that religion gave rise. But such were not opposers of Christianity, but supporters of it, and they opposed the religion of their times because they regarded it as contrary to the religion of Christ. The majority, ignorant of that teaching, could not, therefore, be opposers of it, and not until its doctrines became known, could those doctrines possibly provoke hostility.

Therefore, we find that the first pioneers of scepticism arose, not in Roman Catholic countries, where the Bible after the Reformation still remained a forbidden book, but in Protestant countries. Nevertheless, the enormous impulse given to freedom of thought which followed the Reformation in Protestant countries, and which was due, both to the removal of the restraints hitherto exercised by religion, and to the circulation of knowledge by the art of printing, could not fail to gradually permeate and affect Roman Catholic countries also. Accordingly, we find in them a steadily increasing current of knowledge and inquiry, and with it, a growing unbelief in their religion, the superstitions and immoralities of which offended the reason and conscience of the more thoughtful; until, at the Revolution, the majority rejected it altogether, and, with it, the Christianity on which it based its claims. This was only to be expected in those who failed to distinguish between the two; and ignorance of the Bible and of the nature of true Christianity may still be the cause of much of the scepticism in those countries.

This cannot be said of Protestant countries, in which there has been a steadily increasing knowledge of the Scriptures amongst all classes; and yet we find that scepticism, which previously was confined to a minority, has of late years rapidly developed, and threatens, in this country, to overthrow the influence of Christianity altogether.

This growing failure in the influence of the truth is an anomaly. It would imply that Christianity, when

subjected to rigid examination, was wanting in that truth which, however checked for a time, always overcomes in the end. In short, the first rapid increase of Christianity, in spite of the most bitter hatred, opposition, and persecution, and which is only explicable as the triumph of intrinsic truth, is in direct contradiction to its equally rapid decadence at the present day.

This demands explanation, and it is important to our subject to consider its cause, its bearing and significance, and the result to which it is tending.

It must be remembered that the indifference to spiritual truth, which in all ages has characterized the majority of mankind, is due to the fact that their conscience is unawakened. If all men are born into the world as natural, or psychical beings, with only a latent spiritual capacity, or a conscience which requires education and development before it has any influence, and if the natural man instinctively shrinks from everything which tends to awaken that conscience, then it can be no wonder that the majority of mankind have always been more or less indifferent, or opposed, to spiritual truth. There may be degrees in this indifference and hostility, and some, whose consciences have been more or less awakened, may yet be ignorant of spiritual truth. But where indifference or hostility to spiritual truth predominates, as is seen to be the case with the majority of people, they must remain natural or psychical, and governed principally by the law of the flesh.

That law is opposed to the law of righteousness, and the thoughts and imaginations of the natural man are therefore evil continually, and, if under no restraint, would constantly manifest themselves in action. But in a country like England there exist powerful restraints. The precepts of Christianity relating to human relations are generally acknowledged by the conscience of the community, and help to form public opinion, which

condemns actions opposed to those precepts, exercising a restraint on numbers which individually they might have no wish for. The desire to obtain the approval of others is the incentive also to acts of justice, mercy, and truth, and to works of beneficence in many, who in another community, and influenced by another state of public opinion, would not think of doing them.

Religion also exercises a similar restraint on many who yet may have no real conviction of its intrinsic truth. But as long as religion is acknowledged by the majority, the authority of all has a moral influence on each, which forces them to respect the recognised demands of that religion.

The efficacy of these restraints depends, primarily, on the influence exercised by the sincere followers of the precepts of Christianity, who, by their words and actions, quicken the conscience of the community, elevate the standard of public opinion, and keep up the authority of pure religion; therefore they are likened by Christ to 'the salt of the earth,' because they preserve from corruption the community in which they live. Let, then, their influence by any means be weakened or destroyed, and both the standard of public opinion would be depreciated and the authority of true religion would cease.

In addition to these restraints, men make laws for their own protection, and thus place themselves under restraint which, individually, they may have no wish for; for how seldom would lust, anger, covetousness, and selfishness be restrained were there no penalties attached to their indulgence!

Now, it is the inward tendency of human nature which is the true criterion of the evil in man. The restraints exercised by human laws, and also by human opinions, are like the chains and bars by which savage animals are kept from doing injury, and these animals would show their true nature directly those restraints were

removed. To all those, in whom, being alienated from God, the law of the flesh is predominant, those restraints are constantly irksome, and, individually, they would often be gladly free from them. Considering, then, how great the influence of these restraints must be, we may well conceive that the inward and unseen evil of human nature may be very much greater than it appears, or is supposed to be.

The restraint of law and public opinion is naturally greatest on those whose position exposes them to public scrutiny. But where this is not the case, as in many of the departments of trade and commerce, the selfishness of human nature, which does not hesitate to profit, even when the profit is but small, by the suffering of others, is only too manifest. The recent exposure of the 'sweating system' is a representative instance of this selfishness, and shows how deep-seated and universal it is, and how it leads men to inflict misery, even on the miserable, for the sake of the smallest gain to themselves. Nor is this confined to any particular class. Extortion is practised by thousands whenever the opportunity of success presents itself, and the adulteration in articles of food, the schemes for robbing others without infringing the letter of the law, the bubble companies, the pitiless way in which many profit by the sufferings of the widow and the orphan, and many other things of a like nature, are sufficient evidences of the dominion of selfishness even in this professedly Christian country. Some have, in fact, asserted that man is a beast of prey, and that one half the world lives by preying on the other half; and if there are some people who have little temptation to pursue these forms of selfishness, they constantly evince it just as strongly in other ways. Envy, hatred and malice are governing principles in the lives of thousands, and the growing spirit of lawlessness and envy among the masses, shows

that there may be an amount of evil beneath the surface of society, which only requires opportunity, and the removal of restraint, to manifest itself in action.

It is natural, no doubt, that those who do not recognise the existence of this evil in human nature, and the evidence of it in their own hearts, should think that the human race can regenerate itself, and that the necessity for special salvation, either in the case of themselves, or others, is a mere superstition. The power of sin has neither meaning nor significance to them, and they will argue that man, being a free agent, can do right if he chooses. What necessity is there, then, for any special means of salvation from sin when it is in the power of all to save themselves? All that is necessary is to civilize the masses, educate the ignorant, and show them that it is proper to do right, and to seek the good of their fellow-men!

But, as previously pointed out, the majority of mankind do not, and will not, choose to do right, or to seek the good of their fellow-men, when it interferes with their own good, but will constantly, and for the sake of the smallest benefit to themselves, inflict untold suffering on others, provided it can be done without being discovered; while those who think themselves better than others, are just those who betray a pride, envy and selfishness which seldom fails to manifest itself in action when circumstances call it forth.

If, then, law, public opinion, and the external authority of religion restrain the open manifestation of evil in multitudes, we might perhaps see how little influence righteousness has on the conscience and affections of the majority, should at any time those restraints fail. In short, if so much sin and unrighteousness exists in spite of these restraints, we may justly conclude that there is a still greater amount of evil kept in check by them, and these restraints are wholly external to the