposed and restrained by no
considerations Of appreciablo force. Un-
: der irreligious conditions life would be-
come cotodrdly. To dare and suffer nobly
: could not be expected in society from
I which spiritual impulses and motives have
: been withdrawn The martyrs heroism
I would be an object OF contempt where the
word duty had lost It's meaning. In what
{ has been said 1t Is distinctly implied that
Morality will be lowered, IL not secuted
and banished, when the new ages Of a
{ "faithless world shall begin. We are aware
that Atheists seriously insist aud UNDER
| take TO show that morality will survive
the downfall of religion, and be no less
: vigorous than 1t now is. But surely when
. God, spirit, conscience, duty, have become
D empty names, and every man, with no
Q kingly ideal 10 fear, love or obey, is left tc
1 dolwhat is pleasing in his own Dyes, the
9 fatal consequence Of immortality is not
4 doubtful. In ''the faithless world" there
, will be no Repentance for sin will no long
a er be counted sin, and the conscience will
: be perverted or drugged into insensi-
5 bility. Prayer, Confession and Thanks
Y giuing will cease TO be human exercises
: With the banishment OF God these serv-
ices would Of course have no ground and
Z; no meaning. Self Dental, and that great
s est Of the Christian graces Charity, would
!. quit "the faithless world" and leave IL no
i better than a moral Sahara. What is
s called "altruism" is but aspale copy OF
e Christian charity, and would perish with
d the original. The poor, the sick, the be.
!, reaved and the aged would be left to curse