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4!).1 SYMPOSIUM. VOL. VII. print of purity ami holiness upon his mind, and their accompaniments of truth ami justice upon his character. The tincture of infidelity goes further with the generality of mankind than the essence ol'hihlc truth. Whj is this? If man is a religious bring, why does ho eject biblical literature more readily than skeptical? The reason is easily under stood, because it is found by taking nil ir respective view of self. While man is n worshipper, ho finds within a tendency that loads him to the adoration of n God of his own creation rather than the one whose character is set forth in divine rev elation. In fact, man finds within an in disposition to accept revelation at all, and also all other evidence which he can not explain or understand. Thus IIuiiiu argues against miracles. Born a skep tic lie seeks for a human explanation of the divine. But even his mental power could not fathom the mysteries of divinity; he therefore sought security behind the cur. tain of skepticism, and made it known by his "Essay on Miracles." He argues less against the possibility of a miracle than against the probability of the testimony. Men are so easily duped, ho says, that thoir accounts at the end of two thousand years are not to be accepted. Ho there fore impeaches the witness; accepts the dictates of a depraved soul, and gives to the world the result of his speculations. Hume was, indeed, a learned man. Ho was in search of truth and meant no harm. But who can compute the influence of such a work ? Men grasp after and ac cept such ideas. A few search for thorn selves, but the multitude accept their opinions. Some argue that skeptical literature stimulates inquiry, and is therefore bene ficial. We think, however, that this stimulus, if such it can be called, tends to controversy for the sake of itself, rather than for the discovery of truth. Among the lower classes are many who accept such opinions almost without (ltislion. Iflheyntlompt an investigation they only go far enough to lose tlieiu sclves in confusion. The cultured and the loarncd arc not urged to inquiry by the attack of some intidol writer, but b the force of an investigating mind, aug. mooted by the training ami culture of years of study. Thus armed, the search is broad and deep, and is not to undei mine a long established system of relig. ion, but to Hud I lie truth. Who will hold that the scientists of at department are urged on by the sugges tions of the infidel? It would do vio. lenco to the memory of Newton to say it of him; it would be a foul blot upon the record of Agassiz or Dana. Wo do not deny that some good may accrue from skeptical writings; but the evil so far preponderates, that the good intentions of the writer are seldom or never realized J. O. S. Ill Skeptical writers have indeed assailed Christianity with all the force which ex tensive research, profound logic and sub tile discrimatlon can furnish. Yet their attacks, so far from destroying, or even se riously weakening, that belief, have usu ally given it now strength. This result, though at first sight paradoxical, is true of every attack upon a well-founded prin ciple. Any human creed or theory must indeed rest upon a sandj foundation, when the investigations of the doubter can over throw it, or oven effect upon it any mate rial impression. If false, it must eventu ally be undermined; iftruo, it will be es tablished upon a stronger foundation, be cause investigation will make it better un derstood. That such is the legitimate re suit is evident, even though the history of creeds presents many instances of illogi cal, and at the same time successful, re sistance to the iconoclast. Lot us see how our proposition applies in respect to Christianity. The skeptic has labored to disprove the principles of this belief, and in this way to overthrow the whole fabric. Vol he cannot but ad-
