The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-08-25
THE PRACTICAL TEST.

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great. deal of popular outspoken in
fidelity as well as more intelligent
and at the same time more reticent UNI
belief. The authority Of the doctrine
of Christ is impeached; the scientific
incorrectness Of the cosmOgony OF
Moses is asserted; the genuineness and
authenticity OF the Pentateuch is de.
nied; the historical inaccuracies of the
Old Testament writers are pointed out;
and no end of other difficulties are
alleged as the ground Of the unbelief
of those who profess to be intelligently
skeptical. 1t is true that this age is
not peculiar in this respect Again
and again have these waves of unbelief
rolled over the generations of Chris
tianity only to roll back again, leaving
the foundation Of faith more manifest
than ever before. If, in some respect,
the infidelity Of to-day is not so bold as
in the beginning of the century when
what is known as the French intdelity
was the fashion, it is perhaps more
dangerous, because 1t is English in
fidelity, and, therefore, based on more
serious grounds.
Skcpticism is not so much surprise
to us as that, after all, it IS so harm
less. The overthrow of Christianity
has again and again been prOphesied
and proclaimed by its adversaries for
centuries past; but, in spite of all,
every thing goes on just as ifno assault,
had been made and no enemies were
prophesying defeat. Every institution
of the church is beng steadily
strengthened; the churches are being
multiplied all over the land; believers
more and more by the tens and hun
dreds OF thousands are being added to
the church; home and foreign missions
are increasing the scope of their oper-
atoms; Christian benefcence is grow
ing with each decade; the Bible IS be-
ing printed and circulated as never
before; Christian scholarship is stead
lily advancing; Christian education is
constantly moving forward on to high
er ground, and, in a word, the faith
once delivered to the saints seems not
in the least to be affected by all the
multiplied attacks which are made
upon it; and it would seem that the
words of Christ were, with every gen.
Grafton, being made more manifestly
true: 1.-THE gates OF He'll shall not pre-
vail against it.
This is certainly true as general
survey of the field; nevertheless there
are those who are very near and dear
to us all who have been caught in this
undertow of intidelity and dragged I'M
der. Some of them cry out to us for
help while others seem Indifferent to
their fate. In either case it is incum-
bent upon us to attempt their rescue.
1t becomes every believer not only to
be able to give a reason "to every one
that asketh him for the hope which he
has within him." but to do more; and
be able to extend a saving hand to
those who have no hope. In order to
do this we must needs be acquainted
with the grounds of unbelief. and also
with the answers to the various objec.
tons and difficulties which are pre-
sented to us. Every Christian should
be thus intelligent, and so prepared to
"lend hand" to the perishing about
him.
Skepticism is rooted both in the in
tellectual and moral nature of man.
One man says: II am askeptic because
fail to find sufficient proof of the truth
of the claim of Christianity. He denies
the inspiration of the Bible until it i!
proved. He denies the supernatural
history of revelation, because, he says
the supernatural is incredible. The in
carnation and resurrection of Christ
which are fundamentals Christian trutl
and power, he will not accept on any
authority, or upon any testimony, be
cause, he says, both are impossibl,
and, therefore, no amount of testi
mony can serve to establish them. o
course this line of objection is most un
reasonable as we look at it; neverthe
less the skeptic of this school takes hi
ground stubbornly here and holds it
When we meet with such case it is o
little use to hold an argument witt
him. We may leave our testimon,
and offer for his consideration our lin,
of proof, but there we have come to al
end.
But the majority of skeptics are, w
sincerely believe, skeptics on mora
grounds. That is, their skepticism j
matter of their affections rather thai
of their intellect. They have a disin
clination to accept the doctrine Q
Christ and submit their lives to Him
A life of self-denial and holiness is no
to their minds. To live for anothe
world by denying this one is contrar
to their conceptions of life. To mort