New-York tribune., 1901-06-23

the ct % Of Gospel Teeaon IT fr t0 hye and
their faith has become dim and uncertain.
That the causes which l have partially indicated
faith Of mutitudes has been weakened will he evil
cent from glance at the utteranffs Of one or two
despairine view. OF life Life" sang the Italian
Is no other life and the world is mire I am
seized by cold shudder as | search through the
worth Of life? Solely TO desp.se IL OF the de-
the acknowledged Corypheus of modern atheistc
taught his disciples to hate and despise and
to acquire an accurate and connected view Of the
utter despicahility Of mankind
cry: love has no meaning but lust virtue is only
f9rTn OF Seihsnness ,ns Is te "Sfs bS S d an bss
and humiliation is the only possible remedy for
again. 1t seemed 10 say that the people are
q mixture Of bears and monkeys, that We may
be eaten ny spiders. men are born 10 be eaten up
by sorrows Do we not see in such sentiments
ity tends inevitably TO dark dangerous mean and
selfish views Of all human life?
GREAT TASK FOR THE CLERGY.
To me. then. it seems that the greatest problem
of the present century is, BY what means we
to deepen or reawaken, that deep and true faith
in Christ as the Saviour and teacher of the world
, which undoubtedly has lost its hold in many
hearts? This should be the work of all true
Christians hut most of all the strenuous endeavor
of the clergy. who are specially set apart and
BENJAMIN Whichcote, begins in knowledge it pro-
| n and ends in practice
No reassertton Of autoCratic saCerdotal preten-
sions no nsistence obsolete shihholeths, re-
| vival OF any number of nggling utilities in the
performance OF public worship will he of the small
est avail In reawakening and deep faith In the
minds Of those whom IL is most important 10
! win back to that enthusiasm of Christian belief
! and effort without which we cannot hope TO rem
I edy the many and increasing difficulties and the
] resultant moral degeneraCy which constitute the
/ most serious danger. and therefore the great
/ est problem of the present century.
/ All Christians who in earnest must show.
! alike by their arguments and by the whole tenor
of their lives that neither the advance of scien-
thc knowledge. nor the conclusions of the higher
lastic theology necessitate the slightest change in
the eternal and fundamental beliefs of any who
: cept Christ 5 their Lord and King and who live
in the conviction that this age the German poet
| sang, is "the Age Of the Holy Ghost
Christ himself taught ms that 1t expedent
for MS that He should GO away and that by the
] indwelling OF His promised Spirit are-or may
, be-nearer TO Him than II. like Peter. we
| could clasp Him by the hand. like the beloved
who profess and call themselves Christians would
try realize this truth-the truth that the Spirit
himself heareth witness with spirit that are
children OF God-the millennium would begin in this
twentieth century. There would instantly begin 10
| be something more high and herocal in religion
than this affecteth." The greed of cain and
the love of luxury and tho passionate devotion 10
! purely selfish ends would disappear with all the
grosser forms of human vice and degra dation and
| ere another decade had passed over JUS
This earth would be the paradise
1t never mortal
Since Adam left his garden yet