,orthodoxy3 ,its ,truths ,and ,errors ,by ,james ,freeman ,clarke 8,soleo enim in allena castra transire1 non tanquam transfuga1 sed tanquam explorator40--,,seneca1 ,epistol1 #b4 8,fiat lux4 ,cupio refelli1 ubi aberrarim2 nihil majus1 nihil aliud quam veritatem efflagito40--,,thomas ,,burnet1 ,arch4 ,phil4 ,fourteenth ,edition4 ,boston3 ,american ,unitarian ,association4 #ahhj4 ,,contents ,preface4 ,chapter ,i4 ,introduction4 #a4 ,object and ,character of this ,book4 #b4 ,progress requires that we should look back as well as forward4 #c4 ,orthodoxy as ,right ,belief4 #d4 ,orthodoxy as the ,doctrine of the ,majority4 ,objections4 #e4 ,orthodoxy as the ,oldest ,doctrine4 ,objections4 #f4 ,orthodoxy as the ,doctrine held by all4 #g4 ,orthodoxy1 as a ,formula1 not to be found4 #h4 ,orthodoxy as ,convictions underlying ,opinions4 #i4 ,substantial ,truth and ,formal ,error in all great ,doctrinal ,systems4 #aj4 ,importance of this ,distinction4 #aa4 ,the ,orthodox and ,liberal ,parties in ,new ,england4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,the ,principle ,and ,idea ,of ,orthodoxy ,stated ,and ,examined4 #a4 ,the ,principle of ,orthodoxy defined4 #b4 ,logical ,genesis of the ,principle of ,orthodoxy4 #c4 ,orthodoxy assumed to be the ,belief of the ,majority4 #d4 ,heterodoxy thus becomes sinful4 #e4 ,the ,doctrine of ,essentials and ,non-essentials leads to ,rome4 #f4 ,fallacy in this ,orthodox ,argument4 #g4 ,the three ,tendencies in the ,church4 #h4 ,the ,party of ,works4 #i4 ,the ,party of ,emotion in ,christianity4 #aj4 ,the ,faith ,party in ,religion4 #aa4 ,truth in the ,orthodox ,idea4 #ab4 ,error in the ,orthodox ,principle4 #ac4 ,faith1 ,knowledge1 ,belief1 ,opinion4 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,the ,orthodox ,idea ,of ,natural ,and ,revealed ,religion2 ,or1 ,naturalism ,and ,supernaturalism4 #a4 ,meaning of ,natural and ,supernatural4 #b4 ,the ,creation ,supernatural4 #c4 ,the ,question stated4 #d4 ,argument of the ,supernaturalist from successive ,geologic ,creations4 #e4 ,supernatural ,argument from ,human ,freedom4 #f4 ,supernatural ,events not necessarily ,violations of ,law4 #g4 ,life and ,history contain ,supernatural ,events4 #h4 ,the ,error of ,orthodox ,supernaturalism4 #i4 ,no ,conflict between ,naturalism and ,supernaturalism4 #aj4 ,further ,errors of ,orthodox ,supernaturalism--,gulf between ,christianity and all other ,religions4 #aa4 ,christianity considered unnatural1 as well as supernatural by being made hostile to the ,nature of ,man4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,truths ,and ,errors ,as ,regards ,miracles4 #a4 ,the ,subject stated4 ,four ,questions concerning ,miracles4 #b4 ,the ,definition of a ,miracle4 #c4 ,the different ,explanations of the ,miracles of the ,bible4 #d4 ,criticism on these ,different ,views of ,miracles4 #e4 ,miracles no ,proof of ,christianity4 #f4 ,but ,orthodoxy is right in maintaining their ,reality as ,historic ,facts4 #g4 ,analogy with other ,similar ,events recorded in ,history4 #h4 ,miracle of the ,resurrection4 ,sceptical ,objections4 #i4 ,final ,result of this ,examination4 ,chapter ,v4 ,orthodox ,idea ,of ,the ,inspiration ,and ,authority ,of ,the ,bible4 #a4 ,subject of this ,chapter4 ,three ,views concerning the ,bible4 #b4 ,the ,difficulty4 ,antiquity of the ,world1 and ,age of ,mankind4 #c4 ,basis of the ,orthodox ,theory of ,inspiration4 #d4 ,inspiration in general1 or ,natural ,inspiration4 #e4 ,christian or ,supernatural ,inspiration4 #f4 ,inspiration of the ,scriptures1 especially of the ,new ,testament ,scriptures4 #g4 ,authority of the ,scriptures4 #h4 ,the ,christian ,prepossession4 #i4 ,conclusion4 ,chapter ,,vi4 ,orthodox ,idea ,of ,sin1 ,as ,depravity ,and ,as ,guilt4 #a4 ,the ,question stated4 #b4 ,the four ,moments or ,characters of ,evil4 ,the ,fall1 ,natural ,depravity1 ,total ,depravity1 ,inability4 #c4 ,orthodox and ,liberal ,view of ,man1 as morally diseased or otherwise4 #d4 ,sin as ,disease4 #e4 ,doctrine of the ,fall in ,adam1 and ,natural ,depravity4 ,their ,truth and ,error4 #f4 ,examination of ,romans1 #e3ab-ba4 #g4 ,orthodox ,view of ,total ,depravity and ,inability4 #h4 ,proof ,texts4 #i4 ,truth in the ,doctrine of ,total ,depravity4 #aj4 ,ability and ,inability4 #aa4 ,orthodox ,doctrine of ,inability4 #ab4 ,some further ,features of ,orthodox ,theology concerning ,human ,sinfulness4 ,chapter ,,vii4 ,conversion ,and ,regeneration4 #a4 ,orthodoxy recognizes only two ,conditions in which ,man can be found4 #b4 ,crisis and ,development4 #c4 ,nature of the ,change4 #d4 ,its ,reality and ,importance4 #e4 ,is it the ,work of ,god1 or of the ,man himself8 ,orthodox ,difficulty4 #f4 ,solved by the ,distinction between ,conversion and ,regeneration4 #g4 ,men may be divided1 religiously1 into three ,classes1 not two4 #h4 ,difference between ,conversion and ,regeneration4 #i4 ,unsatisfactory ,attitude of the ,orthodox ,church4 #aj4 ,the ,essential ,thing for ,man is to repent and be converted2 that is1 to make it his ,purpose to obey ,god in all ,things4 #aa4 ,regeneration is ,god's ,work in the ,soul4 ,examination of the ,classical ,passage1 or conversation of ,jesus with ,nicodemus4 #ab4 ,evidences of ,regeneration4 ,chapter ,,viii4 ,the ,orthodox ,idea ,of ,the ,son ,of ,god4 #a4 ,orthodox ,doctrine stated4 #b4 ,this ,doctrine gradually developed4 #c4 ,unitarian ,objections4 #d4 ,substantial ,truth in this ,doctrine4 #e4 ,formal ,error of the ,orthodox ,statement4 #f4 ,errors of ,arianism and ,naturalism4 ,chapter ,,ix4 ,justification ,by ,faith4 #a4 ,this ,doctrine of ,paul not obsolete4 #b4 ,its ,meaning and ,importance4 #c4 ,need of ,justification for the ,conscience4 #d4 ,reaction of ,sin on the ,soul4 #e4 ,different ,methods of obtaining ,forgiveness4 #f4 ,method in ,christianity4 #g4 ,result4 #h4 ,its ,history in the ,church4 #i4 ,orthodox ,errors1 at the present ,time1 in ,regard to ,justification by ,faith4 #aj4 ,errors of ,liberal ,christians4 ,chapter ,x4 ,orthodox ,idea ,of ,the ,atonement4 #a4 ,confusion in the ,orthodox ,statement4 #b4 ,great ,importance attributed to this ,doctrine4 #c4 ,stress laid on the ,death of ,jesus in the ,scripture4 #d4 ,difficulty in interpreting these ,scripture ,passages4 #e4 ,theological ,theories based on the ,figurative ,language of the ,new ,testament4 #f4 ,the three principal ,views of the ,atonement--warlike1 legal1 and governmental4 #g4 ,impression made by ,christ's ,death on the ,minds of his ,disciples4 ,first ,theory on the ,subject in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews4 #h4 ,value of ,suffering as a ,means of ,education4 #i4 ,the ,human ,conscience suggests the ,need of some ,satisfaction in order to our ,forgiveness4 #aj4 ,how the ,death of ,jesus brings ,men to ,god4 #aa4 ,this ,law of ,vicarious ,suffering universal4 #ab4 ,this ,law illustrated from ,history--in the ,death of ,socrates1 ,joan of ,arc1 ,savonarola1 and ,abraham ,lincoln4 #ac4 ,dr4 ,bushnell's ,view of the ,atonement4 #ad4 ,results of this ,discussion4 ,chapter ,,xi4 ,calling1 ,election1 ,and ,reprobation4 #a4 ,orthodox ,doctrine4 #b4 ,scripture ,basis for this ,doctrine4 #c4 ,relation of the ,divine ,decree to ,human ,freedom4 #d4 ,history of the ,doctrine of ,election and ,predestination4 #e4 ,election is to ,work and ,opportunity here1 not to ,heaven hereafter4 ,how ,jacob was elected1 and how the ,jews were a ,chosen ,people4 #f4 ,how other ,nations were elected and called4 #g4 ,how different ,denominations are elected4 #h4 ,how ,individuals are elected4 #i4 ,how ,jesus was elected to be the ,christ4 #aj4 ,other ,illustrations of ,individual ,calling and ,election4 ,chapter ,,xii4 ,immortality ,and ,the ,resurrection4 #a4 ,orthodox ,doctrine4 #b4 ,the ,doctrine of ,immortality as taught by ,reason1 the ,instinctive ,consciousness1 and ,scripture4 #c4 ,the ,three ,principal ,views of ,death--the ,pagan1 ,jewish1 and ,christian4 #d4 ,eternal ,life1 as taught in the ,new ,testament1 not endless ,future ,existence1 but present ,spiritual ,life4 #e4 ,resurrection1 and its real ,meaning1 as a ,rising up1 and not a ,rising again4 #f4 ,resurrection of the ,body1 as taught in the ,new ,testament1 not a ,rising again of the same ,body1 but the ,ascent into a higher ,body4 ,chapter ,,xiii4 ,christ's ,coming1 ,usually ,called ,the 8,second ,coming10 ,and ,christ ,the ,judge ,of ,the ,world4 #a4 ,the ,coming of ,christ is not wholly future1 not wholly outward1 not local1 nor material4 #b4 ,no ,second ,coming of ,christ is mentioned in ,scripture4 #c4 ,were the ,apostles mistaken in expecting a speedy ,coming of ,christ8 #d4 ,examination of the ,account of ,christ's ,coming given by ,jesus in ,matthew 7chapters #bd-bf74 #e4 ,coming of ,christ in ,human ,history at different ,times4 #f4 ,relation of the ,parable of the ,virgins1 and of the ,talents1 to ,christ's ,coming4 #g4 ,relation of the ,account of the ,judgment by the ,messiah1 in ,matt4 ch4 #be1 to his ,coming4 #h4 ,how ,christ is1 and how he is not1 to judge the ,world4 #i4 ,when ,christ's ,judgment takes ,place4 #aj4 ,paul's ,view of the ,judgment by ,christ4 #aa4 ,final ,result4 ,chapter ,,xiv4 ,eternal ,punishment1 ,annihilation1 ,universal ,restoration4 #a4 ,different ,views concerning the ,condition of the ,impenitent hereafter4 #b4 ,the ,doctrine of ,everlasting ,punishment1 as held by the ,orthodox at the ,present ,time4 #c4 ,apparent ,contradictions1 both in ,scripture and ,reason1 in ,regard to this ,doctrine4 #d4 ,everlasting ,punishment limits the ,sovereignty of ,god4 #e4 ,everlasting ,punishment contradicts the ,fatherly ,love of ,god4 #f4 ,attempts to modify and soften the ,doctrine of ,everlasting ,punishment4 #g4 ,the meaning of ,eternal ,punishment in ,scripture4 #h4 ,how ,judgment by ,christ is connected with ,punishment4 #i4 ,the ,doctrine of ,annihilation4 #aj4 ,the ,doctrine of ,universal ,restoration4 ,chapter ,,xv4 ,the ,christian ,church4 #a4 ,the ,question stated4 #b4 ,orthodox ,doctrine of the ,church--,roman ,catholic and ,high ,church4 #c4 ,the ,protestant ,orthodox ,idea of the ,church4 #d4 ,christ's ,idea of a ,church1 or the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 #e4 ,church of the ,leaven1 or the ,invisible ,church4 #f4 ,the ,church of the ,mustard-seed4 #g4 ,primitive and ,apostolic ,church1 or ,church as it was4 #h4 ,the ,actual ,church1 or the ,church as it is4 #i4 ,the ,church ,ideal1 or ,church as it ought to be4 #aj4 ,the ,church ,possible1 or ,church as it can be4 ,chapter ,,xvi4 ,the ,trinity4 #a4 ,definition of the ,church ,doctrine4 #b4 ,history of the ,doctrine4 #c4 ,errors in the ,church ,doctrine of the ,trinity4 #d4 ,the ,trinity of ,manifestations founded in the ,truth of ,things4 #e4 ,it is in ,harmony with ,scripture4 #f4 ,practical value of the ,trinity1 when rightly understood4 ,appendix4 ,critical ,notices4 #a4 ,on the ,defence of ,nescience in ,theology1 by ,herbert ,spencer and ,henry ,l4 ,mansel4 #b4 ,on the ,defence of ,verbal ,inspiration by ,gaussen4 #c4 ,defence of the ,doctrine that ,sin is a ,nature1 by ,professor ,shedd4 #d4 ,defence of ,everlasting ,punishment1 by ,dr4 ,nehemiah ,adams and ,dr4 ,j4 ,p4 ,thompson4 #e4 ,defence of the ,trinity1 by ,frederick ,d4 ,huntington1 ,d4 ,d4 ,footnotes ,,preface4 ,the ,protestant ,reformation has its ,principle and its ,method4 ,its ,principle is ,salvation by ,faith1 not by ,sacraments4 ,its ,method is ,private ,judgment1 not ,church ,authority4 ,but private judgment generates authority2 authority1 first legitimate1 that of knowledge1 grows into the illegitimate authority of prescription1 calling itself ,orthodoxy4 ,then ,private ,judgment comes forth again to criticise and reform4 ,it thus becomes the duty of each individual to judge the ,church2 and out of innumerable individual judgments the insight of the ,church is kept living and progressive4 ,we contribute one such private judgment2 not1 we trust1 in conceit1 but in the hope of provoking other minds to further examinations4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,introduction4 #a4 ,object and ,character of this ,book4 ,the peculiarity of the book now offered to the religious public by the government of the ,american ,unitarian ,association1 is this--that it is an honest attempt to find and state the truth contained in the doctrines of their opponents4 ,it is1 perhaps1 something new for an association established to defend certain theological opinions1 and baptized with a special theological name1 to publish a work intended to do justice to hostile theories4 ,the too usual course of each sect has been1 through all its organs1 to attack1 denounce1 undervalue1 and vilify the positions taken by its antagonists4 ,this has been considered as only an honest zeal for truth4 ,the consequence has been1 that no department of literature has been so unchristian in its tone and temper as that of sectarian controversy4 ,political journals heap abuse on their opponents1 in the interest of their party4 ,but though more noisy than the theological partisans1 they are by no means so cold1 hard1 or unrelenting4 ,party spirit1 compared with sectarian spirit1 seems rather mild47#a7 ,it is true that theologians do not now use in controversy the epithets which were formerly universal4 ,we have grown more civil in our language than were our fathers4 ,it is also true that we often meet with theological discussions conducted in a spirit of justice towards one's opponents47#b7 ,but to say1 8,fas est ab hoste doceri10 is a step as yet beyond the ability of most controversialists4 ,to admit that your antagonist may have seen some truth not visible to yourself1 and to read his work in this sense1--in order to learn1 and not merely to confute1--is not yet common4 ,this we are about to undertake in the present treatise4 ,we stand in the ,unitarian position1 but shall endeavor to see if there be not some truths in ,orthodoxy which ,unitarians have not yet adequately recognized4 ,to use the language of our motto--we come 8not as deserters1 but as explorers0 into the camp of ,orthodoxy4 ,we are satisfied with our ,unitarian position1 as a stand-point from which to survey that of others4 ,and especially are we grateful to it1 since it encourages us by all its traditions1 by all its ideas and principles1 to look after as well as before--to see if there be no truth behind us which we have dropped in our hasty advance1 as well as truth beyond us to which we have not yet attained4 #b4 ,progress requires that we should look back as well as forward4 ,such a study as this may be undertaken in the interest of true progress1 as well as that of honest inquiry4 ,for what so frequently checks progress1 causes its advocates to falter1 and produces what we call a reaction towards the old doctrines1 as something shallow in the reform itself8 ,christians have relapsed into ,judaism1 ,protestants into ,romanism1 ,unitarians into ,orthodoxy--because something true and good in the old system had dropped out of the new1 and attracted the converts back to their old home4 ,all true progress is expressed in the saying of ,jesus1 8,i have not come to destroy1 but to fulfil40 ,the old system cannot pass away until all its truths are fulfilled1 by being taken up into the new system in a higher form4 ,judaism will not pass away till it is fulfilled in ,christianity--the ,roman ,catholic ,church will not pass away till it is fulfilled in ,protestantism--,orthodoxy will not pass away till it is fulfilled by ,rational ,christianity4 ,judaism continues as a standing protest1 on behalf of the unity of ,god1 against ,trinitarianism4 ,and yet we believe that1 in the religious progress of the race1 ,christianity is an advance on ,judaism1 ,protestant ,christianity an advance on ,roman ,catholic ,christianity1 and ,liberal and ,rational ,christianity an advance on ,church ,orthodoxy4 ,but all such advances are subject to reaction and relapse4 ,reaction differs from relapse in this1 that it is an oscillation1 not a fall4 ,reaction is the backward swing of the wave1 which will presently return1 going farther forward than before4 ,relapse is the fall of the tide1 which leaves the ships aground1 and the beach uncovered4 ,reaction is going back to recover some substantial truth1 left behind in a too hasty advance4 ,relapse is falling back into the old forms1 an entire apostasy from the higher stand-point to the lower1 from want of strength to maintain one's self in the advance4 ,the ,epistle to the ,hebrews deserves especial study by those who desire to understand the philosophy of intellectual and spiritual progress4 ,it was written to counteract a tendency among the ,jewish ,christians to relapse into ,judaism4 ,these ,christians missed the antiquity1 the ceremony1 the authority of the old ritual4 ,their state of mind resembled that of the extreme ,high ,church party in the ,church of ,england1 who are usually called ,puseyites4 ,they were not apostates or renegades1 but backsliders4 ,they were always lamenting the inferiority of ,christianity to ,judaism1 in the absence of a priesthood1 festival1 sacrifices4 ,it hardly seemed to them a church at all4 ,the ,galatians1 to whom ,paul wrote1 had actually gone over and accepted ,jewish ,christianity in the place of ,christianity in its simplicity and purity4 ,the ,hebrews had not gone over1 but were looking that way4 ,therefore the writer of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews endeavors to show them that all which was really good in the ,jewish priesthood1 temple1 ritual1 was represented in ,christianity in a higher form4 ,it had been fulfilled in the ,new ,covenant4 ,nothing real and good can pass away till it is fulfilled in something better4 ,thus the ,roman ,catholic ,church stands1 as a constant proof that ,protestant ,christianity yet lacks some important ,christian element which ,romanism possesses4 ,orthodoxy1 confuted1 as we suppose1 over and over again1 by the most logical arguments1 stands firm1 and goes forward4 ,let us1 then1 rexamine the positions of our antagonists--not now merely in order to find the weak places in their line of battle1 but to discover the strong ones4 ,let us see if there be any essential1 substantial truth in this venerable system1 to which we have as yet not done justice4 ,if there be1 justice and progress will both be served by finding and declaring it4 ,we ask1 ,what are the substantial truths1 and what the formal errors1 of ,orthodoxy8 ,but what do we mean by these terms8 #c4 ,orthodoxy as ,right ,belief4 ,by ,orthodoxy in general is meant the right system of belief4 ,this is the dictionary definition4 ,but as the world and the ,church differ as to which is the right system of belief--as there are a vast multitude of systems--and as all sects and parties1 and all men1 believe the system they themselves hold to be the right belief--,orthodoxy1 in this sense of right belief1 means nothing4 ,in this sense there are as many orthodoxies as there are believers1 for no two men1 even in the same ,church1 think exactly alike4 ,unless1 therefore1 we have some further test1 by which to find out which orthodoxy1 among all these orthodoxies1 is the true orthodoxy--we accomplish little by giving to any one system that name4 ,here1 for instance1 in ,new ,england1 we have a system of belief which goes by the name of ,orthodoxy2 which1 however1 is considered very heterodox out of ,new ,england4 ,the man who is thought sound by ,andover is considered very unsound by ,princeton4 ,the ,general ,assembly of the ,presbyterian ,church1 in #ahcg1 cut off four synods1 containing some forty thousand members1 because they were supposed not to be sound in doctrinal belief4 ,but these excommunicated synods formed a ,new ,school ,presbyterian ,church1 having its own orthodoxy4 ,andover considers itself more orthodox than ,cambridge2 but the ,new ,school ,presbyterians think themselves more orthodox than ,andover--the ,old ,school ,presbyterians think themselves more orthodox than the ,new ,school4 ,but the most orthodox ,protestant is called a heretic by the ,roman ,catholics4 ,the ,roman ,catholics1 again1 are called heretics by the ,greek ,church4 ,so that orthodoxy1 in this sense1 seems an impossible thing--something which1 if it exists1 can never be certainly ascertained4 ,whenever a body of believers assumes the name of ,orthodox1 intending thereby that they are right1 and their opponents wrong1 they evidently assume the very point in dispute4 ,they commit the fallacy called in logic a petitio principii4 ,they beg the question1 instead of discussing it4 ,they put will in the place of reason4 ,they say1 in the very title page of their book1 in the first step of their argument1 that their book is satisfactory and their argument conclusive4 ,it would be more modest to wait till the discussion is concluded before they proceed thus to state what the conclusion is4 ,this is an arrogance like that which the ,church of ,rome commits1 in calling itself ,catholic or ,universal1 while excluding more than half of ,christendom from its communion47#c7 ,a political party does not offer such an affront to its opponents4 ,it may name itself ,democratic1 ,republican1 ,federal2 it may call itself the ,conservative party1 or that of ,reform4 ,by these titles it indicates its leading idea--it signifies that it bears the standard of reform1 or that it stands by the old institutions of the country4 ,but no political party ever takes a name signifying that it is all right and its opponents all wrong4 ,this assumption was left to religious sects1 and to those who consider humility the foundation of all the virtues4 ,the term 8,evangelical0 is1 perhaps1 not as objectionable as ,orthodox1 though it carries with it a similar slur on those of other beliefs4 ,it says1 8,we are they who believe the gospel of ,christ2 those who differ from us do not believe it40 ,it is like the assumption by some of the ,corinthians of the exclusive name of ,christians4 8,we are of ,christ10 said they--meaning that the followers of ,paul and ,apollos were not so4 ,probably the better part of those who take the name of ,orthodox1 or ,evangelical1 intend no such arrogance4 ,all they want is some word by which to distinguish themselves from ,unitarians1 ,universalists1 c4 ,they might say1 8,we have as good a right to complain of your calling yourselves #8,rational ,christians' or #8,liberal ,christians'--assuming thereby that others are not rational or liberal4 ,you mean no such assumption1 perhaps2 neither do we when we call ourselves #8,orthodox' or #8,evangelical4' ,when we can find another term1 better than these1 by which to express the difference between us1 we will use it4 ,we do not intend by using these words to foreclose argument or to beg the question4 ,we do not mean by ,orthodoxy1 right belief2 but only a certain well-known form of doctrine40 ,this is all well4 ,yet not quite well--since we have had occasion to notice the surprise and disgust felt by those who had called themselves 8,the ,orthodox10 in finding themselves in a community where others had assumed that title1 and refused to them any share in it4 ,therefore it is well to emphasize the declaration that ,orthodoxy in the sense of 8right belief0 is an unmeaning expression1 signifying nothing4 #d4 ,orthodoxy as the ,doctrine of the ,majority4 ,objections4 ,the majority1 in any particular place1 is apt to call itself orthodox1 and to call its opponents heretics4 ,but the majority in one place may be the minority in another4 ,the majority in ,massachusetts is the minority in ,virginia4 ,the majority in ,england is the minority in ,rome or ,constantinople4 ,the ,archbishop of ,canterbury1 the ,primate of all ,england1 gave ,mr4 ,carzon a letter of introduction to the ,patriarch of ,constantinople1 the head of the ,greek ,church4 ,but the ,patriarch had never heard of the ,archbishop of ,canterbury1 and inquired1 8,who is he80 ,nevertheless1 it is a very common argument that such and such a doctrine1 being held by the great majority of ,christians1 must necessarily be true4 ,thus it is said that since the great majority of ,christians believe the doctrine of the ,trinity1 that doctrine must be true4 8,is it possible10 it is said1 8that the great majority of ,christian believers should be now1 and have been so long1 left in error on such a fundamental doctrine as this80 ,even so intelligent a man as ,dr4 ,huntington seems to have been greatly influenced by this argument in becoming a ,trinitarian4 ,the same argument has carried many ,protestants into the ,roman ,catholic ,church4 ,and1 no doubt1 there is a truth in the argument--a truth1 indeed1 which is implied all through the present work--that doctrines thus held by great multitudes during long periods cannot be wholly false4 ,but it by no means proves them to be wholly true4 ,otherwise1 truth would change as the majorities change4 ,in one century the ,arians had the majority2 and ,arianism1 therefore1 in that century would have been true4 ,moreover1 most of those who adhere to a doctrine have not examined it1 and do not have any defined opinion concerning it4 ,they accept it1 as it is taught them1 without reflection4 ,and again1 most truths are1 at first1 in a minority of one4 ,christianity1 in the first century1 was in a very small minority4 ,protestantism1 in the time of ,luther1 was all in the brain and heart of one man4 ,to assume1 therefore1 that ,orthodoxy1 or the true belief1 is that of the majority1 is to forbid all progress1 to denounce all new truth1 and to resist the revelation and inspiration of ,god1 until it has conquered for itself the support of the majority of mankind4 ,according to this principle1 as ,christianity is still in a minority as compared with paganism1 we ought all to become followers of ,boodh4 ,such a view cannot bear a moment's serious examination4 ,every prophet1 sage1 martyr1 and heroic champion of truth has spent his life and won the admiration and grateful love of the world by opposing the majority in behalf of some neglected or unpopular truth4 #e4 ,orthodoxy as the ,oldest ,doctrine4 ,objections4 ,some people think that ,orthodoxy means the oldest doctrine1 and that if they can only find out what doctrine was believed by the ,church in the first century1 they shall have the true orthodox doctrine4 ,but the early ,church held some opinions which all now believe to be false4 ,they believed1 for instance1 that ,jesus was to return visibly1 in that age1 and set up his church in person1 and reign in the world in outward form--a thing which did not take place4 ,they therefore believed in the early church something which was not true--consequently what they believed cannot be a certain test of ,orthodoxy4 ,the ,high ,church party in the ,church of ,england1 in defending themselves against the ,roman ,catholic argument from antiquity1 have appealed to a higher antiquity1 and established themselves on the supposed faith of the first three centuries4 ,but ,isaac ,taylor1 in his 8,ancient ,christianity10 has sufficiently shown that during no period in those early centuries was anything like modern orthodoxy satisfactorily established47#d7 ,the ,church doctrine was developed gradually during a long period of debate and controversy4 ,the ,christology of the ,church was elaborated amid the fierce conflicts of ,arians and ,athanasians1 ,monothelites and ,monophysites1 ,nestorians and ,eutychians4 ,the anthropology of the ,church was hammered and beaten into shape by the powerful arm of ,augustine and his successors1 on the anvils of the fifth century1 amid the fiery disputes of ,pelagians1 ,semi-,pelagians1 and their opponents4 ,many doctrines generally believed in the early church are universally rejected now4 ,the doctrine of chiliasm1 or the millennial reign of ,christ on earth2 the doctrine of the under world1 or ,hades1 where all souls went after death2 the doctrine of the atonement made by ,christ to the devil1--such were some of the prevailing views held in the early ages of the ,church4 ,the oldest doctrine is not certainly the truest2 or1 as ,theodore ,parker once said to a priest in ,rome1 who told him that the primacy of ,peter was asserted in the second century1 8,a lie is no better because it is an old one40 #f4 ,orthodoxy as the ,doctrine held by all4 ,but1 it may be said1 if ,orthodoxy does not mean the absolutely right system of belief1 nor the system held by the majority1 nor the oldest doctrine of the ,church1 it may1 nevertheless1 mean the essential truths held in all ,christian ,churches1 in all ages and times2 in short1 according to the ancient formula--that which has been believed always1 by all persons1 and everywhere--8quod semper1 quod ab omnibus1 quod ubique40 ,in this sense no one would object to ,orthodoxy4 ,only make your ,catholicity large enough to include every one1 and who would not be a ,catholic8 ,but this famous definition1 if it be strictly taken1 seems as much too large as the others are too narrow4 ,if you only admit to be orthodox what all ,christian persons have believed1 then the ,trinity ceases to be orthodox2 for many1 in all ages1 have disbelieved it4 ,eternal punishment is not orthodox1 for that1 too1 has often been denied in the ,church4 ,sacraments are not orthodox1 for the ,quakers have rejected them4 ,the resurrection is not orthodox1 for there were some ,christians in the ,church at ,corinth who said there was no resurrection of the dead4 #g4 ,orthodoxy1 as a ,formula1 not to be found4 ,any attempt1 therefore1 rigidly to define ,orthodoxy1 destroys it4 ,regarded as a precise statement1 in a fixed or definite form1 it is an impossibility4 ,there is no such thing1 and never has been4 ,no creed ever made satisfied even the majority4 ,how1 indeed1 can any statement proceeding from the human brain be an adequate and permanent expression of eternal truth8 ,even the apostle says1 8,i know in part1 and ,i prophesy in part1 but when that which is perfect is come1 then that which is in part shall be done away40 ,the apostle declares that his sight of truth is only partial1 and that everything partial is imperfect1 and that everything imperfect must pass away2 so that our present knowledge of truth is transient4 8,whether there be knowledge1 it shall pass away40 ,if the apostle ,paul declared that he had not the power of making a perfect and permanent statement of truth1 how can we believe that any one else can ever do it8 #h4 ,orthodoxy as ,convictions underlying ,opinions4 ,if1 therefore1 every doctrinal statement is changeable and changing2 if the history of opinions shows the rise and fall of creeds1--one after the other becoming dominant1 and then passing away2 if no formula has ever gained the universal assent of ,christendom2 if the oldest creeds contained errors now universally rejected1--what then remains as ,orthodoxy8 ,we answer1 no one statement1 but something underlying all statements--no one system of theology1 but certain convictions1 perhaps1 pervading all the ruling systems4 ,man's mind1 capable of insight1 sees with the inward eye the same great spiritual realities1 just as with his outward eye he sees the same landscape1 sky1 ocean4 ,according to the purity and force of his insight1 and the depth of his experience1 he sees the same truth4 ,there is one truth1 but many ways of stating it--one spirit1 but many forms4 8,the one remains1 the many change and pass2 ,heaven's light forever shines1 earth's shadows fly40 ,are there any such great convictions underlying and informing all the creeds8 ,i think there are4 ,i think1 for example1 it has always been believed in the ,church that in some sense man is a sinner1 and in some sense ,christ is a ,saviour from sin2 that ,christianity is in some way a supernatural revelation of the divine will and love2 that ,scripture is somehow an inspired book1 and has authority over our belief and life2 that there is a ,church1 composed of disciples of ,jesus1 whose work in the world is to aid him in saving the lost and helping the fallen and wretched2 that somehow man needs to be changed from his natural state into a higher state1 and to begin a new life1 in order to see ,god2 that there is such a thing as heaven1 and such a thing as hell2 that those who love ,god and man belong to heaven1 and that the selfish and sensual belong to hell4 ,these ideas have been the essential ideas of the ,church1 and constitute the essence of its ,orthodoxy4 ,orthodoxy1 then1 is not any definite creed1 or statement of truth4 ,it is not of the letter1 but of the spirit4 ,the letter kills4 ,consequently those who cling to the letter of ,orthodoxy kill its spirit4 ,the greatest enemy of ,orthodoxy is dead ,orthodoxy4 ,the old statements retained after their life is gone1--the old phrases made ,shibboleths by which truth is to be forever tested1--these gradually make the whole system seem false to the advancing intellect of the human race4 ,then heresies come up1 just as providential1 and just as necessary1 as ,orthodoxy1 to compel the ,church to make restatements of the eternal truth4 ,heresies1 in this sense1 are as true as ,orthodoxy1 and make part1 indeed1 of a higher ,orthodoxy4 ,by ,orthodoxy1 therefore1 we do not mean the opinions held by any particular denomination in ,new ,england or elsewhere4 ,we do not mean the opinions of ,new ,england ,calvinists or of ,southern ,presbyterians2 not the creed of ,andover1 of ,new ,haven1 or of ,princeton3 but we mean that great system of belief which gradually took form in the ,christian ,church1 in the course of centuries1 as its standard theology4 ,the pivotal points of this system are sin and salvation4 ,in it man appears as a sinner1 and ,christ as a ,saviour4 ,man is saved by an inward change of heart1 resulting in an outward change of life1 and produced by the sight of the two facts of sin and salvation4 ,the sight of his sin and its consequences leads him to repentance2 the sight of salvation leads him to faith1 hope1 and love2 and the sight of both results in regeneration1 or a new life4 ,this system also asserts the divinity of ,christ1 the triune nature of ,god1 the divine decrees1 the plenary inspiration of ,scripture1 eternal punishment1 and eternal life4 #i4 ,substantial ,truth and ,formal ,error in all great ,doctrinal ,systems4 ,within the last twenty-five years1 a new department of theological literature has arisen in ,germany1 which treats of the history of doctrines4 ,the object of this is to trace the doctrinal opinions held in the ,church in all ages4 ,by this course of study1 two facts are apparent--first1 that the same great views have been substantially held by the majority of ,christians in all ages2 and1 secondly1 that the forms of doctrine have been very different4 ,the truths themselves have been received by ,christians1 as their strength1 their hope1 and their joy1 in all time2 but the formal statement of these truths has been wrought out differently by individual intellects4 ,the universal body of ,christians has taken care of ,christian truth2 while the ,church ,fathers1 or doctors1 have held in their hands the task of defining it doctrinally for the intellect4 ,by substantial truth we mean this--that in all the great systems of opinion which have had a deep hold on the human mind1 over broad spaces and through long periods1 there is something suited to man's nature1 and corresponding with the facts of the case4 ,the mind of man was made for truth1 and not for error4 ,error is transient3 truth only is permanent4 ,men do not love error for its own sake1 but for the sake of something with which it is connected4 ,after a while1 errors are eliminated1 and the substance retained4 ,the great1 universal1 abiding convictions of men must1 therefore1 contain truth4 ,if it were not so1 we might well despair2 for1 if the mind of the race could fall into unmixed error1 the only remedy by which the heart can be cured1 and the life redeemed from evil1 would be taken away4 ,but it is not so4 ,god has made the mind for truth1 as he has adapted the taste to its appropriate food4 ,in the main1 and in the long run1 what men believe is the truth2 and all catholic beliefs are valid beliefs4 ,opinions held by all men1 everywhere and at all times1 must be substantially true4 ,but error certainly exists1 and always has existed4 ,if the human mind is made for truth1 how does it fall into error8 ,there never has been any important question upon which men have not taken two sides2 and1 where they take two sides1 one side must be in error4 ,sometimes these two parties are equally balanced1 and that for long periods4 ,with which has the truth been8 ,is ,god always with the majority8 ,if so1 we must at once renounce our ,unitarian belief for the ,trinity1 as an immense majority of votes are given in its favor4 ,but1 then1 we must also renounce ,protestantism2 for ,protestantism has only eighty or ninety millions against a hundred and forty millions who are ,catholics4 ,and1 still further1 we must renounce ,christianity in favor of ,heathenism2 since all the different ,christian sects and churches united make up but three hundred millions1 while the ,buddhists alone probably exceed that number4 ,moreover1 truth is always in a minority at first1--usually in a minority of one2 and1 if men ought to wait until it has a majority on its side before they accept it1 it never will have a majority on its side4 ,these objections lead us to the only possible answer1 which consists in distinguishing between the substance and the form4 ,when we assert that all creeds1 widely held and long retained1 have truth1 we mean substantial truth4 ,we do not mean that they are true in their formal statement1 which may be an erroneous statement1 but that they are true as to their contents4 ,the substance of the belief is the fact inwardly beheld by the mind2 the form is the verbal statement which the mind makes of what it has seen4 ,it has seen something real2 but1 when it attempts to describe what it has seen1 it may easily commit errors4 ,thus there may be1 in the same creed1 substantial truth and formal error2 and all great and widely-extended beliefs1 as we assert1 must contain substantial truth and formal error4 ,without substantial truth1 there would be nothing in them to feed the mind1 and they would not be retained2 and1 if they were not more or less erroneous in form1 it would imply infallibility on the part of those who give them their form4 #aj4 ,importance of this ,distinction4 ,this distinction is one of immense importance2 because1 being properly apprehended1 it would1 by destroying dogmatism1 destroy bigotry also4 ,dogmatism consists in assuming that the essence of truth lies in its formal statement4 ,correctly assuming that the life of the soul comes from the sight of truth1 it falsely infers that the essence of truth is in the verbal formula4 ,consequently1 this formula must necessarily seem of supreme importance1 and the very salvation of the soul to depend on holding the correct opinion4 ,with this conviction1 one must and ought to be bigoted2 he ought to cling to the minutest syllable of his creed as the drowning man clings to the floating plank4 ,holding this view1 we cannot blame men for being bigoted3 it is their duty to be bigoted4 ,but1 when the distinction is recognized1 they will cling to the substance1 knowing that the vital truth lies there4 ,it is the sight of the fact which is the source of our life1 and not the statement which we make1 in words1 as to what we have seen4 ,then the sight becomes the thing of immense importance2 the creed in which it is expressed1 of comparative unimportance4 ,this distinction would tend to bring the ,church to a true unity--the unity of the spirit4 ,all would strive for the same insight1 all tolerate variety of expression4 ,instead of assenting outwardly to the same creed1 every man ought1 in fact1 to make his own creed2 and there should be as many different creeds as there are different men4 ,nor should my creed of to-day be the same as that of yesterday2 for1 instead of resting on a past experience1 ,i should continually endeavor to obtain new sights of the one unchangeable truth4 ,seeing more of it to-day than ,i did yesterday1 my yesterday's creed would seem inadequate1 and ,i should wish to make a new one4 ,substantial truth means the truth which we see--the inward sight1 the radical experience4 ,formal truth is the verbal statement1 and consists in accuracy of expression4 ,and so of error4 ,substantial error means error in regard to the substance1 and is necessarily inadequacy of inward experience4 ,strictly speaking1 there cannot be substantial error2 for error1 in regard to the substance of truth1 is purely negative4 ,it is not-seeing4 ,it is failing to perceive the truth1 either from want of opportunity1 weakness of vision1 or neglect in looking4 ,but formal error is not merely defect3 it may also be mistake4 ,we may misstate the truth1 and say what is radically false4 ,from this source come contradictions2 and1 where two statements are contradictory1 both cannot be true4 ,falsehood1 therefore1 originates with the statement4 ,the errors of insight are merely defects2 but the errors of statement may be positive falsehoods4 ,this leads us to take a special view of theological controversies4 ,in all great controversies1 in the conflicts of ages1 where the good and wise have stood opposed to each other1 century after century1 it is probable that there are truth and error on both sides4 ,each side may hold some truth which the other has not seen4 ,there is1 therefore1 also substantial error on both sides2 for each may have failed to see some phase of truth which the other has recognized4 ,but there may be formal error1 or error of statement1 even where there is substantial truth2 for the truth may be overstated1 or understated1 or misstated1 and a false expression given to a true observation4 ,what1 then1 is the duty of those who stand opposed to each other in these controversies--of ,catholics and ,protestants1 ,christians and ,deists1 ,orthodox and ,unitarians8 ,they have plainly a twofold duty to themselves as well as to their opponents4 ,they ought to increase their insight1 and to improve their statements2 to deepen and widen their hold of the substance2 to correct and improve their expression of the form4 ,the first is the work of religion2 the second1 that of theology4 ,the first is infinitely the most important1 because the life of the soul depends on the sight of truth4 ,this is its food1 without which it will starve and die4 ,but it is also important that it should improve its theology1 because a correct theology is a help to insight1 and a ground of mental communion4 #aa4 ,the ,orthodox and ,liberal ,parties in ,new ,england4 ,the ,liberal party in ,new ,england have carried on a theological controversy for some forty years with the ,orthodox4 ,this controversy was inevitable4 ,calvinism had neglected important truths which the human soul needed1 and without which it would starve4 ,unitarianism came to assert and vindicate those truths4 ,at first1 it was inevitable that the statements on either side should be narrow and mutually exclusive4 ,but1 as a battle goes on1 the position of the opposing armies changes4 ,the points of attack and defence alter4 ,old positions are abandoned1 and new ones occupied4 ,seldom does it happen to either army to sleep on the field of battle4 ,nor has it so happened to us4 ,neither the ,unitarians nor the ,trinitarians have gained a complete victory3 each has taken some important position1 and yielded some other4 ,we have a book called 8,concessions of ,trinitarians30 another might be written containing the 8,concessions of ,unitarians40 ,neither side has conceded1 or ought to concede1 any real truth of experience or of statement2 but it is honorable to each to concede its own partial and inadequate statements4 ,we intend1 in this volume1 to endeavor1 from our own point of view1 to gain what sight we can of the radical1 vital truth underlying each great ,orthodox doctrine4 ,at the same time1 we shall freely criticise the forms1 especially the more recent ones1 in which ,orthodox doctrines have been stated4 ,we assume1 at the outset1 that each doctrine does cover some truth of experience1 some real solid fact1 which is as important to us as to our opponents4 ,we assume1 that1 though the doctrines may be false1 there may be an experience behind them which is true4 ,we have satisfied ourselves of the formal error of their statements4 ,we consider it impossible for a sound ,unitarian intellect to accept the ,orthodox theology as a whole1 without being untrue to itself2 but there is no reason why we should not break this shell of doctrine1 and find the vital truths which it contains4 ,and if it be said1 8,who made you a judge or a divider on these subjects80 we reply1 that only by contributions from all quarters can a final judgment be reached4 ,meantime1 it is the right and duty of every serious thinker to add his own opinion to the common stock2 willing to be refuted when wrong1--glad1 if right1 to be helpful in any degree towards the ultimate result4 ,this is the object of the present work1 which1 though written by a ,unitarian1 and from a ,unitarian stand-point1 and though published by the ,american ,unitarian ,association1 will1 we trust1 be sufficiently unsectarian4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,principle ,,and ,,idea ,,of ,,orthodoxy ,,stated ,,and ,,examined4 #a4 ,the ,principle of ,orthodoxy defined4 ,the principle of ,orthodoxy is1 that there is one true system of ,christian doctrine1 and that all others are false2 that this system can be1 and has been1 so stated in words as to distinguish it from all the false systems or heresies2 and that this true system of doctrine is the one which is now held1 and always has been held1 by the majority of ,christians2 and1 finally1 that the belief of this system is1 as a rule1 essential to salvation--so that those who may be saved1 while not accepting it1 will be saved 7if at all7 by way of exception1 and not according to rule4 #b4 ,logical ,genesis of the ,principle of ,orthodoxy4 ,the principle of ,orthodoxy seems to have arisen1 and to have maintained itself in the ,church1 in some such way as this4 ,jesus ,christ1 it is assumed1 came to save the soul from sin and evil4 ,he saves the soul by the word of truth4 ,in order that this truth shall become saving truth1 it must be believed1 and so strongly believed as to have a practical influence on life and action4 ,we are therefore saved by believing the truth taught by ,christ4 ,but in order to be believed1 it must be expressed in some definite statement1 or in what we call ,christian doctrine4 ,but truth is one1 and therefore the doctrine which expresses it must also be one4 ,therefore there must be one system of ,christian doctrine1 containing in itself the substance of ,christian truth1 and constituting the object of ,christian faith4 ,this system1 though it may vary in its unessential parts1 must in its essence be unchangeable4 ,in proportion as any system of belief varies from it1 such system is heterodox and dangerous1 while this system alone is orthodox and safe4 ,another form of this argument would be as follows3 ,christ came to reveal something to men4 ,if revealed1 it must be made known4 ,if made known1 it must be capable of being so expressed that there can be no reasonable doubt concerning it4 ,otherwise1 ,christianity would not be a revelation4 ,but if expressed so as to enter the human mind1 it must be expressed in human language4 ,a verbal revelation1 therefore1 is essential for the purposes of ,christianity4 ,such a revelation is nothing else than a system of doctrine1 or that which can be systematized into doctrine4 ,and this system must be one and the same from age to age1 or it is not a permanent divine revelation1 but only a transient human seeking for such a revelation4 #c4 ,orthodoxy assumed to be the ,belief of the ,majority4 ,the natural test of ,orthodoxy is assumed to be the belief of the majority of ,christians2 for if ,christianity be a revelation of truth1 its essential contents must be easy to apprehend1 and when apprehended1 they must be generally accepted4 ,the revelations of ,god in nature are seen and accepted by the human intellect1 and so become matters of science4 ,orthodox science is that which the great majority of scientific men have accepted as such2 and ,orthodox ,christianity1 in like manner1 must be that which the majority of ,christian believers accept as such4 ,hence it is taken for granted1 as regards ,orthodox doctrine1 that it meets the test1 8,quod semper1 quod ubique1 quod ab omnibus40 #d4 ,heterodoxy thus becomes sinful4 ,but if the essential truth of ,christianity be thus plain1 those who do not receive it must be either stupid or wilful4 ,its rejection argues a want of intellect or a bad heart4 ,heretics1 therefore1 ought logically to become to the ,orthodox objects either of contempt or hatred4 ,if they cannot see what is so plain1 they must be intellectually imbecile4 ,if they will not see it1 they must be morally depraved4 ,therefore intelligent people who accept and teach heresies ought to be considered wicked people by logical ,orthodox minds4 ,moreover1 they are the most dangerous persons in the community1 because1 by denying that truth by which the soul is to be saved1 they endanger not merely the temporal1 but also the eternal1 welfare of those whom they seduce4 ,and if we have a right to abate a nuisance which only interferes with the earthly comfort and peace of society1 how much more one which attacks its spiritual peace and eternal welfare6 ,have not the majority a right to protect themselves1 their children1 and society from that which they not merely believe1 but know1 to be evil8 ,for ,orthodoxy assumes to be not merely opinion1 but knowledge4 ,hence ,orthodoxy legitimates persecution47#e7 ,persecution is only the judicious repression of criminal attempts to pervert and injure society4 ,moreover1 ,orthodoxy1 according to its principle1 ought to discourage inquiry in relation to its own fundamental principles4 ,for why continue to discuss and debate about that which is known8 ,progress consists in advancing from the known to the unknown4 ,the unknown1 and not the known1 is the proper subject for inquiry4 ,the system of ,orthodoxy1 therefore1 according to its own principle1 should be withdrawn from further examination4 ,intellectual advance requires us to take for granted something--to forget that which is behind in order to press forward to that which is before4 ,the doctrines of ,orthodoxy therefore1 when once established1 should afterwards be assumed1 and need not be proved4 ,we do not call a scientific man a bigot because he refuses to discuss fundamental principles4 ,if ,orthodoxy be science1 why accuse it of bigotry when it follows the same course8 #e4 ,the ,doctrine of ,essentials and ,non-essentials leads to ,rome4 ,if ,orthodoxy consists in a statement of opinions the belief of which is essential to salvation1 the question arises1 ,are all these opinions essential1 or only a part8 ,it is generally admitted that the great system called ,orthodoxy contains some things not essential to salvation4 ,how shall these be distinguished8 ,moreover1 some variation of statement is judged allowable4 ,no ,orthodox creed is assumed to be inspired as to its language4 ,the same essential truth may be expressed in different terms4 ,how1 then1 are we to define the limits of expression so as to know what error of opinion is venial1 and what vital8 ,orthodoxy assures us that our salvation depends on accepting its statements4 ,in which particular form1 then1 must we accept them8 ,in so important a matter as this1 where salvation is assumed to depend on accepting the right form of doctrine1 one surely ought to be able to know which the right form is4 ,now1 the rule of ,orthodoxy1 as given above1 is1 that nothing is ,orthodox1 as essential doctrine1 which has not been believed 8always1 everywhere1 and by all40 ,but this raises an historical question1 and one of no little difficulty4 ,for since heresies have always existed1 and some one has always been found somewhere to deny the most essential doctrines of ,orthodoxy1 the question is somewhat intricate who these 8all0 are who have never disbelieved the ,orthodox system4 ,it is plain that the majority of ,christians have neither time nor ability for these investigations4 ,the historical inquiry must be conducted for them by others4 ,and here seems to come in the law of ,church authority as against private judgment4 ,and so the principle of ,orthodoxy1 carried out to its legitimate results1 appears to land us at last in the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 to set aside the right of private judgment1 and to justify intolerance and the forcible suppression of heresy4 ,but as these results are not accepted by those who yet accept the principles of ,orthodoxy1 it is necessary to see if there is a fallacy anywhere in our course of thought1 and at what precise point the fallacy has come in4 #f4 ,fallacy in this ,orthodox ,argument4 ,the fallacy in all this argument lies here--that faith is confounded with belief2 knowledge with opinion2 the sight of truth with its intellectual statement in the form of doctrine4 ,undoubtedly there is only one faith1 but there may be many ways of stating it in the form of opinion4 ,moreover1 no man1 no church1 no age1 sees the whole of truth4 ,truth is multilateral1 but men's minds are unilateral4 ,they are mirrors which reflect1 and that imperfectly1 the side of the object which is towards them4 ,therefore even knowledge in any finite mind is partial1 consequently imperfect2 and consequently needs other knowledge to complete it4 ,this1 apparently1 is what the apostle ,paul means 7#a ,cor4 #ac3h-ab7 in his statement concerning the relation between knowledge and love4 ,knowledge 7,gnosis7 8shall pass away40 ,the word here used is elsewhere translated by 8destroyed10 8brought to nought10 8abolished10 8made of none effect40 8,knowledge0 here probably refers to definite and systematic statements of real insights4 ,it is something more than opinion1 but something less than faith4 ,faith abides1 but knowledge passes away4 ,faith abides1 because it is a positive sight of truth4 ,it is an experience of the soul1 by which it opens itself in trust1 and becomes receptive of spiritual influence4 ,faith1 therefore1 remains1 and its results are permanent in the soul4 ,they make the substance of our knowledge as regards the spiritual world4 ,this substance becomes a part of the soul itself1 and constitutes a basis of self-consciousness as real as is its experience of the external world4 ,but ,gnosis is this faith1 translated by the intellect into systematic form4 ,such systems embody real experience1 and are necessary for mental and moral progress4 ,they are the bodies of thought4 ,but all bodies must die1 sooner or later2 and so all systems of knowledge must pass away4 ,the body1 at first1 helps the growth of thought1 helps the growth of the soul2 but afterwards it hinders it4 ,the new wine must be put into new bottles4 ,therefore the apostle ,paul1 the great teacher of doctrinal theology in the ,christian ,church1 distinctly recognizes here1 that every system of doctrine1 no matter how much truth it contains1 is partial1 and therefore transient4 ,he makes no exception in favor even of inspired statements--he does not except his own4 ,all bodies must die2 all forms are fugitive2 nothing continues but the substance of knowledge1 which is faith2 the inward sight of ,god's goodness producing that endless expectation which is called hope2 and the large spiritual communion with ,god and his creatures1 here called ,agape1 or love4 ,the apostle speaks in the first person when he says that knowledge passes away--8,we know in part1 and we prophesy or teach in part40 ,he speaks for himself and his fellow-apostles4 ,we see1 therefore1 that the great master and head of ,orthodoxy in the ,church has himself declared every form of ,orthodoxy to be transient4 ,we conclude1 therefore1 that the apostle ,paul1 in this famous passage1 overturns the whole principle of verbal ,orthodoxy4 ,he takes away its foundation4 ,not denying the reality and permanence of religious experience1 not denying the saving power of truth1 he declares that no expressed system of truth is permanent4 ,the basis of doctrinal ,orthodoxy is the assumption that its own particular form of belief is essential to salvation4 ,but the apostle declares that all forms are transient1 and1 therefore1 none essential4 ,all statement is a limitation1 and the moment that we make a definition1 we say something which is incomplete4 ,when ,paul says1 8,we know in part10 he says the same thing which is said by ,kant1 by ,sir ,william ,hamilton1 by ,auguste ,comte1 by ,mr4 ,mansell1 and most modern thinkers1 when they declare the relativity of knowledge4 ,all thinking is limitation4 8,to think10 says ,sir ,william ,hamilton1 8is to condition40 ,we only know a thing1 says this school1 by its being different from something else4 ,the school of ,kant declares all knowledge to be phenomenal1 and that all phenomenal knowledge consists of two parts--the part given by the thing1 and the part added by the mind4 ,herbert ,spencer 7in 8,first ,principles07 insists on the certainty of the existence of things in themselves1 but also on their absolute and eternal unknowableness4 ,according to ,john ,stuart ,mill1 the same view of the unknowableness of ,noumena is taken by ,m4 ,auguste ,comte4 ,these modern philosophers1 it will be seen1 go much farther than ,paul1 and lay down positions which inaugurate a universal scepticism4 ,according to them there is nothing certain and nothing fixed4 ,mr4 ,mansell virtually teaches us that we cannot know anything of ,god1 duty1 or immortality2 and that faith means1 taking for granted on some outward authority4 ,to use a striking expression of ,president ,james ,walker1 8,we are not to believe1 but to make believe40 ,that is1 we are not to believe with our intellect1 but with our will4 ,or1 in other words1 we are to believe not what is true1 but what is expedient4 ,this he calls regulative truth1 as opposed to speculative truth4 ,but this is by no means the doctrine of the apostle ,paul4 ,he teaches the certainty of substantive knowledge1 but the fallibility of formal knowledge4 ,he thus avoids the two extremes of dogmatism on the one side1 and scepticism on the other4 ,the substance of ,gnosis1 which is the sight of truth1 is a reality1 and1 like all that is real1 has its root in ,god1 and shares his eternity4 ,the form of ,gnosis is subjective1 relative1 and transient4 ,everything which is seen is temporal2 only that which is not seen is eternal4 ,all that takes outward1 visible form1 comes under the law of change2 the roots of our knowledge1 fixed in ,god1 are unchangeable4 #g4 ,the three ,tendencies in the ,church4 ,the human soul1 a unit1 indivisible1 and without parts1 nevertheless acts in three directions--of will1 affection1 intellect4 ,these are distinguishable1 though not divisible4 ,every one knows the difference between an act2 an emotion of anger1 pity1 sorrow1 love2 and a process of logic1 or an intellectual argument4 ,these are the three primary states of the mind1 evidently distinct4 ,it is impossible to mistake either for the other4 ,i may direct my mind towards action1 towards thought1 or towards emotion4 ,the first of these1 action1 is the most within my own power1 depends chiefly on myself1 lies nearest the will4 ,will passes instantaneously into action4 ,i will to lift my arm1 and it is done4 ,on the other hand1 feeling or emotion lies the farthest from this centre of will1 depends least of all on my own choice1 and in it ,i am most passive4 ,but the sphere of intellect is intermediate4 ,i am more free when ,i think than when ,i feel2 less free than when ,i act4 ,in the domain of will1 ,i act upon external things2 in the domain of feeling1 ,i am acted upon by external things2 in the domain of intellect1 ,i neither act nor am acted upon1 but ,i see them4 ,in all thinking1 in proportion as it is pure thought1 both will and emotion are excluded4 ,we are neither actors nor sufferers1 but spectators4 ,things seen pass into our life through the intellect1 and become sources of emotion and action4 ,love of truth causes us to desire to know it2 this desire leads us to put our mind in the presence of truth1 but when there1 the functions of emotion and will cease1 and all we have to do is to look4 ,now1 there have always been in the ,church three parties1 or at least three tendencies1 in regard to the basis of religion4 ,one of these makes the basis of the religious life to consist in thought1 one posits it in feeling1 the third in action4 ,with one1 the intellect must take the initiative2 with the second1 the heart2 with the third1 the will1 or power of determination4 ,the three parties in the ,church1 based on these three tendencies1 may be characterized as the ,orthodoxists1 the ,emotionalists1 and the party of ,works4 ,the first says1 8,we are saved by faith20 the second says1 8,we are saved by love20 the third says1 8,we are saved by obedience40 ,the first assumes that the sight of truth must take the lead in all ,christian experience2 the second believes that love for goodness is the true basis in religion2 the third maintains that the first thing to be done1 in order to become a religious man1 is to obey the law of duty4 ,it is evidently very important to decide which of these answers is the true one4 ,what are we to do first1 if we wish to become ,christian men or women8 ,are we to study1 read1 reflect1 in order to know the truth8 ,are we to go to church and listen to sermons1 join ,bible classes and study the ,scriptures1 read compends of doctrine and books of ,christian evidence8 ,or are we to seek for emotion1 to pray for a change of heart1 to put ourselves under exciting influences1 to go where a revival is in progress1 to attend protracted meetings1 to be influenced through sympathy till we are filled full of emotions of anxiety1 fear1 remorse1 followed by emotions of hope1 trust1 gratitude1 pardon1 peace1 joy8 ,or are we to do neither of these things1 but to begin by obedience1 trying to do right in order to be right1 beginning by the performance of the humblest duties1 the nearest duties1 letting fidelity in the least open the way to more8 ,shall we know the truth in order to love it and do it8 ,or shall we love the truth in order to see it and do it8 ,or shall we do right in order to know it and love it8 ,large numbers in the ,church have followed each of these three methods1 and made each the basis of its action4 ,one has said1 8,we are saved by works20 a second1 8,we are saved by faith20 a third1 8,we are saved by love40 #h4 ,the ,party of ,works4 ,two tendencies have joined in teaching salvation by works1 or1 more strictly1 in teaching the initiative of the will in religion4 ,these are the ,church-tendency and the ,moral-tendency in ,christianity4 ,the ,church party in ,christianity teaches that the first duty towards a child is to make it a member of the ,christian ,church by baptism1 and that the first duty of every baptized person is to obey the commands of the ,church4 ,the ,church thus becomes a school1 in which baptized persons are educated as ,christians4 ,the ,church of ,rome1 and the ,high ,church party in the ,church of ,england and in the ,episcopal ,church of the ,united ,states1 teach this doctrine of salvation by works4 ,this system by no means dispenses with ,christian belief or ,christian feeling1 but makes them both subordinate4 ,the ,church says to its faithful1 ,we do not require you to believe or to feel1 but to obey4 ,if we said1 8,believe10 or 8,feel10 you might justly reply1 8,we cannot believe or feel when we choose1 and you have therefore no right to ask us to do so40 ,therefore the ,church only demands obedience1 which it is in the power of all to render4 ,it1 indeed1 requires an assent to its creed1 and forbids heresy4 ,but this only means1 8,receive the creed as true until you are able to see how it is true40 ,the ,church also insists greatly on love1 and its saints have been filled with the highest raptures of piety4 ,but it never requires feeling4 ,it says1 8,use the means we put into your hands1 and feeling will come4 ,pray1 as we command you to do1 whether you feel deeply or not4 ,feeling will come by and by40 ,discipline1 therefore1 and not illumination1 has been the method of the ,church of ,rome1 and is also the method of all other ,churches1 so far as they are ecclesiastical ,churches4 ,all such ,churches teach that by a faithful conformity to their ritual1 methods1 sacraments1 services1 discipline1 the ,christian life will surely come4 ,the one thing needful and primary with them all is obedience1 and the result of obedience is knowledge and love4 ,essentially the same view is taken by the ,ethical party1 or ,moralists1 in ,christianity4 ,their statement1 also1 of the foundation of religion is1 that it lies in obedience4 ,they differ only from the ,church party as regards the authority to be obeyed4 ,with them it is not the ,church1 but the ,moral ,law1 as made known to men in revelation1 or in the natural instincts of conscience4 ,the foundation of all goodness and religion is right doing4 ,this leads to right thinking and right feeling2 or1 when it does not lead to these1 it is still sufficient1 and is satisfactory to ,god4 8,what doth the ,lord require of thee10 say they1 8but to do justly1 and love mercy1 and walk humbly with thy ,god80 ,at this point the extremes meet1 and the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 or the extreme right1 offers its hand to the ,liberal ,christians1 or the extreme left4 ,this is the point of contact between the two1 which sometimes1 also1 becomes a bridge by which proselytes pass either way1 from one to the other4 ,but the practical question is1 ,is this answer sound8 ,does the will lead the way in religion8 ,is obedience the first step to be taken at every point of the way8 ,is the initiative in the religious life always an action8 ,are we saved by works8 ,the objection to this view is1 that a religious action1 without a religious thought and a religious affection behind it1 is not in any sense religious4 ,it has in it nothing of the essence of religion4 ,religion1 regarded merely as obedience to ,god1 implies the knowledge of ,god4 ,we must know ,god in order to obey him2 we must know ,god in order to love him4 ,knowledge1 therefore1 must precede obedience1 and not the contrary4 ,otherwise obedience is an empty form1 having no religious character4 ,unless we see the truth and justice of obedience1 we are only yielding to human persuasion1 to human authority1 and not to the authority of ,god4 ,it may be well1 or it may be ill1 to yield to such human authority2 but there is no religion in it1 or only a religion of dead works4 #i4 ,the ,party of ,emotion in ,christianity4 ,there are those1 and always have been those1 who have placed the substance of religion in love1 in which they have1 perhaps1 not been mistaken4 ,but they have often taken another step1 by degrading love into mere emotion4 ,they have considered that feeling was the basis of religion2 not thought1 nor action4 ,they too have texts to quote in support of their view4 ,they say that 8with the heart men believe unto righteousness20 that we must 8be rooted and grounded in love20 that the first commandment is to 8love ,god with all the heart40 ,as with them religious emotion constitutes the essence of religion1 they make use of all means of producing it1 and especially the excitement which comes from sympathy4 ,the ,methodist ,church has1 perhaps1 gone farther than any other towards making this a principle4 ,this great and noble body has done its vast work for ,christianity by making prominent the love-principle in all its operations4 ,if the ,church party stands at one extreme1 ,methodism1 in all its forms1 stands at the other4 ,the ,roman ,catholic ,church sums up all the inspirations of the past1 collects in its large repertoire all ancient liturgies1 all saintly lives1 all sacred customs1 and so brings an imposing authority1 a reverend antiquity1 made up of the best history of man4 ,methodism drops the past1 and finds ,god in the present--in present inspirations1 in the newly-converted soul1 born out of darkness into light1 by the immediate coming of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,according to the ,catholic ,church the ,christian life commences with an outward act1--that of baptism1--and is carried on by outward sacraments2 according to ,methodism1 the ,christian life begins with an inward emotional experience1--the spiritual new birth1--and is carried on by successive emotions of penitence1 faith1 hope1 joy1 and pious devotion4 ,according to ,catholicism1 the one thing needful is the outward sacramental union with the ,church2 according to ,methodism1 the one thing needful is the inward emotional union with the ,holy ,spirit4 #aj4 ,the ,faith ,party in ,religion4 ,if ,churchism and ,moralism place the essence of ,christianity in action1 and ,emotionalism puts it in feeling1 ,orthodoxy places it in something intellectual1 which it calls faith4 ,all the sects of ,christendom do1 indeed1 place faith at the root of the ,christian life2 but some make it essentially an intellectual act1 others essentially affectionate1 and others an act of will4 ,orthodoxy makes it1 in substance1 a sight of faith1 or an act of looking at spiritual realities4 ,sometimes it is called a realizing sense of spiritual things4 ,but1 at all events1 the sight of truth is considered the beginning and root of religion by the ,orthodox party in the ,church4 ,we are saved by the word of truth2 and the ,saviour himself is called 8the ,word10--belief in whom constitutes eternal life4 ,rationally1 it is argued that the essential difference between the ,christian and the unbeliever1 or the unchristian1 must lie in seeing ,christ or not seeing him4 ,the first step in the religious life always consists in looking at the truth4 #aa4 ,truth in the ,orthodox ,idea4 ,admitting1 then1 what all these systems and parties in the ,church unite in asserting1--that an act of faith is always at the foundation of every ,christian state and of all ,christian experience1--we ask1 ,which is the most essential element in faith--will1 intellect1 or affection8 ,is an act of faith chiefly an act of the will1 a determination1 or is it a loving desire1 or a state of knowledge1 a looking at truth8 ,suppose we call it a state of love1 for this reason1 that in order to be good1 the first thing requisite is to wish to be good4 ,a longing for goodness1 it may be said1 must precede everything else4 ,but what makes us long for goodness1 if we do desire it8 ,what shall produce that longing1 if it does not exist8 ,the only answer must be1 ,the sight of truth4 ,the sight of ,god's holiness and of ,god's tenderness1 the sight of law and gospel1 whatever shows us the beauty of goodness and the meanness of sin1 must come first to awaken this desire4 ,or suppose it be said that the essential thing in faith is the active element1 because it is submitting to ,god's law1 trusting in his help1 coming to the truth1 opening the heart to the ,holy ,spirit1--all of which are determinations of the will4 ,we must reply1 ,true2 but these determinations will never be taken unless we first see the will of ,god to which we submit1 see the salvation of ,god on which we lean1 know that there is a truth to which we may come1 know that there is a ,holy ,spirit1 in order to ask for it4 ,so that1 on the whole1 we may say that ,orthodoxy is right in making the sight of truth the beginning of the ,christian life1 and the beginning of every ,christian state1 act1 or experience4 ,all human goodness is the reflection of ,god's goodness2 it all has its source in the sight of a divine holiness1 truth1 beauty4 ,this is the fundamental idea of ,orthodoxy1 and in this ,orthodoxy is right4 ,it is no answer to this to say that man has an instinctive longing for goodness1 which causes him to feel after ,god before he finds him4 ,for what are these instincts themselves1 as soon as they begin to act1 but the voice of ,god speaking in the soul1 showing it some glimpses of a divine truth8 ,the longing in the soul must be aroused by the sight or knowledge of something better than that which one has or is4 ,consequently1 we say again1 that the sight of truth is that which saves the soul1 and first creates in it a better life4 ,if we make ,christianity to be essentially obedience1 we make of it1 at last1 an oppressive form4 ,if we consider it as essentially an emotional experience1 we destroy its moral character2 for emotion is both passive and blind1 while the definition of morality is the freely choosing what we see to be right4 ,ecclesiasticism and ,emotionalism both tend to demoralize ,christianity4 ,they remove from it the element of moral freedom in the interest either of ,church authority or of mystical piety4 ,then ,christianity must come anew1 in the form of truth1 to purify the air1 and renew the moral life of society4 ,protestantism arose in this way1 to salt the corrupting ,church4 ,ecclesiasticism1 in its well-meant efforts at training men1 by a complete discipline1 to a perfect virtue1 had suppressed the individual love of truth to such an extent1 that religion had become a mere surface1 without substance4 ,jesuitism abolished the distinction between things right and wrong in themselves1 and made right to consist solely in the intention2 that is1 made it wholly subjective4 ,the ,lutheran reformation was the revival of the intellect in regard to religion--the demand for conviction instead of assent2 for the sight of ,god in place of obedience to the ,church4 ,it repeated1 with an emphasis adapted to the needs of the sixteenth century1 the words of ,jesus1 8,this is life eternal1 to know thee1 the only true ,god1 and ,jesus ,christ whom thou hast sent40 ,in these words is the sufficient defence of ,protestantism4 ,it was the cry of the soul to know ,god1 and not merely to assent to what the ,church taught concerning him2 it was the longing to know ,christ1 and not to repeat by rote the creeds of the first centuries1 and the definitions of medival doctors in regard to him4 ,in a subsequent chapter we shall consider the truth and error in the ,protestant principle of justification by faith4 ,our purpose here is to show that the truth in ,orthodoxy is identical with the truth in ,protestantism4 ,both place1 as the root of all religion1 an individual personal sight of ,god and truth4 ,to this1 freedom of thought is an essential means4 ,right thinking involves free thinking4 ,if to know the truth makes us free1 freedom1 again1 is the condition of knowing the truth4 ,protestantism and ,orthodoxy have often attempted to limit the application of this principle4 ,protestants1 as well as ,catholics1 have persecuted heretics4 ,but while ,catholics1 in doing this1 have been faithful to their own idea1 and have therefore made of persecution a system1 ,protestants have been vacillating and undecided persecutors4 ,they have been drawn in opposite directions by antagonist principles4 ,fundamentally1 ,protestantism1 as such1 claims for all the rights of private judgment1 and is1 therefore1 in its whole stress and influence1 opposed to persecution1 and in favor of religious liberty4 ,it has conquered the ,catholic ,church on this point so far as to compel it to renounce the practice of persecution1 if it has not relinquished the theory4 ,during three centuries ,protestantism has been1 more and more1 emancipating the human mind--making it the duty1 and consequently the right1 of every human being to see truth for himself4 ,it has been drawn into inconsistencies by its belief in the saving power of certain doctrines1 and the supreme importance of believing them4 ,on one hand it has claimed1 with a trumpet voice1 the freedom of conscience and opinion for all1 and then has cried out against those who freely came to opinions differing from its own4 ,but1 notwithstanding these inconsistencies1 ,protestantism has steadily given freedom of spirit to mankind4 ,and with the awakened and emancipated intellect all the elements of progress have shown themselves in ,protestant lands4 ,in #aeag1 when ,luther nailed his theses to the church door1 ,italy1 ,spain1 and ,portugal were far in advance of ,northern ,europe in civilization4 ,in commerce1 art1 and literature1 ,italy was the queen of ,europe4 ,in military force1 extent of possessions1 and unbounded wealth1 ,spain was the leading power of the world4 ,the ,portuguese mariners had ransacked every sea1 and discovered new continents and islands in every zone4 ,how insignificant1 in comparison with these great nations1 were ,england1 ,holland1 and ,germany6 ,but ,england1 ,holland1 and ,germany became ,protestant2 ,italy1 ,spain1 and ,portugal remained ,catholic2 while ,france and ,austria adopted a half-way ,catholicism4 ,the result has been1 in the course of three centuries1 a complete reversal of the position4 ,the last have become first1 and the first last4 ,what now has become of the terrible power of ,spain1 the enterprise of ,portugal1 the art and literature of ,italy8 ,when the element of ,protestantism was crushed out of these nations by the ,inquisition1 the principle of national progress was also destroyed4 ,but the northern powers who accepted the ,lutheran reform received with it the germs of progress4 ,holland1 ,denmark1 ,norway1 ,sweden1 ,prussia1 ,saxony1 ,england1 and ,scotland1 have1 by a steady progress in civilization1 wealth1 knowledge1 and morality1 conclusively demonstrated the impulse of progress contained in the ,protestant idea4 ,so far1 therefore1 as this great experiment1 continued during three hundred years1 can prove anything1 it proves the truth of the central idea of ,protestantism and ,orthodoxy1 namely1 that saving faith is essentially not emotional nor volitional1 but intellectual4 #ab4 ,error in the ,orthodox ,principle4 ,we are well aware of the reply which might be made1 from the stand-point of ,ecclesiasticism1 to the historical argument just given4 ,the ,roman ,catholic might answer thus3 8,we admit that the tree must be known by its fruits2 but the tree of true ,christianity is known by bearing the fruits of ,christianity1 not those of worldly civilization4 ,suppose that ,england is to-day richer than ,italy1 more powerful than ,spain2 is she better8 ,are there more piety and more morality in ,protestant than in ,catholic countries8 ,in which communities do you find the most humility1 simplicity1 religious faith1 reverence for religious institutions1 fear of ,god8 ,in which do you find most of sympathy1 kindliness1 good will from man to man8 ,the fierce civilization of ,protestantism is hard1 cold1 and cruel4 ,it tramples under its feet the weak4 ,it accumulates wealth and power2 but are these ,christianity8 ,is ,london or ,rome the best model of a ,christian city8 ,is it ,london1 with its terrible contrasts of enormous wealth and naked want1 its proud aristocracy and brutalized mob1 its empty churches and illuminated gin-shops8 or is it not rather ,rome1 poorer in material wealth and luxury1 but rich in grace--,rome1 with its odor of sanctity about it2 its numerous churches1 on which art has lavished her resources to make them worthy to be the temples of ,god--,rome1 with its priests and monks2 its religious houses1 the centres of the great religious orders1 whose missions have been known in the four quarters of the earth8 ,protestant countries may have a higher worldly civilization1 more education and intelligence1 more manufactures and commerce2 but ,catholic countries have more humility and reverence1 a more habitual piety1 more gentle manners4 ,if ,protestants have more knowledge1 ,catholics have more love40 ,and we1 though ,protestants of the ,protestants1 must admit that there is some truth in this4 ,the discipline of ,romanism has repressed some amount of evil which the liberty of ,protestant lands has allowed to appear4 ,but repressed evil is none the less evil1 and often works a greater inward corruption than when it is allowed to show itself as it is4 ,we may also admit that while in ,protestantism there is more of ,,truth1 and all the virtues which go therewith1--such as honesty1 manliness1 self-respect1 conscientiousness1--in ,catholic countries there is more of ,,love1 and all the virtues which follow it1--as kindly1 genial manners1 ready sympathy with suffering1 a spirit of dependence and trust4 ,still1 this does not prove that there is more real ,christianity among ,catholics2 for love which does not grow out of the sight of truth is not genuine nor healthy4 ,its life is weak4 ,protestant ,christianity is an immature fruit1 harsh because not quite ripe4 ,catholic ,christianity is a fruit over-ripe1 and so rotten4 ,therefore we still contend that ,protestantism and ,orthodoxy are right in making the free and independent sight of truth the root of all religion4 ,but the mistake of ,orthodoxy has been in confounding truth with doctrine--the sight of the thing with the theory about that sight4 ,from hence come the hardness and coldness of ,orthodoxy4 ,pure thought is always cold1 and ought to be4 ,the sight of spiritual things is truth and love in one2 but when we begin to reflect on that sight1 the love drops out1 and the truth becomes cold4 ,the defect of the ,orthodox principle1 therefore1 is the confusion of truth with belief4 ,out of this mistake come dogmatism1 bigotry1 and all their natural consequences4 ,it is therefore well1 before going farther1 to explain more fully this distinction and its importance4 #ac4 ,faith1 ,knowledge1 ,belief1 ,opinion4 ,religion originates at every moment1 from looking at truth4 ,now1 there are four kinds of looking2 faith1 which is intuitive looking2 knowledge1 which is the intuition itself looked at by reflection1 and so brought to consciousness2 third1 belief1 which arranges the products of knowledge in systematic form1 and makes them congruous with each other2 and lastly comes opinion1 which does not deal at all with things1 but only with thoughts about things4 ,by faith we see ,god2 by knowledge we become conscious that we see ,god2 by belief we arrange in order what we see2 and by opinion we feel and grope among our thoughts1 seeking what we may find of his works and ways4 ,every act of faith brings us into the presence of ,god himself1 and makes us partakers of the divine nature4 ,thus faith is strictly and literally the substance of things hoped for1 or the substance of hope47#f7 ,substance here has its etymological sense1 and is the same word in ,greek and ,english1 meaning basis1 foundation1 support1 or substruction4 ,it is the inward experience by which we come in contact with invisible things1 as perception is the experience by which we come in contact with visible things4 ,these steps of intellectual activity may be called by other names than these4 ,what we 7with ,jacobi7 call faith17#g7 may be denominated 8intuition0 7with the transcendentalists71 reason 7with ,coleridge71 ,god-consciousness 7with ,schleiermacher71 or anschauungs-vermgen 7with ,schelling and others74 ,but1 by whatever name we call this power1 we say there is a power in man by which he can see spiritual facts1 as with his earthly senses he can perceive sensible facts4 ,if he has no such power1 he is incapable of knowing ,god1 but can only have an opinion that there is a ,god4 ,but if he can know ,god1 this knowledge rests on something back of reasoning or reflection2 it must rest on an intuition or spiritual perception4 ,and this1 for our present purpose1 we call faith4 ,by means of it we know the spiritual world1 just as we know the material world through sight1 touch1 and hearing4 ,the senses are the organs by which we perceive material things2 intuition1 or faith1 the organ by which we perceive spiritual things4 ,he who denies the existence of such a power in man1 falls necessarily into dogmatism on the one hand1 or rationalism on the other4 ,but as these words also take a very different sense on different lips1 we explain ourselves by saying that he puts either a theory or an inference in the place of ,god4 ,if orthodox1 he puts a theory2 if sceptical1 an inference4 ,mr4 ,mansell does the first1 ,herbert ,spencer the other4 ,neither of them believes that we can know ,god's existence4 ,so dogmatism and scepticism join hands4 ,all the consequences described in the beginning of this chapter follow as a matter of course when an opinion or theory is put in the place of truth4 ,then come the inflexible narrowness of bigotry1 the hot zeal of the persecutor1 the sectarian strife which has torn the ,church in twain4 ,the remedy and prevention for these are to recognize that the basis of religion is in faith1 in a living sight of ,god1 the soul1 duty1 immortality1 which are always and forever the same4 ,the best definitions of faith1 by theologians of all schools1 include the notion of insight1 will1 and affection4 ,it is an act of the soul by which it looks at truth4 ,but this act implies a desire to see and know the truth4 ,now1 such an act as this lies at the root of all our knowledge1 both of the material and spiritual world4 ,how do ,i know the outward world8 ,the passive exercise of sensation would never give such knowledge4 ,the sights which enter the passive eye1 the sounds which fill the passive ear1 the feelings which affect the passive sense1 give no real knowledge of outward things4 ,that comes1 not from sensation merely1 but from sensation changed into experience by a voluntary activity4 ,we must not only see1 but look2 not only hear1 but listen2 not only feel1 but touch1 in order to know4 ,life1 therefore1 the constant synthesis of these three elements1--life which1 in every act1 at once thinks1 feels1 and does1--alone gives us knowledge4 ,divorce thought from affection and will1 and let it act by itself1 and it does not give knowledge2 it only gives belief or opinion4 ,knowledge comes only from experience--and experience means communion4 ,communion with ,nature by thought1 desire1 and action gives us the knowledge of ,nature2 communion with ,god by thought1 desire1 and act1 gives us the knowledge of ,god4 ,the organ by which we commune with ,god is faith2 it includes the desire of knowing ,god1 and the act of looking to him in order to know him4 ,,knowledge of ,god1 of immortality1 and of spiritual things does not come from any process of reasoning on the one hand1 nor from any single intuition of reason4 ,just so we do not know the material world by a process of reasoning on the one hand1 or any single sensible perception on the other4 ,all knowledge comes from life2 or1 as the apostle ,john expresses it1 8,life is the light of man40 ,we become acquainted with outward nature by living processes--by repeated acts of sight1 hearing1 touch1 taste4 ,so we become acquainted with the spiritual world by repeated spiritual acts2 by repeated processes of faith2 by continued steps of devotion1 submission1 obedience1 trust1 love1 prayer4 ,in this way we come to know ,god just as certainly1 and just in the same way1 as we know things visible or things audible4 ,but knowledge is not belief4 ,knowledge is the rooted conviction of the reality of certain facts or persons1 derived from communing with those facts or persons4 ,belief is the intellectual assent to a proposition--a proposition formed by analytic and synthetic methods4 ,we analyze our notion concerning any subject1 and then arrange the results of this analysis in order1 and deduce from them a proposition1 a law4 ,this we call our belief1 or creed1 concerning it4 ,the substance of this belief is given us in life2 the form of it comes from thinking or reasoning4 ,but it is evident that such a belief differs in each individual according to his experience1 and according to his habits of reasoning1 and even according to his facility in expression4 ,moreover1 knowledge and belief differ also in this1 that knowledge places us in the presence of the reality1 belief only in the presence of a proposition concerning it4 ,thus ,john and ,james are friends4 ,john knows ,james through a long intercourse4 ,he is just as certain in regard to the essential character of ,james as he is about his own4 ,but if he tries to express this knowledge of ,james in the form of belief1 he may evidently express it badly4 ,he may fail from a defective analysis1 or from imperfect powers of language4 ,on the other hand ,john may not know ,james at all4 ,he may never have seen him4 ,but he has heard about him from a mutual friend1 in whose judgment he trusts1 or from several persons1 and so he has formed a very decided belief in regard to ,james4 ,he has a creed about him1 though he has never known him4 ,in the same way those who know ,god truly and well1 by the experience of obedience and prayer1 may have a very erroneous belief concerning him4 ,those who do not know him at all1 by any personal experience1 may have a very correct belief concerning him4 ,but which saves the soul8 ,which governs the life8 ,which affects the heart8 ,evidently not the belief1 but the knowledge4 ,we are not saved by any belief whatsoever concerning ,god or ,christ1 concerning sin or salvation1 concerning duty or destiny4 ,belief brings us into contact with the images of things1 not the things themselves4 ,belief has no saving power4 ,but knowledge has4 8,this is life eternal1 to ,,know thee1 the only true ,god1 and ,jesus ,christ1 whom thou hast sent40 ,it is therefore a great mistake when ,orthodoxy or ,rationalism reverses the axiom of ,john1 and instead of saying1 8,life is the light of man10 tells us that 8,light is the life of man40 ,knowledge comes from life4 ,belief comes from knowledge1 and not the contrary4 ,the ,,principle of ,orthodoxy1 as stated at the commencement of this chapter 7in #a71 is1 that there is one true system of ,christian doctrine1 and that all others are false4 ,the ,,idea of ,orthodoxy1 as stated in #aj of this chapter1 is1 that the soul is saved by the sight of truth4 ,the idea of ,orthodoxy is true--its principle is false4 ,the sight of truth--that is1 of the great spiritual realities--saves us1 for only by that sight are we lifted above our feeble and imperfect selves1 and enabled to partake of the nature of ,god4 ,but while truth is ever one and the same1 doctrine varies from age to age1 varies from man to man4 ,each man's statement is limited by his position1 his mode of thought1 his power of speech4 ,nor can any council1 assembly1 conference1 synod escape from similar limitations4 ,let the distinction be once clearly recognized between truth as seen and truth as stated1--between knowledge and belief1--and we see the end of dogmatism1 bigotry1 intolerance1 and superstition4 ,we shall then see that religion is one thing and theology quite another1 and that the test and evidence of a sound religious experience are not what a man says1 but what he is4 ,the sight of truth remains1 as always1 the source of our moral and spiritual life1 but this sight of truth must pass into knowledge1 by means of life1 in order to renew the soul4 ,,faith1 or the act by which the soul1 desirous of good1 puts itself in the presence of truth1 is always the beginning of each spiritual state4 ,,knowledge1 born of this faith1 through repeated acts of conscience1 love1 obedience1 prayer1 is the next step1 and that which fixes the truth in the soul4 ,,belief comes afterwards1 resulting from the knowledge thus obtained1 analyzed1 and arranged by the systematizing intellect4 ,and theory1 or opinion1 goes forward1 like the skirmishers before an army1 examining the route and opening the way1 but incapable of resisting any attack1 or holding permanently any position4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,orthodox ,,idea ,,of ,,natural ,,and ,,revealed ,,religion2 ,,or1 ,,naturalism ,,and ,,supernaturalism4 #a4 ,meaning of ,natural and ,supernatural4 ,orthodox ,christianity claims that ,christianity is a supernatural revelation1 consisting of truths revealed by ,god1 not according to the method of nature1 but outside of it4 ,but not merely the orthodox1 the heterodox too1 ,unitarians1 ,universalists1 ,quakers1 ,swedenborgians1 all hold to ,christianity as a supernatural faith4 ,what do they mean by this1 and why do they insist on it so strongly8 ,this is our first question1 and the next will be1 8,what do those who hold to naturalism mean by it1 and why do they insist on their view80 ,the distinction between the two seems to be this3 ,the naturalists in theology assert that ,god comes to man through nature1 and nature only2 the supernaturalist declares that ,god comes to man1 not only through nature1 but also by other methods outside of nature1 or above nature4 ,there is no question between them as to natural religion4 ,both admit that2 supernaturalists believe all that naturalists believe1 only they believe something more4 ,but how is nature to be defined8 ,what is meant by nature8 ,various definitions are given2 but we wish for one now which shall really express the issue taken in this controversy4 ,so we may define nature as law4 ,all the nexus or web of existing substances and forces which are under law belong to nature4 ,all that happens outside of these laws is either preternatural1 unnatural1 subternatural1 or supernatural4 ,if it is something outside of law1 