MODERN UNBELIEF
‘Help Thou mine unbelief.’
These words afford a fit starting-point for some remarks upon present phases of unbelief, showing, as they do, man’s need of faith. Unbelief in an active form seems to exist more round Christianity than any other religion. It is only Christianity that excites conflict.
I. Modern unbelief.—Unbelief may have its rise in three directions—(a) the external world; (b) man; or (c) the nature of Christianity itself. The present age being so much devoted to the study of nature, unbelief is mainly of a materialistic character. One meets constantly the words Agnosticism and Positivism, and these words indicate the channels in which unbelief flows.
II. And its remedy.—Our age supplies in its spirit and tendency three antidotes to its own phases of unbelief.
(a) The study of the comparative science of religion. The effect of this study is to deepen on the mind the conviction that religion is an essential part of human nature, and the dominating part. Its tendency is against the doctrine of development. Whatever may be true in other directions, religions do not develop into higher forms, but degenerate. The oldest forms are the simplest and highest. To publish the other sacred books of the world is not only to demolish their claims, if that were needful, but to show the Divinity of the Bible.
(b) The strongly ethical character of the time and the deep interest taken in the discussion of ethical questions is on the side of religion. The ethical finds that it requires the religious. Religion draws it out, and gives it not only intensity but courage, hopefulness, freedom, and joy.
(c) The poetry of our time must be taken into account. The best poets are among the best friends of religion in our day. Far more and more the question is coming to this: Is the materialistic, or the spiritual and religious view of life the true one? If men are but convinced that the deep ethical and spiritual view of life is true they must gravitate to Christ. Where else can they go?
Illustration
‘Mr. Lecky in his History of Morality says that it was reserved for Christianity to present to the world an ideal character, which through all the changes of eighteen centuries has filled the hearts of men with an impassioned love, and has shown itself capable of acting upon all ages, nations, temperaments, and conditions, has not only been the highest pattern of virtue, but the highest incentive to practice, and has exerted so deep an influence that it may be truly said that the simple record of the three short years of active life has done more to regenerate and soften mankind than all the disquisitions of philosophers and all the exhortations of moralists.’