been propounded, if it satisfied the cold and critical reason as well as it does the glowing religious instincts of the heart, it would have no opponents but those insincere spirits whose infidelity is, really based on their moral alienation from God.
The critical spirit, legitimately exercised within the Church itself, detects and exposes every point of a weak, false or corrupt presentation of divine truth. It is a rough surgeon probing severely the deep wounds and discovering the unsound parts. It excites of course the antipathy, indignation or pity of the apathetic Christian, who would enjoy his religion in peace, and shut his eyes to the indefensible points of his belief.
The critical spirit, like the trumpet of an angel, will wake this unthinking religionist from his dream of perfection; will stimulate his reflective powers, sharpen his faculties, excite his doubts and arouse his fears. He will discover that the prevailing literal interpretation of many parts of the Bible is untenable, and that the fantastic dogmas erected upon it are unsatisfactory and incredible; and he will grope in every direction for that better light which is coming.
Powerful and aggressive as skepticism undoubtedly is, its mission is drawing to a close—a fact of