but not violating it1 nor coming from a higher source1 we call it preternatural2 like magic1 ghosts1 sorcery1 fairies1 genii1 and the like4 ,what violates law is unnatural4 ,what is so low down that it lies below law1 as chaos before creation2 or nebulous matter not yet beginning to obey the law of gravitation2 or intelligences1 like ,mephistopheles or ,satan1 who have sunk so low in sin as to have lost the perception of right and wrong1 is subternatural1 below nature4 ,what belongs to a religion above the laws of time and space1 above the finite1 is supernatural4 ,thus brutes1 and men like brutes1 who are below the moral law1 are subternatural as regards that law4 ,we do not call it a sin in a tiger to kill a man1 for he is below law as regards sin4 ,he is below the moral law4 ,again1 we can conceive of angels so high up as to be above the moral law1 in part of its domain1 not capable either of common virtue or of common sin1 according to our standards of morality1 though perhaps under some higher code of ethics4 ,they are supernatural beings as regards that law--the moral law of this world4 ,as regards some parts of the moral law1 there are1 no doubt1 multitudes of human beings above it even in this world4 ,there are many persons quite incapable of swearing1 lying1 stealing1 getting drunk1 flying into a passion1 and to whom1 therefore1 it is no virtue to avoid these vices4 ,they are simply above that part of the moral law4 ,they are supernatural beings as respects that part of human character4 ,after these illustrations1 we can see what is meant by supernaturalism4 ,if there is anything in this world which comes from above the world1 and not from the existing laws of being1 that is supernatural4 #b4 ,the ,creation ,supernatural4 ,in this sense1 all but atheists must admit the supernatural4 ,if1 for example1 you admit the creation of the world by ,god1 that was a supernatural act2 that did not come from the existing laws of the world1 because it created those laws4 ,all the order and beauty of the world1 its variety and harmony1 its infinite adaptation of part to part1 and each to all1--these existed in ,god's mind before they existed in nature4 ,they were supernatural1 as ideas1 before they appeared in nature as facts4 ,and if1 as most geologists suppose1 the crust of the earth denotes a long series of creations1 successive epochs1 at the close of each of which new forms of vegetable and animal life appeared1 then each of these was a new creation2 that is1 a new supernatural act of the ,almighty4 ,the physical world1 therefore1 shows a power above itself4 ,the natural testifies to the supernatural1 the all to the over-all4 ,the existing web of laws gives evidence of ,,mind1 outside of itself1 above itself1 arranging and governing it4 #c4 ,the ,question stated4 ,this being granted1 the question between naturalism and supernaturalism is1 whether this superintending mind1 which came from above the world into it by acts of creation1 when the world was made1 has or has not come into it subsequently4 ,we have a series of creations down to the time that man arrived on the earth4 ,when he came1 he was a supernatural being1 and his coming a supernatural event4 ,unless we assume that he was developed1 by existing laws1 out of some ape1 gorilla1 or chimpanzee1 his coming was supernatural4 ,now1 did supernatural events cease then1 and since that time has the world gone on of itself8 or have there been subsequent incursions from a higher sphere--a new influx from above1 from time to time1 adding something new to nature8 ,naturalism says no2 supernaturalism says yes4 #d4 ,argument of the ,supernaturalist from successive ,geologic ,creations4 ,the supernaturalist says1 ,god comes to us in both ways--through nature2 that is1 through the order of things already established2 and also by new creative impulses1 coming in1 from time to time1 from above4 ,he contends that such a new creative impulse came into the world through ,jesus ,christ1 adding a new substance and new forms to those already existing--a new life not before in the world1 proceeding according to new laws4 ,this new creation1 as the ,scriptures themselves term it1 is ,christianity4 ,this is also said to be in analogy with the course of events4 ,for1 if there has been a series of creations before1 bringing animals into the world1 and higher forms of physical life1--if these have been created by new supernatural impulses coming in at intervals of hundreds of thousands of years1--why deny that another impulse may have come in four thousand years1 or forty thousand years1 after man was created1 to add a new form of spiritual life to society8 ,in the world1 as it was at first1 there was not a living plant or animal2 after thousands of years1 or millions of years1 there came into the broad seas of the lower ,silurian epoch1 some of the lowest kinds of animals and seaweeds1 a few trilobites and mollusks1 but no plants save fucoids4 ,next came1 after a long time1 a few cartilaginous fishes and corals4 ,a long time passed--thousands of years rolled by3 then came real fishes and land plants in what is called the ,devonian period1 or the old red sandstone4 ,after a great while came the period to which belongs all the coal formation2 and in that carboniferous epoch first appears a whole vegetable world of trees and plants1 to the number of nine hundred and thirty-four species4 ,some insects arrived at this time1 as beetles1 crickets1 and cockroaches1 which are1 therefore1 much more venerable than man4 ,more thousands of years go by3 then the earth receives a new creation in the form of gigantic frogs1 enormous reptiles1 and strange fishes4 ,but as yet no mammal has come--not a bird nor a quadruped has been seen on the earth4 ,then1 after another long period1 these appear1 in what is called the tertiary period2 until1 at last1 some remains of man are found1 in the diluvium1 or gravel4 ,geology thus1 once thought to be atheistic1 gives its testimony to a long series of supernatural facts2 that is1 to the successive creation1 after long intervals1 of entirely new genera and species of vegetables and animals4 ,as you turn these great stone leaves of that majestic manuscript roll written by ,god's hand1 which we call the earth1 you and he has been writing new things on each page1 new facts and laws1 not on any former leaf4 ,new types of life1 not prepared for by any previous one1--by no slow evolution1 but by a sudden step1--break in4 ,on the previous rocky page is to be found not one of their species1 genus1 order1 or even class1 to point back to any possible progenitor4 ,so that the globe itself says1 from these eternal monuments of rock1 8,behold the history of supernatural events written on me40 ,each creation is higher than the last3 finally man is created4 ,but still from above1 from outside the world1 the creative life is ready to be poured in4 ,only the next creation is to be moral and spiritual1 not physical4 ,no new physical forms are now added1 but a new moral life is poured into man1 making him a new creation of ,god4 8,for if any man is in ,christ1 he is a new creature40 ,the analogy was so striking1 that the apostles noticed it1 and constantly speak of ,christ as the medium of a new creation4 #e4 ,supernatural ,argument from ,human ,freedom4 ,but there is another example of the supernatural element in the world4 ,dr4 ,bushnell1 in his book called 8,nature and the ,supernatural10 contends that man is capable of supernatural acts2 that1 in fact1 every really free act is1 and must be1 a supernatural act4 ,to those who hold the doctrine of necessity1 this is1 of course1 no argument4 ,but they who believe1 in the testimony of their own consciousness1 that they are free beings2 who feel that they are not dragged helplessly by the strongest motive1 but can resist it or yield to it2 who1 therefore1 feel themselves responsible for what they do1 or omit to do1 they can see that in a real sense they create new influences4 ,their actions are not results of previous causes1 but are new causes1 not before in the world4 ,some supernatural power dwells in man's will just as far as it is made free by reason and choice4 ,man stands between good and evil1 right and wrong1 truth and error1 with the power of choosing either one or the other4 ,if he chooses one1 he sends a power into society1 life1 humanity1 to help it forward2 if the other1 he sends in a power to hold it back4 ,this power is not from man's nature1 but from something in him outside his nature4 ,when he acts from habit1 impulse1 passion1 and not from choice1 he is simply a natural being2 when he acts from choice1 he is not a natural being1 but either a supernatural or a subternatural being1 according as he chooses good or evil4 ,when he chooses good1 he rises above the natural man into the sphere of angels2 when he chooses evil1 he sinks below the natural man into the sphere of brutes or demons4 #f4 ,supernatural ,events not necessarily ,violations of ,law4 ,now1 says the supernaturalist1 if we have all this evidence to show that ,god not only acts through nature1 by carrying on existing forces and laws1 but also has repeatedly come into nature with new creations1 not there before1--and if even man himself has a certain limited but strictly supernatural power1 so as to be able to stand outside of the nexus of law1 and act upon it1--why deny1 as incredible1 that ,god should have made a new moral creation in ,christianity8 should have created a new class1 order1 genus1 and species of spiritual beings1 not represented before by any existing congeners8 ,and why question that what we call miracles--that is1 physical interferences with natural laws--should have attended this sudden influx of spiritual life8 ,we do not claim1 says the judicious supernaturalist 7like ,dr4 ,bushnell1 for example71 that miracles are suspensions or violations of natural laws2 but that they are the natural modification of the agency of such laws by a new and powerful influence4 ,of this1 too1 there is ample analogy in nature4 ,the mineral kingdom1 for example1 is passively subject to mechanical and chemical laws1 which are resisted and modified by plants and animals4 ,a stone obeys passively the law of gravitation2 a plant resists it1 rises into the air in opposition to it4 ,such a proceeding on the part of a plant must seem to a stone a pure miracle4 ,if a piece of granite should write a book of theology1 it would probably say that the plant1 in growing up1 had violated or suspended a law of nature4 ,but it has not4 ,the force of gravitation has worked on according to its own law2 it has been dragging the plant downward all the time1 only the vital power in the plant has overcome its force1 and modified the result4 ,and1 again1 a tree1 seeing a dog run to and fro1 might call that a miracle4 ,the tree1 unable to move from its place1 could not conceive of the possibility of voluntary motion4 ,but no law of nature is violated2 only a higher power comes in--the power of animal life4 ,to a dog1 again1 the proceedings of a man are strictly miraculous4 ,to plant corn1 reap it1 thresh it1 grind it1 and bake bread out of it1 is exactly as much a miracle to the dog1 as the multiplication of loaves1 or turning water into wine1 by ,christ1 is a miracle to us4 ,but no law of nature was violated in either case4 ,reason in the one case1 some profounder spiritual power in the other1 may have modified the usual operation of law1 and produced these results4 ,the ,orthodox supernaturalist therefore contends that the supernatural is a constant element of life4 ,higher natures are all supernatural to lower natures1 but natural in themselves1 because obedient to the laws of their own nature4 ,nature1 without this supernatural element1 is only a machine1 of which ,god1 standing outside1 turns the handle4 ,this is a low conception both of nature and of ,god4 ,as ,goethe says1 in one of his immortal lyrics1-- 8,not so1 outside1 doth the ,creator linger1 ,nor let the all of things run round his finger1 ,but moves its centre1 not its outer rim2 ,comes down to nature1 draws it up to him2 ,moving within1 inspiring from above1 ,with currents ever new of light and love40 #g4 ,life and ,history contain ,supernatural ,events4 ,and besides all this1 says the supernaturalist1 we have continued and constant evidences1 in all history and in all human experience1 of the existence of this supernatural element4 ,only a small minority of mankind have ever doubted it2 and those are men so immersed in physical science1 or so hampered by some logical manacles1 or so steeped in purely worldly affairs1 as to be incapable of seeing the supernatural facts which are recurrent evermore4 ,christianity itself has been an uninterrupted series of supernatural events4 ,the physical miracles of ,christ are nothing to the spiritual miracles which ,christianity is always working4 ,bad men are made good1 weak men strong1 cowardly men brave1 ignorant and foolish men wise1 by a supernatural influence given in answer to prayer1 poured down into hearts and minds which open themselves to receive it4 ,the conversion of a bad man by the power of ,christianity is a miracle4 ,the power of faith1 hope1 love1 which every ,christian has experienced1 coming into him1 not through any operation of his nature1 but simply poured into his soul from some higher sphere1--this makes all argument unnecessary to one who has had ever so little ,christian experience4 ,this is the substance of ,orthodox supernaturalism2 and this seems to me to be its truth1 separated from its errors4 ,the naturalism of the present time we conceive to be partly directed against a false supernaturalism1 and partly to be a mistake arising from a too exclusive attention to the order of the universe1 as expressed in law4 #h4 ,the ,error of ,orthodox ,supernaturalism4 ,supernaturalism has generally disregarded ,god in nature1 and only sees him in revelation4 ,it has allowed a sort of natural religion1 but only in the way of an argument to prove the existence of ,god by what he did a long time ago4 ,but it has not gone habitually to nature to see ,god there1 incarnate in sun1 moon1 and stars2 incorporate in spring1 summer1 autumn1 and winter2 in day and night2 in the human soul1 reason1 love1 will4 ,god has been all around us1 never far from us2 but theology has only been willing to see him in ,jewish history1 in sacred books1 or on ,sundays in church4 ,let us see him there all we can1 but see him also in every rippling brook1 in every tender flower1 in all beauty1 all sublimity1 all arrangement and adaptation of this world4 ,no wonder that naturalism should come to do what the ,church has left undone--to find its ,god and ,father in this great and wonderful world which he has made for us4 ,the creed says1 8,god the ,father1 ,god the ,son1 and ,god the ,holy ,ghost20 that is1 ,god the ,creator1 seen in ,nature and ,providence2 ,god the ,redeemer1 seen in ,christianity2 and ,god the ,sanctifier1 seen in every righteous and holy soul4 ,but the ,church has neglected its own creed1 and omitted ,god the ,creator1 often also ,god the ,sanctifier1 and has only seen ,god in ,christianity1 in its history1 its ,church1 its doctrines1 its ceremonies47#h7 ,against this1 naturalism comes as a great and needed protest1 and calls us to see ,god also in nature and life4 ,then the ,church has been too apt to teach a miraculous revelation1 in which the miracles are violations of law4 ,but as ,god is confessedly the author of law1 it has made the ,deity violate his own laws2 that is1 has made him inconsistent1 arbitrary1 irregular1 and wilful4 ,deep in the human mind ,god has himself rooted a firm faith in the immutability of law2 so that when miracles are thus defined1 naturalism justly objects to them4 #i4 ,no ,conflict between ,naturalism and ,supernaturalism4 ,but between true naturalism and true supernaturalism we do not think there need be any war4 ,we know that there are many men so rooted in their faith in nature1 that they cannot see anything outside of it1 or beyond it4 ,to them ,god is law1 and law only4 ,even creation is repugnant to them1 because they see that creation is really a supernatural thing4 ,hence come the theories of development2 the 8,vestiges of ,creation20 the nebular hypothesis2 the ,darwinian theory of formation of species by natural selection2 the notion of man coming out of an ape2 pantheistic notions of a ,god so immersed in nature as to be not its intelligent guide1 but only its unconscious soul2 the whole universe proceeding according to an order which is just as much above ,god's knowledge as above ours4 ,now1 the best geologists assure us that there is no evidence in support of the transmutation of species4 ,mr4 ,darwin's theory of the formation of species by natural selection is this3 ,in the struggle for life1 the strongest and best adapted animal lives1 the rest die4 ,this animal transmits to its offspring its own superior qualities2 so a higher animal is gradually developed4 ,for example1 the giraffe was not made by ,god with a long neck in order that it might browse on the leaves of high trees4 ,but when leaves were scarce1 the animal who happened to have a neck a little longer than the rest was able to get leaves4 ,so he lived1 and the rest died4 ,his children had longer necks by the law of hereditary transmission4 ,so1 in the course of ages1 animals were gradually found with very long necks4 ,thus the walrus has a curved horn growing downwards from his lower jaw1 by which he climbs on to the floating ice4 ,we must not suppose1 however1 that ,god gave him the tusk for that purpose2 but the walrus1 or seal1 who happened to have a little horny bone under his chin1 could climb on the ice and get his food more easily1 and so he lived1 while the rest died2 and his descendants in the course of a few hundreds of thousands of years came1 by repeating this process1 to have horns1 and so this species of phoca arrived4 ,it is certainly possible to believe this theory4 ,but in believing it we have to suppose two things2 first1 a happy accident1 and then a law of transmission of hereditary qualities4 ,now1 the theory substitutes this law of transmission and these happy accidents for the creative design4 ,is anything gained thereby8 ,the domain of law is extended a little4 ,but extend it as much as you will1 you must at last come to something above law4 ,suppose these laws by which walrus and giraffe came1 were all in the original nebula1 so that no ,creator has been needed since1 and nothing supernatural--nature has done it all since4 ,but who put the laws there to begin with8 ,you have to take the supernatural at last1 or else suppose an accident to begin with4 ,accidentally1 all these wonderful laws happened to be in a particular nebula4 ,he who shrinks from this supposition accepts the supernatural1 all at once1 at the beginning1 instead of the supernatural all the way along1 8,what does he gain by it80 ,he gains merely this1 that he puts the ,creator out of sight2 or rather1 puts himself out of sight of the ,creator4 ,he worships the great god ,development instead4 ,equally satisfactory to the intellect1 to say the least1 and much more satisfactory to the best human instincts1 is the view of ,god which sees him coming evermore into nature from above nature4 ,this view says1 8,god is not only order1 but also freedom4 ,he is not only law1 but also love4 ,he is in the world as law and order1 but he is above the world as thought and love2 as ,providence1 as the heavenly ,father4 ,he comes to us to meet our exigencies1 to inspire our doubting hearts1 to lift us into life and light4 ,he does not set a grand machine going1 and then look on and see it work2 but he is in the world1 and with us always4 ,the supernatural dwells by the side of the natural4 ,just as a wise and good father has rules and laws by which to govern his children--rewarding and punishing them as they obey or disobey2 but besides that1 does a thousand things for them1 taking the initiative himself2 so ,god governs us by law1 but also often takes the initiative1 giving us what we never asked for1 and knew nothing of40 #aj4 ,further ,errors of ,orthodox ,supernaturalism--,gulf between ,christianity and all other ,religions4 ,orthodoxy has erred1 as it would seem1 in placing too great a gulf between ,christianity and all other religions4 ,christianity is sufficiently distinguished from all other religions by being regarded as the perfect1 and therefore universal1 religion of mankind4 ,it is to all preceding religions what man is to all previous races4 ,these are separated from man by various indelible characters2 yet they are his fellow-creatures1 proceeding from the same creative mind1 according to one creative plan4 ,so the previous religions of our race--,fetichism1 ,brahmanism1 ,buddhism1 the religion of ,confucius1 of ,zoroaster1 of ,egypt1 of ,scandinavia1 of ,judea1 of ,greece and ,rome--are distinguished from ,christianity by indelible characters2 but they1 too1 proceeded from the same creative mind1 according to one creative plan4 ,christianity should regard these humanely1 as its fellow-creatures4 ,the other animals prepared man's way on the earth1 and since man's arrival we have seen no subsequent creation4 ,so the ethnic religions prepared the way for ,christianity1 and since ,christianity came no new religion has appeared2 for ,mohammedanism is only a mlange drawn from the ,old and ,new ,testaments1 and may therefore be considered as an outlying ,christian sect4 ,so1 too1 the gigantic abstractions of ,gnosticism were hybrid systems1 formed of the union between ,oriental thought and ,christian life4 ,the analogy may be traced still farther4 ,man is the only animal who possesses the whole earth4 ,every other race has its habitat in some geographical centre1 from which it may emigrate1 indeed1 to some extent1 but where only it thrives4 ,to man1 only1 the whole earth belongs4 ,so the primitive religions are all ethnic2 that is1 religions of races4 ,the religion of ,confucius belongs to ,china1 that of ,brahmanism to ,india1 that of ,zoroaster to the ,persians2 the religion of ,egypt is only for the ,egyptians4 ,exceptions to this law 7like that of ,buddhism1 for example7 are only apparent4 ,the rule is invariable4 ,christianity alone is a cosmic or universal religion4 ,it only has passed the boundaries of race1 so inflexible to all other religions4 ,born a ,semitic religion1 it soon took possession of the ,indo-,european races1 converting ,romans1 ,greeks1 ,teutons1 ,kelts1 and ,sclaves4 ,it finds the ,african mind docile to its influence4 ,its missionaries have made believers from among the races of ,america1 ,india1 ,china1 and the ,pacific ,islands4 ,it is evidently destined to be the religion of humanity4 ,but1 if so1 why should it be put into antagonism with the religions which preceded it8 ,these are also creations of ,god1 not the work of man4 ,theologians have found multitudes of types of ,christ in ,jewish books and ,jewish history4 ,but they might also find types of ,christianity in the so-called heathen religions4 ,for as coming events cast their shadows before1 so coming revelations are seen beforehand in shadowy preludes and homologons4 ,the lofty spiritualism of the ,brahmanical books1 the moral devotion of the ,zendavesta1 the law of the soul's progress in ,buddhism1--these are all types of what was to appear in a greater fulness and higher development in ,christianity4 ,first the natural1 afterwards that which is spiritual4 ,but these foregleams of ,christian truth1 irradiating the night-side of history1 are all touching proofs that ,god never leaves himself without a witness in the world or in human hearts4 ,instead1 therefore1 of placing an impassable gulf between ,christianity and other human religions1 we should consider these are preparations and stepping-stones to something higher4 ,nor will they pass away until ,christianity has purified itself from the errors which still cling to it4 ,judaism was not to pass till it was fulfilled in ,christianity2 and neither will the other religions of the world pass away till they also are fulfilled in ,christianity4 ,now1 the common teaching in our churches and religious books and newspapers tends to depreciate all natural religion in the interest of revealed religion4 ,it is commonly said that the light of nature helps us a very little way in the knowledge of ,god4 8,look at the heathen10 it is said2 8see their religious ignorance1 their awful superstitions1 their degrading worship of idols1 and their subjection to priestcraft4 ,this is your boasted light of nature1 and these are its results--the ,fetichism of ,africa1 the devil-worship of the ,north ,american ,indians1 the cannibalism of the ,feejee ,islands1 the human sacrifices of ,mexico and of the ancient ,phnicia40 8,then10 it is continued1 8look at the observations of the wisest intellects apart from revelation6 ,how little they knew with certainty6 ,their views of the ,deity varied from pantheism to idolatry2 their views of immortality were wholly vague and indistinct2 their ideas of duty confused and false40 ,to which we might reply1 8,is not the same thing true among ,christians8 ,are there no superstitions among them8 ,were not witches hanged and burned during sixteen centuries in ,christendom8 ,if the heathen are ignorant1 what multitudes in ,catholic countries also do not read the ,bible6 ,how many are there even in ,protestant churches who can give a reason for their belief8 ,if the heathen worship degrades mankind because it is a superstition1 with fear for its motive1 how large a part of ,christian preaching consists also of an appeal to terror6 ,is not the fear of everlasting torment in hell the motive power of much which is called ,christianity8 ,consider ,catholics eating their ,god3 is that the worship of the ,father in spirit and truth8 ,think of the religious wars1 of the religious persecutions3 did natural religion ever do anything as bad as this8 ,we cry out against ,nero1 who covered ,christians with pitch1 and burned them as torches in the amphitheatre4 ,but how many were thus tortured8 ,perhaps ten1 perhaps twenty1 or let us say a hundred4 ,but1 according to ,llorente1 the ,holy ,office of the ,inquisition1 in ,spain1 burned alive1 under ,torquemada1 #hhjj3 under ,deza1 #affi2 under ,ximenes1 #becf2 in all1 from #adhc to #adih1--that is1 in fifteen years1--it burned alive #ca1iab persons for heresy1 and subjected to rigorous pains and penalties #bia1dej persons40 ,it is not right to judge of any doctrine by the corrupt practices which have taken place under it1 unless it can be shown that these are its legitimate fruits4 ,we maintain that ,christianity is not fairly responsible for these persecutions2 but let us make the same allowance for the religions which prepared its way4 #aa4 ,christianity considered unnatural1 as well as supernatural by being made hostile to the ,nature of ,man4 ,if the nature of man be regarded as wholly evil1 then ,christianity is not merely a supernatural religion1 but an unnatural one4 ,this has been very commonly taught4 ,man's nature has been declared so totally corrupt and alien from all good1 as to be radically opposite to the love of ,god and man4 ,christianity1 therefore1 comes1 not to help him attain that which he is seeking after1 but to change his whole purpose and aim--to give him a wholly new nature4 ,this is the result of the doctrine of total depravity1 so long taught in the ,church as ,orthodoxy4 ,it has taught that all natural tendencies and desires in man were wholly evil1 and to be rooted out4 ,it has thus made ,christianity unattractive1 and has driven men away from it4 ,but of this it is not necessary to speak here1 as we shall discuss this doctrine and its influence hereafter4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,truths ,,and ,,errors ,,as ,,regards ,,miracles4 #a4 ,the ,subject stated4 ,four ,questions concerning ,miracles4 ,in considering the truth and error in the ,orthodox doctrine concerning miracles1 we must1 first1 find out what this doctrine is2 secondly1 see what objections have been urged against it2 and so1 lastly1 we may come to some conclusion as to where the truth or the error lies4 ,there are1 however1 four distinct questions in regard to miracles1 each of which may be considered separately4 ,there is the philosophic question1 or definition of a miracle1 which asks1 ,what is a miracle8 ,then there is the historical question1 which asks1 ,did such facts actually occur8 ,next is the theological question1 ,what are the value and weight of these facts in determining our ,christian belief8 ,and lastly comes the religious question1 ,what are the spiritual meaning of miracles1 and their influence on the heart and life8 #b4 ,the ,definition of a ,miracle4 ,as the creeds give no authoritative definition of a miracle1 we must examine individual statements1 in order to get the ,orthodox idea4 ,to answer the question1 ,what is a miracle8 is not as easy as it would seem1 as will appear from considering the different definitions given by different authorities1 taking first those of the dictionary4 ,,johnson4 8,miracle4 ,a wonder--something above human power4 7,in theology47 ,an effect above human or natural power1 performed in attestation of some truth40 ,,webster4 8,miracle4 7,in theology47 ,an event or effect contrary to the established constitution and course of things1 or a deviation from the known laws of nature2 a supernatural event40 ,,robinson',s ,,bible ,,dictionary4 8,miracle4 ,a sign1 wonder1 prodigy4 ,these terms are commonly used in ,scripture to denote an action1 event1 or effect1 superior 7or contrary7 to the general and established laws of nature4 ,and they are given1 not only to true miracles1 wrought by saints or prophets sent by ,god1 but also to the false miracles of impostors1 and to wonders wrought by the wicked1 by false prophets or by devils40 ,after giving examples of this from the ,scriptures1 ,robinson adds1 8,miracles and prodigies1 therefore1 are not always sure signs of the sanctity of those who perform them1 nor proofs of the truth of the doctrine they deliver1 nor certain testimonies of their divine mission40 ,,american ,,encyclop,,dia4 ,miracle4 8,it is usually defined to be a deviation from the course of nature4 ,but this definition seems to omit one of the elements of a miracle1 viz41 that it is an event produced by the interposition of an intelligent power for moral purposes2 for1 otherwise1 we must consider every strange phenomenon1 which our knowledge will not permit us to explain1 as a miraculous event4 ,a revelation is itself a miracle4 ,if one claims to be a teacher from ,god1 he asserts a miraculous communication with ,god2 this communication1 however1 cannot be visible1 and visible miracles may therefore be necessary to give credibility to his pretensions4 ,the use1 then1 of a miraculous interposition in changing the usual course of nature is to prove the moral government of ,god1 and to explain the character of it40 ,,theodore ,,parker4 8,a miracle is one of three things4 8#a4 ,it is a transgression of all law which ,god has made2 or1 8#b4 ,a transgression of all known laws1 or obedience to a law which we may yet discover2 or1 8#c4 ,a transgression of all law known or knowable by man1 but yet in conformity with some law out of our reach40 ,he says that a miracle1 according to the first definition1 is impossible2 according to the second it is no miracle at all2 but that there is no antecedent objection to a miracle according to the third hypothesis4 ,,pascal4 8,a miracle is an effect which exceeds the natural force of the means employed to bring it about40 ,,hume4 8,a miracle is a violation of a law of nature40 ,,dr4 ,,thomas ,,brown4 8,a miracle is as little contrary to any law of nature as any other phenomenon4 ,it is only an extraordinary event1 the result of extraordinary circumstances2 an effect that indicates a power of a higher order than those we are accustomed to trace in phenomena more familiar to us1 but whose existence only the atheist denies4 ,it is a new consequent of a new antecedent40 ,,horne',s ,,introduction ,,to ,,the ,,new ,,testament4 8,a miracle defined is an effect or event different from the established constitution or course of things1 or a sign obvious to the senses that ,god has interposed this power to control the established powers of nature 7commonly termed the laws of nature71 which effect or sign is wrought either by the immediate act1 or by the assistance1 or by the permission1 of ,god1 and accompanied with a previous notice or declaration that it is performed according to the purpose and by the power of ,god1 for the proof or evidence of some particular doctrine1 or in attestation of the authority or divine mission of some particular person40--,vol4 ,i4 p4 #bjc4 8,since1 as we already have had occasion to observe1 the proper effect of a miracle is clearly to mark the divine interposition1 it must therefore have characters proper to indicate such interposition2 and these criteria are six in number4 8#a4 ,it is required1 then1 in the first place1 that a fact or event which is stated to be miraculous should have an important end1 worthy of its author4 8#b4 ,it must be instantaneously and publicly performed4 8#c4 ,it must be sensible 7that is1 obvious to the senses7 and easy to be observed2 in other words1 the fact or event must be such that the senses of mankind can clearly and fully judge of it4 8#d4 ,it must be independent of second causes4 8#e4 ,not only public monuments must be kept up1 but some outward actions must be constantly performed in memory of the fact thus publicly wrought4 8#f4 ,and such monuments must be set up1 and such actions and observances be instituted1 at the very time when those events took place1 and afterwards be continued without interruption40--,vol4 ,i4 p4 #bad and #bae4 ,from these examples we may see what different definitions have been given of miracles1 and that the definition is not so easy a thing as one might at first suppose4 ,all depends on the point of view which we take4 ,if we look only at the outward fact1 a miracle is a wonderful event1 a portent1 something out of the common course of nature1 and unparalleled in common human experience4 ,but if we look at it as regards the character of him who works the miracle1 it then becomes a supernatural work1 or a preternatural work1 having a divine or a demoniac origin4 ,but1 on the whole1 the ,orthodox doctrine of a miracle seems to be this--that it is a wonderful work1 contrary to the laws of nature1 wrought by the direct agency of ,god1 in proof of the divine commission of him by whom it is done4 ,the two essential points of the definition are1 that a miracle is contrary to the laws of nature2 and that it is the only logical proof of the divine authority of the miracle-worker4 ,we call this the orthodox definition1 although we must admit that no one in modern times has presented this view more forcibly and decidedly than the ,unitarian ,andrews ,norton1 and though many ,orthodox men have taken a different view4 #c4 ,the different ,explanations of the ,miracles of the ,bible4 ,the four explanations of the miracles of the ,new ,testament 7to which we now confine ourselves7 are these3-- ,i4 ,the ,natural ,explanation4--,according to this1 the miraculous facts of the ,new ,testament are to be explained as resulting from natural causes4 ,they are on the plane of our common human life4 ,they are such events as might easily happen anywhere at the present time4 ,christ himself was but a natural genius of a high order4 ,his miracles were merely the natural results of his intellect and strength of will1 or they were mistakes on the part of the observers and narrators1 or myths which have grown up subsequently in the ,church4 ,great ingenuity has been used in attempting to show how each miracle may be explained so as to be nothing very extraordinary1 after all4 ,but these explanations are often very forced4 ,some events which are at first sight seemingly miraculous1 are often explained as natural events by the majority of commentators4 ,thus the account of the angel who went down into the pool and troubled the water is usually interpreted as a natural phenomenon1 and no real miracle4 ,modern travellers have noticed that this pool of ,bethesda is an intermittent spring1 which may have possessed medicinal qualities4 ,the old-fashioned naturalism1 however1 has mostly gone by4 ,its explanations were too forced and unnatural to continue long4 ,the more common account at present is that which assumes that the narrators were mistaken in the stories which they have given us4 ,mr4 ,parker thinks that there is not sufficient evidence of the miracles4 ,if there were more he would believe them4 ,he gives no explanation of their origin farther than this4 ,but ,strauss attempts an explanation based upon an unconscious action of the fancy and feelings on the part of the ,new ,testament writers1 causing them to create these incidents out of some trifling basis of fact or of history4 ,renan follows in the same general direction4 ,,ii4 ,the ,unnatural ,explanation4--,a miracle is a violation or a suspension of a law of nature4 ,this1 until recently1 has been the favorite view of miracles among theologians1 and is the view of miracles against which the arguments of those who reject them have been chiefly directed4 ,the arguments in favor of this view are these3-- #a4 ,the miracles of the ,new ,testament seem to be violations of laws of nature4 ,for example3 the turning water into wine2 healing by a word or touch2 stilling the tempest2 feeding five thousand2 walking on the sea2 transfiguration2 raising of ,lazarus2 ,christ's own resurrection4 ,the law of gravitation seems to have been suspended when he walked on the sea1 c4 #b4 ,miracles are appealed to by ,christ and his apostles in proof that ,god was with him4 ,but1 unless these miracles had suspended the laws of nature1 they would not be proofs of this4 ,these are the two principal reasons for this view of miracles4 ,objections4--,on the other hand1 it is objected1-- #a4 ,that apparent violations may not be real violations of the laws of nature4 ,examples3 ,the ,arab emir in 8,the ,talisman0 who was told that water sometimes became solid1 so as to support a man on horseback2 a steamboat sailing against wind and current2 the telegraph2 the daguerrotype4 ,in all such cases the laws of nature are not violated or suspended1 but new powers come in4 #b4 ,christ appeals to the moral character of his miracles1 and not merely to their supernatural character4 ,they are miracles of benevolence4 #c4 ,if the proof of ,christ's mission depends on this view of miracles1 it can never be proved4 ,we can never be sure that the event is a violation of a law of nature4 #d4 ,on this view the sceptic's objections to miracles are unanswerable4 ,so says ,dr4 ,thomas ,brown1 in an article reprinted by ,dr4 ,noyes1 of ,cambridge1 in the 8,theological ,essays0 published by the ,american ,unitarian ,association4 ,he admits the principle of ,hume's ,essay on ,miracles1 but says that his error lies in the false definition of the miracle as a violation of the laws of nature4 ,false1 because1-- 7a47 ,on the principle of continued uniformity of sequence our whole belief of causation1 and consequently of the divine ,being1 is founded4 7b47 ,gives an air of inconsistency1 and almost of absurdity1 to a miracle4 7c47 ,laws of nature are not violated when a new antecedent is followed by a new consequent1 but when1 the antecedent being exactly the same1 a different consequent is the result4 7d47 ,no testimony could prove such a miracle4 ,suppose testimony so strong that its falsehood would be an absolute miracle2 then we should have to believe1 in either case1 that a law of nature has been violated4 ,no ground of preference between them4 #e4 ,a miracle may be supernatural1 or above nature1 without being unnatural1 or against nature4 #f4 ,the greatest church teachers have maintained that miracles were not against law or without law1 but above common law4 ,hahn1 after mentioning the view of a miracle as a suspension of law1 and calling it one neither scriptural nor conceivable1 proceeds to quote ,augustine and other writers1 who held that miracles were by no means opposed to law47#i7 ,,iii4 ,the ,preternatural ,view of ,miracles4--,this view admits the reality of the phenomena1 but explains them as resulting from mysterious forces1 which are neither divine on the one hand1 nor human on the other1 but which are outside of nature4 ,this is the demoniacal view1 or that which supposes that evil spirits1 departed souls1 or spirits neither good nor bad1 surround the earth1 and can be reached by magic1 witchcraft1 sorcery1 magnetism1 or what is now called ,spiritualism4 ,this theory supposes that the works of ,jesus were performed by the aid of spiritual beings4 ,the objections to this view are1-- #a4 ,if it is supposed1 as it was by the ,jews1 that ,jesus had the aid of evil spirits1 the sufficient answer is1 that his works were good works4 #b4 ,if it is argued that he performed his miracles by the aid of departed spirits who were good spirits1 the answer is1 that he himself never took this view1 but always declared1 8,my ,father1 who dwelleth in me1 he doeth the works40 ,moreover1 the whole character of the miracles of ,jesus differs not only from everything ever done by magnetism or spiritualism1 but from everything ever claimed to be done4 ,,iv4 ,the ,supernatural ,view of ,miracles4--,this view asserts that the miracles were performed by higher forces1 which came into this world from a higher world than this4 ,it asserts that besides the forces which are at work regularly in the world1 there are other forces outside of the world1 which may from time to time come into it4 ,we call them higher forces not only because they are more powerful than the forces before at work in the world1 by overcoming which they produce the extraordinary outward phenomena1 but because they always tend to elevate the world nearer to ,god4 ,they are thus proved to come from a world which is nearer to ,god than this4 ,the reasons in support of this view are1 as before suggested4-- #a4 ,geology teaches it4 ,the rocks show not only an original creation of the world1 but successive creations of vegetable and animal life4 #b4 ,the creation of the world teaches it4 ,creation was a miracle in this sense of the word4 #c4 ,there seems to be in the constitution of man a faculty provided for recognizing the supernatural element4 ,phrenologists call it the organ of marvellousness4 ,such a faculty would argue the existence of an appropriate object on which it might be exercised4 #d4 ,the whole life and character of ,jesus were supernatural and miraculous in this sense4 ,they cannot be satisfactorily explained as the result of anything existing in the world before4 #d4 ,criticism on these ,different ,views of ,miracles4 ,in attempting to discover the truths and errors contained in these statements it is a great satisfaction to feel that our faith in ,christ and ,christianity is not depending on them4 ,if we believed with those who consider miracles the only or the principal proof of ,christianity1 we could hardly hope to be candid and just in examining the arguments of those who deny the marvellous facts of the ,new ,testament4 ,there is no doubt that the number of religious and ,christian men who have relinquished all belief in the marvellous part of the ,bible has largely increased within a few years4 ,at the present time there is a strong tendency to disbelieve and deny all miracles as incredible and impossible4 ,renan1 in his 8,life of ,jesus10 says1 8,miracles never happen except among people disposed to believe them4 ,we banish miracles from history in the name of a constant experience4 ,no miracle has1 as yet1 been proved40 ,renan adds1 that 8if a commission of men of science should decide that a man had been raised from the dead he would believe it40 8,till then10 he says1 8it is the duty of the historian not to admit a supernatural fact1 but to find1 if he can1 what part credulity and imposition have had in it40 ,accordingly1 ,renan writes his 8,life of ,jesus0 in this sense1 discarding most of the miracles1 or explaining them away1 and trying to put together into some kind of shape the fragments which remain4 ,but ,renan does not go far enough to satisfy some others4 ,gerritt ,smith1 for example1 in a recent lecture which he has published1 called 8,be ,natural10 says1 8,jesus neither performed nor attempted to perform miracles4 ,his wisdom and sincerity forbid the supposition4 ,am ,i an unbeliever in the historical ,jesus because ,i hold him innocent of the absurdities which superstition and folly tax him with8 ,no more than ,i should disbelieve in ,shakespeare1 by denying that he walked on the ,avon1 or changed its waters into wine4 ,m4 ,renan ought to have made no account of these stories of miracles4 ,he should have dropped them entirely1 as did ,rammohun ,roy in his ,hindoo translation of the ,new ,testament4 ,let the credulous feed on these creations of superstition1 but let men of sense turn away from them40 ,the reason why so many intelligent men find it impossible to believe the miracles of the ,new ,testament1 while they find it very easy to believe the religious and moral teaching of ,jesus is partly due to the spirit of the age4 ,the intellect of this age is more and more scientific4 ,now1 science is the knowledge of facts and laws4 ,a miracle is opposed to all usual observation of facts1 and is often called by theologians a violation of the laws of nature4 ,it is not therefore strange that men imbued with the spirit of science should dislike the notion of miracles4 #e4 ,miracles no ,proof of ,christianity4 ,now1 we should have little objection1 on purely theological grounds1 to give up the miracles of the ,new ,testament4 ,theologians have built up the proof of ,christianity on miracles4 ,they have declared them the chief evidence of ,christianity4 ,they have said1 8,a miracle is a violation of a law of nature4 ,now1 no one but ,god can violate a law of nature4 ,if ,jesus violated a law of nature1 it proved that ,god was with him4 ,but that he did so we know from the ,new ,testament4 ,that it tells the truth we know1 because it was written1 by eye-witnesses1 who could not have been mistaken1 because they saw the miracles with their own eyes1 and were not liars1 because they laid down their lives in testimony of the truth of what they asserted40 ,therefore1 it is argued1 8,christ worked miracles2 therefore he had ,god's help and power2 therefore he has ,god's authority to teach the religion of the ,new ,testament40 ,now1 for those who hold this view of ,christianity1 if they renounce miracles1 it is evident that the foundation of faith is gone4 ,no wonder1 therefore1 that they bitterly oppose all attacks of miracles4 ,in defending miracles1 they are fighting for their lives4 ,but we need not hold this view of the foundation of ,christianity4 ,christianity does not rest necessarily on the physical miracles of ,christ1 but on his moral miracles1 which no one has ever doubted1 or can doubt4 ,christianity proceeded from ,jesus1 and was transmitted by him1 not as a philosophy1 but as a power1 a life1 which renewed the old world1 and created a new dispensation4 ,this is the great miracle4 ,we do not really believe ,christianity on the ground of miracles1 but we believe miracles on the ground of ,christianity4 ,let us explain this4 ,if miracles had been asserted to be wrought by ,god in order to prove the truth of a doctrine irrational1 self-contradictory1 odious to the conscience and to the heart1--to prove1 for example1 the justice of the ,spanish ,inquisition1 the lawfulness of slavery1 or that ,god loves some of his children and hates the rest1--then all the outward evidence in the world would not have convinced us that ,god had taught such a doctrine and confirmed it by miracles4 ,if we had seen with our own eyes a dead man raised to life1 or if ,m4 ,renan's committee of scientific men had testified that they had seen it1 we should either say they were deceived1 or we should say1 with the ,jews1 8,it is done by some devilish power1 not by a divine power4 ,it is not supernatural1 it is preternatural40 ,but ,christianity itself is the great miracle of human history4 ,it is more marvellous than raising a dead man1 for it was the resurrection of a dead world--of a dead humanity4 ,read ,gibbon4 ,he is an infidel writer1 but he is a perfect historian4 ,he shows you ,christianity1 as a living force1 coming into history1 pouring a tide of life into the decaying civilization of ,rome1 overflowing upon the ,german tribes1 and changing their whole character1 so as to make out of those savage warriors merciful and reverential soldiers1 who knew how to pardon and how to spare4 ,now1 there seems something quite as supernatural in this as in the coming of new trees and plants into the world in the carboniferous epoch1 or the coming in of mammalia1 a hundred thousand years or so after4 ,it seems as if ,god came near the world1 and touched it in ,jesus ,christ2 for the power of one man was wholly inadequate to such results as followed his coming4 ,i believe ,christianity a divine religion1 a religion from ,god1 because it lifts the soul nearer to ,god--because it has lifted mankind nearer to ,god1 and enabled men to believe ,god a friend--not a tyrant1 not a stern king--but a father4 ,christianity is divine1 because its truth and love are divine--because it purifies1 consoles1 and elevates human hearts2 because the life of ,jesus is1 by the testimony of such men as ,theodore ,parker1 ,rousseau1 and ,renan1 infinitely superior to all other lives ever lived in this world4 ,now1 believing in ,christianity and ,christ on such grounds1 we may look with much more deference and respect upon the stories of miracles which are intertwined in his life4 ,we should not attend to them at all if we found them told about only common men2 but told about ,jesus1 we are led to examine them more critically1 and ask whether it is1 or is not1 possible for them to have been1 in the main1 real facts4 ,the ,orthodox doctrine has been1 and still is1 that ,christianity rests on miracles4 ,our view is1 that miracles rest on ,christianity4 ,but we close this section with extracts from ,luther1 ,channing1 ,trench1 and ,walker1 to show that the view for which we contend is not without able supporters in all parts of the ,church4 ,martin ,luther says1-- 8,people cry it up as a great miracle1 that ,christ made the blind see1 the deaf hear1 and the lepers clean2 and it is true such works are miraculous signs2 but ,christ regards his influence on the soul as far more important than that on the body2 for as the soul excels the body1 so do the miracles wrought on the former excel those wrought on the latter4444 8,the miracles which ,christ wrought on the body are small and almost childish1 compared with the high and true miracles which he constantly performs in the ,christian world by his divine1 almighty power2 for instance1 that ,christianity is preserved on the earth2 that the word of ,god and faith in him can yet hold out2 yea1 that a ,christian can survive on earth against the devil and all his angels2 also against so many tyrants and factions2 yea1 against our own flesh and blood4 ,the fact that the gospel remains and improves the human heart1--this is indeed to cast out the devil1 and tread on serpents1 and speak with tongues2 for those visible miracles were merely signs for the ignorant1 unbelieving crowd1 and for those who were yet to be brought in2 but for us1 who know and believe1 what need is there of them8 ,for the heathen1 indeed1 ,christ must needs give external signs1 which they could see and take hold of2 but ,christians must needs have far higher signs1 compared with which the former are earthly4 ,it was necessary to bring over the ignorant with external miracles1 and to throw out such apples and pears to them as children2 but we1 on the contrary1 should boast of the great miracles which ,christ daily performs in his church40 ,in the 8,christian ,examiner10 ,dr4 ,james ,walker says1-- 8,christianity embodies a collection of moral and vital truths1 and these truths1 apart from all history or philosophy1 constitute ,christianity itself4 ,instead1 therefore1 of perplexing and confounding the young with what are called the evidences of ,christianity1 give them ,christianity itself4 ,begin by giving them ,christianity itself1 as exhibited in the life and character of the ,lord ,jesus1 as illustrated by his simple1 beautiful and touching parables1 and as it breathes through all his discourses4 ,they will feel it to be true4 ,depend upon it1 paradoxical as it may sound1 children will be much more likely to believe ,christianity without what are called the evidences1 than with them2 and the remark applies to some who are not children4 8,why talk to one about the argument from prophecy1 or the argument from miracles1 when these are the very points1 and the only points1 on which his mind1 from some peculiarity in its original constitution1 or from limited information1 chiefly labors4 ,give him ,christianity itself1 by which we mean the body of moral and vital truths which constitute ,christianity4 ,observe it when you will1 you will find that the doubts and difficulties suggested by children relate almost exclusively to the history of ,christianity1 or to what are called the external evidences of ,christianity1 and not to the truth of ,christianity itself4 ,give them ,christianity itself3 for if they believe in that1 it is enough4 ,nothing can be more injudicious than to persist in urging the argument from miracles on a mind1 that1 from any cause1 has thus become indifferent1 and perhaps impatient of it4 ,how idle to think to convince a person of ,christianity by miracles1 when it is these very miracles1 and not ,christianity1 that he doubts6 ,the instances1 we suspect1 are not rare1 even of adults1 who are first converted to ,christianity itself1 and afterwards1 through the moral and spiritual change which ,christianity induces1 are brought to believe entirely and devoutly in its miraculous origin and history40 ,dr4 ,channing says1-- 8,there is another evidence of ,christianity still more internal than any on which ,i have yet dwelt2 an evidence to be felt rather than described1 but not less real because founded on feeling4 ,i refer to that conviction of the divine original of our religion which springs up and continually gains strength in those who apply it habitually to their tempers and lives1 and who imbibe its spirit and hopes4 ,in such men there is a consciousness of the adaptation of ,christianity to their noblest faculties2 a consciousness of its exalting and consoling influences1 of its power to confer the true happiness of human nature1 to give that peace which the world cannot give2 which assures them that it is not of earthly origin1 but a ray from the everlasting ,light1 a stream from the fountain of heavenly ,wisdom and ,love4 ,this is the evidence which sustains the faith of thousands1 who never read and cannot understand the learned books of ,christian apologists1 who want1 perhaps1 words to explain the ground of their belief1 but whose faith is of adamantine firmness1 who hold the gospel with a conviction more intimate and unwavering than mere arguments ever produced40 ,and here is an extract from another writer3-- 8,doubtless ,christ's spiritual glory is in itself as distinguishing1 and as plainly showing his divinity1 as his outward glory1 and a great deal more2 for his spiritual glory is that wherein his divinity consists1 and the outward glory of his transfiguration showed him to be divine only as it was a remarkable image or representation of that spiritual glory4 ,doubtless1 therefore1 he that has had a clear sight of the spiritual glory of ,christ may say1 #8,i have not followed cunningly devised fables1 but have been an eye-witness of his majesty1' upon as good grounds as the apostle1 when he had respect to the outward glory of ,christ that he had seen4 ,a true sense of the divine excellency of the things of ,god's ,word doth more directly and immediately convince of the truth of them2 and that because the excellency of these things is so superlative4 ,there is a beauty in them that is so divine and godlike1 that is greatly and evidently distinguishing of them from things merely human1 or that men are the authors and inventors of1--a glory that is so high and great1 that when clearly seen1 commands assent to their divinity and reality4 ,the evidence which they who are spiritually enlightened have of the truth of the things of religion1 is a kind of intuition and immediate evidence4 ,they believe the doctrines of ,god's ,word to be divine1 because they see divinity in them4 ,that is1 they see a divine1 and transcendent1 and most evidently distinguishing glory in them2 such a glory as1 if clearly seen1 does not leave room to doubt of their being of ,god1 and not of men40 ,trench1 also1 denies that the miracle can have absolute authority1 since ,satanic powers may work evil too4 ,this convinces us1 he says1 that miracles cannot be appealed to in proof of the doctrine or of the divine mission of him who brings it to pass4 ,the doctrine must first commend itself to the conscience as being good2 then the miracle shows it to be a new word from ,god4 ,but when the mind and conscience reject the doctrine1 the miracle must be rejected too4 ,the great act of faith is to believe1 in despite of all miracles1 what ,god has revealed to the soul of the holy and the true2 not to believe another gospel1 though an angel from heaven should bring it4 ,instead of compelling assent1 miracles are then rather warnings to us that we keep aloof2 for they tell us not merely that lies are here1 but that he who utters them is an instrument of ,satan4 ,false miracles1 or lying wonders1 are distinguished from the true1 not by the intellect1 but by the moral sense1 which finds in them something immoral1 or ostentatious1 or futile1 leading to nothing4 ,origen says the miracles of ,moses issued in a ,jewish polity2 those of our ,lord in a ,christian ,church4 ,but what fruits have the miracles of ,apollonius or sculapius to show8 ,the miracles of ,christ are redemptive4 ,modern writers of evidences make a dangerous omission when they fail to say that the doctrine is to try the miracle1 as well as the miracle to seal the doctrine4 ,to teach men to believe in ,christ on no other grounds than his wonderful works is to pave the way of ,antichrist4 ,those books of ,christian evidences are utterly maimed and imperfect1 fraught with the most perilous consequences1 which reverence in the miracle only its power47#aj7 #f4 ,but ,orthodoxy is right in maintaining their ,reality as ,historic ,facts4 ,the first thing we notice about the miracles of ,jesus is1 that they are intertwined inextricably with the whole narrative4 ,it is almost impossible to disentangle them1 and to leave any solid historic residuum4 ,there is a story in ,goethe of a statue of iron and silver1 with veins of gold4 ,the flames licked out the gold veins of the colossus1 and it remained standing a little while2 but when at last the tenderest filaments had been licked out1 the image crashed together1 and fell in a shapeless1 miserable heap4 ,so when the tongue of criticism shall have eaten out the supernatural elements of the gospel narrative1 the heroic figure will fall1 as it has already in ,renan's construction1 into an amorphous mass of unhistoric rubbish4 ,then we see that most of these miracles are miracles of healing1 which have their analogues in many similar events scattered through history4 ,many such facts might be collected to show that there is in man a latent power of overcoming disease1 in himself and others1 by a great exertion of will4 ,if in common men there is such a power1 latent1 and as yet undeveloped1 why should it be an unnatural thing that one so full of a superhuman life as ,jesus should be raised to a position where1 by his very word or touch1 he could cure disease1 and that even at a distance8 ,we see such wonderful discoveries made every day of latent powers in nature1 and secrets hidden till now from all men1 that we do not know where to put limits to the possibility of the wonderful4 ,to go into a telegraphic office in ,boston1 and speak to a man in ,new ,york or ,washington1 and have an answer in five minutes2 to have your portrait painted in a moment by the rays of the sun1--such things as these would have seemed miracles to us a few years ago4 ,to be able to tell what metals there are in the sun's atmosphere1 and what not there2 to say1 8,in the atmosphere of the sun there is silver1 but not gold2 there are iron1 and antimony1 and lead1 and aluminum1 but no copper nor zinc10--does not this seem incredible8 ,but we know that we can now tell just that4 ,when we read the ,gospels1 we find everything in them so simple1 so unpretending1 so little of an attempt at making out a consistent story1 such a harmony in the character of the works attributed to ,jesus 7with one or two exceptions71 that we are irresistibly inclined to say1 8,these stories must be simple facts4 ,delusion never spoke in this tone1--so clear1 so luminous1--in language so honest and sincere40 ,i do not deny that some mistakes or misapprehensions may have crept into the records4 ,occasionally we can see signs of something being mistaken for a miracle which was really not one4 ,for example1 the finding of a piece of money in the fish's mouth may have been the mistake of a proverbial expression1 common among fishermen1 and used by ,matthew in his original ,hebrew ,gospel1 but which the ,greek translator1 ignorant of the popular phrase1 considered to be meant for a miracle4 ,the most natural supposition is1 that a wonderful power dwelt in ,jesus1 which enabled him to heal the sick1 cure the insane1 and sometimes even bring back life to the dead4 ,what do we know about death8 ,the last breath has been drawn4 ,the heart has ceased to beat1 the lungs to move4 ,we say1 8,he is dead40 ,but people have lain two or three days in this state1 declared dead by the physicians1 and then have come to life again by natural causes4 ,a drowned man has all the marks of death2 but after lying in this state half an hour1 he is brought to life again4 ,what1 then1 might not have been done by that supernatural power of life which1 as history shows1 dwelt in ,jesus of ,nazareth8 #g4 ,analogy with other ,similar ,events recorded in ,history4 ,it may very properly be asked whether miracles have occurred since the ,bible record was closed2 and if not1 why not4 ,since we have regarded the miracles of the ,new ,testament as no violations of law1 but the coming in of higher laws or forces than those usually at work in the world1 why may they not have taken place in our own time8 ,if ,christ's miracles differ only from other miracles in being higher and more perfect1 what are the miracles of a lower class8 ,can we point out any events belonging to the same class of phenomena which have happened during the last thousand years8 ,in reply to this question1 we will proceed to mention certain phenomena which seem to belong to the same order as the works of ,jesus4 ,the distinction between the miracles of ,christ and all those portents will be pointed out hereafter4 ,in the 8,atlantic ,monthly0 for ,february and ,march1 #ahfd1 there appeared an account 7written1 we believe1 by ,r4 ,dale ,owen71 of the ,convulsionists of ,st4 ,mdard4 ,the facts therein stated seem to contradict all the known laws of physiology4 ,the lower side of miracles1 namely1 their apparent violation of physical laws1 here appears as fully developed and as fully attested as the most careful sceptic could desire4 ,if1 therefore1 any one objects to believing the miracles of ,jesus on the ground that they seem to be violations of physical laws1 we ask what they mean to do with these facts1 so extraordinary1 and yet so fully attested4 ,if believed1 there is no reason1 based on the abnormal character of ,christ's works1 for rejecting those4 ,but if disbelieved1 it can be done only by setting aside all the ordinary rules of evidence1 and all the laws of belief1 in favor of a negative prepossession of a purely empirical character4 ,phenomena somewhat similar to these have occurred elsewhere1 among ,protestants as well as ,catholics1 during periods of great religious excitement4 ,the beginnings of most religious systems--,methodism1 ,quakerism1 c4--have stories like these of supernatural influences4 ,they have usually been disbelieved because their friends have claimed too much3 they have claimed that such phenomena were divine attestations to the truth of the doctrine preached4 ,what is proved by them is the simple fact that the soul of man is capable1 under high excitement1 of suspending1 or rather overcoming1 all common physiological laws4 ,we have seen similar results follow often from such causes1 only in ordinary ways4 ,a sick person is made well in a moment by some moral influence2 a weak and sickly mother will nurse a sick child1 night after night1 without rest or sleep1 and keep well1 where a strong man would break down4 ,mesmerism brings forward multitudes of like facts4 ,there are1 for example1 the well-attested facts concerning the transfer of the senses3 that people under the influence of animal magnetism can read with their forehead1 the pit of their stomach1 or the back of their head4 ,we have seen a weak boy1 some thirteen years old1 when magnetized1 lift a chair with three heavy men standing on it4 ,clairvoyance1 or seeing things at a distance1 though not so well proved1 is confirmed by a vast number of facts4 ,we come1 then1 to our final statement concerning miracles1 which is this3-- ,i4 ,there is in man a power1 as yet undeveloped1 and only occasionally seen in exceptional conditions1 of overcoming the common laws of nature by force of will2 and this is sometimes voluntary1 and sometimes involuntary4 ,,ii4 ,this phenomenon takes these forms3-- ,a4 ,power of the soul over the body 7a47 to resist pain1 as in the case of martyrs1 who are burned alive without any appearance of suffering2 7b47 to resist physical injury1 as in the case of the ,convulsionists2 7c47 to dispense with the usual service of the senses1 as in the case of the girl at ,worcester ,insane ,asylum1 ,massachusetts1 under the care of ,dr4 ,woodward1 who could read a book in a perfectly dark room and with bandaged eyes2 7d47 to give a preternatural energy and strength to the body4 ,b4 ,preternatural knowledge--such cases as that narrated by ,dr4 ,bushnell1 of ,yonnt1 in ,california2 or knowledge through dreams1 waking presentiments2 cases of foresight1 or prophecy2 of insight1 or knowledge of what is passing in other minds2 of clairvoyance1 or knowledge of what is happening at a distance1 of which multitudes of facts are narrated in such books as the 8,seeress of ,provorst10 ,mrs4 ,crowe's 8,night ,side of ,nature10 ,robert ,dale ,owen's 8,footfalls from the ,boundary of the ,unseen ,world10 which1 after being sifted by a fair criticism1 will leave a large residuum of irresolvable facts4 ,c4 ,higher than these is a preternatural elevation of the whole character1 as in such cases as that of ,,joan ,,of ,,arc1 where a young girl1 ignorant1 a peasant1 destitute of all common means of influencing any one1 by the simple power of faith1 because she believed herself inspired and commissioned1 succeeded in gaining the command of the armies of ,france1 and then of achieving a series of victories1 equal1 on the whole1 as mere military exploits1 to those of the first captains of the world4 ,in all these cases we see manifestations of a power in the soul over nature1 body1 men1 and the laws of time and space4 ,so we say1 secondly1-- ,,iii4 ,this power was possessed in the highest degree known in this world by ,jesus of ,nazareth1 and it differed in him from these other cases in these points3-- #a4 ,it was always voluntary in its exercise1 never involuntary4 ,he was not possessed by it1 he possessed it4 ,he used it just when and where he chose to use it4 ,it was always at his command2 he never appears to have tried to work a miracle1 and failed4 ,so1-- #b4 ,it was in him constant1 and not occasional4 ,in other cases where the miraculous element appears1 it seems to come and go2 but to ,jesus the spirit was not given by measure4 ,he had it always4 #c4 ,this power in him was total1 and not partial4 ,it was therefore harmonious--in harmony with all his other qualities4 ,he had power over diseases of the body1 and also those of the soul4 ,he knew what was in man1 and what was in nature--in the present1 and in the future4 ,there was nothing ecstatic1 enthusiastic1 nothing of excitement1 about him2 but everything denoted a fulness1 a ,,pleroma1 of this spiritual life4 #d4 ,the exercise of this power in ,christ was always eminently moral1 never wilful4 ,the one or two seeming exceptions1 as1 for example1 the cursing the fig tree1 and the causing the evil spirits to go into the swine1 ought to be explained in harmony with the vast majority of his actions1 which always are guided by love1 and justice1 and a holy sense of what is true and good4 #ethly1 and lastly4 ,the miracle power of ,jesus reached a higher point of development than in any one else4 ,the raising of the dead to life1 and the mysterious power over nature indicated by the turning of water into wine1 by the miracle of the loaves and fishes1 calming the storm1 if facts1 are facts unparalleled in any other biography1 but seem possible1 however unintelligible1 when considered as emanating from such a masterly and commanding spirit as that of ,jesus4 ,and this finally brings us to the miracle of the resurrection1 concerning which we will first quote from an article in a late number of the 8,westminster ,review10 to show the most recent ideas of the critical and negative school on this point4 #h4 ,miracle of the ,resurrection4 ,sceptical ,objections4 ,in an article in the 8,westminster ,review10 in 8,the ,life of ,christ1 by ,strauss10 occurs the following passage3-- 8,for of the two alternatives open to free inquiry1 that if ,jesus died he never reappeared1 or if he reappeared he never died1 ,strauss considers the former not only preferable1 but the only tenable one2 for he cannot persuade himself that a feeble sufferer1 who at first had scarcely strength to leave the tomb1 and in the end succumbed to death1 could have contrived to inspire his followers with the conviction that he was the ,prince of life1 the ,conqueror of the grave4 ,strauss thus admits that faith in the supernatural revival of the buried ,nazarene was undoubtedly the profession of the ,christian ,church1 the unconditional antecedent without which ,christianity could have had no existence4 ,if1 then1 we refuse to assume the resurrection to be an historical fact1 we have to explain the origin of the ,church's belief in it4 ,the solution which satisfies ,strauss1 and which seems to us also an adequate interpretation of the problem1 is dependent on the two following positions3 #a4 ,the appearance of ,jesus was literally an appearance1 an hallucination1 a psychological phenomenon4 #b4 ,it was also a sort of practical fallacy of confusion1 a case of mistaken identity4 8,but it will be said that this natural solution of the problem implies a foregone conclusion--the rejection of the ,orthodox or supernatural solution4 ,of course it does2 and accordingly ,strauss has been accused of dogmatical or unphilosophical assumption4 ,but the rejection of the theological solution is not the result of ignorant prejudice1 but of enlightened investigation4 ,anti-supernaturalism is the final irreversible sentence of scientific philosophy1 and the real dogmatist and hypothesis-maker is the theologian4 ,that the world is governed by uniform laws is the first article in the creed of science1 and to disbelieve whatever is at variance with those uniform laws1 whatever contradicts a complete induction1 is an imperative1 intellectual duty4 ,a particular miracle is credible to him alone who already believes in supernatural agency4 ,its credibility rests on an assumption--the existence of such agency4 ,but our most comprehensive scientific experience has detected no such agency4 ,there is no miracle in nature2 there is no evidence of any miracle-working energy in nature2 there is no fact in nature to justify the expectation of miracle4 ,rightly has it been said by an ,english savant and divine1 that testimony is a second-hand assurance1 a blind guide1 that can avail nothing against reason2 and that to have any evidence of a ,deity working miracles1 we must go out of nature and beyond reason4 8,strauss's prepossession1 therefore1 is justifiable4 ,it is the prepossession of the rational theist1 who does not believe in a ,god who changes his mind and improves with practice--the prentice maker of the world2 it is the prepossession of the pantheist1 in whose theory of the perfect government of an immanent ,god1 miracle is an extravagance and absurdity2 it is the prepossession of the philosophical naturalist1 whose experience of the operations of nature recognizes no extra-mundane interventionalism40 ,we have quoted this passage as containing the most distinct statement of an extreme anti-supernaturalism4 ,admitting the death of ,jesus as a fact1 it denies his resurrection as a fact1 and that on doctrinal and theoretic grounds4 ,declaring anti-supernaturalism to be the final irreversible sentence of scientific philosophy1 it assumes supernaturalism to be a denial that the world is governed by uniform laws4 ,it assumes the resurrection of ,christ to be at variance with those uniform laws4 ,it denies the existence of any supernatural agency in the affairs of this world4 ,it denies that there ever has been a miracle in nature1 or any extra-mundane intervention in the history of nature or man4 ,this is what claims to be science1 at the present time4 ,we deny that it is science1 and assert it to be pure dogmatism and theory1 contradicted by numerous facts4 ,it is pure theory to assume the resurrection of ,jesus to be a violation of law4 ,it is pure theory to define a miracle to be something opposed to law4 ,it is pure theory to assume that the miraculous facts ascribed to ,jesus in the ,gospels must have been1 if they occurred1 violations of law4 ,it is an assumption1 contradicted by geology1 that there is nothing in the experience of the naturalist of the operations of nature to show any extra-mundane intervention4 ,we have admitted1 indeed1 that these same assumptions have been made by ,orthodox theology4 ,orthodox theologians have also assumed the miracles of ,christ to be violations of the laws of nature4 ,but some of the most distinguished theologians1 in all ages of the ,church1 have not so defined them4 ,and there is no reason why the man of science should deny the possibility of fact because an unscientific explanation has been given of that fact by others4 ,this writer virtually says1 8,i will not believe that ,christ appeared after his death1 on any amount of testimony1 because some persons have defined such appearances as being opposed to the laws of nature40 ,it is certainly true that we cannot fully believe in the reality of any phenomenon which seems to us to be a violation of law4 ,it is also true that the reported facts concerning the appearances of ,jesus seem like a violation of law4 ,but the scientific course is neither to deny the facts1 nor to explain them away1 but to study them1 in order to see whether1 after all1 they may not lead us to some new laws1 before unknown4 ,the resurrection of ,jesus deserves this study1 since1 according to the confession of science itself1 the ,christian ,church rests upon that belief4 ,strauss admits that ,christianity could not have existed without it4 ,but1 hastily assuming that the real appearance of ,jesus himself would be a violation of a law of nature1 he supposes this immense fact of ,christendom to rest on an hallucination and a case of mistaken identity4 ,but perhaps1 after all1 the resurrection may have been an example of a universal law4 ,like other miracles1 which are sporadic instances1 in this world1 of laws which may be the nature of other worlds1 so the resurrection may have been as natural an event as any other in the life of ,jesus4 ,perhaps it is a law of nature that all souls shall become disengaged from the earthly body on the third day after death4 ,perhaps they all rise in a spiritual body1 substantial and real1 but not usually perceptible by the senses4 ,perhaps1 in the case of ,jesus1 that same superior command of miraculous force1 which appeared during his life1 enabled him to show himself easily and freely whenever he would4 ,what became of the earthly body we do not know2 it may have been removed by the priests or soldiers to prevent the disciples from getting possession of it4 ,the body in which ,christ appeared differed evidently from the earthly body in various ways4 ,it came and went mysteriously2 it was sometimes recognized1 and sometimes not2 and it ascended into the spiritual world instead of passing again to death and the grave4 ,perhaps1 therefore1 it may be a universal law that souls rise out of the material body into a higher state1 clothed in another body1 substantial and real1 but not material4 ,the essence of the resurrection is this3 ,resurrection is not coming to life again with the same body1 but ascent into a higher life with a new body4 ,it may be said that all this is only a perhaps4 ,very well2 it is only a perhaps1 but that is all we want in order to refute the logic of the article just quoted4 ,the scientific sceptic says1 8,i will not believe that ,jesus was really seen after death1 because that would be a violation of a law of nature40 ,we reply1 8,no1 not necessarily4 ,it might perhaps have been thus and so40 ,that will do2 for if we can show that it is not necessarily a violation of a law of nature1 we wholly remove the objection4 ,but we may go farther1 and assert that such a supposition as we have made not only accords with the story in the ,gospels1 but also with the whole spirit of ,christianity1 and with all the analogies of nature4 ,the resurrection of ,jesus1 so regarded1 becomes the most natural thing in the world4 ,if souls live after death1 as even natural instinct teaches1 they live somewhere4 ,as by the analogy of nature we see an ascending scale of bodily existence up to man1 whose body is superior to that of all other animals1 because fitted for the very highest uses1 so if man is to live hereafter and elsewhere1 and not in this earthly body1 analogy would anticipate that he should live in a body still1 but in a higher form4 ,if ,jesus1 therefore1 rose in this higher body1 and appeared to his disciples1 it was to lift them above fear of death by showing that this corruptible must put on incorruption4 ,so his resurrection was not merely coming to life again in the same body1 but rising up into a higher body and a higher state1 to show us how we are to be1 to give us a glimpse of the hereafter1 to bridge over the gulf between this life and that to come4 #i4 ,final ,result of this ,examination4 ,we have thus examined1 as thoroughly as our limited space will allow1 the questions at issue1 on the subject of miracles1 between the old ,orthodox and recent heterodox views2 and the result to which we have arrived may be thus stated3-- #a4 ,we may believe1 on the testimony of history1 that through ,jesus of ,nazareth there entered the world a great impulse of creative moral life1 which has been1 and is now1 renewing society4 ,this new impulse of life may be regarded as miraculous or supernatural4 #b4 ,we may believe1 though perhaps less strongly1 but still decidedly1 that during the stay of ,jesus on earth many extraordinary phenomena took place1 such as the sudden healing of the sick1 the raising of the dead to life1 a display of miraculous insight and foresight1 or knowledge of the present and the future1 and some influence over organic and material life1 and over the lifeless forces of nature4 ,the precise limits of this we do not know1 and need not pretend to define4 ,we need not think it essential to fix the boundary4 ,it may be interesting as speculation1 but it is not important as religion4 #c4 ,for1 in the third place1 we may say that these miracles of ,jesus have very little direct bearing on our religion4 ,as they illustrate his character1 they are valuable1 and also as they help us to believe that the laws of nature are not stiff and rigid1 like the movement of a machine1 but that there is force above force1 a vortex of living powers1 in the universe1 rising higher and higher towards the fountain of all force and life in ,god4 ,all portents and wonders are useful1 as they shake us out of the mechanical view of things1 and show that even the outward1 sensible world is full of spiritual power4 #d4 ,we may also believe the miracles of ,jesus to be natural in this sense--that under the same conditions they could have been done by others1 and that they are probably prophetic of a time in which they shall be done by others4 ,looked at as mere signs or portents1 he himself discouraged any attention being paid to them4 ,looked at as logical proofs to convince an unbeliever1 he never brought them forward4 ,his object in miracles1 as stated by ,mr4 ,furness1 was simply to express his character4 ,some1 indeed1 were symbolical1 as the cursing of the fig tree4 ,it is the custom in the ,east for teachers to speak in symbolic language4 ,miracles were at first believed1 on low grounds1 as violations of law by a ,god outside of the world4 ,now they are disbelieved on scientific grounds4 ,they may possibly be believed again on grounds of philosophy and historic evidence1 not as portents1 not as violations of law1 not as the basis of a logical argument1 but as the natural effluence and outcome of a soul like that of ,jesus1 into which a supernatural influx of light and life had descended4 ,they are not more wonderful than nature2 they are not so wonderful as the change of heart by which a bad man becomes a good man4 ,but they will find their proper place as evidence how plastic the lower laws are to the influence of a higher life4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,orthodox ,,idea ,,of ,,the ,,inspiration ,,and ,,authority ,,of ,,the ,,bible4 #a4 ,subject of this ,chapter4 ,three ,views concerning the ,bible4 ,the subject of this chapter is the ,orthodox idea concerning the inspiration and authority of the ,bible4 ,we shall consider the conflict of opinion between those who believe in the full inspiration of every word of ,scripture1 and those who treat it like a common book1 and endeavor to see how far we ought to believe a fact or a doctrine1 because it is asserted1 or seems to be asserted1 by some writer in the ,bible4 ,such questions are certainly of great importance to us all at the present time1 when opinions on these subjects are unsettled1 and few people know exactly what to believe4 ,especially in regard to the ,old ,testament1 not many persons have any distinct notions4 ,they do not know what is its inspiration or its authority2 they do not know whether they are to believe the account of the creation and of the deluge in the book of ,genesis1 in opposition to the geologists1 or believe the geologists1 in opposition to ,genesis4 ,certainly it is desirable1 if we can1 to have some clear and distinct opinions on these points4 ,and1 first1 in regard to ,inspiration3 there are three main and leading views of the inspiration of the ,bible4 ,there cannot be a fourth4 ,there may be modifications of these1 but nothing essentially different4 ,these three views are1-- 7a47 ,plenary ,inspiration4--,that is1 that everything in the ,bible is the word of ,god4 ,all the canonical books are inspired by ,god1 so as to make them infallible guides to faith and practice4 ,every word which really belongs to these books is ,god's truth1 and to be received without question as truth1 no matter how much it may seem opposed to reason1 to the facts of nature1 to common sense1 and common morality4 ,this is the ,orthodox theory even at the present time4 ,any variation from this is considered a deviation into heresy4 ,no doubt1 in practice it is deviated from1 by very ,orthodox people2 but all ,protestant sects1 claiming to be ,orthodox1 profess to hold to the plenary inspiration of the ,bible4 7b47 ,the ,rationalist or ,naturalistic ,view of the ,bible4--,the ,bible is not inspired at all1 or at least in no way differing from any other book4 ,its authors were inspired1 perhaps1 just as ,homer1 or ,thucydides1 or ,cicero were inspired1 but not differently4 ,it has no authority1 therefore1 over any other book1 and is just as liable to be in error as any other4 ,if you should bind in one volume the histories of ,herodotus1 ,tacitus1 ,gibbon1 and ,mr4 ,bancroft1 the poems of ,horace1 ,hafiz1 and ,dante1 and the letters of ,cicero and ,horace ,walpole1 this collection would have to the ,naturalist just as much authority as the ,bible4 7c47 ,the mediatorial view of the ,bible1 or the view which mediates between the others4 ,this view endeavors to reconcile the others1 by accepting the truths in each1 and eliminating their errors or defects4 ,to this third division of opinions belong those of a large class1 who are not prepared to accept either the first or the second4 ,they cannot believe every word in the ,bible to be the word of ,god1 for they find things in it contradicting the evidence of history and the intuitions of reason1 and also contradicting other teachings of the same book4 ,they cannot see why1 as ,christians1 they should believe everything in the ,jewish ,scriptures4 ,as ,christians1 they go to the ,new ,testament as a main source of faith and practice1 but do not see why they should go to the ,old ,testament for ,christian truth4 ,on the other hand1 they cannot look upon the ,bible as a common book4 ,they remember that it has been a light to the world for thousands of years1 that it has been the means of awakening the human intellect and heart1 of reforming society1 and purifying life4 ,even in the ,old ,testament they find the noblest truth and the tenderest piety4 ,the ,bible has been the litany1 prayer-book1 inspirer1 comforter of nations and centuries4 ,they cannot and would not emancipate themselves from the traditions in which they were born1 nor cut off history behind them4 ,the ,christian ,church is their mother2 she has taught them out of this book to know ,god1 and out of this book to pray to him1 and they cannot regard it without a certain prepossession4 ,to this third class ,i myself belong4 ,i would not be unjust to the past or to the future4 ,i would be loyal to truth1 and not shut my eyes to what ,god reveals which is new2 and ,i would not be unfaithful to what has already been taught me1 or ungrateful for the love which has taught the world by the mouths of past prophets and apostles4 #b4 ,the ,difficulty4 ,antiquity of the ,world1 and ,age of ,mankind4 ,let us then see1 first1 what the problem before us is2 and this can perhaps be best understood by means of an example4 ,the common opinion among ,christians is1 that the world was made four thousand and four years before ,christ1 and that all mankind are descended from ,adam and ,eve4 ,these opinions are derived from the book of ,genesis1 which tells us that after ,god had made the world and other things in five days1 on the sixth day he made man in his own image2 and that1 when the first man1 ,adam1 was a hundred and thirty years old1 he had a son1 named ,seth2 and from ,seth1 according to ,genesis1 are descended1 by a genealogy given in the fifth chapter of ,genesis1 ,noah and his sons2 and the ages being given from ,adam down to ,abraham1 and from ,abraham to ,christ1 the age of the world and the age of the human race have been computed4 ,as long as there was no reason for supposing any different period for the antiquity of the world1 these numbers were quietly accepted4 ,but various new facts have been noticed1 and new sciences have arisen1 within the past fifty years1 which have thrown doubt upon this chronology4 ,in the first place the great science of geology has examined the rocky leaves which envelop the surface of the earth1 and has found written upon them proofs of an immense antiquity4 ,it is found that the earth1 instead of being created four thousand years ago1 must have existed for myriads of years1 in order to have given time for the changes which have taken place in its structure4 ,this evidence was long doubted and resisted by theologians1 as they supposed in the interest of ,scripture2 but the evidence was too strong to be denied1 and no intelligent theologian1 however ,orthodox1 now believes the world to have been made in six days1 or to have been created only six thousand years ago4 ,with some1 the six days stand for immense periods of time2 with others1 the whole story is considered a vision1 or a symbolical account of geological events2 but no one takes it literally4 ,this result has come from the overwhelming amount of evidence for the antiquity of the earth1 derived mainly from the fossil rocks4 ,of these fossiliferous rocks there are over thirty distinct strata1 lying superimposed1 in a regular series1 each filled with the remains of distinct varieties of animals or of plants4 ,these rocks must each have been an immense period of time in being formed1 for the shells which they contain1 although very delicate1 are unbroken1 and could only be slowly deposited in the quiet depths of a great ocean4 ,there are also evidences that after those strata were formed1 violent and sudden upheavals took place1 throwing them into new positions1 then slow uprisings of the bottom of the sea1 or slow subsidings of the land4 ,at one time the northern parts of ,europe and ,america were covered with ice4 ,great glaciers extended over the whole of ,switzerland1 and icebergs floated from the mountains of ,berkshire in ,massachusetts upon a sea which filled the valley of the ,connecticut ,river1 dropping erratic blocks of stone1 taken from those mountains1 in straight lines1 parallel with each other1 half way across the valley1 where they still lie4 ,similar icebergs floated from ,snowdon1 in ,wales1 and ,ben ,lomond1 in ,scotland1 over the submerged islands of ,great ,britain4 ,at one time the whole surface of the earth1 instead of being covered with icy glaciers1 was filled with a hot1 damp atmosphere1 laden with carbonic gas1 which no creature could breathe1 but in which grew great forests of a strange tropical vegetation4 ,then came another period1 in which all these forests were submerged and buried1 and at last turned into coal4 ,long after this hot period had passed1 and long after the cold1 glacial period1 which followed it1 had departed1 came a time when the elephant1 the rhinoceros1 and the hippopotamus covered the whole of ,europe1 and the mammoth roamed in ,north ,america4 ,such facts as these1 incontestably established by the amplest evidence1 have made it impossible for any reasonable man to believe that the earth was made in six days1 or that it was made only six thousand years ago4 ,but this question being thus disposed of1 other questions arise in their turn4 ,are all mankind descended from one pair1 or from many8 ,has the human race existed on the earth only six thousand years1 or during a longer period8 ,was the deluge of ,noah a real event8 and if so1 was it universal or partial8 ,did the sun stand still at the command of ,joshua8 or is that only a poetic image taken from an ancient book of poems--the book of ,jasher8 ,is there any truth in the story of the passage of the ,red ,sea by the ,israelites8 of the passage of the ,jordan8 of the walls of ,jericho falling when the trumpets were blown8 of the story of ,samson8 ,if we once begin to doubt and disbelieve the accounts in the ,bible1 where shall we stop8 ,what rule shall we have by which to distinguish the true from the false8 ,is it safe to begin to question and deny8 ,is it not safer to accept the whole book as the word of ,god1 and to let everything in it stand unexamined8 ,no6 8,it is never safe10 said ,luther1 8to do anything against the truth60 ,truth alone is safe2 and his soul only is safe who loves and honors truth more than human approbation--more than ease1 comfort1 or life4 ,it is not safe to pretend to believe what we do not4 ,and in this instance1 half of the infidelity of the age and country has come from the teaching that everything in the ,bible is the word of ,god4 ,sincere men have been disgusted when told they must believe things contrary to their common sense and reason4 ,another question1 which is now being investigated1 is the age of mankind--the antiquity of the human race4 ,the ,bible gives the list of generations from ,adam to ,abraham2 and the length of each1 and other data1 given in ,scripture1 make six thousand years for the life of man on this earth4 ,greek history only goes back some twenty-three hundred years2 the ,egyptian monuments go back fifteen hundred or two thousand years earlier--to #bjjj ,b4,c41 or #cjjj ,b4,c4 ,the 8,vedas10 in ,india1 may have been written #aejj ,b4,c42 the 8,kings10 in ,china1 before that4 ,but recently we have been carried back to a yet earlier period1--to a time when man existed on the earth1 before any written monument