CHAPTER XXVII.

CURE O F INFIDELITY.

The powerful remedy.-If one of the causes of infidelity consists in ignorance, then it is not hard for us to understand that the opposite of ignorance must be a promising remedy. We mean ignorance of the Bible, and of ancient literature connected with the Bible. Information almost always cures; but it is not an easy matter to prevail on the unbeliever to labour for this knowledge. That knowledge is a powerful remedy, the author of these pages has seen tested during eighteen years of continued trial. He has watched this eighteen years of experimental process, with unusual and uninterrupted solicitude. By presenting a history of these years of trial, the doctrine which we deem important, can be made plain, and misapprehension easily avoided. We may form theories, and believe that certain things are practicable, but our belief is not confirmed entirely, until we have tested the matter by long and faithful trial.

History of eighteen years observation.-As soon as the author had escaped from the pit of infidelity, he felt an indescribable solicitude for those who are unbelievers. He felt a painful anxiety which impelled him to inquire them out, and to cultivate (if he could,) their acquaintance and friendship. The sailor who reaches shore, who looks back and sees the companions of his voyage approaching imminent peril, or clinging to the fragments of a shivered vessel, feels more for them, because he has been the associates of their journey. Unbelievers will converse with a friend, or even with an ordinary acquaintance, without growing angry, provided they are

alone, and provided the approach is made in a plain and affectionate manner. Those who are in danger of meeting with insult when conversing on the subject of religion, are mostly such as begin the conversation before others; and the danger is more or less prominent in proportion to the number of those who are present, and who compose the company.

Some unbelievers you may prevail upon to read. Some will even read industriously, if any one will furnish them with books. (They will not inquire after books, or borrow for themselves.) Others will not read, unless it is in some work of satire, ridicule, or abuse of the Bible. Others will promise a friend, who may request it, to read, and may even commence, intending to investigate, but they soon neglect and forget it. Others again, may be prevailed on to read and inquire after knowledge, provided the friend furnishes the books, makes frequent visits, reminds them of their undertaking, and inquires minutely after their advancement. The author, from having mingled in their ranks for many years, was aware of the fact, that there are more, very many more, infidels in each town, village, and section of earth, than ministers of the gospel, or followers of the Saviour, are in the habit of supposing. He knew that many who were looked upon by professors of religion as almost Christians, were, in reality, infidels, but from a variety of considerations, felt disinclined to avow it. To inquire out such, to seek the acquaintance of others, of all sceptics who might be prevailed on to read, and to induce them faithfully to investigate the subject of Christianity, has been a business, which, for the last eighteen years, he has followed with more interest than any other. He never, during that time, met with a case where an individual gave something like an

honest and sincere investigation of the evidences of Christianity, that he did not conclude by saying of the Bible, "this is God's book," two only excepted. We will give a history of these two exceptions, or seeming exceptions. A faithful narrative of actual occurrences, will make plain the doctrines concerning the cure of infidelity. Each case will require an entire chapter, perhaps more.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

CASE I-A young man of Kentucky received his collegiate education at an institution where the students became infidels with great uniformity. He was a son of one of the governors of that state. He was wealthy, and the hospitality of his board extended with western profusion. I became acquainted with him mostly at his own fireside. After our intimacy had continued some time, I ventured to speak to him, privately and affectionately, of eternal existence. He told me that his sentiments were deistical, and that inasmuch as he did not reverence the Bible, whilst I did, he supposed our conversation with each other would be unprofitable. I told him that I only wished to speak with him concerning the heavenly authority of that book; that I wished to prevail on him to investigate fully the evidences of Christianity; that having once been of his sentiments, I was acquainted with them in all their length and breadth. I told him, that without conversing with him minutely on the subject, I had no doubt he was ignorant of Bible facts and Bible language; but that, if he disputed his want of information, he might easily discover it, by conversing about

the ancient literature connected with any part of the holy volume. He looked somewhat surprised when I spoke of his being destitute of knowledge, but after a time confessed that there was much history after which he had never inquired, and other facts he had forgotten which were connected with this subject. He inquired if I would permit him to read on both sides of this controversy, and looked surprised when I answered him in the affirmative. I told him that I would furnish him with as many infidel authors as he chose to read; that he should have an ample assortment, provided he would give an honest perusal to books written in answer. offered to lend him any number of the books written against the Bible, provided he would attend faithfully to the other side of the controversy. He seemed to wonder at my proposal, but at length said he was inclined to read on my side of the question, inasmuch as he had examined his own, he was willing to begin with the advocates of Christianity.* He asked what I would con

I

* The reason why I have always been willing to lend to an unbeliever any number of infidel books, provided he will engage to hear honestly a full reply, will be more fully explained in another part of this work. It is not amiss, however, to give a brief statement of the case whilst here. It is as follows: If an unbeliever discovers that his favourite or champion author, penned falsehood after falsehood, page after page, it will begin to awaken his fears and his suspicions, so as to incline him toward more faithful research. True, if he reads one side only, all willpass down as smooth and plausible unless he is an historian. But if he reads the faithful answer, he cannot avoid seeing, now and then, history to which he may refer; and if he does refer, must also discover the want of verity belonging to his leader. That those who have hated Christianity should have written against it, is not strange; but that they have made untrue statements continually is readily discovered by all who are not afraid to hear both sides. When this unmingled and uninterrupted falsehood is detected, it weakens the confidence the reader had in the fabricators.

sider a full investigation of the subject. I told him that I had no doubt he would be altered in his belief before he had read half as far as a full investigation; that I never had known one man who was not convinced of the truth of the Bible, by the time he had given the subject only a moderate research. I told him, that out of the one hundred authors who had written for and against the holy book, I would send him six or eight only of the first I could procure: that after he had read these, 1 wished him to read the Bible with the notes of some commentator, (that he might not be ignorant of the Bible itself any longer,) and that if he would engage this course of reading I would be satisfied. I went on to tell him what I must here pause in my narrative long enough to tell the reader. An infidel, when he begins to read on the evidences of Christianity, becomes more doubting and sceptical than ever, or more confirmed in his unbelief. This continues to increase during the former part of the research; but let him continue on and on without abatement, and he begins to have a view of the truth, and he is at last delivered altogether from the thraldom of delusion. The facts are accurately pictured by the words of the much worn out expression concerning the Pierian spring, the same waters that at first intoxicate, will sober again if drank plentifully. Many who begin to read, after glancing through one or two volumes hastily, cast it away, more entangled in error than they were, and thinking within themselves that they have read the strongest arguments that can be brought forward in favour of Divine inspiration. Their condition is of course more deplorable than it was. Others do hastily examine a few volumes, and are not well enough informed to be able to understand clearly, and fairly weigh the arguments of the author; these may desist before