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hour of misery in after days had I really felt what I so often said, viz., that the deeper a man went into science the humbler he ought to be, and the more cautious in pronouncing an in dependent opinion on a subject he had not investigated or could not thoroughly sift. But, though all this was true, I had yet to learn that this humility in spiritual things is never found in a natural man. “I took orders and began to preach; and then I found out the grand deficit in my theology. I had not the Spirit’s teaching myself, and how could I with out it speak ‘in demonstration of the Spirit and of power?’ “In -vain did I read Chalmers, Paley, Butler, Gaussen, etc., and determine that, as I had mastered all the other subjects I had grappled with, so I would the Bible, and that I would make myself a believer. I found a poor ignorant old woman in my parish more than a match for me in Divine things. I was dis tressed to find that she was often happy in the evident mercy of the Lord to her, and that -she found prayer answered, and that all' this was proved sincere by her blameless and harmless walk amongst her neighbors, whilst I, with all my science and investigation, was barren, and unprofitable, and miserable, an unbeliever in heart, and yet not daring to avow it, partly from the fear of man, but more from a certain in ward conviction that all Smy skeptical difficulties would be crushed and leaped over by the experience of the most il literate Christian. “I was perfectly ashamed to feel in my mind like Voltaire, Volney, or Tom Paine. I could claim no originality for my views, and I found they were no comfort, but a constant source of mis ery to me. • “It may now be asked how I came ever to view Divine truth differently. I desire to ascribe all praise to Him to whom power belongeth; I desire to put my own mouth in the dust, and
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A n d Christianity |
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R. ARTHUR MERCER recently sent to “The Life of Faith” a letter written by “A Former Fellow of Trinity College, Cam bridge." So many at present are perplexed over the prob lems of modern science and
Christianity, that we believe this man’s experience will be a help, and we copy it from the above paper. “I remember when I first began to read the Bible, and though I was sin cerely seeking the truth, I was mis erable because I could not believe it. I dare not reject any statement I found there, but I could not fully believe it was true. My history was just this: I had read and studied deeply in mathe matics, had mastered every fresh sub ject I entered upon with ease and de light, had become accustomed (as every exact mathematician must do) to inves tigate and discover fundamental differ ences between things which seem, to the uninitiated, one and the same; had seen my way into physical astronomy and the higher parts of Newton’s immortal ‘Principia,’ and had been frequently lost in admiration of his genius till St. Mary’s clock warned me that midnight was passed three hours ago. I had, in fact, as we say, made myself master of dynamics, and become gradually more and more a believer in the unlimited capabilities of my own mind. This self- conceited idea was only flattered and fostered by epminent success in the Sen ate House, and by subsequently obtain- ihg a Fellowship at Trinity, and enjoy ing very considerable popularity as a mathematical lecturer. “It would have spared me many an
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