460 MODERN SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION : 
danger that their efforts will reach their legitimate con- 
clusion in throwing society into a state of anarchy and 
chaos. 
In Theology or Biblical Science the tendency of modern 
investigation is so distinctly felt, that I need only refer to 
it. The spirit of independent criticism, so noticeable else- 
where, is still more conspicuous here; assuming some- 
times the form of derisive scepticism, but oftener of cold, 
passionless judgment on the reported facts of sacred his- 
tory, or the psychological phenomena of religious faith, 
studied simply as scientific problems. 
The names of Strauss, Renan, and Colenso, will suggest 
the results to which men, possibly honest, are led by this 
so-styled “enlightened and emancipated spirit of enquiry” ; 
while “Ecce Homo” and cognate productions may be 
considered as the fruit of this spirit, tempered by a very 
liberal but apparently sincere faith. 
Aside from these more marked examples of the decided 
“set” in the tide of modern religious opinions, we every- 
where see evidences that no part of the religious world 
is unmoved by it. In every sect and section an impulse 
is felt to substitute for abstract faith, the “faith without 
works,” rather a characteristic of the religion of our 
fathers, and not unknown at present—that other faith 
which is evidenced by works. In other words; in our 
day more and more value is being attached to this life, a8 
a sphere for religious effort and experience. With what 
propriety, I leave to the individual judgment of my audi- 
tors; the faith of every sect and man is coming to be 
respected and valued precisely in the ratio of the purity, 
unselfishness, and active sympathy in the life produced 
by it. 
While, therefore, we have less now than formerly of 
