considering whether the Bible were a revelation from God, or a cunningly-devised fable. The Bible, as a book, may be found beneath their roof; but its grand truths have not been rightly apprehended and duly felt, because the volume has seldom been opened, and, when opened, not read with half the interest with which they read some fairy tale. The light which it affords shineth in the darkness, but the darkness admitteth it not. These individuals would perhaps count it impiety to wield the weapons of the sceptic against the Gospel, were they able for the task, and would shrink with horror from the thought of any way traducing the divine Saviour; and yet they can pass from day to day as little elevated by all that is magnificent and sublime, as little impressed with all that is marvellous in condescension, as little attracted by all that is beauteous in holiness, as if God's Son, in whom meet pre-eminently all this grandeur and loveliness, had never manifested himself to the world. This is formalism, and, as a species of unbelief, this is what the Gospel condemns.

The Bible comes to us as a message from the skies. In it, God utters his voice loudly and intelligibly in the ears of men. It is a message of mercy from the throne of the Eternal to us the guilty and rebellious, making known a divine Saviour, and offering, on the ground of his atoning sacrifice, a free and a full salvation. In making such declarations, the Bible deals with men as rational and accountable agents. It has no blessings for those who are not deterred by its threatenings, nor won by its promises. It presents

to the mind saving truth, which, in order to prove efficacious, must be believed; and, in order to be believed, must be carefully read and rightly understood. How, then, are we to account for the melancholy fact, that men possessing the sacred volume, and acknowledging it to be a revelation from God, are little, if at all, influenced by the momentous statements which it contains? That volume finds a place in the house, but it has no home in the heart. It is assented to as the law and the testimony, the only infallible directory of faith and morals. But its grand truths are seldom, if ever, made the object of devout contemplation; its precepts are seldom taken as a light unto the feet and a lamp unto the path. Whence originates this insensibility to all that is majestic and merciful, this unwillingness to bring the mind into contact with the purifying and elevating truths of Christianity,-but in a deceitful suspicion that its grovelling earthly pursuits would be disturbed, that its moral tendencies would be thwarted. that the searching light of the Gospel would make manifest its unholy thoughts and affections, just as a ray of the sun, let through the chink of an old ruin, reveals the unsightly guests that dwell within? It were well if some of our literary men, and philosophic religionists, who cry out against soulless creeds and dogmatic Christianity, would lay the blame at the right quarter, and not give a false value to human nature, at the expense of depreciating historical truth. He who "saw with open eye the mystery of the soul," accounted for the rejection or feeble influence of his

gospel, by saying, "men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." And all history proves, what the Scripture affirms, that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.

The river is traced up to its source. But, in order to account fully for its rushing waters, we must notice the tributary streams that it receives in its passage. And, among the specific and subordinate causes of infidelity, we are disposed to enumerate— Speculative Philosophy, Social Disaffection, the Corruptions of Christianity, Religious Intolerance, and the Disunion of the Church. These we shall briefly notice.

CHAPTER II.

SPECULATIVE PHILOSOPHY.

Speculative Philosophy inevitable-Indicates a thinking and reflective age-Influences the religion of an age-Has ever been tampering with Christian truth-Gnosticism in the primitive Church-Allegorical method of interpretation-Sacramental theory - Platonism Scholasticism - Connection between Modern Speculative Philosophy and forms of Modern Infidelity — The Sensational Philosophy-Deistical Writers-Infuence of Sensationalism on works of science and common literature-The old Unitarianism-French Sensationalism: Condillac-School of Voltaire-Protracted influences of Sensationalism-The Ideal Philo sophy Germany-The human mind made determinator of religious truth-Contempt for Evidences-Seen in Strauss-Influ ence of Idealism in our own country-Carlyle-Emerson-Parker -Newman-Mackay-Morell-Importance of maintaining Historical Christianity-Harmony between a true Faith and a true Philosophy.

THE rise of a speculative philosophy, in any age or country where there are thinkers, seems inevitable. It is the natural consequence of the mind's desire to penetrate into the mysteries of existence, and to know all things. Man himself is a mystery, the world around him is a mystery, the great God above him is a mystery, and the relations between each and all of them are profoundly and impressively myste

rious. And, while the great majority of men never attempt to lift up the veil, but are content with the knowledge that lies on the surface of things, there are those who must endeavor to get beyond and solve the problems of mysterious existence. Every country that has emerged from barbarism, and attained to any degree of mental cultivation, is more or less characterized by philosophical speculation. This, in itself, is not to be regarded as an evil. It indicates a thinking and reflecting age, and marks the advancement of a community in mental culture. The evil is, when it spurns the investigation of palpable facts and indubitable evidence, treats as empirical the honest method of induction, and incautiously passes the bounds of all fair and legitimate inquiry. Then it becomes intolerant of the world of realities, is vainly puffed up, and, intruding into those things which are not seen, would, instead of proving a handmaid to true religion, assume the air of an imperious mistress, and decide its shape, dress, and laws. To this charge, the greater number of the systems of philosophy that have emanated from the schools must plead guilty.

It is very obvious that the philosophy of an age must materially influence the religion of that age. The great subjects with which speculative philosophy is conversant, are those which lie within the domain of natural and revealed truth. It cannot touch upon the finite and the infinite, upon man, the universe, and God, without coming into contact with some of the great essential principles of religion. Its specu