or sculptured stone which now exists4 ,two different sources have been discovered within a few years1--one of them by philology1 the other by geology4 ,it has been found that the languages spoken by ,europeans1 in their airy sounds1 are more permanent monuments than granite or enduring brass4 ,stamped on these light1 imponderable words are marks of a gray antiquity going back to times before ,herodotus1 before ,moses and the book of ,genesis1 before the ,vedas in ,india1 before the ,zendavesta in ,persia4 ,it has been proved1 first1 that nearly all the languages of ,europe belong to one linguistic family1 and therefore that those who speak them were originally of one race4 ,these different languages--seven sister languages1 daughters of a language now wholly gone--are the ,sanscrit or ancient ,hindoo1 the ,zend or ancient ,persian1 the ,greek1 the ,latin1 the ,keltic1 the ,german1 and the ,slavic languages4 ,by a comparison of these1 it has been found that originally there lived1 east of the ,caspian1 a race of shepherds and hunters1 calling themselves ,aryan2 that one branch descended into ,india at least five thousand years ago1 and drove out the aboriginal inhabitants1 a second branch went into ,persia1 a third into ,italy1 a fourth into ,greece1 a fifth vast immigration filled ,northern ,europe with the ,kelts1 a sixth with ,scandinavians and ,germans1 and a seventh with the ,slaves4 ,but long ago as this immigration was1--before all history1--it found aboriginal inhabitants everywhere1 whose descendants remain4 ,the ,lapps and ,finns in ,northern1 ,europe1 the ,basques in ,spain1 and ,magyars in ,hungary1 are probably descended from this earlier ,european race4 ,it is difficult to suppose mankind only six thousand years old1 when we find such great movements taking place four or five thousand years ago4 ,but now come the geologists1 and tell us that they find evidence of three different races existing in ,europe in three distinct periods of civilization1 some of which probably preceded the immigration of these ,indo-,european races4 ,these three belong to what they call the ,stone1 the ,bronze1 and the ,iron ,age4 ,in the gravel and drift1 from ten to twenty feet below the surface1 along with the bones of the elephant and the rhinoceros1 and other animals long since extinct1 are found hundreds of flint instruments1 axes1 arrow-heads1 and tools1 indicating that men lived in ,europe in great numbers1 contemporaries with these extinct animals4 ,if this should be proved1 we should then be brought to admit1 with respect to the antiquity of man1 what we have already admitted with regard to the antiquity of the world1 that the account in ,genesis is not to be understood as theologians have hitherto taught2 that is1 that we must not go to ,genesis1 but to philology and geology1 for our knowledge of the most ancient history4 ,in this case1 then1 it will be evident that the old notion of a literal inspiration cannot be maintained4 ,god certainly did not inspire men to teach anything about the creation which was adapted to mislead and deceive men for two thousand years4 ,we shall be obliged to say1 then1 that ,moses was not inspired to teach geology or history2 that what he taught on these subjects he taught from such sources as were available to him1 and that he was liable to error4 ,the old ,orthodox theory of plenary inspiration has received very damaging blows from such scientific researches as these which we have been describing4 ,the letter of the ,bible seems1 in such cases1 to be at war with the facts of nature4 #c4 ,basis of the ,orthodox ,theory of ,inspiration4 ,why1 then1 should the ,orthodox doctrine be so stoutly maintained8 ,what are the reasons used in its defence8 ,what its arguments8 ,what is its basis8 ,on what does it rest8 ,do the writers of the ,bible say that they were inspired by ,god to write these books8 ,not at all4 ,do they claim infallibility8 ,nowhere4 ,do they lay down any doctrine of plenary1 verbal1 literal inspiration8 ,no4 ,we do not even know who wrote many of these books4 ,we do not know who collected them1 or why just these books were put into the collection1 and no others4 ,the ,orthodox theory rests on few facts1 but is mainly an assumption4 ,it seemed necessary that there should be authority somewhere2 and when ,protestants rejected the authority of the ,church1 they took the ,bible in its place4 ,the doctrine of inspiration1 therefore1 was adopted as a basis for the authority of the ,bible4 ,the principal reason given by those who believe in the plenary inspiration of the ,bible1 for holding to this doctrine1 is the necessity of some authority4 ,the argument is this3 ,unless every part of the ,bible is believed to be fully inspired1 some part of it may be believed to be erroneous2 and if we admit error in any part1 the ,bible loses its authority1 and we do not know what to believe4 ,the doctrine of literal and plenary inspiration rests1 therefore1 in the last analysis1 on no basis of fact1 but on a purely a priori argument4 ,let us therefore examine this argument1 and see what is its force4 ,revelation1 it is said1 is a communication of truth with authority4 ,it is truth shown to us by ,god1 not truth reasoned out by man4 ,its value is1 that we can rely upon it entirely1 live by it1 die by it1 without doubt or hesitation4 ,we do not want speculation1 opinion1 probability2 we want certainty2 otherwise religion ceases to be a power1 and becomes a mere intellectual amusement4 ,the only religion1 it is added1 which is of any real value1 is that which carries with it this authority4 ,the outward world1 with its influences and its temptations1 is so strong1 that we shall be swept away by it unless we can oppose to it some inward conviction as solid and real4 ,amid the temptations of the senses1 the allurements of pleasure1 the deceitfulness of riches1 will it enable a man to hold fast to honesty1 temperance1 purity1 generosity--to believe that in all probability these things are right1 and that there is something to be said in favor of the opinion that ,god approves of them8 ,will it help him1 to think that unless the writer of the ,gospel is mistaken1 or his words mistranslated1 ,christ may have said that goodness leads to heaven1 and sin to hell8 ,no4 ,we need authority in order to have certainty2 and we need certainty in our convictions in order that they should influence us deeply and permanently4 ,this is the chief argument in favor of the plenary inspiration7#aa7 of the ,bible4 ,we see it amounts to this--that it is very desirable1 for practical purposes1 that we should believe everything in the ,bible to be true47#ab7 ,in reply to this1 we ought first to say1 that the question in all these cases is not1 ,what is desirable8 but1 ,what is true8 ,we should begin by investigating the facts4 ,we should ask1 ,does the ,bible anywhere say of itself that it is inspired in this sense8 ,do any of the writers of the ,bible declare themselves to be thus inspired1 so that all that they say is absolutely true in every particular8 ,does ,christ say that those who are to write the ,gospels or the ,epistles of the ,new ,testament shall be thus guarded against every possible error8 ,or is there any evidence in the books themselves that the writers were thus protected8 ,do they never contradict each other or themselves8 ,do they never contradict facts of nature or facts of history8 ,now1 to all these questions1 we are obliged to say1 ,no4 ,the ,bible claims no such absolute inspiration for itself4 ,it says that 8holy men of old spake as they were moved by the ,holy ,spirit10 but it does not say that the ,holy ,spirit made them infallible4 ,it says1 8,all ,scripture is given by inspiration1 and is profitable for doctrine10 but it does not say what are the limits of ,scripture2 and to be profitable or useful for doctrine is surely not the same thing as to have infallible authority over belief4 ,besides1 if those who wrote certain ,scriptures were infallibly inspired1 those who collected the present books of the ,old and ,new ,testament1 and made our canon1 were not so inspired4 ,those who transcribed their autographic manuscripts were not inspired4 ,the manuscripts of the ,gospels and ,epistles1 written by their authors1 have long since perished4 ,there were no autograph collectors in ancient times4 ,there was no such reverence then paid to the letter of religion1 to cause the original manuscript of an apostle to be kept in a church as a sacred relic4 ,we have plenty of pieces of wood claiming to be parts of the true cross1 but not a manuscript claiming to be the original writing of an apostle4 ,the earliest manuscript goes only to the fourth century1 and that contains the ,epistle of ,barnabas4 ,if1 then1 the writers of the ,new ,testament were inspired1 those who collected their writings were not inspired1 and may have left out the right books1 and put in the wrong ones4 ,those who copied their manuscripts were not inspired1 and may have left out the right words1 and put in wrong ones4 ,those who translated their manuscripts were not inspired1 and may have made mistakes in their translating4 ,so that1 after all1 the plenary inspiration of the apostles does not bestow that infallibility upon our ,english ,bible which this theory demands in order to give it authority4 ,and yet we admit the importance of having some authority4 ,truth which does not come with authority is not truth2 it is only speculation2 it cannot influence life4 ,revelation and philosophy differ in this1 that philosophy tells us what men think about ,god1 revelation what ,god thinks about men4 ,revelation is the drawing aside of the veil which hides ,god1 duty1 immortality4 ,it does not give us speculations about them1 but shows us the things themselves4 ,if1 therefore1 we can show that the ,bible can be authority without being plenarily inspired1 very possibly ,orthodoxy would no longer cling to this doctrine with such remarkable tenacity4 ,this point of authority we shall consider in another section of this chapter1 and so we will say no more about it now4 ,we shall try to show1 then1 that the ,bible may be1 and is authority1 without being inspired as regards every page and word1 and that inspiration is one thing and infallibility another4 ,at present we desire to see the truth there is in the ,orthodox doctrine of inspiration4 #d4 ,inspiration in general1 or ,natural ,inspiration4 ,there is a foundation for inspiration in human nature1 a capacity for inspiration which all possess4 ,were it not so1 ,christian inspiration would be something unnatural1 and not in the order of providence4 ,moreover1 we commonly speak of the inspiration of the poet1 the painter1 the inventor1 the man of genius4 ,the man of genius is he who has more of this capacity for inspiration than other men4 ,but all men have it in a greater or a less degree4 ,all men have their hours or moments of inspiration4 ,by these experiences of their own1 they understand the larger inspirations of genius4 ,if we distribute the thoughts we possess according to their source1 we shall find that we have obtained them all1 either from other persons1 or by means of mental effort1 or by inspiration4 ,the largest part of our thoughts and opinions we have taken in ready made1 and reproduced them just as we received them4 ,we suppose ourselves thinking1 when we utter them1 but we are only remembering4 ,a much smaller proportion of our thoughts we have obtained reflectively1 by personal efforts of the active intellect4 ,another part are those which have come to us in some happy moments1 when the inner eye was unclouded1 and when we seem to see at a glance truth and beauty4 ,these inspired moments give us the most solid knowledge we have4 ,they are mental experiences1 which are the master lights of all our being4 ,they give direction and unity to all our other thoughts and opinions4 ,they constitute mental originality4 ,the peculiarity of inspiration1 in this general sense1 does not lie in the subjects of the thoughts1 but in the manner of their coming4 ,ideas and thoughts of very different kinds may all be inspired thoughts4 ,the poet1 the artist1 have their inspirations4 ,but the scholar1 the thinker1 has his also4 ,the man who invents a machine often has the idea come to him by an inspiration4 ,the man who discovers a continent has seen it in idea before he sees it in reality4 ,if ,shakespeare was an inspired man1 so was ,newton1 so was ,columbus1 so was ,lord ,bacon1 so was ,faust when he discovered printing1 ,watt when he improved the steam engine1 and ,daguerre when he found out photographic pictures2 for1 in all great discoveries and inventions1 and in small ones too1 the original idea is an inspiration1 though it has to be worked out mechanically by hard thinking4 ,it will be seen1 then1 what we understand by inspiration1 in this general sense4 ,it is a mental sight1 corresponding as nearly as anything can to physical sight4 ,it seems1 in the inspired moment1 as if we looked into another world1 and saw new truths and facts there4 ,we do not bring them up out of our memory2 we see them in all their own fresh life and reality4 ,we do not think them out by an effort of the will2 we stand still and see them4 ,all that our will has to do with it is negative rather than positive4 ,it is to keep off disturbing influences of memory and sense1 to hold the mind still1 attentive1 receptive1 and ready4 ,if we believe in these inspirations1 we can thus prepare the way for them1 but nothing more4 ,we can wait and look1 till the vision is presented1 and then we shall see it2 but this is all4 ,the man of genius is he who believes in these inspirations1 and so looks for them4 ,what he shall see will depend on what he looks for4 ,the man whose taste is in the world of imagination looks for forms of poetic or artistic beauty1 and so sees these4 ,every man looks for that which he is most interested in1 whether he be metaphysician or mechanic4 ,the world of ideal beauty and truth1 which overhangs ours1 has a thousand portals1 and we can pass in through one or another1 and see that which suits our various tastes and desires4 ,memory1 reflection1 and sight1--these are the three sources of our thoughts4 ,the inspired man is a seer--he has insight and foresight2 and these objects of mental sight are to him more real and certain than any others4 ,but he is unable to prove their reality or justify them to the sceptic4 ,and hence his fate is often that of ,cassandra1--to be a true prophet1 but not to be believed1 until by and by the strength of his own conviction wins its way1 and produces faith in others4 ,there are1 therefore1 two principal intellectual states of the mind--the one receptive1 the other plastic2 the one by which it takes in truth1 the other by which it works it up into shape4 ,by the one it obtains the substance of thought1 by the other the form of thought4 ,the one may be called the perceptive state1 the other the reflective state4 ,thus1 too1 we see that the perceptive faculty may be exercised in two directions1 outwardly and inwardly4 ,it is the same intellectual faculty which1 through the senses1 looks at and perceives the outward material universe1 and through the mind itself1 the inward world of thought4 ,it is this power of looking inward which gives us all that we call inspiration4 ,we have1 thus1 outsight and insight4 ,there is1 then1 a universal inspiration1 on which the special inspiration of the ,old and ,new ,testament rests4 ,there are inspired men and uninspired men4 ,there are inspired writings and uninspired writings4 ,there is a general inspiration1 out of which the particular inspiration of ,bible writers grew4 ,universal inspiration is a genus1 of which this is a species4 ,we cannot understand the inspiration of the writers of the ,bible till we understand this universal inspiration on which it rests4 ,we can best explain the special inspiration of ,scripture by first knowing the general inspirations of mankind4 ,mr4 ,emerson1 in one of his poems1 called the 8,problem10 describes this universal inspiration4 ,he describes ,phidias as being inspired to make his ,jupiter1 as well as the prophets to write their burdens4 ,he says the architect that made ,st4 ,peter's was guided by some divine instinct in his heart--he wrought in a sad sincerity4 ,he says we cannot tell how such buildings as the ,parthenon and ,st4 ,peter's were built1 any more than how the bird builds its nest2 they were formed by a natural architecture2 they grew as the grass grows2 they came out of thought's interior sphere1 just as the pine tree adds a myriad of new leaves to its old arms every year4 8,the passive master lent his hand ,to the vast soul that o'er him planned2 ,and the same power that reared the shrine ,bestrode the tribes that knelt within40 #e4 ,christian or ,supernatural ,inspiration4 ,having thus spoken of inspiration in general1 we proceed to speak of ,christian inspiration in particular4 ,christian inspiration is the work of the ,holy ,spirit on the heart4 ,it is that influence which came to the apostles1 and to all ,christians after ,jesus had left the earth1 to unite them inwardly with ,christ1 and to show them the true ,christ4 ,it is that of which ,paul speaks1 when he says1 ,it pleased ,god to reveal his ,son in me4 ,all ,christians were baptized with the ,holy ,ghost2 had the spirit of ,christ dwelling in them2 were led by the spirit of ,god2 received the spirit of adoption1 which bore witness that they were the sons of ,god2 which helped their infirmities2 helped them to pray2 enabled them to mortify the deeds of the body1 and produced many gifts and graces4 ,it is quite certain that all ,christians were expected to partake of this ,christian inspiration4 ,this enabled them inwardly to see and know ,christ--the true ,christ4 ,and only thus could they become truly his4 ,now1 the ,christian inspiration1 so necessary at first1 is equally necessary now1 for its object is1 as it was then1 to turn nominal ,christians into living ,christians2 to turn historical ,christianity into vital ,christianity2 to enable those who already know ,christ after the flesh1 also to know him after the spirit4 ,what is it which we need for comfort1 improvement1 usefulness8 ,we need a living1 practical faith in ,god's truth and love4 ,we need to see it as we now see the outward world4 ,we believe in the inevitable retribution of ,god's laws4 ,we need to see this2 to see that selfishness is death1 and generosity life2 to see that humility is exaltation1 and that pride is abasement4 ,having seen law1 we need also to see grace1 the reality of forgiveness1 the reality of a ,father's love4 ,we need to see immortality and eternity1 while we are yet surrounded with the world of sense and time2 to see that the two worlds are not two1 but one1 all temporal things having their roots in spiritual things4 ,this is what we need for comfort1 for no hardship would seem hard while we were thus looking at the things which are eternal1 and knowing that every light affliction works out an eternal weight of glory4 ,this is what we need for improvement4 ,for no efforts at improvement can accomplish that which this inward inspiration can do4 ,it is a tide which bears us on4 ,it takes from us the weight of years4 ,it is the sap which rises into every branch1 penetrates every twig1 swells the buds1 expands the leaves1 opens the blossoms1 ripens the fruit1 and causes universal growth4 ,and it is what we need for usefulness4 ,for how mechanical and lifeless are efforts at usefulness which proceed merely from the sense of duty6 ,how blessed are those which proceed from a heart filled with love and peace6 ,christian inspiration1 then1 reveals inwardly the spirit of ,christ1 and so gives us a new heart1 and makes of us new creatures4 ,it is the most essential and vital part of ,christianity1 yet it is that part of ,christianity which is the least known and prized4 ,how many dogmatists there are fighting for doctrines2 how many ceremonialists earnest about forms2 how many conscientious ,christians trying hard to do their duties2--to one spiritual ,christian1 whose ,christianity consists in living in the spirit1 that he may walk in the spirit6 ,one reason for this seems to be the prevalence of false views concerning the nature of ,christian inspiration4 ,it has been regarded as wholly different in its laws from other inspiration1 as an arbitrary influence without laws or conditions4 ,now1 in fact1 the inspiration of the ,christian1 while it differs in its subject from that of the poet1 rests on the same mental faculty1 and has analogous conditions4 ,the condition of the poet's inspiration is1 that loving the outward beauty of the natural world1 and faithfully studying its truth1 he should then hold himself ready1 in strong desire1 to see1 inwardly1 ideal truth and ideal beauty4 ,and so the ,christian1 believing in the outward ,christ1 and loving him1 holds himself expectant of an inward revelation of that same ,jesus in his glorified and higher influence4 ,all inspiration has its conditions and laws4 ,the poet's eye1 in its fine frenzy1 must look from heaven to earth1 and from earth to heaven4 ,his inward inspiration is in strict accordance with his outward occupation and his outward fidelity4 ,every man is inwardly inspired1 according to the nature of his outward work4 ,shakespeare cannot discover ,america1 nor ,columbus write ,hamlet4 ,and it is only he who believes in ,christ1 and so endeavors to obey and serve him1 who receives an inward sight of his essential spirit4 ,christian inspiration is not arbitrary1 is not unnatural1 is not limited4 ,it is the life of ,christ1 flowing steadily and constantly into all hearts which are prepared for it1 which long for it1 and which hold themselves ready to receive it4 ,we are thus prepared to state more distinctly the difference between inspiration in general and ,christian inspiration in particular4 7a47 ,these two inspirations resemble each other in resulting from the exercise of the same mental faculties1 since the state of mind in both cases is not that of reflection1 but perception2 and the perception is inward perception4 ,newton fixes his mind steadily upon the confused mathematical thought within till it becomes clear4 ,milton fixes his mind upon the inward image of ideal truth and beauty till it grows so distinct that he can put it into corresponding words4 ,columbus meditates upon the thought of a ,western ,continent till it seems so plain to him that he is ready to set sail for it4 ,and so ,paul and ,john look steadily at the ,christ formed within them till they see clearly what is ,christ's thought concerning every question1 every subject4 7b47 ,the two inspirations also are alike in this1 that the truth seen is in both cases1 as to its substance1 given to us by ,god4 ,for the truths seen by ,newton1 ,milton1 ,descartes1 and ,columbus were not inventions of theirs1 but divine realities shown to them by ,god4 7c47 ,in both cases the form of the truth seen comes from the exercise of the human faculties of each individual upon the substance thus given4 ,for ,paul and ,john1 no less than ,newton and ,milton1 worked up in their own minds the truth seen4 ,this is evident from the fact1 that1 while their writings agree in contents and substance with each other1 they differ from each other in form and style4 ,each writer of the ,new ,testament has his own distinctly marked style1 not only of expression1 but also of thought4 7d47 ,they are alike also in combining truth of substance with fallibility of statement4 ,the substance of every inspired man's thought is truth1 because it is the reality shown to him by ,god4 ,the form in which he expresses it varies more or less from this truth1 because that comes from the exercise of his own finite faculties4 ,newton and ,milton looked at ,god's truths1 and uttered them as well as they were able4 ,so did ,paul and ,john4 ,that these last were liable to err in matters of statement appears from the fact that they did err in some matters1 as1 for example1 in regard to the speedy coming of ,christ4 ,these being the resemblances between natural and supernatural inspiration1 what are differences8 7a47 ,the first difference is in the kind of truths seen4 ,the truths seen by ,newton and ,milton belong to the natural world1 those seen by ,paul and ,john to the supernatural world4 ,the substance of the inspiration in the one case is nature1 in the other case it is ,christ4 ,intercourse with nature had fed the minds of ,newton and ,milton with the truth1 forming the material upon which their inspiration could work4 ,intercourse with ,christ1 in the flesh and in the spirit1 had filled the minds of ,paul and ,john with the material on which their inspiration could be exercised4 ,christ had come to them outwardly and inwardly1 and this was the substance of their inspiration4 7b47 ,the inspiration of ,newton and ,milton implies genius2 that is1 a special faculty in each individual4 ,this possession of genius1 or special faculty1 is a condition sine qua non1 of natural inspiration4 ,it is solitary1 it is individual4 ,but the inspiration of the writers of the ,new ,testament does not imply genius4 ,of the eight writers of the ,new ,testament1 only one1 viz41 ,paul1 appears to have been a man of natural genius4 ,he was great by endowment1 the others were made great by their inspiration4 ,in the one case the uncommon man finds wonderful things in the common world2 in the other case the uncommon world shows wonderful things to the common man4 7c47 ,natural and supernatural inspiration differ also in their occasion4 ,a miraculous event1 namely1 the coming of ,christ inwardly to their souls on the day of ,pentecost1 was the occasion of the apostolic inspiration4 ,this coming of the ,holy ,ghost was the second of the two supernatural events of ,christianity1 of which the other was the birth of ,christ4 ,the miraculous events in the life of ,jesus may have been the natural results of the coming of such a being into the world4 ,the miracles of ,christ's life1 including his resurrection1 may have been natural to a supernatural being4 ,they are the evidence of a break in the series of causation in the outward world4 ,in like manner the inward coming of ,christ to the hearts of his disciples in what is called the influence of the ,holy ,spirit1 is another supernatural event1 the natural result of which is the founding of the ,church1 the writing of the ,new ,testament1 and the newly created life in individual souls4 ,these two inspirations1 therefore1 differ in their substance1 source1 and method4 ,the substance of one consists of truths of the natural order1 the other of the supernatural order4 ,the source of one is the world of nature1 the source of the other is the inward ,christ4 ,and the method of the one is that of individual genius1 which is solitary1 while the method of the other is that of love or communion4 #f4 ,inspiration of the ,scriptures1 especially of the ,new ,testament ,scriptures4 ,we now pass on to ask1 ,what is the inspiration of the ,new ,testament1 or of its writers8 ,the writers of the ,new ,testament had no different inspiration from that of all other ,christians4 ,we nowhere hear of any one receiving an inspiration to enable him to write a ,gospel or an ,epistle4 ,they distinctly repel the idea of any such special or distinct inspiration4 8,by one spirit we have all been baptized into one body1 and have been all made to drink into one spirit40 ,gifts are different1 but the spirit is one and the same in all4 ,but even among these diversities of gifts1 nothing is said of any gift for writing ,gospels or ,epistles4 ,probably1 therefore1 the inspiration by which these were written was precisely the same as that by which they preached to the ,gentiles or taught in the ,church4 ,it was an inward sight of ,christ1 an inward sight of his truth and love1 which enabled them to speak and write with authority--the authority of those who saw what they said1 and knew it to be true4 8,we speak what we know1 and testify what we have seen40 ,hence it is that we find in their writings so much substance1 so much comprehensiveness1 so much insight4 ,they are in constant communion with an invisible world of truth4 ,they describe what is before their eyes4 ,a book given by inspiration is not a book made perfect by miracle1 but a book1 the writer of which was in a state open to influences from a higher sphere4 ,all books which the human race has accepted as inspired--,vedas1 ,koran1 ,zendavesta--are sacred scriptures2 all that lasts is inspired4 ,perpetuity1 not infallibility1 is the sign of inspiration4 8,the word unto the prophet spoken ,was writ on tables yet unbroken2 ,the word by seers or sibyls told ,in groves of oak or fanes of gold ,still floats upon the morning wind1 ,still whispers to the willing mind4 ,one accent of the ,holy ,ghost ,the heedless world has never lost40 ,the famous proof-text on this subject is that in the ,second ,epistle of ,paul to ,timothy3 8,all ,scripture is given by inspiration of ,god1 and is profitable for doctrine1 reproof1 correction1 and instruction in righteousness40 ,to what ,scripture did ,paul refer8 ,some say to the ,jewish ,scripture4 ,some say to the ,jewish and ,christian writings4 ,but the ,christian writings were not then all written1 and were not collected into what we call the ,new ,testament4 ,the apostle does not limit himself to these4 ,he says1 8,all ,scripture is inspired0--not merely ,jewish or ,christian ,scripture1 but all sacred writing4 ,all the writings of every age which are looked upon as ,scripture1 which men from age to age reverence and honor as such1 were not of man's invention1 not of man's device1 but came from some irrepressible influence acting on the soul from within4 ,the poet before quoted says truly1-- 8,out from the heart of nature rolled ,the burdens of the ,bible old4 ,the litanies of nations came1 ,like the volcano's tongue of flame1 ,up from the burning cone below1 ,the canticles of love and woe4 ,the hand that rounded ,peter's dome1 ,and groined the aisles of ,christian ,rome1 ,wrought in a sad sincerity4 ,himself from ,god he could not free2 ,he builded better than he knew2 ,the conscious stone to beauty grew40 ,there is a truth in this--a profound truth4 ,the ,bible is not an exceptional book in this1 that it has no parallels in nature to its method of production4 ,it is true that ,phidias was inspired to make his statue and to build the ,parthenon4 8,such and so grew those holy piles1 ,while love and terror laid the tiles4 ,earth proudly wears the ,parthenon ,as the best gem upon her zone1 ,and morning opes in haste her lids ,to gaze upon the ,pyramids2 ,o'er ,england's abbeys bends the sky ,as on its friends with kindred eye2 ,for out of thought's interior sphere ,these wonders rose to upper air40 ,when ,mr4 ,emerson and ,theodore ,parker compare in this way the ,bible with the ,vedas or the ,parthenon1 we often feel that it degrades the ,bible1 and takes away its special sanctity4 ,but this is not necessarily the case4 ,there may be a wide gulf between the inspiration of the ,bible and that of the ,vedas1 or of ,homer or ,plato2 and yet they may all belong to the same class of works4 ,there is a wide gulf between man and the highest of the inferior animals2 and yet we put man into the class ,,mammalia1 along with oxen1 whales1 and cats1 and into the same ,order with apes and bats4 ,we do not think that man is degraded by being thus classified4 ,he occupies a distinct species in this order and class4 ,so the ,new ,testament and ,old ,testament constitute two distinct species1 of which they are the sole representatives of one genus of inspired books2 but that genus belongs to the same order as the ,vedas1 ,edda1 ,zendavesta1 and ,koran1 and that order belongs to the same class as the poems of ,homer and ,dante1 the architecture of the ,parthenon and the ,strasburg ,minster1 the discovery of ,america by ,columbus1 and of the law of gravitation by ,newton4 ,the class of works which we call inspired comprehends1 as we have before said1 all which come to man by a certain influx into his soul--not by looking out of himself1 but by looking into himself4 ,sometimes we go and search and find thoughts2 sometimes thoughts come and find us4 8,they flash upon our inner eye20 they haunt us1 and pursue us1 and take possession of us4 ,so ,columbus was haunted by the idea of a continent in the west2 so ,newton was haunted by his discovery long before he made it2 so the 8,paradise ,lost0 pursued ,milton long before it was written4 ,every really great work must have in it more or less of this element which we call inspiration4 ,but while the great works of genius belong to the class of inspired works1 we make a distinct order out of the great religious works which have been the sacred ,scriptures of races of men4 ,they evidently came from a higher inspiration than the works of science and the works of art4 ,they have ruled men's souls for thousands of years4 ,these1 then1 we place in an ,order by themselves1 and it is no discredit to the ,bible to be ranked with the works of ,confucius1 which have kept the ,chinese orderly1 peaceful1 industrious1 and happy for almost twenty-six centuries4 ,but still1 among these sacred books the ,bible may be said to constitute a distinct genus1 because it differs from all the rest in two ways--in teaching the holiness of ,god and the unity of ,god4 ,the writer has been a careful reader of all these sacred books for twenty years2 he has read them with respect2 in no captious spirit2 wishing to find in them all the truth he could4 ,he has found in them much truth--much in accordance with ,christianity4 ,but he sees a wide difference between them all and the ,bible4 ,they are all profitable for doctrine1 for reproof1 for instruction2 but they are not ,holy ,scriptures in the sense in which we ascribe that word to the ,bible4 ,the ,old ,testament1 though having in it many harsh and hard features1 belonging to the ,jewish mind1 has strains which rise into a higher region than anything in the ,vedas or the ,zendavesta4 ,the ,proverbs of ,solomon are about on a level with the books of ,confucius4 ,but nowhere in all these ,ethnic ,scriptures are strains like some of the ,psalms--like passages in ,isaiah and ,jeremiah4 ,the laws of ,menu are low compared with the ,pentateuch4 ,but if the ,old and ,new ,testament make a genus by themselves1 they divide again into two species4 ,there is a specific difference between the ,new ,testament and the ,old4 ,the ,new ,testament inspiration is of a far deeper1 higher1 and broader character than the other4 ,in fact1 we ought1 perhaps1 to make a special order by itself from the ,new ,testament writings4 ,they are so full of life1 light1 and love--they are so strong yet so tender--so pure yet so free6 ,they have no cant of piety1 no formalism1 but breathe throughout a heavenly atmosphere4 ,their inspiration is of the highest kind of all4 ,but what is this ,holy ,spirit8 ,what does it teach8 ,scientific truth8 ,no4 ,scientific truth has been taught the world by other channels4 ,bacon and ,newton1 ,la ,place and ,cuvier1 ,linnus and ,de ,candolle1 have been inspired to teach science4 ,their knowledge came1 not only by observation1 not only by study1 but by patiently opening their minds to receive impressions from above4 ,were the writers of the ,bible inspired to teach history8 ,we think not4 ,there are histories of the ,jews in the ,bible1 and they are likely to be as authentic1 as histories1 as are those of ,herodotus and ,livy1 and other painstaking and sincere historians4 ,but the special inspiration of the ,bible does not appear in the historic books4 ,but are not all parts of the ,bible equally inspired by this ,holy ,spirit8 ,by no means4 ,we can easily see that they are not4 ,it is evident that there is nothing spiritually edifying in a large part of the history of the ,old ,testament--the account of ,samson1 the story of ,gideon1 large parts of the books of ,judges and ,chronicles1 the ,song of ,solomon1 the book of ,esther4 ,the book of ,ecclesiastes is full1 throughout1 of a dark and terrible scepticism4 ,now1 all these books are valuable1 exceedingly so1 as history1 but not as proceeding from the ,holy ,spirit4 ,but it may be said1 8,if the history of the ,bible is not inspired1 it may be erroneous40 ,certainly it may4 ,we have seen that the account of creation in the book of ,genesis is probably erroneous4 ,it contains one great faith1 luminous throughout--namely1 that there is one ,god1 ,creator of all worlds and of mankind4 ,but as to the order of creation1--the six days1 the garden of ,eden1--all we can say is1 that there may be some way by which ,moses could1 in vision1 have seen these things1 represented in picture1 as they happened long before4 ,there may be such a kind of unveiling of the past before the inner eye of the soul4 ,we do not deny it1 for it is not wise to deny where we know nothing4 ,but we can assert that ,christianity does not require us to believe those chapters of ,genesis to contain historic truth4 ,it may be allegorical truth4 ,it may be a parable1 representing how every little child comes into an ,eden of innocence1 and is tempted by that wily serpent1 the sophistical understanding1 and is betrayed by desire1 his ,eve1 and goes out of his garden of childhood1 where all life proceeds spontaneously and by impulse1 into a world of work and labor4 ,if it be such an allegory as that1 it teaches us quite as much as if it were history4 #g4 ,authority of the ,scriptures4 ,we have seen that the ,bible1 though inspired1 is not infallible4 ,but1 it is said1 unless the ,bible is infallible it has no authority4 ,this we deny4 ,inspiration is not infallibility1 but inspiration is authority4 ,the inspired man is always an authority4 ,phidias and ,michael ,angelo are authorities in sculpture2 ,titian and ,rafaelle are authorities in painting2 ,mozart and ,beethoven in music2 and ,paul1 ,john1 ,peter1 in religion4 ,authority without infallibility is the problem before us4 ,it is evident that authority is desirable2 it is equally evident that infallibility is impossible4 ,can there1 therefore1 be the one without the other8 ,can ,god reveal himself to man through a fallible medium8 ,can the writers of the ,new ,testament be so inspired as to be able to communicate truth1 and yet so inspired as not to be infallible8 ,to all these questions we answer1 ,yes2 and will try to show it to be so4 ,suppose that you are going through a forest in company with others4 ,you have lost your way4 ,no one knows which way to go2 dangers are around you--dangers from cold1 hunger1 wild beasts1 enemies4 ,if you go the wrong way1 you may all perish2 if you go the right way1 you will reach your destination and be safe4 ,under these circumstances1 one of the party climbs a tree1 and when he has reached the top he cries out with joy1 8,i see the way we ought to go4 ,we must go to the right4 ,i see the ocean in that direction1 and the spires of the city to which we are bound40 ,you all immediately go the way that he directs4 ,he has become an authority to you4 ,you follow his guidance implicitly1 and put your lives into his hands1 depending upon the truth of what he says4 ,why8 ,because he has been where you have not been1 and has seen what you have not seen1 and you believe him honest and true4 ,he has no motive to deceive you4 ,this is his authority4 ,but is it equivalent to infallibility8 ,by no means4 ,no one supposes him to be infallible4 ,if1 after following his direction for a while1 you see no signs to show that you are in the right way1 you begin to think that he may have been mistaken1 and some one else climbs a tree to verify his judgment1 or to correct it4 ,but if1 instead1 signs begin to appear to show that you are in the right way1 your faith in your guide is confirmed1 and his authority is practically increased4 ,what gives a man authority as a guide1 teacher1 counsellor1 is not our belief in his infallibility1 but our belief in his knowledge2 if we believe that he knows something we do not know1 he becomes thereby an authority to us4 ,if he has been where we have not been1 and seen what we have not seen1 he is an authority4 ,a man who has just come from ,europe or from ,california1 who has been in the midst of a great battle1 who has studied a subject which others have not studied1 and made himself familiar with it1 such a man is an authority to others4 ,observe men listening to him4 ,all defer to him while he is speaking on this subject4 ,he may be much more ignorant than they are in regard to other things1 but1 if he has had superior opportunities in regard to this subject1 he is an authority4 ,yet they do not believe him infallible2 for if1 in the course of his conversation1 he says anything which seems contradictory1 incredible1 absurd1 they begin to withdraw their confidence1 and may withdraw it wholly4 ,but if1 on the other hand1 what he says is clear1 consistent1 solid with information1 his authority is increased continually1 and his bearers defer to him more and more4 ,now1 the authority of the writers of the ,new ,testament is exactly of this kind4 ,the authority of inspiration everywhere is of this kind4 ,an inspired man is one who is believed to have been where we have not been1 and to have seen what we have not seen4 ,in ,cooper's novels there is a character whom he calls ,leatherstocking1 familiar with the woods1 knowing all their signs1 acquainted with the habits of bird1 beast1 and ,indian4 ,he guides the travellers through the wilderness1 and1 by his superior knowledge1 saves them from the ,indian ambush and the pursuing savage4 ,they commit themselves implicitly to his guidance1 trust their lives to him4 ,why8 ,because they confide in his knowledge of woodcraft and in his fidelity4 ,as regards all matters pertaining to the forest1 he is an authority2 their teacher if they want information1 their guide if they are ignorant of the way1 their saviour in imminent peril from savage beasts and savage men4 ,he is an authority to them1 a perfect authority2 for they confide in him entirely1 without a shade of doubt4 ,but no one thinks him infallible1 nor supposes it necessary to believe him infallible1 in order to trust him entirely4 ,just so a ship on a lee shore1 in the midst of a driving storm1 throws up signal rockets or fires a gun for a pilot4 ,a white sail emerges from the mist2 it is the pilot-boat4 ,a man climbs on board1 and the captain gives to him the command of the ship4 ,all his orders are obeyed implicitly4 ,the ship1 laden with a precious cargo and hundreds of lives1 is confided to a rough-looking man whom no one ever saw before1 who is to guide them through a narrow channel1 where to vary a few fathoms to the right or left will be utter destruction4 ,the pilot is invested with absolute authority as regards bringing the vessel into port4 ,when ,columbus came back from his first voyage1 and reported the discovery of ,america1 was he not an authority8 ,did not men throng around him1 to hear of what he had seen and done8 ,yet who believed him infallible4 ,he who has been where ,i have not been1 and seen what ,i have not seen1 is an authority to me4 ,if ,i believe him honest1 and no impostor1 then ,i learn from him1 and depend on his testimony4 ,now1 the writers of the ,new ,testament have been where we have not been4 ,they have ascended heights1 and sounded depths in the spiritual world unknown to us4 ,so they are authorities to us1 provided we have enough of their spirit in us to enable us to see and know their inspiration4 ,for1 unless ,i have some musical spirit in me1 ,i cannot discern the inspiration of ,mozart2 unless ,i have some mathematical spirit in me1 ,i cannot discern the mathematical inspiration of ,newton and ,kepler4 ,so the natural man 7the man who has nothing in him corresponding to the ,christian inspiration7 cannot discern the things of the ,spirit of ,god2 for they are foolishness to him1 for they are spiritually discerned or judged4 ,he lives in external things1 as babes do4 ,the authority of the ,spirit in the ,bible is that it awakens and appeals to whatever spiritual element exists in our soul1 and compels it to feel and admit its truth4 ,jesus1 it is said1 in giving the ,sermon on the ,mount1 taught as one having authority1 and not as the ,scribes4 ,what was his authority1 then8 ,not official authority1 for he was not yet known to be the ,christ1 hardly yet known to be a prophet4 ,not merely the authority coming from an imposing manner2 not an authoritative air1 or tone1 or manner1 certainly4 ,that was precisely the tone and manner which the ,scribes did have in their teaching4 ,but the authority is in the ,sermon itself4 ,its truths are so wonderfully distinct and self-evident1 they carry conviction with them4 ,jesus sees so plainly all that he says--there is no hesitation1 no obscurity1 no perhapses in his language4 ,he is like one describing what is before his eyes1 what he knows to be true because he sees it while he is saying it4 ,it is1 in short1 the authority which always attends knowledge4 ,he who knows anything1 and can speak with certainty1 carries conviction with him1 though we do not suppose him to be infallible1 nor is it thought necessary to believe him so1 in order to give to him this authority4 ,by such examples1 we see that in earthly matters of the very highest importance we ascribe authority without supposing infallibility4 ,now1 if we analyze the source of this authority1 we shall find that it comes1 first1 from the testimony of others1 and1 secondly1 from our own experience4 ,leatherstocking comes recommended to the travellers as a skilful and faithful guide1 and they trust him1 at first1 on the simple ground of that recommendation4 ,but they do not trust him entirely or fully on that ground4 ,they watch him while they trust him1--perhaps we ought rather to say1 they try him1 than that they trust him4 ,but1 after they have tried him day by day1 week by week1 and find him always skilful1 always faithful1 they come to place a more and more implicit trust in his guidance2 he becomes more and more an authority4 ,so the pilot comes at first recommended only by his office4 ,his office implies the testimony of those who ought to know that he is able to guide the vessel into the harbor4 ,but if1 besides this1 there is some one on board who knows his ability and fidelity by previous experience1 and says1 8,we are all safe now2 this is the famous ,john ,smith or ,william ,brown1 the best pilot in the harbor10 then everybody is ready to trust him more entirely4 ,knowledge and fidelity1 not infallibility1 these make a man an authority to others in things pertaining to this life--knowledge and fidelity1 evidenced to us1 first by the testimony of others1 and secondly by our own experience4 ,testimony leads us to try a man and trust him partially1 trust him1 but watch him4 ,add to this our own experience of his knowledge and fidelity1 and we trust him wholly4 ,there are two worlds of knowledge--outward and inward4 ,knowledge of the outward world comes to us through the senses1 by observation2 knowledge of the inward world comes to us through the consciousness1 by insight or inspiration4 ,every man's knowledge has come to him by both of these methods4 ,the soul has a perceptive power with which it can look either way4 ,it looks outward through the senses1 and perceives an external world2 it looks inward through the consciousness1 and perceives an internal world4 ,it looks outward1 and perceives forms1 hears sounds1 becomes acquainted with external nature4 ,it looks inward1 and becomes acquainted with justice1 holiness1 love1 freedom1 duty1 sin1 immortality1 the infinite1 the eternal1 ,god4 ,but just as it depends on various conditions as to what a man shall see through the senses in time and space1 so it depends on other conditions as to what a man shall see beyond time and space in the spiritual world4 ,the conditions in the first instance are1 good perceptive organs1 a genius for observation1 educated powers for observation1 knowledge of what to observe1 and finally opportunities for observation1 or being able to go where the things are which are to be seen4 ,a blind man standing in front of the ,parthenon would be no authority to us as to its architecture2 neither would the most sharp-sighted person who should happen in be in ,america1 instead of ,greece4 ,so an ,indian1 with the finest perceptive faculty1 and standing directly in front of this majestic temple1 would give a very poor account of it1 from want of previous knowledge4 ,he1 only1 would be an authority to us in regard to such a building1 who should combine with good perceptive organs1 and some knowledge of the subject1 an opportunity for looking at it4 ,when we speak of inspiration1 we mean1 in regard to the inward world1 exactly the same thing4 ,we mean that a man has his spiritual organs in a healthy condition1 that he has some knowledge of spiritual things1 and that he has been placed by divine ,providence where he is able to see them4 ,some men are lifted into a world of spiritual perception1 when they see things not seen by other men4 ,they become prophets1 apostles1 lawgivers to the human race4 ,they are invested with authority4 ,men believe what they say1 and do what they command1 and put their souls into their hands1 just as they trust their bodies to the guide of the pilot4 ,these are the inspired men--the men to whom revelations have been made4 ,they have authority1 because they have been where we have not been1 and seen what we have not seen4 ,but they have not infallibility1 because1 as the apostle says1 they have this treasure in earthen vessels4 ,this divine knowledge is contained in a finite1 and therefore fallible mind4 ,but we see by means of our former illustrations that to grant their fallibility does not detract at all from their authority4 ,and again1 their authority is certified to us exactly as in the other instances4 ,they come recommended by external testimony1 and on the strength of that testimony we confide in them and try them4 ,if we find that they are not able to teach us1 they cease to be authorities to us4 ,but if we find that they are full of truth1 they become our guides and teachers1 and their authority is more and more confirmed2 that they are good and true guides1 is evidenced by their being able to guide us4 ,they lead us into deeper depths of truth and love4 ,they become the teachers of their race4 ,the centuries which pass add more and more weight to their authority4 ,they inspire us1 therefore they are themselves inspired4 ,it is no more necessary1 after this1 to prove their inspiration1 in the sense which ,i have given1 than to prove that the sun shines4 ,one remarkable illustration of this process1 by which the test of ,scripture1 as inspired1 is that it should be profitable for doctrine1 reproof1 and instruction1 is to be found in the ,epistle of ,barnabas4 ,barnabas introduced ,paul to the apostles at ,jerusalem1 and is called1 in the book of ,acts1 a good man1 and full of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,he was sent on a mission to ,antioch by the apostles2 afterwards was specially pointed out by the ,holy ,ghost to go with ,paul on his mission4 7,acts #ac3b47 ,he is styled a prophet in this place1 and we read that the ,holy ,spirit said1 8,separate me ,barnabas and ,saul for the work whereunto ,i have called them40 ,during this mission ,barnabas seems to have been the more important of the two1 for at ,lystra the people called him ,jupiter1 and ,paul ,mercury4 ,barnabas and ,paul appeared before the first council at ,jerusalem2 and the apostles1 in their letter1 say1 8,our beloved ,barnabas1 and a man that has hazarded his life for the name of the ,lord ,jesus40 ,now1 this ,barnabas1 called an apostle in the book of ,acts1 companion of ,paul1 sent on a mission by the ,holy ,spirit1 and commended by the apostles at ,jerusalem1 was believed by the early ,church to have written an ,epistle4 ,it is quoted as his1 seven times by ,clement of ,alexandria1 in the second century1 three times by ,origen1 and by other writers4 ,accordingly1 it was originally included in the ,new ,testament1 and for nearly four hundred years made a part of it4 ,the oldest manuscript of the ,new ,testament in the world1 supposed to have been written in the fourth century1 contains the ,epistle of ,barnabas2 and one reason for believing the manuscript so old1 is that it does contain it4 ,this manuscript was found by the celebrated ,german critic ,tischendorf1 in #ahei1 in the convent of ,st4 ,catharine1 at ,mount ,sinai4 ,why1 then1 is not this ,epistle of ,barnabas printed in our ,new ,testament8 ,whoever reads it will easily see the reason4 ,it is because it does not deserve to be there2 it does not have the marks of a high inspiration2 it is made up in a great degree of quotations from the ,old ,testament1 of imitations of ,st4 ,paul1 and of allegories4 ,it evidently dropped out of the ,bible by its own weight4 ,it had every opportunity offered it to become a part of sacred ,scripture2 but being tried by ,paul's test1 it was found not to be profitable for doctrine1 reproof1 or anything else1 and so the copyists saved their time1 labor1 and vellum by leaving it out4 ,it was received on testimony1 and discarded after experience4 ,it had authority at first1 because of its supposed author2 it lost it afterwards1 by means of its empty self4 ,this1 then1 is the authority of the writers of the ,bible4 ,it is the authority of inspired men--men who have been into spiritual regions where most men have not gone1 and seen what most men have not seen4 ,it is not infallibility4 ,they are capable of mistakes and error4 ,their being in the ,bible is only so far a proof that they are inspired1 as it gives the testimony of the ,church that it has found the proofs of inspiration in their writings4 ,the ,christian community has followed the apostolic direction1 and tried the spirits whether they were of ,god or not1 and has come to the conclusion that these ,new ,testament writers have the marks of inspiration4 ,for you will observe that the present code of the ,new ,testament was gradually formed1 and that not by the votes of councils or the decisions of bishops1 but by the feelings of the ,christian community4 ,an inward instinct1 and no external authority1 presided over the collection of the ,scriptures1 gradually dropping out some books 7like ,barnabas1 ,hermas1 and the ,revelation of ,peter71 and taking in others4 ,so the ,christian ,church says to us1 of the ,new ,testament1 8,here is a book concerning which we testify that the writings in it are profitable for doctrine2 that its writers have superior knowledge in regard to spiritual things2 that they are inspired men1 who have been taken up into a region where most men have never gone1 and seen what most men have never seen1 and therefore know more than most of us about spiritual truth40 ,but you may say1 8,if inspiration gives knowledge1 and these writers are inspired1 then they do more than believe or think what they say about ,god1 duty1 and immortality4 ,they know2 and if they know1 does not that mean that they are infallible80 ,no1 knowledge is not infallibility4 ,it is true that inspiration gives knowledge1 while speculation only gives opinion4 ,this is the reason why inspired men speak with authority1 and philosophers without it4 ,but knowledge1 though it gives authority1 does not give infallibility4 ,a ,frenchman knows the ,french language2 still he may make mistakes in speaking it4 ,the man from ,california knows that country1 but he may be mistaken about it4 ,thus1 if these writers are not infallible1 they may make mistakes2 and if so1 how are we to distinguish between their truth and their error8 ,this is a fair question3 let us try to answer it4 ,let us return to our former comparison of travellers and their guide4 ,how are you to distinguish between your guide's knowledge and his errors8 ,probably1 when your guide begins to be uncertain as to the way1 he will show his uncertainty in his behavior4 ,he will become doubtful1 hesitating1 undecided2 he will1 by and by1 supposing him honest1 begin to express his uncertainty1 and say1 8,i am not quite sure of this path40 ,it is just so with inspired writers4 ,while their inspiration runs in a full tide1 they speak confidently2 they are distinct in their statements4 ,again1 if your guide begins to speak of things outside of his province1 he does not carry much authority4 ,if ,leatherstocking discusses ,shakespeare1 or the pilot begins to talk about politics1 his opinions carry no weight except what is inherent to them4 ,so when the writers of the ,bible1 leaving themes of religion and morals1 describe natural objects1 as the leviathan or behemoth1 we give no more credit to their descriptions than we should to those of any other writer of their day4 ,a question would arise here whether history was a subject of inspiration or not2 that is1 whether an inspired writer1 when he comes to speak of historic facts1 has any more authority than another4 ,there may be some way by which past events might be presented by inspiration to the mind of one caught up by the spirit into another world4 ,but the writers of the ,old and ,new ,testament are careless about dates and numbers1 and do not seem to be made accurate by any special gift4 ,i should1 therefore1 incline to the opinion that the historic books of the ,bible have no authority except that of their reasonableness and conformity to what we might believe on other grounds4 ,as fragments of history1 coming from so remote a past1 they are invaluable1 when we treat them as simple1 honest records of what was then believed or known4 ,take1 for instance1 the story of the deluge1 and compare it with similar stories in other mythologies4 ,we find it so corroborated by these1 that we may believe that there is a basis of reality in it4 #h4 ,the ,christian ,prepossession4 ,it is a great thing to read a book with expectation instead of distrust4 ,expectation opens the mind to light1 and makes it easy to see4 ,distrust closes it4 ,if ,i have read ,shakespeare till ,i feel sure of his poetic inspiration1 then ,i read with expectation all he writes2 ,i am looking for truth and beauty1 and so ,i find it4 ,if ,i had never read ,shakespeare1 nor heard of him1 and ,hamlet were put into my hand1 ,i should probably be displeased with something or other1 and throw it aside1 and so lose the deepness and loveliness of that wonderful creation4 ,how much we find in the words of ,jesus and ,paul1 because we read them with expectation and hope6 because we read them always looking for what is deep and high6 ,nevertheless many persons recommend a contrary course4 ,they say that we ought to forget all that has been told us about the ,book1 and read it as if we had never seen it before4 ,but this method is neither practicable nor desirable4 ,it is impossible to look at the ,bible as though it were an unknown book2 impossible to forget that it is the text book of ,christianity2 regarded as sacred by millions of our fellow-men2 the source of spiritual and moral life to the world for the last fifteen hundred years2 that our parents and friends have found in it strength for duty1 comfort in trial1 hope in the hour of death4 ,you might as well tell the child who begins to study geography to forget that he lives in ,america1 or when he studies the history of the ,united ,states1 to forget that it is the history of his own land4 ,nor would it be desirable to study the ,new ,testament thus4 ,for it is this grand belief concerning it which makes us desire to study it at all4 ,were it not for this belief it might be occasionally read by a student in the interest of science1 but never by the mass of the community4 ,faith in its divine origin and divine purpose1 causes it to be read in families1 schools1 churches1 to be used as a manual of prayer in the closet1 and to grow familiar in every home4 ,the ,book is surrounded by a traditional halo of wonder1 reverence1 and hope1 and this gives us motive and power with which to read it4 ,if a cold criticism1 a sceptical spirit1 shall ever succeed in causing the ,new ,testament to be regarded as a common book1 on the natural plane of human thought1 full of errors and imperfections1 inspired only as ,plato is inspired1 then it will be read as ,plato is read1 that is1 by one man in a million4 ,it is not desirable to lose the reverence which causes us to expect extraordinary truth and good in certain books1 men1 and institutions2 for so we lose the best motive power of the soul2 so life becomes tame1 the day empty1 and events unmeaning4 ,it is1 therefore1 perfectly right for the ,church to surround ,christ and ,christianity with this divine aureola of reverence and wonder1 not exaggerating it1 but neither understating it4 ,for this wonder and reverence1 when legitimate1 is a great treasure of spiritual life1 animating and elevating1 which the ,church possesses in order that it may communicate it4 ,it is continually proclaiming its good news2 constantly asserting that through ,christ ,god has given it a divine peace2 that in ,christ there is a marvellous truth and beauty2 and that the ,gospels and ,epistles1 which contain his life and truth1 have a strange power of raising us above ourselves1 and bringing us into communion with an eternal world4 ,when this is said1 not by rote1 or as a mere form1 but from sincere conviction1 the spirit of faith creates faith1 and faith is the great motive which leads to action4 ,as it is the duty of the ,church to excite our interest in the ,new ,testament1 by declaring its own love and respect for it1 so it is right for the student of the ,new ,testament to give a certain preliminary weight to this testimony of the ,church in commencing his study4 ,this is what we call the ,christian prepossession4 ,and it regards the ,new ,testament exactly as when a friend whose judgment we respect earnestly recommends to us some book which he has read1 and which has done him good4 ,he recommends it to us as a good book1 and he recommends it with enthusiasm4 ,his enthusiasm produces in us a desire to become acquainted with the book1 and a certain hope that we shall find in it what our friend has found4 ,this hope leads on towards fruition1 and is one of its conditions4 ,it ought not1 therefore1 to be relinquished2 but neither should it lead us to accept blindly everything which we are told4 ,we must look with our own eyes1 think with our own mind1 feel with our own heart4 ,to wish to come to the study of the ,bible without prepossession in its favor is1 therefore1 a foolish wish2 for1 without prepossession in its favor1 we should have little motive for studying it at all4 ,it is our faith in the ,bible that leads us to read it2 and faith here1 as everywhere1 is the motive power which reason has only to guide and restrain4 ,faith is the brave steed which carries us forward1 full of fire and full of pride4 ,reason is the bridle by which he is guided1 supported1 and restrained4 ,there is a story of a thief so skilful that he could steal a man's horse from under him without his knowing it1 and so leave him holding the bridle in his hand1 and supposing himself to be still on horseback4 ,so are those deceived who think to live by reason without faith4 ,the motive power of their life has been taken away from them1 and they do not know it2 they suppose that they can ride with a bridle and saddle1 without a horse4 ,to read the ,new ,testament to any purpose1 we must1 therefore1 read with the faith that there is some great good to be got from it4 ,but what is the true foundation of this faith8 ,is it legitimate1 or is it an illusion8 ,the basis of this faith is to be found in the fact that the ,bible has done so much1 and is doing so much1 for the world--a fact which cannot be stated better than in these words of one who is not commonly supposed to have too high a reverence for the ,bible3-- 8,this collection of books has taken such a hold on the world as no other4 ,the literature of ,greece1 which goes up like incense from that land of temples and heroic deeds1 has not half the influence of this book from a nation alike despised in ancient and modern times4 ,it is read of a ,sabbath in all the ten thousand pulpits of our land4 ,in all the temples of ,christendom is its voice lifted up week by week4 ,the sun never sets on its gleaming page4 ,it goes equally to the cottage of the plain man and the palace of the king4 ,it is woven into the literature of the scholar1 and colors the talk of the street4 ,the bark of the merchant cannot sail the sea without it1 no ship of war go to the conflict but the ,bible is there4 ,it enters men's closets2 mingles in all the grief and cheerfulness of life4 ,the affianced maiden prays ,god in ,scripture for strength in her new duties2 men are married by ,scripture4 ,the ,bible attends them in their sickness2 when the fever of the world is on them4 ,the aching head finds a softer pillow when the ,bible lies underneath4 ,the mariner1 escaping from shipwreck1 clutches this first of his treasures1 and keeps it sacred to ,god4 ,it goes with the pedler in his crowded pack2 cheers him at eventide1 when he sits down dusty and fatigued2 brightens the freshness of his morning face4 ,it blesses us when we are born2 gives names to half ,christendom2 rejoices with us2 has sympathy for our mourning2 tempers our grief to finer issues4 ,it is the better part of our sermons4 ,it lifts man above himself2 our best of uttered prayers are in its storied speech1 wherewith our fathers and the patriarchs prayed4 ,the timid man1 about awaking from this dream of life1 looks through the glass of ,scripture1 and his eye grows bright2 he does not fear to stand alone1 to tread the way unknown and distant1 to take the death-angel by the hand1 and bid farewell to wife1 and babes1 and home4 ,men rest on this their dearest hopes4 ,it tells them of ,god1 and of his blessed ,son2 of earthly duties and of heavenly rest4 ,foolish men find it the source of ,plato's wisdom1 and the science of ,newton1 and the art of ,raphael4 ,men who believe nothing else that is spiritual believe the ,bible all through2 without this they would not confess1 say they1 even that there was a ,god40--,theodore ,parker1 ,discourse of ,religion4 ,a book which exercises this great influence over our fellow-men ought to be approached with reverence4 ,it is for the same reason that we approach with faith and expectation the writings of ,shakespeare and ,milton4 ,we read them expecting to find in them great truths1 and this expectation enables us to find them4 8,seek and ye shall find0 is the law4 ,how often we should have been disappointed and dissatisfied with such books1 and have thrown them aside impatiently1 had we not remembered the great universal testimony to their surpassing excellence6 ,this ,christian prepossession is1 however1 only a general confidence that there is something exceedingly good in the ,new ,testament2 that it is a book containing in some way a divine revelation1 in some way or other inspired1 in some way likely to be a great help and comfort to our spiritual nature1 and the best guide we can have for this life and towards the next4 ,it is an expectation of all this1 an expectation based on the testimony of mankind4 ,so far it is a reasonable expectation4 ,so far it is right and just to entertain it4 ,it is the natural inheritance to which we were born1 by being born ,christians4 ,to throw it away1 or to try to throw it away1 would be as though one should try to throw away the habits of civilization which he inherits by being born in a civilized community1 and try to go back and start as a savage4 ,it is neither more futile nor more foolish in the one case than in the other4 ,but1 though this ,christian prepossession is a perfectly legitimate one with which to begin1 it is not a legitimate one in which to remain4 ,it is our business1 by the free action of our intellect1 to change this general and vague expectation into a distinct opinion of one kind or another4 ,protestantism allows us to take our faith in the ,bible from the ,church1 but not to take from the ,church our opinions about the ,bible4 ,faith may1 and ought to be1 received1 but opinions are to be formed4 ,an opinion or belief received from another man is his opinion1 and not ours4 ,with regard to any other book this would be self-evident4 ,for example1 suppose that ,i have never read the play of ,hamlet4 ,i hear it universally spoken of as one of the greatest works of the human intellect4 ,that naturally and properly creates in my mind the expectation of finding it so4 ,it produces the general belief that it is a great work of genius4 ,but suppose that1 besides this general expectation1 ,i should also accept from my neighbors their particular opinions concerning the play4 ,i hear them say that it is more philosophical1 but less dramatic1 than ,macbeth2 that the character of ,hamlet is overcharged with intellect1 and the like4 ,if1 now1 ,i adopt and repeat these opinions1 without having read the play1 it is evident that ,i am only a parrot or an echo4 ,it is evident that they are not my opinions at all1 and that they indeed interfere with my having any opinions4 ,fifty thousand echoes of a voice leave us only one voice and fifty thousand echoes4 ,this distinction between faith and opinion1 which we have already spoken of1 is of the utmost practical importance4 ,we may add here that1 for want of it1 intellectual people try to go to the study of the ,bible without faith in the ,bible1 and religious people think they must accept all their opinions from others1 and take them in ready made4 ,it is not absolutely essential to have opinions2 but if we do have them1 they ought to be our own4 ,faith must be received1 opinions must be formed4 ,all persons1 therefore1 ought to form opinions for themselves about the ,new ,testament4 ,they may bring to the work a faith in the ,new ,testament1 as being in some sense or other a revelation1 as being written in some way or other by inspired men1 as being somehow or other a holy book1 the legitimate source of spiritual life1 moral goodness1 and inward peace4 #i4 ,conclusion4 ,if the views given in this chapter are reasonable1 we shall conclude that ,orthodoxy is right in maintaining the supreme excellence and value of the ,christian ,scriptures1 but wrong in claiming for them infallible accuracy4 ,it is right in saying that they are written by inspired men1 but wrong in considering this inspiration a guarantee against all possible error or mistake4 ,it is right in calling the ,bible 8,the ,holy ,scripture10 but wrong in denying to the scriptures of other religious some divine influx and some religious life4 ,it is right in asking that the ,bible be read with faith and expectation2 wrong in demanding for it unreasoning1 uncritical submission4 ,let reverence for its spirit and criticism of its letter go hand in hand2 for reverence and criticism1 faith and reason1 docility to great masters and freedom in seeking for ourselves1 are antagonist1 indeed1 but not contradictory4 ,they are not hostile1 but helpful1 though acting in opposite directions--like the opposition of the thumb and fingers in the human hand1 which makes of it such a wonderful servant of the thought4 ,they belong to the group of sisterly powers which the ,creator has placed in the human soul--varied1 complex1 like and unlike4 8,facies non omnibus una1 ,nec diversa tamen1 qualis decet esse sororum40 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,orthodox ,,idea ,,of ,,sin1 ,,as ,,depravity ,,and ,,as ,,guilt4 #a4 ,the ,question stated4 ,we now approach the orthodoxy of ,orthodoxy--the system of sin and redemption1 which constitutes its most essential character4 ,the questions hitherto treated--the natural and supernatural1 miracles1 the ,scriptures--belong to universal religion4 ,on these points heretics and the ,orthodox may agree4 ,but the essence of heresy1 in the eyes of an ,orthodox man1 is to vary from the standards of belief in regard to sin and salvation4 ,we commence with the subject of human sinfulness2 in other words1 with the character of man in relation to ,orthodoxy4 ,the theology of the ,east asked1 8,what is ,god80 and entered on its course from the specially theological side4 ,it began with ontology1 and proceeded to psychology4 ,in this1 ,oriental theology followed in the path of ,oriental philosophy4 ,but ,occidental theology1 originating strictly with ,augustine1 followed the practical and experimental method of ,european thought1 and1 instead of asking1 8,what is ,god80 asked1 instead1 8,what is man80 ,we begin1 therefore1 with the great question1 8,what is man80 ,this is the radical question in practical1 experimental theology1 as the question1 8,what is ,god80 is the radical question in speculative theology4 ,but we are now concerned in the theology of experience and of life4 ,we are seeking for human wants4 ,knowing what man is1 we can next ask what he needs4 #b4 ,the four ,moments or ,characters of ,evil4 ,the ,fall1 ,natural ,depravity1 ,total ,depravity1 ,inability4 ,orthodoxy answers the question1 8,what is man80 by saying1 8,man is a sinner20 and this answer has these four moments3-- #a4 ,man was created at first righteous and good4 #b4 ,man fell1 in and with ,adam1 and became a sinner4 #c4 ,all now born are born totally corrupt and evil2-- #d4 ,and are utterly disabled to all good1 so as not to have the power of repenting1 or even of wishing to repent4 ,these four ideas are1-- ,first1 that of ,,the ,,fall1 or ,,inherited ,,evil4 ,second1 of ,,natural ,,depravity4 ,third1 of ,,total ,,depravity4 ,fourth1 of ,,inability4 ,these points are fully stated in the following passage from the 8,assembly's ,confession of ,faith10 chap4 #f3-- 8#a4 ,our first parents1 being seduced by the subtlety and temptation of ,satan1 sinned in eating the forbidden fruit4 ,this their sin ,god was pleased1 according to his wise and holy counsel1 to permit2 having purposed to order it to his own glory4 8#b4 ,by this sin they fell from their original righteousness1 and communion with ,god2 and so became dead in sin1 and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body4 8#c4 ,they being the root of all mankind1 the guilt of this sin was ,,imputed1 and the same death in sin1 and corrupted nature1 ,,conveyed1 to all their posterity1 descending from them by ordinary generation4 8#d4 ,from this original corruption1 whereby we are utterly indisposed1 disabled1 and made opposite to all good1 and wholly inclined to all evil1 do proceed all actual transgressions4 8#e4 ,this corruption of nature during this life doth remain in those that are regenerated2 and although it be1 through ,christ1 pardoned and mortified1 yet both itself and all the motions thereof are truly and properly sin4 8#f4 ,every sin1 both original and actual1 being a transgression of the righteous law of ,god1 and contrary thereunto1 doth in its own nature bring guilt upon the sinner1 whereby he is bound over to the wrath of ,god and curse of the law1 and so made subject to death1 with all miseries1 spiritual1 temporal1 and eternal407#ac7 ,we assume the 8,assembly's ,catechism0 as almost the standard of ,orthodoxy4 ,it was prepared with the concurrence of the best minds in ,england1 in an age when theological discussion had sharpened all wits in that direction4 ,thoroughly ,calvinistic1 it is also a wonderfully clear and precise statement of ,calvinism4 ,framed after long controversies1 it had the advantage of all the distinctions which are made only during controversy4 ,it is a fortress made defensible at all points1 because it has been attacked so often that all its weak places have been seen and marked4 ,it is a masterpiece of statement4 ,now1 it is very easy1 and what has often been done1 to stand on the outside and show the actual error and logical absurdity of this creed2 to show that men are not by nature totally depraved1 and that1 if they were1 this would not be guilt2 that1 if they have no power to repent1 they are not to blame for not repenting2 and that ,god1 as a ,god of justice even 7to say nothing of mercy1 of love1 of a heavenly ,father71 cannot condemn and punish us for a depraved nature inherited from ,adam4 ,it is easy to say all this4 ,but it has often been said2 and with what result8 ,unitarians have been1 by such arguments1 confirmed in their ,unitarianism2 but the ,orthodox have not1 by such arguments1 been convinced of the falsity of their creed4 ,let us see1 then1 if we cannot find some truth in this system1--some vital1 experimental truth1--for the sake of which the ,orthodox cling to these immense and incredible inconsistencies4 ,let us take an inside view of ,orthodoxy1 and see why1 being unreasonable1 it yet commends itself to so many minds of the highest order of reason4 #c4 ,orthodox and ,liberal ,view of ,man1 as morally diseased or otherwise4 ,let us begin with the substance of ,orthodoxy 7neglecting1 at present1 its form71 and say1 in general1 that it regards human nature as being in an abnormal or diseased condition4 ,the first thing to be done with man1 according to ,calvinism1 is to cure him4 ,many systems1 differing from each other in name1 agree in this--that they do not believe in any such diseased condition of man4 ,according to them1 he is not to be cured1 but to be educated4 ,the ,church is not a hospital1 but an academy4 ,man needs1 mainly1 instruction4 ,his purposes1 in the main1 are right2 but he errs as to what he has to do4 ,what he requires is precept and example4 ,as ,orthodoxy believes man to be diseased1 its object is twofold1 and the truths which it employs are of two kinds4 ,first1 it seeks to convince man that he really has a dangerous disease2 and then to convince him1 that1 by using the right means1 he can be cured4 ,it therefore constantly dwells upon two classes of truths3 first1 those which reveal man's sinfulness and his ruined condition2 and1 secondly1 those which reveal the plan of saving him from this condition--a plan which has been devised by the ,almighty1 and which is accomplished in ,christianity4 ,orthodoxy dwells upon sin and salvation3 these are its two pivotal doctrines4 ,on the other hand1 all the systems which may be associated under the term 8,liberal ,christianity0 regard man1 not as in a state of disease1 and needing medicine1 but as in a state of health1 needing diet1 exercise1 and favorable circumstances1 in order that he may grow up a well-developed individual4 ,it regards sin1 not as a radical disease with which all are born1 but as a temporary malady to which all are liable4 ,it does not1 therefore1 mainly dwell on sin and salvation1 but on duty and improvement4 ,man's nature it regards1 not as radically evil1 but as radically good2 and even as divine1 because made by ,god4 ,here1 then1 in the doctrine of evil1 lies the essential distinction between the two great schools of thought which have divided the ,church4 ,what is evil8 and how is it to be regarded8 ,this is1 perhaps1 the most radical question in ,christian theology4 ,is evil positive1 or only negative8 ,is it a reality1 or only a form8 ,what is it8 ,whence comes it8 ,until these questions are exhaustively discussed1 there is little hope of union in theology4 #d4 ,sin as ,disease4 ,we regard ,orthodoxy as substantially right in its views of sin as being a deep and radical disease4 ,our ,saviour says1 8,i came not to call the righteous1 but sinners1 to repentance40 8,the ,son of man came to seek and to save that which is lost40 ,but the question recurs1 ,is there only one kind of sin1--namely1 voluntary and conscious transgression of ,god's law1 originating with the individual himself1 and in the moment of committing it1 by means of his free will1 which is its only seat8 or is there sin which is a tendency in man's nature1 something permanent1 involuntary1 of which he is not conscious1 and which has its seat not merely in the will1 but in the desires and affections4 ,to this question ,liberal ,christianity has commonly said1 8,no10 and ,orthodoxy has said1 8,yes40 ,and on this point ,i concur with ,orthodoxy4 ,besides the sin which consists in free choice1 and which is essentially transient1 there is also the sin which consists in wrong desire1 and which is essentially permanent1 because it is a habit of the mind4 ,if it were not so1 there could be no such thing as a bad character1 and no such thing as a vicious habit4 ,if we attempt to analyze evil1 we shall find that it may be conveniently distributed into these divisions3-- #a4 ,,physical ,,evil4 7a47 ,pain4 7b47 ,weakness4 7c47 ,physical disease4 #b4 ,,intellectual ,,or ,,mental ,,evil4 7a47 ,ignorance4 7b47 ,error1 or mistake4 7c47 ,sophism1 or falsehood4 #c4 ,,moral ,,evil4 ,,disobedience ,,to ,,the ,,moral ,,law4 7a47 ,ignorant and accidental1 or transgression4 7b47 ,habitual disobedience1 or vice4 7c47 ,wilful violation of human law2 crime4 7d47 ,diseased moral state1 as selfishness1 bad temper1 c4 #d4 ,,spiritual ,,evil4 7a47 ,wilful alienation from ,god1 or perverse choice4 7b47 ,spiritual inability4 ,now1 we see that in all these divisions of evil1--physical1 intellectual1 moral1 and spiritual1--it is found in the two forms of active and passive evil4 ,in the latter form it is disease1 and independent of the will4 ,returning1 then1 to the ,orthodox view of evil1 which it is our business to examine1 we find already that it has the advantage of the ,liberal theology in recognizing this passive side of evil1 which we may call disease4 ,it is true that ,orthodoxy has not yet succeeded in coming to any clearness on this question1 and has not yet any firm1 intellectual hold of the main points of its argument4 ,examples of this confusion are quite common4 ,not to go back to the ,calvinistic and ,arminian controversies1 which were but a revival of the ,augustinian and ,pelagian dispute2 not to recur even to the ,hopkinsian and ,edwardian discussions1--we have only to refer to the differences between new and old school theology in the ,presbyterian ,church2 to the trial of ,dr4 ,beecher2 to the book of his son ,edward2 to the divergence of ,andover from ,new ,haven1 and ,princeton from ,andover4 ,unsettled1 because superficial1 views of evil are at the roots of all these controversies4 #e4 ,doctrine of the ,fall in ,adam1 and ,natural ,depravity4 ,their ,truth and ,error4 ,the first point of the doctrine of evil regards the ,fall1 including the doctrine of depravity4 ,modern ,french philosophers have dwelt much on what they call the solidarity of the human race4 ,by this they mean that two individuals are not independent of each other1 like two trees standing side by side1 but like two buds on the same tree or bough4 ,there is a common life-sap flowing through them all4 ,let the life of the tree be attacked anywhere1--in its roots1 its trunk1 its limbs1--and all these individual buds feel it4 ,yet each bud has also a life of its own1 and develops its own stalk1 leaves1 blossom1 fruit4 ,it can be taken from its own tree1 and put into another tree1 and grow4 ,so it is with separate men grafted into the great tree of mankind4 ,no one lives to himself1 nor dies to himself4 ,if one suffers1 all suffer4 ,the life of mankind1 becoming diseased1 pours disease into all individual men4 ,now1 is there not something in this doctrine to which our instincts assent8 ,do not we feel it true that we inherit not our own life merely1 but that of our race8 and is not this the essential truth in the doctrine of the fall8 ,it is true that we fell in ,adam4 ,it is also true that we fell in every act of sin1 in every weakness and folly1 of any subsequent child of ,adam4 ,we are all drawn downward by every sin2 we are lifted upward1 too1 by every act of heroic virtue1 not by example only1 but also by that mysterious influence1 that subtile contagion1 finer than anything visible1 ponderable1 or tangible1--that effluence from eye1 voice1 tone1 manner1 which1 according to the character which is behind1 communicates an impulse of faith and courage1 or an impulse of cowardice and untruth2 which may be transmitted onward1 forward1 on every side1 like the widening circles in a disturbed lake1--circles which meet and cross each other without disturbance1 and whose influence may be strictly illimitable and infinite4 ,no doubt1 sin began with the historical ,adam--the first man who lived4 8,by one man sin entered into the world1 and death by sin40 ,but still more true is it that we fell in the typical ,adam--,adam who stands for innocent1 ignorant human nature before temptation2 truest of all1 that we fall in ,adam1 because we are1 each of us1 at first an ,adam4 ,we are all in the garden2 we are at first placed in paradise2 and each has in himself all the four dramatis person--,adam1 ,eve1 the ,serpent1 and the ,voice of ,god4 ,adam is the will1 the power of choice1 the masculine element1 in man2 ,eve is the affection1 the desire1 the feminine element1 in man2 the ,voice of ,god is the higher reason in the soul1 through which infinite truth commands1--i4e41 the higher law2 and the ,serpent1 the lower reason in the soul1 the cunning element1 the sophistical understanding1 which can put evil for good1 and good for evil4 ,the garden is our early innocence1 where there is no struggle1 no remorse1 no anxiety2 where goodness is not labor1 but impulse4 ,but1 when we go out of the garden1 we enter a life of trial1 till we reach the higher paradise1 the kingdom of heaven2 and then joy and duty become one again4 ,then-- 8,love is an unerring light1 ,and joy its own security40 ,from paradise1 through the world1 to heaven2 from ,egypt1 through the wilderness1 to ,canaan2 from innocence1 through temptation1 sin1 repentance1 faith1 to regeneration1--such is the progress of man4 ,to me1 the belief that ,i fell in ,adam is not an opinion fraught only with sadness4 ,this tide of life which comes pouring through me comes from ten thousand ancestors4 ,all their sorrows and joys1 temptations and struggles1 sins and virtues1 have helped to make it what it is4 ,i am a member of a great body4 ,i am willing to be so--to bear the fortunes and misfortunes of my race4 ,it is true that ,i find evil tendencies in me1 which ,i did not cause2 but ,i know1 that1 for whatever part ,i am not the cause1 ,i am not accountable4 ,for this part of my life ,i do not dread the wrath1 but rather claim the pity1 of my ,god4 ,my nature ,i find to be diseased--not well2 needing cure1 and not merely food and exercise4 ,i can1 therefore1 the more easily believe that ,god has sent me a physician1 and that ,i shall be cured by him4 ,i can believe in a future emancipation from these tendencies to vanity1 sensuality1 indolence1 anger1 wilfulness1 impatience1 obstinacy--tendencies which are1 in me1 not crime1 but disease2 and ,i can see how to say with ,paul1 8,now1 then1 it is no more ,i that do it1 but ,,sin ,,that ,,dwelleth ,,in ,,me40 ,if1 now1 we return to the consideration of the ,orthodox doctrine of the fall1 as set forth by the ,westminster ,assembly1 we shall find it to be half true and half false4 ,it states truly 7chap4 #f1 #a7 that our first parents sinned1 and also 7 #b7 that by this sin they fell from their original righteousness2 for this only means that the first conscious act of disobedience by man produced alienation from ,god1 and degeneracy of nature4 ,this was no arbitrary punishment1 but the natural consequence4 ,the creed also says truly 7 #c7 that this corrupted nature was conveyed to all their posterity2 for this only means1 that1 by the laws of descent1 good and evil qualities are transmitted2 which all wise observers of human nature knew to be the fact4 ,it is also true 7 #e7 that this corrupt nature does remain 7to some extent at least71 even in the regenerate1 in this life4 ,so far1 so true4 ,sin1 as disease1 began with the first man1 in his first sin1 and has been transmitted1 by physical1 moral1 and spiritual influences1 from him to us all4 ,but now we find complicated with these truths other statements1 which we must need regard as falsehoods4 ,tried either by reason or ,scripture1 they are palpably untrue1 and are very dangerous errors4 ,the first error of ,orthodoxy is in declaring transmitted or inherited evil to be total4 ,it declares that our first parents 8were wholly defiled in all faculties and parts of soul and body10 and that we1 in consequence1 8are utterly indisposed1 disabled1 and made opposite to all good1 and wholly inclined to all evil40 ,this statement is indefensible4 ,but we shall consider this in another section on 8,total ,depravity10 and only allude to it now in passing4 ,another error1 however1 and a very important one1 is to attribute the guilt of ,adam and ,eve to their descendants4 ,this is the famous doctrine of imputation1 which is now rejected by all the leading schools of modern ,orthodoxy4 ,that we can be guilty of ,adam's sin1 either by imputation or in any other way1 seems too absurd and immoral a statement to be now received4 ,but though many intelligent ,orthodox teachers and believers do now reject the imputation of ,adam's sin1 they admit what is just as false and just as immoral a doctrine4 ,they make us guilty for that part of sin which is depravity1 as well as for that which is wilful4 ,whatever1 either of moral good or moral evil1 proceeds from our nature1 and not from our will1 has no character of merit or demerit4 ,the reason is evident1 and is stated by the apostle ,paul4 ,we are only guilty for what we do ourselves1 we are only meritorious for what we do ourselves3 but what our nature does1 we do not do4 8,now1 then1 it is no more ,i that do it1 but sin that dwelleth in me40 ,professor ,shedd1 late of ,andover1 some years ago published a very able essay in the 8,christian ,review10 the title of which was1 8,sin a ,nature1 and that ,nature ,guilt40 ,this title is a sufficient refutation of the essay4 ,a man could not utter a more palpable contradiction1 if he said1 8,the sun solid1 and that solid fluid10 or1 8,the earth black1 and that black white407#ad7 ,there are two kinds of moral good and two kinds of moral evil1 which are essentially different4 ,the two kinds of moral good may be named moral virtue and moral beauty2 the two kinds of moral evil may be named guilt and depravity4 ,now1 so far as goodness proceeds from a beautiful nature1 it is not virtuous1 and so far as sin proceeds from a depraved nature1 it is not guilty4 ,we can conceive of an angelic nature with no capacity of virtue1 because incapable of guilt4 ,we can also conceive of a nature so depraved as to be incapable of guilt1 because incapable of virtue4 #f4 ,examination of ,romans1 #e3ab-ba4 ,the famous passage in ,paul 7,rom4 #e3ab-ba71 which is the direct scriptural foundation claimed for the doctrine of ,adam's fall producing guilt in his posterity1 is in reality a support of our view4 ,the only other passage 7#a ,cor4 #ae3bb7 where ,adam is referred to1 declares that we all die in him1 but by no means asserts that we sin in him4 ,the passage referred to runs thus 7,rom4 #e3ab-ah73-- ,verse #ab3 8,as by one man sin entered into the world10-- 7,paul here refers to the fact that sin ,,began with the first man47 8,and death by sin20-- 7,by means of the sin of one man1 death entered47 8,and so death passed upon all men1 for that all have sinned40 7,rather 8death came upon all men1 because all have sinned40 ,the ,vulgate has here in quo1 8in whom20 that is1 in ,adam4 ,so ,augustine4 ,but even those who1 like ,olshausen1 contend for ,augustine's views1 admit that here is a conjunction1 equivalent to because1 and not a relative47 ,the next five verses 7#ac1 #ad1 #ae1 #af1 #ag7 constitute a parenthesis1 and refer to an objection which is not stated4 ,some one might say1 8,how could all sin1 from ,adam to ,moses1 when there was no law till ,moses8 and you1 ,paul1 have said 7,rom4 #d3ae71 that #8where there is no law there is no transgression4' 0 ,paul replies that 8sin is not imputed without law20 that is1 as ,i think evident1 it is not regarded as guilt4 ,a man who sins ignorantly is not guilty2 but he suffers the consequences of his sin1 which are depravity of his nature1 or moral death4 8,sin is not imputed10 says ,paul2 8but death reigns40 ,those who do not sin 8after the similitude of ,adam's transgression10--that is1 who do not violate a positive command1--nevertheless are depraved morally1 and are dead spiritually4 ,the ,hottentots and ,fejee ,islanders violate no positive law given them by ,god1 and consequently are not guilty of that2 but because they violate 7even ignorantly7 the laws of their moral nature1 they are depraved morally4 ,we see1 then1 that ,paul distinctly recognizes the distinction made above between sin as guilt and sin as depravity4 ,he distinguishes between sin as sinfulness1 or unconscious transgression 7 71 and sin as conscious transgression of a known command 774 ,the consequence of the first is death1 or moral and spiritual depravity2 the consequence of the second is condemnation1 or a sense of guilt4 ,sinfulness1 bringing with it depravity 7the general demoralization of human nature71 began with ,adam4 ,all became involved in sinfulness1 and consequently all partook of the depravity which belongs to it as its wages4 ,it should1 however1 be observed that it is not the purpose of ,paul to teach anything about ,adam4 ,his intention is to teach something about ,christ4 ,he refers to ,adam's