BELIEF l6l
keenness of scrutiny. However, after all has been said, it would be an assumption of their superiority to ordinary human limitations to suppose that good ministers are never subject to the unconscious operation of this influence.
But apart from this, the characteristic direction of the preacher s attention tends to keep his mind focused upon the religious needs of men ; these needs are more constantly vocal in his own consciousness and more apparent to him in the lives of others than is the case with men in other occupations. When he contemplates the intellectual prob lems of religion he approaches them, therefore, with a more pronounced bias in favour of the reality of the objects of religious belief than other men usually do. The reasons for belief receive a relatively greater emphasis and the rea sons against, a relatively weaker one than they do in most other minds engaged in these investigations. Other things being equal, therefore, the preacher s peculiar point of view and modes of thought render it easier for him than for most other men to maintain an attitude of positive belief. Other things, to be sure, are not always equal ; and hence it should not be invariably assumed, as a matter of course, that others are more troubled by doubts than the minister. Especially should we bear in mind that the minister, if he uses his opportunities for study as he should, will become acquainted with many of the intellectual difficulties pertaining to re ligion which many of his hearers who are not engaged in intellectual pursuits never have to wrestle with, and their belief will, therefore, not be subjected to such severe tests as his. But we repeat that, other things being equal, he will find it easier than others to maintain a positive belief in the realities of religion. For this reason his intellectual sympathy with doubters is likely to be deficient. Openness of mind as to these matters is likely to decrease with the years; and without conscious effort, motived by the desire to keep in sympathy with those who are struggling with the intellectual problems of religion, his bark may be found at
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