That is
my belief. Any criticism which tries to rob me of that I shall look
at fairly, but very severely indeed.
If all that a man wants is a 'religion,' he ought to be able to make
a very pretty one for himself, and a fresh one as often as he is
tired of the old. But the heart and soul of man wants more than
that, as it is written, 'My soul is athirst for God, even for the
living God.' Those whom I have to teach want a living God, who
cares for men, works for men, teaches men, punishes men, forgives
men, saves men from their sins; and Him I have found in the Bible,
and nowhere else, save in the facts of life which the Bible alone
interprets.
In the power of man to find out God I will never believe. The
'religious sentiment,' or 'God-consciousness,' so much talked of
now-a-days, seems to me (as I believe it will to all practical
common-sense Englishmen), a faculty not to be depended on; as
fallible and corrupt as any other part of human nature; apt (to
judge from history) to develop itself into ugly forms, not only
without a revelation from God, but too often in spite of one--into
polytheisms, idolatries, witchcrafts, Buddhist asceticisms,
Phoenician Moloch-sacrifices, Popish inquisitions, American spirit-
rappings, and what not.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25