p. 16 | The Decline of Faith

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 21, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 34.

The Decline of Faith

“The greatest problem of the twentieth century,” the noted English preacher, F. W. Farrar, D.D., Dean of Canterbury, and author of “Life of Christ” and many other works, tells us, is “how to keep alive in the hearts of the vast mass of men nominally Christian a deep and effectual faith in those doctrines of the Christian religion to which they still give a nominal adherence.” Dr. Farrar continues: “There is perhaps less of open and ostentatious infidelity in these days than there was in the days of Charles the Second, or in the earlier years of the eighteenth century; but on the other hand, tho unbelief is, as a rule, more reticent, all serious observers see grave reasons to fear that there is a far more widely spread spirit of doubt, and even of positive unbelief, than there has ever been among men who have never professedly abandoned all allegiance to the religion of their fathers.”—Christian Work. Among the causes of this, Dr. Farrar notes the conclusions which people derive from the results of the “higher criticism.” The sad thing is that there is great lack of faith—practical infidelity—in the eternal verities. Jesus said: “When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” It is implied that it would be greatly wanting.