Faith Made Easy

vidual than a firm faith. "If I could choose what would be most delightful, and I believe most useful to me," said Sir Humphry Davy, "I should prefer a firm religious belief to every other blessing; for it makes life a discipline of goodness, creates new hopes when all earthly hopes vanish, and throws over the decay, the destruction of existence, the most gorgeous of all lights; awakens life even in death, and from corruption and decay calls up beauty and divinity; makes an instrument of torture and shame the ladder of ascent to paradise; and, far above all combination of earthly hopes, calls up the most delightful visions, palms and amaranths, the gardens of the blessed, the security of everlasting joys, where the sensualist and the skeptic view only gloom, decay, and anihilation."

In the hope of inspiring faith in some, and of quickening faith in many others, we have prepared the following pages. They contain outline statements of the fundamental doctrines and morals of Christianity, formulated in the light of true reason, and supported by adequate proofs from the sacred writings, and numerous citations from the very best uninspired authorities. We have sought to produce a work in the perusal of which all true Christians may find confirmation and comfort, all unregenerated persons encouragement and help, and all doubting persons instruction and friendly admonition. Ever keeping in view the truth, as we understand it, that faith in the doctrines of Christianity is not only reasonable, but perfectly natural to enlightened persons, we have earnestly endeavored so to present those doctrines that the most ordinary minds can comprehend them, and the most undevout see in them the light and beauty of God. True, none here on earth may hope to have a faith as clear as sight shall be hereafter. As Keble wrote:

"Till death the weary spirit free,

Thy God hath said, "T is good for thee
To walk by faith, and not by sight.'

Take it on trust a little while;

Soon shalt thou read the mystery right

In the full sunshine of his smile."

Champions of denominational peculiarities will, we trust, find little to contend over in what we have herein presented. Truth is given as against practical and willful error; faith as against radical unbelief; broad, evangelical Christian doctrine as against the plausible deceptions of cunning skeptics, and the blind delusions of thoughtless irreligionists. While we can not hope to have escaped all errors of statement, we do indulge the belief that the Christian institutions, religious principles, and theological tenets set forth are in keeping with the teachings of God's Word, and sustained by a sufficient array of evidence to prove acceptable to all unprejudiced and thoughtful minds.

J. H. P.