the owners of a secret confessional, or the interpreters
of an exclusive creed, may be. In a matter of such grave
importance, that searching and decisive discrimination, so rare
when the passions get enlisted, is especially needed. Because a
doctrine is abused by selfish tyrants is no reason for supposing
the doctrine itself either false or injurious.

No little injury has been done to the common faith in a future
life, great disbelief has been provoked unwittingly, by writers
who have sought to magnify the importance of revealed religion at
the expense of natural religion. Many such persons have labored to
show that all the scientific, philosophical, and moral arguments
for immortality are worthless, the teachings and resurrection of
Christ, the revealed word of God, alone possessing any validity to
establish that great truth. An accomplished author says, in a
recent work, "The immortality of the soul cannot be proved without
the aid of revelation." 3 Bishop Courtenay published, a few years
since, a most deliberate and unrelenting attack upon the arguments
for the deathlessness of the soul, seeking with persevering
remorselessness to demolish every one of them, and to prove that
man totally perishes, but will be restored to life at the second
coming of Christ.4 There can scarcely be a question that such
statements usually awaken and confirm a deep skepticism as to a
future life, instead of enhancing a grateful estimate of the
gospel.

1 J. A. Luther, Recensetur numerus eorum, qui immortalitatem
inficiati sunt.

2 Schmidt, Geschichte der Deutschen Literatur im neunzehnten
Jahrhundert, band iii. kap. iv.: Der philosophische Radicalismus.

3 Bowen, Metaphysical and Ethical Science, part ii. ch. ix. The
Future States: Their Evidences and Nature considered on Principles
Physical, Moral, and Scriptural, with the Design of Showing the
Value of the Gospel Revelation.

If man is once annihilated, it is hardly credible that he will be
identically restored. Such a stupendous and arbitrary miracle
clashes with the continuity of the universe, and staggers rather
than steadies faith. We should beg such volunteers however sincere
and good their intentions to withhold the impoverishing gift of
their service. And when kindred reasonings are advanced by such
men as the unbelieving Hume, we feel tempted to say, in the
language of a distinguished divine speaking on this very point,
"Ah, gentlemen, we understand you: you belon