case as something they all are acquainted with2 he compares ,christ's case with it both by contrast and resemblance4 ,but his object is not to instruct us about ,adam1 but about ,christ4 ,he uses ,adam as an example to enforce his doctrine about ,christ4 ,through ,christ1 goodness and happiness were to come into the world4 ,he illustrated this fact1 and made it appear probable1 by the fact which they already knew--that through ,adam sin and death had entered the world4 ,if it seemed strange1 in an age in which men were so disunited1 that one man should be the medium of communicating goodness to the whole human race1 they might remember that ,adam also had been the medium of introducing sin to the whole human race4 ,if the ,jews wondered that ,christ should bring salvation to those who were not under the law1 they might remember that ,adam had brought death to those not under the law1 and who did not sin as he did4 ,if they doubted how ,christ's goodness could help to make men righteous1 they might remember that in some way ,adam's transgression had helped to make men sinners4 ,yet1 after all1 the main fact which he states is in the twelfth verse1 chapter five--8that by one man sin entered into the world1 and death by sin40 ,this amounts to saying that sin began with ,adam4 ,then he adds1 in the same verse1 8that death has passed upon all men1 because all have sinned40 ,he therefore distinctly declares that every man is punished for his own sin1 and not for the sin of ,adam4 ,in the other passage 7#a ,cor4 #ae3bb71 ,paul says1 8,as in ,adam all die1 even so1 in ,christ1 shall all be made alive40 ,he does not say here1 either that 8all sinned in ,adam10 or that 8all fell in ,adam10 or that 8all died in ,adam40 ,it is the present tense1 8all die in ,adam40 ,what he means by this1 he explains himself afterwards4 ,he tells us that as 8souls0 descended from ,adam1 we are liable to death2 as spirits quickened by ,christ1 we are filled with spiritual and immortal life4 ,in the forty-fourth verse he gives the explanation4 ,the body 8is sown a natural body0 7 7--literally a soul-body1 a body vitalized by the soul4 8,it is raised a spiritual body0--literally spirit-body 7 71 a body vitalized by the spirit4 8,there is a soul-body1 and there in a spirit-body40 8,and so it is written1 ,the first man1 ,adam1 was made a living soul0 7which is a quotation from ,genesis #b3g--8;and man became a living soul071 8but the last ,adam10 says ,paul 7meaning ,christ71 8became a life-making spirit40 ,but1 continues ,paul1 the soul-man 7psychical man7 comes first2 the spiritual-man afterwards1 according to a regular order4 8,the first man is of the earth1 earthy2 the second is the ,lord from heaven40 ,and then he adds1--and this is the key to the whole passage1--8,as we have borne the image of the earthy1 we shall also bear the image of the heavenly40 ,the doctrine1 then1 is plainly this3 that we have two natures--a soul-nature1 which we derive from ,adam1 and share with all mankind1 which nature is liable to weakness1 sin1 and death2 and a spirit-nature1 which we derive from ,god1 which ,christ comes to quicken and vitalize1 and the life of which constitutes our true immortality4 ,the apostle ,paul1 therefore1 does not by any means teach ,calvinism4 ,the ,catechism says that 8our first parents being the root of all mankind1 the guilt of their sin was imputed to all their posterity40 ,but ,paul says1 8,so death passed upon all men1 because all have sinned40 ,the ,catechism says that 8this same death in sin1 and corrupted nature1 being conveyed to their posterity1 makes us utterly indisposed and opposite to all good10 and that 8from this original corruption do proceed all actual transgressions40 ,but if this is so1 there has been no such thing in the world as guilt since ,adam fell4 ,if all actual transgressions proceed from original corruption1 and original corruption comes from the first transgression of ,adam1 it logically follows that there has been but one sin committed in the world since it was made1 namely1 the sin of ,adam4 ,all other sins have been pure misfortunes2 his alone was guilt4 ,his transgression alone came from a free choice2 all others have come from an involuntary necessity of nature4 ,nothing can be more certain from reason and ,scripture than this--that transgressions which come from a corrupt nature are just so far done in us1 and not done by us4 ,this the apostle distinctly affirms when he says 7#g3ag71 8,now1 then1 it is no more ,i that do it1 but sin that dwelleth in me40 ,no man is responsible for disease1 when he has not brought that disease on himself1 but inherited it from his ancestors4 ,the disease may make him very odious1 very disagreeable1 but cannot make him blamable4 ,therefore1 when ,calvin says that hereditary depravity 8renders us obnoxious to the divine wrath10 he utters an absurdity4 ,this confusion of ideas runs through all ,orthodox statements on the subject1 and the only cure is1 that we should learn how to make this distinction between natural evil and moral evil1 or the evil which proceeds from a corrupt nature and the evil which comes from a free will4 ,if we were to sum up the doctrine of the apostle ,paul on this subject1 it would be thus3-- #a4 ,the first man1 ,adam1 consisted1 as we all consist1 of nature and will4 ,his nature consisted of innocent tendencies and appetites4 ,none were excessive2 all were well balanced4 ,his nature inclined him no more to evil than to good1 but each faculty was in proper poise4 ,the first sin1 therefore1 could not have been a gross one2 it was a simple transgression2 but its effect was to introduce what the apostle calls death2 that is1 a diseased or corrupt nature4 ,the process is this3 ,with the first conscious and free transgression there arises a sense of guilt4 ,this sense of guilt leads the soul away from ,god4 ,adam and ,eve hide in the garden4 ,every act of sin tends to create a habit1 and so destroys the moral equipoise4 ,there hence arises a tendency towards evil1 and from good2 and this is called death1 because it takes us away from ,god1 who is the source of life4 #b4 ,a tendency towards evil is thus introduced into the world by the transgression of the first man4 ,his descendants are now born with a nature which is not in equipoise1 but which leans more towards evil than towards good4 ,their will remains free as before2 but they cannot perform the same amount of good as before4 ,these corrupt tendencies tempt to greater sin than the pure tendencies did1 and1 whenever yielded to1 bring a greater amount of moral evil into the race4 #c4 ,things1 therefore1 are thus growing worse continually2 for every new act of sin makes it easier to sin again4 ,and this tendency to death1 or estrangement from ,god1 must go on increasing1 unless some antagonist principle can be communicated to the race4 ,this is actually done by ,jesus ,christ4 ,the principle of life which ,christ introduces consists in reconciliation to ,god4 ,sin separates us from ,god1 and therefore tends to death4 ,christ reconciles us to ,god1 and so gives life4 ,the way in which ,christ reconciles us to ,god is by manifesting ,god's pardoning and saving love to the sinful soul4 ,in his own life1 but especially by his death1 he communicates this pardoning love1 and so produces the atonement4 ,this is the central1 ,pauline view of the relation of ,adam and ,christ to the race4 ,adam introduces death into the world3 ,christ introduces life4 ,he does not speak at all of imputation1 or transfer of guilt2 but he speaks of an actual communication of death and life4 ,adam and ,christ both stand in actual1 and not merely ideal1 connection with the whole race of man4 ,adam is a living soul2 ,christ1 a life-giving spirit4 ,by inheritance1 we receive a depraved life of the soul from ,adam2 by communion1 we receive an eternal or spiritual life from ,christ4 ,and1 in regard to both of these acts1 the notion of blame or merit is entirely excluded4 ,we are not to blame for our inherited depravity derived from ,adam4 ,we deserve no credit for the salvation which comes to us from ,christ4 ,the compensation for the misfortune of inherited evil is the free gift of divine goodness in ,jesus4 ,we have thus considered the truth and the error contained in the ,orthodox doctrine of the fall4 ,the truth of it is in its assertion of a depravity of nature1 to which we are liable in consequence of ancestral sins3 the error is in imputing guilt to us in consequence of them4 #g4 ,orthodox ,view of ,total ,depravity and ,inability4 ,in speaking of the fall of man1 we necessarily anticipated somewhat the doctrine of total depravity4 ,still1 we must say something further on this doctrine1 because it is so important in the ,church system3 it is1 indeed1 at its foundation4 ,those who accept1 in its strictness1 the doctrine of total depravity cannot avoid any point of the severest ,calvinism4 ,schleiermacher has shown1 in his 8,essay on ,election10 that this latter doctrine necessarily follows the doctrine of total depravity2 for1 if man is wholly depraved1 he has no power to do anything for his own conversion2 therefore ,god must do it4 ,and if some are converted1 and not others1 it must be because ,god chooses to convert some1 and does not choose to convert others4 ,let us look1 then1 at what ,orthodoxy says of the extent of human depravity4 ,in all the principal creeds1 this is stated to be unlimited4 ,man's sin is total and entire4 ,there is nothing good in him4 ,the ,westminster ,confession and the ,confession of the ,new ,england ,congregational churches describe him as 8dead in sin1 and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body40 ,other creeds use similar language4 ,in considering this theory1 we are struck at first by the circumstance1 that the ,bible gives it very little support4 ,the ,bible continually speaks of man as a sinner2 but there are very few texts which can1 without straining1 be made to seem to teach that he is totally depraved4 ,let us examine a few of them4 #h4 ,proof ,texts4 #a4 ,a text often cited is ,genesis #f3e1--the reason given for destroying the human race1 in the time of ,noah1 by the deluge3 8,and ,god saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth1 and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually40 ,but this seems to be a description of the state of the world at that particular time1 not of its character in all ages4 ,it is not a description of man's natural condition1 but of an extremely degenerate condition4 ,if the state of the world here described was its natural state1 it would rather be a reason for not having created the race at first2 or1 if it was a reason for destroying it1 it would1 at best1 seem to be as strong a one against creating it again4 ,if a man plants a tree in his garden1 whose nature he knows is to produce a certain kind of fruit1 it would seem hardly a good reason for cutting it down1 that it produced that kind of fruit3 certainly it would not be a good reason for cutting it down1 and planting another of precisely the same kind in its place4 ,the reason why the race of men was destroyed was1 that it had degenerated4 ,but there were some good even then2 for in the ninth verse we are told that 8,noah was a just man1 and perfect in his generation1 and walked with ,god40 #b4 ,there is another passage1 in the fourteenth ,psalm which is quoted by ,paul in ,rom4 #c3 8,there is none righteous2 no1 not one3 there is none that understandeth1 none that seeketh after ,god4 ,they have all gone out of the way1 they are together become unprofitable3 there is none that doeth good2 no1 not one4 ,there is no fear of ,god before their eyes40 ,this passage is relied on to prove total depravity4 ,but we may reply1 that-- ,this also is a degenerate condition1 not a natural one4 ,it was a condition into which men had fallen1 not one in which they were born4 8,they have all gone out of the way2 they are together become unprofitable40 ,it does not1 therefore1 apply to men universally1 but to men in those particular times4 ,it was not true of all1 even at that particular time4 ,it was not true of ,david himself1 that he did not seek after ,god1 or have the fear of ,god before his eyes2 or else other passages in the same book are not true1 in which he says the contrary4 8,o ,god6 early will ,i seek thee3 my soul thirsteth for thee2 my flesh longeth for thee40 ,he also frequently speaks of and to those who fear the ,lord1 and says1 8,i am a companion to all those that fear thee40 ,the 8all0 is not to be taken strictly4 ,it means people generally at that time4 ,just so it is said1 8,there went out to him ,jerusalem and all ,judea1 and all the region round about ,jordan20 which does not imply that no one staid at home4 8,but10 it may be said1 8does not ,paul teach that this is to be taken universally1 when he quotes it1 and adds1 #8,now we know that what the law saith1 it saith to those under the law1 that every mouth be stopped1 and all the world guilty before ,god' 08 ,we think he means to say1 that1 as this is said to ,jews1 it proves that ,jews1 as well as ,gentiles1 are very guilty4 ,he is addressing the ,jews1 who boasted of their knowledge of the law4 ,chap4 #b3 8,behold1 thou art called a ,jew10 c4 #c4 ,jer4 #ag3i4 8,the heart is deceitful above all things1 and desperately wicked40 ,if we suppose that we are to take this as an unlimited expression1 and not merely a strong declaration of the wickedness of the ,jews1 it still does not prove total depravity of the nature1 but merely that of the affections1 or 8the heart40 ,man's nature has other things besides desire3 it has conscience1 reason1 and will2 and it does not follow that these are also depraved4 #d4 ,rom4 #h3g4 8,the carnal mind is enmity against ,god40 ,this does not intend that the mind of man1 in its natural state1 is enmity1 but in its carnal state2 that is1 when subject to fleshly desires4 ,nearly the same phrase is used in the verse before1 and is translated1 8,to be carnally minded is death40 #e4 ,there is one famous passage1 however1 which seems to say that ,god is angry with us on account of our nature4 ,this is a passage very much quoted1 and we hear it so often that it seems as if the ,bible was full of such texts4 ,it is in ,eph4 #b3c4 8,we were by nature children of wrath1 even as others40 ,this is quoted to prove that ,god is angry with men for their natures1 and hates them for being born evil--just as we may hate a snake1 a scorpion1 or spider1 for its nature4 ,but1 as it happens1 the very next verses show that this is impossible1 unless ,god can be hating one of his creatures and loving it at the very same moment4 ,for1 in the next verse ,paul says that ,god loved us with a great love when we were dead in trespasses and sins1 and children of wrath4 ,it is therefore evident that 8children of wrath0 must mean something else4 ,it may mean that men outside of ,christianity--,jews and ,gentiles--were afraid of ,god2 living under a constant sense of his displeasure2 that ,god seemed to them a terrible being1 always disposed to punish them with severity4 ,this was the fact4 ,jews and ,gentiles were afraid of their gods1 before ,christ came1 and so were 8children of wrath40 ,or it may mean that men are exposed to the consequences of sin2 for1 in ,scripture language1-- 8,god's wrathful said to be1 when he doth do ,that without wrath which wrath doth force us to40 ,moreover1 8nature10 in ,scripture usage1 does not necessarily mean1 8as human beings40 ,it often intends external position1 origin1 and race4 ,so 7in ,gal4 #b3ae7 we read1 8,jews by nature20 and so 7in ,rom4 #b3bg7 8uncircumcision1 which is by nature40 ,the same word is used twice in ,james #c3g1 and is translated kind4 8,every kind of beasts1 birds1 serpents1 things in the sea1 is tamed of man-kind30 literally1 8the whole animal race is tamed by the human race40 ,if here meant 8constitutional depravity10 the same word in ,rom4 #b3ad must mean constitutional goodness1 where we are told that some 8do by nature the things contained in the law40 ,so1 too1 we read of the olive tree1 wild by nature1 in ,rom4 #aa3bd4 8,by nature10 here1 plainly means the original condition1 not the original constitution4 ,just so we say that wild animals are in a state of nature1 and call savages the children of nature4 ,these five texts are the strongest in the ,bible to support the doctrine of total depravity1 and1 as such1 are constantly quoted4 ,they have very little weight1 and not one of them is from the words of ,jesus4 ,on the other hand1 there are many passages which seem to declare that there is something good in man in his unconverted or natural state1 and that even in that state he may turn towards the light1 and struggle against evil4 ,john #c3bj1 #ba4 8,every one that doeth truth cometh to the light40 ,matt4 #bf3da4 8444 ,the spirit is willing1 the flesh is weak40 ,rom4 #b3bd4 8,gentiles1 who have not the law1 do by nature the things contained in the law1 and show the work of that law which is written in the heart40 ,acts #aj3ce4 8,in every nation1 he that feareth ,god1 and worketh righteousness1 is accepted of him40 ,but the passage most strikingly and thoroughly opposed to the doctrine of total depravity1 is the description1 in the seventh chapter of ,romans1 of the conflict between the law in the members and the law of the mind4 ,paul1 speaking evidently from his own experience in his unconverted state1 describes the condition of one morally depraved1 who is trying to do right1 but is prevented by evil habits which have become a part of himself4 ,he describes this as moral death1 but not guilt4 ,he says1 8,it is no more ,i that do it1 but sin that dwelleth in me40 ,he describes himself as morally impotent--wishing to do right1 but unable to do it4 ,he says he delights in the law of ,god after the inner man4 ,the inmost is right1 but outside of that are evil habits1 in the body1 which drag down the soul and enslave it4 ,paul therefore distinctly says that a man in such a condition is not himself a sinner1 because he does not commit the sin4 ,thus he makes clear and strong the distinction we referred to above1 between depravity and guilt--between natural evil and moral evil4 ,paul teaches that man is not totally depraved1 but that even in the carnal man there is a good principle1 only that it is conquered by the evil4 ,if the mind delights in the law of ,god1 and the will to do right is present with us1 we evidently are not totally depraved2 but the total depravity1 if anywhere1 is in the flesh only1 as ,paul plainly says3 8,i know that in me 7that is1 in my flesh7 dwelleth no good thing20 that is1 the depravity is physical1 not moral4 ,but physical depravity is not guilt1 but only disease4 #i4 ,truth in the ,doctrine of ,total ,depravity4 ,nevertheless there is a sense in which man may be said to be often totally sinful2 but this is only in a total alienation of the will from ,god4 ,it is not a total depravity1 but a total alienation4 ,there is a natural depravity1 but it is not total4 ,but the choice may be totally perverted1 when it chooses darkness instead of light1 evil instead of good4 ,let us see what there is of this in man4 ,the gospel of ,christ1 as we understand it1 undertakes to effect an entire change1 a radical reformation1 in human character4 ,it proposes to reform the life by changing the heart1 by giving new aims1 new affections1 new aspirations1 new objects of love and pursuit4 ,jesus does not endeavor to alter and improve1 a little here and a little there1 on the outside of the character1 to improve a little our modes of action in this and the other particular2 but he alters the conduct and character by altering the fundamental ideas1 and inspiring an inward life4 ,this wonderful change1 which takes place in the profoundest depth of our nature1 under the influence of the ,gospel1--this great event of life1 which forms the turning-point of our being and history1--is called in the ,new ,testament 8the new birth10 8regeneration10 8to be born again10 8conversion10 8a new creation10 8to be born of ,god10 8to be baptized with the ,holy ,ghost and with fire10 8to put off the old man10 8to have ,christ formed within us40 ,it is a very superficial view which explains away the meaning of all these profound expressions1 and supposes that they only signify a little outward improvement and reformation4 ,we need just such a change as is here described--a radical one1 not a superficial one4 ,all need it4 ,those who are the most pure in heart and most blameless in character 7spotless children1 as they seem to us1 of a heavenly world7 feel their own need of this change no less than do the profligate and openly vicious4 ,parents and friends say1 8,we have no fault to find with them40 ,they do not say they have no fault to find with themselves4 ,they feel they have all kinds of fault to find with themselves1 and nothing is so painful to them as this commendation4 ,they say1 8,outwardly we may seem innocent1 but we feel an inward want that weighs on our heart like a frost40 8,this is a true saying1 and worthy of all acceptation1 that ,christ ,jesus came into the world to save sinners40 ,it is because we are sinners that we need to experience this great change4 ,we do not wish to exaggerate the amount of human sinfulness4 ,theologians have carried their attacks on human nature quite too far1 and the result has often been that men have looked on sin as a sort of theological matter1 which has nothing to do with actual life4 ,they have cheerfully admitted that they were totally depraved by nature1 and could not think or will a good thing1 and then have thought no worse of themselves than before4 ,we know that there is something good in man1 something which ,god loves1 some pure aspiration even in the natural heart1 some throbs of generosity1 some warnings of conscience1 some pure love1 some courageous virtue1 in the humblest1 the most depraved1 the most abandoned4 ,there are some flowers of sweetest perfume which spring up in the uncultivated soil of the natural heart on which ,god and his angels smile1 for the seeds of those flowers ,god himself planted4 ,we have seen harebells1 graceful and lovely as the sweetest greenhouse plant1 growing out of a sand-heap2 and we have seen some disinterested1 generous benevolence in the mind of a hardened profligate4 ,it is not1 therefore1 because there is nothing good in man that he needs a change of heart1 but because he is destitute of a deep-rooted and living goodness till this change has taken place4 ,look at the actual sins of men4 ,the majority of men1 in a civilized community like ours1 do not commit great crimes1 or fall into flagrant vices1 because they have little to attract them to such a course1 and much to deter them from it4 ,they are aiming at those objects which they need the countenance1 aid1 and good opinion of their fellow-men to obtain1 to be glaringly vicious would make it impossible4 ,also1 there is a certain amount of conscience which restrains them--the influence of good education and good habits which preserves a certain uprightness and purity of character4 ,but is it a deep principle8 ,if so1 why do the vast majority of men allow themselves in many small violations of the same laws which they would not break on a large scale8 ,they would not steal2 yet they commit every day some slight acts not perfectly honest2 they take advantage of others in little things4 ,they would not lie2 yet they exaggerate1 and conceal part of the truth1 and color their statements to produce an effect4 ,they would not kill2 but they are willing to injure one who has interfered with their interests4 ,with these tendencies and feelings1 why would they not1 under different influences1 commit greater crimes8 ,how often do we feel1 in talking with the criminal and abandoned1 that1 in their circumstances and with their temptations1 we might have been as bad as they6 ,does not all this show that there is a deep and hidden fountain of evil within our hearts which is restrained by external influences1 by checks and barriers with which ,god has kindly surrounded us8 and if these were taken away1 it would break out into something far worse than now appears4 ,how much there is of evil under the smooth surface of refined society6 ,how many thoughts of sin pass to and fro in the heart while the countenance seems pure and calm6 ,who ever looked into the interior depths of our most moral community1 and saw all the secret sins and pollutions which are hidden there8 ,every now and then there occurs in the midst of the most refined classes some startling revelation of long-concealed wickedness which makes men look each other in the face and draw a long breath1 as though they should say1 8,which of us will next fall80 ,so in the midst of a fruitful country1 of lakes1 and valleys1 and vine-clad hills1 the earth will sometimes open1 and a river of melted lava pour forth1 desolating all around4 ,we hear of this with wonder1 and do not think that right beneath our own feet1 a few miles down1 under these smooth fields and gentle plains1 that same fiery ocean is rolling its red billows4 ,god has laid his hand upon our heart1 and restrains its lawless passions as he restrains the tornadoes1 and earthquakes1 and volcanic fires2 else they might easily hurry us to swift destruction4 ,still1 if this were all1 no radical change might be necessary4 ,it might be enough that by effort1 and self-discipline1 and direction of the thoughts1 we gradually overcome our evil habits and tendencies2 but when we resolve to do so1 and make the effort1 we meet with an unexpected resistance4 8,the spirit is willing1 but the flesh is weak40 8,i find a law in my members warring against the law of my mind1 and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin in my members40 ,the ,church has long asserted the doctrine of an hereditary depravity2 and we have seen that there is more truth in it than we have sometimes supposed4 ,it is not total1 but it is real4 ,besides the sins of our own committing1 there are the sins which our ancestors have committed1 which have made themselves part of our bone and flesh4 ,we are not exactly balanced in our natural state2 there is a preponderating tendency towards evil in one or another direction4 ,this forms too fearful an alliance with circumstances1 the moment they become powerful to draw us away from good4 ,a friend of ours1 some years since1 was making a trip up the ,lakes1 late in the season4 ,as they entered ,lake ,huron from the ,river ,st4 ,clair in the noble steamer1 the skies were serene1 and she ploughed her way on towards the north1 so that by night the land had sunk almost out of sight4 ,but then the wind began to freshen1 the sea rose1 and as the night advanced1 and the wind blew harder and harder1 the boat strained and staggered along1 occasionally struck hard by a heavier sea1 till at last one of her wheels was carried away1 and the fires were put out by the water4 ,how long and anxious was that night6 ,how many prayed then who never prayed before6 ,when morning came1 the boat was found to be drifting before the wind and waves1 directly upon a rocky shore on the south-east side of the lake4 ,there was no help in man2 but a gracious ,providence all at once caused the storm to lull1 so that a fire could be built1 and with one wheel the boat got into a harbor4 ,man seems a powerful being when he is surrounded by favorable circumstances1 and is going with a fair wind and fair weather2 but let the wind change1 and his weakness becomes apparent4 ,he who just now breasted the tide1 is now drifting helplessly before it4 ,but there is a difficulty far worse than any we have mentioned4 ,we might conquer the sin which most easily besets us1 we might conquer our inherent evil tendencies1 and outgrow them1 if we really wished to do so2 but the deepest of all evils is a want of love for ,god and for goodness4 ,we know that we ought to love and obey ,god2 but our heart is alienated from him4 ,the great mass of men are living away from ,god4 ,they are not conscious of his presence1 though they know that he is near to them4 ,though they know that his eye is upon them1 it does not restrain them from sin4 ,though they know that their heavenly ,father and best ,friend is close at hand1 how seldom do they pray6 how seldom look up with gratitude for all their mercies and joys6 ,this shows a terrible estrangement of soul from ,god4 ,the veil is on their hearts1 not on their minds4 ,the question is sometimes asked1 8whether sin is a positive or merely a negative evil40 ,now1 whatever may be the case with other kinds of sin1 this alienation of the heart seems to us a very positive evil2 for it is an antagonism1 and resistance of goodness4 ,if the supreme goodness of ,god does not attract us1 does not excite our affection1 does not irresistibly draw us to him1 then it repels us2 it makes the thought of his presence a restraint and burden2 it makes us wish to go away from ,god4 ,the goodness of ,god is so very positive a thing1 that we cannot be indifferent to it2 we cannot be neutral in regard to it4 ,if we do not love it1 it is disagreeable1 and we are uncomfortable in the thought of it4 ,swedenborg relates that certain wicked persons were allowed to enter heaven on a certain occasion2 but they immediately became almost lifeless1 and1 from the torment and pain in their head and body1 prostrated themselves on the ground1 and writhed like worms2 but1 being taken and carried into hell1 became comparatively comfortable4 ,what can be more terrible than the idea thus conveyed of our aversion to goodness1 which makes heaven intolerable1 and the presence of ,god insufferable torture6 ,can anything express1 more than this1 the need of a change of heart8 ,jesus1 we think1 asserts a similar view when he says1 8,he that is not with me is against me40 8,no man can serve two masters2 for he will either love the first and hate the last1 or love the last and hate the first40 ,he will not be indifferent to either1 if their characters and commands are of an opposite kind4 ,we do not mean to say that we hate ,god2 but we mean that there is something within us1 while our hearts are not wholly his1 which makes it unpleasant and burdensome to think of ,god and pray to him4 ,we feel a certain repugnance to a familiar and happy intercourse with our heavenly ,father4 ,our prayers1 if we pray1 are formal and cold2 our hearts are hard1 and their affections do not flow easily upward4 ,now1 if there be such a thing as a change of heart1 which will make it a pleasure to pray1 a joy to think of ,god2 which will make it natural to us to approach him1 and dwell on the thought of his goodness2 which will enable us to see him in the majesty and sweetness of nature1 in the rise of empires or the death of an infant1 in the coming of ,christ1 and in every good thought which swells in our souls1--then it is evident that this is what we need4 ,let us dig deep1 and build our house upon a rock4 ,we shall see in another section that there is such a change of heart as we have described4 ,jesus saves sinners by taking away the heart of stone1 and giving a heart of flesh4 ,he saw the whole depth and extent of the disease which he came to cure4 ,there are some preachers who do not know how great an evil sin is1 and would not know what to do for a penitent and anxious soul which really saw the greatness of its needs4 ,thus1 when ,george ,fox went to the rector of his church to ask advice for the distress of his soul1 he was told to amuse himself and divert his mind4 ,but ,jesus saw all the extent of sin1 and yet was ready to encourage and help the sinner4 ,he knew that his remedy was equal to the emergency4 ,the gospel of ,christ can give to us love to ,god and love to man2 can soften our hearts in humility1 can enable us to fight with and conquer even the hereditary evil of our organization2 can ultimately redeem us from all evil4 ,this is the depravity we are to conquer2 not of nature1 but of will1 and aim1 and purpose4 #aj4 ,ability and ,inability4 ,one of the pivotal points in the ,orthodox theory of evil is that of moral inability4 ,indeed1 the doctrine of total depravity seems to be taught for the sake of this4 ,total depravity resolves itself1 in the mind of the ,orthodox teacher1 into total inability1 and means that man1 unable to do right by any power in himself1 must throw himself wholly and absolutely on the divine grace4 ,the secret motive of the whole ,orthodox doctrine of evil is to lead through a sense of sin to humility1 and at last to dependence4 ,orthodoxy here becomes intelligible1 so soon as we perceive that its purpose is not speculative1 but practical4 ,as religion consists so greatly in the sentiment of dependence1 it is a leading purpose in the ,orthodox system to produce this sense of dependence4 ,that group of graces--reverence1 humility1 submission1 trust1 prayer--which lend such an ineffable charm to the moral nature1 which purify and refine it to its inmost depths1--these spring almost wholly from the sense of dependence on a higher and better being than ourselves4 ,these being absent1 the elevating principle is wanting2 the man cannot rise above himself4 ,there may be truth1 courage1 conscience1 purity1 but they are all stoical and self-relying4 ,it is only he who relies on a higher power1 clings to a higher being1 and draws his moral life from above1 who can ascend4 ,he who humbles himself1 and he only1 shall be exalted4 ,but humility does not consist in looking down1 but in looking up4 ,it does not come from looking at our own meanness1 but at something higher and better than ourselves4 ,the sense of sin is only elevating when connected with the sight of a higher beauty and holiness4 ,it is1 therefore1 in order to produce a conviction of absolute dependence that ,orthodoxy urges so strongly the doctrines of total depravity and total inability4 ,a man will not pray1 says the ,orthodox system1 till he feels himself helpless4 ,he will not seek a ,saviour so long as he hopes to save himself4 ,he must see that he can do nothing more for himself2 and then1 for the first time1 he exercises a real faith in ,god1 and casts himself on the divine mercy4 ,reasoning in this way1 consciously or unconsciously1 ,orthodoxy has built up its doctrine of human inability1 which we will proceed to state1--first1 however1 indicating the scriptural view of this subject4 ,scripture teaches that man is able to choose the right1 but not always able to perform it4 ,he is free in his spirit1 but bound by circumstances of position1 and by bodily organization4 ,he is free to choose1 but not free to do4 ,his freedom is in effort1 not necessarily in accomplishment4 ,he can always try2 he cannot always effect what he tries4 ,thus ,jesus says 7,matt4 #bf3da71 8,watch and pray1 that ye enter not into temptation2 the spirit indeed is willing1 but the flesh is weak40 ,and so ,paul says1 in the passage on this subject before referred to 7,rom4 #g3ah71 8,to will is present with me1 but how to perform that which ,i will1 ,i find not40 ,without attempting here to enter into the tormented question of fate and freedom1 of necessity so irrefragably demonstrated by the logic of ,edwards and others1--of free-will perpetually reasserted by the intuitive reason in the soul1--we may say this3 ,whether there be such a thing as metaphysical freedom or not1 there is such a thing as moral freedom4 ,in proportion as man sinks into the domain of nature1 he is bound by irresistible laws4 ,in proportion as he rises into the sphere of reason1 justice1 truth1 love1 he is emancipated1 and can direct his own course4 8,ye shall know the truth1 and the truth shall make you free40 8,if the ,son1 therefore1 shall make you free1 ye shall be free indeed40 7,john #h3cb1 #cf47 8,stand fast in the liberty wherewith ,christ hath made us free40 7,gal4 #e3a47 ,it is therefore true that only as we direct our course by eternal laws1 we rise above the controlling influence of habit1 prejudice1 public opinion1 inherited and original tendencies of the blood and brain4 ,according to ,paul 7,rom4 #f3af-bb71 man must be either the servant of sin or the servant of ,god4 ,he must serve1 willingly or unwillingly4 ,he must be the degraded slave of desire and selfishness1 or the willing1 loyal subject of truth and right4 ,paradoxically enough1 however1 he only feels free in these two cases4 ,for in these two states he is doing what he chooses to do4 ,when he is blindly and willingly following his lower instincts he feels free4 ,when he is rationally and freely choosing right1 and doing it1 he also feels free4 ,but when half way between these two states1 when his conscience is pulling one way and his desires drawing him the other1 when he is choosing right and doing wrong1 he feels himself a slave4 ,there are therefore these three conditions of the will1 corresponding to the ,pauline division of man into spirit1 soul1 and body 7#a ,tim4 #e3bc7--;a view of man which was held throughout antiquity4 ,the carnal man 77 is one in whom the earthly appetites are supreme1 and the soul1 77 and spirit 77 subordinate4 ,the natural man 7 1 #a ,cor4 #b3ad7 is one in whom the soul1 or central principle1 the finite will1 is supreme4 ,the spiritual man 71 #a ,cor4 #b3ae7 is he in whom the infinite principle1 the sense of eternal truth and right1 is supreme4 ,in the first condition--that of the carnal man--one is the slave of sin1 but without knowing it1 because there is no wish to become anything different4 ,in the second state--that of the natural man 7or psychical man7--the soul chooses the good1 but is drawn down by the evil4 ,the law of the mind is warring against the law of the members1 and the man is torn asunder by this conflict4 ,he tries to do right1 and does wrong4 ,he now first feels himself a slave2 yet he is in reality less a slave than before1 for now he is endeavoring to escape4 ,his will is emancipated1 though his habits of conduct1 his habits of thought1 his habits of feeling1 still bind him fast4 ,in the third condition1 that of the spiritual man1 he has broken these chains4 ,he not only wills to do right1 but does it4 ,his body shares in the new life of his soul4 ,he now is made free by the truth and the spirit from the service of evil1 and shares in 8the glorious liberty of the children of ,god40 ,in all these conditions the human being has some freedom1 but differing in degree in each4 ,in the lowest state he has freedom of action1 for he does what he wishes to do2 but he has not freedom of choice1 for he does not choose at all4 ,he acts not by intelligent choice1 but by blind instinct1 habit or custom4 ,in the middle state he has freedom of choice1 but not of action4 ,he chooses the good1 but performs the evil4 ,this is the condition described by ,ovid1 and other profane writers1 before ,paul described it in the seventh chapter of ,romans47#ae7 ,but in the highest state--a spiritual condition--he has both freedoms2 he can both choose and perform4 ,the carnal man seems to be free1 but is most thoroughly enslaved of all4 ,the psychical man seems to himself to be enslaved1 but has begun to be free4 ,the spiritual man both seems to be free and is so4 ,the apparent freedom of the carnal man differs from the real freedom of the spiritual man in this--the spiritual man could do wrong if he chose to do so1 but chooses to do right4 ,but the carnal man could not do right if he should choose4 ,a good man1 if he chose to do so1 might lie1 and steal1 and drink1 and be profane2 but a bad man could not1 by choosing1 become temperate1 pure1 truthful1 and honest4 ,scripture and experience give1 therefore1 the same account of human ability and inability4 ,in the lowest state man is the servant of sense1 and can neither will nor do right4 ,in the higher condition he can will1 but cannot perform2 for his ideal aim is above his actual power4 ,in the highest1 or regenerate1 state he can both will and do4 ,body1 as well as soul1 serve the spirit4 ------------------------------------- ,these are the truths which lie at the basis of the ,orthodox doctrine of inability4 ,but ,orthodoxy1 in its desire to awaken a sense of dependence1 has pushed them to an unreasonable extreme4 ,it asserts that man1 in his natural state1 before he is regenerated1 has no power to will or to do right4 ,it is evident1 however1 that all men have power to will and to do many right things4 ,even in the lowest condition1 a man wills and does much that is right4 ,though the governing principle be the lowest one1 he can yet perform many good actions4 ,in the second condition also1 the psychical man1 though not able always to do right1 often succeeds in doing so4 ,and in this state the apostle declares that he does not do the evil1 but 8sin that dwells in him40 ,so long as his purpose is right1 he is right4 #aa4 ,orthodox ,doctrine of ,inability4 ,let us see what ,orthodoxy says of the inability of the unregenerate man4 ,the ,assembly's ,confession declares 7chap4 #f1 #d71 that by our corrupt nature 8we are utterly indisposed1 disabled1 and made opposite to all good1 and wholly inclined to all evil40 ,in chap4 #i1 #c1 it says that 8man1 by his fall into a state of sin1 hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation40 ,this seems plain enough4 ,it would justify the charge made by ,dr4 ,cox1 that there are those who teach that 8a man has no ability to do his duty107#af7 and 8that1 where the means of grace are abundantly vouchsafed1 a man can do nothing for1 but can only counteract1 his own salvation40 ,it would also seem to lay a fit foundation for that kind of ,calvinistic preaching which1 according to ,professor ,finney1 of ,oberlin 7see 8,revival ,lectures071 virtually amounts to saying1 8,you can1 and you can't2 ,you shall1 and you shan't2 ,you will1 and you won't2 ,you'll be damned if you don't40 ,these charges1 it must be noticed1 are brought against ,calvinism1 not by us1 but by ,presbyterian divines1 themselves holding to this same ,westminster ,confession4 ,but let us look at some of the expositions given to this doctrine of inability by modern ,orthodox authorities4 7a47 ,the ,old ,school ,presbyterians4--,as stated by one of their own number 7,professor ,atwater1 of ,princeton ,college1 ,bibliotheca ,sacra1 ,january1 #ahfd71 they hold an inability 8moral1 sinful1 and real10 8irremovable by the sinner's own power40 ,he sets aside the objection that we are not bound to do what we are unable to do1 by saying that this applies to actions only1 not to sinful dispositions4 ,he illustrates this by saying that an irrepressible disposition to slander would be only so much more culpable4 ,but in this he is evidently wrong4 ,such a habit has become a disease1 and the unfortunate victim is no longer accountable for what he does4 7b47 ,the ,new ,school ,presbyterians4--7,rev4 ,george ,duffield1 in ,bibliotheca ,sacra1 ,july1 #ahfc47 ,although ,dr4 ,duffield objects to the language of the ,old ,school ,presbyterians in denying 8free agency10 and regarding man 8as destitute of ability as a block of marble10 he yet declares that the ,new ,school1 as well as the ,old1 believe that in the unconverted state 8man can do nothing morally good40 ,still1 he adds1 men can accept the offers of salvation made by ,jesus ,christ4 ,but he positively denies that 8man1 in his natural state1 independent of the gospel and ,spirit of ,christ1 has ability perfectly to obey all the commandments of ,god40 ,we suppose that most persons would agree with him in this statement4 7c47 ,the ,old ,school in ,new ,england ,theology4--7,bibliotheca ,sacra1 ,april1 #ahfc4 ,article by ,professor ,lawrence1 ,east ,windsor1 ,connecticut47 ,this writer contends that human inability is moral1 and not natural--a distinction much dwelt upon by the ,hopkinsians1 but rejected by the ,old ,school ,presbyterians4 ,this system differs from the ,arminian or ,methodist view in insisting that man has power enough to sin1 though not enough to obey4 7d47 ,hopkinsianism4--7,bibliotheca ,sacra1 ,july1 #ahfb47 ,the ,hopkinsians profess to contend for free agency1 in order to save responsibility4 ,they adopt the ideas of ,edwards on free agency4 ,but freedom1 with them1 consists only in choice4 ,whatever we choose1 we choose freely4 ,the carnal man is as free in choosing evil as the spiritual man in choosing good4 ,all real freedom in this system disappears in a juggle of words4 ,the result of this examination will show that the great body of the ,orthodox1 of all schools1 continues to deny any real ability in the unregenerate man to do the will of ,god4 ,they do not say that 8man has no power to do his duty10 but that is the impression left by their teaching4 ,the distinction between natural and moral inability is insufficient2 for it is as absurd to say that a man is unable not to sin1 when you only mean that he chooses to sin1 as it would he to say1 when invited to eat your dinner1 8,i am unable to eat10 meaning only that you were unwilling4 ,besides1 if inability is moral1 it is in the will1 and not in the nature1 and so is not natural depravity at all4 ,it is also making ,god unjust to teach that he considers us guilty for a misfortune4 ,if we derive a corrupted nature from ,adam1 that is our misfortune1 and not our fault1 and ,god owes us not anger1 but pity4 ,instead of punishing us1 he should compensate us for this disaster4 ,therefore the unreason1 the want of logic1 and the absence of any just view of ,god1 appear1 more or less1 throughout these statements4 ,for where there is no ability1 there can be no guilt4 ,just as soon as man ceases to have the power to do right1 he ceases to have the power to do wrong4 ,inability and guilt1 which are connected by all these creeds1 logically exclude each other4 ,if our nature is incapable of doing good1 then it is incapable of committing sin4 ,one or the other must be given up4 ,keep which you will1 but you cannot keep both4 ,we may be totally depraved by our nature2 but then we cease to be sinners1 and cease to be guilty4 ,or we may be going wholly wrong1 and so be sinful1 but then we have the power of going right4 ,this is the inconsistency in almost all ,orthodox systems4 ,by dwelling so much on human weakness1 they destroy at last the sense of responsibility4 #ab4 ,some further ,features of ,orthodox ,theology concerning ,human ,sinfulness4 ,in the article in the ,bibliotheca ,sacra before referred to 7,april1 #ahfc71 by ,edward ,a4 ,lawrence1 ,d4 ,d41 ,professor at ,east ,windsor1 ,connecticut1 on 8,the ,old ,school in ,new ,england ,theology10 the writer gives the following account of the doctrines of this body concerning sin3-- 8,god created man a holy being4 ,he was not merely innocent1 as not having committed sin1 not merely pure1 as not inheriting any derived evil1 but was positively holy in his very being40 ,this1 we suppose1 must mean that he was inclined by nature to do right1 rather than wrong4 ,it was as natural for him to love ,god as for a fish to swim or a bird to fly4 ,nothing less than this1 certainly1 would deserve to be called 8holiness of being40 8,the first man10 says ,professor ,lawrence1 8was the federal head of this race1 representatively and by covenant1 as no other father has been or can be with his children40 ,this is illustrated by the fact of a legal corporation1 whose members are responsible in law for the actions of their agent4 ,professor ,lawrence explains the belief of the ,old ,school in the imputation of ,adam's sin thus3 ,it was not the personal guilt of ,adam which was imputed to his descendants1 but 8certain disastrous consequences40 ,they1 as well as he1 became 8subject to temporal and eternal death40 ,the next consequence of ,adam's sin we must give in ,professor ,lawrence's own language1 in order not to misrepresent him4 8,the first evil disposition which led to the evil choice was not only confirmed in him as an individual1 but also as a quality of human nature1 and it reappears1 successively1 in each one of them40 ,imputation1 therefore1 means not the transfer of guilt1 but of a corrupt nature4 8,it is not a sin to be born sinful2 but the sin with which men are born is nevertheless sinful40 ,then follows this statement3 8,we are strictly guilty only for our own sin2 but the sinfulness with which we are born is as really ours as if it originated in our own act40 ,this1 again1 is explained by defining guilt as liability to punishment on account of the acts of another1 8as when the members of a corporation suffer from the ill management of its agent40 ,this he calls corporate guilt4 ,the ,old ,school doctrine1 according to this writer1 concerning sin1 makes it a state rather than an act4 ,it is not merely the act of disobedience1 but the wrong bias of the will1 out of which the act proceeds4 ,he thinks it wrong to call 8sin a nature10 for neither the substance of the soul1 nor its faculties1 are sinful4 ,the depravity of nature is not choice1 so much as tendency which leads to choice4 ,it is hereditary1 being transmitted from father to son4 ,the old theology1 therefore1 predicates sinfulness of human nature2 affirms sin to be a wrong state or bias of will2 considers it to be hereditary2 regards new-born infants as depraved1 but thinks that those of them who die in infancy1 before actual transgression1 are renewed and saved by the blood of ,christ2 and considers temporal death as a part of the penalty of sin4 ,upon this statement of the ,old ,school doctrine1 the following criticisms naturally occur3-- ,first4 ,if original righteousness was holiness of nature1 and not mere innocence2 if it was a positive tendency to good1 and not merely a state of indifference between good and evil2 then1 we ask1 ,what produced the fall8 ,what motive led to the commission of the first sin8 ,if the nature of the first man was holy1 there was nothing in it which could lead him to sin1 and any external temptation addressed to such a nature must fall powerless before it4 ,it would be like trying to tempt a fish to fly in the air1 or like tempting a bird to go into the water4 ,even if the first man could have been induced by any deception or external influence to commit a wrong act1 this would not be sinful1 because there would be no sinful motive behind it4 ,a wrong act proceeding from a holy nature is either an impossibility or a mere innocent mistake4 ,our first criticism1 therefore1 on the ,old ,school doctrine of sin1 is1 that it makes ,adam's fall an impossibility4 ,second4 ,as regards ,adam's federal headship and the illustration of a corporation1 we say1 that the members of a corporation are not considered guilty in consequence of the acts of their agent1 although they may suffer in consequence of these acts4 ,if he commits forgery they may lose money thereby1 but no one would think of calling them forgers4 ,the sin of a parent may be visited upon his children to the third or fourth generation1 but in their case it is neither punishment nor guilt1 but only misfortune4 ,when ,professor ,lawrence1 therefore1 says1 that 8we are guilty for the sinfulness with which we are born1 because it is really ours10 he utters a moral absurdity1 and strikes at the root of all moral distinctions4 ,he says1 8,the sinfulness with which we are born is really ours20 but in what sense ours8 ,only as any congenital disease may be called ours4 ,if a man is born with a tendency to consumption1 blindness1 lameness1 he may say1 8my lameness1 my near-sightedness40 ,but no one would suppose that he meant thereby to hold himself responsible for them1 or to consider himself guilty because of them4 ,it is absurd to speak of 8corporate guilt40 ,the corporate guilt1 for example1 of the stockholders of a bank1 because of the crime of an absconding teller6 ,the natural objection to this illustration of a corporation is1 that those who enter into a corporation do it by a free act1 and make themselves voluntarily responsible4 ,but we did not consent that ,adam should be our agent4 ,we did not agree that if ,adam should commit a single act of disobedience we should be born totally depraved1 and liable to everlasting torments in consequence4 ,professor ,lawrence replies1 that it would have been impossible for ,god to ask our consent1 and therefore1 apparently he supposes that ,god took for granted that we would consent4 ,this seems to be no answer to the objection4 ,if it was impossible for ,god to obtain our consent1 before we were born1 to incur this awful danger1 he was not compelled to expose us to it4 ,it is an insult to the justice of the ,almighty to assume that he could have done so4 ,third4 ,professor ,lawrence does not think it correct to say that 8sin is a nature40 ,but why not1 if it be a universal and constant element1 an original and permanent state of the soul8 ,to say that human nature is sinful1 but deny that sin is a nature1 seems to be making a distinction without a difference4 ,it is a disposition to sin born with the child4 ,now1 say what we will1 such a disposition to sin thus born with us is not guilt but misfortune4 ,a just ,god will not hold us responsible for it1 but will hold himself responsible to help us out of it4 ,as a faithful ,creator1 he is bound to do so1 and will do so4 ,it is common for theologians to deny all such assertions as these last4 ,they hold it irreverent to say that ,god owes anything to his creatures4 ,they accumulate responsibility upon man1 but deny responsibility to ,god4 ,but in doing this they take from the ,almighty all moral character4 ,calvinism1 especially1 makes of the ,deity infinite power and infinite will4 ,but no blasphemy is worse than that which1 though with the best intentions1 virtually destroys the moral character of the ,almighty1 reducing him to an infinite will3 that is1 making of him an infinite tyrant4 ,for the essence of tyranny is the union of power and will in a ruler1 who recognizes no obligations towards his subjects4 ,the book of ,job seems to have been written partly to refute this sort of ,calvinism4 ,the friends of ,job were ,calvinists in this sense4 ,the sum of their argument was that1 since ,god was all-powerful1 therefore whatever he did must be right2 and1 since he punished ,job1 ,job must be a sinner1 and ought to confess his sin whether he saw it or not4 ,this has been1 in all ages1 the substance of ,calvinism--,jewish ,calvinism1 ,mohammedan ,calvinism1 ,christian ,calvinism4 ,it declares that we are bound to submit to ,god1 not because he is good1 but because he is powerful4 ,but the answer of ,job to his friends is a rebuke to the same spirit wherever shown4 ,he asks them 8if they will speak with unfairness for ,god10 and 8speak deceitfully for him10 and 8accept his person40 ,he declares that if he could find ,god he would go before his throne and defend his own cause4 8,would he contend with me with his mighty power8 ,no6 he would have regard unto me40 ,this is the sin of ,calvinism1 that it 8accepts the person of the ,almighty10 assuming that he has a right to do as he pleases with his creatures1 and that they have no rights which he is bound to respect1 except that of being punished4 ,thus it destroys the moral character of the ,almighty4 ,fourth4 ,professor ,lawrence says1 8,it is the general belief of the ,old ,school that those who die in infancy before actual transgression1 are renewed and saved by the blood of ,christ40 ,the power of infancy is wonderful4 ,it can even break down the logic of ,calvinism4 ,wordsworth was right in calling the infant-- 8,mighty prophet6 ,seer blest6 ,on whom those truths do rest ,which we are toiling all our lives to find40 ,every kind of theology1 however savage and bitter it may be against adult sinners1 sending them into an eternal hell without the least hesitation or remorse1 hesitates and stammers when it comes to speak of little children4 ,even the idolatrous ,jews1 sacrificing their children to ,moloch in the valley of ,hinnom1 beat drums to drown their cries1 which they could not bear to hear4 ,both schools of theology1 ,old and ,new1 hasten to say that infants are not to be damned4 ,but why not1 if they are born with a depraved nature1 and die without being converted8 ,both the great schools of ,presbyterian theology hold to the doctrine of the ,assembly's ,catechism1 which declares 7chap4 #f1 #f71 that 8every sin1 both original and actual1 being a transgression of the righteous law of ,god1 and contrary thereunto1 doth1 in its own nature1 bring guilt upon the sinner1 whereby he is bound over to the wrath of ,god40 ,therefore the infant who dies before he has exercised repentance and faith in ,christ1 is under the wrath of ,god4 ,orthodoxy does not allow of repentance in the other life3 how1 then1 can infants be saved according to ,orthodoxy8 ,professor ,lawrence can only reply1 that it is a general belief that they will be saved4 ,the ,catechism declares1 less decidedly1 that 8elect infants0 will be saved4 ,dr4 ,whedon 7,bibliotheca ,sacra1 ,april1 #ahfb71 on behalf of the ,methodists1 says1 8,that the dying infant is saved1 and saved by the atonement1 all agree40 ,but how he is saved1 or what reason they have to think him saved1 except their wish to believe it1 no one can tell4 ,death1 in fact1 becomes to the infant a saving sacrament4 ,as long as he lives he is believed unregenerate and unconverted4 ,as soon as he dies he is considered ready for heaven4 ,but he cannot be ready for heaven until he is regenerate2 and after death there is no such thing as obtaining a new heart1 and no opportunity for repentance4 ,logically1 therefore1 the infant is converted by the mere act of dying4 ,we presume that no ,orthodox theologians would assert this2 and yet we really do not see how they can avoid the conclusion4 ,but why is it any worse for children to be damned in consequence of ,adam's sin than for adults to be damned8 ,orthodoxy assures us that in consequence of ,adam's sin we are born depraved4 ,dr4 ,duffield1 stating and defending the doctrines of the ,new ,school ,presbyterian ,church 7,bibliotheca ,sacra1 ,july1 #ahfc71 says that ,adam subjected his posterity to such a loss that they are born without any righteousness1 are exposed to the consequences of his transgression1 and all become sinners as soon as they are capable of it4 ,he quotes with approbation from a protest of the ,new ,school minority1 in the ,general ,assembly of #ahcg 7which he calls a document of great historic value71 an assertion that 8by reason of the sin of ,adam1 the race are treated as if they had sinned20 and from another document of the same school which says1 that 8we are all born with a tendency to sin1 which makes it morally certain that we shall do so40 ,now1 we do not see why it is any worse to send infants to hell because of this depraved nature1 than to send grown persons there who have sinned in consequence of possessing such a depraved nature4 ,if it be said that adults have had an opportunity to repent1 and have not accepted it1 we reply1 that to the mass of mankind no such opportunity is offered2 that1 where it is offered1 no one has the power to accept it1 except he be one of the elect2 and that at all events1 since infants are sure to be saved1 and a very large proportion of adults are very likely to be lost1 death in infancy is the most desirable thing possible4 ,according to this doctrine1 child-murder becomes almost a virtue4 ,the radical difficulty in all these theories consists in refusing to apply to ,god the same rules of justice which we apply to man4 ,to do so implies no irreverence1 but the highest reverence4 ,there is nothing more honorable to the ,almighty than to believe him to be actuated by the same great principles of right which he has written in our conscience and heart4 ,those laws of eternal justice1 so deeply engraven on the fleshly tables of the heart1 are a revelation of the character of ,god himself4 ,if we think to honor him by rejecting these intuitions of the reason1 and by substituting for this divine idea of a ,god of justice that of a being of arbitrary will1 who is under no obligations to his creatures1 we deeply dishonor the ,almighty and fatally injure our own character4 ,from this perverted view of ,god comes a cynical view of man4 ,when we make will supreme in ,god1 we legitimate all tyranny and contempt from man to man4 ,then comes the state of things described by ,shakespeare3-- 8,force should be right1 or1 rather1 right and wrong 7,between whose endless jar justice resides7 ,should lose their names1 and so should justice too4 ,then everything includes itself in power1 ,power into will1 will into appetite2 ,and appetite1 a universal wolf1 ,so doubly seconded with will and power1 ,must make perforce a universal prey1 ,and1 last1 eat up himself40 ,shakespeare1 ,troilus and ,cressida4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,conversion ,,and ,,regeneration4 #a4 ,orthodoxy recognizes only two ,conditions in which ,man can be found4 ,orthodoxy knows only two states in which man can be found4 ,man is either in the natural state1 and then he is totally depraved2 or he is in the supernatural state1 in which the chain of sin has been broken4 ,he is either impenitent or penitent1 either unregenerated or regenerate1 unconverted or converted1 a sinner or a saint4 ,there is no gradation1 no shading off1 no twilight between this midnight gloom and midday splendor4 ,to the common eye1 and in the judgment of their friends and neighbors1 the people who enter a church seem of all degrees of goodness2 and every one has good and bad qualities mixed up together in his character4 ,but1 as the ,orthodox minister looks at them from the pulpit1 they instantly fall into two classes1 and become 8my impenitent hearers10 and 8my penitent hearers40 ,moreover1 it is assumed that the distinction between these two classes is so marked and plain1 that it can be recognized by any one who will4 ,orthodox people inquire1 8,is he pious80 just as they would ask1 8,is he married80 ,again1 the change from one state to the other is assumed to be so distinct and marked1 that he who runs can read4 ,one may say to another1 8,where were you converted80 just as they may say1 8,where did you go to college80 8,where were you born80 said an ,english bishop to ,summerfield1 the ,methodist preacher4 8,in ,dublin and ,liverpool10 he answered4 8,were you born in two places80 said the bishop4 8 #8,art thou a master in ,israel1 and knowest not these things8' 0 replied ,summerfield4 ,on the other hand1 it is quite common among ,liberal ,christians to doubt the reality1 or deny the importance1 of such changes altogether4 ,with them the ,christian life consists1 not in change1 but in progress4 ,in the ,christian source1 ,orthodoxy lays the main stress on the commencement2 ,liberal ,christianity1 on the progress4 ,the one wishes you to begin the journey1 without seeming to care whether you go forward3 the other urges you to go forward1 without inquiring whether you have begun to go4 ,according to one1 ,christianity is nothing but a ,,crisis2 according to the other1 nothing but a ,,development4 #b4 ,crisis and ,development4 ,is there any truth in this ,orthodox view of man8 anything essential1 substantial1 vital8 ,and is there any formal error8 ,if there is1 what is it8 ,is ,christianity crisis or development1 or both8 ,common sense and the analogies of common life must answer1 8,both40 ,if ,christianity is a life1 it must begin with a birth2 if a journey1 it cannot be taken except we set out2 if an education1 we must determine to commence the education2 if labor in ,god's vineyard1 we must go into the vineyard1 and begin4 ,there are only two classes--those who are alive1 and those who are not alive2 those who are taking the journey1 and those who have not yet set out2 those who are studying1 and those who have not yet begun to study2 those who are at work for ,god1 and those who are standing idle4 ,the distinction into two classes seems1 therefore1 substantial and real4 ,it does not follow1 to be sure1 that these two classes can be distinguished so easily by the eye of man2 but they certainly can be by the eye of ,god4 ,nor does this primary distinction interfere with other distinctions and many degrees of difference--greater or less differences and degrees of progress1 usefulness1 goodness4 ,nor does it follow that those who are now on the right side may not change again to the wrong1 and again to the right4 ,there may be conversion1 and re-conversion2 but that1 at any moment1 every person must be either endeavoring to do right1 or not so endeavoring1 is evident4 ,this view is confirmed by the ,new ,testament3 8,no man can serve two masters40 ,that in the religious life there should be both crisis and development1 accords with the analogies of nature4 ,the seed lies in the ground in a dormant state1 perhaps for a long period4 ,after a time comes a crisis2 thrills of life vibrate through it2 the germ is stirred2 it sends its roots downward2 its stalk pierces the mould1 moving upward into light and air4 ,after this great change1 there comes a period of progress and development4 ,the plant grows2 its roots multiply2 its stalk ascends1 and divides into leaves4 ,then there comes a second crisis4 ,the plant blossoms4 ,in the course of a few hours1 after weeks of growth1 the bud bursts into beautiful petals1 surrounding the delicate stamens and precious pistil4 ,then there comes a second long period of slow development4 ,the petals fall1 and the fruit slowly swells through many weeks of growth4 ,at last there comes a day when the fruit is ripe4 ,yesterday it was not ripe2 to-day it is4 ,this is the third crisis4 ,and so1 in human life1 long periods of development terminate in critical hours--the seeds of another long growth4 ,so it is in other things2 so also in religion4 #c4 ,nature of the ,change4 ,the next position of ,orthodoxy is1 that man1 in the second or regenerate state1 is a new creature4 ,it asserts the change to be entire and radical1 and the difference immense4 ,not only the whole direction of the life is changed1 but the motive power is different1 and the spirit different4 ,instead of ambition1 there is content2 in the place of sensitive vanity1 there comes humility2 instead of anxiety1 trust in ,god4 ,the burden of sin is taken away2 the sense of our unworthiness no longer torments us3 for ,god has forgiven our sins4 ,duty no longer seems arduous and difficult2 for there is joy in doing anything for the sake of ,god4 ,the law is written in the heart4 ,we are born into a new life1 the principle of which is faith4 8,the life ,i now live in the flesh1 ,i live by faith in the ,son of ,god40 ,this faith enables us to see ,god as he is1 not as a stern ,king1 or a distant ,power1 or an abstract ,law1 but as a ,friend1 ,father1 watchful ,providence1 surrounding ,love1 inflowing ,life2 ,source from which we are always coming1 and towards which we are always tending4 ,this life of faith makes all things new4 ,old things have passed away1 and the outward world is fresh as on the first morning of creation4 ,our inward and outward life are both new4 ,we have new convictions1 new affections1 new aims1 new hopes1 new joys4 ,nature is new1 life is new1 the ,bible is new1 the future world is new4 ,such and so great is the change which ,orthodoxy assumes as the result of conversion4 #d4 ,its ,reality and ,importance4 ,and the experience of the whole ,church1 the biographies of the saints in every denomination1 assure us of the substantial truth of this description4 ,even in churches which are not ,orthodox1--churches like our own1 which insist more upon development than upon crisis1--observation verifies this description4 ,even those who do not expect such a change1 nor believe in it1 often come to it unexpectedly4 ,in the course of each one's experience as a ,christian minister1 though he may never have insisted on the importance of sudden changes1 and though he may be no revival preacher1 he must have known numerous instances of those who seem to have passed from death to life in the course of a day or an hour4 ,and is not this change1 either sudden or gradual1 that which makes ,christianity a gospel8 ,it is the good news1 not of a future and distant heaven1 but of a present heaven1--a heaven not outward1 but inward2 a present salvation from the power of sin2 a present relief from the sense of guilt2 a present joy and peace in believing2 happiness in serving ,god2 sympathy and good-will to man1 instead of envy and uncharitableness2 peace with ,god1 with man1 with ourselves1 with our condition and circumstances4 ,that such a state is possible for every human being who desires it1 is the good news which ,christ brings2 and the experience of ten thousand times ten thousand grateful hearts declares that it is a reality4 #e4 ,is it the ,work of ,god1 or of the ,man himself8 ,orthodox ,difficulty4 ,but now comes a difficulty in the ,orthodox statement4 ,orthodoxy declares that this regenerate state is the result of faith1 not of works2 and that faith is the gift of ,god2 and herein ,orthodoxy follows the ,scripture4 ,yet ,orthodoxy calls upon us to repent and be converted1 that our sins may be blotted out2 and herein likewise ,orthodoxy follows the ,scripture4 ,is1 then1 conversion an experience1 or is it an action8 ,is it something ,god gives1 or something which he commands8 ,is it a duty to be done1 or a gift to be received8 ,is it submission to his will1 or joy in his love8 a new life of obedience1 or a new heart of faith8 ,if it is submission1 then we can all change our hearts at once1 and make ourselves love ,god and love man4 ,but who can love by an effort of the will8 ,yet1 if the new life is a gift1 then we have no power to procure it1 and can only wait till ,god sees fit to send it2 and how1 then1 can we be called upon to be converted8 ,here is a difficulty which it seems to us ,orthodoxy does not solve2 and yet we think that a solution is to be found in a very simple distinction1 which1 like all other true and real distinctions1 throws light on many other difficulties4 #f4 ,solved by the ,distinction between ,conversion and ,regeneration4 ,the distinction of which we speak is between repentance or conversion on the one side1 and regeneration or a new life on the other side4 ,repentance or conversion consists in renouncing all sin1 and resolving to forsake it2 in turning to ,god1 with the purpose of submitting to his will and obeying his law4 ,this conversion or repentance is an act proceeding from the will1 and in obedience to the conscience4 ,this is what ,god commands1 and what we can and ought to do4 ,every conscientious person1 every person who is endeavoring to do right and is ready to act up to his light1 is a converted person4 ,every one who hates his sins1 resists temptation1 watches and prays against it1 is a penitent person4 ,this is the great1 broad distinction between man and man4 ,this divides all men into two classes--those who1 in their will and purpose1 are for ,god1 truth1 and right2 and those who1 because they are not for ,god1 are really against him4 ,but1 besides this broad distinction1 there is another secondary distinction--a distinction among those who are conscientiously endeavoring to do ,god's will4 ,among the converted there are two classes--the regenerate and the unregenerate4 ,a man may be converted1 and not be regenerate2 for a man may repent of his sin and turn towards ,god1 and yet not have the life of love and joy which we have described4 ,he is under law1 not under grace4 ,he is struggling to do right1 but is not borne forward on a joyful tide-wave of love4 #g4 ,men may be divided1 religiously1 into three ,classes1 not two4 ,if this be so1 we may divide men into three classes1 and not into two4 ,the first class is of those who are neither converted nor regenerate2 the second1 who are converted1 but not regenerate2 the third1 who are converted1 and also regenerate4 ,the first are like the prodigal in the parable1--living without ,god2 the second1 like the hired servants in the same story1--serving ,god for wages2 the third are sons1 serving from love1 ever with their ,father1 and all that he has is theirs4 ,the motive of the first class is selfish will1 selfish pleasure2 the motive of the second is duty2 that of the third1 love4 ,the first are without law1 the second under law1 the third under grace4 ,and so we might multiply distinctions4 ,but is it not clear to common observation1 that this threefold classification meets the facts of life better than the other8 ,there are three degrees of character4 ,there is the worldly man1 who is just as good or bad as society around him leads him to be2 whose virtues result merely from a happy organization1 or fortunate influences1 but who has no principle of goodness1 no purpose of righteousness1 no serious aim in life4 ,then there is the conscientious man1 who means to live1 and does live1 by a standard of morality2 who has a serious aim1 but who is not yet deeply and joyfully religious2 whose religion1 at any rate1 is hard work1 not confiding1 child-like faith4 ,and then there is the ,christian believer1 who has begun to live from faith2 who begins to feel a higher life pouring into his heart from on high2 who has help and strength from above4 ,from his heart the burden has been lifted1 and he has become again as a little child4 ,he knows how to pray the prayer of faith4 ,he may not be so very much better than the other in outward character2 but he has the principle within him which will make all things new1 sooner or later4 ,the ,new ,testament confirms this view of a threefold division4 ,we saw1 in our last chapter1 that the apostle ,paul1 who considers human nature to consist of three elements1--spirit1 soul1 and body1--divides mankind into the carnal man1 the natural 7psychical or soulish7 man1 and the spiritual man4 ,the carnal man is he in whom the bodily instincts and appetites are supreme4 8,he is not subject to the law of ,god1 neither indeed can be40 ,the natural man is he in whom the soul is supreme3 he is neither carnal on one side1 nor spiritual on the other4 8,he cannot receive the things of the ,spirit of ,god20 yet he is not in opposition and hostility to them1 like the carnal man1 whose mind is enmity against ,god4 ,still more plainly does the apostle indicate the distinction when speaking of those who are without law1 those who are under law1 and those who are free from law and above it4 ,the first state he describes in such words as these3 8,i was alive without the law once0--the glad1 natural life and freedom before conscience is developed4 ,but conscience does awake in all3 8,the commandment came1 sin revived1 and ,i died40 ,when man sees that he ought to serve ,god1 yet continues to serve the flesh and the world1 he is spoken of as dead in sin2 for all the principle of progress ceases4 ,but if he does endeavor to do right1 then ,paul speaks of him as under law1 and on his way to a higher state4 ,that higher state he speaks of as being 8delivered from the law1 to serve in newness of spirit1 and not in oldness of letter40 ,thus we see that all religious experiences coincide4 ,the experience of the apostle ,paul is exactly the same1 in its essentials1 with that of every soul1 however humble1 that begins and goes forward in the ,christian life4 ,if this distinction between conversion and regeneration be correct1 it removes the difficulty in the ,orthodox statement4 #h4 ,difference between ,conversion and ,regeneration4 ,conversion is an act1 regeneration an experience4 8,turn ye1 turn ye2 for why will ye die80 is the command of the ,old ,testament4 8,repent1 and be converted1 that your sins may be blotted out20 8,repent1 and be baptized1 and ye shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,ghost10 is the command of the ,new ,testament4 ,it is a duty to repent2 but to become regenerate is not a duty3 that is a gift1 to be received afterwards4 ,god commands conversion3 he bestows regeneration4 ,submission is an act of our own3 faith is the gift of ,god4 ,a change of outward life and conduct we can accomplish ourselves2 at least1 we can endeavor to accomplish it2 but the change of heart ,god himself will bestow4 ,conversion1 a turning round1 is necessarily instantaneous3 it is a change4 ,but regeneration1 or reception of divine ,love1 is a state1 not sudden1 but passing by gradations into a deeper and deeper life of faith and joy4 ,so1 too1 conversion may be repeated3 we may often find that we have again turned round1 and are going the wrong way4 ,but the inflow of life1 when begun1 cannot be begun again4 ,when ,god has touched the heart with his love1 it is forever lifted by that divine experience beyond the region of mere law4 ,we can never forget it4 ,these are the3 8,truths which wake ,to perish never2 ,which neither listlessness nor mad endeavor1 ,nor man nor boy1 ,nor aught that is at enmity with joy1 ,can utterly abolish or destroy40 ,and herein lies the basis of the truth in the doctrine of the 8perseverance of saints40 #i4 ,unsatisfactory ,attitude of the ,orthodox ,church4 ,we cannot but think the attitude of ,orthodoxy towards this part of ,christianity to be singularly unsatisfactory and inefficient4 ,the work of the ,church1 all admit1 is to convert the world to ,god1 and so save it from the power and evil of sin4 ,but if this is a work which the ,church has to do1 it ought surely to have some fixed method or rule by which to act4 ,it should not be a matter of accident whether it can do its work or not4 ,it should not be in doubt1 every day1 as to the success to come from its efforts4 ,if its work is to make men ,christians1 it ought to know how to do it1 be able to do it1 and know when it is done4 ,such is the case with all other work4 ,if a man is to build a house1 he does not bring together his materials1 hire his carpenters and masons1 and1 when all are on the ground1 sit down with them1 and wait for some emotion or interior change by which they will be enabled to go on and do their work4 ,if we are mechanics1 merchants1 lawyers1 physicians1 teachers1 we do not wait for a revival before we can properly fulfil our engagements4 ,it is only in the work of converting the world to ,god--the greatest and most important of all--that such a strange system is adopted4 ,we are told to put ourselves in the proper place1 namely1 the ,church2 collect our materials1 that is1 the means of grace2 and then we are to wait until1 somehow or other1 we may be able to get religion4 ,religion is made a spasm1 a struggle1 an agony--not a regular work1 not a steady growth4 ,everything about it is uncertain and tentative4 ,no one knows when he will become a ,christian1 but hopes1 some time or other1 that he shall be made one4 ,the common thought1 produced by the common ,orthodox system of preaching1 was expressed once in a public meeting by ,henry ,clay4 8,i am not10 he said1 8a ,christian4 ,i am sorry ,i am not4 ,i wish ,i were4 ,i hope that1 some day1 ,i shall be40 ,he did not mean by this to say that he was an unbeliever2 but he had adopted the helpless1 passive system by which he was taught that he had nothing to do but wait till some great change should take place in his soul4 ,out of this way of thought comes the revival system1 which is a curious blending of machinery and expectation1 of adroit and careful management with reliance on some great inspiration4 ,crisis and development are to be expected1 no doubt2 but we do not set a trap to catch the ,spring4 ,it is ours to plant and to water1 but it is ,god's to give the increase4 ,that1 therefore1 should be left to him4 ,the revival system is ,arminianism grafted on ,calvinism4 ,it is an attempt to unite the belief that man is wholly passive in conversion1 and is not able to prepare himself thereunto1 with the opposite doctrine that by a use of means he can become a ,christian4 ,it is an attempt to unite the ,calvinistic article that ,god1 when he chooses1 calls those he has predestined to eternal life1 with the attempt to make him choose our time and way4 ,such a system1 disjointed at its centre1 must necessarily work badly1 and result in an alternation of feverish heats and aguish chills4 ,to carry on the work of the ,church by revivals is as unreasonable as it would be to carry on a school1 or a cotton factory1 by a revival system--alternations of violent study and work1 followed by relapses into indolence and sloth4 ,the ,church of ,rome has a great advantage over ,protestant ,orthodoxy in this respect4 ,it1 too1 admits revivals1 and has its periods of extraordinary attention to religion4 ,but there is this great difference4 ,it does not depend on them for creating ,christianity in the soul2 it uses them only for increasing its warmth and power4 ,in the ,roman ,church every baptized person is a ,christian so long as he does not continue in mortal sin1 but by the regular use of the sacraments preserves his ,christian life4 ,the essential work of the ,church is done by its regular methods--by baptism1 confession1 and its ritual service4 ,in the ,church of ,rome1 all connected with it are ,christians1 and in the way of salvation4 ,in ,protestant ,orthodox churches1 if any of those born and brought up in it are ,christians1 it is1 so far as they are concerned1 a happy accident4 ,all this shows something wrong in the common theory of conversion4 ,every one in a ,christian community who desires to be a ,christian ought to be able to become one4 ,christianity is a gospel1 because it opens the kingdom of heaven to all4 ,the call of the ,church at the beginning was to follow ,christ4 ,any one who was willing to follow ,christ was baptized at once1 and became a ,christian4 ,no one waited till he should experience some remarkable interior change1 or some influence of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the promise at first was1 that whosoever became a ,christian should receive the ,holy ,ghost afterwards4 ,spiritual influences were not the condition of ,christianity1 but the result of ,christianity4 ,one bad consequence of the ,orthodox idea is discouragement on the one side1 and spiritual pride on the other4 ,those who are not converted are discouraged1 and deprived of the comforts of ,christian faith4 ,those who think they have been converted are satisfied with this past experience1 and believe themselves ,christians on the strength of it4 ,because some spiritual commotion took place in their souls at a certain time and place1 they consider themselves children of ,god and heirs of his favor1 though in their daily lives they may show little proof of practical ,christianity4 ,and the result of this1 again1 is a professed distrust1 by the majority of sensible men1 of such conversions4 ,men of the world do not find that professed ,christians are better than themselves4 ,often1 indeed1 church members are not so just1 honest1 manly1 or truthful as those who make no claim to religion4 ,and the reason is simply this--that they have been taught to believe that the essence of ,christianity does not consist in righteousness1 but in certain religious experiences4 #aj4 ,the ,essential ,thing for ,man is to repent and be converted2 that is1 to make it his ,purpose to obey ,god in all ,things4 ,as far as man is concerned1 repentance is the one thing needful4 ,but by repentance we do not mean sorrow or contrition1 but simply turning round whenever we are going wrong1 and beginning at once to go right4 ,this is something in every man's power1 and this makes him a ,christian2 this gives him a claim to all the promises and hopes of the gospel here and hereafter4 ,it would seem that there need be no doubt as to the nature of repentance while the parable of the prodigal son stands in the ,bible4 ,that divine story gives us the whole theory of repentance and regeneration--repentance being that which comes from man1 regeneration that which is given by ,god4 ,when the prodigal son was aware of his sin and sorrow1 and said1 8,i will arise1 and go to my father20 and when he arose1 and went to his father1 and confessed his sin and need1 then he had repented4 ,it was simply going to his father with the purpose of obedience4 ,and when the father received him1 not with reproach1 but with pardon and joy1 then he was born again1 introduced into a new life1 into the peace1 and love1 and freedom of his own home4 8,one thing is needful10 said ,jesus2 that is1 to sit at the feet of the ,master1 to follow him1 to become his disciple4 ,that is all we have to do2 then we are safe4 ,we can trust ,god to do his part if we do ours4 ,he will give us his ,holy ,spirit2 he will give us a new heart2 he will put his peace and strength into our souls4 ,it is not necessary to be anxious1 or to be inspecting our feelings to see if we are feeling right4 ,all such introspection is unnecessary if we have faith in ,god and his promises4 ,we are ,christians just as long as we are obeying ,god and following ,christ4 ,when we find ourselves disobedient1 selfish1 going wrong1 then the one thing needful is to repent and be converted4 ,we are to come back to our duty4 ,the general impression in ,orthodox churches1 resulting from the preaching1 is1 that not much is gained by doing one's duty unless one is regenerate4 ,doing our duty does not make us ,christians1 does not save the soul2 so1 why be particular in doing more than others1 or being better than others8 ,orthodox congregations believe in the new life1 but not in obedience as its necessary antecedent4 ,unitarians1 on the other hand1 believe in obedience1 but have little faith in a higher life as attainable here4 ,hence a ,unitarian congregation usually consists of intelligent1 virtuous1 well-meaning people1 but destitute of enthusiasm1 and with little confidence in the new birth or religious life4 ,unitarians believe in obedience as the one thing needful2 and in this they are right4 ,but they are wrong in not expecting the influences which ,god is always ready to give1 which change the heart1 and fill it with a peace passing understanding1 which make duties easy1 which fill life with joy1 and take the sting from death4 ,the ,orthodox believe in all these higher emotions and states of the soul1 but unfortunately do not believe in obedience as the one thing needful4 ,they think that some emotional transaction in the soul is the one thing needful4 #aa4 ,regeneration is ,god's ,work in the ,soul4 ,examination of the ,classical ,passage1 or conversation of ,jesus with ,nicodemus4 ,in the third chapter of ,john we have the conversation which has been made the basis of the doctrine of the new birth4 ,in this conversation of ,jesus with ,nicodemus we have the old argument1 which is always being renewed1 between the letter and the spirit1 between knowledge and insight1 between routine and genius1 ceremony and inspiration1 the past and the future1 the goodness of habit and the holiness born out of the living vision of good4 ,in fact this little dialogue may be considered as a renewal1 on a higher plane1 of the picture given us by ,luke of the boy ,jesus in the temple talking with the doctors4 ,the common doctrine of the ,orthodox churches about this chapter is1 that ,jesus teaches here that no man can be a ,christian or a good man unless he passes through some mysterious experience1 usually sudden1 of which he must be conscious1 which gives him a certain definite series of very deep feelings4 ,first1 he must feel very deeply that he is a sinner2 then that he cannot by any effort of his own become different2 thirdly1 that1 unless ,god makes him different1 he never can be saved2 and1 lastly1 he must feel that ,god will change his heart1 and save him4 ,having passed through this kind of experience1 it is assumed that he is 8born again20 that he is a ,christian2 that he is a new creature2 that he has a new heart2 that if he dies now he will go to heaven2 whereas1 if he had died before1 he would have gone to hell4 ,it is also ,orthodox to believe that a man can do nothing himself to produce this change of heart1 or facilitate it4 ,a very interesting book was published not long ago1 written by ,miss ,catherine ,beecher1 in which she describes the sufferings caused in her own experience by this theory of regeneration4 ,her father fully believed in it1 and thought it necessary to carry all his children through it somehow or other4 ,their conversions1 to be sure1 were not all quite in rule2 especially that of ,henry seems to have been a little abnormal1 if we may trust an account given by himself in an article on the dissolution of the ,bowdoin ,street ,church and congregation1 ,boston1 of which his father was the first minister4 ,the description is so suggestive that we will quote the passage3-- 8,if somebody will look in the old records of ,hanover ,street ,church about #ahbi1 they will find a name there of a boy about fifteen years old1 who was brought into the ,church on a sympathetic wave1 and who well remembers how cold and almost paralyzed he felt while the committee questioned him about his #8hope' and #8evidences1' which upon review amounted to this--that the son of such a father ought to be a good and pious boy4 ,being tender-hearted and quick to respond to moral sympathy1 he had been caught and inflamed in a school excitement1 but was just getting over it when summoned to ,boston to join the church6 ,on the morning of the day1 he went to church without seeing anything he looked at4 ,he heard his name called from the pulpit among many others1 and trembled2 rose up with every emotion petrified2 counted the spots on the carpet2 looked piteously up at the cornice2 heard the fans creak in the pews near him2 felt thankful to a fly that lit on his face1 as if something familiar at last had come to break an awful trance2 heard faintly a reading of the articles of faith2 wondered whether he should be struck dead for not feeling more--whether he should go to hell for touching the bread and wine that he did not dare to take nor to refuse2 spent the morning service uncertain whether dreaming1 or out of the body1 or in a trance2 and at last walked home crying1 and wishing he knew what1 now that he was a ,christian1 he should do1 and how he was to do it4 ,ah1 well2 there is a world of things in children's minds that grown-up people do not imagine1 though they1 too1 once were young60 ,now1 if his state of mind1 thus described1 had been at that time exposed and told1 it would not have been thought a very sound ,orthodox experience4 ,but in reality the boy was at that very time as good a ,christian for a boy as he is now for a man4 ,but ,miss ,beecher1 in the book referred to1 tells us that when one of her other brothers was striving in prayer for this change of heart1 with groans and struggles1 the house was like a tomb4 ,the poor young man was in his chamber alone1 and his groans and cries were heard through the whole house4 ,all the other members of the family staid in their own rooms in silence1 until at last1 by some natural reaction of feeling1 there came a sense of rest and peace to his mind1 which they believed to be the new birth4 ,she also describes the way in which ,dr4 ,payson1 of ,portland1 tortured his little daughter1 three years old1 by a torture as well meant1 as conscientious1 and more terrible than that of the ,holy ,inquisition4 ,he told his little daughter that she hated ,god2 that she must have a change of heart1 but that she could not get it for herself2 and that even her prayers1 until she was converted1 were only making her worse4 ,the poor little girl denied that she hated ,god2 she said she was sure she loved him4 ,then the misguided father brought up all her little childish faults as a proof that she hated ,god2 for if she loved him she would never do wrong4 ,and so1 from three years of age till she was thirteen1 this poor1 infatuated parent tormented this little child by keeping her on this spiritual rack--all because of a false view of the passages concerning regeneration in the ,bible4 ,and when we think of the twenty thousand pulpits which to-day are teaching in this country this same sort of belief1 it is evident that it is our duty to see what the ,master really meant to teach us by this passage4 ,nicodemus is the type of a class of men common in all times4 ,we have seen ,nicodemus very often4 ,he is a good man whose goodness has no life in it4 ,his goodness is a sort of an automaton--all machinery and no soul4 ,he is so thoroughly right in all he does2 everything about him is so proper2 he is so perfectly en rgle in his own eyes1--that we sometimes wish that he might be betrayed into some impropriety1 commit some not too great folly1 have some escapade of rash enthusiasm4 ,you respect him so much1 you wonder why you do not love him more4 ,it is because he is not open to influence4 ,his goodness is so rigid1 his opinions so declared1 his character so pronounced1 that there is no crack anywhere by which ,god or man can reach him4 ,he has a whole armor of opinions all round him1 and you cannot get through it4 ,he has narrowed himself1 and shut himself in1 so that he feels no influence of sympathy coming from the wide ocean of humanity around1 no influence of love from the deep heaven of ,god above4 ,he is a sort of good rhinoceros1 with a skin so thick that nothing can pierce it4 ,nicodemus was such a man1 and he came to ,jesus with all his opinions cut and dried1 ready for an argument4 ,he begins in a very formal and precise way4 8,rabbi1 we know thou art a teacher come from ,god1 for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except ,god be with him40 ,he observes all proprieties2 he calls ,jesus ,doctor1--8,rabbi10--but takes good care not to