no doubt that those, whether many or few, who conform to His rules, may go everywhere and deliver the words of warning and of truth to everybody, rich and poor, bond and free, high and low.

INFIDELITY, AND SOME OF ITS EXCITING CAUSES.

MANY Christian writers have attempted the task of exposing the causes and progress of infidelity. If we have been in any degree successful in bringing our train of thought and inquiry before the reader, we think he will be satisfied that the grand cause of unbelief is to be found in the abuses of Christianity. The prevalent unbelief has for its object not the truths of revelation, but the opinions and conduct of those who profess to be Christians. We all know how this operates on a small scale among the individuals around us; and we may well infer that it operates still more potently upon multitudes

260 INFIDELITY AND ITS EXCITING CAUSES.

than upon individuals. In Catholic countries, the most of those who escape the fetters of ignorance and superstition regard Christianity as a system of fraud and oppression, designed to cheat and govern men. They become infidels, because they confound Christianity with its professors. In Protestant countries, the wrangling disputes and uncharitable bearing of the various churches carry disgust and dislike wherever they are witnessed. Men cannot believe that is a pure fountain from which such uncleanness flows. They are repelled and not attracted by the exhibition, and easily draw the conclusion that whether there is anything real in Christianity or not, they must be as safe for eternity as those whose profession accords so ill with their lives. It would be difficult to over-estimate the prevalence of such feelings, or their influence in turning men from the path of obedience and piety. Many say in their hearts, if they do not pronounce aloud, that if certain persons or classes of men are really bound

heavenward, they do not wish to go-they will take an opposite direction. Are they excusable for thus rejecting Christianity, through the fault of its professed friends? Certainly not but how is that to be reconciled with the Christian duty of winning souls to Christ, when their conduct repels more than it attracts? It may be said that the aversion of the natural man to Christianity is such that it need not be wondered if he turns away from holiness. Something is due to this consideration, but it has less foundation than many good people imagine. It is true that in the days of Christ's sojourn on earth, the priests, the rich, and noble, for the most part, rejected his mission with scorn; but it is equally true that multitudes, attracted by his kindness, and by his preaching, flocked after him: these multitudes were so great, that the priests feared the people, although they had all the authorities and the Roman soldiers at their command. How many were deterred by the threats and ma

nagement of the priests from following Christ, we know not. The fact was that the ministrations of Christ were in a high degree attractive, and nine-tenths of the whole nation would probably have followed after him, but for the measures taken to repress the movement. So the persecutions encountered by the early Christians in pagan lands came from emperors, governors, priests, and prophets, who feared that the new doctrine would undermine their authority: the people everywhere welcomed the advent of Christianity. This is not that they naturally inclined to love its doctrines or obey its precepts, but that they always, unless in positions of advantage supposed to be endangered by innovation, revered and loved every personal exemplification of the gentle spirit of Christianity. They loved the Christian, even when they did not at once cordially embrace his faith and partake of his hope.

The aversion to the pure requirements of Christian truth may still be influential and

visible in the natural man, but he has no such aversion to the Christians who obey these requirements and display them in their lives. It is even true that the very men who read the Bible are forcibly struck with the beauty of its precepts, and feel themselves strongly attracted to the Author of our present dispensation; and this is the strong inducement to the present extensive distribution of the Holy Scriptures. But where one man would be thus favourably influenced by the mere reading of the word, a thousand would behold with admiration and sincere regard any fair exemplification of the precepts of the Saviour. It is a matter worthy of special remark that the exercise of charity, of brotherly love, of humanity, embracing those duties which Christians most overlook and neglect, are the very duties in which the men of the world are most willing to engage and carry on independently company with Christians. It is further

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to be noted that very many of the benevolent and Christian enterprises of the day are in