PRESENT ASPECTS OF THE QUESTION 15 



the study of revelation and in the difficulties of the 

 Christian life. 



It is also to be observed that even the positivist 

 and agnostic admit, as appears in recent controver 

 sies, that some religion or substitute for it is necessary 

 to the highest perfection of man. For example,^ 

 Harrison, in a recent paper, 1 believes as a positivist in 

 what he calls the religion of humanity, that is, in set 

 ting up an ideal standard of human nature, based on 

 historical examples, as something to live up to. His 

 opponent Huxley, from the point of view of an 

 agnostic, thinks this futile stigmatises man as a 

 failure, and as a wilderness of apes and would 4 

 adore the universe in all its majesty and grandeur. 



In this they rehabilitate very old forms of religion, 

 for it is evident that the most ancient idolatries con 

 sisted in lifting up men s hearts to the sun and moon 

 and stars, and in worshipping patriarchs and heroes. 

 Thus we find that there can be no form of infidelity 

 without some substitute for God, and this necessarily! 

 less high and perfect than the Creator Himself, while 

 destitute of His fatherly attributes. ^Further, our 

 agnostic and positivist friends even admit their need 

 of a saviour, since they hold that there must be some 

 elevating influence to raise us from our present evils 

 and failures. Lastly, when we find the ablest advo 

 cates of such philosophy differing hopelessly among \ 

 themselves, we may well see in this an evidence of the 



1 Nineteenth Century, 