call him ,christ4 ,he gives his reason for thinking ,jesus a teacher come from ,god1 namely1 his miracles4 ,not his holiness1 not his inspiration1 not his supreme sweetness1 not that he is a channel through which ,god's tenderness runs down into our hearts4 ,no2 he sees no such spiritual proof as this1 but a merely logical one1 expressed almost in the form of a syllogism4 ,major proposition--8,no man can work miracles without ,god's help40 ,minor proposition--8,jesus works miracles40 ,conclusion--8,therefore ,jesus has ,god's help40 ,now1 what does ,jesus reply8 ,evidently much of the conversation has been omitted4 ,we have only the substance of it here4 8,you believe in the kingdom of heaven1 ,nicodemus40 8,certainly40 8,how do you expect to know it when you see it80 8,by some great outward signs2 something which shall shake heaven and earth2 the ,messiah coming in the sky1 with angels40 8,nicodemus1 you cannot even see the kingdom when it is here1 if you look for it so2 you must be born again yourself2 you must be changed1 and become as a little child1 in order to enter the kingdom40 ,we remember that ,peter1 who was probably not half as good as ,nicodemus1 an impulsive soul1 was nevertheless enough of a little child1 in openness of heart1 to see that this was the kingdom of heaven1--this teaching and life of ,jesus1--and that ,jesus was the ,messiah4 ,but ,nicodemus says1 8,no4 ,a ,gentile1 a heathen1 ought1 no doubt1 to begin at the beginning1 give up all his old opinions1 and be born of water by being baptized4 ,he should begin by a recantation4 ,i suppose that is what you mean by being born again4 ,but ,i ought not1 for ,i am a ,jew1 grown up in the true knowledge of ,god1 learned from ,moses and the prophets4 ,so ,i need not begin my life again40 ,jesus then replies1 8,the form is nothing4 ,you must be born not only of water1 but of the ,spirit1 in order to enter the kingdom of ,god4 ,you need not only to wash off all your old opinions and conduct1 as the ,gentiles must do2 but also you must be made a little child by laying your heart open to ,god's ,spirit1 and letting it lead your thoughts into new ways1 your heart into new love1 and your life into new action4 ,you must be willing to follow me1 not by night only1 but in the day4 ,if they turn you out of the ,sanhedrim1 you must not mind that2 you must find your happiness in getting good and doing good2 receiving ,god's love into your soul1 and letting it go out again4 ,you must give yourself up to this divine influence40 ,then ,nicodemus says1 8,how can these things be80 ,he wishes to see the way1 to have it all marked out2 to have a creed with all its articles of belief fixed2 a programme of what he is to do arranged4 ,the spirit he does not quite understand4 ,give it to him in the letter1 and he can do it4 ,he wants a map of the operations of the ,holy ,spirit4 8,are you a teacher of ,israel1 and do not know this80 replies ,jesus4 8,the whole ,old ,testament is full of this inspiration2 full of the ,spirit of ,god coming and going1 in a thousand ways1 and not by any special rule or method2 going as the wind comes and goes in the sky1 we do not know whence or how40 ,it is well that some things cannot be arranged beforehand--well that no almanac can tell if the wind to-morrow is to be east or west1 north or south4 ,i sit in the sweet autumn woods4 ,i see the squirrel leap from branch to branch4 ,i hear the woodpecker tapping the trunk with sagacious beak1 watching when the sound shall indicate that a worm has hidden himself below the bark4 ,all else is calm and still4 ,i look up and see the white clouds drifting through the deep ocean of blue above4 ,then there comes a sudden shiver through the tree-tops1 a sprinkling of dry leaves on the grass1 a whisper1 a rush of air2 and now every tree is swinging its branches in the breeze4 ,so is every one that is born of the ,spirit6 ,god comes to us all in these uncalculated1 incalculable ways4 ,he moves our conscience by the light of loyalty and fidelity in another soul4 ,there comes through all the land a fresh breeze of justice and right1 and all at once we feel that we ought to lead better lives1 more manly1 more true4 ,there comes a revival of honesty1 as well as of piety4 ,yesterday you did not care for it2 now you do4 ,god's holy air of truth and right is sweeping through the land4 ,we all arise and say1 8,no matter what our fathers consented to2 no matter what we have consented to in past times2 we will have no more compromises with evil and sin1 no more concessions to tyranny and cruelty40 ,when this spirit comes to a nation1 or to a community1 it is as much a revival sent by ,god1 as the reformation of ,luther1 or the reformation of ,wesley4 ,jesus means to teach us here that the ,spirit of ,god comes in a great many different ways1 comes unexpected and unforeseen1 comes unapparent as the invisible air4 ,so came the reformation of ,luther4 ,luther did not mean to make a reformation1 or to build a new ,church47#ag7 ,all recollect the story of the ,quaker1 ,george ,fox1 how he went from ,church to ,church1 and got no good1 and at last opened his soul to ,god1 and was led by the ,spirit into new and strange thoughts and purposes1 and became a reformer1 and founder of a denomination1 unintentionally4 ,and so the ,quaker movement came--the most radical reform which ever sprang up in the ,christian ,church4 ,it abolished the ministry and sacraments1 baptism1 and the ,lord's supper4 ,it reformed the theology of ,christendom1 putting the inner light above the written words4 ,it reformed life1 opposing war1 oaths1 slavery1 and fashion4 ,and as it came1 so is it passing away1 having done its work4 ,as the breeze dies softly1 and the leaves cease to glitter in the sunlight1 and the red leaf on the top-most twig1 far up in the sky1 leaves off its airy dance1 and at last hangs motionless1 so the wild air which stirred in the depths of all hearts dies away in silence1 and old opinions and old customs resume their places1 yet all purified and changed4 ,only those which were so wholly dead that the wind blew them entirely away1 are gone forever4 ,so are the changes which come in human hearts1 we know not whence or how4 ,it is a great mistake in the ,church to have a stereotyped experience1 to which all must conform4 ,procrustes only lopped the limbs to suit the measure of his bed2 but these rules and moulds for the spiritual life1 cut down the new man1 who is made by ,god's ,spirit1 to the earthly standard of some narrow stunted experience of other times4 ,this it is 8to grieve the ,spirit10 and to 8quench the ,spirit40 ,for ,god's ,spirit goes everywhere1 and where it goes it produces the best evidence of ,christianity in sweet1 holy1 ,christian lives4 ,it is the wind which blows where it will1 which does not run on a railroad through the sky1 or stop at any particular stations in the clouds1 or go by any time-table4 ,god's ,spirit comes and goes not according to any rules of ours4 ,the publicans and sinners have it1 and show it1 sometimes1 instead of the ,scribes and ,pharisees4 ,for so the apostle declares that there are 8differences of operation1 but the same ,spirit40 ,sometimes you see a hard man1 a man of the world1 who has been fighting his way through life1 till he has come to rely wholly on himself1 and feels like some of those rocky reefs which stand out in the sea on our ,new ,england coast1 and have borne the onset of a thousand storms4 ,yet at last he is softened4 ,we see it1 we feel it4 ,there is a strange softness in his tone1 a gentleness in his manner1 a suspicion of moisture in his eye4 ,the good ,god has been moving in his heart2 perhaps it was by some trial or disappointment1 or the loss of some curly-headed darling1 who went up to heaven1 and left the doors open behind1 so that the joyful music which welcomed her came down to his ears and touched his soul4 ,when men see that1 they say1 8,well1 there is something in religion1 after all1 if it can touch such a heart as his40 ,sometimes we see a ,christian who is at first all conscience1 all work4 ,religion means to him1 doing his duty4 ,he intends to be a ,christian1 and wishes others to be so4 ,but it is a piece of hard work4 ,his ,christianity reminds one of the poor woman who thought it 8a chore to live40 ,but after a while1 we see a change--very gradual1 but still very certain4 ,he is beginning to get acquainted with the gospel side of ,christianity4 ,he learns to forgive himself his own sins1 and so he can forgive others4 ,his face begins to reflect more and more of heaven4 ,it is the change which comes to the grapes in ,october4 ,perhaps you have some ,catawba grapes on the south side of your house1 and they grow very nicely all through the summer4 ,they are good1 large grapes well formed1 good clusters1 but very sour4 ,but by and by there comes the final change2 the juice grows sweet within the berry4 ,there is but a very little difference in its appearance1 but a very great change within4 ,when we see this alteration in a man1 we say1 8,there is surely something in ,christianity to produce such a change4 ,why1 what a very sweet ,christian he has grown to be60 ,it took all the summer and part of the fall to do the work2 but no matter4 ,god is not in a hurry4 ,some fruit ripens sooner1 and some later2 that is all4 ,i looked up from my table as ,i wrote these words1 and saw from my window a tulip tree and a maple1 each dressed in its royal robes of beauty--the gift of the declining year2 the green leaves of the one touched with gold1 and the other with its crimson and scarlet glories4 ,they were full of sunlight1 and made the whole landscape glad and gay4 ,no ,tyrian loom could rival the purple splendors and deep crimson of these trees4 ,why does ,god give all this varied beauty to the ,october woods1 so that ,solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these oaks or maples8 ,is not this also to touch our hearts with a sense of his love8 ,an autumn ride is also a means of grace2 quite as much so1 perhaps1 as a tract or sermon4 ,if we see ,god in nature1 then nature may also be the source of a new birth to us4 8,one impulse from the autumn wood ,may teach us more of man1 ,of moral evil and of good1 ,than all the sages can40 ,what ,i understand ,jesus1 then1 to teach in this passage1 is1 that we must become as little children1 in order to see heavenly things2 that1 like new-born babes1 we must receive meekly the milk of the word of ,god2 that spiritual influences are all around us1 invisible--incalculable3 that not by the regular outward means of religion alone1 but by a thousand other ways1 ,god comes to us4 ,he means that we should believe in the presence and nearness of ,god's ,spirit always2 that we should open our hearts and minds to be led by it into truth and love4 ,he meant the very opposite of what he has been made to mean4 ,he did not mean that all souls must pass through one and the same religions experience1 but that1 as the wind blows a thousand ways1 so ,god's ,spirit comes to the heart by a thousand ways4 ,so coming1 it makes the hard heart tender1 the rude will gentle1 the selfish soul generous1 gives the reckless a new sense of responsibility4 ,jesus means that we should not be discouraged because we find it hard to correct our faults1 or to enter into ,god's love4 ,god's ,spirit comes to us when we cannot go to find it4 ,god's love comes into our hearts when we long for it1 look for it1 wait for it4 ,look up1 then1 poor trembling heart2 look up1 and see ,god near4 ,look up1 hard heart1 and feel the soft showers of divine grace coming down to make everything tender4 ,look up1 and be made new creatures1 become as little children1 be born anew1 every day1 into a fresh inspiration1 faith1 and hope2 and so enter every day the kingdom of heaven6 #ab4 ,evidences of ,regeneration4 ,the common ,orthodox method is to require and expect evidence of the ,christian change4 ,as we have already said1 a ,christian is expected to know and to be able to tell when1 where1 and under what circumstances he entered into the new life4 ,but1 perhaps1 the preliminary question is1 ,ought we to have1 and can we have1 any evidence at all of the new life8 ,and to this question many reply in the negative1 and with very good reason4 ,the new life is a hidden life2 a 8life hid with ,christ in ,god40 ,its essence is love1 and love is an inward sentiment1 not an outward act4 ,conviction demands utterance2 actions speak louder than words2 but love is accustomed to hide itself away in the heart1 and to be known only to its object1 and that indirectly4 ,evidences of love6 ,what should we think of asking of young people coming to be married1 the evidences that they loved each other2 obliging them to give an account of their experience2 to say when1 where1 and how they began first to care for each other2 and then1 if the evidence was satisfactory1 allowing them to be married6 ,why1 then1 ask of the soul wishing to be united with ,god and ,christ in a ,christian covenant1 to tear open the folded bud of this tender affection1 analyze it metaphysically1 measure it mathematically1 and cross-examine it as a witness suspected of falsehood is questioned by lawyers before a jury8 ,what do we know of this new life8 what can we tell of it8 ,almost always it comes to us gradually and unconsciously4 ,it is veiled in shadows1 misty lights1 and neutral tints4 ,the second life comes like the first4 ,the child is born1 and knows not of the awful change from not being to being--the immense event of passage from unconscious existence to conscious life4 ,for consciousness dawns slowly1 imperceptibly4 ,the infant is long immersed in outward things4 ,years pass before it becomes aware of the fact that it exists1 before it begins to look in and see itself in the mirror of reflection4 ,so1 probably1 will it also be1 when we pass from this life into the next4 ,we shall1 perhaps1 awaken very gradually1 in the future life1 to the knowledge that we are in another state4 ,as the little child becomes quite at home in this world before he thinks to ask how he came here1 so probably in the other world we shall become quite at home with the angels1 before we shall begin to say1 8,i am in heaven40 ,all the births of time partake of this quality4 ,they do not reflect on themselves1 are not surprised at themselves1 but come as a matter of course4 ,years after1 when the early heat of the new life has grown cold1 the historians and biographers arrive to examine it in the crucible of their painful analysis1 and to tell us how wonderful it is4 ,how can any man prove that he is alive8 ,why should he prove it8 ,let his life show itself1 but not try to prove itself4 ,let its light shine1 and those who see its good and joy will glorify the ,father in heaven who has sent it4 ,the mistake here1 as before1 is in confounding conversion and regeneration4 ,including in the terms 8conversion0 and 8repentance0 the whole activity of the will1 the religious purpose1 the aim of life1 it is1 no doubt1 of the utmost importance to see1 continually1 what it is4 8,know thyself0 is a heaven-descended maxim1 if we understand by it that we are to watch ourselves always1 and see whither we are going4 ,we need continually to know the direction of our life1 whether it is to ,god or from him2 whether it is upward or downward2 whether we are following truth1 and justice1 and love1 or following our own selfish desires and will4 ,in this sense self-examination is both possible and necessary4 ,when the great ocean steamer is in the midst of the mighty ,atlantic1 it is necessary to watch continually its direction1 and keep it always heading the right way4 ,day and night1 therefore1 the man stands sleepless at the helm1 his eye always turning from the compass to the ship's head1 with unfailing vigilance4 ,but it is not thought necessary to inspect the interior of the boilers1 or to examine the quality of the fire4 ,if steam enough is made1 and the wheels revolve1 that is enough4 ,the new life into which we enter by the new birth has this one character--that it gives us for a motive1 not fear1 but hope2 not law1 but love2 not constraint1 but joy4 ,prayer is not a duty1 but the spontaneous impulse of the child1 to seek and find its father4 ,work is not drudgery but satisfaction1 when the motive is to serve the great cause of ,christ4 ,the only real evidence1 therefore1 that we are born of ,god1 is1 that we have the fruits of the ,spirit1 love1 joy1 and peace4 ,the tree is known by its fruits1 and these are the appropriate fruits of the new life4 ,when we find them1 let us gladly receive them2 but if we do not find them1 let us at least be glad that if not yet new-born1 we are1 nevertheless1 converted2 if not sons1 at least servants4 ,we have the one thing needful when we have the right purpose2 sooner or later1 we shall also have the happy life4 ,when we do right1 we sow to the ,spirit1 and we shall1 in due season1 reap life everlasting4 ,as regards the evidence of the new life1 too much stress1 we think1 has been laid on outward profession1 ceremonies1 religious language1 religious acts4 ,because a man professes religion1 it is no evidence that he is religious4 ,because he partakes of the ,lord's supper1 or prays openly1 or speaks in the habitual religious language of his sect1 it is no evidence of his religious life4 ,many persons are quite comforted if one who has led an immoral life says on his death-bed that he 8trusts in the atoning blood of ,christ40 ,but this may be a mere word4 ,all ceremonies and prayers are means1 but none of them are evidence1 of a state4 ,the only evidences are the fruits of the ,spirit4 8,the tree is known by its fruits40 8,the fruits of the ,spirit are love1 joy1 peace1 long-suffering1 gentleness1 goodness1 faith1 meekness1 temperance40 ,let us remember that though a man may be converted1 and not as yet be regenerate1 he cannot be regenerate unless he is converted2 that is1 there can be no true piety1 no love1 no faith1 no spiritual religion1 except there be a sincere and determined purpose of righteousness beneath it4 ,there may be true morality without piety1 but there cannot be a true piety without a true morality4 ,the law must precede the gospel4 ,conscientiousness must go before love1 to prepare its way4 8,that is not first which is spiritual1 but that which is natural1 and afterwards that which is spiritual40 ,the first question1 therefore1 to ask ourselves1 is not1 8,do ,i love ,god80 but1 8,do ,i obey ,god80 ,every man's own soul1 if sincere1 can answer that question4 8,if our heart condemn us1 ,god is greater than our heart40 8,if our heart condemn us not1 then have we confidence towards ,god40 ,but if we are obeying ,god1 then let us believe in a higher life which ,god has to bestow1 and believing1 seek for it4 ,it is not earned1 it is not a reward1 it is not by works2 but it is very nigh and close at hand2 it is ready to be given to those who believe in it and look for it4 ,so1 if the question be asked1 8,is man active or passive in this process80 the answer is1 that he is active in conversion1 receptive in regeneration4 ,so in regard to faith and works4 8,we are justified by faith20 but justification is the sense of ,god's forgiving love which is received into an open heart4 ,justification is not salvation2 it is only a step in that direction1 and a preparation for it4 ,and now we ask1 8,why is it1 if this new life is a gift1 do not all good men receive it80 ,the answer is1 8,there are conditions4 ,all good men do not believe in it4 ,some believe that duty is every thing2 that ,christianity consists wholly in obedience4 ,they know nothing higher1 and therefore seek for nothing higher4 ,regeneration they hear of1 but think it something mystical1 miraculous1 unnatural1 and1 to say the truth1 not very attractive4 ,if they believed in a life of love and trust1 a life free from the burden of anxiety1 they would surely desire it40 ,those also who believe in it do not always believe it is for themselves4 ,they think it not meant for common people in the midst of common life1 but for some special saintship4 ,they do not believe in this divine life flowing into every heart and soul1 high and low1 wise and ignorant1 be it only sincere1 honest1 and believing4 ,yet it is like the life of nature1 which in the abounding spring-time comes down from the skies1 and flows not only into the majestic tree1 swelling at once its myriad buds1 but also into every seed1 and root1 and weed1 awakening them all4 ,this is what we need for peace1 for real progress1 for present comfort1 for future joy4 ,it is communion with ,god1 it is receiving his love1 it is accepting his forgiveness1 and living day by day as his beloved children4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,orthodox ,,idea ,,of ,,the ,,son ,,of ,,god4 #a4 ,orthodox ,doctrine stated4 ,having considered the ,orthodox idea of man in his natural state1 and of man in his supernatural state1 we next pass to consider the ,orthodox idea of ,christ's person and of ,christ's work4 ,in this chapter we shall consider the ,orthodox view of the person of ,christ1 and ask what is its substantial truth1 and what its formal error4 ,the ,orthodox opinion concerning ,christ is thus stated in the ,assembly's ,confession of ,faith3 8,the ,son of ,god1 the second person in the ,trinity1 being very and eternal ,god1 of one substance and equal with the ,father1 did1 when the fulness of time was come1 take upon him man's nature1 with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof1 yet without sin2 so that two whole1 perfect1 and distinct natures--the ,godhead and the ,manhood--were inseparably joined together in one person1 which person is very ,god and very ,man40 ,christ1 therefore1 was perfectly ,god and perfectly man4 ,the formula is1 8two natures1 but one person40 ,the ,orthodox doctrine is not of ,god dwelling in a human body as its soul 7which seems to be the view of ,swedenborg71 but it is of ,god united with a human soul and body as one person or one consciousness4 #b4 ,this ,doctrine gradually developed4 ,this idea of ,christ1 as we know1 was gradually formed in the ,christian ,church1 and did not become ,orthodox until after many struggles4 ,first came the question whether the ,deity of ,christ was equal or subordinate to that of the ,father4 ,hardly had the ,orthodox doctrine triumphed over that of subordination1 against those who denied the equal ,deity1 than it was obliged to turn round and contend against those on the other side1 who denied the humanity of ,christ altogether4 ,the ,ebionites considered ,jesus as a mere man4 ,theodotus1 in the year #bjj1 taught the same1 with ,artemon and ,praxeas4 ,in the next century the ,arians and ,sabellians opposed ,orthodoxy from opposite sides1--the one confounding the persons of the ,godhead1 and the other dividing the substance4 ,so for several centuries the pendulum of opinion swung from one side to the other before it rested in the golden mean of ,orthodoxy4 ,the ,nestorians separated the two natures of ,christ1 and maintained that his ,divinity consisted only in the indwelling of ,god4 ,but scarcely had ,nestorius been banished for separating the two natures than ,eutyches plunged into heresy on the other side1 by confounding them together4 ,this was the ,monophysite heresy2 and no sooner was this overthrown1 and it was decided to be wrong to say that ,christ had only one nature1 than others began to contend that he had only one will4 ,these were the ,monothelites4 ,but through all these controversies1 the main doctrine of ,orthodoxy continues to shine out luminous and distinct1 asserting that ,christ combines the fulness of ,deity and the fulness of ,humanity4 #c4 ,unitarian ,objections4 ,as this view of the ,deity of ,christ has been stated1 it seems1 in its doctrinal form1 contradictory to ,scripture as well as to reason4 ,that the infinite ,god1 who fills the universe1 and sustains it2 present in the smallest insect2 present in the most distant nebula1 whose light just arriving at our eye has been a million of years on its journey1--that this infinite ,being should have been born in ,palestine1 seems to confute itself by its very statement4 ,who took care of the universe when ,god was an infant in the arms of the ,virgin ,mary8 ,jesus was born1 and died2 but ,god cannot be born1 and cannot die4 ,jesus suffered from hunger1 fatigue1 and pain2 but ,god cannot suffer4 ,jesus was seen by human eyes1 and touched by human hands2 but no man hath seen ,god at any time4 ,jesus had a finite body2 but ,god is ,spirit4 ,jesus was tempted2 but ,god cannot be tempted with evil4 ,jesus prayed2 but ,god cannot pray4 ,jesus said1 8,my ,father is greater than ,i20 but ,god has no one greater than himself4 ,jesus said1 8,i can of mine own self do nothing20 but ,god can of his own self do everything4 ,jesus said 8that he came down from heaven not to do his own will20 but ,god always does his own will4 ,jesus said that there were some things he did not know2 but ,god knows everything4 ,he declared that all power was given to him in heaven and earth2 but ,god's power cannot be given to him4 ,scripture1 therefore1 as well as common sense1 seems to deny the ,orthodox doctrine of the ,deity of ,christ4 ,the common ,trinitarian answer to these texts is1 that ,christ is speaking in his human nature when he asserts these limitations4 ,but this answer1 as ,dr4 ,bushnell has well shown1 is no answer2 for1 as he says1 8it not only does an affront to the plain language of ,scripture1 but virtually denies any real unity between the human and the divine40 ,jesus does not say1 8,all power in heaven and earth is given to my human nature10 but 8to me20 and when the ,trinitarian himself declares that in ,christ1 with two natures1 there is but one person1 the question is concerning that one person1 whether that is finite or infinite1 absolute or dependent1 omniscient or not so1 omnipresent or not so1 omnipotent or not so4 ,the question does not concern his nature1 but himself4 ,the one person must be either finite or infinite3 it cannot be both4 #d4 ,substantial ,truth in this ,doctrine4 ,but now we ask1 ,what substantial truth underlies this formal error8 ,what truth of life underlies this error of doctrine8 ,let us remember how empty the world was of ,god at the time of ,christ's coming4 ,the wisest men could speak thus with ,pliny3 8,all religion is the offspring of necessity1 weakness1 and fear4 ,what ,god is1--if in truth he be anything distinct from the world1--it is beyond the power of man's understanding to know40 ,all intelligent men agreed that if ,god existed he could not possibly take any interest in the affairs of the world or of individuals4 ,phariseeism on the one hand1 and ,sadduceeism on the other1--a religion hardened into forms1 and an empty scepticism1 cold and dead1--divided the world between them4 ,but men cannot live without ,god1 and be satisfied4 ,they were feeling after him1 if haply they might find him1 who is not far from any one of us4 ,then ,christ came2 and in all that he said and did1 he spoke from the knowledge of ,god2 he acted from the life of ,god4 ,here was one1 then1 at last1 to whom ,god was not an opinion1 but a reality2 through whose life flowed the life of ,god in a steady current4 ,we see that all sincere souls who came near ,jesus received from him the same sight of ,god which he possessed2 for faith in a living and present ,god is so congenial to the nature of man1 that it carries conviction with it wherever it is not a mere opinion1 but a state of the soul4 ,those1 therefore1 who could find ,god nowhere else1 found him in ,christ4 ,those who saw him1 saw the ,father4 ,as when through a window we behold the heavens1 as when in a mirror we see an image of the sun1 we do not speak of the window or the mirror1 but say that we see the sun and the heavens1 so those who looked at ,christ said that they saw ,god4 ,the apostle said that ,god was in ,christ2 and this was wholly true4 ,christians afterwards said that ,christ was ,god2 and they thought they were only saying the same thing4 ,they said that ,christ had a divine nature as well as a human nature2 and in this also there was no essential falsehood1 for when we speak of our nature1 we intend merely by it those elements of character which are original and permanent1 which are not acquired1 do not alter1 and are never lost4 ,god dwelt in the soul of ,christ thus constantly1 thus permanently4 ,the ,word thus 8became flesh1 and dwelt among us40 ,the word of the ,lord came to the prophets1 but it dwelt in ,christ4 ,he and his ,father were one4 ,the vital truth of all this was that men were now able to see ,god manifested in man as a living1 present reality4 8,here10 they said1 8is ,god4 ,we have found ,god4 ,he is in ,christ4 ,we can see him there40 ,is it any wonder that men should have called ,jesus ,god8 that they should call him so still8 ,in him truly 8dwelt the fulness of the ,godhead bodily20 and this indwelling ,spirit expressed itself in what he said and what he did4 ,when ,jesus speaks1 it is as if ,god speaks4 ,when ,jesus does anything1 it is as if we saw ,god do it4 ,it becomes to us an expression of the divine character4 ,when ,jesus says to the sinner1 8,go and sin no more10 we see in this a manifestation not merely of his own compassion1 but of ,god's forgiving love2 and when he dies1 although ,god cannot die1 yet he dies according to the divine will1 and thus expresses ,god's willingness to suffer for the redemption of the world4 #e4 ,formal ,error of the ,orthodox ,statement4 ,when we look at ,christ's ,divinity from this point of view1 the distinction between the ,trinitarian and ,unitarian seems almost to disappear4 ,still the question remains1 ,is it right to call him ,god8 ,the distinction remains between saying1 8,god was in ,christ10 and saying1 8,christ was ,god40 ,in short1 was the person of ,christ human or divine8 ,we agree with the ,orthodox in saying that ,christ had two natures--a divine nature and a human nature4 ,we also maintain with them that he had one person4 ,but the question comes1 ,was that one person divine or human1 finite or infinite1 dependent or absolute8 ,the consciousness of the one person is a single consciousness4 ,christ could not at the same time have been conscious of knowing all things and of not knowing all things1 of having all power and of not having it1 of depending on ,god for all things and of not depending for anything4 ,one of two things alone is possible4 ,either ,christ was ,god united with a human soul1 or he was a human soul united with ,god4 ,when ,christ uses the personal pronoun 8,i10 he must mean by that 8,i0 either the finite man or the infinite ,god4 ,i believe the ,unitarian is right in saying that this personal pronoun 8,i0 always refers to the finite being and consciousness1 and not to the infinite ,being4 ,for example3 8,i am not alone1 but ,i and the ,father that sent me40 8,i proceeded forth and came from ,god2 neither came ,i of myself1 but he sent me40 ,god cannot proceed from ,god2 ,god cannot send ,god4 ,again3 8,if ,i honor myself1 my honor is nothing2 it is my ,father that honoreth me40 ,this cannot mean1 8,if ,god honors ,god1 his honor is nothing2 but it is ,god that honors him40 ,it must mean that the human being1 ,christ1 receives his honor from the divine ,being4 ,this view--that the person of ,christ is human1 but is intimately united and in perfect union with the indwelling ,god--makes all ,scripture intelligible4 ,any other view is either unintelligible or contradictory4 ,this view of the divine nature of ,christ united with the human person1 of ,god dwelling in the flesh1 does not confound the mind like the common ,trinitarian view1 and yet has a value for the heart of paramount importance4 ,if ,christ is really a man like ourselves1 made in all respects like his brethren1 and yet is thus at one with ,god1 thus full of ,god1 it shows us that sin and separation from ,god are accidental things1 and not anything necessary4 ,if ,jesus is truly a man1 he redeems and exalts humanity4 ,what he has been is a type of what all men may be4 ,thus the apostle ,paul speaks when he says that all things were created in ,christ1 who is the beginning1 the first-born from the dead1 that he might go before us1 or be our leader in all things2 which is a much higher view than the common understanding of the passage1 which merely supposes him to have been ,god's instrument in creating the physical universe4 ,he is the image of the invisible ,god--the first-born of the whole creation4 ,this creation is the new creation--that which is intended in ,revelation 7#c3ad71 where ,christ is spoken of as the ,amen1 the faithful and true ,witness1 the ,beginning of the creation of ,god1 and that which ,paul means when he says that in ,christ ,jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is worth anything1 8but the new creation40 ,all such passages refer1 as it seems to us1 not to a past natural creation1 but to a supernatural creation--a creation of life eternal1 which1 beginning in ,christ1 is to embrace the whole of humanity4 #f4 ,errors of ,arianism and ,naturalism4 ,and we cannot but think this doctrine far truer1 as well as more ,orthodox1 than the ,arianism which so long struggled in the ,church for supremacy4 ,that view which supposed that ,christ was neither truly man nor truly ,god1 but some high1 prexisting being between the two1 appears to us to be the falsest and most unsatisfactory of all the doctrines concerning ,christ's person4 ,it separates him more entirely from our sympathies than either of the others4 ,it destroys both his divinity and his humanity1 and1 by giving us something intermediate1 gives us really nothing4 ,it makes his apparent human life a delusion1 his temptation unreal1 his human sympathies and sorrows deceptive4 ,we think1 therefore1 that the ,church was right in rejecting the ,arian doctrine4 ,we think it was also right in rejecting the ,humanitarian doctrine1 or that of mere ,naturalism4 ,christ was something more than mere man1--something more than ,moses and ,elijah1--something more than a man of great religious genius4 ,the peculiarity of ,christ was1 that he was chosen by ,god's wisdom1 and prepared by ,god's providence1 to be the typical man of the race1--the ,god-man1 in whom the divine ,spirit and human soul become one in a perfect union4 ,he was1 perhaps1 placed1 by an exceptional birth1 where the first ,adam stood1--rescued from inherited depravity1 made in the image of ,god4 ,then the ,spirit was given him without measure4 ,the word of ,god dwelt in him1 and did not merely come to him as a transient influence for a special purpose4 ,add to this a freely chosen aim of life1 and a fidelity which was always about his ,father's business1 and aiming to finish the work which was given him to do1 and we have a being in whom we can see either a manifestation of ,god or a manifestation of man4 ,the ,spirit in ,christ was one with ,god2 the soul and body were human4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,justification ,,by ,,faith4 #a4 ,this ,doctrine of ,paul not obsolete4 ,that portion of the ,new ,testament which speaks so earnestly of justification by faith is by many supposed to have become obsolete for all useful purposes at the present time4 ,the doctrine that 8we are justified by faith1 and not by works10 it is supposed1 was intended for the benefit of the ,jews alone1 and to amount to this--that admittance to the privileges of the gospel is to be obtained1 not by practising the ceremonies and external ritual of the ,jewish law1 but by a simple belief in ,jesus ,christ4 ,accordingly1 as no one nowadays endeavors to become a ,christian by practising the ,jewish ceremonies1 we suppose that there is no present need of this doctrine2 and when we come upon it in the ,scripture1 we turn over the pages in search of something more practical and profitable4 ,as1 in the book of ,acts1 we read1 that1 8when ,paul was about to open his mouth1 ,gallio said unto the ,jews1 ,if it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness1 ,o ,jews1 reason would that ,i should bear with you2 but if it be a question of words and names1 and of your law1 look ye to it2 for ,i will be no judge of such matters10 so we1 when ,paul is about to open his mouth to speak to us of this doctrine1 think it a mere question of words and names1 and of the ,jewish law1 and interrupt him to ask him for something practical4 ,if he has anything to say to us of wrong-doing or wicked conduct1 it would be reasonable to hear him2 but we will be no judge of such matters as this4 ,there are also many persons1 who1 while they can understand the ,gospels and enjoy them1 find it difficult to understand and enjoy the writings of the apostle ,paul4 ,among these writings1 the most difficult is the ,epistle to the ,romans1 and especially that part of it which treats of this doctrine of justification by faith4 ,anything which can be done to remove this difficulty will do good2 for the writings of ,paul are so intimately connected with the rest of the ,new ,testament1 that it is not easy to reject them1 and yet to believe the rest4 ,it can be done1 no doubt2 but it is done with difficulty4 ,it is as if one part of the foundation of the house had given way3 perhaps the house will not fall2 but it has become unsafe4 ,it is as if a part of the wall of a city had been battered down3 the breach may be defensible from within2 but it is also practicable from without4 ,at all events1 we miss the satisfaction of a complete faith1 perfect and entire1 round and full4 ,besides1 may there not be something important for us to know in this part of the ,new ,testament8 ,are we quite sure we do not need these very doctrines1 and that they will do us good8 ,we have said that it is sometimes thought that the questions discussed by ,paul were only ,jewish questions1--not human questions2 that they belonged only to that time1 not to all time4 ,but1 though the form which they assumed was temporary and local1 there is reason to believe that the substance of the question is one belonging to human nature in every age2 that it is the question of the spirit and the letter1 the substance and the form1 the root and the branches1 the inside of religion and the outside4 ,while contending against a particular ,jewish error1 the apostle unfolded principles by which similar errors may be opposed and refuted in every age4 ,at all events1 it is a matter of fact1 that there seldom has been in the ,church any great religious movement which has not immediately gone back to the apostle ,paul1 and planted itself on his doctrine of justification by faith4 ,this was the watchword of ,luther1 and the soul of the reformation4 ,luther and his companions armed themselves with this doctrine to contend against the great power of the ,papacy and the ,romish ,church4 ,let us1 then1 endeavor to see what we can of the truth there may be in this doctrine4 #b4 ,its ,meaning and ,importance4 ,and1 first1 let us see what the doctrine does not mean1 and what it does mean4 ,to be justified by faith does not mean that we are to be saved by our opinions4 ,to say that a man can be saved by holding certain opinions1 instead of certain other opinions1 is to say what is contradicted by all experience2 for experience shows us that there are good men holding every variety of opinion1 and bad men holding every variety of opinion4 ,but ,god saves men by making them good3 therefore men are not saved by their opinions4 ,let us suppose that men are to be saved by the opinion that ,jesus is the ,christ3 then we ought to find that all men holding that opinion are on the way of salvation2 that is1 are becoming good men4 ,but this is far from being the case4 ,in fact1 the connection between mere opinion of any kind1 and goodness1 is very distant and indirect4 ,no doubt1 in the long run1 opinion affects character2 but it is only in the long run that it does so4 ,and1 at all events1 the doctrine of the ,new ,testament is very distinct and decided1 that men may hold very sound opinions1 and yet not be in the way of salvation4 ,the ,scribes and ,pharisees held very sound opinions2 and ,jesus told his disciples to do whatever they said1 but not to imitate their works2 for their doctrine was much better than their lives4 ,nor does the apostle mean to say that one can be saved without morality4 ,he certainly does not mean to undervalue goodness2 for1 in that case1 he would contradict his own teachings1 which uniformly declare1 as all the rest of the ,bible declares1 that without holiness no man can see the ,lord4 ,it is certainly a very superficial view which is satisfied with supposing that an earnest man1 as the apostle certainly was1 devoting his life1 as he certainly did1 to the teaching of ,christianity1 with such a grand intellect as he certainly possessed1 could assert with so much energy a doctrine plainly contradicting common sense1 daily observation1 the plain teachings of ,jesus1 and his own uniform doctrine elsewhere4 ,some persons have a short method of getting over the difficulty by saying that ,paul did not himself know what he meant4 ,they assume that he was talking at random4 ,it would be about as wise1 when we open ,newton's 8,principia10 and cannot understand it1 to say that ,newton was talking at random2 or1 when we cannot understand ,plato or some other profound metaphysician1 to declare directly that he did not himself know what he was talking about4 ,no doubt1 this is the shortest and easiest way of getting out of such difficulties1 but perhaps not the most modest1 nor the most wise4 ,when an earnest man1 a profound man1 a man in the highest degree practical1 a man who has done the greatest work for ,christianity which has been done since its foundation1 sums up his doctrine in a comprehensive maxim like this1 it is1 perhaps1 wise to admit1 at once1 that he had a meaning1 and probably an important one4 8,no doubt he had a meaning10 it may be said2 8but has he any meaning now8 ,his formula meant something for the ,jews2 but does it mean anything for us8 ,is not this merely a ,jewish question1 with which we have nothing to do80 ,this is another easy way of getting over difficulties4 ,in reading the ,new ,testament1 when we come to a place where we are stopped by something which looks deep and is dark1 we are often told1 8,that darkness is not depth3 it is the shadow of a ,jewish error which lies across the path40 ,have we not often felt dissatisfied1 when1 approaching some great saying of ,christ and his apostles from which we hoped to gain new insight1 we have been told1 8,that has nothing to do with us4 ,the ,jews had such and such an opinion1 and this was meant to show them their mistake08 ,so the great and earnest words of the ,bible1 which we thought to be full of spirit and life1 are found to be only fossil remains of old opinions1 of opinions long since passed away--good for nothing but to be put into the museums of antiquaries1 and paraded by scholastic pedants4 ,but1 after all1 take it on the lowest ground1 were not the ,jews men8 ,did they not1 as a race1 represent some element1 common1 in a less degree1 to the rest of mankind8 and therefore is there not in each of us something of that ,jewish element8 ,are not we also sometimes ,jews1 therefore liable to ,jewish errors1 and needing to have them corrected8 ,the ,jews did not live in vain3 their struggles1 errors1 hopes1 were for the benefit of humanity4 ,we were to learn something by their mistakes1 and to be taught something by their experience4 ,another way of treating such a passage is to translate it into some trivial1 insignificant commonplace4 ,thus1 we are told1 our doctrine only means that 8,god does not approve a man merely for going through a routine of outward1 formal ceremonies1 but for a thoroughly religious life40 ,this explanation assumes that the apostle is here talking to simpletons1 and that what he says is no more worth listening to by us than the prattle of a nurse to her infant4 ,there are1 therefore1 four ways of explaining this passage1 none of which are satisfactory4 ,these are1 that ,paul1-- #a4 ,was teaching a self-evident absurdity2 #b4 ,was teaching a self-evident truism2 #c4 ,was teaching nothing1 and only talking at random2 #d4 ,was correcting a ,jewish error1 which only the ,jews ever had1 or are ever likely to have4 ,if these views are not satisfactory to us1 the simplest way would seem to be1 first1 to endeavor to understand precisely what the ,jewish error was1 and then to see if there is anything like it in ourselves1 and if there be anything which we can learn from this old argument which will be1 not old1 but new for our time and for all time1 because a part of the tendencies of man4 ,let us translate these old terms--justification1 faith1 works--into their modern equivalents1 and see what they mean for us at the present time4 ,we have shown that we may be mistaken in supposing this ,orthodox doctrine of justification to be of merely local and temporary interest1 having no permanent value4 ,it is not likely that a man like ,paul1 of so large1 so deep1 so philosophic a mind1 should have devoted himself so earnestly1 and returned so fondly1 to a theme involving no universal and eternal principles1 whose interest was to perish with the hour4 ,it is not probable that1 in this small volume of writings of the new covenant1--this precious gift of ,god to the world in all ages and in every nation1--so large a portion should be devoted to a wholly temporary argument2 and1 more than all1 it is a most remarkable fact1 that whenever there arises a man uniting a deeper spirit of piety with a larger sense of liberty than other men1--a man commissioned by ,god to give a new religious impulse to his age1 and to help ,christianity to shake itself free from the cumbrous mass of human forms and traditions which have crushed it1 and to go forth in its native grace and loveliness again1--some profound instinct should always lead him to this doctrine as to a weapon effectual for pulling down the strongholds of bigotry1 scepticism1 and spiritual death4 ,sir ,james ,mackintosh somewhere says1 that the great movement which shook ,christendom to its centre1 and did more to change and reform society than the political revolutions and wars of a thousand years1 originated with an obscure ,augustinian monk preaching the doctrine of justification by faith4 ,this acute ,scotchman saw1 what all must see who read ,luther's writings with any attention1 that it was no accident1 no temporal interest1 which led him to lay such stress on this doctrine4 ,it was the soul of his preaching1 the essence of his doctrine1 the secret of his strength1 the life of his life4 ,and so1 when ,wesley and the early ,methodists were called upon to pour new religious life into the ,english ,church1 they fell back on this doctrine--this ancient sword of the ,spirit4 ,and so we may believe that it has a value for all ages2 that it did not relate merely to ,jewish usages1 but is a principle of vital and everlasting application4 ,no doubt that if by faith we understand intellectual belief1 or the assent to opinions1 and if by works we understand true obedience1 and by justification final salvation or actual goodness1 there can scarcely be a greater absurdity than to say that a man is justified by faith1 and not by works4 ,to say that goodness1 in the sight of ,god1 consists in receiving certain opinions1 rather than in true obedience1 is a most unscriptural and irrational doctrine4 ,but none of the great reformers of whom ,i have spoken1 and no profound theologians of any sect or school1 have ever held the doctrines of justification by faith in this way4 ,neither ,luther nor ,wesley ever made faith synonymous with intellectual belief or opinion4 8,what is faith80 said ,wesley4 8,not an opinion1 nor any number of opinions put together1 be they ever so true4 ,a string of opinions is no more ,christian faith than a string of beads is ,christian holiness4 ,it is not an assent to any opinion1 or any number of opinions4 ,a man may assent to three or three and twenty creeds1 he may assent to all the ,old and ,new ,testament1 and yet have no ,christian faith at all40 ,but what is the true doctrine of justification by faith1 as taught in the ,scriptures1 and as inspiring these great reformers8 ,this is naturally our next inquiry4 #c4 ,need of ,justification for the ,conscience4 ,there is nothing in the nature of man more paradoxical than conscience4 ,it is that which lifts him to ,god2 and yet it is that which makes him capable of sin1 and without which he could not be a sinner4 ,it gives him the sense of right1 but at the same time makes him conscious of wrong4 ,it makes him capable of duty1 but thereby also capable of disobedience4 ,it shows us what we ought to do1 without giving us the least strength wherewith to do it4 ,it condemns us for not doing right1 even when we have no power to do anything but what is wrong4 ,it shows us a great ideal of goodness to which we ought to aspire1 and discourages us by the very loftiness of the standard4 ,it tells us in the same breath that we are sinners1 and that we ought to be angels4 ,it seems at the same time to elevate and degrade us4 ,it elevates us by giving a great object to life1 and making it serious and earnest2 but it degrades us by making us constantly ashamed of ourselves1 and keeping us in a perpetual state of humiliation4 ,now1 one of the chief peculiarities of the conscience is1 that beyond a certain point1 the more we try to obey it1 the less satisfaction we have4 ,we know that this is not the usual theory4 ,we are commonly told that the conscientious man is always contented and happy1--satisfied with himself1 and at peace with ,god4 ,but facts contradict this theory4 ,the conscientious man is apt to be very much dissatisfied with himself1--much1 more so than the man whose conscience is torpid and indifferent4 ,there is comfort in faithful work2 no doubt there is great content in the steady performance of regular duties2 but here conscience is subordinate to work4 ,it is work which gives contentment2 but ,,conscience1 when thoroughly roused by the strong meat of a divine law1 is the source of much self-dissatisfaction4 ,how can it be otherwise8 ,it shows us that we ought to love ,god and love man with all our heart1 soul1 mind1 strength4 ,which of us does it8 ,do you8 ,do ,i8 ,how large a part of our life have we given to the service of ,god8 how large a part to the service of our neighbor8 ,how often do we thank ,god for his goodness8 ,how often do we pray to him8 how often think of him8 ,if we do not think of him1 of course we do not love him4 ,love makes us very thoughtful of another's wishes4 ,when people love each other1 they joy in thinking of each other2 they treasure souvenirs of each other2 they like to make each other presents of things they think will please2 they steal an hour from daily cares or nightly rest to write letters to each other4 ,our heavenly ,father's arms are around us all day1--his infinite bounty blessing us1 his careful providence making for us home1 friends1 all2 yet we do not think of him1 or wish to do anything to please him4 ,conscience tells us that our heart is hard and cold to our best ,friend2 and that is by no means a pleasant piece of information4 ,moreover1 it is evident that this condition of self-dissatisfaction is not a good one4 ,self-reproach may be a wholesome medicine1 but it is a bad food4 ,we cannot do our work while we are finding fault with ourselves4 ,the man whose conscience is always tormenting him is in a morbid state4 ,he is a spiritually sick man1--sick of too much medicine4 ,what must be done8 ,he is always looking at his sins1 and that disqualifies him for doing his duties4 ,what shall he do8 ,this question in its ,jewish form is stated thus3 ,,how ,,shall ,,he ,,be ,,justified ,,before ,,god8 ,if ,god can excuse him1 he can excuse himself4 ,how1 then1 can he know that ,god looks at him not as a sinner1 but as a just man1 so that he can look on himself not as a sinner1 but as a just man8 ,this is the problem4 ,what are its solutions8 ,in the ,jewish mind1 the ,jewish law had brought the conscience into an extremely irritable state4 ,the same effect1 in a less degree1 is produced by the ,catholic confessional4 #d4 ,reaction of ,sin on the ,soul4 ,now1 the consequences of sin are these3 ,first1 every act of sin brings after it natural evil consequences4 ,it weakens the strength of the soul1 it darkens the spiritual eye1 it hardens the heart1 it adds a new link to the chain of evil habit4 ,by a result as inevitable as the law of gravitation1 every act of sin pollutes1 darkens1 weakens the spiritual principle in man4 8,he who sows to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption40 ,we may call these results the external consequences of sin1 because they change our spiritual relation and position in ,god's external universe4 ,but there is another more awful and as inevitable consequence of sin4 ,it alienates us from ,god himself4 ,it turns our face from the ,source of life and love4 ,it makes us at war with him4 ,it fills us with the sense of his displeasure1 and burdens us with the consciousness of guilt4 ,to escape the dreadful sense of his anger1 we hide ourselves from him1 as ,adam did4 ,it is a law of the human mind that we dread the sight of any one whom we have wronged1 because it condemns us4 ,perhaps he may be perfectly willing to forgive us2 perhaps he does not even know that we have wronged him2 but we cannot bear to see him1 notwithstanding4 ,it was a profound feeling of this law which led an ancient historian to say1 8,he hated him because he had injured him40 ,thus an active conscience1 if it does not make a man better1 will make him worse3 to escape its torture he will plunge into new crimes4 ,some of the darkest crimes which stain the page of history may be traced to this source1--to the operation of a conscience strong enough to produce the sense of guilt1 but not strong enough to produce the determination to reform4 ,it is related that when the mother of ,charles ,,ix4 of ,france and his uncles were urging the young king to consent to the execution of some of the principal ,protestants to whom he was strongly attached1 after a long resistance1 when he at last gave way1 it was with these remarkable words3 8,i consent1 then1 but only on one condition1--that you do not leave a ,huguenot in ,france to reproach me with it407#ah7 ,and hence the ,bartholomew ,massacre1 which its authors had intended before only to include a few individuals4 ,so sin takes occasion by the law1 and the commandment ordained for life becomes death4 ,the same principle operates with respect to ,god4 ,we have broken his law4 ,we feel that he must be displeased with us2 we therefore hide ourselves from him1 turn away from him1 avoid the thought of him1 are alienated from him4 ,this is the greatest evil of sin1 and this we may call the inward consequence of sin1 because it affects our inward relation to ,god rather than our outward relation to the universe4 ,and now1 how are we to be reconciled to ,god8 ,how are we to be freed from this sense of guilt which falls on us in his presence1 and makes us fear and shun him8 #e4 ,different ,methods of obtaining ,forgiveness4 ,there are two ways in which1 when we have injured our brother1 and so have become estranged from him1 we may become reconciled again1 and freed from a sense of shame in his presence4 ,one is by endeavoring to atone for the evil we have done by acts of kindness1 by expressions of penitence4 ,so at last we may feel that we have done him far more good than evil2 and though he may not forgive us or be reconciled to us1 we1 on our part1 may feel freed from any shame in his presence1 and be reconciled to him4 ,the other way is by his coming to us1 and proving to us1 by his conduct and words1 that he is not estranged from us by our bad conduct2 that he loves us as ever4 ,so he will overcome our evil by his good1 and reconcile us to him4 ,the pagan nations in all ages and lands have taken the first way of being reconciled to ,god4 ,oppressed by a guilty fear of their terrible idols1 they have brought as gifts to their altars what they had most valuable2 they have hung their gold1 their jewels1 in the temple2 they have slain their cattle on the shrine4 ,still unable to pacify their trembling hearts1 they have gone farther1 and sought to prove the sincerity at least of their repentance by self-inflicted tortures1 and by giving even their children's lives to the bloody power whom they worshipped4 ,hence sacrifices3 they originated in the very same feeling which induces a man to give a present to one whom he has wronged1 to appease him4 ,pagan religions are founded1 therefore1 wholly on the first mode of reconciliation4 ,the offending party comes to him whom he has injured1 and does something to pacify him4 ,but these religions never brought peace to the heart of the worshipper4 ,after the wretched mother had dropped her infant into the burning arms of ,moloch1 she still had no evidence that his wrath was turned away4 ,in the religion of ,moses1 the first mode of reconciliation was united with the second4 ,pitying the weakness of man1 the law allowed him to bring his sacrifice of birds or beasts or the fruits of the soil1 and place it on ,god's altar as an expiation and atoning offering for his sin2 and then1 the suppliant1 having faith in the permanent presence of ,god in the holy of holies1 was received again to favor and assured of pardon4 ,the ,jew1 who had broken any of the laws of ,jehovah1 knew exactly what to do in order to be reconciled to his national ,god and ,king4 ,god had pointed out the way which he would accept4 ,by certain acts of sacrifice and restitution1 the ,jew became once more worthy of living under the protecting care of ,jehovah4 ,this mode of reconciliation under the law was far superior to that in pagan religions4 ,it gave temporary peace to the conscience1 though not permanent4 ,it prevented the sinner from going farther from ,god1 though it did not unite him with ,god in unbroken union4 ,it kept the conscience awake1 and prevented it from being hardened4 ,it was a schoolmaster to bring the ,jews to ,christ4 ,it was a preparation for a more excellent way4 ,in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 the writer declares that the law was but the shadow of that which was to come2 that it could not1 8by the sacrifices offered year by year1 make the comers thereunto perfect2 for then would they have ceased to have been offered1 because the worshippers1 once purged1 would have had no more conscience of sin40 ,the sacrifice made no revelation of ,god's character and love1 planted no root of piety in the heart3 it relieved the conscience only for this once1 only with respect to this one sin2 and there its influence ended4 ,and therefore was a new covenant necessary1 and promised by the prophets1 and looked forward to by holy men1 when they should be reconciled not by works1 but by faith4 ,we have seen that there are two modes by which alienation may be removed3 first1 by the offending party doing something to atone for his offence2 second1 by the injured one showing that he has forgiven the offence1 and is ready to be reconciled without an atonement4 ,the first mode is the way of reconciliation in pagan religions2 the first and second are united in the ,jewish religion2 the second is the mode in the ,christian religion4 #f4 ,method in ,christianity4 ,in ,christianity1 in the gospel of grace1 ,god offers pardon freely to those who are willing to accept it4 ,he is ready now to receive those who are ready to come to him4 ,it is only necessary to believe this in order to be reconciled4 ,we are1 therefore1 reconciled by faith4 ,but we are said to be reconciled by the death and blood of ,christ4 ,how is this8 ,we have seen the source of our alienation3 it lay not in ,god1 but in ourselves4 ,god had not gone away from us2 we went away from him4 ,he had not ceased to love us2 but by a terrible reaction from our sinfulness1 we had ceased to believe in his love4 8,god's hand10 says the prophet 7,isa4 #ei3b71 8is not shortened1 that he cannot save1 nor is his ear grown dull1 that he cannot hear2 but your iniquities have separated you from your ,god1 and your sins have hidden his face from you1 that he doth not hear40 ,by an immutable law of our mind1 ,god's wrath abides on us1 and we cannot believe in his love4 ,here is the source of our alienation4 ,now1 merely to be told that ,god is merciful does not wholly help the matter4 ,true1 we say1 ,he is merciful1 but not to us2 we have sinned too long and deeply4 ,something must be done1 then1 to convince us that ,god is ready to forgive and receive us freely4 ,the death of ,christ is the fact which produces this conviction4 ,the death of ,christ1 therefore1 is not merely an emblem of ,god's love1 but an act of ,god's love4 ,it draws us to him4 ,it changes our hearts4 ,it melts our doubt1 our distrust4 ,it reveals to us our ,father's love4 ,the blood of ,christ makes those who were afar off nigh4 ,this all experience teaches as a matter of fact4 ,it is the cross of ,christ1 borne by the simple missionary1 preached by the devout ,moravian1 which1 amid the ice of ,greenland or beneath the burning sun of the tropic1 reconciles the sinner to ,god4 ,and if one asks how the death of ,christ does this1 we will briefly indicate what we believe to be the way in which it operates4 ,we look at ,christ1 and see the brightness of ,god's glory and express image of his person4 ,we see a holiness pure and perfect1 a character infinitely beautiful and lovely4 ,we see how dear and near such a one must have been to ,god2 and we hear ,god say1 8,this is my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased20 and we hear him say of ,god1 8,my ,father has not left me alone2 for ,i do always the things which please him40 ,and now we look at the world1 and see it 8lying in wickedness20 we see men trampling on ,god's law1 polluting his image1 cruelly oppressing each other1 and boldly defying and mocking at the ,almighty4 ,what does he then8 ,for the sake of these miserable1 weak1 and wretched sinners1 who seem scarcely worth the saving1 he sends his holy child among them2 he sends this pure being to have his heart rent with the sight and knowledge of human sin2 he sends him to be cruelly and shamefully killed by a death of agony1 in order that we1 sinful and miserable1 may be reconciled4 ,we say1 in the view of all this1 8,he who spared not his own ,son1 but delivered him up for us1 how shall he not with him freely give us all things80 ,we say1 8,god commended his love towards us1 in that1 while we were sinners1 ,christ died for us40 8,herein is love2 not that we loved ,god1 but that he loved us40 ,christ1 8being lifted up1 draws all men unto him40 ,thus1 in the midst of the gloom of that horrible scene on ,calvary1 when the power of darkness was at its height1--that crisis of the world1 when human sin stood at the flood1--the heavens were opened1 and a new ray of divine love poured into the world4 #g4 ,result4 ,let us sum up1 then1 the doctrine of justification by faith1 as we have now explained it4 #a4 ,,justification is not the doing away with all the consequences of sin1 but only the consequence which consists in present alienation from ,god4 ,it is objectively1 as a divine act1 what forgiveness is subjectively1 as a human experience4 ,it relates to present acceptance with ,god2 it is not the cancelling of the results of our past sins on the character1 nor is it the hope of future salvation4 ,it relates to the present4 ,the following passages show that justification is equivalent to reconciliation or forgiveness4 ,rom4 #e3h-aj3 8,but ,god commendeth his love toward us1 in that1 while we were yet sinners1 ,christ died for us4 ,much more then1 being now justified by his blood1 we shall be saved from wrath through him4 ,for if1 when we were enemies1 we were reconciled to ,god by the death of his ,son1 much more1 being reconciled1 we shall be saved by his life40 ,rom4 #d3f-h3 8,david also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom ,god imputeth righteousness without works2 saying1 ,blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven1 and whose sins are covered4 ,blessed is the man to whom the ,lord will not impute sin40 #b4 ,,faith is not mere intellectual belief or opinion2 nor is it mere feeling1 nor a mystical emotion in which we are wholly passive2 but a sentiment1 in which belief1 feeling1 and determination are blended together4 ,the belief is that ,christ is the ,son of ,god2 the feeling is trust and joy in the love of ,god seen in him2 and the determination is to rely on him as a ,mediator and ,saviour4 ,that faith is not a mere intellectual belief1 but involves also a feeling of trust1 appears from such passages as these3 8,if thou believe in thy heart20 8,an evil heart of unbelief40 ,that faith is not a mere emotion1 in which we are wholly passive1 appears from such cases as those where men are exhorted to believe1 as a thing in their own power4 #c4 ,,works1 in this doctrine1 include every effort to reconcile ,god by offering him anything in expiation of our sin1 whether sacrifices1 sacraments1 the assent to creeds1 the struggle after feelings and experiences1 or reformation of character4 ,and the whole doctrine of justification by faith may be thus expressed3-- ,if you are burdened with a sense of unworthiness and guilt2 if something seems to separate your heart from ,god2 if you want confidence to come to him boldly in prayer1--do not try to remove this difficulty by any effort to do something different1 or become something different2 but simply look at ,jesus in his sufferings and death1 and see your heavenly ,father calling you to him now to be forgiven4 ,go at once to ,god through ,christ4 ,repose on that love that will cleanse you1 that will save you2 and nevermore doubt1 even in your darkest hour1 that your ,father is ready to hear1 to forgive1 and bless you4 #h4 ,its ,history in the ,church4 ,we have seen the origin1 nature1 and value of this doctrine4 ,let us now look at its history4 ,the apostolic ,church was founded on the simple doctrine of faith in ,christ4 ,it was not founded on any theory or speculation about ,christ1 or about his plan of salvation1 but on ,christ himself as the ,saviour4 ,all that the first ,christians professed was faith in ,jesus as the ,son of ,god4 ,they had been reconciled to ,god by him2 they were at peace with ,god2 they were washed in the blood of the ,lamb2 and they were happy4 ,a deep and wonderful joy brooded over the early church4 ,a hurricane of persecution and war raged around them3 within the ,church1 all was security and peace4 ,how beautiful are the expressions by which the apostles describe the serenity and joy of the ,church6 8,they ate their meat in gladness and singleness of heart1 praising ,god1 and having favor with all the people40 ,new converts 8gladly received the word1 and were baptized0 by thousands1 in the face of the bitterest persecution4 8,the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul2 neither said any of them1 that aught of the things that he possessed was his own40 ,whence came all this peace and union in the early ,church8 ,was it because they had attained to such clear views of truth1 and all held the same opinions8 ,so far from it1 some had not heard that there was a ,holy ,ghost2 others did not believe in a resurrection of the dead2 and many thought the whole ,jewish ritual essential to salvation4 ,was it that they had become suddenly pure in heart1 and holy in life1 and freed from sin8 ,so far from it1 we find the apostles exhorting them against very great vices1--against murder1 theft1 and licentiousness1--and condemning them for having practised gross immoralities4 ,it came from the simplicity of their faith4 ,they looked to ,jesus1 and their faces were lightened4 ,they saw the love of ,god in him2 they felt it in their hearts2 they reposed on it undoubtingly4 ,in quietness and confidence was their strength4 ,o1 happy days6 in which men's minds had not yet been harassed by thousands of vain controversies and empty verbal disputes2 by questions1 and strifes of words2 by most profound theological discussions1 ending in nothing but weariness2 but were satisfied1 that1 if men would go to ,christ1 they would find truth4 ,o1 happy time6 in which men had not learned to dissect their own hearts1 and pry curiously into their feelings1 and torture themselves by anxious efforts to feel right1 and tormenting doubts as to whether their inward experiences were as they ought to be1 but believed that all good feelings would come in their own time out of ,christian faith4 ,o1 happy1 golden hour6 when love1 and joy1 and duty were all one2 when men did not prescribe for themselves and others a task-work1 an outward routine of duties2 but had confidence1 that1 if they lived in the ,spirit1 they would also walk in the ,spirit4 ,that hour of simple1 child-like faith passed away4 ,its decay appeared in a return to the old mode of justification4 ,instead of simply relying on what ,god had done1 men must do something themselves to atone for their sins2 they must do penance1 and have priests1 and sacraments1 and masses1 and countless ceremonies to come between them and ,god2 they must pile up a cumbrous fabric of religious and moral works1 by which to climb up to ,god2 until1 at last1 though the doctrine of justification by faith was never given up1 it was made of none effect by the rubbish of human ceremonies heaped before it4 ,and then came ,luther1 armed with the old doctrine1 to sweep these all away1 and call men back to the simple faith in the ,saviour4 ,the pure word of faith went forth through all lands1 conquering and to conquer4 ,but there is a continual tendency to fall back again from faith upon works4 ,ever as the life of religion weakens1 ever as the strength of holy confidence decays1 men betake themselves to some outward forms or efforts4 ,when they cease to lean on the love of ,god1 they begin to lean on sacraments and ceremonies1 on opinions and doctrines1 on feelings and experiences1 on morality and works of duty4 ,ever1 as the cold winter of worldliness and sin causes the stream of holy faith to shrink back into its channel1 the ice of forms accumulates along its shores2 and then1 as the inevitable consequence and sign of the decay of faith1 we find the ,church becoming anxious and troubled1 confidence giving way to anxiety1 cheerfulness to gloom1 hope to fear4 ,everything terrifies the unbelieving ,church2 new opinions terrify it2 new measures terrify it4 ,it has ashes instead of beauty1 mourning for joy1 the spirit of heaviness instead of the garment of praise4 #i4 ,orthodox ,errors1 at the present ,time1 in ,regard to ,justification by ,faith4 ,we have said that there is a constant tendency to fall back from faith to works of some kind or other4 ,the important question comes1 ,how is it with us now8 ,does this tendency show itself in our present churches8 ,and the answer we am compelled to make is1 that it does1 certainly to some extent1 and in all the churches4 ,orthodox churches have fallen away1 more or less1 from the doctrine of justification by faith4 ,they have fallen back from the central point of ,christianity1 faith in ,jesus1 in different directions1 and seek to be justified by a law1--some upon a law of belief1 and others on a law of emotion4 ,do not understand us as saying that any of the churches have denied1 or that they do not constantly teach1 the doctrine of justification by faith4 ,this is not the point4 ,the ,romish ,church never denied1 nor ceased to teach1 this doctrine2 but she virtually abolished it1 and made it of none effect by teaching other things also4 ,is not this1 to some degree1 the case now8 ,are there not many ,orthodox ,christians1 at the present time1 who seek to make their peace with ,god1 not by relying on ,jesus himself1 but on some theory with respect to his nature or person2 not on his death1 but on some speculation about his death1--some theory1 scheme1 or plan8 ,is it not the idea of many1 that they are to be brought to ,god1 not by faith in ,jesus and his death1 but by assenting to the correct doctrine about it8 and accordingly they anxiously labor1 and make it a ,,work1 to believe in the true theory1 in order that they may be brought to ,god4 ,we do not say that correct opinions on these points are unimportant2 but we say that the faith in ,christ which justifies us does not come from believing right opinions1 but that right opinions come from the justifying faith4 ,are religious teachers now willing to do as ,paul did1 and say simply1 8,believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ08 or do they not rather find it necessary to say1 8,believe this1 that1 and the other thing1 about ,jesus ,christ08 ,and again3 is it not thought by ,orthodox people1 that1 in order to be justified and have peace with ,god through ,jesus ,christ1 it is necessary that a person should experience certain feelings1 beginning with a sense of guilt1 a fear of punishment1 and passing into a state of hope and assurance8 ,and1 accordingly1 men make it a ,,work1 and labor1 to have these feelings in the precise order and manner1 and1 until they can experience these feelings1 believe that they can have no access to ,god4 ,as before1 we do not mean that these feelings are unimportant1 but only that we should not try to work ourselves up into certain feelings in order to be just before ,god4 ,it is faith in ,jesus which is the source1 not the result1 of piety as well as of holiness4 ,it is faith in ,god's love to us which enables us to love him4 ,the sense of pardon produces both the feeling of gratitude and of unworthiness4 ,god does not forgive us because we have had the right feelings1 but that we may have them4 ,those love much to whom much is forgiven2 but to whom little is forgiven1 the same love little4 ,were we ever struck with the remarkable contrast between the conversions to ,god in the apostolic time and those which we hear of now8 ,how much more simple they were6 ,a man is riding in a chariot1 reading his ,bible1 and trying in vain to comprehend it4 ,an apostle comes1 and explains to him the prophecy1 and applies it to ,jesus4 ,presently they come to water1 and he says1 8,see1 here is water20 he is baptized1 and goes on his way rejoicing4 ,we fear there are not many churches now who would receive that ,ethiopian as a member1 if he could give no further account of his religious experience than is recorded in the book of ,acts4 ,but is it not1 we say again1 remarkable1 that not only in this case1 but in all the cases of conversion recorded and described in the ,acts1 there should be nothing of the descriptions which we read every week in our religious newspapers8 ,in the case of the three thousand baptized on the day of ,pentecost1 we only read that they were cut to the heart2 said1 8,what shall we do80 were told to repent and be baptized2 joyfully received the word1 and were baptized4 ,even the remarkable conversion of ,paul was nothing like what we now have4 ,how is this--that now we are not willing to trust to a simple act of faith in ,jesus ,christ1 and in turning to ,god2 but we have a scale and rule of religious experience--a work which all must go through in order to be justified8 ,and what is the result of thus substituting for justification by faith1 justification by belief in opinions1 and by processes of feeling8 ,look at the churches where this has been carried farthest1 and see the result4 ,religion becomes gloomy1 anxious1 and austere2 it ceases to breathe cheerfulness and joy around2 the gentler graces die before it2 fear treads fast in the footsteps of hope2 a stiff formality introduces cant in the place of what is natural and artless2 the heart is stretched on a rack of self-torturing doubts and anxieties4 ,the biographies and private journals of many eminent saints show us how little happiness they had in their religion1--how they were tortured by spiritual doubts1 perplexities1 and anxieties4 ,the reason is1 that they rely on their own feelings1 instead of relying on ,christ4 ,and with the reliance placed on theory and opinion vanishes the union of the ,church4 ,there are five sects in this country1 all holding to the ,assembly's ,catechism--a large and minute compendium of opinions1--and yet which often do not allow each other to commune at the ,lord's table4 ,the ,new ,school ,presbyterians might permit the others to commune with them1 but are themselves excluded4 ,the ,old ,school ,presbyterians would commune with all but the ,new1 but are not permitted4 ,nay1 the ,associate ,reformed1 the ,covenanters1 and the ,seceders carry it so far as to discipline and excommunicate their members for what is called occasional hearing2 i4e41 attending worship at other churches than their own4 ,there was in the ,state of ,indiana an ,old ,school preacher1 and president of a college1 who refused to allow a ,unitarian to give a literary address which the students had asked him to give1 and which he had gone to deliver1 and1 in defending himself for this1 called him a 8public propagator of infidelity20 and within a mile or two of his college there was a society of ,seceders1 or ,covenanters1 holding1 like himself1 the ,assembly's ,confession1 who would excommunicate any of their members who should go to hear him preach4 ,there is1 then1 a tendency among the ,orthodox to rely on their own opinion and their own feelings1 rather than on ,jesus ,christ4 #aj4 ,errors of ,liberal ,christians4 ,liberal ,christians have fallen into error of a different sort4 ,they seek to be justified1 not by opinion nor by feeling1 but by action2 by works of righteousness1 honesty1 charity2 by the faithful performance of social duties2 by an active obedience to the law of ,god4 ,looking at the ,scriptures1 and seeing in how many places we are plainly taught that we are to work out our own salvation2 to be rewarded and punished according to our active goodness2 to be judged by our works1--they say that a man is forgiven when he has corrected his fault1 and not before2 that repentance and reformation are the only means of atonement with ,god2 that1 if we wish to be forgiven1 we must reform our conduct and change our character4 ,accordingly1 they lay great stress on ,,duty1 and are continually exhorting men to the performance of their duties in order to be forgiven4 ,but there is a mistake here also1 which arises from confounding two very different things2 namely1 justification and final salvation4 ,we have seen that the consequences of sin are twofold--external and internal4 ,the inward consequence of sin is separation from ,god2 the external is the weakening and debasing of the soul4 ,the first consequence is removed by faith2 the second1 by obedience4 ,every act of sin pollutes1 darkens1 and ruins the soul2 every act of obedience strengthens1 elevates1 and saves it4 ,obedience1 persevered in to the end1 insures the salvation of the soul4 ,but1 in order that we may obey1 we must first be justified2 for what is to give us the strength and the heart to obey1 except the pardoning love of ,god8 ,it is this sense of reconciliation1--it is this spirit of adoption1 whereby we cry1 8,abba1 ,father10--which gives us the power to obey4 ,we do not obey ,god to be forgiven2 but we are forgiven that we may obey4 ,have we read the ,gospels1 and have we forgotten all the instances in which ,jesus said1 8,thy sins are forgiven thee10 before there had been any change of conduct1 or reform of character8 and have we forgotten the memorable passage in which he explains to the captious ,pharisee why he does this 7,luke #g3cf-ej71--on the principle that the one to whom the most is forgiven will love the most8 ,to point out to men their duties1 and tell them to do them1 does not enable them to do them2 but the sight of ,god's love in ,jesus ,christ does create in them new strength4 ,that true follower of ,jesus1 the first of our ,ministers at ,large1 ,dr4 ,tuckerman1 did not say to the poor victim of sin1 that when he reformed his conduct1 he would be his friend4 ,no3 like his ,master1 he showed himself his friend while he was yet a sinner1 and so gave him hope and courage to break away from his sin4 ,he has left on record one of the most touching instances of the power of love to melt down the impenitent heart1 in the case of a convict whom he persisted in visiting1 though he was perfectly hardened1 and filled with bitterness and rage4 ,he persisted in patient attempts to soften his heart1 till he succeeded1 by the irresistible power of love1 in making him humble as a little child4 ,suppose he had sent him word1 that if he repented1 and showed the proper spirit1 he would come and visit him4 ,he had not so learned ,god or ,christ4 ,he knew that he must overcome evil with good4 ,exactly so does ,god overcome our evil with good4 ,to tell men to do their duties that they may be forgiven1 is to tell them to do what they have no power to do4 ,a confident reliance on ,god's love1 and steadfast communion with him1 are the only source of real improvement4 ,when we feel these1 we are one with ,god2 when we can go to him confidently1 as children to a father2 when we can betake ourselves to his love in every emergency of life1--we have a source of real strength1 and growth1 and improvement within us4 ,but1 without this feeling of peace with ,god1 the effort to do our duties only harasses and irritates our conscience3 it produces weariness of heart1 a constant feeling of unworthiness and failure1 a constant sense of obligations and responsibilities which we do not and cannot fulfil4 ,duty is a weary task1 a heavy burden2 and our life is crushed down by constant anxiety and care4 ,but if we begin right1 and come to ,god first1 and lean on his love1 and rely on his promise1 then we are filled with hope and joyful assurance1 and failure does not dismay us1 for we say1 8,god's truth is pledged for our success2 and if1 while we were enemies1 we were reconciled to ,god by the death of his ,son1 much more1 being reconciled1 we shall be saved by his life40 ,it may be objected that it is dangerous to religion to admit that we can be justified before we have believed certain important doctrines or experienced certain peculiar feelings4 ,it may also be objected1 on the other hand1 that it is dangerous to morality to suppose that pardon can precede reformation4 ,but the more we read the ,scriptures1 the more we look into our own heart1 and the more we become acquainted with our fellow-men1 the deeper is our conviction1 that there is but one source of true piety and sound morality--a heart reconciled to ,god1 and at peace with him4 ,we do not undervalue correct belief1 deep feeling1 or active obedience2 but we place them where they belong4 ,they are the fruit of the tree1 not the root of the tree4 ,the root and source and beginning of all piety and holiness is simple faith in ,god through ,christ4 ,we must ask ourselves1 therefore1 first of all1 8,are we reconciled to ,god1 or are we not8 ,are we living in filial communion with him1 or living without him in the world80 ,if unreconciled1 we must not think to work ourselves up into a degree of goodness or pious feeling without ,god4 ,there is no strength where there is no confidence1 where there is nothing to lean on1 where there is hollowness within4 ,we ought to come at once to ,god4 ,we ought to lift our hearts to him1 not saying1 8,who shall go up to heaven for us1 to bring him to us8 ,who shall go over the sea for us80 ,for his word is very nigh1 in our mouth and heart4 ,the above discussion will show what we consider to be the truths1 and what the errors1 in the ,orthodox view of justification by faith4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,orthodox ,,idea ,,of ,,the ,,atonement4 #a4 ,confusion in the ,orthodox ,statement4 ,the subject of this chapter is the ,orthodox doctrine of the work of ,christ1 and especially of the atonement4 ,no doctrine of ,orthodoxy is more difficult to state to the satisfaction of the ,orthodox than this4 ,the reason is1 that there is no doctrine concerning which the ,orthodox differ so much among themselves4 ,there is no difficulty in stating the ,orthodox doctrine of the ,trinity2 for this is the same1 or nearly the same1 in the symbols of all the ,orthodox sects4 ,the ,roman ,catholic doctrine of the ,trinity is essentially the same with that of the ,presbyterian1 ,lutheran1 ,methodist1 and ,episcopal ,churches4 ,but not so with the doctrine of ,christ's reconciling and atoning work4 ,this has taken every form in past history1 and is altogether unsettled at the present time4 ,usually1 many views are mingled together in modern ,orthodoxy2 and while all ,orthodox teachers use the same language1 speaking of the death of ,christ as 8atonement10 8expiation10 8vicarious sacrifice10 8sin-offering10 8substitution10 8satisfaction10 yet they connect with these words very different ideas4 ,such is the testimony of an eminent ,orthodox divine1 who speaks thus3-- 8,there is a general concurrence in the words vicarious1 expiation1 offering1 substitute1 and the like1 but no agreement as to the manner in which they are to get their meaning4 ,sometimes the analogy of criminal law is taken2 and then our sins are spoken of as being transferred to ,christ1 or he as having accepted them to bear their penalty4 ,sometimes the civil or commercial law furnishes the analogy2 and then1 our sins being taken as a debt1 ,christ offers himself as a ransom for us4 ,or the analogy of the ceremonial law is accepted2 and then ,christ is set forth as a propitiatory or expiatory offering to obtain remission of sins for us4 ,regarding ,christ as suffering for us in one or another of these ,scripture forms or figures taken as the literal dogmatic truth1 we have as many distinct theories4 ,then1 again1 different as these figures are from each other1 they will yet be used interchangeably1 all in the sense of one or another of them4 ,and then1 again1 to double the confusion yet once more1 we have two sets of representations produced under each1 accordingly as ,christ is conceived to offer himself to ,jehovah's justice1 or as ,jehovah is conceived himself to prepare the offering out of his own mercy4 8,on the whole1 ,i know of no definite and fixed point on which the ,orthodox view1 so called1 may be said to hang1 unless it be this1 viz41 that ,christ suffers evil as evil1 or in direct and simple substitution for evil that was to be suffered by us2 so that ,god accepts one evil in place of the other1 and1 being satisfied in this manner1 is able to justify or pardon4 8,as to the measure of this evil1 there are different opinions4 ,calvin maintained the truly horrible doctrine1 that ,christ descended into hell when crucified1 and suffered the pains of the damned for three days4 ,a very great number of the ,christian teachers1 even at this day1 maintain that ,christ suffered exactly as much pain as all the redeemed would have suffered under the penalties of eternal justice4 ,but this penal view of ,christ's death has been gradually giving way1 till now1 under its most modern1 most mitigated1 and least objectionable form1 he is only said to have suffered under a law of expression4 8,thus ,god would have expressed a certain abhorrence of sin by the punishment of the world4 ,christ now suffers only as much pain as will express the same amount of abhorrence4 ,and considering the dignity of the ,sufferer1 and his relations to the ,father1 there was no need of suffering the same1 or even any proximate amount of pain1 to make an expression of abhorrence to sin1 that is1 of justice1 equal to that produced by the literal punishment of the race4 ,still1 it will be seen to be a part of this more mitigated view1 that ,christ suffers evil as evil2 which evil suffered is accepted as a compensative expression of ,god's indignation against sin4 ,accordingly1 in the agony of ,gethsemane1 and when the ,saviour exclaims in his passion1 #8,my ,god1 my ,god1 why hast thou forsaken me8' it will be taken for literal truth1 that the frown of ,god1 or divine justice1 rested on his soul4 8,it will probably be right1 then1 to distribute the views of those who are accepted now as ,orthodox teachers1 into two classes--one who consider the death of ,christ as availing by what it is2 the other1 by force of what it expresses2 the former holding it as a literal substitution of evil endured for evil that was to be endured2 the latter holding it as an expression of abhorrence to sin1 made1 through the suffering of one1 in place of the same expression that was to be made by the suffering of many4 8,as regards the former class of representations1 we may say1 comprehensively1 that they are capable1 one and all1 of no light in which they do not even offend some right moral sentiment of our being4 ,indeed1 they raise up moral objections with such marvellous fecundity1 that we can hardly state them as fast as they occur to us407#ai7 #b4 ,great ,importance attributed to this ,doctrine4 ,but1 notwithstanding the fact that there is such confusion in the minds of the ,orthodox about this doctrine1 there is1 nevertheless1 no doctrine the belief in which is regarded as so important4 ,with respect to other doctrines1--the ,trinity1 for example1--dogmatic ,christianity declares our salvation to depend upon our belief of it2 but in regard to the atonement1 it goes farther1 and makes our salvation depend on using the phraseology of the doctrine4 ,other doctrines will save us1 on the condition of believing them2 this1 on the condition of using the language4 ,if a man shall lead a life of purity and goodness1 but expresses doubts concerning this doctrine1 his ,orthodox friends will have scarcely any hope of his salvation2 but if the most depraved criminal1 after a life steeped in wickedness1 shall merely say on his death-bed1 that he hopes 8to be saved by the atoning blood of ,christ10 he is thought immediately to be on the fair way to heaven4 ,no matter how good a man is1 if he does not accept the ,orthodox language on this point1 his friends fear for him3 no matter how bad he is1 if he does accept it1 they hope for him4 ,there is a sort of magical power attributed to the very words4 ,they are almost supposed to act like a talisman or a charm4 ,now1 while we reject all such superstitious views of the power of mere words1 while we reject all false meaning and all no meaning1 it is proper to think that there may be some substantial truth in these ,orthodox opinions concerning the atonement4 ,let us endeavor to find what this vital truth really is1 and why this doctrine is so dear to the heart of ,orthodoxy4 #c4 ,stress laid on the ,death of ,jesus in the ,scripture4 ,consider the stress laid on the sufferings of ,jesus in the ,new ,testament4 ,notice what our ,saviour says himself3 8,this is my blood of the ,new ,covenant1 which is shed for many for the remission of sins40 8,the bread that ,i will give is my flesh1 which ,i will give for the life of the world40 8,for as ,moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness1 even so must the ,son of man be lifted up1 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish1 but have eternal life40 8,i am the good shepherd3 the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep40 ,consider1 again1 what is said on this subject in the ,epistles4 8,jesus ,christ1 whom ,god hath set forth as a mercy seat through faith in his blood40 8,when we were enemies we were reconciled to ,god by the death of his ,son40 8,he died for our sins40 8,he is sacrificed for us40 8,he gave himself for our sins40 8,we have redemption through his blood1 even the forgiveness of sin40 8,having made peace through the blood of his cross40 8,he gave himself a ransom for all40 8,he washed us from our sins through his blood40 8,by whose stripes we are healed40 8,though he were a ,son1 yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered1 and being made perfect1 became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him40 ,again3 8,but we see ,jesus1 who was made a little lower than the angels1 for the suffering of death1 crowned with glory and honor1 that he1 by the grace of ,god1 should taste death for every man4 ,for it became him1 for whom are all things1 and by whom are all things1 in bringing many sons unto glory1 to make the ,captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings40 8,wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren1 that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to ,god1 to make reconciliation for the sins of the people4 ,for in that he himself hath suffered1 being tempted1 he is able to succor them that are tempted40 ,these are some of the passages which connect the sufferings of ,jesus ,christ with sin on the one hand1 and salvation on the other4 #d4 ,difficulty in interpreting these ,scripture ,passages4 ,there is a difficulty1 however1 in understanding the meaning and feeling the force of such texts as these4 ,this difficulty consists in the fact that these passages are constantly quoted as proof texts4 ,from our childhood up we have heard them brought forward to prove the truth of some particular doctrine or theory of atonement1 and when we read these verses1 we immediately associate them with some doctrine which we like or dislike4 ,our feelings and prejudices are involved in