PROGRESS OF INFIDELITY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 267, 14 June 1878, Page 9

PROGRESS OF INFIDELITY.

Ihe conductor of the Contemporary Review in the course of a published address tells us that "Educated opinion " is now fast verging to the rejection of all religion. Lord Beaconsfield not long ago re° marked m still stronger language that infidelity or atheism, I forget winch term he used, was sweeping like a Pestilential Simoom over Europe. Now the above named editor and the sagacious Premier are not likely to speak at random on such a subject. Both from their position may be supposed well qualified to "know the tendency of Educated opi mon "in modern Europe. We have felt a whiff of this pestilential blast in Auckland of late. A man in the coroner's court ot this city not long ago declined to he sworn as a witness because he believed in Neither God nor devil, heaven nor hell. Ido not suppose Mr fctout has " progressed "so far as that yet. From what you say of him, however, it seems not unlikely that he may one day get that length. He is apparently progressing so as at least to quit the beaten track .The papers here, or the Herald at all events, have recently been filled with matter calculated to destroy a belief in the eternity of the future punishment of the impenitent wicked. Canon Farrar's sermon on the subject has been published in extenso in the Herald as an advertisement, and is promised in pamphlet form. I have no wish to enter on so frightful a topic, but it strikes me that Canon Farmings no business in the Anglican " establishment " if he teach that the eternity of future punishment is no essential article of a Christian's creed. His proper plaoe would be in some dissenting or pretended •non-sectarian ' Conventicle where ovcry man is at liberty to believe what he pleases on religious questions. How should the AnglicanJicclesiastical authorities permit such preaching in an Anglican • 7 Herald, unless I misread Mm, countenances the idea of striking out the belief in the eternity of hell fire from the Christian creed for various reasons : chiefly because such a punishment is incompatible Ayth the mercy of God. Now all God's attributes are infinite, his justice no less than his mercy. The eternity of future punishment could only, I presume, be believed as an article of revealed religion. Mere human reason cannot deal with it apart from revelation. For my part I believe the terrible doctrine with all

esfc Sit- f « r K° reaSOn l' Tbe Ohurch teaches i<; . and the plaineter^Wfti " PtU M °° n^ the doctrine - If a belie * & the ti!^s of future punishment be rejected because of its difficulties n ia?dom/ Stem ° f T 6 - ale^ re ¥ 0Q must «°- We shall iSS at S SfcSHnn + 7 ft rC alld 1S1I?1 S1I ?? IC ' J tblnk the mmld P^S tOO much attention to those quack, itinerant, infidel lecturers who go about the SaPPing the , ligioUS belief of P lain Christian plople: They wShP.nLoU h - 6ldea uofu 0f . the old fashi °ned hell be dismissed, it W taJriH^ ther^ *% , in Auckland > 0^ this colony, who beS^l ?S h ?° d nor dcvi1 ' heaven nor hell > **o can say ? The PrSis w a^?^ » re a v p^s ; ndden people.' The tendency of the savfa^nT a S,? at ' un * imite * " religious liberty which Mr. Froude