interpreting the passage one way or the other1 so that we are unable to look at it fairly4 ,in order to overcome this difficulty1 we must make this obvious distinction4 ,we must distinguish between the statement of a fact and the theory concerning it4 ,the fact which the ,bible states is simply this--that the sins of man were the occasion of ,christ's death1 and that by his death he saves us from our sin4 ,this is the fact which the ,scriptures assert4 ,the way in which he saves us is a matter of theory4 ,why it was that human sin made it necessary for ,christ to die1 how it is that his death reconciles us to ,god1--this belongs to the theory4 ,now1 while the ,scriptures say a great deal about the fact that ,christ's sufferings save us from our sins1 they say very little as regards the way in which they save us from our sins4 #e4 ,theological ,theories based on the ,figurative ,language of the ,new ,testament4 ,the ,scriptures state the fact2 the theologians have supplied the explanations4 ,innumerable have been the theories devised by theology to show in what way the sufferings of ,christ have availed for the salvation of men--theories of imputation1 theories of substitution1 theories of satisfaction4 ,he was punished in our place2 he paid our debt2 he was our federal head and representative2 he satisfied the justice of ,god2 he appeased the wrath of ,god4 ,but especially are the figures and metaphors of the ,new ,testament pressed into the service of theology1 and made the basis of grave theories4 ,thus are metaphors turned into metaphysics1 and rhetoric changed to logic4 ,the images of the ,new ,testament were naturally taken from familiar objects and transactions1 especially from war1 from slavery1 and from the ,jewish ritual4 ,sin is our enemy1 who has conquered us in battle1 and made us his prisoners4 ,christ redeems us from this captivity1 and pays our ransom4 ,sin is a cruel master1 and we are his slaves4 ,he is about to torture us with the rod4 ,christ comes and takes our punishment on himself4 ,he bears our stripes4 ,according to the ,jewish ritual the paschal feast was a commemoration of ,god's mercy4 ,it was to the ,jews what ,thanksgiving ,day is to the people of ,new ,england4 ,so the ,christians said ,christ is our ,passover4 ,in the ,jewish ritual ,god was believed to manifest himself over the mercy seat in the inner sanctuary of the temple4 ,the ,christians said1 ,christ is our mercy seat4 ,all this was natural2 but these images have been turned into elaborate theories by the theologians who have argued that ,christ's death was a literal ransom1 a literal mercy seat1 and a literal passover4 ,these theories have mostly passed by4 ,the common ,orthodox theory in ,new ,england now is much more reasonable1 but unfortunately much less scriptural4 ,it is founded on the analogy of human government4 ,god is compared to a wise and kind ruler1 who governs by law1 and who wishes to pardon the penitent criminal1 but fears that if he does so1 he will impair the respect felt for his law1 and therefore thinks it necessary to do something to show the evil of disobedience before he can pardon4 ,christ is willing to die in order to make this impression on the minds of men4 ,and this he accordingly does4 ,but unfortunately1 as we said1 there is nothing in the ,scripture1 not even a metaphorical expression1 to support this theory4 ,the apostles did not have recourse for their figures and images to such usage of government1 and that for the simple reason that no such usage or necessity then existed4 ,the governments were all despotic1 and no despot1 wishing to pardon1 had any difficulty on the ground that the sanctity of his laws might be impaired4 ,war1 slavery1 and the ,jewish ritual1 and household usages existed4 ,their images were taken from these4 ,they spoke of ransom1 of stripes1 of the passover1 and the mercy seat1 of washing and healing1 but not of governments and laws4 ,sin is our conqueror1 and ,christ redeems us4 ,sin is a slavery1 and ,christ ransoms us4 ,sin is defilement1 and ,christ washes us4 ,sin is a disease1 and ,christ heals us4 ,all this occurs again and again1 but nothing occurs about constitutional governments1 or conflicts between the claims of justice and mercy4 #f4 ,the three principal ,views of the ,atonement--warlike1 legal1 and governmental4 ,three principal views on this subject have prevailed in the ,christian ,church as ,orthodox4 ,the first may be called the warlike view of ,christ's work1 the second may be called the legal view1 and the third the governmental view4 ,the first was the prevailing ,orthodox view from the earliest times till the middle ages1 and is based on the idea of a conflict or war between ,christ and the ,devil for the soul of man4 ,the ,devil had gained possession of the human race in consequence of its sin4 ,the right of the ,devil over men was fully admitted4 ,augustine considered it as the right of property1 ,leo the ,great as the right of a conqueror4 ,christ gave his own life to the ,devil as a ransom1 which was adequate to redeem the whole race4 ,this theory rested on the literal interpretation of the words 8ransom0 and 8redemption40 ,if ,christ's death was a ransom1 if he came 8to give his life a ransom for many10 the question naturally arose1 8,from whose power were men redeemed1 and to whom was the ransom paid80 ,certainly1 men were not redeemed from the power of ,god4 ,the ransom could not have been paid to ,god1 but to some enemy who held us as his prisoners4 ,the only possible answer1 therefore1 is1 that the ransom was paid to the ,devil4 ,the ,devil was the cruel tyrant who had enslaved us4 ,he had a right to do so2 for we had become his slaves through our sin4 ,but he had no right over ,christ1 for ,christ had committed no sin2 so that the death of ,christ was a free offering to the ,devil to redeem the race4 ,according to this view1 therefore1 the atonement was made to the ,devil4 ,but in the middle ages another view of the atonement became ,orthodox1 founded not upon the idea of a ransom1 but on that of a debt4 ,according to this view the divine law requires that the debt which man owes to ,god1 which is perfect obedience1 shall be paid1 either by himself or by some one else4 ,anselm1 the founder of this theory1 defined sin 8as not giving to ,god his due40 ,man cannot pay this debt himself1 and therefore ,christ pays it for him4 ,this is the legal view of the atonement1 or perhaps we might rather call it the commercial view4 ,but this theory1 after having endured as ,orthodox for some five hundred years1 gave place to a third1 based not on the idea of a ransom or of a debt1 but of a state necessity4 ,it would not do for ,god1 as a moral ,governor1 to forgive sin1 unless by some great example an impression could be made of the evil of sin4 ,this impression is produced by the death of ,christ1 who therefore died not to atone for past sin1 but to prevent future sin1 or1 in other words1 to make a moral impression on the human mind4 ,this is the popular theory of the atonement held by the ,orthodox at the present time4 ,but it is very much mixed up with the others4 ,the different views held by modern ,orthodoxy range all the way from the old ,calvinism of ,princeton1 through the various shades of ,new ,england theology1 to the latest form expressed by ,dr4 ,horace ,bushnell in his recent work on 8,vicarious ,sacrifice40 #g4 ,impression made by ,christ's ,death on the ,minds of his ,disciples4 ,first ,theory on the ,subject in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews4 ,the sufferings of ,jesus produced a wonderful impression on the minds of his disciples4 ,this impression was compounded of astonishment1 tenderness1 and gratitude4 ,that a man so divine in character1 in wisdom1 in a command over nature1 should submit willingly to such labor1 ignominy1 and anguish1 was a wonder to them4 ,but there was a mystery of sorrow beneath the visible sorrow1 a pain within the pain1 a depth of grief felt not for himself1 but for others1 an anguish on account of the sin of the world1 which especially awed and touched them4 ,christ plunged into the midst of sin to save souls1 as a hero rushes into the midst of burning flames to save lives4 ,no man like ,jesus had ever felt such anguish and horror at the sight of sin2 but instead of flying from it1 he came into the midst of it to save the sinner4 ,this was the secret of his agony1 the bitterness of his cup4 ,martyrs at the stake are borne up by their own triumphant self-approval4 ,but ,jesus1 in his anguish1 did not think of his own triumph1 but the sin and sorrow of those who afflicted him4 8,daughters of ,jerusalem1 weep not for me1 but weep for yourselves and your children40 8,father1 forgive them2 they know not what they do40 ,this is the secret of ,christ's anguish--this infinite horror of sin joined to an infinite love for the sinner4 ,through this depth of sorrow there came to the minds of the apostles a revelation of the evil of sin and the infinite compassion of ,god1 which produced penitence1 hope1 and love4 ,the dying ,christ reconciled them to ,god4 ,this they felt and declared2 they did not attempt to explain how1 but by images and metaphors drawn from all familiar objects1 they declared that ,christ's sorrows more than his glory1 his patience rather than his power1 his death more than his life1 had withdrawn their hearts from sin1 and given them peace with ,god4 ,one writer alone in the ,new ,testament attempts an explanation of this influence4 ,it is only an attempt1 a mere hint1 the germ of a theology3 it is found in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews47#bj7 ,according to these passages ,christ suffered1--#a4 ,to learn obedience2 #b4 ,that he might thus become perfect2 #c4 ,by an entire cultivation of his sympathies with the tempted2 #d4 ,so as to become to them the author of eternal salvation by reconciling them to ,god4 ,this1 we may observe1 so far as it goes1 is really a theory of atonement1 and not a mere statement of the fact4 ,moreover1 it seems to us to contain the germ of a far nobler and deeper theory than any in which the ,church has hitherto believed4 ,it is more human1 more rational1 connected more with real experience and the solid facts of life4 #h4 ,value of ,suffering as a ,means of ,education4 ,the sufferings of ,christ were necessary for his own perfection1 and suffering in some form or other is necessary for all perfection4 ,it is often said that suffering in this world is casual1 an accidental thing1 arising from human mistakes1 and that the time will come in which man will grow up into perfection without suffering4 ,a perpetual sunlight is thought to be the best condition for the human plant4 ,pain and want stunt its growth1 winter storms arrest its development2 and so it is supposed that if we can get rid of this element of suffering1 human beings will soon become all they ought to be4 ,but the poet speaks more wisely who says1-- 8,to each their sufferings3 all are men ,condemned alike to groan2 ,the feeling for another's woe1 ,the unfeeling for his own40 ,for suppose that we could remove from the world all outward evil--get rid of sickness1 pain1 poverty1 death4 ,would not the worst part of evil still remain8 ,would not discontent1 selfishness1 envy1 wilfulness1 cruelty1 self-indulgence continue8 ,all these exist--perhaps exist most frequently--where there is the least of outward evil2 and the outward evil is the bitter medicine which comes by and by as a cure4 #i4 ,the ,human ,conscience suggests the ,need of some ,satisfaction in order to our ,forgiveness4 ,the central idea of the atonement is1 that ,christ has done something which enables ,god to forgive us our sin2 and the reason why this doctrine of atonement seems so precious is1 that we feel that there is a real difficulty in the way of forgiveness1--as if something else were necessary besides repentance1--as if some compensation or reparation should be made somehow to the offended law of ,god1 or to the aggrieved holiness of ,god4 ,we do not say that this feeling is a true feeling3 that question we must consider afterwards4 ,but it is1 at any rate1 a natural feeling1 whether it be founded on our knowledge of ,god or our ignorance of ,god4 ,it is hard to believe that a man whom we have injured will forgive us that injury merely because we ask him to do so1 and are sorry for what we have done4 ,we feel that we must make some reparation before he can or ought to forgive us4 ,unquestionably1 the conscience is the source of this feeling4 ,it led ,zaccheus to say1 8,if ,i have done any man wrong1 ,i restore him four-fold40 ,a full reparation for an injury1 accompanied with sorrow for having done it1 the expression of which sorrow is confession1 satisfies the conscience4 ,having done this1 we feel that we have a right to be forgiven4 ,but it is very seldom that such full reparation can be made4 ,the consequences of our wrong acts cannot usually be removed or effaced4 ,wrong-doing is like the gate of hell--easy to open1 but difficult1 if not impossible1 to close again4 8,she opened1 but to shut excelled her power40 ,instead of reparation1 therefore1 the conscience substitutes retribution--either reparation or the penalty2 and the natural form of the penalty is an equivalent4 ,natural justice says1 8,an eye for an eye1 a tooth for a tooth40 ,this the conscience thinks right2 this is justice4 ,all less than this is mercy2 all more than this is revenge4 ,we think that if we analyze the feeling which the conscience gives us concerning the consequences of wrong-doing1 it is this3 ,first1 conscience demands reparation to the injured party2 second1 it demands punishment as a satisfaction to be made to the law of right1 and this suffering to be accepted as just by the guilty party2 and thirdly1 it declares that guilt should produce an alienation or separation between the guilty party and those who are not guilty4 ,to illustrate all this1 let us suppose a case4 ,a man1 hitherto respected and trusted by society commits some great breach of trust1 and robs the community4 ,what does the conscience in such a case demand8 ,first1 that he should give up his property1 and make1 if he can1 full restitution2 second1 that he should endure some suffering--that he should not continue to enjoy1 as before1 all his accustomed privileges2 and third1 that he should not retain his standing in society1 and receive1 as before1 the countenance and esteem of honorable persons4 ,conscience requires that he should make atonement to those he has injured by restitution2 to the law of right1 which he has offended1 by suffering some punishment2 and to honorable men by keeping out of their way4 ,this1 which the conscience teaches of an injury done to man1 it also teaches of an injury done to ,god4 ,the offence against man is a crime2 the offence against ,god is a sin4 ,for a crime1 the conscience requires restitution1 punishment with confession1 and alienation from the good1 which is shame4 ,for a sin1 the conscience requires1 in like manner1 restitution1 punishment1 and alienation4 ,it merely transfers to ,god's justice the ideas of atonement which human justice has given to it4 ,but ,god's justice is not like man's4 ,the ideas of atonement so abstracted are essentially false2 and to convince us of their falsehood is one of the objects of ,christ's death4 ,it is to show us that ,god does not demand this full restitution1 does not intend to inflict this punishment1 and is not alienated from the penitent sinner4 ,the death of ,christ has done this4 #aj4 ,how the ,death of ,jesus brings ,men to ,god4 ,as a matter of fact1 the death of ,christ has enabled men to come to ,god4 8,they who were afar off are made nigh by the blood of ,christ40 ,as a matter of fact1 it has lifted men above the fear of ,god into the love of ,god4 ,and this must be a divine work4 ,not the mere death of the human being could have done this2 but the ,god who dwelt in him has uttered his tender love1 his forgiving grace1 from the cross4 8,god was in ,christ1 reconciling the world unto himself40 ,the death of ,christ is an expression of ,god's free grace4 ,if we regard ,christ1 in his life and character1 as a manifestation of ,god's will1 then his pathetic and tender death reveals to us that ,god loves us even when we are sinners1 before reparation or repentance2 8for1 while we were sinners1 ,christ died for us40 ,there is1 however1 a difficulty in believing that we can be forgiven4 ,this difficulty is in the conscience2 and1-- 7a47 ,to say there is no difficulty1 will not remove it4 7b47 ,to say that repentance and good works are enough1 will not remove it4 7c47 ,to say that ,god is merciful1 will not remove it2 for the difficulty lies in the conscience1 which declares that every sin is1-- #a4 ,an injury done to ,god4 #b4 ,an injury to the moral universe2 inasmuch as it is an example of evil1 and a defiance of right4 #c4 ,an injury to ourselves1 by putting us away from ,god1 the source of life1 and alienating us from him4 ,now1 it is true that the ,new ,testament says1 8,repent1 and be converted1 and your sins shall be blotted out20 8,believe1 and be saved40 ,it is true that if we will believe ourselves forgiven1 we shall be forgiven4 ,but how can we believe it1 when the inward voice of conscience is always saying that ,god ought not to forgive us without some reparation made for the injury done to himself1 to the universe1 and to ourselves8 ,we need something to believe in--some manifestation1 some object4 ,something we need done by ,god to assure us that he is in earnest in desiring us to come and be reconciled to him4 ,now1 the sufferings and death of ,christ seem to be this object3 they enable us to believe in forgiveness1 and so to be forgiven2 they meet the difficulty of the conscience1 and relieve it of its threefold embarrassment4 ,for1 in regard to the injury done to ,god1 ,christ's sufferings are substitution1 or vicarious suffering4 ,i do not say vicarious punishment4 ,the innocent cannot be punished in the place of the guilty2 but he can suffer1 and constantly does suffer1 in the place of the guilty4 ,these two laws are announced in the ,old ,testament3 8,the soul that sinneth1 it shall die20 8,the wickedness of parents shall be on the children40 ,if a man is alone1 he must bear all the consequences of his sins2 but if he have friends and children1 they will relieve him of some by their self-sacrificing kindness3 their sufferings take the place of his punishment4 ,how often a wife does this6--interposing her sufferings between her husband's sins and their penalty4 ,and what a profound impression is made by it of the evil of sin6 ,it torments innocent women and children2 it shipwrecks the peace of a family4 ,what an effect is produced on the man himself6 ,what a reproach and tender rebuke to him is this6 ,the sufferings of ,christ are substituted in this way for ours1 according to this law2 and this divine substitution is continued in the sacrifices of ,christians4 ,missionaries and martyrs1 by their zeal1 patience1 and generosity1 carry out the sacrifice of ,christ4 ,this is ,god in ,christ working in us and in the ,church1 and working for sinners4 ,then1 as to the injury to the world by the contempt sin does to the law1 the sufferings of ,christ are satisfaction3 they satisfy the divine law2 they make an impression of the importance of the law4 ,but here1 again1 it is not merely ,christ alone who does it1 but ,god in ,christ1 and ,christ in the ,church1 who honor the divine law by the respect produced for it4 ,they bring us to repentance2 they make us feel the sinfulness of sin2 show us the misery it causes to those who love us1--how it pains ,god1 pains ,christ1 pains the good1 and pains our friends4 ,so we feel it1 and show it by true penitence1 and so honor the law4 ,the law is satisfied when the sufferings of ,christ and his followers1 caused by sin1 lead men to abhor sin1 and love righteousness4 ,as to the injury which sin does to a man himself by separating him from ,god's love1 and making him at enmity with ,god1 and ,god's wrath on him1 the sufferings of ,christ are reconciliation4 8,god was in ,christ1 reconciling the world to himself40 ,why was ,god alienated from man8 ,because he is holy4 ,how can an unholy person be at one with a holy ,god8 ,the answer is this3 ,god comes into his heart by ,christ1 to form ,christ within him1 and to make him holy as ,christ was holy4 ,he sees that when united with ,christ his sinfulness is killed in its roots1 and a seed of perfect purity is planted in his soul2 and so ,god is able to be at one with him through his union with ,christ3 8,i in them1 and thou in me1 that we may be perfectly at one40 ,a love for ,christ in the heart forms ,christ within us4 ,he is our life1 our motive power1 our aim2 and so he casts out the root of our sin1 and brings us to ,god4 ,thus we see that1 even though we should reject all the ,orthodox theories about atonement1 we may accept the fact4 ,we can believe that ,god in ,christ does reconcile the world to himself1--does create a sense of pardoned sin1--does remove the weight of transgression1--does take away the obstacle in our conscience1--does help us into a living faith1 hope1 peace1 and joy4 ,moreover1 ,christ is really a sacrifice for sin--a real and true sin-offering4 ,for what were the sin-offerings under the law8 ,how did they remove sin8 ,not by themselves 7it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to remove sin71 but because they were an appointment of ,god1 and so showed ,god's disposition4 ,they showed that his holiness was displeased with evil2 they showed that he loved the sinner1 and wished to make him holy4 ,so the death of ,christ is a true sacrifice in exactly the same way1 but in a higher degree1 convincing us of the evil of sin and the love of ,god4 ,the experience of the whole ,church teaches the power of this faith to create in our souls a new life of love4 ,seeing ,god coming to us in ,christ to reconcile us to himself1 and freely forgiving our sins1 removes from our hearts doubt1 anxiety1 and the burden of hard responsibility1 and fills the soul with a deep peace and joy in believing4 ,so felt the apostle ,peter when the ,master forgave him his denial4 ,from the fountain of that forgiveness flowed forth a river of devotion4 ,so felt ,paul when forgiven by ,jesus2 so felt ,augustine1 so ,ambrose1 so ,luther1 so ,wesley3 because they had been forgiven much1 they loved much2 for to whom little is forgiven1 the same loveth little4 ,the practical conclusion is1 that it is less important to speculate as to the how1 than to endeavor to see the fact4 ,what we need is faith in ,god's pardoning1 redeeming1 saving love in ,christ ,jesus--faith that our sins are blotted out2 that we can come at once to our ,father2 that we can come boldly to the throne of grace2 that the infinite ,father looks at us with love when we are a great way off1 and says1 8,this my son was dead1 and is alive again2 was lost1 and is found40 ,we may therefore1 when we are conscious of going wrong and of doing wrong1 instead of trying to reform ourselves alone by our own strength1 go first to ,god1 and be forgiven through faith in the great sacrifice of ,christ3 8,when ,god hath set forth to be a propitiation 7or mercy seat71 through faith in his blood1 to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past1 through the forbearance of ,god1 that he might be just1 and the justifier of him which believeth in ,jesus40 #aa4 ,this ,law of ,vicarious ,suffering universal4 ,orthodoxy1 in all its theories concerning the influence of the death of ,jesus1 has supposed his case exceptional and his work peculiar4 ,it would be very shocking to most ,orthodox minds to suppose that the same law of vicarious sacrifice applies to others2 that the sufferings and death of the good1 in all ages1 have helped to atone for evil2 have enabled sinners to obtain pardon4 ,but such1 we believe1 is the fact4 ,jesus ,christ came1 providentially1 as the typical and perfect man--the one who was sent by ,god1 in his providence1 to illustrate what humanity is to be and to do4 ,if this is so1 then ,christ did essentially nothing but that which is finally to be done by all1 in some degree1 or some way4 ,he is a channel1 a mediator1 through whom ,god's life flows into ours2 but then he makes us also mediators1 by whom his life shall flow to others4 ,he is the image of ,god2 but every true ,christian is1 again1 the image of ,christ4 ,for what ,christ did1 and was1 was no afterthought1 no exception1 but a part of the plan of the universe4 ,he was 8foreordained before the foundation of the world1 but manifest in these last times40 ,he was the 8,lamb of ,god1 slain from the foundation of the world40 ,that is1 his coming1 his character1 his death1 his resurrection1 his miracles1 were all a part of a divine law4 ,and all ,god's laws are the same 8yesterday1 to-day1 and forever40 ,if this were not so1 we could not understand ,christ1 nor sympathize with him4 ,his life would be1 not only supernatural1 which it is1 but unnatural1 which it is not4 ,his miracles would be1 not what they truly are1--,god's higher life flowing into nature1 and the ,spirit overcoming the material resistance of things1--but they would be magical2 they would be like sorcery and enchantment--violations of the course of events4 ,all of ,christ's life1 then1 is typical of our future lives1 in this world or in some other world4 ,it would be easy to prove this out of ,scripture4 ,everything asserted of ,christ is1 somewhere and in some way1 asserted also of his disciples1 and of all ,christians4 ,is he said to be one with ,god8 8,i and my ,father are one40 ,they also are said to be one with ,god3 8,that they all may be one1 as we are one2 ,i in them1 and thou in me4 ,as thou1 ,father1 art in me1 and ,i in thee1 that they also may be one in us40 ,was ,christ said to know all things8 ,it is also said of his disciples1 8,ye have an unction from the ,holy ,ghost1 and know all things40 ,did ,christ work miracles8 ,he says to his disciples1 8,greater works than these shall ye do80 ,did ,god give to ,christ glory which he had before the world was8 ,he himself says of his disciples1 8,the glory thou gavest me ,i have given them40 ,did ,christ rise from the dead into a higher life8 ,we shall do the same4 8,as we have borne the image of the earthly1 we shall also bear the image of the heavenly40 ,christ1 in his high and perfect life1 may be regarded as a prophecy of what man is to become3 we may look on him as a revelation of the higher laws of human nature1 as a type of all humanity4 ,as regards his atoning death1 his reconciling sufferings1 the same thing is true4 ,as he died for man1 so must we die for each other4 ,thus says the apostle ,john3 8,herein is love2 not that we loved ,god1 but that he loved us1 and sent his ,son to be the propitiation for our sins4 ,beloved1 if ,god so loved us1 we ought also to love one another40 ,and again1 8,because he laid down his life for us1 we ought also to lay down our lives for the brethren40 ,and ,paul1 after having spoken of 8,christ's having made peace by the blood of the cross10 says of himself that he rejoices in his own sufferings for their sake--rejoices to 8fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of ,christ20 that is1 make up any deficiency in ,christ's sufferings for them4 8,christ's sufferings10 he says elsewhere1 8abound in us10 his disciples4 8,we are partakers of his sufferings10 says the apostle ,peter4 ,if he thought ,christ's sufferings entirely different in their nature and meaning from all other sufferings1 he would scarcely have said that he 8partook0 of them4 #ab4 ,this ,law illustrated from ,history--in the ,death of ,socrates1 ,joan of ,arc1 ,savonarola1 and ,abraham ,lincoln4 ,the death of ,jesus1 therefore1 manifested in a higher degree the same law which is illustrated in the deaths of all good and great souls1 martyrs to a principle1 or to an idea4 ,in proportion to the greatness and universality of the idea1 and the greatness and holiness of the martyr1 is the impression profound4 ,we will give a few instances of this from history1 to see that the death of ,jesus was not something wholly outside of law1 wholly exceptional1 but the highest example of the great effect produced by one who walks straight into death for a great idea4 ,the first instance we take shall be that of ,socrates4 ,when we think of ,socrates1 we think of his death4 ,he1 like ,jesus1 spent the time before his death conversing with his friends concerning the highest themes4 ,he talked of immortality through the long summer day4 ,he showed the superiority of the soul to the body in which it dwelt2 and he had lost all fear of dying4 ,he had silenced what ,plato calls 8the child within us1 who trembles before death40 ,in fact1 the whole tone of his defence before the judges shows that he did not care to save his life4 ,the verdict of guilty was pronounced by a majority of five or six1 in a vote of five hundred and fifty-seven dicasts4 ,he made no preparation for his defence1 and said that a blameless life was the best defence4 ,when he came to speak before those whose vote was to decide on his life or death1 his speech seems a sort of confidential clearing of his breast of all his opinions4 ,he declares he has been the greatest benefactor of ,athens4 ,he tells them they ought not to be offended at the resolute tone of his defence1 since it would be unmanly for him to beg and plead for life2 for his duty was to instruct them1 but not to supplicate4 ,it was strange that so small a majority was cast against him after such a speech4 ,then the custom required him to say himself what punishment he should suffer4 ,his accuser had called for death4 ,if he had named something less severe1 as exile1 fine1 imprisonment1 no doubt his life had been saved4 ,instead1 he said1 8,i propose that ,i be rewarded as a public benefactor1 by being supported at the public expense1 as a teacher of the people4 ,still1 as my friends wish me to name a fine1 ,i will say thirty min40 ,they took this as an insult1 and sentenced him to death4 ,then he spent his hours in those immortal conversations which will be remembered when all the rest of the glory and beauty of ,greek literature and art has passed away4 ,every moment of his last hours has been carefully recorded2 and the death of ,socrates gave a power to his life1 and his life an influence to his death1 which placed him among the names which will never perish from human memory and gratitude4 ,there is another name1 which comes out of the darkness and cruelty of the middle ages1 with a sweet1 serene1 and noble beauty--a pure life glorified by a death of martyrdom4 ,i mean that of ,joan of ,arc--the ,maid of ,orleans4 ,on her trial1 the readiness and beauty of her answers astonished her prejudiced judges4 ,the poor girl1 only nineteen years old1 a prisoner in chains1 before these doctors and lawyers1 showed as much courage as on the field of battle4 ,they asked why she let the people kiss her feet and garments4 ,she answered1 8,the poor people came to me because ,i did them no wrong1 and helped them when ,i could40 8,was it well to attack ,paris on ,our ,lady's day80 8,it is well to keep the festivals of ,our ,lady always40 8,do your saints love the ,english80 8,they love what ,god loves1 and hate what he hates40 8,does ,god hate the ,english80 8,as to his love or hate for their souls ,i know nothing2 but ,i know he will drive them from ,france40 8,can you tell whether you will escape death80 8,that ,i leave in ,god's hands40 ,when she went to death1 her purity and truth had so touched men's hearts that a great tide of remorse and pity began to swell up against her persecutors4 ,a priest1 who had played the part of ,judas1 and betrayed her1 repented like ,judas1 and flung himself down before her1 accusing himself of his treachery4 ,the soldiers who stood by were melted4 ,they said1 8,we have burned a saint40 ,the executioner declared that ,god would never forgive him4 ,from the day of her death1 all men began to believe in her holiness and truth4 ,come down to the end of the same century1 and take another instance in ,savonarola1 the ,florentine friar--the man who was at once the patriot1 leading the minds of the people of ,florence to republican institutions2 the reformer1 seeking to root out the abuses of the ,church2 and the prophetic teacher1 preacher1 religious inspirer4 ,he also climbed to the height of his glory on his funeral pile4 ,as ,athens was glorified by the death of ,socrates1 as the ,maid of ,orleans has been a vision of beauty in the square of ,rouen1 so the place in ,florence where ,savonarola was murdered1 in front of the ,palazzo ,vecchio1 is memorable as the scene of virtue triumphing over its enemies and over evil1 when it seemed to be conquered4 ,that day1 also1 will never be forgotten1 when he and his two companions walked through the furious rabble to their death1 calm as if to a marriage feast4 ,savonarola was so absorbed in the thought of the life to come1 says his biographer1 that he appeared already to have left the earth4 ,he was put to death by the order of ,alexander ,sixth1 the worst pope and worst man of modern times2 but in twenty years ,rafaelle was painting the monk's portrait on the walls of the ,vatican by order of another pope4 ,so it is that death glorifies life4 ,if ,john ,brown had escaped from his prison1 and gone to ,canada1 what would have been his influence8 ,he would only have been remembered as a crazy fanatic4 ,but now there remains in all minds the picture of the old man going quietly and peacefully to die1 kissing the little negro child on the way1 looking up at the surrounding hills1 and admiring the beauty of the scenery4 ,death set its seal on his life1 and so his soul became the leader of the armies of the ,union1 going before them to victory4 ,and how much1 also1 was ,abraham ,lincoln glorified by his martyr death6 ,how he rose at once into a great figure in history--a monumental form before which enmity was silenced6 ,all men forgot their hostility1 their criticisms1 their sneers--forgot that they had ever done anything but honor him4 ,the assassin1 who thought to revenge the wrongs of the southern slaveholders on ,lincoln1 gave to him a lasting niche in the temple of fame4 ,now1 we are not by any means comparing the work of these persons with that of our great ,master1 ,jesus ,christ4 ,such is not our object4 ,we are only pointing out the law by which a person who has devoted himself to a great cause1 when he comes to die in its service1 gives to that cause an immense help1 and seems to sanctify and glorify the cause and himself4 ,there is a mystery about it which we do not fully understand1--which is not accounted for by saying that death proves a man's sincerity1 and makes him a more competent witness1 or that death conciliates his enemies1 and puts an end to personal dislike4 ,no2 there is something more than this4 ,when men live for a cause outside of themselves1 when they labor for public objects1 they are not seen while they live4 ,those whose interests are interfered with by their action1 misrepresent them1 and surround them with a cloud of suspicion1 jealousy1 and slander4 ,when they go to death for their cause1 all these slanderous voices are hushed1 and they emerge from this cloud of prejudice1 and are seen as they are4 ,they are glorified then in their cause1 and their cause is glorified in them4 ,the cause for which ,socrates lived was the education of the people of ,athens to truth and justice4 ,all the ,sophists were his enemies4 ,aristophanes ridiculed him as no other reformer has ever been ridiculed1 holding him up1 by his inimitable wit1 to the scorn of the crowded theatre4 ,when he died1 and died in the faith1 all this ended4 ,socrates and his great cause of justice rose at once1 and drew all men to them4 ,so ,savonarola1 who lived only with the purpose of helping on the triumph of pure religion in the ,church1 and pure liberty in the state1 was mocked and abused in his life2 but his death made him an undying power1 and being dead1 he spoke across the rapid years to ,martin ,luther and the reformers who came after4 ,john ,brown lived and died for universal freedom2 ,abraham ,lincoln lived and died for the existence and deliverance of the nation4 ,of them1 exactly as of ,christ1 we may say that when they died the hour came for them to be glorified4 ,they died1 and they rose again4 ,the resurrection1 in these instances1 came close after the crucifixion2 not seen in their cases1 as is that of ,jesus1 by the visible eye1 but essentially the same thing inwardly as his4 ,they and their cause went up1 instead of going down1 by their death4 ,when they were lifted up1 they drew all men to them4 ,in all such deaths1 also1 there is a certain atoning1 reconciling influence4 ,death brings together1 in harmony1 conflicting interests2 it silences hatreds1 and breaks down many a partition wall of separation47#ba7 ,the difference between ,christ's death and all of these is1 that ,christ lived and died not merely for popular education1 for patriotism1 for philanthropy1 but to be the power of ,god for the salvation of the world2 to found a universal religion of love to ,god and man2 to reveal ,god as a ,father1 not a ,king2 to show man to man as brother4 ,but the effect of his death1 as in all these other cases1 was simply to glorify his life and his cause4 ,the same law worked in his case and in theirs1 only on a higher plane1 and for a vastly greater object4 ,we may observe that most of the passages concerning the effect of ,christ's death are from the apostle ,paul4 ,they are written thirty years after that death by one who probably had never seen him1 at least never knew him4 ,but ,paul had seen the actual effect of the death of ,jesus on the minds and hearts of the people4 ,it was a reconciling effect2 it did away with their hatred to his religion1 and enabled them to see it1 and be led by it to ,god4 ,it made 8those who were afar off1 nigh40 ,it made peace between man and ,god1--between man and man4 ,when ,jesus died1 men's eyes seemed at once to open1 and they saw for the first time the beauty and holiness of his life4 ,his death1 therefore1 did what his life had not done4 ,we1 misled by a false theology1 imagine ,paul to be speaking of some transcendental transaction in the spiritual world by which the death of ,jesus acted on ,god's mind to make him placable2 whereas1 in truth1 he is speaking of the simple historic fact that the death of ,christ did draw men to his religion1 and so to ,god2 did1 therefore1 bring them to see ,god's forgiving love2 did unite them with each other4 ,so ,paul says that he 8is not ashamed of the cross of ,christ10--not ashamed of the fact that ,christ was hanged as a malefactor1 since that very death was the power of ,god to bring man to salvation4 ,it made men just1 and kind1 and true1 and so was the power of ,god4 #ac4 ,dr4 ,bushnell's ,view of the ,atonement4 ,in his book1 lately published1 ,dr4 ,bushnell teaches that the vicarious sacrifice of ,jesus consists in his sympathy with sinners4 ,he suffers with them and for them1 as a friend suffers for a friend1 or a mother for a child1--in the same way1 and in no exceptional or uncommon way4 ,he did not die officially1 but naturally4 ,he did not come here to die1 but he died because he was here4 ,we are persuaded that this is the right view4 ,we are sure that one day we shall all see that ,christ's sufferings and death1 and their influence1 are as simple1 as natural1 as wholly in accordance with human nature1 as that of any other saint or martyr2 that the difference is of degree1 not of kind2 and ,christ will go before the world1 its great ,redeemer and ,leader1 all the more certainly because one of us1--educated1 as we are1 by trial and sorrow2 tempted as we are1 but without sin2 crying out1 as we do1 from the depths of our despair1 8,my ,god6 why hast thou forsaken me80 and rising1 as we do1 through death to a higher life1 through sorrow to a completer joy1 through the pains of earth to the glories of heaven4 8,for it became him for whom are all things1 and by whom are all things1 in bringing many sons unto glory1 to make the ,captain of their salvation perfect through suffering2 wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren1 that he might be a merciful ,high ,priest2 for in that he himself hath suffered1 being tempted1 he is able also to succor those who are tempted4 ,for we have not a ,high ,priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities1 ,,but ,,was ,,in ,,all ,,points ,,tempted ,,as ,,we ,,are1 yet without sin2 who can have compassion on the ignorant1 as he also himself is compassed with infirmity1 and though a ,son1 yet learned obedience by the things he suffered40 #ad4 ,results of this ,discussion4 ,the ,orthodox doctrine of the atonement contains a fact and a theory which ought to be carefully discriminated4 ,the fact asserted by ,orthodoxy is1 that ,jesus ,christ has done something by means of which we obtain ,god's forgiveness for our sins4 ,the theory attempts to explain what is the difficulty in the way of our forgiveness1 and how ,christ removes it4 ,thus ,orthodoxy attempts to answer three questions3 8,what80 8,why80 and 8,how80 ,the first of these regards the fact4 8,what has ,christ done80 ,and the answer is1 that he has brought to man forgiveness of sin4 ,the second and third questions regard the theory4 8,why was it necessary for ,christ to do and suffer what he did80 and1 8,how did he accomplish his work80 ,now1 as concerns the matter of fact1 ,orthodoxy is in full accordance with the ,scriptures1 which everywhere teach that through ,christ we have redemption1 through his blood1 even the forgiveness of our sins4 ,but the ,scriptures are perfectly silent concerning the theory4 ,they do not tell us why it was necessary for ,jesus to die1 nor how his death procured forgiveness4 ,the only exception is1 as we have seen1 in the statement1 in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 that the sufferings of ,christ were necessary to make him perfect1 and to enable him to be touched with a feeling of our infirmities4 ,of the three theories which in turn have been regarded as ,orthodox in the ,church1 two have completely broken down1 and the third rests on such an insecure foundation that we may be very sure that it will follow the others as soon as any better one comes to take its place4 ,the warlike theory and the legal theory of the atonement have gone to their place1 and are no more believed by men4 ,the governmental theory must soon follow4 ,nevertheless1 in each of these three theories there is one constant element4 ,and it is due to ,orthodoxy to state it4 ,this element is1 that the necessity of the death of ,christ lay in the divine attribute of justice4 ,according to the first theory1 ,christ died to satisfy what was due by ,god to the ,devil2 according to the second1 he died to satisfy what was due by ,god to himself2 according to the third1 he died to satisfy what was due by ,god to the moral universe4 ,divine justice1 in the first theory1 owed a ransom to the ,devil1 which ,christ paid2 in the second1 it owed a debt to the divine honor1 which ,christ paid2 in the third1 it owed protection to the universe from the danger of evil example4 ,the difficulty to be removed before ,god can forgive sin1 lay1 according to all of these theories1 in the divine justice4 ,christ died to reconcile justice and mercy1 so as to make justice merciful1 and mercy just4 ,but1 in opposition to this view1 the ,unitarian argument is so formidable as to seem quite unanswerable4 ,on grounds of reason1 the ,unitarian maintains that there can be no such conflict among the divine attributes1 waiting till an event should occur in human history by which they should be reconciled4 ,that ,god's justice and mercy should have been in a state of antagonism down to ,a4,m4 #djcd1 when ,jesus died1 is an incredible supposition4 ,no event taking place in time and space can be the condition sine qu non of divine perfection4 ,and any struggle or conflict like that supposed implies imperfection4 ,moreover1 the ,unitarian truly maintains that the ,orthodox theory that men cannot be forgiven on the simple condition of repentance1 is wholly unscriptural4 ,the ,scriptures plainly teach that forgiveness follows repentance4 ,in the classic passage of the ,old ,testament 7,ezek4 #ah3bj-cb71 the ,jews were taught1 unequivocally1 that the death which is the wages of sin1 is always removed by the simple act of repentance4 ,if the modern doctrine of ,orthodoxy be true1 that in order to be saved it is necessary not only to repent1 but also to believe in the atoning sacrifice1 the ,jews were fatally misled by this teaching of the prophet4 ,and so in the ,new ,testament1 the parable of the prodigal son teaches us plainly that when we repent and return to ,god1 we shall be received1 and that without any reference to belief in the atonement4 ,moreover1 the ,unitarians are fully justified in saying that the ,new ,testament nowhere asserts that the primary and immediate influence of the death of ,jesus is upon the divine attributes4 ,in every instance ,christ is said to reconcile us to ,god1 never to reconcile ,god to us4 7,see ,rom4 #e3aj1 #aa2 #aa3ae4 #b ,cor4 #e3ah1 #ai1 #bj4 ,eph4 #b3ac1 #af4 ,coloss4 #a3bj1 #ba4 #a ,peter #c3ah47 ,it is we 8who were afar off1 and have been made nigh1 by the blood of ,christ40 ,it is we1 8who1 when we were enemies1 were reconciled to ,god by the death of his ,son20 not ,god1 who was afar off1 who has been brought nigh to us2 not ,god1 who has been reconciled to us4 ,it is 8we1 who have received the atonement40 ,christ has suffered for sins1 8to bring us to ,god10 not to bring ,god to us4 ,all this is plain1 positive1 and unequivocal4 ,and yet1 notwithstanding that the ,old and ,new ,testaments declare the forgiveness of sin to the penitent1 we nevertheless find a difficulty in believing it4 ,it seems as if ,god ought not to forgive us our sins on so simple a condition4 ,and it is on this very feeling that the whole ,orthodox theory of the atonement rests4 ,the explanation of this is1 that man is obliged to understand ,god by himself4 ,since man was made in the image of ,god1 he can know ,god only by understanding the moral and spiritual laws of his own soul4 ,now1 in himself1 he finds the constant antagonism of truth and love1 justice and mercy1 conscience and desire4 ,from this essential original antagonism of truth and love spring all the moral conflicts which make cases of conscience4 ,whenever we see before us a divided duty1 on being analyzed1 it resolves itself into this conflict between truth and love4 ,we naturally1 and almost necessarily1 transfer this same conflict to the mind of ,god4 ,whenever we wish to forgive an offender1 but feel as if we ought not to do so1 we teach ourselves to regard ,god as feeling the same difficulty4 ,conscience tells us that we are not fit to be forgiven1 that it would be wrong for ,god to forgive us4 ,orthodoxy plants itself on this instinct1 and elaborates its various theories1 which men accept for a time as a sufficient explanation of their difficulty1 and then reject when their inconsistencies appear4 ,the deep-lying difficulty is the sense of our want of holiness1 and the instinctive feeling of the eternal mutual repulsion of good and evil4 ,since ,god is good1 and we are evil1 how can he forgive us8 ,if forgiveness merely meant the remitting of penalty1 it might be done after sufficient expiation4 ,if forgiveness meant laying aside of anger1 we can well believe that ,god cannot retain wrath against his children4 ,but forgiveness means communion1 the mutual love of father and child1 the being always in the presence of ,god4 ,and for this1 even after we have repented1 and are endeavoring to do right1 we do not feel ourselves qualified4 ,this is the real difficulty4 ,christ did not die to pay a debt to ,god1 or to appease his wrath1 but 8to bring us to ,god10 and to put the ,spirit into our heart by which we can say1 8,abba1 ,father60 ,the atonement is made to the divine justice--but not to distributive justice1 which rewards and punishes1 but to divine justice in its highest form1 as holiness4 ,and this consists in making us fit to appear before ,god1 notwithstanding our sinfulness1 because we have received a principle of holiness which will ultimately cast out all our sin4 ,when we have faith in ,christ1 we have ,christ formed within us1 the hope of glory4 ,god1 looking on us1 sees us not as we are now1 but as we shall be when we are changed into that same image from glory to greater glory4 ,this suggests the theory which may replace the rest1 and reconcile all those who believe in ,christ as the ,saviour and ,redeemer of men4 ,christ saves us by pouring into us his own life1 which is love4 ,when ,christian love is formed within us1 it has killed the roots of sin in the soul1 and fitted us to be forgiven1 and to enter the presence of ,god4 ,in conclusion1 we may say that ,orthodoxy is right in maintaining that ,jesus has by his sufferings and death brought forgiveness to mankind--not by propitiating ,god or appeasing his anger1 not by paying our debt or removing a difficulty in the divine mind1 but by helping us to see that the love of ,god is able to lift us out of our sin1 and present us spotless in the presence of his glory with exceeding joy4 ,the way in which his death produces this result is the sympathy with human sinfulness and sorrow1 which finds in it its highest expression4 ,those whom men cannot forgive1 and who cannot forgive themselves1 see that ,god1 speaking through the sufferings of ,jesus1 is able to forgive them4 ,so the love of ,god brings them to repentance1 and those who were afar off are made nigh by the blood of ,christ4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,calling1 ,,election1 ,,and ,,reprobation4 #a4 ,orthodox ,doctrine4 ,the ,assembly's ,catechism1 with its usual frankness1 states this doctrine thus3--7chap4 #c74 ,i4 8,god1 from all eternity1 did1 by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will1 freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever cometh to pass1 yet so that neither is ,god the author of sin1 nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures1 nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away1 but rather established4 ,,ii4 8,although ,god knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions1 yet hath he not decreed anything because he foresaw it as future1 or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions4 ,,iii4 8,by the decree of ,god1 for the manifestation of his glory1 some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life1 and others foreordained to everlasting death4 ,,iv4 8,these angels and men1 thus predestinated and foreordained1 are particularly and unchangeably designed1 and their number is so certain and definite1 that it cannot be either increased or diminished4 ,v4 8,those of mankind that are predestinated unto life1 ,god1 before the foundation of the world was laid1 according to his eternal and immutable purpose1 and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will1 hath chosen in ,christ unto everlasting glory1 out of his mere free grace and love1 without any foresight of faith or good works1 or perseverance in either of them1 or any other thing in the creature1 as conditions or causes moving him thereunto1 and all to the praise of his glorious grace4 ,,vi4 8,as ,god hath appointed the elect unto glory1 so hath he1 by the eternal and most free purpose of his will1 foreordained all the means thereunto4 ,wherefore they who are elected1 being fallen in ,adam1 are redeemed by ,christ2 are effectually called unto faith in ,christ1 by his ,spirit working in due season2 are justified1 adopted1 sanctified1 and kept by his power through faith unto salvation4 ,neither are any other redeemed by ,christ1 effectually called1 justified1 adopted1 sanctified1 and saved1 but the elect only4 ,,vii4 8,the rest of mankind ,god was pleased1 according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will1 whereby he extendeth or withholdeth mercy as he pleaseth1 for the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures1 to pass by1 and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin1 to the praise of his glorious justice40 ,this statement is contained in the creed of more than three thousand churches in the ,united ,states4 ,so far as it is believed by those who profess it1 it conveys the idea of a ,god who is pure will--a ,god1 in short1 who does as he pleases1 saving some of his creatures and damning others1 without reason or justice4 ,he does not reward virtue nor punish sin1 but scatters the joys of heaven and the torments of hell out of a mere caprice1 as an ,eastern despot gives a man a purse of gold1 or inflicts the bastinado1 without reason1 simply to gratify his sense of power4 ,the essential character of such a ,being is arbitrary will1 and this creed of ,calvinism places an infinite caprice on the throne of the universe1 instead of the ,being whom the ,gospels call 8,our ,father40 ,let us see how far this view of ,god is mitigated by modern explanations4 ,the ,old ,school ,presbyterianism1 or ,princeton ,orthodoxy1 accepts it in its entireness4 ,they simply deny the consequences supposed to be drawn from it4 ,they deny that it makes ,god the author of sin1 or that sinful dispositions are created by ,god4 ,they deny that this doctrine interferes with freedom of will in man4 ,but they are obliged to admit that1 according to their creed1 ,god decrees things which he forbids2 for1 8inasmuch as many things occur contrary to his commands1 while yet he foreordains all things1 it must be that in these cases he purposes one thing and commands another407#bb7 ,in other words1 ,god sends his prophets1 and apostles1 and ,son1 to command men to do justly and love mercy1 when he has already determined that they shall commit sin4 ,this school rejects the ,arminian doctrine that ,god's decree is founded on his foreknowledge1 and asserts that his foreknowledge is based on his decree4 ,the ,old ,school in ,new ,england do not go quite so far as ,princeton4 ,they say1 decidedly1 that ,god foreordains sin only by permitting it4 ,still1 they reject1 as stoutly as their sterner confrres1 the ,arminian view1 and insist that ,god's decrees are not based on his foreknowledge47#bc7 ,according to ,dr4 ,duffield1 of ,detroit1 the ,new ,school ,presbyterians escape the pinch of this conflict by taking refuge in their ignorance4 ,they are not 8,ultra-,calvinists10 and they are not 8,arminians10 and especially they 8do not wish to be wise above what is written407#bd7 ,dr4 ,d4 asserts that the ,old ,school makes the decree in election to be wholly arbitrary1 while the ,new ,school believes that it has a reason1 though one wholly unknown4 ,but the ,hopkinsians7#be7 say that 8the sovereignty of ,god belongs to him as the ,supreme ,disposer1 and consists in his perfect right and perfect ability to do us he pleases40 ,of course1 having made the will of ,god wholly arbitrary1 they proceed to deny that it is arbitrary1 or that wilfulness in ,god can possibly be wilful4 ,but all this is using 8words of wind for the ,almighty10 and 8accepting his person40 ,methodism1 on the contrary1 denies that ,god foreordains whatsoever comes to pass1 holding foreordination to be a causative act47#bf7 ,it also denies that man is guilty for inherited sin1 or is any way responsible for his depraved nature4 ,he only becomes responsible when he begins to act freely4 ,he may suffer for inherited evil1 but cannot justly be punished for it4 ,thus ,methodism avoids the rude injustice of the ,calvinistic system4 ,and yet1 as ,schleiermacher has shown17#bg7 if it accepts total depravity1 it must also consistently accept the ,calvinistic doctrine of election4 ,for if man is totally depraved1 he cannot take a single step towards his own salvation4 ,god must1 in every case1 take the initiative1 and begin the conversion of each man who is converted4 ,therefore1 if we ask why one man is converted1 and another not1 the only answer possible is this--that ,god chose to convert one1 and not the other4 ,schleiermacher accepts and defends the doctrine of election1 but by connecting it with that of universal restoration1 which reduces it to the statement that ,god saves all1 but in a certain order1 which order is determined by himself1 without regard to any foresight of merit or demerit in man4 #b4 ,scripture ,basis for this ,doctrine4 ,the principal passages relied upon for the doctrine of absolute decrees are found in ,rom4 #h3cj1 and #i3h-bd4 ,in these passages1 ,paul is1 no doubt1 speaking of an unconditional election4 ,in the first1 he declares that the gift of ,christianity to those who received it was no accident4 ,god had known them long ago as individuals1 known them before they were born1 known the character they were to have4 ,he had foreordained them to become ,christians1 to be made into the likeness of ,christ4 ,he had called them to be ,christians by his providence2 he had forgiven them their sins2 he had glorified them1 filling them with the glory of the new life of faith and love4 ,in the other passage1 ,paul shows the ,jews that ,god selects races and families1 not according to any merit of theirs1 but for reasons of his own1 to do his work4 ,ishmael as well as ,isaac was a child of ,abraham1 but ,isaac was selected4 ,esau as well as ,jacob was a child of ,isaac1 but ,jacob was selected4 ,it is no merit of the man which causes him to be chosen1 no fault which causes him to be rejected1 but that one is made for the work1 and the other not4 ,one is influenced to obey and serve2 one is allowed to resist ,god's will2 and yet both of them--he who obeys and he who resists--serve the divine purpose4 ,the ,jewish ,christians1 therefore1 may believe that their nation1 in resisting ,christ1 is blindly serving the providential designs of ,god1 and making way for the ,gentiles to come in2 and then1 the ,gentiles1 in turn1 will help them to come in1 8and so all ,israel shall be saved40 ,but in neither of these passages is any reference to final salvation or damnation4 ,all that is spoken of is the predestined and divinely arranged order1 the providential method1 in which gifts are bestowed and opportunities offered4 ,in fact1 in ,rom4 #aa3bh1 election is formally opposed to the gospel4 ,as regards the ,,gospel1 or the reception of ,christianity1 the ,jews are enemies2 that is1 are left out of the circle of ,god's gifts1 in order that the ,gentiles may come in4 ,but as regards the ,,election1 they are still the chosen people1 inheriting all the qualities1 powers1 position1 which their fathers had before them1 since ,god never takes back his gifts47#bh7 ,so also in ,ephesians #a3e1 #aa1 ,paul says that we1 ,christians1 have been chosen in ,christ before the foundation of the world1 and predestined to be adopted as children1 and obtained an inheritance in ,christianity4 ,but neither here is anything intended concerning final salvation4 ,it all refers to their having received the gift of ,christian faith1 in the plan of ,god1 by a wise providence of his1 and not by accident4 ,so also1 in ,timothy 7#b ,tim4 #a3i71 ,paul says that ,god hath saved us out of the world1 and called us to be ,christians1 not because of any merit of ours1 but simply according to a gracious purpose which he always had1 that the ,gentiles should come into his kingdom with the ,jews4 ,in none of these passages is any final doom or destiny hereafter intended3 all of them refer to the gift of ,christianity in this world4 ,the apostle softens the exultation of the ,gentiles1 and consoles the sorrow of the ,jewish ,christians1 by telling them that the acceptance of the ,gentiles and rejection of the majority of the ,jews is part of a great plan of ,providence1 which will finally redound to the good of both4 #c4 ,relation of the ,divine ,decree to ,human ,freedom4 ,in order that ,god shall be the ,ruler of the world1 and its providence1 he must know the course of events1 and determine them4 ,in order that man shall be responsible1 and a moral being1 he must be free to choose1 at every moment1 between right and wrong1 good and evil4 ,in part of his nature and life1 man is a creature of destiny2 in part1 he is the creator of destiny4 ,every man's character is the result of three factors--organization1 education1 and freedom4 ,the character he has now has come to him1 partly from the organization with which he was born1 partly from the influences by which he has been educated1 and partly from what he has done or omitted to do at every moment of his life4 ,now1 the two first of these factors are out of his power4 ,a man born in ,africa1 or descended from ,chinese parents1 cannot1 by any choice or effort1 become what a man born of ,french or ,german parents may become4 ,a man born among the ,turks or ,arabs1 and educated by the circumstances surrounding him there1 must be a wholly different man from one born in ,new ,england4 ,man's freedom1 therefore1 may be likened to the power of the helmsman to direct a vessel4 ,he cannot determine what sort of a vessel he shall be in1 nor what sort of weather or currents shall come3 all he can do at any moment is to steer it to the right or left4 ,if1 now1 in steering1 he guides himself by a compass turning to a fixed point1 and by a chart giving the true position of continents and islands1 then this power enables him1 in spite of storms and calms1 to take the vessel round the world1 to the harbor he seeks4 ,but if he has no chart and compass1 but steers as he chooses from moment to moment1 he goes nowhere4 ,his vessel will then drift before the steady winds and constant currents4 ,so is human freedom a great power when it guides itself by eternal truths and fixed laws4 ,but if it does not1 then it is not freedom1 but only wilfulness1 and it accomplishes nothing4 ,man's freedom is thus surrounded by divine providence4 ,god determines the original organization of every human being2 ,god determines the circumstances which educate him2 and ,god has fixed the laws by which he must guide himself in order to become really free4 ,he cannot therefore resist the divine will1 except temporarily4 ,he can postpone the time when ,god's kingdom shall come1 and his will be done2 but that is all4 #d4 ,history of the ,doctrine of ,election and ,predestination4 ,before ,augustine1 all the ,greek and ,latin ,fathers of the ,church taught the concurrence of free will and grace in human conversion4 ,they taught that man must begin the work1 and that ,god would aid him4 ,god and man must work together4 ,then came the controversy between ,augustine and ,pelagius4 ,the latter1 being at ,rome1 heard this sentence read from the writings of the former3 8,da quod jubes1 et jube quod vis0--,give what thou commandest1 and command what thou willest4 ,pelagius objected to this formula4 ,he said1 8,since man ought to be without sin1 he can be without sin40 8,there is10 said he1 8in man1 a #8,can ,do1' a #8,will ,do1' and a #8,do4' 0 ,the first is from ,god2 in the others ,god and man unite4 ,augustine objected that ,god worked in us both to will and to do4 ,he had first taught that ,god sends motives which we can obey or resist2 but he saw that if ,god works in us to will1 he must also conquer our resistance1 and work the power by which we consent4 ,but to this ,pelagius replied1 8,then there is no freedom in man40 ,augustine answered1 8,god does not move us as we move a stone1 but rationally2 he makes us will what is good1 and does not force us against our will4 ,he frees the will from its proclivity to evil1 by #8preparing grace1' and determines it to good by #8effecting grace4' ,that some do not yield to this1 is not because of their greater resistance1 but because ,god does not choose to conquer their resistance40 ,this is the point where grace passes into predestination4 ,the ,old ,church had maintained that ,god predestined to life those whom he foresaw would repent and obey him4 ,his foreknowledge did not cause this to happen1 but he foreknew it because it would happen4 ,it did not take place because he foresaw it1 but he foresaw it because it would take place4 ,election1 according to the early ,fathers1 was nothing arbitrary4 ,it depended on man to be saved or lost4 ,so taught ,justin ,martyr1 ,origen1 ,basil1 ,hilary4 ,basil said1 8,god hardened ,pharaoh's heart by his judgments1 which were sent to show how hard it was1 because he saw he would not repent40 ,origen adds1 8,like a wise physician1 ,god did not cure ,pharaoh too soon1 for fear of a relapse4 ,he let him drink the cup of sin to the bottom in this life1 so as to cure him more thoroughly hereafter40 ,pelagius 7and ,augustine at first7 took the same view4 ,they said that ,god foresees and permits evil1 and decrees the consequence of it4 ,augustine said1 8,god has chosen some men in ,christ1 not because he foresaw they would be good1 but because he determined to make them so40 ,the reason of this choice1 therefore1 lay not in man1 but in ,god's arbitrary will4 ,pelagius said1 8,this is fatalism1 under the name of grace1 and is saying that ,god accepts the persons of men40 ,augustine answered1 8,all men in ,adam are in ruin4 ,god saves some of them4 ,if he let all die1 we could not blame him3 how much less for saving some60 ,but why does he not save all8 ,the answer is1-- ,because the elect see in the fate of the non-elect what they have escaped1 and ,god's justice is revealed with his goodness4 ,none of the elect perish1 though they may die unbaptized1 and be ever so bad in their lives2 but they will be all converted before they die4 ,the non-elect may be often better men than the elect2 but they will not be saved4 ,the only place where ,augustine allows freedom is in ,adam1 who might have turned either way4 ,semi-,pelagianism consists essentially in saying1 8,man begins the work2 ,god aids him40 ,augustine's view was carried out afterwards thus3 8,if ,god does all1 it is no use to preach1 exhort1 or read ,scripture1 or use any means of grace40 ,augustine had said that reprobation was not a decree to sin1 but to punishment4 ,but ,gottschalk1 his follower1 said it was a decree to sin4 ,the ,church rejected this statement1 and softened the doctrine4 ,thomas ,aquinas revived it again4 ,luther and ,calvin both maintained that there is no good in man after the fall4 ,flacius said that original sin is the substance of human nature1 and human nature now bears the image of the devil4 ,luther made freedom of the will to consist in doing evil with pleasure1 and not by constraint4 ,calvin denied that there is any free will4 8,why give it such a lofty title80 he said4 ,he seemed to think that all the power left to men is so much taken from ,god4 ,when ,god says1 8,do this and live10 it is1 says ,luther1 merely irony on his part1 as though he had said1 8,see if you can do it6 ,try it40 ,luther actually taught that ,god's will in revealed ,scripture was1 that all should be saved1 but his real and secret will was1 that not all should be saved4 ,melancthon said1 8,man has no power by himself to do right2 but when grace is offered1 he can receive it or reject it40 ,calvin went beyond ,augustine4 ,he taught that1-- #a4 ,the decree of predestination was not merely a decree to punishment1 but to sin4 ,he rejects with scorn the distinction between permitting and causing1 between foreknowledge and predestination4 ,he says it is improper to have ,god's decree waiting on men's choice4 #b4 ,he taught that ,adam's sin was decreed by ,god4 ,the ,infralapsarian taught that ,god foresaw that ,adam would sin1 and so decreed some men to life1 and others to death4 ,the ,supralapsarian taught that ,god determined to reveal his majesty1 and mercy1 and justice4 ,he created men1 and made them miserable to show his mercy1 and made them sinful to show his justice4 #c4 ,if men complain that ,god has so created them1 ,calvin answers1 ,god has the same right that the potter has over the clay4 ,if they complain that ,god has chosen some1 and not others1 to life1 he replies1 that so oxen1 horses1 and sheep might complain that they were not men4 #d4 ,god causes the sin which he forbids4 ,this is not a contradiction in him1 for his nature is different from ours4 ,god created all for his own glory1 and sinners to glorify his justice4 ,finally1 ,calvin himself admits that this is 8a horrible decree40 #e4 ,election is to ,work and ,opportunity here1 not to ,heaven hereafter4 ,how ,jacob was elected1 and how the ,jews were a ,chosen ,people4 ,this reductio ad absurdum disproves the common idea of election4 ,if a man were elected by ,god to heaven1 and so could not help going to heaven1 it would not be worth his while to give diligence to make his calling and election sure4 ,it is sure already1 without any diligence4 ,the common ,orthodox idea of election is1 therefore1 a false one4 ,god does not elect1 or choose us1 for passive enjoyment1 but for active duty4 ,he elects us to opportunities4 ,he elects1 or1 as we may say1 selects1 us for certain special work1 gives us certain special privileges1 and holds us to an accountability for the use of them4 ,in the parable of the talents1 ,god elected1 or selected1 one man to the possession of five talents1 another to the possession of two1 and another one4 ,each was elected2 but each was elected to opportunities1 and each to a different opportunity2 but they all had to give diligence to make their calling and election sure4 ,the word 8elect0 was first applied to the ,jews4 ,they were an elect or chosen people4 ,they were selected from among all nations for a great duty and opportunity4 ,they were taught the unity of ,god and his holiness4 ,they were a city set on a hill1 a light shining in the darkness of the world1 to proclaim these truths4 ,that was their opportunity4 ,it was not happiness1 or heaven1 or even goodness1 that they were chosen for1 but ,,work4 ,as long as they continued to do this work1 they continued to be ,god's chosen or selected people4 ,but when they hardened into the bigotry of ,phariseeism1 and froze into the scepticism of ,sadduceeism1 when they ceased to do the work1 then they ceased to be the elect people4 ,while they were diligent to make their election sure1 they were the elect1 but no longer4 ,god selected ,jacob and rejected ,esau4 8,jacob have ,i loved1 and ,esau have ,i hated40 ,but how did ,god love ,jacob8 ,he loved him by giving him opportunity4 ,and why8 ,not because he was better than ,esau1 but because he was different4 ,jacob was selected to be father of the chosen people because he had the qualities required for his work4 ,esau was wild1 reckless1 martial4 ,jacob was industrious1 money-making1 fond of small trade2 pastoral1 rather than warlike2 tenacious of his ideas even to obstinacy4 ,these were the qualities required in a people who were so few that if they had been warlike they would have been swept from the earth4 ,they never fought for the pleasure of fighting1 but only when they could not help it1 or when a political necessity compelled it4 ,though surrounded by nations much more powerful than themselves1--the ,assyrians on the north-east at ,nineveh1 the ,egyptians on the south-west1 the ,babylonians on the east1 the ,tyrians on the west1 and the ,greeks on the north-west1--they saw the fall of all these great nations and empires1 but they continued4 ,many waves of war swept over their ,syrian hills1 and left them still there1 peaceful1 industrious1 worshipping ,jehovah in their sacred city1 offering no motive for conquest1 too poor to tempt invasion1 too far from the sea to grow rich by commerce1 like the ,phnicians4 ,their obscurity1 poverty1 and unheroic qualities were their salvation1 and these they derived apparently from ,jacob1 their ancestor4 ,thus we see that the ,jews were a chosen people1 and we see what they were chosen for1 and also that they were chosen not because of superior virtue1 but for superior capacity4 #f4 ,how other ,nations were elected and called4 ,other nations were chosen1 too1 for other purposes4 ,the ,greeks also were a chosen people--chosen to develop the idea of beauty1 as the ,jews that of religion4 ,their mission was beauty in art and in literature4 ,it was no accident that they came as they did from confluent races1 flowing together from ,india and ,phnicia1 and settling in that sweet climate and romantic land1 where the lovely gean1 tossing its soft blue waters on the resounding shore1 tempted them to navigation1 and awakened their intellect by the sight of many lands4 ,there they did their work4 ,they made their calling and election sure4 ,greek architecture--one birth of beauty after another--was born4 ,athens was crowned with marvellous temples1 whose exquisite proportions amaze and charm us to-day--inimitable creations of beauty4 ,homer came1 and then epic poetry was born4 schylus and tragedy came2 ,pindar and the lyric song2 ,theophrastus and pastoral music2 ,anacreon and the strain which bears his special name4 ,and so ,phidias and his companions created sculpture1 ,herodotus history1 ,demosthenes oratory1 ,plato and ,aristotle philosophy1 ,zeuxis painting1 and ,pericles statesmanship4 ,this was their election1 and they made it sure4 ,the ,romans also had their chosen work4 ,they were elected to develop the idea of ,,law4 ,a prosaic people1 but filled with notions of justice1 they developed jurisprudence4 ,to show that a nation can be governed not by despotic will1 nor by popular will1 but by law1--this was the office of ,rome4 ,as long as it did this work it prospered2 when it ceased to do it1 it fell4 ,all other races1 no doubt1 have their special calling too4 ,some make it sure2 others seem to fail of making it sure1 and so disappear4 ,thus the election of the ,jews shows a principle of ,god's government1 and is not an exceptional case4 ,that which is true of nations and races is also true of religions and of ,christian denominations4 ,all ,christians are a chosen people4 ,they are chosen for the work of teaching to the human race the great doctrines of the fatherhood of ,god and the brotherhood of man4 ,other religions were sent to men too4 ,mohammed had his mission--to convert the idolatrous ,arabs to ,monotheism4 ,the religions of ,asia were intended to prepare the way for ,christianity by teaching the elementary ideas of religion and morality4 #g4 ,how different ,denominations are elected4 ,every great denomination1 and small ones1 too1 are chosen to unfold some one ,christian idea4 ,the ,catholic ,church was chosen to carry forward the great central idea of unity--one ,lord1 one faith1 one baptism4 ,but the ,catholic ,church is not catholic enough3 it has turned itself into a sect by excluding those who could not accept all its statements and methods1 though they accepted ,christ4 ,the ,jewish ,church committed the same mistake4 ,when it became narrow1 bigoted1 exclusive1 it left its first love2 it then ceased to enlarge itself1 and was obliged to disappear4 ,the ,jewish religion1 and all positive religions1 are like vases in which a plant is growing4 ,while the plants are young1 they hold them easily2 but as the plants grow1 the vases1 incapable of expansion1 are shivered by the enlarging roots4 ,so that1 unless the ,roman ,catholic ,church can be liberalized and enlarged1 it must break to pieces4 ,whatever is said of ,jews as the chosen and elect people is intended to show us a principle which must be applied to others4 ,it is a principle very visible in their case1 but not confined to them4 ,it is the law of divine ,providence4 ,by what we see of its working in their case1 we are able to see it in other cases1 where it is less distinct and less apparent4 #h4 ,how ,individuals are elected4 ,and now let us apply the doctrine of election to individuals4 ,when one is elected he is always elected to some special opportunity1 which he can improve or not1 and for which he is held accountable4 ,when ,god sends into the world a great and original genius1 like ,columbus1 ,sir ,isaac ,newton1 ,dante1 ,shakespeare1 ,mozart1 ,michael ,angelo1 ,franklin1 ,washington1 ,byron1 ,napoleon1 it is very plain that they are sent1 provided with certain qualities1 to do a certain work4 ,it is evident that ,god meant ,columbus to discover ,america1 and ,dante to write a poem4 ,if ,columbus had tried to write the 8,inferno10 and ,dante had devoted himself to inventing a steam-engine1 if ,franklin had written sonnets and pastorals1 and ,isaac ,newton had gone into trade1 if ,washington had composed symphonies1 and ,beethoven had travelled to discover the source of the ,nile1 they would not have made their calling and election sure4 ,but such men 7with an occasional exception1 like that of ,napoleon and ,byron7 were all faithful to their own inspiration1 and each chose to abide in the calling in which he was called2 and so each did the work ,god gave him to do in the world4 ,napoleon and ,byron did their work only partially1 for they allowed their egotism to blind them1 so as to lose sight of their mission after a while4 ,god sent ,napoleon to bind together and organize the institutions of a new time--to organize liberty4 ,he did it for a season1 and then sought1 egotistically1 only to build up himself and his dynasty2 then his work came to a sudden end4 ,for it is vanity and egotism which make us fail4 ,we wish for some calling finer or nobler than the calling ,god gives us2 so we come to nothing4 ,in these great and shining examples we are taught how ,god elects men1 how he elects all men1 and how he elects all to work4 ,these are not the exceptional cases1 as we are apt to suppose1 but they are the illustrations of a universal rule4 ,every human being has his own gift and opportunity from ,god2 some after this fashion1 and others after that4 ,if faithful1 he can see what it is4 ,if his eye is single1 his whole body is full of light4 ,if he is true to the light within his soul1 it grows more and more clear to him what ,god wants him to do4 ,not every man's business is to do great works in the world2 but every one is sent to do something and to be something--something which shall bring him nearer to ,god--something which shall make him more useful to man4 ,at first he is confused2 he cannot tell what his calling is4 ,but each day1 if he be faithful to each day's call1 causes the whole calling of his life to become more luminous and clear4 ,so we see that conscientious and faithful people1 as they continue to live1 grow more and more into specialty of work1 and have more and more of a special place and duty4 ,thus we see that all ,god's callings are special1 and none vague or general4 8,every man has his proper gift from the ,lord2 one after this fashion1 and another after that40 ,perhaps it is not a shining gift1 it will not make him famous1 but it is always a good one--always useful and noble4 ,if we follow ,god's leadings1 we shall always come out right4 8,let every man10 says the apostle1 8abide in the calling in which he is called40 ,let him not be impatient of his own gift1 nor covetous of another's2 let him not be uneasy in his place1 nor straining for something beyond his reach4 ,but if faithful every day to his own gift1 he may be sure that it will grow at last into something truly good1 satisfactory1 and sufficient4 #i4 ,how ,jesus was elected to be the ,christ4 ,perhaps we can now better understand how ,christ was 8the chosen one of ,god40 ,if ,columbus was chosen and sent to discover a world1 if ,dante was sent to be a great poet1 if ,mozart1 ,rafaelle1 had each his mission1 can we doubt that ,jesus also was specially selected and endowed for the work which he has actually done1 to be the leader of the human race in religion and goodness--to lead it up to ,god8 ,yet those who will admit the mission in all other cases1 question it in his case4 ,but what was true in them was much more so in him4 ,he was conscious from the first that he was selected4 8,wist ye not that ,i must be about my ,father's business80 8,to this end ,i was born1 that ,i might bear witness to the truth40 8,god sent not his ,son into the world to condemn the world1 but that the world1 through him1 might be saved40 8,for this cause came ,i to this hour40 8,i have finished the work given me to do40 ,jesus1 by his nature and organization1 by his education1 by the very time of his birth1 by the inspiration and influence of the ,holy ,spirit1 was elected and called4 ,and he fulfilled his part perfectly2 and so1 the two conditions being met1 he became ,saviour of the world1 and perpetual ,ruler of the moral and spiritual nature of man4 #aj4 ,other ,illustrations of ,individual ,calling and ,election4 ,but it is not merely great men1 and men of genius1 who are thus providentially chosen and sent4 ,every man is chosen for something1 and that something not vague and general1 but special and distinct4 ,you go into some country village of ,new ,england4 ,you find there some plain farmer1 of no great education1 perhaps1 but endowed with admirable insight and sagacity1 and of a kind and benevolent nature4 ,he has come to be the counsellor and adviser of the whole community4 ,he has no title2 he is not even a 8squire40 ,he has no office2 he is not even a justice of the peace4 ,but he fulfils the mission of peace-maker and of sagacious counsellor4 ,he is judge without a seat on the bench2 he is spiritual guide without being called 8reverend20 he is the stay1 the centre1 the most essential person in the place4 ,he has had an evident calling from ,god1 not from man1 and he has made it sure by his diligence and fidelity in his work4 ,and perhaps in the same village is a woman1 poor1 old1 and uneducated4 ,but she1 too1 has a calling from ,god4 ,she is always sent for in the hour of trial4 ,if any accident happens1 she is there4 ,her sagacity and experience help her to do what is needed4 ,she has no medical diploma1 but she is the good physician of the place4 ,god gave to her native sagacity1 gave to her benevolence1 gave her acute observation and a good memory1 and she has made her election sure by her own fidelity4 ,some persons are called to love and teach little children3 that is their work4 ,they are happy with children1 and children are happy with them4 ,some are called to sympathize2 their natures overflow with sympathy2 they enter readily into all trials and into the troubles of every soul1 and they pour oil and wine into the wounds of the heart4 ,god called them to be his good ,samaritans1 and they hear the call and obey4 8,a place for everything1 and everything in its place10 says the prudent housekeeper4 8,a place for every man1 and every man in his place10 says the divine ,housekeeper1 who has so many mansions in his house1 and whose ,son said he went to prepare a place for us there in the other world--a working place1 probably1 and a sphere of labor there as here4 ,but in this world1 too1 what a delight it is to see any one in his right place6 ,there are different ways in which ,god calls us1 and different kinds of callings4 ,but every calling of ,god is good and noble4 ,he calls us to work2 he calls us to ,christian goodness2 he calls us to heavenly joy1 to glory1 honor1 and immortality4 ,these are the three great callings of man--,christian work first1 ,christian goodness next1 ,christian glory last4 ,since ,god made every one of us1 he made every one of us for something2 he has appointed a destiny for each one1 and he calls us to it4 ,if we do not hear the gentle call1 the whisper of his grace1 he calls us by trial1 by disaster1 by disappointment4 ,he chastens us for our profit4 ,he prunes our too luxuriant branches that we may bring forth more fruit4 ,so this doctrine of election1 in its other form1 as usually taught by ,orthodoxy1 so harsh and terrible1--8horrible decretum10--so dishonorable to ,god1 so destructive to morality1 so palsying to effort1 grows lovely and encouraging when looked at aright4 ,as one grows old1 and looks back over his past life1 he sees the working of this divine decree--working where he concurred with it1 working where he resisted it4 ,he sees more and more clearly what his election was1 and how he has fulfilled it1 how far failed4 ,he sees himself as a youth1 fiery and ardent1 striving for one thing1 educated by ,god for another4 ,he sees how he was partly led and partly driven into his true work2 how he has been made an instrument by ,god for good he never dreamed of to ,god's other children4 ,he says1 8,it is no doing of mine4 ,it is the ,lord's doing4 ,he chose me for it before the foundation of the world4 ,i builded better than ,i knew4 ,i have failed in a thousand plans of my own1 but ,i have ignorantly fulfilled ,god's plans4 ,i am like ,saul1 the son of ,kish1 who went out to seek his father's asses1 and found a kingdom4 ,i am like ,schiller's explorer1 who went to sea with a thousand vessels1 and came to shore saved in a single boat1 yet having in that boat the best result of the whole voyage40 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,immortality ,,and ,,the ,,resurrection4 #a4 ,orthodox ,doctrine4 ,the ,orthodox doctrine of the future life is thus stated in the ,assembly's ,catechism1 chapter #cb3-- 8,i4 ,the bodies of men1 after death1 return to dust1 and see corruption2 but their souls 7which neither die nor sleep7 having an immortal subsistence1 immediately return to ,god who gave them4 ,the souls of the righteous1 being then made perfect in holiness1 are received into the highest heavens1 where they behold the face of ,god1 in light and glory1 waiting for the full redemption of their bodies4 ,and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell1 where they remain in torments and utter darkness1 reserved to the judgment of the great day4 ,besides these two places for souls separated from their bodies1 the ,scripture acknowledged none4 8,,ii4 ,at the last day1 such as are found alive shall not die1 but be changed2 and all the dead shall be raised up with the selfsame bodies1 and none other1 although with different qualities1 which shall be united again with their souls forever4 8,,iii4 ,the bodies of the unjust shall1 by the power of ,christ1 be raised to dishonor2 the bodies of the just by his ,spirit unto honor1 and be made conformable to his own glorious body40 ,the views here given may be considered1 on the whole1 the ,orthodox notions on this subject1 although ,orthodoxy is by no means rigorous on these points4 ,considerable diversity of opinion is here allowed4 ,the nature of the life between death and the resurrection1 and the nature of the resurrection body1 are differently apprehended1 without any discredit to the ,orthodoxy of the belief4 ,but1 on the whole1 we may say that the ,orthodox views on these topics include the following heads3-- #a4 ,man consists of soul and body4 #b4 ,the soul of man is naturally immortal4 #c4 ,the only satisfactory proof of this immortality is the resurrection of ,christ4 #d4 ,christ's resurrection consisted in his return to earth in the same body as that with which he died1 though glorified4 #e4 ,our resurrection will consist in our taking again the same bodies which we have now1 glorified if we are ,christians1 but degraded if we are not4 ------------------------------------- ,on the other hand1 those views which incline towards rationalism and spiritualism agree in part with these statements1 and in part differ2 thus3-- #a4 ,they usually agree with ,orthodoxy in believing man to consist of soul and body4 #b4 ,they also agree in believing the soul of man naturally immortal4 #c4 ,they differ from ,orthodoxy in thinking the proof of immortality to be found in human consciousness1 not at all in the resurrection of ,jesus4 ,we will therefore examine these two points of immortality and the resurrection1 to see what the true doctrine of ,scripture is concerning them4 #b4 ,the ,doctrine of ,immortality as taught by ,reason1 the ,instinctive ,consciousness1 and ,scripture4 ,the first class of proofs usually adduced for immortality are the rational proofs1 which are such as these3-- ,,the ,,metaphysical ,,proof4--,this is based on the distinction of soul and body4 ,the existence of the soul is proved exactly as we prove the existence of the body4 ,if we can prove the one1 we can equally prove the other4 ,if any one asks1 ,how do we know there is such a thing as body8 we reply that we know it by the senses2 we can touch1 taste1 smell1 and see it4 ,but to this the answer is1 that the senses only give us sensations1 and that these sensations are in the mind1 not out of it4 ,we have a sensation of resistance1 of color1 of perfume1 and the like2 but how do we know that there is anything outside of the mind corresponding to them8 ,the answer to this is1 that by a necessary law of the reason1 when we have a sensation1 we infer some external substance from which it proceeds4 ,we look at a book1 for example4 ,we have a sensation of shape and color2 we infer something outside of our mind from which it proceeds4 ,in other words1 we perceive qualities and infer substance4 ,this inference is a spontaneous and inevitable act of the mind4 ,now1 we are conscious of another group of feelings which are not sensations1 which do not come from without1 but from within4 ,these are mental and moral4 ,but they1 too1 are qualities2 and1 as in the other case1 perceiving qualities1 we infer a substance in which they inhere4 ,this latter substance we name soul1 and we know it exactly as we know body4 ,it is known by us as a simple substance1 having personal unity4 ,the personality1 the 8,i10 is a fundamental idea4 ,now1 as soon as we perceive the existence of soul1 it becomes evident that soul cannot die4 ,it may be annihilated1 but it cannot die4 ,for what is death when applied to the body8 ,dissolution or separation of the parts1 but not destruction of the simple elements4 ,death is decomposition of these elements1 and their resolution into new combinations4 ,now1 the soul1 being known by us as a simple substance1 is incapable of dissolution4 ,this is the metaphysical proof of immortality4 ,then comes the ,,teleologic proof1 or that from final causes4 ,man's end is not reached in this life4 ,we see everything in this world made for an end4 ,the body is made for an end1 and attains it1 and then decays and is dissolved4 ,the soul1 with all its great powers1 goes on and on1 but the body dies before the soul is ever perfected4 ,every human life is like an unfinished tale in a magazine1 with 8to be continued0 written at its close1 to show that it is not yet ended4 ,and besides these proofs of immortality1 there is the ,,theological proof1 founded on the attributes of ,god2 and the ,,moral proof1 based on the conflict between conscience and self-love2 and the ,,analogical proof1 based on the law of progress in nature2 and the ,,cosmic proof1 founded on the relation of the soul to the universe2 and the ,,historic proof1 resting on the universal belief in immortality2 and lastly1 the ,,psychologic proof1 or the instinct of life in man1 which carries with it its own evidence of continuity4 ,but after all these proofs have been considered1 the final result is probability4 ,only the last gives more1 and this acts not as an argument1 but as conviction4 ,and the strength of this conviction depends on the strength in any individual of this instinct4 ,some have more of the instinct of life1 others less47#bi7 ,those who have much are easily convinced by these various arguments4 ,but those who have less1 feel as ,cicero did after reading the ,phdo of ,plato47#cj7 ,this instinct of life appears not only to be different from the fear of death1 but its exact opposite4 ,when we have most of the one1 we have the least of the other4 ,any great excitement lifts us temporarily above the fear of death by giving us more life4 ,so a man will plunge into the sea1 and risk his own life to save that of another4 ,so whole armies go to die cheerfully in the great rage of battle4 ,but this instinct receives a permanent strength by all that elevates the soul4 ,all greatness of aim1 all devotion to duty1 all generous love1 take away the fear of death by adding to the quantum of life in the soul47#ca7 ,if it be asked what the ,scriptures teach concerning immortality1 it must be admitted that they have not much to say4 ,they speak of life and of eternal life2 but this1 as we shall discover1 is quite another thing from continued existence4 ,it refers to the quality and quantity of being1 and not merely to its duration4 #c4 ,the ,three ,principal ,views of ,death--the ,pagan1 ,jewish1 and ,christian4 ,there are three principal views of death--the ,pagan view1 the ,jewish view1 and the ,christian view4 ,,paganism1 in all its various forms1 is chiefly distinguished by its transferring to the other life the tastes1 feelings1 habits of this life4 ,the other world is this one1 shaded off and toned down4 ,it is gray in its hue1 wanting the color of this world2 and is really inferior to it1 and only its pale reflection4 ,to the gods of ,olympus the doings of men are matters of chief interest4 ,tartarus and the ,elysian ,fields are occupied by lymphatic ghosts1 misty spectres1 unsubstantial and unoccupied4 ,when a living man enters1 like ,ulysses1 neas1 or ,dante1 they throng around him1 delighted to have something in which they can take a real interest4 8,better be a plough-boy on earth than a king among the ghosts40 ,this expresses the ,pagan idea of the other world4 ,this world is more real than the other1 to the ,pagan4 ,,judaism1 in its view of hereafter1 is much more positive4 ,it began with no idea of a hereafter4 ,nothing is taught concerning a future life by ,moses1 and little is to be found concerning it even in the prophets4 ,the explanation is simple4 ,men hard at work in the present do not think much of the future2 and the work of the ,jews was to be servants of ,jehovah and doers of his law here4 ,however1 all men must think a little of the region beyond death4 ,when the ,jews thought of it1 they projected their ,,law upon its blank spaces4 ,it was a place where ,jehovah would vindicate his law--where the just should be happy1 the unjust miserable4 ,the perplexity which tormented ,job1 ,david1 and ,elijah--namely1 that bad men should succeed in this world and good men fail--was to find its solution there4 ,judgment was the ,jewish idea of hereafter--a judgment to come4 8,i have a hope toward ,god1 as they themselves also allow10 said ,paul1 speaking of the ,pharisees1 8that there shall be a resurrection of the dead1 of the just1 and also of the unjust40 ,the ,,christian view of death is1 that it is abolished--it has ceased to be anything4 ,the ,new ,testament distinctly says1 8who has abolished death1 and brought life and immortality to light407#cb7 ,death1 to a ,christian1 is but a point on the line of advancing being2 a door through which we pass2 a momentary sleep between two days4 ,in the same sense the ,saviour says1 8,he that liveth and believeth on me shall never die40 ,so also he spoke of ,lazarus as being only asleep1 and said of the daughter of ,jairus1 8,she is not dead1 but sleepeth40 ,certainly ,jesus could not have spoken of death in this way if he regarded it as the awful and solemn thing which most believers consider it4 ,if it is the moment that decides our eternal destiny1 which shuts the gate of probation1 which terminates for the sinner all opportunity of repentance and conversion1 for the saint all danger of relapse and fall1--then death is surely something1 and something of the most immense importance4 ,but ,christ has really destroyed death both in the ,pagan and in the ,jewish feeling concerning it4 ,he destroys the ,pagan idea of death as a plunge downward from something into nothing1 a descent into non-entity or half-entity1 a diminution of our being1 a passage from the substantial to the shadowy and unreal4 ,for1 according to ,christianity1 we do not descend in death2 we ascend into more of reality1 into higher life4 ,death is a passage onward and upward4 ,the proof of this we find in the ,christian doctrine of the ,,resurrection4 ,the meaning of the resurrection of ,christ is not1 as has been often supposed1 that after death he came to life again1 but that at death he rose2 that his death was rising up1 ascent4 ,this we shall show in a future section of this chapter4 ,one power of ,christ's resurrection was to abolish the fear of death4 ,it brought life and immortality to light4 ,it showed men their immortality4 ,the fear of death is natural to all men1 but it is easily removed4 ,the smallest and lowest power of the resurrection is shown in removing it4 ,the fear of death is natural4 ,it consists in this--that we are1 in a great part of our nature1 immersed in the finite and perishing4 8,when we look at the things which are seen10 which 8are temporal10 we have an inward feeling of instability--nothing substantial4 ,therefore it is said1 8,in ,adam all die10 for the ,adam1 the first man in all of us1 is the animal soul4 8,the first man is of the earth1 earthy40 ,the law of our life is1 that it comes from our love4 ,when we love the finite1 our life is finite4 ,but besides the finite element in man1 the animal soul1 or ,adam1 is the spiritual element1 or ,christ1 the life flowing from things unseen1 but eternal4 ,christ has abolished death4 ,there is now to the ,christian no such thing as death1 in the common sense of the term4 ,the only death is the sense of death1 the fear of death1 which insnares and enslaves4 ,jesus delivers us from this by inspiring us with faith4 ,we rise with him when we look with him at the things unseen4 ,faith in eternal things brings into the soul a sense of eternity4 ,death is only a sleep3 outward death is the sleep of the bodily life2 inward death is the sleep of the higher life4 ,we awake and rise from the dead when ,christ gives us life2 and when he1 who is our life1 shall appear1 we shall also appear with him4 ,the philosopher ,lessing says1 8,thus was ,christ the first practical teacher of the immortality of the soul4 ,for it is one thing to conjecture1 to wish1 to hope for1 to believe in immortality as a philosophical speculation--another thing to arrange all our plans and purposes1 all our inward and our outward life1 in accordance to it40 ,jesus also destroys the ,jewish idea of death1 as a passage from a world where the good suffer and the bad triumph1 to a world where this state of things is reversed4 ,the kingdom of heaven1 with him1 begins here1 in this world4 ,judgment is here as well as hereafter4 ,the ,jew lived1 and all ,judaizing ,christians live1 under a fearful looking for of judgment after death4 ,the ,christian sees that judgment is always taking place2 that ,christ is always judging the world2 that ,god's moral laws and their retributions are not kept in a state of suspense till we die--that they operate now daily4 ,the ,christian knows that heaven and hell are both here1 and he expects to find them hereafter1 because he finds them here4 ,he believes in law1 but not in law only4 ,he believes in something higher than law1 namely1 love--the love of a present1 helpful ,father1 of a friend near at hand1 of an inspiration from on high1 of a ,god who forgives all sins when they are repented of1 and saves all who trust in him4 ,he is not under law1 but under grace4 ,when he looks forward to the other world1 it is not as to a place where he goes to be sentenced by a stern and absolute judge1 but where judgment and mercy go hand in hand1 where law remains1 but is fulfilled by love4 ,this is what ,paul means when he says1 8,the sting of death is sin1 and the strength of sin is the law2 but thanks be to ,god1 who hath given us the victory through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ40 ,the only real death is the fear of death--the ,pagan fear of death1 which is a dread of loss1 change1 degradation of being1 to follow the dissolution of the body2 and the ,jewish fear of death1 which is a fearful looking for of judgment1 and the sting of which is sin4 ,christ abolishes both of these fears in every believing heart4 ,he abolishes them in two ways--by the life and the resurrection4 ,he is both resurrection and life3 by inspiring us with spiritual or eternal life1 he abolishes all fear of dissolution2 and by showing us that he has ascended into a higher state by his resurrection1 he gives us the belief that death is not going down1 but going up4 ,for1 though 8it doth not yet appear what we shall be1 yet we know this1 that when he shall appear1 we shall be like him40 ,but1 unfortunately1 ,christians are still subject to the fear of death4 ,this fear has been aggravated by the current teaching in pulpits professedly ,christian4 ,the fear of that 8something after death0 has been made use of to palsy the will2 and conscience1 as instructed by ,christian teachers1 has made cowards of us all2 so that few persons can really say1 8,thanks be to ,god1 who has given us the victory through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ40 ,it is very certain that the ,pagan view of death and the ,jewish view of death still linger in the ,church1 and are encouraged by ,christian teachers4 ,death is made terrible by false doctrine and false teaching in the ,church4 ,christ has not abolished death to the majority of ,christians4 ,christians are almost as much afraid of death as the heathen--sometimes more so4 ,actual ,christianity is a very different thing from ideal ,christianity4 ,ideal ,christianity is ,christianity as seen and lived by ,jesus2 the gospel which he saw and spoke2 the word of ,god made flesh in him4 ,but actual ,christianity is an amalgam2 a portion of real ,christianity mixed with a portion of the belief and habits of feeling existing in men's minds before they became ,christians4 ,the ,jews took a large quantity of ,judaism into ,christianity2 the ,pagans a large quantity of ,paganism4 ,the ,christian ,church from the very beginning ,judaized and ,paganized4 ,paul contended against its ,judaism on the one hand and its ,paganism on the other4 ,but ,judaism and ,paganism have always stuck to the ,christian ,church4 ,she has never risen above them wholly to this day4 ,they mingle with all her doctrines1 ceremonies1 and habits of life4 ,the ,romish ,church has more of the ,pagan element1 the ,protestant more of the ,jewish4 ,the mediatorial system of ,rome is essentially ,pagan4 ,its ascending series of deacons1 sub-deacons1 priests1 bishops1 archbishops1 patriarchs1 cardinals1 and pope in the ,church below2 and beatified and sanctified spirits1 angels1 and archangels in the ,church above2 its processions1 pilgrimages1 dresses1 its monastic institutions1 its rosaries1 relics1 daily sacrifice1 votive offerings--everything peculiar to the ,roman ,church1 existed before1 somewhere1 in ,paganism4 ,so ,protestantism has taken from the ,jews its ,sabbath1 its idea of ,god as ,king and ,judge1 its exclusion from ,god's favor of all but the elect1 its view of the divine sovereignty1 its doctrine of predestination1 day of judgment1 resurrection of the body1 material heaven and material hell4 ,i do not mean to say that there is no truth in these things4 ,there is1 because there is some truth in ,paganism and in ,judaism4 ,we are all ,pagans and ,jews before we become ,christians4 ,the ,jewish and ,pagan element is in every human soul1 and in all constants in man there is truth4 ,but the ,pagan and ,jewish truths are but stepping-stones to the higher ,christian truth4 ,the law and ,paganism are school-masters to bring us to ,christ4 ,the evil is1 that ,christianity has not been kept supreme2 it has often been sunk and lost in the earlier elements4 ,as the foolish ,galatians were bewitched1 and relapsed from the gospel to the law1--turning again to weak and beggarly elements1 desiring to be in bondage to them again1 going back to their minority under tutors and governors1--so the ,church has been relapsing1 going back to weak and beggarly elements1 not keeping ,christianity supreme in thought1 heart1 and life1 but letting ,paganism or ,judaism get the upper hand4 ,so it has been in regard to this subject4 ,we ,paganize and ,judaize in our view of death4 ,we restablish again what ,christ has abolished4 ,we make death something where ,christ made it nothing4 ,it is made the great duty of life to 8prepare for death40 ,no such duty is pointed out in the ,new ,testament4 ,our duty is to prepare every day to live2 then1 when we die1 we shall be taken care of by ,god4 ,we can safely leave the other world and its interests to ,him who has shown himself so capable of taking care of us here4 ,the gloom of death has been heightened by artificial means4 ,mourning dresses1 solemn faces1 funeral addresses1 the grave1--all have had an unnatural depth of awe added to the natural sense of bereavement4 ,the ,orthodox ,church has deliberately and systematically ,paganized and ,judaized in what it has said and done about death4 ,its object has been always to make use of the great lever of fear of a hereafter in order to enforce ,christian belief and action4 ,hence ,death has been made the king of terrors1 the close of probation1 the beginning of judgment1 the awful entrance to the final decision of an endless doom4 ,all this is wholly unchristian1 unknown to apostolic times1 a relapse towards ,paganism4 ,it is utterly opposed to the great declaration that 8,,christ ,,has ,,abolished ,,death1 ,,and ,,brought ,,life ,,and ,,immortality ,,to ,,light ,,through ,,the ,,gospel40 ,what is called faith in immortality1 therefore1 is of two kinds3 it is an instinct1 and it is a belief4 ,in the ,new ,testament these are plainly distinguished4 ,in the passage just quoted1 it is said that ,jesus 8brought life ,,and immortality to light40 ,jesus himself says1 8,i am the resurrection ,,and the life40 8,he that believeth in me hath eternal life abiding in him1 ,,and ,i will raise him up at the last day40 ,life is a matter of consciousness4 ,it is a present possession1 something abiding in us now4 ,immortality1 or the resurrection1 is an object of intellectual belief4 ,it is something future4 ,we feel life2 we believe in the resurrection4 ,we will pass on1 in the next sections1 to consider each of these4 #d4 ,eternal ,life1 as taught in the ,new ,testament1 not endless ,future ,existence1 but present ,spiritual ,life4 ,it is only necessary carefully to examine the passages in the ,new ,testament where the phrase 8eternal life0 7 7 occurs1 to see that it does not refer to the duration1 but to the quality1 of existence4 ,temporal life is that life of the soul which through the body is subject to the vicissitudes of time4 ,eternal 7or everlasting7 life is that life of the spirit which is independent of change1 and is apart from duration4 ,god's being was regarded by the ,semitic races as outside of time and space1 as a perpetual ,now1 without before or after4 78,i am the ,i ,am40 ,exod4 #c3ad47 ,man1 made in the image of ,god1 becomes a 8partaker of the divine nature0 7#b ,peter #b3d7 by the gift of eternal life4 ,that 8eternal life0 is not an endless temporal existence appears1-- 7a47 ,from the passages in which it is spoken of as something to be obtained by one's own efforts1 as 7,matt4 #ai3af7 when the young man asks of ,jesus what good thing he shall do that he may have eternal life1 and ,jesus replies that he must keep the commandments1 give his possessions to the poor1 and come and follow him4 ,certainly that was not the method to obtain an endless existence1 but it was the true preparation for receiving spiritual good4 ,so ,jesus tells ,peter 7,mark #aj3cj7 that those who make sacrifices for the sake of truth shall receive temporal rewards 8in this time20 and 8in the coming age eternal life0 78 074 ,the coming age is the age of the ,messiah1 when the gift of the ,holy ,ghost should be bestowed4 7b47 ,passages in which eternal life is spoken of as a present possession1 not a future expectation4 7,john #c3cf47 8,he that believeth on the ,son hath 77 eternal life40 ,so ,john #f3dg1 #ed1 c4 7c47 ,passages in which eternal life is defined expressly as a state of the soul4 7,john #ag3c47 8,this is life eternal1 that they may know thee the only true ,god1 and ,jesus ,christ whom thou hast sent10 c4 ,so 7,gal4 #f3h7 it is represented as the natural result of 8sowing to the ,spirit20 7,rom4 #b3g7 of 8patient continuance in well-doing20 as 8the gift of ,god0 7,rom4 #f3bc72 as something which we 8lay hold of0 7#a ,tim4 #f3ab1 #ai74 ,this view of 8eternal life0 is taken by all the best critics4 ,professor ,hovey thus sums up their testimony3--7#cc7 8,on a certain occasion1 ,christ pronounced it necessary for the ,son of ,man to be lifted up1 #8that whosoever believeth in him should not perish1 but have eternal life' 7,john #c3ae7-- 4 1 says ,meyer1 who is1 perhaps1 the best commentator on the ,new ,testament1 of modern times1 #8signifies the eternal ,messianic life1 which1 however1 the believer already possesses----in this 1 that is1 in the temporal development of that moral and blessed life which is independent of death1 and which will culminate in perfection and glory at the coming of ,christ4' ,and ,lcke1 whose commentary on the ,gospel of ,john is one of the most thorough and attractive in the ,german language1 says that the 1 which is the exact opposite of 7destruction71 or 7death71 is the sum of ,messianic blessedness4 ,it is plain1 we think1 that the life here spoken of as the present possession of every believer in ,christ is more than endless existence2 it is life in the fullest and highest sense of the word1 the free1 holy1 and blessed action of the whole man1 that is to say1 the proper1 normal living of a rational and moral being4 ,the germ1 the principle of this life1 exists in the heart of every believer2 it is a present possession4 #8,whosoever1' says ,christ1 #8drinketh of the water that ,i shall give him shall never thirst2 but the water that ,i shall give him shall be in him a fountain----of water1 springing up into everlasting life4' 7,john #d3ad47 ,in another place our ,saviour utters these words3 #8,he that heareth my word1 and believeth on him that sent me1 hath eternal life1 and shall not come into condemnation1 but has passed from death into life' 7,john #e3bd7-- 4 ,here1 again1 the believer is said to have eternal life1 even now2 for he has passed from death into life4 ,ingens saltus1 remarks ,bengel1 with his customary brevity and graphic power4 ,we translate a part of ,lcke's ample and instructive note on this important verse4 8 #8,the words1 8,has passed from death into life0 determine that 7hath7 must be taken as a strict present4 ,for the verb 7has passed7 affirms that the transition from death into life took place with the hearing and believing4 ,only if an impossible thought were thus expressed1 could we consent1 as in a case of extreme necessity1 to understand the present and the present perfect as futures4 ,and then we should be compelled to say that ,john had expressed himself very strangely4 ,but if a higher kind of life1 a resurrection process prior to bodily death1 is represented by 8hath10 and 8hath passed10 then and are not to be understood of a life commencing after bodily death1 but of the true and eternal ,messianic life or salvation1 beginning even here4 ,this life does not1 to be sure1 exclude natural death1 but neither does it first begin after this death4 7,cf4 #e3dj47 ,even so cannot be understood of bodily1 but only of spiritual death1 of lying in the darkness of the world4 ,this interpretation would be justified here1 even if elsewhere in the ,new ,testament denoted uniformly nothing but bodily death4 ,but the metaphorical idea of death stands out clearly in #a ,john #c3ad2 #e3af1 #ag2 ,john #h3ea1 #eb2 #b ,cor4 #b3af2 #g3aj4 ,similar1 also1 is the use of the words 7,rom4 #g3d2 #h3ac71 and 1 1 7,matt4 #h3bb2 ,eph4 #e3ad2 ,heb4 #f3a2 ,col4 #c3e2 ,gal4 #b3ai74' 8,with the passage now examined may be compared a statement of the apostle ,john to the same effect1 namely3 #8,we know that we have passed from death into life1 because we love the brethren2 he that loveth not abideth in death4' 7#a ,john #c3ad47 ,this language1 explained with a due regard to the preceding context1 speaks1 evidently1 of spiritual death and life1 of a passing from one moral condition into another and opposite one4 ,to say that this new moral condition and blessed state is to endure and improve forever1 may doubtless be to utter an important truth1 but one which does not conflict in the slightest degree with its present existence4 ,it begins in this life2 it continues forever and ever4 8,again3 we find our ,saviour saying1 #8,he that believeth on me hath everlasting life2' #8,except ye eat the flesh of the ,son of man1 and drink his blood1 ye have no life in you2' and1 #8,the words that ,i speak unto you are spirit1 and are life4' 7,john #f3dg1 #ec1 #fc47 ,by these verses we are taught once more1 that the ,greek terms which denote life and death1 living and dying1 were applied by ,christ to opposite moral states of the soul4 ,for1 observe1 7#a47 he more than intimates that his words1 his doctrines1 are the source of present life to those who receive them1 and that1 by eating his flesh and drinking his blood1 he signifies a reception of his words1 and so of himself as the ,lamb of ,god4 ,and1 7#b47 he declares that one who believes has eternal life2 that one who eats of the true bread shall not die1 but shall live forever2 and that one who does not eat the flesh and drink the blood of the ,son of man hath not life in himself4 8,is it not plain that the words life and death1 as well as the words bread1 flesh1 and blood1 eating and drinking1 are here used in a spiritual sense8 ,is it not plain that ,jesus here speaks of something in the believer's soul which is nourished by ,christian truth1 and which is at the same time called life8 ,but it is the function of truth to quicken thought and feeling1 to determine the modes of conscious life1 the character or moral condition of the human soul2 and hence the rejection of it may involve the utter want of certain spiritual qualities and blessed emotions1 but not the want of personal existence4 ,in still another place we read1 #8,jesus said unto her1 ,i am the resurrection and the life3 he that believeth in me1 though he were dead1 yet shall he live2 and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die4' 7,john #aa3be1 #bf47 ,christ here affirms that every believer is exempted from death4 ,and it matters not for our present purpose whether the word 1 translated in our version #8liveth1' refers in this passage to physical or to moral life4 ,if it refers to physical life1 then our ,saviour pronounces the ,christian to be already1 in time1 delivered from the power of death1 and in possession of a true and immortal life4 ,but if it refers to moral life1 ,christ declares that whoever possesses this life1 whether in the body or out of the body1 is delivered from the power of death2 that is1 his union with ,god and delight in him1 which alone constitute the normal living of the soul1 shall never be interrupted3 --he shall never die4444 8 #8,and this is life eternal1' says the ,great ,teacher1 #8that they should know thee1 the only true ,god1 and ,jesus ,christ1 whom thou hast sent4' 7,john #ag3c47 ,the best ancient and modern interpreters hold this verse to be a definition by ,christ himself of the expression #8life eternal1' so often used by him1 according to the record of ,john4 ,de ,wette says1 #8,and this is 7therein consists7 the life eternal2 not1 this is the means of the eternal life2 for the vital knowledge of ,god and ,christ is itself the eternal life1 which begins even here1 and penetrates the whole life of the human spirit4' ,meyer translates thus3 #8,therein consists the eternal life1' and says1 #8,this knowledge1 willed of ,god1 is the 8eternal life10 inasmuch as it is the essential subjective principle of the latter1 its enduring1 eternally unfolding germ and fountain1 both now1 in the temporal development of the eternal life1 and hereafter1 when the kingdom is set up1 in which faith1 hope1 and charity abide1 whose essence is that knowledge4'7#cd7 ,the same view1 substantially1 is presented by ,olshausen1 ,lcke1 ,bengel1 ,alford1 and many others40 ,eternal life is the gift of ,god to the soul through ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is ,god's life communicated to man--the life of ,god in the soul of man4 ,this is distinctly stated in the ,first ,epistle of ,john 7chap4 #a3a71 as the life which was from the beginning1 the eternal life which was with the ,father1 but is manifested to us1 giving us fellowship with the ,father and with his ,son4 ,the root of this eternal life is in every human being4 ,it is what we call 8the spirit0 in man1 as distinguished from the soul and body4 ,it is the side of each person which touches the infinite and eternal4 ,fichte1 the most spiritual of ,german philosophers1 says1 8,love is life4 ,where ,i love1 ,i live4 ,what ,i love1 ,i live from that407#ce7 ,when we love earthly things1 our life is earthly1 that is1 temporal2 when we love the true1 the right1 the good1 our life is spiritual and eternal4 ,then we have eternal life abiding in us4 ,then all fear of death departs4 ,the great gift of ,god through ,christ was to make the right and true also lovely1 so that loving them1 we could draw our life from them4 ,when ,god becomes lovely to us1 by being shown to us as ,jesus shows him1 then by loving ,god we live from ,god1 and so have eternal life abiding in us4 ,the natural instinct of immortality is the spirit1 or sense of the infinite and eternal4 ,but it needs to be renforced by the influence of ,christian conviction1 hope1 and experience1 in order completely to conquer the sense of death4 ,it is not by logical arguments in proof of a future existence that immortality becomes clear to us1 but by living an immortal life4 ,dr4 ,channing says truly1 8,immortality must begin here40 ,and so ,hase 7,dogmatic1 #ib7 says1 8,any proof which should demonstrate1 with mathematical certainty1 to the understanding1 or to the senses1 the blessings or terrors of our future immortality1 would destroy morality in its very roots4 ,the belief in immortality is therefore at first only a wish1 and a belief on the authority of others2 but the more that any one assures to himself his spiritual life by his own free efforts and a pure love for goodness1 the more certain also does eternity become1 not merely as something future1 but as something already begun407#cf7 ,whenever ,jesus is said to give eternal life1 or to be the life of the world2 whenever the apostles declare ,christ to be their life1 or say that as in ,adam all die1 so in ,christ shall all be made alive2 when ,paul says1 8,the law of the ,spirit of life in ,christ ,jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death20 8to be spiritually minded is life and peace20 8the life of ,jesus is manifested in our dying 7mortal7 flesh20 when ,john says1 8,he that hath the ,son hath life20 when in ,revelation we read of the book of life1 and water of life1 and tree of life1--the meaning is always the same4 ,it refers to the spiritual vitality added to the soul by the influence of ,jesus1 who communicates ,god's love1 and so enables us to ,,love ,god1 instead of merely fearing him or obeying him4 ,love casts out all fear1 the fear of death included4 ,he who looks at the things unseen and eternal1 partakes of their eternal nature1 and though his outward human nature perishes1 his inward spiritual nature is renewed day by day4 #e4 ,resurrection1 and its real ,meaning1 as a ,rising up1 and not a ,rising again4 ,one part of the ,christian doctrine of immortality is conveyed in the term 8eternal life20 the other part in the other term1 usually associated with it--8the resurrection40 ,the common ,orthodox doctrine of the resurrection1 is that the dead shall rise with the same bodies as those laid in earth2 and this identity is usually made to consist in identity of matter1 though ,paul expressly says1 8,thou sowest not that body that shall be40 ,on the other hand1 many liberal thinkers of the ,spiritual ,school deny any resurrection1 and think the whole doctrine of the resurrection a ,jewish error1 believing in a purely spiritual existence hereafter4 ,others1 like ,swedenborg1 teach that the soul hereafter dwells in a body1 though of a more refined and sublimated character2 and in this we think they approach more nearly the teaching of the ,new ,testament4 ,it is a remarkable fact that the ,greek words indicating the rising of men should have been translated1 in our ,english ,bible1 by terms signifying something wholly different1 and conveying another sense than that in the original4 ,it is equally extraordinary that this change of meaning should seldom or never be alluded to by theological writers4 ,these words1 translated 8resurrection10 8rise again10 and the like1 all have1 in the ,greek1 the sense of rising ,,up1 not of rising ,,again4 ,they signify not return1 but ascent2 not coming back to this life1 but going forward to a higher4 ,the difference in meaning is apparent and very important4 ,it is one thing to say1 that at death we go down into ,hades1 or into dissolution1 and at the resurrection we come back to conscious existence1 or to the same life we had before1 and quite a different thing to say that what we call death is nothing2 but that we rise up1 and go forward when we seem to die4 ,this last is the doctrine of the ,new ,testament1 though the former is the one usually believed to be taught in it4 ,the immense stress laid1 in the ,new ,testament1 on the resurrection of ,jesus is by no means explained by supposing that after his death he came to life again1 and so proved that there is a life after death4 ,what he showed his disciples was1 that death was not going down1 but going up2 not descent into the grave1 or ,hades1 but ascent to a higher world4 ,this is the evident sense of such passages as these4 ,we have not room to go over all the passages which should be noticed in a critical examination1 but select a few of the most prominent4 #a4 1 commonly translated 8resurrection10 or 8rising again10 but which literally means 8rising up40 7,so ,bretschneider1 8,lexicon ,man4 in lib4 ,nov4 ,test40 defines it as 8resurrectio1 rectius surrectio4077#cg7 ,this word occurs forty-two times in the ,new ,testament4 ,in none of them 7unless there be a single exception1 which we shall presently consider7 does it necessarily mean a rising again1 or coming back to the same level of life as before4 ,in a large number of instances the word can only mean a rising up1 or ascent to a higher state4 ,of these cases we will cite a few examples4 ,ten of the passages in which the word occurs1 are in the account by the ,synoptics of the discussion between ,jesus and the ,sadducees concerning the case of the woman married to seven brothers4 ,after stating the case1 they say1 8,therefore1 in the resurrection1 whose wife of them is she80 ,it is plain that the word 8resurrection0 here is equivalent to 8the future state10 and cannot be limited to a return to life4 ,this becomes more apparent in the answer of ,jesus1 as given1 somewhat varied1 by the three ,synoptics3 8,in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage1 but are as the angels of ,god in heaven40 7,matt4 #bb3cj47 ,mark1 instead of 8the resurrection10 has the corresponding verb1 8when they shall rise from the dead40 ,this certainly means1 not rising again1 but rising up1 ascending to a higher state4 ,and ,luke adds another element1 showing that the 8resurrection0 is a state to which all may not attain1 but which is dependent on character2 evidently therefore a higher state4 8,they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world 7 71 and the resurrection from the dead1 neither marry nor are given in marriage2 neither can they die any more1 for they are equal unto the angels0 7or rather 8are like the angels07 8and are children of ,god1 being children of the resurrection40 7,luke #bj3ce1 #cf47 ,this last phrase1 8children of the resurrection10 is very significant1 and intends a character corresponding to this higher state4 ,there seems1 indeed1 to be a contradiction between this passage1 which makes the resurrection conditional1 and those which declare it universal4 7,see ,john #e3bi1 and #a ,cor4 ch4 #ae47 ,but perhaps the reconciliation can be found in the apostolic statement 7#a ,cor4 #ae3bc7 8every one in his order40 ,all shall ascend into the higher state1 called 8the resurrection10 but only as they become prepared for it4 ,all are not now prepared to hear the voice of the ,son of man 7or of divine truth71 which shall causes them to rise to the resurrection of life and of judgment2 but1 in due season1 all shall come forth from their graves1 and hear it4 ,another passage in which this word occurs is in ,luke #b3cd1 where ,simon says1 8,this child is set for the fall and rising again 77 of many in ,israel40 ,a moral fall and rising are here evident2 and only if the reduplication be dropped1 and we read 8for the fall and the rising up10 do we get the true idea4 ,it is not meant that ,jesus comes to degrade us morally1 and then lift us up again morally4 ,rather it means that he comes to test the state of the hearts of men3 some cannot bear the test1 and fall before it2 others1 better prepared1 rise higher4 ,here1 also1 means rising up1 and not rising again4 ,the most remarkable use of this word1 however1 is in that famous passage where the common meaning is wholly unintelligible1 in the story of ,lazarus4 7,john #aa3bd1 #be47 ,jesus says1 8,i am the resurrection and the life40 ,if resurrection means coming back to life after death1 in what sense can ,jesus be 8the resurrection and the life08 ,then ,jesus said that he was 8the coming back to life10 which is unintelligible4 ,but if the resurrection means the ascent to a higher state1 then ,jesus declares that he is the way of ascent to a higher state1 just as he says elsewhere1 8,i am the way20 8,i am the door40 ,it is the power of ,christ within the soul1 the power of his spirit of faith1 hope1 and love1 which enables us to go forward and upward4 ,christ is not the principle of resuscitation to an earthly existence1 or a merely human immortality4 ,he does not bring us to life again1 but he lifts us up4 ,so he adds1 8,he who believeth in me1 though he were dead1 yet shall he live40 ,not1 shall come to life again2 no1 but1 shall rise out of death into life1 ascend into a higher condition of being4 ,then he adds that to one who has faith in him1 who has adopted his ideas1 there is no longer any such thing as death4 ,death has disappeared--is abolished4 8,he who liveth and believeth in me shall never die40 ,but1 it may be objected1 if spiritual death and life are here spoken of1--if the passage means that he who believeth in ,christ shall have inward religious spiritual life1 a heavenly and celestial life1--then how could that comfort ,martha1 or apply to her case1 who was mourning1 not the spiritual1 but the natural1 death of her brother8 ,christ is essentially a manifestation of the truth and love of ,god4 ,to believe in him is therefore to believe in ,god's truth and love4 ,but belief in this fills the soul with life4 ,and the soul full of life cannot die4 ,what seems death is only change1 and a change from a lower to a higher state1 therefore rising up1 or resurrection4 ,christ1 then1 the love and truth of ,god in the soul1 is the life and the resurrection4 ,he fills the soul with that life which causes it to rise with every change1 to go up and on evermore to a higher state4 ,that which seems death is nothing2 the only real death is the immersion of the soul in sense and evil1 the turning away from truth and ,god4 ,now1 ,martha believed1 as most of us believe1 in a future resurrection4 ,she believed that1 after lying a long time in the grave1 one would come out of it at last1 on a great day of judgment1 and somehow the soul and body be reunited4 ,she believed this1 for it was the general belief of the ,jews in her day4 ,it is the general belief of ,christians now4 ,the majority of ,christians have not got very far beyond that4 ,they talk of the resurrection1 as though it were merely the return of the soul into the old body2 and when you comfort them over their dead by saying1 8,your dead will rise10 reply1 8,i know it--at the resurrection1 at the last day40 ,but ,jesus tells ,martha1 and all the ,martha ,christians of the present time1 that he is the resurrection and the life4 ,your brother is not to sleep in the dust till the last day1 and then rise4 ,he does not die at all4 ,he rises with ,christ here1 and in whatever other world4 ,his nature is to go up1 not down1 when he is ,christianized4 ,now or then1 to-day or at the last day1 if he has the living faith of a son of ,god1 he will be raised by that ,christ within him1 who is his life4 ,this1 it seems to us1 is the only adequate explanation of this passage1 and shows conclusively that resurrection must mean1 in this place1 a rising up to a higher existence1 and not a mere return to this life4 ,it appears1 from #a ,cor4 ch4 #ae1 that there were some in the ,christian church who said there was no resurrection of the dead 7 17 or that it was past already4 7#b ,tim4 #b3ah47 ,these ,christians did not deny the doctrine of immortality1 or a future life4 ,it is difficult to imagine the motive which could induce any one1 in those days1 to join the ,christian church1 if he denied a future life4 ,probably1 therefore1 they assumed that the only real resurrection takes place in the soul when we rise with ,christ4 ,they said1 8,if we are to rise into a higher life after this1 how shall we rise1 and with what bodies80 7#a ,cor4 #ae3ce47 ,they professed to believe in a simple immortality of the soul1 but not an ascent of the personal being1 soul and body together1 to the presence of ,god4 ,they did not question a future life1 but a higher life to which soul and body should go up together4 ,to these doubting ,christians1 who could not gather strength to believe in such a great progress as this1 ,paul says that if man does not rise1 if it is contrary to his nature to rise1 then ,jesus1 being a man1 has not risen1 but gone down to ,hades with other souls4 ,then he is not above us1 with ,god1 sending down strength and inspiration from our work4 ,this faith of ours1 which has been our great support1 is an illusion4 ,we have all been deceived--deceived in preaching forgiveness of sins through ,christ from ,god2 deceived in preaching a higher life above us1 into which ,christ has gone1 and where he is waiting to receive us4 ,but we have not been deceived--,christ has risen1 and risen as the first fruits of humanity4 ,he leads the way up1 and in proportion as we share his life1 we also have in ourselves the principle of ascent1 and shall go up too4 ,he goes first2 then all who are like him follow and finally1 in due order1 all mankind4 ,death and ,hades have been conquered by this new influx of life in ,christ4 ,instead of remaining pale ghosts1 naked souls1 we shall rise into a fuller1 richer1 larger life1 of soul and body4 ,there is one passage1 however1 where there seems a difficulty in considering 1 or resurrection1 as implying an ascent of condition4 ,it is in ,john #e3bh1 #bi4 ,our common translation reads thus3 8,the hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice 7that is1 the voice of the ,son of man71 and shall come forth1 they that have done good unto the resurrection of life1 and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation40 ,at first sight it certainly seems that the 8resurrection of damnation0 7 7 could hardly be considered a higher state4 ,all depends1 however1 on the meaning of the word1 here translated 8damnation40 ,the word1 in the ,greek1 is the genitive of 4 ,now1 by turning to the ,concordance1 we find that this word occurs some forty-eight times in the ,new ,testament4 ,in these places1-- ,it is translated #c times by 8damnation40 ,it is translated #b times by 8condemnation40 ,it is translated #b times by 8accusation40 ,it is translated #da times by 8judgment40 ,it is evident1 therefore1 that our translators considered judgment to be the primary and usual meaning of the word4 ,why1 then1 did they not translate it here1 8rising to judgment10 or 8resurrection of judgment08 ,it must have been because they believed either that 7#a47 8judgment0 would make no sense here2 7#b47 that 8damnation0 would make better sense2 or1 7#c47 that 8damnation0 was more in accordance with the analogy of faith4 ,but we can decide these points for ourselves4 8,judgment0 is the better word here1 for it accords with the doctrine of the ,new ,testament1 that in proportion as man goes wrong1 he dulls his moral sense1 and needs a revelation of truth to show him what he is4 ,a true man1 who has lived according to the truth here1 has judged himself1 and will not need to be judged hereafter4 7#a ,cor4 #aa3ca47 ,he rises into the resurrection of life4 ,but those who follow falsehood here1 need to see the truth2 and they rise into the resurrection of judgment4 ,the truth judges and condemns them4 ,but this is really an ascent to them also4 ,it is going up higher1 to see the truth1 even when it condemns them4 ,this passage1 then1 is no exception to the principle that wherever 8resurrection0 77 occurs in the ,new ,testament1 it implies going up into a higher state4 ,all the other places where the word occurs either evidently have this meaning1 or can bear it as easily as the other4 ,thus 7,luke #ad3ad71 8,thou shalt be recompensed in the higher state of the just40 7#bj3bg71 the ,sadducees 8deny a higher state40 7,acts #a3ba71 8he is to be a witness with us of the ascended state of ,jesus40 7,acts #d3b71 8preached1 through ,jesus1 the higher state of the dead40 7#ag3ah71 8preached to them ,jesus and the higher state40 7#bj3bc71 that ,christ 8should be the first to rise into the higher state40 7,lazarus and others had returned to life again before ,jesus1 so that in this sense he was not the first fruits47 7,rom4 #f3e71 8planted in the likeness of his resurrection40 ,this can only mean as ,christ passed through the grave into a higher state1 so we pass through baptism into a higher state4 ,the only text which presents any real difficulty is ,heb4 #aa3ce1 translated1 8women received their dead raised to life again10 literally1 8women received from the resurrection their dead0 7 71 which may refer to a return to this life1 as in the case of the child of the widow of ,sarepta 7#a ,kings #ag3ag71 and of the ,shunamite 7#b ,kings #d3ag747ch7 ,but in the same verse1 the other and 8better0 resurrection is spoken of1 for the sake of which these martyrs refused to return to this life4 ,the case referred to is probably that of the record of the seven brothers put to death by ,antiochus 7#b ,macc4 #g3i71 who refused life offered on condition of eating swine's flesh1 and said1 when dying1 8,the ,king of the world shall raise us up1 who have died for his laws1 unto everlasting life0 7 71 literally1 8to an eternal renewal of our life407#ci7 ,this verse shows1 therefore1 that though may mean a return to this life1 yet that the other sense of a higher life is expressly contrasted with it1 even here4 ,our conclusion1 therefore1 with regard to this term 1 is1 that its meaning1 in ,new ,testament usage1 is not 8rising again10 but 8rising up10 or 8ascent40 #b4 4 ,this word is the root of the former4 ,it is used one hundred and twelve times in the ,new ,testament4 ,it is translated with again 7as1 8he must rise again from the dead07 fifteen times4 ,it is translated thirty-six times 8rise up0 or 8raise up0 7as1 8,i will raise him up at the last day071 and ninety-six times without the 8again40 ,it is rendered 8he arose10 8shall rise10 8stood up10 8raise up10 8arise10 and in similar ways4 #c4 4 ,this word is also frequently used in relation to the resurrection1 and is translated 8to awaken10 8arouse10 8animate10 8revive40 ,the natural and usual meaning is ascent to a higher state1 and not merely a 8rising again40 ------------------------------------- ,from these considerations we see that the primitive and central meaning of the terms used to express the resurrection is that of ,,ascent4 ,it is ,,going ,,up4 ,this is the essential ,christian idea4 ,but it soon became implicated with the ,pagan idea of immortality1 or continued existence of the soul1 and the ,jewish idea of a bodily resurrection at the last day4 ,but though there is a truth in each of these beliefs1 the ,christian doctrine is neither one nor the other4 ,the gospel assumes1 but does not teach1 a continued existence of the soul4 ,since the greater includes the less1 in teaching that the ,,man rises at death into a higher life1 it necessarily implies that he continues to live4 ,and in teaching that he is to exist as man1 with soul and body1 in a higher condition of development1 it teaches necessarily the bodily resurrection of the ,jews4 ,christ1 who came 8not to destroy1 but to fulfil10 ,,fulfils both ,pagan and ,jewish ideas of the future state in this doctrine of an ,,ascension at death4 ,the principal points of the teaching of ,jesus concerning the life which follows the dissolution of the body are these3 ,first4 ,as against the ,sadducees1 he argues that the dead are living 7,matt4 #bb3ca1 and the parallel passages71 from the simple fact that ,god calls them his4 ,if ,god thinks of them as his1 that is enough4 ,his thinking of them makes them alive4 ,no one can perish while ,god is thinking of him with love4 ,such an argument1 carrying no weight to the mere understanding1 is convincing in proportion as one is filled with a spiritual conception of ,god4 ,secondly4 ,jesus abolishes death by teaching that there is no such thing to the soul which shares his ideas concerning ,god and the universe4 ,this is implied in the phrases1 8,he that liveth and believeth in me shall never die40 7,john #aa3bf47 8,he that believeth on me hath everlasting life40 7,john #f3dg47 8,i am the living bread1 whereof if a man eat1 he shall live forever40 7,john #f3ea47 8,whoso eateth my flesh1 and drinketh my blood1 hath eternal life40 7,john #f3ed47 8,if a man keep my saying1 he shall never see death40 ,here1 8eating ,christ's flesh1 and drinking his blood10 is plainly equivalent to 8keeping his saying10 and 8believing on him40 ,as 8food which we eat and drink changes itself so as to become a part of our own body by assimilation10 so ,christ intends that his truth shall not be merely taken into the memory1 and reproduced in words1 but shall be taken into the life1 and reproduced in character4 ,thirdly4 ,he teaches that as feeding on his truth changes our natural life into spiritual life1 and lifts temporal existence into eternal being1 so it will also place us outwardly in a higher state and higher relations1 to which state he applies the familiar term the 8resurrection0 or 8ascent10 the 8going up40 8,i will raise him up at the last day40 ,the 8last day10 in ,jewish and ,new ,testament usage1 means the ,messianic times1 as appears from such passages as ,acts #b3ag1 where the term is used of the day of ,pentecost2 ,heb4 #a3b1 8hath in these last days spoken unto us by his ,son20 #a ,john #b3ah1 8,little children1 it is the last time40 ,jesus tells his disciples that he is going to the ,father 7,john #ad3ae71 in whose house are many mansions1 where he is to prepare a place for his disciples4 7,john #ad3b47 ,that 8resurrection0 was understood to mean a present higher state1 and not a future return to life1 appears also from its use by the apostles4 ,christians are spoken of as having already 8risen with ,christ0 7,col4 #c3a72 8risen with him in baptism0 7,col4 #c3a72 walking 8in the likeness of his resurrection0 7,rom4 #f3e74 ,and1 no doubt1 it was by making this idea of a present resurrection too exclusive1 that some ,christians maintained that it was wholly a present resurrection1 and not at all future--that 8it was past already40 ,this ,christian faith in 8resurrection0 as ascent to a higher condition of being at death is practically borne witness to by such common expressions concerning departed friends as these3 8,he has gone to a better world20 8,he is in a higher world than this20 8,we ought not to grieve for him--he is better off than he was40 ,the practical sense of ,christendom has taken this faith from the ,gospels1 though the ,creeds do not authorize it4 ,the ,creeds teach that the souls of the good either sleep till a future resurrection1 or are absorbed into ,god until then1 while the souls of the impenitent descend to a lower sphere4 ,christ teaches that at death all rise to a higher state--of life and love to the loving1 or judgment by the sight of truth to the selfish2 but higher to all4 ,paul declares that 8as in ,adam ,,all die1 even so in ,christ shall ,,all be made alive10 making the rise equivalent in extent to the fall4 ,the great change in the faith of the apostles1 in consequence of the resurrection or ascent of ,christ1 was this3 ,they before believed that at death all went to ,hades1 to the gloomy underworld of shadows1 there to remain till the final resurrection4 ,but the belief that ,christ1 instead of going down1 had gone up1 and had assured them that all who had faith in him had the principle of ascent in their souls1 and were already spiritually risen1--this took the victory from ,hades and the sting from death4 ,to ,christians1 at least1 ,hades is no more anything2 all who have a living faith rise with ,christ2 and sooner or later1 each in his order1 all shall rise4 ,this was the 8power of the resurrection0 of ,jesus to destroy the fear of death1 to enable them 8to attain0 now 8to the resurrection of the dead0 7,phil4 #c3aj71 teaching that 8if the ,spirit of ,him who raised up ,jesus from the dead dwell in you1 he that raised up ,jesus from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his ,spirit that dwells in you40 8,for it is ,christ that died1 yea1 rather1 that is risen1 who is even at the right hand of ,god1 who also maketh intercession for us40 ,it was1 therefore1 the duty of all ,christians1 since they were risen in ,christ1 8to seek the things which are above40 #f4 ,resurrection of the ,body1 as taught in the ,new ,testament1 not a ,rising again of the same ,body1 but the ,ascent into a higher ,body4 ,it is remarkable that those who profess to believe in the literal inspiration of the ,new ,testament should nevertheless very generally teach that the future body is materially the same as this4 ,we often hear labored arguments to show how the identical chemical particles which compose the body at death may be re-collected from all quarters at the resurrection4 ,yet the only place where any account is given of the future body1 declares explicitly that it is different from the present1 just as the stalk which comes out of the ground differs from the seed planted4 8,we sow not the body which shall be1 but bare grain1 and ,god giveth it a body as pleaseth him40 ,many persons1 however1 take an opposite view1 and have no belief in any future bodily existence4 ,they speak much more frequently of the immortality of the soul4 ,but the resurrection of the body is unquestionably a doctrine of the ,new ,testament1 while the immortality of the soul is not4 ,the ,new ,testament knows nothing of a purely spiritual existence hereafter1 nothing of an abstract disembodied immortality4 ,the reaction from materialism to idealism has caused us now to undervalue bodily existence4 ,so it did among the ,corinthians to whom ,paul wrote1 8,how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead80 ,these ,corinthians were not ,sadducees1 nor ,epicureans4 ,there is no evidence that these sects had any influence on the ,christian ,church4 ,they did not deny a future existence1 but they denied a rising up and a future bodily existence4 ,they believed1 like us1 in an immortality of the soul1 denying the possibility 7probably on philosophical grounds7 of the resurrection of the body4 ,so ,paul proceeds1 in the fifteenth chapter of ,corinthians1 first to prove the fact1 and then to explain the nature of a bodily resurrection4 ,let us consider1 first1 what is meant by a resurrection of the body4 ,this word resurrection tends to mislead us by suggesting the rising from the grave of the material body there deposited2 and accordingly we have the theory which makes the future body the mere revival of the same particles of matter composing the present body4 ,but the ,greek word1 as we have fully shown1 means not merely rising out of the grave1 but rising to a higher state of existence4 ,the anastasis of the body is its elevation and spiritualizalion4 ,by the resurrection of the body1 we mean that in the future life of man1 he shall not exist in the same material and fleshly envelope as now1 nor yet as a purely disembodied spirit4 ,the true doctrine avoids both extremes--the extreme of pure idealism on the one hand1 and of pure materialism on the other4 ,it asserts three things3 first1 that we have a real body hereafter2 second1 that this will be identical with our true body now2 third1 that it will be this true body in a higher state of development than at present1 a spiritual instead of a natural body4 ,first1 it will be a real body4 ,a real body is an organization with which the soul is connected1 and by means of which it comes into connection with the material universe1 and under the laws of space and time4 ,this organization may be more or less refined and subtle2 it may not come under the cognizance of our present senses2 but if it is an organization by means of which we may commune with the physical universe1 it is essentially a body4 ,again1 the future body is identical with the present true body of man4 ,for what is our true body8 ,not the particles of flesh and blood1 but the principle of its organization4 ,the identity of our body does not consist in the identity of its material particles1 for these come and go1 are in constant flux1 and are wholly changed1 it is said1 every seven years4 ,but1 notwithstanding this change1 the body of the man is the same with that of the child4 ,the same features1 figure1 temperament1 morbid and passional tendencies1 are reproduced year after year4 ,these flying particles1 gathered from earth and air1 are manufactured into brain1 bone1 blood1 according to an unvarying law1 and then given back again to air and earth4 ,there is1 therefore1 a hidden mysterious principle of organization working on during the whole seventy years of our earthly existence1 which makes the body of the infant and the child identical with that of the man and the old man4 ,this is the true body2 and this1 extricated at death from its present envelope1 and clothed upon with a higher spiritual and immortal form1 will constitute the future body4 ,but again1 it will be a higher development of the body4 ,paul plainly teaches this4 ,he uses the analogy of the seed1 showing that the future body is related to this2 and differenced from this1 as the plant is related to the seed1 and yet different from it4 8,thou sowest not that body that shall be1 but bare grain40 ,you do not sow the stalk1 but the kernel2 you do not sow the oak1 but the acorn4 ,yet the oak is contained potentially in the acorn1 and so the future body is contained potentially in the present4 ,the condition of the germination of the acorn is its dissolution2 then the germ is able to separate itself from the rest of the seed1 and start forward in a new career of development4 ,in like manner the spiritual body cannot be developed until the present organization is dissolved4 ,paul goes on to say that 8there is a natural body and there is a spiritual40 ,this body is the natural body2 the future will be the spiritual4 ,two things may be implied in this distinction4 ,as by the natural body we come into communion with the natural world1 the world of phenomena1 so by the spiritual we commune with the spiritual world1 the world of essential being and cause4 ,here and now we see things through a glass1 darkly1 then face to face4 ,here we look at things on the outside only2 but how often a longing seizes us to know the essences1 to penetrate to their interior life6 ,that longing is an instinctive prophecy of its own fulfilment hereafter4 ,the spiritual body must also manifest the spirit hereafter1 as the natural or soul body now manifests the soul4 ,for while the present body expresses adequately enough present wishes and emotions1 it fails of expressing the spiritual emotions1 and fails of being a true servant of the higher life4 ,this1 then1 constitutes the future body4 ,first1 it is an organization connecting us with the outward universe of space and time4 ,second1 it is identical with the present true body4 ,third1 it is a development and advance of this into a higher organization4 ,let us now inquire what are the evidences and proofs of this future body4 ,how do we know1 or why do we think1 that we shall have any such body8 ,the first proof of a future bodily existence is its reasonableness4 ,there is a law of gradation in the universe by which the seed unfolds gradually into the stalk1 the bud into the flower1 the flower into the fruit4 ,we see a gradual progress of vegetable life into animal1 and a gradual transition from the lower forms of animal existence to the higher4 ,the transition is so gradual that it is very difficult to say where vegetables end and where animals begin4 ,radiated animals ascend towards the mollusks1 the mollusks towards the articulata1 the articulata towards the vertebrata4 ,and through this last class we see a steady ascent from one form of organization to another2 from fishes to reptiles1 from reptiles to birds1 from birds to mammalia1 until by steady rise we reach the human body1 in delicacy1 beauty1 and faculty the crown of all4 ,why should we suppose this the end of bodily existence8 ,why not rather that this is to pass into a still more noble and beautiful type of organization8 ,after this gradual development1 why suppose the enormous change to a purely spiritual existence8 ,is it not more reasonable to suppose1 instead1 a higher order of bodily life8 ,if we may look at the question for a moment from a metaphysical point of view1 we shall find it hard to comprehend the possibility of personal existence hereafter apart from bodily organization4 ,everything which is1 must be either somewhere1 or everywhere1 or nowhere2 that is1 it must be present in some particular point of space1 or omnipresent through all space1 or wholly out of space4 ,but to be wholly out of space is to lose that which distinguishes one thing from another1 for all distinctions which we can conceive of are distinctions in space and time4 ,to be everywhere is to be omnipresent1 which is an attribute belonging to ,god and not to finite being1 and would imply absorption into the divine nature4 ,therefore personal existence is existence somewhere in space1 but locality in space is an attribute of body1 not of spirit1 and implies bodily existence4 ,moreover1 shall we suppose that after death we are to have no more communion with the material universe1 no more knowledge of this vast order and beauty1 which is a perpetual manifestation of ,god1 the garment which he wears1 one of his grand methods of revelation8 ,these myriads of suns and worlds1 these constellations of stars peopling space1 this city of ,god full of wonder and infinite variety1 are they to be nothing to us after the few years of mortal life are over8 ,we cannot believe it4 ,if1 then1 we are still to perceive the material universe1 the faculties by which we perceive it will be more intense bodily faculties4 ,if spiritual things are spiritually discerned1 bodily things are discerned in a bodily manner4 ,such considerations as these show that a future bodily existence is reasonable2 but the proof of it must come1 if at all1 either from revelation or experience4 ,let us see1 then1 what bearing the resurrection of ,jesus has upon this question4 ,according to the ,gospels1 ,jesus rose from the dead in bodily form4 ,this body resembled his former one1 so as to be recognized by his disciples2 it had the marks of the spear and nails2 it could be touched1 and was capable of eating food4 ,in all these respects it seems exactly the same body he had before4 ,this1 too1 is confirmed by the fact that he came from the tomb where his body had been placed1 and that this had disappeared4 ,but1 on the other hand1 many peculiarities indicate a difference2 such as his not being recognized at once by ,mary in the garden1 nor by the disciples during the whole walk to ,emmaus2 his appearing and disappearing suddenly2 his coming through the closed doors4 ,again1 if the body of ,jesus was exactly like that which he had before death1 it is evident that he would have to lay it aside again before ascending into the spiritual world1 for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of ,god4 ,but if he was to lay it aside again1 this would be equivalent to dying a second time1 which would destroy the whole meaning and value of his resurrection1 making it nothing but a mere revival1 or coming to life again1 like that of a person who has been apparently drowned4 ,such a revival would have produced no results1 and the faith of the ,church which has come from the resurrection of ,jesus would never have taken place4 ,accordingly1 we must conclude that ,jesus rose with a higher spiritual body4 ,and this gives to the ascension its meaning4 ,for otherwise1 the ascension would be only a disappearance2 whereas1 in this view1 the disciples saw him pass away in the shape and form he was to continue to wear in the other world4 ,then the gulf was bridged over1 in their minds1 and they had looked into heaven4 ,this was what the resurrection of ,jesus did for the apostles4 ,it changed doubt and despair into faith and hope2 changed theoretical belief into practical assurance2 imparted that commanding energy of conviction and utterance which only comes from life4 ,animated thus themselves1 they were enabled to animate others4 ,and so the resurrection of ,christ was the resurrection of ,christianity1 the resurrection of a ,christian faith and hope infinitely deeper and stronger than had before existed in the minds of the disciples4 ,we do not like the usual method of regarding the resurrection of ,jesus as a great exceptional event1 and an astounding violation of the laws of nature4 ,its power seems rather to have consisted in this1 that it was a glorious confirmation of those everlasting laws announced by ,jesus--laws boundless as the universe4 ,the very essence of the gospel is the declaration that good is not only better than evil1 which we all knew before1 but stronger than evil1 which we weakly doubt4 ,the gospel assures us that love is stronger than hatred1 peace than war1 holiness than evil1 truth than error4 ,it is the marriage of the goodness of motive and the goodness of attainment2 goodness in the soul and goodness in outward life2 heaven hereafter and heaven here4 ,it asserts that the good man is always in reality successful2 that he who humbles himself is exalted1 he who forgives is forgiven1 he who gives to others receives again himself1 he who hungers after righteousness is filled4 ,this was the faith which ,christ expressed1 in which and out of which he lived and acted2 it was this faith which made him ,christ the ,king1 ,king of human minds and hearts4 ,was it then all false8 ,did his death prove it so8 ,was that the end1 the earthly end1 of his efforts for man8 ,were truth and love struck down then by the power of darkness8 ,that was the question which his resurrection answered2 it showed him passing through death to higher life1 through an apparent overthrow to a real triumph2 it gave one visible illustration to laws usually invisible in their operation1 and set ,god's seal to their truth4 ,through that death which seemed the destruction of all hope1 ,jesus went up to be the ,christ1 the ,king4 ,in this point of view we see the value and importance of the resurrection of ,jesus1 and why ,easter ,sunday should be the chief festival of ,christianity4 ,it was the great triumph of life over death1 of good over evil4 ,it was the apt symbol and illustration of the whole gospel4 ,if1 then1 the resurrection of ,christ means that ,christ ascended through death to a higher state2 if our resurrection means that we pass up through death1 and not down2 not into the grave1 but into a condition of higher life2 if the resurrection of the body does not mean the raising again out of the earth the material particles deposited there1 but the soul clothing itself with a higher and more perfect organization2 if it is1 then1 the raising of the body to a more perfect condition of development1--then is there not good reason why such stress should be laid upon this great fact8 ,all the proof rests on the historic fact of the resurrection4 ,was ,christ seen in this higher spiritual and bodily state1 or was he not8 ,if he was1 then we have a fact of history and experience to rely upon to show us that the future life involves an ascent both spiritual and bodily4 ,and this is the reason why such stress has been laid on the resurrection4 ,this raising of man1 through the power of ,christ's life1 to a higher state1 is not a mere matter of speculation1 then1 not an opinion1 not something pleasant to think of and hope for1 but it is a fundamental fact of ,christian faith4 ,because ,christ has arisen and passed up1 we must all arise and pass up1 too1 with him4 ,he is the first fruits of those who sleep4 ,in proportion as the ,spirit of ,christ is in us1 in that proportion is the power in us which shall carry us upward towards him4 ,he wishes that those who believe in him shall be where he is4 ,we shall belong to him and to his higher world1 not arbitrarily1 but naturally2 not by any positive decree of ,god1 but by the nature of things4 ,the essential fact in the resurrection is1 that ,christ rose1 through death1 to a higher state4 ,the essential doctrine of the resurrection is1 that death is the transition from a lower to a higher condition in all who have the life which makes them capable of it4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,christ',s ,,coming1 ,,usually ,,called ,,the 8,,second ,,coming10 ,,and ,,christ ,,the ,,judge ,,of ,,the ,,world4 #a4 ,the ,coming of ,christ is not wholly future1 not wholly outward1 not local1 nor material4 ,it is a curious fact that1 in direct contradiction to ,christ's own explanations concerning his coming1 this should frequently be considered by the ,orthodox1 7#a47 as wholly future2 7#b47 as wholly outward2 7#c47 as local2 7#d47 as bodily and material4 ,it cannot be wholly future1 for if it were1 ,jesus was mistaken in saying of the signs of his coming1 8,this generation shall not pass away until all these things be fulfilled40 7,mark #ac3cj47 ,nor can it be wholly outward1 for if it were1 ,jesus was mistaken when he declared of the signs of his coming1 8,the kingdom of ,god cometh not with observation0 7,luke #ag3bj72 8,the kingdom of ,god is within you 0 7,luke #ag3ba72 8,my kingdom is not of this world0 7,john #ah3cf74 ,see also ,mark #d3bf1bg1 and ,matt4 #ac3cc1 where his kingdom is compared with seed sprouting and leaven working secretly4 ,nor is ,christ's coming local1 that is1 in a certain place1 for if it were1 ,jesus was mistaken in telling his disciples not to believe those who said1 8,lo1 here60 or 8,lo1 there60 not to go into the desert when men say1 8,behold1 he is there10 and not to believe those who declare that he is hidden somewhere in the city1 for that the coming of the ,son of man should be like that of the lightning1 which shines all round the sky1 and seems to be everywhere at once4 7,matt4 #bd3bf47 ,and if not local1 neither can it be a bodily coming2 for all bodily coming must be in some one place4 ,since1 therefore1 ,jesus distinctly denies that his coming is to be 8here0 or 8there10--that is1 local1--it must be a spiritual coming1 a coming in spirit and in power4 ,all the material images connected with it--the clouds1 the trumpet1 c4--are to be considered symbolical4 ,the 8clouds of heaven0 may symbolize spiritual movements and influences2 the 8trumpet10 the awakening power of new truth47#dj7 #b4 ,no ,second ,coming of ,christ is mentioned in ,scripture4 ,it is also a remarkable fact that only one coming of ,christ is mentioned in the ,new ,testament4 ,orthodoxy speaks continually of ,christ's second coming1 but without any warrant4 ,it assumes that the manifestation of ,jesus in the flesh was his first coming as the ,christ1 and that consequently the predictions 7in ,matt4 ch4 #bd1 and the parallels7 must refer to a second coming4 ,hence the phrase 8second coming0 has been introduced1 and naturalized in theology4 ,but1 in truth1 the life of ,jesus on earth was not regarded as his coming as the ,messiah47#da7 ,what the disciples expected was his manifestation or investiture as the ,messiah1 which evidently had not taken place at the time of their conversation4 ,and this was to be1 not 8at the end of the world10 but at the end of the age4 ,they1 like other ,jews1 divided time into two periods1 8the present age10 or times previous to the ,messiah1 and 8the coming age10 or times of the ,messiah's reign4 ,when1 therefore1 ,jesus was with them1 only teaching and healing1 they did not at all consider him to have come as the ,messiah4 ,but when he spoke of the destruction of the ,temple1 as that indicated the end of the existing economy1 they understood it to be synchronous with his coming as the ,christ4 ,so they said1 8,what shall be the sign of thy ,,coming1 and of the ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,age80 ,and so through the ,epistles1 when the 8coming of ,christ0 is spoken of1 is meant his manifestation in the world as the ,messiah4 ,this was a single event1 to take place once1 not to be repeated4 ,such a thing as 8,christ's second coming0 is unknown to the ,scriptures47#db7 #c4 ,were the ,apostles mistaken in expecting a speedy ,coming of ,christ8 ,it is often said that the apostles themselves were mistaken in expecting a speedy coming of ,christ4 ,no doubt they did expect his speedy coming1 and with reason2 for he himself had told them that the existing generation should not pass away till all those things were fulfilled4 ,therefore they were justified in looking for a near coming of ,jesus as the ,christ4 ,we admit that they expected his speedy coming2 but we think they were not mistaken1 for he did come4 ,he came1 though not perhaps in the manner they anticipated4 ,possibly they interpreted too literally what he said concerning his coming4 ,for though ,christ spoke so much in symbols and parables1 literal people took him literally4 ,and so they do still4 ,when he said that except men ate his flesh and drank his blood they could not be his1 the literalists said1 8,how can this man give us his flesh to eat80 ,and so many persons still think that somehow ,christ's actual body is to be eaten in the ,lord's supper4 ,so1 when he said that the ,son of man should be seen 8coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory1 and send his angels with the sound of a trumpet1 and gather his elect from the four winds10 they took it literally4 ,his apostles1 even1 may have supposed that he was to be seen up in the air in physical form17#dc7 and that a material trumpet was to be blown4 ,but all this was the flesh1 the garb of his thought4 ,the spirit of his thought only is of value2 the flesh profits nothing4 ,the apostles were wrong in supposing--if they did suppose it--that ,christ was to come in their day in the air1 in an outward physical fashion1 with an outward noise1 making a great demonstration to the senses of sight and hearing4 ,christ never came so1 and he never will come so4 ,the only coming of ,christ possible is spiritual coming1 for ,christ is spirit4 ,he did come1 therefore1 in the days of the apostles1 in the great access of faith and power in their own souls1 and in the souls of those whom they converted4 ,he came in power and great glory1 when his truth came to human minds1 and his love to human hearts4 ,he sent his angels then1 and gathered his elect from the four quarters of the heavens4 ,when ,paul was converted1 ,christ came to him2 when the negro chamberlain of the ,queen of ,ethiopia was converted1 ,christ came to him2 when the people of ,ephesus and ,corinth1 ,philippi and ,rome1 were converted1 ,christ came to them4 ,the trumpet sounded1 but it was in their souls that it sounded2 the angels summoned the elect1 but these angels were the convictions sent into their reason1 and the longings awakened in their hearts4 ,materialists and ,literalists are always the same4 ,the apostles soon rose out of their literalism1 and soon spoke of ,christ as being revealed within them1 not outside of them2 dwelling1 not in the air1 but in their hearts4 ,but literalists1 down to this day1 have always imagined the coming of ,christ to be to the senses1 rather than to the soul4 ,they do not see that a great noise in the air is not so glorious a thing as a voice heard in the depths of the heart1 and a great outward conflagration somehow seems to them more imposing than the burning up of falsehood and sin in the world4 ,so we are always hearing people predict that ,christ is to come in #ahdf1 or #ahef1 or #ahff1 meaning thereby that they expect some great outward event then1 visible to eyes and ears4 8,fools1 and slow of heart10 not to see that the only possible coming of ,him who is spirit and love is a coming in the soul1 and that he has come1 and is coming1 and is to come more and more abundantly1 from day to day4 ,so they read about the heavens and earth being burned up1 and of a new heavens and earth2 and they imagine that the sky is somehow to be burned with material fire1 and the surface of the earth to sink into the flaming abyss beneath us4 ,but if this should happen1 that would have nothing to do with the coming of ,christ4 ,the heavens and earth which he consumes with the breath of his mouth1 and destroys with the brightness of his coming1 are the religions and moralities1 the institutions and works1 of men4 ,and the new heavens and new earth which take their place are the higher1 nobler1 purer religions and moralities which flow out of the ,spirit of ,christ4 #d4 ,examination of the ,account of ,christ's ,coming given by ,jesus in ,matthew 7chapters #bd-bf74 ,a great difficulty in regard to the coming of ,christ is to combine in one view the different notions given in ,scripture concerning it4 ,many of these ideas indicate that the coming of ,christ took place at the destruction of ,jerusalem1 as1 for example1 the description of wars1 destruction of the ,temple1 and especially the declaration that 8this generation shall not pass away till all these things be fulfilled40 ,on the other hand1 the coming of ,christ is expressly connected1 in our translation1 with 8the end of the world10 and with the general judgment4 ,hence a difficulty in interpreting these passages1 some persons thinking that the coming of ,christ took place at the destruction of ,jerusalem2 others thinking that it is yet to take place at the end of the world2 others1 again1 maintaining two or more comings of ,christ2 and others spiritualizing the whole of it1 and making it mean the spread of the spirit of ,christianity4 ,let us1 therefore1 examine the passage in which ,christ's coming is spoken of1 and endeavor to find its natural and obvious meaning1 and so see how far the common ,orthodox conception is correct4 ,the subject is not unimportant4 ,several chapters in the ,gospel of ,matthew 7#bd-bf7 are devoted to the description of this event4 ,all of the ,epistles contain frequent allusions to it4 ,the apostles unquestionably expected ,christ's coming in their day1 and they had a right to do so1 inasmuch as ,jesus himself had distinctly said that their generation would not pass away till all was fulfilled4 ,and in the main fact they were not mistaken1 however they may have been deceived1 as we have before said1 in taking too outward a view of the attending circumstances4 ,for if ,christ's coming did not take place in their day1 not only were they themselves mistaken on a most important point1 but ,jesus was mistaken likewise4 ,some of the other points in the description of this event are these3 ,christ's coming was to be like that of the thief in the night--that is1 it was to be unexpected1 and to take men unprepared4 ,it was to be preceded by wars1 commotions1 and misery in every form2 preceded also by the preaching of the truth in many lands4 ,it was to be as difficult to locate ,christ at his coming1 as to fix the lightning1 which comes out of the east and shines to the west4 ,it was to be attended with great spiritual darkness1 even in the minds of the wise and good4 ,the sun1 and moon1 and stars of the moral world were to be darkened1 and the powers of the heavens to be shaken2 and of ten virgins1 all going together to meet the bridegroom1 half would be found spiritually asleep when he came4 ,christ's coming would be especially judgment and punishment4 ,he would part the sheep from the goats4 ,he would consume with the brightness of his coming the man of sin4 ,such are some of the traits with which the coming of ,jesus is described by himself and by his apostles4 ,how are these to be reconciled with the facts1 and what was his coming8 ,the best way to get at the facts is to begin at the beginning1 and ask what the disciples meant when they asked for the signs of ,christ's coming4 ,they were sitting with ,jesus on the ,mount of ,olives1 looking across the valley between1 at the ,temple4 ,they saw and admired the gorgeous magnificence of this vast edifice towering before them1 white with marble and yellow with gold1 against the deep blue sky of that sunny land1 and as they admired it1 ,jesus told them that every stone of that divine structure should be cast down4 ,and then they asked1 8,when shall these things be8 and what shall be the signs of thy coming1 and of the end of the world80 ,what was the connection1 in their minds1 between the three events8 ,why should they have at once inferred that the destruction of the ,temple was to take place at the coming of ,christ1 and that the coming of ,christ was to take place at the end of the world8 ,there was no connection at all1 according to the common notions on this subject4 ,if the coming of ,christ was to be a great outward manifestation in the sky1 to take place long after his death1 after the lapse of thousands of years1 and at the destruction of the visible universe1 what had that to do with the ,jewish ,temple8 or1 indeed1 what had that to do with any of their ideas concerning their ,master8 ,but the notion in their minds1 when they asked the question1 was something very different2 not the present ,christian idea1 but the usual ,jewish idea4 ,they spoke as ,jews1 out of the notions of their day4 ,christ answered what was in their minds1 not what is in ours4 ,if we wish to know what he meant1 we must place ourselves on their stand-point1 look out of their eyes1 and listen with their ears4 ,the coming of ,christ had a very distinct meaning to the ,jewish mind4 ,it meant the manifestation of the ,messiah1 as such4 ,it meant his coming to reign as king4 ,it meant his manifestation in ,judea1 in ,jerusalem1 as the great ,son of ,david1 and the submission of the ,jews1 and ,gentiles with them1 to his authority4 ,the disciples of ,jesus1 believing him to be the ,christ1 believed that he was to come as such4 ,he had come as ,prophet1 as ,teacher1 as a worker of beneficent miracles1 but he had not yet come as ,christ1 as ,king4 ,they were not asking about any second coming after his death and resurrection1 for they did not believe that he was to die4 ,they were asking for his present triumphant manifestation and investiture as the ,messiah4 ,nor were they asking--as our translators make them ask--for 8the end of the world40 ,but they were asking for the end of the age--that is1 of the first age4 ,we have said that the ,jews divided all time into two great periods2 one the age preceding the ,messiah1 the other the age of the ,messiah4 ,the first was called this age1 or the present age2 the other the coming age4 ,the end of the first period and beginning of the second were called the ends of the age2 as where ,paul says1 8,these are written for our admonition1 upon whom the ends of the world are come20 and where he says that ,christ has 8now once appeared in the end of the world to put away sin40 ,these were the ideas of the ,jews1 as we know from history4 ,when1 therefore1 ,christ spoke of the overthrow of the ,temple1 they inferred that he was speaking of the beginning of the ,messianic age2 since the ,temple would not be overthrown while the ,jewish theocratic and ,levitical government continued4 ,now1 as the ,jewish age did come to an end at the destruction of ,jerusalem1 and ,christianity1 as the universal religion1 took the place of ,judaism in the education of the human race1 this really was the coming of the ,messiah and the end of the age4 ,we understand1 therefore1 ,christ to have been really speaking of his coming1 as an event soon to take place1 and which did soon take place1 when1 at the destruction of ,jerusalem1 the ,jewish ,christians were scattered through the world1 and ,christianity took its place as a universal religion47#dd7 ,if this exhausted the meaning of the idea1 it would be of very little interest to us4 ,but the contents of the passage are more rich and full2 and1 like most of ,christ's sayings1 besides its present and immediate application1 it has more universal and far-reaching meanings4 ,the principles of ,christianity which were manifested then1 continue to be manifested in other forms to-day4 ,jesus said on one occasion1 8,the hour is coming1 and now is1 when all that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the ,son of man40 ,and on another occasion1 8,the hour is coming1 and now is1 when the true worshippers shall worship the ,father40 ,the hour had come in its first manifestation1 but was to come again in other and richer manifestations of the same principle4 ,so ,christ himself came as ,king at the taking of ,jerusalem1 but has come since1 again and again1 more plainly and fully1 in other triumphs of his truth1 in other manifestations of his power4 ,we believe that the coming of ,christ took place at the destruction of ,jerusalem4 ,we believe that it has taken place since1 in other historical events4 ,we believe that it is to take place more fully hereafter1 in this life and in the other life4 ,let us look and consider how this may be4 #e4 ,coming of ,christ in ,human ,history at different ,times4 ,as we look back through the eighteen centuries of ,christian history1 we can observe many events which may now be seen to have been each a coming of ,christ4 ,when1 at the destruction of ,jerusalem1 the ,mosaic theocracy went down before the iron power of ,rome1 amid those scenes of horror the firmest believers in ,christ might have feared only evil4 ,it seemed to be the overthrow of everything most sacred--the triumph of ,paganism over the worship of ,jehovah4 ,yet what was the result8 ,jesus then ceased to be the ,jewish ,messiah1 and began to reign over all nations as the world-teacher1 the ,son of ,god1 the prophet for mankind4 ,since then1 more and more1 the world has gone to him as to its great ,master4 ,this1 therefore1 was a coming of ,christ4 ,look again4 ,the early centuries are disgraced with theological wars4 ,fierce conflicts are carried on about the ,trinity1 and the rank of ,jesus in the universe4 ,all regard for the pure1 divine truth of ,christianity seems forgotten in the fury of these controversies4 ,yet1 nevertheless1 amid all the absurdity and contradiction1 one truth emerges1 everywhere recognized--that in ,jesus was something divine2 that ,god was more fully manifest in him than elsewhere2 that he is the moral image of the ,infinite ,one4 ,this is another coming of ,christ4 ,he comes now not merely as a prophet1 but as the revealer of divine love and truth1 in his own character4 ,the theological doctrines1 in which this truth has been wrapped1 are the husks and shells which the world will throw away4 ,but throughout ,christendom the idea of ,god is derived from the character of ,jesus1 and in this way ,jesus has come to rule the hearts of men as their divine ,king4 ,other centuries passed by1 and we find new and strange ideas taking possession of men's minds4 ,a horror of life1 a dread of the sins of the world1 drive men into the desert1 to live as hermits and anchorites4 ,thousands and tens of thousands of monks withdrew from the world into the wilderness4 ,all ,christianity appeared to be changing into a new form of heathenish1 self-inflicted torture4 ,its blessed humanity1 its genial influences on social life1 seemed to be fast disappearing4 ,nevertheless1 out of all this error one truth emerged1 one ,christian idea was developed--that of self-discipline and self-culture4 ,and in the development of this idea ,christ came to reign over the individual soul as its ,master1 ,guide1 and ,redeemer from all sin4 ,after this arose the ,papacy4 ,the ,church1 as a powerful institution1 became ambitious to rule the state and the world4 ,a spiritual despotism appeared1 surrounding itself with earthly splendor1 grasping the sword of earthly power1 and the farthest removed from the humble and gentle spirit of its ,master4 ,it would tolerate no opposition to its will1 in high places or low4 ,it hurled its thunders at the head of kings1 and sent crusading armies to persecute and torture the peasants of the ,piedmont valleys4 ,nothing could seem more full of the spirit of ,antichrist than this spiritual despotism embodied in the ,papacy4 ,and yet1 even through this evil there was developed a truth--that there was something in the world higher than kings1 greater than the state4 ,papacy1 with all its evils1 was a standing proof1 in an age of brute force1 of the supremacy of mind over matter4 ,so that1 even here1 the pride and selfishness of the priests and the popes have been overruled1 in the providence of ,god1 to give ascendency to a ,christian idea1 and to cause ,christ to come as the ,king of the world4 ,consider another important event in the history of ,europe3 the conversion of the barbarous tribes to ,christianity4 ,when the nations of the north poured from the forests of ,germany and the deserts of ,scandinavia over the ,roman empire1--when ,goths and ,vandals1 ,franks1 ,lombards1 and ,normans1 quenched the light of civilization and brought the dark ages over ,europe1--how terrible seemed the gloom1 and how hopeless the prospects1 of the human race6 ,but we now see the result in modern civilization4 ,we see all these different nations subdued by the power of ,christianity1 and a new unity1 a higher harmony1 as the result4 ,we see the great idea of the unity of the race1 the harmony of nations1 resulting from all this darkness and misery4 ,so ,christ has come again as the ,prince of ,peace1 breaking down the partition walls1 and proclaiming a brotherhood of man4 ,let us look at one more event of history--the ,lutheran ,reformation4 ,what evils attended it6 ,what wars came out of it6 ,how has the impulse to freedom given by ,luther degenerated into licentiousness1 run out in infidelity and unbelief6 ,and yet1 when we consider the ideas of personal responsibility and individual independence which have been born of it1--when we consider what an impulse it has given to thought1 to free inquiry1 to earnest investigation of truth1 all the results of this fruitful principle1--we cannot doubt that this also was a coming of ,jesus1 the unfolding of a new and higher power in ,christianity4 ,thus has ,christ come from age to age1 and in the midst of apparent failure1 increasing error1 growing unbelief1 and all forms of human wickedness1 has acquired new power over the human mind4 ,at the present day he is more the ,king of the world than ever4 ,when he seems to go1 then he comes4 ,when iniquity most abounds1 then he is nearest4 ,when love grows cold in the hearts of his disciples1 then a new impulse of faith is about to be given4 ,when false prophets rise up and deceive many1 then new champions of the truth are near at hand4 ,christ comes amid wars and persecutions4 ,he comes unexpectedly1 like the thief in the night2 comes without observation2 and while men say1 8,lo1 here60 and 8,lo1 there60 the kingdom of heaven is in the midst of them4 ,he is not to be found in the desert1 nor in the secret chambers2 neither in public nor private2 located neither in this nor that particular place2 incarnate neither in this nor that particular person4 ,but ,christ comes like the lightning1 seen over the whole heaven at once1 in a new spirit pervading all parts of life1 all parts of society4 #f4 ,relation of the ,parable of the ,virgins1 and of the ,talents1 to ,christ's ,coming4 ,we now see what is meant by the parable of the foolish and wise virgins1 and of the talents1 which follows it4 ,we see their application to this description of ,christ's coming4 ,if the coming of ,christ be thus unexpected1 he will not be recognized by the sleeping servant1 nor by those who beat their fellow-servants4 ,slothful ,christians who make no effort to improve1 persecuting ,christians who spend their time in denouncing heretics1 and saying1 8,my ,lord delayeth his coming10 never understand the signs of the times1 nor recognize any new influx of divine light in the world4 ,at each new coming of ,christ those who have been faithful are rewarded by more light4 ,to those who have1 shall be given1 and the faithless lose what they had before4 ,from him who hath not1 shall be taken away even what he seems to have4 ,the capacity of seeing ,christ when he comes1 of recognizing him in any new manifestation of truth1 depends on his previous fidelity4 #g4 ,relation of the ,account of the ,judgment by the ,messiah1 in ,matt4 ch4 #be1 to his ,coming4 ,but what is meant by the judgment described in the #beth chapter of ,matthew1 commencing1 8,when the ,son of man shall come in his glory1 and all the angels with him1 then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory1 and before him shall be gathered all nations1 and he shall separate them one from another1 as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats40 ,this stands in such close connection with what goes before1 that many refer this also to the destruction of ,jerusalem4 ,but the moral meaning is so prominent1 that others apply it entirely to the final judgment in the future life4 ,the difficulties on both sides disappear if we reflect that the principles which govern this life and the next are identical--that whether ,christ came at ,jerusalem1 comes to-day1 or comes in the future life1 the laws of ,christian retribution are the same4 ,wherever ,christ judges men1 the sheep go to the right1 and the goats to the left4 ,the generous1 humane1 and disinterested hear always the words1 8,come1 ye blessed of my ,father2 inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world40 ,the judgment in this world1 it may be1 is only heard in the depths of the soul4 ,it may be that no other mortal knows of it4 ,still it is the voice of ,christ which speaks4 ,still it is the real kingdom which they inherit4 ,the judgment in the future life1 may be or may not be1 before assembled multitudes whom no man can number1 and the kingdom then inherited may be one shared with the angels1 and extending over worlds4 ,still the sentence is the same in both cases4 ,the judgment of ,christ is one in all worlds4 ,it was1 and is1 and shall be4 ,jesus ,christ is the same yesterday1 to-day1 and forever4 ,it may be said1 this is to make the coming of ,christ merely figurative--the coming of ideas and principles only2 only the coming of his religion2 and this is but an invisible abstraction4 ,we reply1 that according to our view1 ,christianity cannot be conceived of as an abstraction1 apart from the person of ,jesus1 nor can his religion come unless he comes with it4 ,jesus is with us always1 in the world always1 and none the less really1 because invisibly4 ,it is no figure of speech to say that ,christ is with his ,church1 and with his truth2 that where it goes1 he goes2 that when he comes1 it comes4 ,it may even be that his presence will not always be an invisible one4 ,it may be that what we now believe1 we shall one day see and know4 ,but then those only will recognize their ,master's presence who are awake and watching for him4 ,to the others it will seem a mere illusion or enthusiasm4 #h4 ,how ,christ is1 and how he is not1 to judge the ,world4 ,in some places ,jesus says that he is made ,judge of mankind1 and in other places denies that he is to judge any one4 ,take1 for example1 the following passages1 selected because they seem to contradict each other4 ,they are all in the ,gospel of ,john1 and therefore the contradiction is not in the different limitations or special misconceptions of the different evangelists4 ,the passages are1 ,john #c3ag2 #i3ci2 #e3bb2 #h3ae2 #ab3dg4 ,the first is as follows3 8,for ,god sent not his ,son into the world to condemn the world1 but that the world through him might be saved40 ,the word here translated 8condemn0 is precisely the same as that which elsewhere is translated 8judge40 ,consequently we should here read that ,god sent ,christ into the world1 not to judge the world1 but to save it4 ,but the next text referred to 7,john #i3ci7 is one in which ,jesus says1 8,for judgment have ,i come into the world1 that they which see not may see1 and that they which see might be made blind40 ,again 7in ,john #e3bb7 it is said1 that 8the ,father judgeth no man1 but hath committed all judgment unto the ,son40 ,but in the following passage 7,john #h3ae7 ,jesus says1 8,ye judge after the flesh4 ,i judge no man40 ,and in the last text he repeats the same idea4 8,and if any man hear my words and believe not1 ,i judge him not2 for ,i came not to judge the world1 but to save the world40 ,we have1 therefore1 in these passages1 this apparent contradiction--that the ,saviour seems in some places to declare that he is to judge the world1 and in others that he is not to judge the world4 ,we therefore shall do well to inquire how these are to be understood1 and in what way at all they are to be reconciled with each other1 and with the common ,orthodox doctrine concerning judgment4 ,and here we may remark1 in passing1 that there are many such seeming contradictions as these in the ,new ,testament1 and that to the student of the ,gospels1 who is a sincere seeker of truth1 they are very precious and valuable4 ,such a one is always glad at finding statements in the ,new ,testament which thus appear opposed to each other2 for he knows1 by experience1 that they are the very passages from which he may learn the most1 and where he will be likely to find some hitherto unnoticed truth concerning ,christ or his gospel4 ,such truth1 however1 will not be found if he attempts to remove the contradiction by any artificial1 hasty1 or forced process4 ,if his object is merely to find proof-texts in support of the doctrines he already believes1 such paradoxes will afford him nothing but barren difficulties1 and a sphere for the exercise of sophistry and misplaced ingenuity4 ,but if he can bear to admit his ignorance1 and is willing to examine these difficulties in order to correct his own errors1 enlarge his own views1 and learn something really new1 he will often find here the clew to deeper insight and to a larger knowledge4 ,what1 then1 is the explanation of these passages8 ,in what way is ,christ to judge8 ,how is it that he has come into this world for judgment8 and how has the ,father committed all judgment unto the ,son8 and how1 nevertheless1 can be say1 8,i judge no man2 for ,i came not to judge the world08 ,christ's coming was simply to do good2 to make men better2 to save them from their sins2 to reveal pardon2 to offer salvation2 to manifest ,god's love4 8,the law was given by ,moses1 but grace and truth came by ,jesus ,christ40 ,it is the law1 and not the gospel1 which judges and condemns the evil-doer4 ,the law given by ,moses1 or the law given in the conscience1 in the reason1 in the nature of things1 written on the face of nature1 written in the soul of man1--this law has not been made more strict by the coming of ,christ4 ,men were bound before1 by the law of nature and the law of ,moses1 to love ,god with all their heart1 and their neighbor as themselves2 and they are not bound to do more now4 ,they were bound by nature and reason to obey their conscience1 to do the best they could always1 and they are not bound to do any more now4 ,the whole influence of the gospel is a bountiful and gracious one1 intended and adapted to make it easier to do right1 to add new motives to virtue4 ,christ is no strict1 severe judge1 deciding by the letter of the law1 bound by his office to show no favor or compassion1 but the sinner's advocate and friend4 ,and hence it may truly be said that he came not to judge the world1 but to save the world4 ,nevertheless1 it is also true that the greatest blessings and the best gifts of ,god are also judgments4 ,they test the character4 ,they show what it is4 ,according to the state of mind and heart in which a man is1 so does he receive1 or reject1 or neglect the offered good4 ,if he loves light1 he comes to the light4 ,if he loves darkness1 he goes away4 ,if his deeds are good1 he gratefully receives any revelation which brings him nearer to ,god4 ,if his deeds are evil1 he rejects such revelation1 avoids it1 dislikes the thought of it4 ,so it necessarily is that the best and kindest of men who wishes only to do good to all1 nevertheless1 by his very presence and his offers of good1 judges and condemns the wicked4 ,but what are the judgment and the sentence8 ,simply this--that light has come into the world1 and that they have chosen darkness rather than light1 because their deeds are evil4 ,therefore it was necessarily the case that the coming of ,jesus into the world was a judgment1 and that though he everywhere went with the purpose of saving and blessing men1 yet that he necessarily was also a judge4 ,the thoughts of many hearts were revealed by his presence4 ,the pure in heart came to him in humility1 penitence1 and faith4 ,the proud in heart1 the self-willed1 the self-righteous1 turned away from him1 and so judged themselves unworthy of receiving his truth4 ,the ,galilean peasants1 the common people1 heard him gladly4 ,the ,scribes and ,pharisees murmured against him and rejected him4 ,this was really a judgment on both3 the sheep went to the right hand1 and the goats to the left4 ,thus it is a law of human nature that all high truth by its coming judges men1 and shows by its influence upon them what is their real state4 ,and in this way1 as ,christ's truth was the highest of all1 so he was1 and is1 a judge in the highest sense4 ,but this is not quite all4 ,the coming of such truth not only shows the good and evil which are in men1 but it develops them1 brings them out1 increases the good1 increases also the evil4 ,it is necessarily so2 it cannot be otherwise4 ,when good comes to us1 if it does not make us better1 it makes us worse4 ,truth and goodness are like the magnet4 ,they have two poles4 ,they attract and they repel4 ,thus it was written that the coming of ,jesus would be for the fall or the rising of many4 ,thus he said1 8,for judgment ,i have come into the world1 that those which see not may see1 and that those who see may be made blind40 ,peter was made better1 ,judas was made worse1 by being in the company of ,christ4 ,his coming was not only judgment1 but also reward and punishment4 ,he came to the fishermen of ,galilee3 they were pure in heart1 they were lovers of truth and goodness1 and his coming transformed them into apostles1 saints1 and martyrs4 ,he came to the ,scribes and ,pharisees3 they were not pure in heart4 ,they were proud of their position1 their influence1 their piety1 and his coming transformed them into murderers4 ,we are now prepared to decide what is meant by ,jesus in saying that he came to judge the world1 and yet that he came not to judge1 but to save4 ,it was not the purpose of his mission to judge4 ,the direct object of his coming was not to judge1 but to save2 but indirectly1 and as a matter of necessity1 one of the consequences of his coming was1 that men were judged by the word which he spoke1 by the truth which he manifested1 by the holiness of his life1 by the bliss which he offered1 and which they rejected4 ,and yet it was true that he did not judge them1 and that he did not mean to judge them4 ,they were already judged by their own choice and determination4 ,therefore he says1 8,he who believeth not on me is judged already1 because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten ,son of ,god40 ,it was not the will of ,christ1 but the truth itself1 which pronounced the sentence upon him4 8,the word that ,i have spoken1 the same shall judge him at the last day40 ,and thus it is said1 that ,god is the ,judge of all1 and yet again1 that the ,father judgeth no man1 but hath committed all judgment unto the ,son1 and hath given him authority to execute judgment also1 because he is the ,son of man4 ,the explanation is1 that men are judged by the truth4 ,but this truth is not abstract1 but the truth embodied in the life and teaching of ,jesus4 ,god does not come into the world himself to show men their sins1 but he embodies his truth and holiness in the life of his ,son1 and so judges the world4 ,in giving this explanation1 we have looked steadily at the essential thing in judgment4 ,we have regarded the substance1 not the form4 ,if we think of judgment as something outward1 the judge seated on his throne1 the criminal standing before him1 and a formal sentence pronounced1 of acquittal or condemnation1 we confess that we should find it difficult to reconcile these different passages of ,scripture1 some of which declare that ,christ is to be the judge1 and others that he is not to be4 ,but what is the essential thing in judgment8 ,it is that justice shall be done1 and that truth and right shall be vindicated2 that the good shall be rewarded1 and the wicked punished2 that virtue and truth shall be seen and recognized in the consciences of men for what they are4 ,this is the essential thing4 ,how this is done1 whether in an open tribunal1 before the assembled universe1 or in the secret places of every man's soul1 belongs not to the essence1 but to the form1 and is comparatively unimportant4 #i4 ,when ,christ's ,judgment takes ,place4 ,nevertheless1 there is a more important question to be answered in relation to the time of judgment4 ,when is the judgment8 ,for it may be thought1 from what we have said1 that we consider judgment as taking place only in this world4 ,but such is not the fact4 ,christ's judgments take place at ,christ's coming1 whether here or hereafter4 ,whenever ,christ comes1 he comes to judge4 ,his first coming1 in ,judea1 was a judgment2 and he said1 8,now is the judgment of the world40 ,his coming judged all those who were near him2 revealed the state of their minds and hearts2 showed them what they were4 ,wherever he went1 men arranged themselves at once according to their real characters1 and the thoughts of many hearts were revealed4 ,it is true that people at that day did not understand that they were thus condemning themselves4 ,they did not know that the awful judgment of ,god was being pronounced upon them2 that they were standing before his bar in the presence of angels4 ,they did not know that the day of judgment had come1 and that they were giving an account of every idle word even then4 ,but so it was4 ,when they scoffed at ,jesus and said1 8,he is a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber10 they may have forgotten their words almost before they left their mouths4 ,but there they stand1 recorded against them forever--an everlasting proof of their blindness of mind and their hardness of heart4 ,when the penitent woman brought the ointment and anointed the feet of ,jesus1 and bathed them with her tears1 little did she think that it was her day of judgment also1 and that the approving sentence of her act would be read by angels in heaven and countless myriads on earth4 ,none of them knew that it was a judgment then2 but it was so4 ,but was that the only judgment8 ,no2 for whenever ,jesus comes1 he comes to judge2 and since that1 his first coming1 he has come again and again to individuals and to the world1 and every coming has been a new judgment on the state of the human mind and heart4 ,it has therefore been well said1 that the history of the world is the judgment of the world4 ,and it is always true that this judgment is not understood when it is pronounced1 but is seen and recognized afterwards4 ,it is so with individuals2 it is so with communities4 ,who is there who1 in looking back over his past life1 does not witness many an hour in which the truth has come to him1 and he refused to admit it1 and so sentenced himself to receive a lie8 in which he has had opportunities of improvement1 opportunities of doing good1 and has refused to accept them1 and so the talent has been taken from him and given to another4 ,this is the judgment--that light has come into the world1 and we have chosen darkness4 ,at the time we did not know it3 blinded by prejudice1 heated by passion1 we rushed recklessly on4 ,but sooner or later comes the calm hour of recollection1 and we see ourselves as we are4 ,but is this judgment which takes place in this world the only one8 ,it is unreasonable to think so4 ,there are1 in fact1 two extreme views on this subject4 ,the views of those who say that all judgment is in this life1 and the views of those who say that no judgment is in this life4 ,the ,new ,testament teaches that we are judged here1 and that we are also judged hereafter4 ,the coming of ,christ is here1 and also hereafter2 and the judgment which commenced with his first coming will not be completed till all of us stand before the judgment seat to give an account of the deeds done in the body1 whether they be good or evil4 8,it is appointed unto men once to die1 but after this the judgment40 ,there is a judgment in this life1 and another to come4 ,but those will be best prepared for that future judgment who understand the present judgment4 ,here is an example of the nature of the judgments which take place in this world4 ,in the year #afcc1 an old man was brought before the ,court of the ,inquisition1 consisting of seven cardinals of the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 to hear a sentence and to pronounce a recantation4 ,the crime he had committed was the publication of a book in the form of a dialogue1 maintaining that the sun stood still1 and that the earth moved2 which proposition these holy cardinals pronounced to be absurd1 false in philosophy1 and formally heretical1 seeing that it was expressly contrary to ,holy ,scripture4 ,whereupon they call upon him to abjure1 execrate1 and detest these errors and heresies2 prohibiting his book and condemning him to confinement1 with the penance of reciting once a week1 for three years1 the seven penitential psalms4 ,and thereupon1 this man1 ,galileo ,galilei1 of the age of seventy1 on his knees1 with his hands on the ,gospels1 abjures his opinion4 ,these seven cardinals thought that they were pronouncing sentence on ,galileo and on the ,copernican system4 ,but1 in reality1 they pronounced sentence on themselves and their own church4 ,they put it upon record forever1 that the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 claiming to be infallible in matters of faith1 had1 by its highest judicature1 declared the ,copernican system a heresy1 and thus declared its own claim to infallibility a lie4 ,this was the condemnation--that light had come into the world1 and they chose darkness rather than light4 ,so it is whenever a new truth comes into the world3 it attracts the free-minded1 the lovers of truth2 it repels those bound by interest or passion4 ,those who believe1 with ,solomon1 that a living dog is better than a dead lion1 leave behind them the past1 and with open eyes go forward1 leaving the dead to bury the dead4 ,those who change the maxim1 and love a dead dog more than a living lion1 turn their backs to the east and to the rising sun1 and hug their much-loved errors to their hearts4 ,so the truth stands in their midst1 awful in its beauty1 and judges them--sending away its foes1 drawing its friends to its embrace4 ,but it is not in abstract truth1 whether of science or theology1 that ,christ comes to us now4 ,it is in the truth in its concrete shape1 embodied in the reforms which overthrow evil1 in the great moral improvements which do away with the sin and woe of the world4 ,every new cause of this sort parts the sheep from the goats1 and causes the thoughts of many hearts to be revealed4 ,we do not mean to assert that all who sympathize with any particular reformatory measures1 or any particular reformatory party1 are on the side of ,christ1 and all who disapprove these measures1 or this party1 are against him4 ,such an assertion would be the sign of the narrowest bigotry or the most foolish ignorance of human nature4 ,but we mean to say1 that when any great human and moral movement comes to rouse men's minds to a great evil--such as the evil of war1 slavery1 intemperance1 licentiousness1 popular ignorance1 pauperism1 infidelity1 it is impossible for good men not to take an interest in it1 and in their own way to aid it4 ,if men neglect and ridicule such movements1 find fault with all that is done1 and do nothing themselves1 they show thereby that they do not care so much for their brother's happiness as for their own ease and comfort4 ,in this way it becomes true that 8,some great cause1 ,god's new ,messiah1 offering each the bloom or blight1 ,parts the goats upon the left hand1 parts the sheep upon the right1 ,and the choice goes by forever 'twixt that darkness and the light40 ,we read in the book of ,acts1 that after ,paul and ,barnabas had preached the gospel to the ,jews in ,antioch1 the ,gentiles were interested also1 and great multitudes came together to hear the word of ,god4 ,but when the ,jews saw the multitudes1 they were filled with envy1 and contradicted ,paul and blasphemed4 ,then ,paul and ,barnabas waxed bold1 and said1 8,it was necessary that the word of ,god should be first preached to you2 but since you put it from you1 and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life1 lo1 we turn to the ,gentiles40 ,a hard judgment for a man to pronounce on himself--that he is not worthy of eternal life6 ,but do we not often all do the same8 ,christ comes to us in the form of a new truth1 which will correct our errors and enlarge our hearts4 ,but loving our own little creed better than the truth1 we reject it without examination1 and so judge ourselves unworthy of the light1 strength1 and peace it might bestow4 ,christ comes again in some opportunity of usefulness to our neighbor4 ,but loving our own selfish ease1 we excuse ourselves1 and so judge ourselves unworthy of the happiness we should enjoy in doing the kind action4 ,he comes in some deep conviction1 calling us to a new life4 ,we feel that we ought to leave our frivolity1 and live for ,god and eternity--live for what is real and permanent4 ,but we stifle these convictions1 and go back to our old lives1 and so judge that we are not worthy to become the friends and fellow-workers of ,jesus1 and companions of the pure and good4 ,the great feast is ready1 and the invitation is sent to us1 and we1 with one consent1 begin to make excuse4 ,do we think that in that moment we are standing before the judgment seat of ,god1 and pronouncing sentence on ourselves8 ,it is our own heart that condemns us1 and ,god1 and ,christ1 and the everlasting truth of things must confirm the sentence4 #aj4 ,paul's ,view of the ,judgment by ,christ4 ,what were the views of the apostle ,paul concerning a future judgment8 ,one of the passages is in ,romans4 7#b3e-af47 ,in this passage ,paul describes a day1 or time1 when ,god should judge and bring to light the secrets of the human heart4 ,he refers probably to the coming of ,christ1 as described in the twenty-fifth chapter of ,matthew4 ,christ's coming is represented as 8that day0 the 8day of judgment10 as1 8it shall be more tolerable for ,sodom and ,gomorrah in the day of judgment40 ,it was not1 we have seen1 as is commonly supposed1 only a judgment in the other world after death1 but also a judgment in this world4 ,it was not when we should go to ,christ in the other world1 but when ,christ should come to us in this world4 ,it is spoken of as a particular day1 or time1 and1 no doubt1 it was thought at first by ,paul1 as by the other apostles1 that the coming of ,christ was to be sudden and outward--an imposing visible transaction4 ,but1 gradually1 ,paul's views on this subject changed1 under the influence of a growing spiritual insight4 ,at first he interprets literally what ,jesus says of his coming4 ,but afterwards1 in his later ,epistles to the ,ephesians and ,colossians1 he ceases to dwell on the outward coming1 and speaks of the inward revelation of ,christ in the heart--speaks of our now sitting in heavenly places with ,christ4 ,we may1 therefore1 suppose that the apostle believed the essence of the judgment to be in this--that either in this world or the next1 or both1 there shall be a revelation of ,god's truth to the soul1 so that every soul shall see itself as ,god sees it--see its own evil or good1 and so be rewarded or punished by that sight4 ,this idea is given by ,jesus himself1 in his description of the judgment which was to take place before that generation passed away--a judgment in which the ,son of man should be seated on the throne of his glory1 with all his angels1 and all nations be collected before him4 ,the judgment consists in showing to the good1 that when they did anything good to man1 they did it to ,christ and ,god2 and in showing to the bad1 that when they refused anything to their poor brethren in want1 they refused it to ,christ and ,god4 ,the judgment is therefore making known to each man his own real character4 ,the consequence of that revelation is1 that some men immediately go into spiritual happiness1 and others into spiritual suffering4 ,this is the substance of the ,christian doctrine of judgment1 as taught in the ,new ,testament4 ,all else is accessory1 and belongs to the rhetoric--is part of the mise en scne2 but there are two points in the views of the apostle concerning judgment1 which deserve further notice4 ,the first is in #a ,cor4 #f3b1 where he says1 8,know ye not that the saints shall judge the world80 and 7verse #c71 8,know ye not that we shall judge angels80 ,he speaks of this as of something which they already knew1 or at any rate could know2 something like an axiom1 as when he says 7verse #i71 8,know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of ,god80 or 7verse #ai71 8,know ye not that your body is the temple of the ,holy ,spirit80 ,this notion is based on the idea of the unity of ,christ and his disciples4 ,christians are joint heirs with ,christ4 ,whatever ,christ inherits1 they receive and share with him4 ,if he judges the world1 and judges angels1 they do the same with him1 because they share his spirit of insight4 ,paul thinks the essence of ,christianity to be so profound1 that even the angels1 desiring to look into it1 may not have seen it4 ,therefore ,christians1 to whose heart ,god has revealed it by his ,spirit1 may be able to set the angels right in some matters4 ,but this does away with the notion of a literal day of judgment2 for we can hardly imagine ,christians to be assembled together and seated on a throne by the side of ,christ1 in order to judge the world4 ,some millions of ,christians seated on a local throne as judges1 with millions of men and angels standing before them1 is an impossible picture4 ,the other point is the passage in #a ,cor4 #aa3ca3 8,if we would judge ourselves1 we should not be judged40 ,here a principle seems to be laid down--that just so far as we apply ,god's truth to our own hearts and consciences1 we do not need to have it applied by ,god4 ,and this corresponds with the account of the judgment to which we have before referred1 in the twenty-fifth chapter of ,matthew4 ,those who are there called up for judgment1 and who stand before the throne1 are not ,jews or ,christians1 but ,gentiles 7 74 ,the holy angels are with ,christ in his glory4 ,the heathen appear before him2 those who have been doing good without knowing it are received by him into his kingdom1 as those who have been blessed by his ,father4 ,they are ,christians1 it appears1 without knowing it4 ,they inherit the kingdom1 from which the original heirs who have been wicked and slothful servants1 and who have buried their talent in the napkin1 are excluded4 ,christians who have judged themselves1 and applied ,christianity by their own lives1 are not to be judged at the coming of ,christ1 but only those who have been doing right or wrong ignorantly47#de7 #aa4 ,final ,result4 ,the course of our investigations in the present chapter has brought us to this result4 ,orthodoxy is right in expecting the coming of ,christ in this world1 but wrong in supposing it wholly future and wholly outward4 ,it is right in making it a personal coming1 and not merely the coming of his truth apart from him1 but wrong in conceiving of this personal coming1 as material to the senses1 instead of spiritual to the soul4 ,it is right in expecting a judgment1 but wrong in placing it only in the other world4 ,it is right in supposing that all mankind1 the converted1 the unconverted1 and the heathen1 are to be judged by ,christian truth1 but wrong in supposing that this judgment must occur in one place or at one time4 ,finally1 in this1 as in regard to many other doctrines1 ,orthodoxy fails by neglecting the great saying of ,jesus1 8,,the ,,spirit ,,quickeneth1 ,,the ,,flesh ,,profiteth ,,nothing10 and the similar statement of ,paul1 8,,the ,,letter ,,killeth40 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,eternal ,,punishment1 ,,annihilation1 ,,universal ,,restoration4 #a4 ,different ,views concerning the ,condition of the ,impenitent hereafter4 ,the different views concerning the future state1 held by the ,christian ,church1 may be thus classified2 arranging them1 exhaustively1 under eight divisions3-- ,i4 ,the ,roman ,catholic ,church makes three conditions hereafter2 viz41-- #a4 ,everlasting joy4 #b4 ,everlasting suffering4 #c4 ,temporal sorrow in purgatory4 ,,ii4 ,the ,orthodox ,protestant ,church makes two conditions hereafter2 viz41-- #a4 ,unmixed and everlasting joy4 #b4 ,unmixed and everlasting suffering4 ,,iii4 ,the ,old ,school ,universalists make one condition hereafter2 viz41-- #a4 ,eternal joy4 ,,iv4 ,new ,school ,universalists and ,restorationists make two conditions hereafter2 viz41-- #a4 ,eternal joy4 #b4 ,temporal and finite suffering4 ,v4 ,unitarians make an indefinite number of conditions hereafter1 according to the various characters and moral states of men4 ,,vi4 ,the ,swedenborgians make an indefinite but limited number of heavens and hells1 suited to the varieties of character1 but having a supernatural origin4 ,,vii4 ,the ,spiritualists make the other world like this world1 with no essential differences1 making it a continuation of the natural life4 ,,viii4 ,the ,annihilationists believe that the finally impenitent will perish wholly1 and come to nothing4 ,this statement includes all1 or nearly all1 of the views held in the ,christian ,church concerning the condition of departed souls in the other world4 ,we do not propose to examine them all at the present time2 but we shall examine at some length three of them4 ,eternal punishment1 annihilation1 and universal restoration are the three principal views taken in the ,church of the condition hereafter of those who die impenitent1 and in a state of hostility to ,god4 ,the wicked may hereafter be reformed1 may be annihilated1 or may be kept in a state of permanent punishment4 ,one of these views is held by the ,universalists2 another by ,orthodoxy2 the third is now adopted by those who are dissatisfied with the horrors of ,orthodoxy1 but not yet ready to accept the ,optimism of the ,universalist hope4 ,we will consider these1 beginning with the ,orthodox doctrine of everlasting punishment4 ,we wish we could say that this doctrine was not fully and decidedly ,orthodox4 ,but it is quite as much so as the ,trinity1 the deity of ,christ1 or the atonement4 ,no one is allowed to have any doubts or questions concerning it4 ,it seems to be believed that the whole system of ,orthodoxy would be endangered1 if this terror was not held to its bosom with an unfaltering grasp4 #b4 ,the ,doctrine of ,everlasting ,punishment1 as held by the ,orthodox at the ,present ,time4 ,what is this doctrine1 as it is taught at the present day in all ,orthodox churches1 and as it stands in all ,orthodox creeds8 ,it is1 that the moment of death decides1 and decides forever1 the destiny of man2 that those who die impenitent1 unbelieving1 and unconverted are forever lost1 without the possibility of return2 that those thus lost are to suffer forever and ever1 without end1 the most grievous torments in soul and body4 ,these torments consist in banishment from the presence of ,god1 and positive sufferings1 in addition thereto1 of an awful kind4 ,precisely what they are1 it is not1 perhaps1 necessary for an ,orthodox man to believe4 ,there is no ,orthodox definition which is authoritative on that point2 and considerable range1 therefore1 is allowable4 ,the suffering may be that of literal fire1 or it may not4 ,it may be physical suffering1 or the pangs of conscience1 the absence of love1 and the sense of emptiness4 ,on these points there is some liberty of opinion1 doubtless4 ,but we presume that it would not be ,orthodox to admit a preponderance1 in hell1 of good over evil2 or to admit1 with ,swedenborg1 the existence of pleasure there1 even though it be only a diabolical and sinful pleasure4 ,the doctrine of ,orthodoxy certainly is1 that evil predominates over good1 and pain over pleasure1 in the condition of the damned2 so that there existence is a curse1 and not a blessing4 ,especially is hope shut out3 there is no hope of return1 no possibility of escape1 no chance of repentance1 even at the end of myriads of years4 ,the man who is condemned to imprisonment for life1 in solitary confinement1 is in an unfortunate condition2 but he has hope1--hope of escape1 hope of pardon1--sure hope1 at all events1 of deliverance1 one day1 by death1 from his condition1 and a change to something better1 or at least to something different4 ,but1 in the ,orthodox opinion1 there is no such alleviation as this to the sufferings of the future state4 ,it is usual1 we know1 for many ,orthodox preachers to intensify in description the sufferings of the future state1 and to task their imagination for multiplied pictures of horror2 and we shall presently give some examples to show how far this is carried4 ,we have no doubt that there are many ,orthodox men who are as much shocked by these gross descriptions as those are who deny everlasting punishment4 ,but are they not themselves really responsible for them8 ,those who admit the principle that ,god can torment his children forever1 in the other life1 for sins committed in this1 have accepted the principle1 from which any view of the ,deity1 however shocking1 may very legitimately proceed4 ,but let us1 for the present1 only assume that ,orthodoxy asserts a preponderance of evil over good in the other world1 and that this preponderance is to be continued without end--forever4 ,let us see what this means4 ,it means that the suffering to be endured hereafter by each individual soul1 as a punishment for sins committed in this world1 will infinitely exceed in amount all the suffering borne on the surface of the earth1 by its total population1 from the creation of ,adam to the destruction of the world4 ,each lost soul will suffer not only more1 but infinitely more1 than all the accumulated sufferings of the human race throughout all time4 ,we shudder as we read the account of the sufferings from hydrophobia1 or the burning alive of a slave at the ,south1 or the tortures inflicted by the ,holy ,inquisition1 or the horrors of a field of battle1 or the cruelties inflicted by savages upon their victims2 but all of these1 added together1 are finite1 and the sufferings of a single soul hereafter are infinite4 ,that is to say1 all the pain and evil of this world1 resulting from all human sin1 through all time1 is infinitely small and insignificant when compared with the punishment endured by a single soul hereafter for his share of that sin4 ,and all this is inflicted by ,god2 and he is a ,god of love4 ,there are some doctrines1 the statement of which is their refutation4 ,this1 we think1 is one of them4 ,but it must also be considered1 that this doctrine1 which throws such darkness over the future1 also sends down a rayless night over the present4 ,it refutes every theodicy2 it nullifies every solution of evil4 ,the consolation for the sufferings of this world is1 that the fashion of this world passes away1 and that there is a better world to come4 ,the explanation of the evils of this life is1 that they are finite1 and that they are1 therefore1 to be swallowed up and to disappear in an infinite good4 ,the ,christian finds relief1 in considering the sufferings of this world1 by regarding them as the means of a greater ultimate joy2 by looking forward to the time when all tears shall be wiped away2 and by a firm faith that love is stronger than selfishness1 good stronger than evil4 ,but the doctrine of eternal punishment gives us1 in the condition of a single lost soul1 a greater amount of evil hereafter than all the evil1 which is to be thus explained1 here2 and the myriads of lost souls1 each of which is to suffer infinitely more than all the sufferings of the present world1 present us with a problem1 in the future1 so appalling1 that the problem of present evil1 vast as it is1 becomes insignificant by its side4 ,we are tormented with evil here4 ,we seek a solution of the problem3 we find it in the limited1 finite1 and ancillary nature of evil4 ,but that solution is wholly taken away when we are told that evil is infinite and eternal4 ,it seems to us impossible to hold the common doctrine on this subject1 without having the gospel view of the divine character essentially shaken2 it is not possible to regard ,him as a being in whom love is the essential attribute4 ,if this is so1 as we shall presently undertake to prove1 it becomes a matter of vital importance that the doctrine should be disproved and rejected4 ,it is not enough that it should be quietly laid aside3 it is due to the truth that it should be distinctly and fully confuted4 ,for this doctrine1 if it be false1 is deeply dishonorable to ,god3 it takes away his highest glory2 it substitutes fear of him1 in the place of love1 in the human heart2 it neutralizes the peculiar power of the gospel2 it degrades the quality of ,christian piety1 and poisons religion in its fountain4 ,the ,orthodox doctrine of future punishment is1 then1 exceedingly simple4 ,there is to be a judgment in the last day1 universal and final4 ,all mankind are to be collected before the judgment seat of ,christ1 and there to be divided into two classes1--one on the right hand1 and the other on the left4 ,these are to go upward1 to heaven1 to be eternally happy2 those downward1 to hell1 to be eternally miserable4 ,there are no degrees of suffering2 for the torments of hell are infinite in degree1 as well as everlasting in duration4 ,usually the suffering is made intensively as well as extensively infinite4 ,sometimes degrees are allowed in suffering4 ,no allowance is made for ignorance1 or want of opportunity2 for inherited evil1 or evil resulting from force of circumstances4 ,the purest and best of men1 who does not believe the precise ,orthodox theory concerning the ,trinity1 sits in hell side by side with ,zingis ,khan1 who murdered in cold blood hundreds of thousands of men1 women1 and children1 marking his bloody route by pyramids of skulls4 ,the unbaptized child1 who goes to hell because of the original sin derived from ,adam1 is exposed to ,god's wrath no less than ,pope ,alexander ,,vi1 who outraged every law of ,god and man1 and who1 says ,machiavelli1 8was followed to the tomb by the holy feet of his three dear companions--,luxury1 ,simony1 and ,cruelty407#df7 ,this is the doctrine which every denomination and sect in ,christendom1 except the ,unitarians and ,universalists1 maintain as essential to ,orthodoxy4 ,it is but a year or two since twenty-one bishops of the ,protestant ,episcopal ,church issued a declaration of their belief that this doctrine is maintained1 without reserve or qualification1 by the ,church of ,england4 ,only recently an ecclesiastical council of ,congregationalists refused the fellowship of the churches to a gentleman elected as its pastor by the ,third ,congregational ,church in ,portland1 ,maine4 ,in the report of the result1 the council says that it believes the candidate to be generally sound in his belief1 and exemplary in his ,christian spirit1 and heartily extends to him its ,christian sympathy4 ,but it declines to install him as pastor1 because it 8understands him as saying1 that he does not know but there may be another state of probation and offer of salvation1 after death1 for all to whom ,christ is not personally preached2 and that1 whilst believing in a future retribution1 he says that the everlasting punishment of the wicked may be an extinction of the wicked by annihilation40 ,so that a mere doubt on this subject is considered a sufficient reason1 by the most advanced and liberal of the whole ,orthodox body at the present day1 for refusing church fellowship4 ,the ,american ,tract ,society floods the land with loose leaves1 all appealing to the fear of an eternal hell4 ,we have one before us now1 called 8,are you insured80 which represents ,christianity as a contrivance for escaping from everlasting torment1 as a spiritual insurance office1 where one must 8take out a policy10 and so escape everlasting fire47#dg7 ,there is no theological journal1 bearing the ,orthodox name1 which is more rational and liberal than the 8,new ,york ,independent40 ,but in its issue of ,january #e1 #ahfj1 it speaks of future endless misery thus1 saying that there is a 8vast amount and weight of evidence to the point--evidence enough to prove it1 if provable2 all nature1 all law1 all revelation uttering the doctrine1 so that it is an amazing stretch and energy of unbelief not to believe it1 implying a moral state and position that will not believe it on any testimony1 however clearly and unqualifiedly1 even to the exhaustion of the capabilities of language1 ,god himself may declare and affirm it40 ,there is evidently an energetic attempt made in some quarters to revive the decaying belief in the doctrine of everlasting punishment in the future state1 as a penalty for the sins of this4 ,dr4 ,thompson1 of ,new ,york1 has published a work to this end1 called 8,love and ,penalty40 ,dr4 ,j4 ,p4 ,thompson1 the author of this book1 is considered the leader of ,new ,haven theology--the ,elisha on whose shoulders the mantle of ,dr4 ,taylor1 of ,new ,haven1 has fallen4 ,dr4 ,nehemiah ,adams1 of ,boston1 has labored in the same field1 exerting himself to prove this doctrine in various tracts and other works4 ,professor ,hovey1 of the ,baptist ,seminary of ,newton1 has published a little book on the same subject4 ,it is probably thought dangerous by these gentlemen to relax at all the terrors of futurity4 ,and1 no doubt1 if all those who have been restrained from evil by fear of eternal punishment were to lose that belief suddenly1 the consequences1 at first1 would be sometimes bad4 ,if you have exerted your whole force in producing fear of hell1 instead of fear of sin1 then1 the terror of hell being taken away1 men might rush at first into license4 ,but the dread of a future hell is by no means so efficacious a motive as is often thought4 ,we become hardened to everything1 and neither the clergyman nor his parish eat any less heartily of their ,sunday dinner1 nor sleep any less soundly on ,sunday night1 in consequence of the terrible descriptions of eternal torments contained in the morning's sermon47#dh7 #c4 ,apparent ,contradictions1 both in ,scripture and ,reason1 in ,regard to this ,doctrine4 ,beside the practical motive for maintaining this doctrine1 which we have intimated1 there are also scriptural and philosophical reasons4 ,scripture and reason both do1 in fact1 seem to teach opposite doctrines on this subject4 ,there are passages in the ,new ,testament which appear to teach never-ending suffering1 and others which appear to teach a final1 universal restoration4 ,it is written1 8,these shall go away into eternal punishment20 but it is also written1 that ,christ 8shall reign till all things are subdued unto him20 when 8the ,son also himself shall be subject to ,him who did put all things under him1 that ,god may be all in all40 ,as the same word is used to express the way in which all enemies are to be subject to ,christ1 and the way in which ,christ himself is to be subject to ,god1 it follows that the enemies1 when subjected1 shall be friends4 ,it is said that the wicked shall be punished 8with everlasting destruction from the presence of ,god20 but it is also said that 8in the dispensation of the fulness of times1 ,god will gather in one all things in ,christ1 both which are in heaven and on earth20 and 8that at the name of ,jesus every knee should bow1 in heaven1 in earth1 and under the earth2 and that every tongue should confess that ,jesus ,christ is ,lord1 to the glory of ,god the ,father40 ,it is said of the wicked1 that 8their worm never dies1 and their fire is not quenched20 but it is also said that 8it pleased the ,father1 having made peace through the blood of the cross1 by ,christ to reconcile all things unto himself1 whether they be things in earth or things in heaven40 ,so that ,scripture1 at first sight1 seems to teach both eternal punishment and universal restoration4 ,there is a similar contradiction on this subject1 if considered in the light of pure reason4 ,when looked at from the divine attributes1 the unavoidable conclusion seems to be1 that all men must be finally saved4 ,for ,god is infinitely benevolent1 and therefore must wish to save all2 is infinitely wise1 and therefore must know how to save all2 is infinitely powerful1 and therefore must be able to overcome all difficulties in the way of saving all3 hence all must be saved4 ,but1 on the other hand1 when we consider the subject from the position of man's nature1 an opposite conclusion seems to follow4 ,for man1 being free1 is able to choose either evil or good at any moment2 and1 as long as he continues to be essentially man1 he must retain this freedom2 and therefore1 at any period of his future existence1 however remote1 he may prefer evil to good--that is1 may prefer hell to heaven4 ,but ,god will not compel him to be good against his will 7for unwilling goodness is not goodness72 and therefore it follows that there is no point of time in the infinite future of which we can certainly say that then all men will be saved4 ,of course these seeming contradictions of ,scripture and antinomies of reason are not real contradictions4 ,god does not contradict himself either in revelation or in reason4 ,whether we can reconcile such antagonisms now1 or not1 we know that they will be reconciled4 ,meantime1 it is our duty to disbelieve whatever is dishonorable to ,god1 or opposed to the character ascribed to him by ,jesus ,christ4 ,christ has taught us to regard ,god as our ,father4 ,it is our duty to refuse credence to any doctrine concerning him which is plainly opposed to this character4 ,if ,i have formed my opinion of my friend's character from a large experience1 ,i ought to refuse to believe1 even on good evidence1 anything opposed to it4 ,what is faith in man1 or in ,god1 good for1 that is unable to resist evil reports concerning them8 ,if ,i am told that my friend has become a thief or a swindler1 and he who tells me says1 8,i know that it is so--here is the evidence10 ,i reply1 8,i do not care for your evidence4 ,i know that it is impossible40 ,so1 if all the churches in the world1 ,catholic and ,protestant1 tell me that ,jesus teaches everlasting punishment inflicted by ,god for the sins of this life1 and produce chapter and verse in support of their statement1 ,i reply1 8,if ,i have learned anything about ,god from the teachings of ,jesus1 it is that your assertion is impossible4 ,about the meaning of these passages you may be mistaken1 for the letter killeth2 but ,i cannot be mistaken in regard to the fatherly character of the ,almighty40 ,these contradictions we shall consider in a paper printed in the ,appendix 7an examination of ,dr4 ,neheimiah ,adams's tract on the 8,reasonableness of ,everlasting ,punishment074 ,at present we will only say that we should hold it less dishonorable to ,god to deny his existence than to believe this doctrine concerning him4 ,we think that in the last day it will appear that the atheist has done less to dishonor the name of ,god than those who persistently teach this view4 ,for what says ,lord ,bacon8 7,essays1 ,,xvii4 ,of ,superstition47 8,it were better to have no opinion of ,god at all than such an opinion as is unworthy of him2 for the one is unbelief1 the other is contumely2 and certainly superstition is the reproach of the ,deity4 ,plutarch saith well to that purpose4 #8,surely1' saith he1 #8,i had rather a great deal men should say there were no such man at all as ,plutarch1 than that they should say there was one ,plutarch that would eat his children as soon as they were born1' as the poets speak of ,saturn4 ,and as the contumely is greater towards ,god1 so is the danger greater towards men40 ,the doctrine of everlasting punishment1 being essentially a heathen and not a ,christian doctrine1 cannot do any ,christian good to any one4 ,it is the want of faith in the ,church which makes it afraid of giving it up4 ,the ,christian ,church has not faith enough to believe in the power of truth and love4 ,it still thinks that men must be frightened into goodness1 or driven into it4 ,fear is a becoming and useful motive no less than hope2 but fear of what8 ,not fear of ,god2 but fear of sin1 fear of ourselves1 fear of temptation4 ,to be afraid of ,god never did any one any good4 ,these doctrines drive men away from ,god2 or1 if they drive them to ,god1 drive them as slaves1 as sycophants1 as servants1 not as sons4 ,we are saved by becoming the sons of ,god2 but you cannot drive a man into sonship by terror4 ,you may make him profess religion1 and go through ceremonies1 and have an outward form of service2 but you cannot make him love ,god by means of fear4 ,but good men teach these things1 no doubt4 ,men far better than most of us believe them and teach them4 ,it always has been so4 ,the best men have always been the chief supporters of bad doctrines4 ,a good man1 humble and modest1 is apt to shrink from doubting or opposing what the ,church has taught4 ,he accepts it1 and teaches it too4 ,when ,god wants a reformer1 he does not take one of these good1 modest1 humble men4 ,he does not take a saint4 ,he takes a man who has ever so much will1 a little obstinacy1 and a great love of fighting2 and he makes the wrath of such a man to serve him4 ,neither ,st4 ,teresa nor ,fnlon could have reformed the ,catholic ,church4 ,it took rough old ,martin ,luther and hard-hearted ,john ,calvin to do it4 ,the first ,universalists1 the ,abolitionists1 all reformers1 are necessarily men of that sort4 ,they are rude debaters1 not standing on ceremony or politeness4 ,they are hard-headed logicians1 going straight to their point1 careless of elegances and proprieties4 ,they are ,god's pioneers1 rough backwoodsmen1 hewing their way with the axe through the wilderness4 ,after them shall come the peaceful farmer1 with plough and spade1 to turn the land into wheat fields1 orchards1 and gardens4 #d4 ,everlasting ,punishment limits the ,sovereignty of ,god4 ,it is certain that the doctrine of eternal punishment1 in the common form1 can only be maintained by giving up some of the infinite attributes of the ,almighty4 ,if punishment is to exist without end2 if hell is always to co-exist with heaven2 if certain beings are to be continued forever in existence merely as sinful sufferers1--then1 it is clear1 ,god is not omnipotent4 ,he shares his throne forever with ,satan4 ,satan and ,god divide between them the universe4 ,god reigns in heaven1 ,satan in hell4 ,god desires that all shall be saved2 but this desire is absolutely and forever defeated by a fate greater than ,deity4 ,law divorced from love--that is1 nature in its old ,pagan aspect--is higher than ,god4 ,god is not the ,almighty to any one who really believes eternal punishment4 ,god is not the ,sovereign of the universe1 but only of a part of it4 ,the doctrine of eternal punishment1 in its common form1 does1 therefore1 virtually dethrone ,god47#di7 ,it is1 in fact1 impossible to conceive of an eternal hell co-existing with an eternal heaven1 without also seeing that it limits eternally the divine ,omnipotence2 for the omnipotence of ,god is in carrying out his will to have all men saved by becoming holy4 ,unless ,god's laws are obeyed1 ,god is not obeyed2 and he is not sovereign if not obeyed4 ,hell is a condition of things hostile to ,god's will3 it is a permanent and successful rebellion of a part of the universe4 ,it is no answer to say1 that it is shut up1 and restrained1 and made to suffer2 for it is not conquered4 ,god has conquered sin only when he has reduced it to obedience4 ,hell is no more subject to ,god than the ,confederate ,states1 during the rebellion1 were subject to the ,united ,states government4 ,they were shut up by a blockade2 they were restrained by great armies and navies2 they were made to suffer2 but they were not reduced to submission and obedience4 ,nor is it any answer to say1 that the existence of sin and suffering hereafter no more limits ,god's omnipotence than their existence here and now limits his omnipotence4 ,for the question is of ,,eternal suffering4 ,temporal suffering hereafter1 we grant1 is no objection to the divine ,omnipotence4 ,limited and finite evil1 in this world or the other1 is no philosophical difficulty2 and for this reason--that finite evil1 when compared with infinite good1 becomes logically and mathematically no evil4 ,the finite disappears in relation to the infinite4 ,all the sufferings and sins of earth1 through all ages1 are strictly nothing when viewed in the light of the eternal joy and holiness which are to result from them4 ,this is a postulate of pure reason4 ,make evil finite1 and good infinite1--make evil temporal1 and good eternal1--and evil ceases to be anything4 ,but make evil eternal1 as is done by this doctrine1 and then we have ,manicheism--an infinite dualism--on the throne of the universe4 #e4 ,everlasting ,punishment contradicts the ,fatherly ,love of ,god4 ,this doctrine is a relapse on ,paganism1 and derived from it4 ,it has nothing to do with ,christianity1 except to corrupt it4 ,no man was ever made better by believing it3 multitudes have been made worse4 ,it attributes to our heavenly ,father conduct that1 if done by the worst of men1 would add a shade of increased wickedness to their character4 ,it assumes that ,god has made intelligent creatures with the intention of tormenting some of them forever4 ,it assumes that those who are thus created1 exposed to this awful risk1 are to be thus tormented1 unless they happen to pass through what is called an ,orthodox conversion in this short earthly life4 ,god keeps them alive forever in order to torture them forever4 ,the barbarity of this opinion exceeds all power of language to express4 ,we are accustomed to mourn over the anguish and misery that are in this world4 ,the problem of earthly evil has been a burden and anxiety to good men in all times1 a great question for thinkers in all ages4 ,the only satisfactory solution is1 that it is temporary and educational2 that it is to pass away1 and1 in passing1 to create a higher joy and goodness than could otherwise have come4 ,but the doctrine of everlasting punishment not only annuls this explanation1 and makes it impossible to explain earthly evil1 but adds to it a tenfold greater mystery4 ,the fatherly character of ,god disappears in ,pagan darkness1 in view of this horrid doctrine2 for the everlasting suffering of one human being contains in itself more evil than the accumulated sufferings of all mankind from the creation of the world to the end of it4 ,add together all the sicknesses1 bereavements1 disappointments1 of all mankind2 all the wars1 famines1 pestilences1 that have tormented humanity2 add to these all the mental and moral pangs produced by selfishness and sin in all ages1 and all that are to be to the end of time1--and these all combined are logically and mathematically nothing1 compared with the sufferings of one human being destined to be everlastingly punished4 ,for all temporal sufferings added together are finite2 but this is infinite4 ,now1 the being who could inflict such torture as this is not the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,there may be some deity of cruelty1 some incarnation of wrath and despotism1 in the ,hindoo ,pantheon1 capable of such terrific wickedness4 ,it is no answer to say that ,god inflicts suffering now in this world1 and therefore he may inflict everlasting suffering in the other2 for those are all finite2 that is infinite4 ,finite suffering may result in greater good1 may be an education to good2 but everlasting suffering cannot4 ,the finite and infinite cannot be compared together4 ,there is no analogy between them4 ,the ,god of the ,new ,testament is our ,father4 ,if he inflicts suffering1 it is for our good2 8not for his pleasure1 but for our profit1 that we may be partakers of his holiness40 ,all earthly suffering finds this solution1 and accords with the fatherly character of ,god in this point of view4 ,much1 no doubt1 cannot be now fully understood4 ,we do not see how it tends to good2 but all suffering that ends ,,may end in good4 ,suffering that does not end ,,cannot end in good4 ,if human beings are everlastingly punished1 it must either be that they go on sinning forever1 and cannot repent1 lose all power of repentance1 and so cease to be moral agents1 or else that they retain the power of repenting1 and therefore may repent4 ,in the first case1 ,god continues to punish forever those who have ceased to sin1 because their freedom and moral power have ceased2 or else he punishes forever those who have repented1 and so ceased sinning4 ,in either case1 ,god must punish everlastingly those who have ceased to be sinners2 which is incredible4 ,if ,god is a ,father1 he is at least as good as the best earthly father4 ,now1 what father or mother would ever consent to place a child in a situation where there was even a chance of its running such an awful risk8 ,god has created us with these liabilities to sin2 he has 7according to ,orthodoxy7 chosen and determined that we shall be born wholly prone to evil1 and sure to fall into eternal and unending ruin1 unless he saves us by a special act of grace4 8,what man among you1 being a father10 would do so8 ,custom dulls our sense to these horrors4 ,let us therefore imagine a case far less terrible4 ,suppose that a number of parents should establish a school1 to which to send their children4 ,suppose they should arrange a code of laws for the school of such a stringent character that all the children are sure to break it4 ,under the school are vaults containing instruments of torture4 ,for each offence against the laws of the school 7offences which the children cannot fail to commit7 they are to be punished by imprisonment for life in these cells1 with daily torture1 from racks1 thumb-screws1 and the like4 ,a few of them are to be selected from the rest1 not for any merit of their own1 but by an arbitrary decree of the parents1 and are to be rewarded 7not for their superior good conduct1 but according to the caprice of the parents7 with every luxury and privilege4 ,among these privileges is included that of taking a daily walk through the cells1 and witnessing the horrible sufferings of their brothers and companions1 and hearing their shrieks of anguish1 and praising the ,,justice of their parents in thus punishing some and rewarding the rest4 ,but this1 you may say1 is not a parallel case4 ,no1 we grant it is not1 for what are these torments to that of a never-ending futurity8 ,they are all as nothing4 ,therefore every such comparison must utterly fail of doing justice to the diabolic cruelty ascribed to the ,almighty by this ,orthodox doctrine4 8,but what right10 says the ,orthodox defender of this doctrine1 8have we to reason in this way concerning the divine proceedings1 by the analogy of earthly parents8 ,what right have we to compare ,god's doings with those of a human father80 ,no right1 perhaps1 as philosophers2 but as ,christians we have not only the right to do it1 but it is our duty to do so4 ,jesus has himself taught us to use this analogy1 in order to acquire confidence in ,god's ways1 and to assure ourselves that ,god cannot fail of acting as we should expect a good and wise earthly parent to act4 8,what man is there of you1 whom1 if his son ask bread1 will he give him a stone8 ,or if he ask a fish1 will he give him a serpent8 ,if ye then1 being evil1 know how to give good gifts unto your children1 how much more shall your ,father1 which is in heaven1 give good things to them that ask him80 7,matt4 #g3i-aa47 ,jesus authorizes and commands us to reason from the parental nature in man to that in ,god4 ,instead of simply assuring us of it1 on the ground of his own authority to teach us2 instead of saying1 8,believe this1 because ,i say it10 he says1 8,believe it1 because it accords with your own convictions and with human nature40 #f4 ,attempts to modify and soften the ,doctrine of ,everlasting ,punishment4 ,the reasons for the late efforts to support this terrific doctrine are probably to be found in a widespread and increasing disbelief concerning it1 pervading the churches nominally ,orthodox4 ,this has come from the growing intelligence and progressive movements of thought in the ,christian ,church4 ,the evidences of this belief are numerous and increasing4 ,those who reject the ,orthodox view are a numerous body1 but divided into several parties4 ,there are the old-fashioned ,universalists1 a valiant race1--men of war from their youth1--who1 under the lead of such men as ,hosea ,ballou and ,thomas ,whittemore1 have spent their lives in fighting the doctrine of everlasting punishment4 ,very naturally1 perhaps1 they went to the opposite extreme of opinion1 and denied all future suffering4 ,but this view has1 we think1 ceased to be the prevailing one among the ,universalists4 ,the doctrine of ultimate restoration has very generally taken its place4 ,this doctrine also prevails widely in other denominations2 not only among the liberal bodies1 like the ,unitarians1 but also among ,methodists1 ,presbyterians1 and ,congregationalists4 ,it has widely spread1 as is well known1 in ,germany4 ,it was held by ,schleiermacher1 the father of modern ,german theology4 ,it tinges the writings of such ,orthodox men as ,tholuck1 ,hahn1 and ,olshausen4 ,others profess to believe in everlasting punishment1 but make it a merely negative consequence of lost time and opportunity3 one will be always worse off hereafter in consequence of the neglect of duty4 ,others follow ,swedenborg1 and make the sufferings of hell rather agreeable than otherwise to those who bear them4 ,various ineffectual attempts have indeed been made1 in all ages of the ,church1 to soften the austerity of this doctrine4 ,from the days of ,origen1 these merciful doctors7#ej7 have always been trying to soften this austere dogma1 but ineffectually2 for the dread of an eternal hell has been one of the chief motives which the ,church has used in converting men from sin to holiness4 ,any suggestion of the possibility of future restoration would1 it is feared1 cut the sinews of effective preaching4 ,for the baptized who are not fit for heaven the ,roman ,catholic ,church has established1 indeed1 a temporary hell1 with torments of an inferior sort2 for bad ,catholics there is purgatory1 with the hope of ultimate escape from it2 but for the unbaptized heathen1 for heretics1 and for excommunicated persons1 there is nothing but eternal punishment4 ,many1 in all ages1 have made the everlasting continuance of punishment not absolute1 but hypothetical--depending on the question1 8,will the sinner continue forever to sin807#ea7 ,others have made future punishment relatively everlasting2 that is1 because even the repentant sinner will be always just so far behind the position he would have had if he had not sinned4 ,this1 however1 is taking a material view of progress1 as though it was limited1 like the going of a horse1 to so many miles a day4 ,many of the early fathers1 and some of the medival doctors1 took milder views of the future sufferings of the impenitent or unconverted4 ,proceeding from the idea of freedom1 as indestructible in the human soul1 ,origen declared that1 no matter how low any moral being has fallen1 a way to return is always open to him4 ,even the devil may1 in time1 regain the highest position in the angelic hierarchy47#eb7 ,no doubt ,origen admitted the need of external conditions for this restoration2 but he said1 ,god is able to heal the damage done to any part of his works47#ec7 ,he will restore all things to their origin1 uniting the end and the beginning1 and so becoming indeed the ,alpha and ,omega4 ,this may require long processes1 through many ages47#ed7 ,since ,jesus speaks of a sin which cannot be forgiven in this age 77 nor the next1 it follows1 says ,origen1 that there is a series of ages1 or worlds1 through which we pass1 and many of these ages of ages 7scula sculorum7 must pass away before all bad men and angels shall have returned to their original state4 ,quoting the passage1 8,the last enemy that shall be destroyed10 he says that he shall not be destroyed as to his substance1 but as to his enmity4 ,his being was made by ,god1 and cannot perish2 his hostile will proceeded from himself1 and shall be destroyed4 ,mr4 ,brownson 7or rather a writer in ,brownson's 8,quarterly ,review10 ,july1 #ahfc7 takes another way of softening the terrors of hell4 ,with him too1 hell is an everlasting state2 but he maintains that the ,roman ,church has not made it an article of faith to believe that there is any positive suffering therein4 ,if you believe in an eternal hell1 that is enough2 you are not precluded from softening its horrors to any extent you can4 ,thus he maintains that the great ,augustine allows hell to be only a negative state--only the absence of the exquisite beatitude of heaven4 ,this writer 7who is said by the editor to be a learned ,catholic priest7 asserts that there is a growing repugnance to the popular doctrine upon eternal punishment among the most intelligent of the ,catholic laity1 and this reluctance is the chief obstacle to the reception of the faith by a large class of non-,catholics4 ,he attempts to meet this state of mind by showing that neither the doctrine of ,st4 ,augustine nor that of the ,catholic ,church supports this popular view1 but allows a much milder one4 ,he proceeds to make these points3-- #a4 ,st4 ,augustine nowhere teaches that human nature is intrinsically evil1 but he invariably teaches that it is substantially good4 78,omnis natura in quantum natura est bona est40 8,omnis substantia aut ,deus est aut ex ,deo40 ,de ,lib4 ,arbit47 ,therefore it follows that the very notion of total depravity is impossible4 ,st4 ,augustine distinctly says that 8the very unclean spirit himself is good1 inasmuch as he is a spirit1 but evil inasmuch as he is unclean40 ,hence1 not even the nature of the devil himself is evil4 ,so ,st4 ,thomas 78,diabolus1 in quantum habet esse1 est bonus071 8the devil1 so far as he is1 is good40 #b4 ,st4 ,augustine teaches in explicit terms that existence is a good even to angels and men who are eternally bound by the consequences of evil4 #c4 ,eternal death1 according to ,st4 ,augustine1 is a subsidence into a lower form of life1 a privation of the highest vital influx from ,god in order to everlasting life1 or supreme beatitude1 but not of all vital influx in order to an endless existence1 which is a partial and incomplete participation in good4 ,these sinful souls1 therefore1 fulfil in a measure the end of their creation1 and have a place and a function in harmony with the general order of the cosmos4 ,there is no trace1 in this view of ,augustine1 that ,god hates a portion of his creatures with an absolute1 infinite1 and eternal hatred1 and is hated by them in return4 ,the original act of creative love is an enduring and eternal act1 in which even ,satan is included4 8,their nature still remains essentially good1 and far superior in excellence and beauty to material light1 which is the highest corporeal substance40 #d4 ,hell1 therefore 7,infernus71 is simply a lower state of inchoate and imperfect being1 8of saints nipped in the bud40 ,infant damnation is only a gentle sadness--8levis tristitia40 ,all positive suffering in hell is probably temporal1 and therefore must at last cease4 ,the lost souls will enjoy there quite as much as they can do here1 minus the temporal sufferings of this life4 ,they continue natural beings1 and therefore can enjoy all natural joy2 and that which they lose1 being the 8beatific vision10 of which they have no conception1 is a loss of which they are wholly unconscious4 ,swedenborg maintains1 in the same way1 the everlasting character of the punishment of those who have passed the final judgment1 but admits many palliations to its sufferings4 ,he teaches that delight is the universal substance of heaven1 and also of hell1 and that evil spirits are in the delight of evil1 as good spirits in that of good4 ,an evil spirit would be as unhappy in heaven as a good one would be in hell4 #g4 ,the meaning of ,eternal ,punishment in ,scripture4 ,but what1 then1 is the vital truth in the doctrine of eternal punishment8 ,christ says1 8,these shall go away into eternal punishment407#ee7 ,what is this 8eternal punishment08 ,it is commonly supposed to mean the same thing as punishment which shall never end1 or punishment continued through all time4 ,but this is to misunderstand both the philosophical and scriptural meaning of the word 8eternal40 ,eternal punishments are the opposite of temporal punishments3 they have nothing to do with time at all2 they are punishments outside of time4 ,to attempt to realize eternity by adding up any number of myriads of years of time1 is necessarily a failure2 for time and eternity are different things4 ,you might as well attempt to produce thought or love1 by adding up millions of miles of distance1 as1 by adding up millions of years of time1 to get any idea of eternity4 ,eternal life1 in the language of ,scripture1 has nothing to do with the future or the past4 ,it is a present life in the soul1 awakened within by the knowledge of ,god and ,christ4 8,this is life eternal1 to know thee1 the only true ,god1 and ,jesus ,christ1 whom thou hast sent40 8,eternal life and eternal death both come from the knowledge of ,god and of ,christ40 ,to one it is a savor of life1 to another of death4 ,eternal punishment and eternal life are the punishments and the rewards of eternity1 distinguished from those of time1 and having their root in the knowledge of ,god which comes through ,christ4 ,eternal life and eternal punishment both commence here1 from the judgments which takes place now3 but the last judgment1 or the judgment of the last day1 is that which will take place hereafter1 when the soul shall have a full knowledge of itself and of ,god2 see its whole life as it really is2 have all self-deceptions taken away1 all disguises removed1 and know itself as it is known4 ,god's love1 when revealed1 attracts and repels4 ,like all real force1 it is a polar force4 ,the one pole is its attractive power over those who are in a truth-loving state2 the other pole is its repelling power to those who are in a truth-hating state4 ,love attracts the truthful1 and repels the wilful4 ,eternal punishment1 then1 is the repugnance to ,god of the soul which is inwardly selfish in its will1--loving itself more than truth and right4 ,it is the sense of indignation and wrath1 alienation and poverty1 which rests on it while in this condition4 ,it is the outer darkness2 it is the far country2 it is the famine1 which comes as a holy and blessed evil1 sent to save1 by bringing to repentance1 the prodigal child1 who has not yet 8come to himself40 ,from this knowledge of ,god and of itself1 therefore1--from this judgment of the last day1--will flow eternal life to the one class1 and eternal punishment or suffering to the other4 ,those who have been conscientious and generous2 who have endeavored faithfully to live for truth and right2 who have made sacrifices1 and not boasted of them2 who have clothed the naked and fed the hungry1 making the world better and happier by their presence1--will hear the ,saviour say1 8,come1 ye blessed of my ,father1 inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world2 for ,i was hungry1 and ye gave me meat40 ,perhaps they have never even heard the name of ,christ2 perhaps they were the ,buddhists of ,burmah1 of whom ,mr4 ,malcom speaks1 who brought food to him1 though a stranger to them4 8,i was scarcely seated10 says he1 8when a woman brought a nice mat for me to lie on2 another1 cool water2 and a man went and picked me a half dozen fine oranges4 ,none sought or expected the least reward1 but disappeared1 and left me to my repose40 ,or perhaps they will be the poor black women in ,africa1 who took such kind care of ,mungo ,park1 singing1 8,let us pity the white man3 he has no mother to bring him milk1 no wife to grind him corn40 ,the reward of their fidelity will be the gift of a greater power of goodness1 coming from a knowledge of ,god and ,christ4 ,they were helping ,christ1 though they did not know him4 ,they will say1 8,lord1 when saw we thee an hungered80 ,these ,gentiles1 without the law1 who do by nature the things contained in the law1 will come to know ,christ1 and receive a spiritual life--life flowing from that knowledge4 ,on the other hand1 those who have not endeavored to do what they knew to be right will receive from the same knowledge of ,god and ,christ a spiritual or eternal punishment4 ,perhaps they have received some of it already in this world2 but a deeper knowledge of the truth will bring a keener self-reproach4 ,the worm that never dies is this gnawing7#ef7 tooth of conscience4 ,the fire which is not quenched is the heart still selfish1 turned to evil1 joined with a conscience which sees the good4 ,for man1 as long as he is man1 cannot get away from himself4 ,he may sophisticate himself with falsehoods1 put his conscience to sleep1 and imagine that he has escaped all the penalties of evil2 but he cannot escape from himself4 ,the longer and deeper the sleep of conscience1 the more terrible its final awakening4 ,eternal punishment1 therefore1 is the punishment which comes to man from his spiritual nature2 from that side of man which connects him with eternity1 in contradistinction from temporal punishment1 which is that which comes from his temporal nature and the temporal world4 ,through the body he receives temporal pleasure or pain from the world of time and space2 through the spirit he receives spiritual joy or sorrow from the world of eternity and infinity4 ,thus intimately are judgment and retribution connected4 ,there is nothing arbitrary about rewards or punishments4 ,they follow naturally and necessarily from the revelation of divine and eternal truth4 ,sooner or later1 the everlasting distinctions between right and wrong1 good and evil1 make themselves seen and known4 ,the distinctions between right and wrong are eternal4 ,the idea of duration is not connected with eternal punishment or eternal life2 for the idea of duration belongs to time1 and not to eternity4 ,human law sentences men1 for crime1 to be punished by imprisonment for six months1 three years1 ten years1 or for life2 but in ,god's world there is not1 and cannot be1 any relation between a man's guilt and the precise time he is to suffer4 ,he must suffer while he is guilty1 be the time longer or shorter4 ,when he ceases to be guilty1 he must cease to suffer4 ,he therefore fixes the duration of his suffering himself3 that makes no part of the divine sentence4 ,if he judges himself unworthy of eternal life during five1 ten1 one hundred1 or ten thousand million years1 that is for himself to say4 ,god will never save him against his will2 and ,god can wait4 ,the sphere of time belongs to man's freedom2 that of eternity1 to the freedom of ,god4 ,and this reconciles the philosophic difficulty4 ,man1 being free1 can postpone his submission and obedience indefinitely2 but1 being finite1 cannot postpone it infinitely4 ,at any point of time1 he may still resolve to resist the influx of eternal life1 and continue in the sphere of death3 but eternity surrounds time1 and infolds it2 and in eternity ,god's purposes will be realized1 and every knee bow1 of things in heaven1 and in earth1 and under the earth4 ,universal harmony must prevail at last4 8,eternal0 and 8everlasting0 are two wholly different ideas4 ,we fully believe in eternal punishment1 but not in everlasting punishment4 ,eternal life is spiritual life3 eternal suffering is spiritual suffering4 ,the whole of antiquity recognizes this distinction2 and the ,bible is saturated with it4 ,when ,jesus says1 8,he who believes in me has eternal life abiding in him10 there is nothing about duration intended in that4 ,when he says1 8,this is life eternal1 to know thee the only true ,god10 there is nothing about duration implied4 ,it is the quality of the life which is conveyed--spiritual life1 life flowing from the sight of ,god and ,christ4 ,we believe in eternal punishment2 but1 because it is eternal1 therefore it is not everlasting4 ,eternal suffering1 flowing from the sight of the eternal truth and love of ,god1 is real suffering1 because it involves the sight of sin1 the consciousness of failure1 the deep conviction of what we ought to do and have not done2 but all this leads to repentance and salvation4 ,when the ,lord turned and looked on ,peter1 ,peter went into eternal suffering4 ,he saw his own guilt and the infinite goodness of his ,master at the same time4 ,the one produced penitence2 the other1 hope4 ,but1 when ,judas hanged himself1 he did not go into eternal punishment1 but into temporal4 ,he saw his own baseness and his own folly2 but he did not see ,god's love4 ,if he had seen ,god's love and ,christ's pardoning mercy1 together with his sin1 he would not have hanged himself2 but1 like ,peter1 he would have repented1 and gone forth to preach the gospel4 ,when we see ,god's truth and love1 we go into eternal life or into eternal suffering1 according to the direction of our lives and hearts4 ,if we are following ,christ1 and trying to do right1--if we are not selfish1 but generous1--then the sight of ,god's love and truth in ,christ leads us directly into spiritual joy2 but if we are selfish1 and seeking only our own good1 if we are indifferent to the rights of our fellow-men1 then we go into eternal or spiritual suffering4 ,the force of eternal punishment1 therefore1 is not in the statement that it is never to end2 nor in any description1 however vivid1 of outward physical torments4 ,such descriptions produce excitement1 agitation1 terror4 ,but this is not conviction4 ,the doctrine1 not being in harmony with the attributes of ,god or the nature of man1 can never be sincerely or profoundly believed4 ,it is inwardly opposed by every ,christian conviction in the human soul2 for it is not ,christian1 but ,pagan4 ,it is a relapse into ,paganism1 an importation of ,pagan terrors into ,christianity4 ,it degrades every soul that teaches it1 or that accepts it1 in the same way that idolatry degrades it4 ,it puts a veil between the soul and the true ,god4 ,but the true ,christian doctrine of eternal punishment is1 that the soul which sins shall eternally suffer2 that there is an eternal distinction between truth and falsehood1 good and evil2 that spiritual distinctions are positive and real2 and that evil is not a mere negative thing1 implying a little less of good1 but positive1 being the state of a soul which is repelled1 not attracted1 by the divine goodness2 which keeps away from ,god1 as the shadow keeps on the side of the globe which is away from the sun4 ,again3 eternal suffering is the suffering of eternity1 as distinguished from temporal suffering1 which has its root in time4 ,this is something which comes from within1 while temporal suffering comes from without4 ,till man is reconciled to ,god by obedience and love1 he has the sentence of death in himself4 ,this suffering is not arbitrary1 but fixed in the nature of things4 ,as a sinner1 man must be eternally separated inwardly from ,god1 and therefore from bliss4 ,his hell is within him1 not without4 ,and it is also here1 as well as hereafter1 since eternity is here1 no less than time4 ,in this view of eternal punishment1 there is an important truth--truth essential to the just spiritual growth of man4 ,it is needed to resist the tendency to make light of sin4 ,it is needed to oppose the view which makes evil1 as well as good1 a natural growth1 and teaches that all men are on their way upward1 and will ultimately fall into heaven by some specific levity4 ,it is needed to remind us that we must choose whom we will serve1 and that1 consciously or unconsciously1 we are at all moments tending either upward or downward--either towards ,god or away from him4 ,this is the great truth which is often lost sight of by ,liberal ,christianity1 and by that easy optimism which declares that 8whatever is1 is right20 but darkly taught1 because dimly seen1 by ,orthodoxy4 ,pagan in its form1 there is often an essentially ,christian idea communicated by the ,orthodox pulpit4 ,the ,pagan form may be neglected and disbelieved3 the ,christian impression may remain4 ,it tightens the nerves of the soul1 as a cold bath invigorates the body made languid by too much warmth and ease4 ,yet1 as long as the ,pagan form remains1 the interior truth is shorn of its full power4 ,let us pray that the truth1 divested of its dark errors1 may at last be recognized by the ,christian ,church4 ,for very often the words of a great writer and thinker 7who also was an earnest opponent of the ,orthodox form of this doctrine7 recur to us in these studies3 8,few see the things themselves1 but only the forms of things1 in the mirror of reflection1 as images4 ,but we shall at last see the things themselves face to face1 as it is said1 and without a veil1 if it please ,god1 in part before the close of this present life1 more fully in the life to come407#eg7 #h4 ,how ,judgment by ,christ is connected with ,punishment4 ,to what we have said of judgment by ,christ1 in the previous chapter1 we add here some further thoughts in regard to its connection with punishment4 ,orthodoxy makes this connection arbitrary and outward4 ,for such sins1 it says1 ,god has appointed such a punishment2 and the object of judgment is to glorify ,god1 by showing how exact he is in finding out every sinner1 and fulfilling his every threat against evil4 ,but1 according to a better view1 which alone can commend itself to minds of any large range--future judgment is simply the act by which ,god shows to a man the truth concerning himself1 so that he can see it4 ,a deaf and dumb child being asked1 8,what is judgment80 replied1 8,judgment is to see ourselves as we are1 and to see ,god as he is40 ,this is the essential thing in judgment2 and in this sense ,christ is declared 8to be the judge of the quick and the dead20 that is1 he judges us in this world1 and will judge us in the other world4 ,his judgments are not external1 sentencing us to external punishments2 but they are internal1 causing us to judge ourselves4 ,he shows us what we are4 ,whenever he comes1 he comes to judgment1 separating the good from the evil1 testing the state of the heart1 causing men to go to the right or the left4 ,his coming always makes an issue which cannot be avoided2 calls upon us to decide which course we shall take1 what thing we shall do1 what master we will serve4 ,when ,christ first came1 he came for judgment1 that the thoughts of many hearts might be revealed1--revealed to themselves and to others4 ,wherever he came1 men immediately were divided into two classes1--becoming his disciples1 or becoming his opponents4 ,no longer was any compromise possible between truth and error1 between right and wrong4 ,they were obliged to choose which to serve2 and they chose according to the inward tendency of their hearts4 ,they whose hearts were right1 chose the right3 they whose hearts were wrong1 chose the wrong4 ,christ is thus the ,judge of the living as well as the dead4 ,often in our lives he comes to us thus to be our ,judge4 ,every time he calls upon us to do anything for him1 he judges the state of our heart4 ,every time he offers an opportunity to the world of improvement or progress1 he judges the world4 ,when he was on trial before ,caiaphas and before ,pilate1 they were on trial1 and not he4 ,when they sentenced him1 they condemned themselves4 ,during the whole of those dark hours1 when ,christ was buffeted1 spit upon1 crowned with thorns1 to the eyes of angels he was seen to be sitting on the throne of his glory4 ,caiaphas and the ,jewish priests1 ,pontius ,pilate and the ,roman soldiers1 ,judas ,iscariot1 the ,jewish people1 each in turn received their sentence1 and passed to the left hand4 ,and so ever since1 whenever any great opportunity has been given to the world to decide between right and wrong1 the world has pronounced judgment on itself2 has gone to the right hand with the sheep1 or to the left hand with the goats4 ,when ,paul offered ,christianity to the ,jews1 and they rejected it1 he said 8it was necessary that the word of ,god should first have been spoken to you2 but seeing you put it from you1 and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life1 lo1 we turn to the ,gentiles40 ,so it always is4 ,god does not judge us1 nor ,christ2 but we judge ourselves4 ,for this reason ,jesus says1 8,if any man hear me1 and believe not1 ,i judge him not2 for ,i came not to judge the world40 ,and again he says1 8,the word which ,i have spoken1 the same shall judge him at the last day40 ,and yet again1 8,this is the judgment1 that light has come into the world1 and that men have chosen darkness rather than light1 because their deeds are evil40 ,the account of judgment 7in the #beth chapter of ,matthew7 at ,christ's coming we considered in the last chapter4 ,it will1 however1 bear a little further examination4 ,there are three different judgments indicated in the three parables of the virgins1 the talents1 and the sheep and goats4 ,the first is the judgment of opportunity1 the second of work1 the third of knowledge4 ,in the first and second we judge ourselves1 in the last we are judged4 ,these two occur in time1 the other in eternity4 ,the first two are the judgments which take place at ,christ's coming here2 the third is the judgment of 8the last day40 ,the first takes place whenever we are 8called0 by a new opportunity2 the second comes in all retribution2 the third by the inward revelation of ,god's truth1 showing men what they are1 and what ,god is4 ,the wise and foolish virgins represent those who are invited to receive ,christianity2 the servants with the talents1 believers who have received it in different degrees2 and the nations 7heathen1 77#eh7 those 7in ,christendom or outside of it7 to whom ,christianity has never come4 #i4 ,the ,doctrine of ,annihilation4 ,this view of the final results of moral evil1 as destroying personal existence1 is hardly an ,orthodox doctrine1 though quasi-,orthodox4 ,it is the refuge of that class of minds which are unable to accept universal restoration on the one side1 or everlasting punishment on the other4 ,to them a large number of human beings seem 8too good for banning1 and too bad for blessing10 and in their opinion will be suffered quietly to drop out of conscious existence4 ,the analogies of nature1 in which out of many seeds and many eggs produced1 only a few attain to the condition of plants and animals1 tend to confirm this view4 ,the state of human character here appears also to favor it1 since multitudes pass out of this world in an undeveloped condition1 seeming wholly to have failed of the end of their being4 ,the chief scriptural argument in favor of the doctrine is found in the assumption that 8life through ,christ0 is equivalent to continued conscious existence1 and that 8death0 as the punishment of sin1 is equivalent to annihilation4 ,we have so fully discussed the meaning of these terms in the previous chapter1 that it is not desirable to argue this point here4 ,we agree with the ,orthodox view1 and differ from that of the annihilationists on this point4 ,the ,god of the gospel is the ,father of all his children--of the weakest1 feeblest1 and most sinful4 ,if he is the ,god of all1 then he is 8the ,god1 not of the dead1 but of the living1 for all live to him40 ,indian tribes and heathen nations may be willing that the sickly infants1 and those worn with age1 should perish2 they may expose female infants1 thinking them not worth bringing up2 but ,christian nations establish schools and hospitals for the deaf and dumb1 the insane1 the inebriates1 the idiotic4 ,if we1 then1 being evil1 know how to care for the weak1 undeveloped1 and vegetative natures1 how much more shall their ,father in heaven care for them6 ,the doctrine of annihilation rests fundamentally on a ,pagan view of ,god4 #aj4 ,the ,doctrine of ,universal ,restoration4 ,this opinion has its roots1 we think1 in the gospel4 ,it has prevailed in the church from the earliest times1 having been held1 as we have seen1 by ,origen1 and a great number of eminent church fathers and doctors4 ,what more ,christian word has come to us from the earliest centuries than the cry out of the heart of the great ,alexandrian teacher1 8,my ,saviour1 even now1 mourns for my sins4 ,my ,saviour cannot be happy while ,i remain in my iniquity4 ,he does not wish to drink the cup of joy alone in the kingdom of ,god2 he is waiting till we shall come and join him there407#ei7 ,our object in this chapter is to consider the ,orthodox view1 and we shall not1 therefore1 enter into any extensive argument concerning universal salvation4 ,we will only here indicate the general scriptural evidence in its support4 ,the alternative to the ,orthodox view of everlasting punishment is not1 as we have shown1 necessarily ,universalism4 ,it may be annihilation1 or it may be1 under the name of eternal punishment1 a negative evil1 being the privation of the highest kind of happiness4 ,still1 it seems proper to suggest1 if only very briefly1 some reasons given by ,universalists for their belief4 ,in the ,epistles of ,paul there are five or six passages1 which appear to teach1 or to imply1 an ultimate restoration of salvation of all moral beings4 ,among them are these3-- #a4 ,eph4 #a3i1 #aj4 8,having made known to us the mystery of his will1 according to his good pleasure1 which he hath purposed in himself1 that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in ,christ1 both which are in heaven and which are on earth1 even in him40 ,the apostle is speaking of the 8riches of ,god's grace10 wherein 8he hath abounded toward us10 and gives as the proof this revelation made in ,christ of a great mystery--that 8in the dispensation economy of the fulness of times0 he might bring into one 7under one head7 8all things in heaven and on earth40 ,the idea of the passage seems evidently to be that in the economy1 or order1 of the divine plan1 which extends through indefinite periods of time1 all things shall be united under one head in ,christ4 ,but if brought under one head 7as the ,greek word signifies71 then all become ,christians1 all 8in heaven and earth40 ,this would seem to be a very plain statement of a universal restoration4 ,as such1 ,olshausen1 one of the most ,orthodox of commentators1 regards it4 ,he rejects all the explanations offered by the advocates of everlasting punishment as unsatisfactory4 8,it cannot be disputed10 he says1 8that in it the restoration of all things seems to be again favored--a view which ,paul in general1 as has already been remarked 7on ,rom4 #aa3cb2 #a ,cor4 #ae3bd2 ,gal4 #c3bb7 says more to support than the other writers of the ,new ,testament40 ,olshausen declares the interpretations which suppose a merely external subjection of the world to ,christ to be entirely inadequate1 and have left unresolved the principal difficulty1 which is1 8how ,paul could say that all have a share in redemption1 if he held the common view that the numberless hosts of angels who fell1 along with the far greatest part of mankind 7,matt4 #g3ac1 #ad7 are eternally damned1 and thus shut out from the harmony of the universe40 ,the defenders of universal restoration1 says ,olshausen1 8understand the harmony of the universe seriously1 in its literal meaning1 and seem1 according to that1 to be here in the right40 #b4 ,phil4 #b3i1 #aj4 8,wherefore ,god hath highly exalted him1 and given him a name which is above every name1 that at the name of ,jesus every knee should bow1 of things in heaven1 and things on earth1 and things under the earth1 and that every tongue should confess that ,jesus ,christ is ,lord1 to the glory of ,god the ,father40 ,here we have 8things under the earth0 77 added to 8things in heaven and on earth40 ,this word only occurs here in the ,new ,testament1 but is by ,bretschneider 7,lex4 ,man47 translated 8subterranean0 or 8infernal10 and applied to the inhabitants of ,hades1 with a reference to ,origen1 who uses the word in relation to the demons4 ,de ,wette applies the language to angels1 living men1 and the dead4 ,at all events1 it appears to include all moral beings1 and to declare that the whole human race shall bow to ,christ1 and accept him as ,master4 ,but this cannot mean a merely outward submission1 for such a forced and reluctant homage would bring little honor to ,god1 nor be worth such admiration on the part of the apostle4 ,it must therefore mean that all men1 not only all who now live1 but all who have lived1 shall finally become ,christians and enter into the glory of ,god4 #c4 ,col4 #a3bj4 8,and1 having made peace by the blood of the cross1 by him to reconcile all things to himself2 by him1 ,i say1 whether they be things in earth or things in heaven40 ,here a new feature is added to the statement by the word 8reconcile10 which evidently expresses the entire conversion of the heart1 and therefore of human beings1 to the law of ,christ4 #d4 #a ,cor4 #ae3bb4 8,as in ,adam all die1 even so in ,christ shall all be made alive40 ,the 8all0 must be as extensive on one side as the other4 ,now1 whether the death in ,adam be physical or moral1 whether it mean the dissolution of the earthly body1 or the loss of innocence by sin1 it certainly includes all human beings1 in the fullest sense4 ,all men die1 and all men sin4 ,it would therefore seem that the other 8all0 must be quite as comprehensive4 ,it must include all human beings4 ,all men shall 8be made alive in ,christ40 ,but this cannot mean a mere physical immortality1 or an immortality in misery2 for one cannot be said to be 8alive in ,christ0 who is suffering endless torment4 ,to be 8alive in ,christ0 means to be spiritually alive1 for 8he that hath the ,son hath life40 #e4 #a ,cor4 #bd3bh4 ,in this passage ,paul declares that all enemies shall be subject to ,christ4 ,but this1 again1 cannot mean a forced submission1 for that is in no sense being subject to ,christ4 ,christ's subjects are willing subjects4 ,it therefore must mean that1 finally1 all human beings shall become ,christian in conviction and in heart4 ,these five texts from the apostle ,paul seem to us very plain and conclusive as to his opinions4 ,but perhaps the strongest evidence in proof of a universal restoration is to be found in ,christ's own parable of the prodigal son4 ,for in this the genuine spirit and purpose of the gospel is shown to be that ,god never loses his fatherly love for his rebellious and lost children4 ,on the contrary1 his heart yearns towards them with a more earnest affection than towards the holy and good4 ,the prodigal son represents those who are 8dead in sin40 7,luke #ae3bd-cb47 ,the parable teaches that ,god loves them all the while they are away1 and that 8there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance40 ,now1 if ,god loves the sinners thus whose bodies are yet alive1 does he cease to love them when the bodily change takes place which we call death8 ,does his nature change then8 ,and if not1 does it ever change8 ,after millions of years1 if they have been lost and dead so long1 has his love become weary of waiting1 or does 8his mercy endure forever08 ,to us it seems clear1 that if the parable of the prodigal son is to be taken as a true statement of the feeling of ,god towards every sinner1 that every sinner must at last be brought back by the mighty power of this redeeming love4 ,the power of the human will to resist ,god is indeed indefinite2 but the power of love is infinite4 ,sooner or later1 then1 in the economy of the ages1 all sinners must come back1 in penitence and shame1 to their ,father's house1 saying1 8,make us as thy hired servants40 ,if so1 if universal restoration does not mean primarily restoration to outward happiness1 but to inward obedience1 it seems to us that the doctrine may be so stated as to be a new motive for present repentance and obedience4 ,may we not say to the sinner1 ,you may resist ,god to-day1 to-morrow1 for a million years2 but1 sooner or later1 you must return1 obey1 repent1 and submit8 ,god will spare no means to bring you4 ,his love to you requires him to use all methods1 all terrors1 all suffering4 ,the 8worm that never dies10 the 8fire that is never quenched10 the 8outer darkness10--these are all blessed means1 in the providence of the ,almighty1 to bring the sinner back to a sense of his evil state4 ,in the other world1 as in this world1 ,god will 8chasten us1 not for his pleasure1 but for our profit1 that we may be partakers of his holiness40 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,the ,,christian ,,church4 #a4 ,the ,question stated4 ,one of the most interesting questions of the present time1 in practical theology1 concerns the nature1 authority1 organization1 functions1 and future of the ,christian ,church4 ,the interest in this subject has recently much revived1 in consequence of a reaction towards the ,roman ,catholic or ,high ,church view4 ,this has appeared in the tendency among ,protestants to join the ,catholic ,church as the only true and saving ,church of ,christ4 ,the same tendency has taken into the ,church of ,england1 and into the ,episcopal ,church of the ,united ,states1 those who were not ready to go as far as ,rome4 ,it is therefore important and useful to ask1 ,what is the truth and what the error in the different views concerning the ,church8 ,these differ very widely4 ,the ,roman ,catholics declare that theirs is the only true ,church1 and that out of it is no salvation4 ,many ,protestants reply that the ,roman ,catholic ,church is ,antichrist1 and the only true ,churches are those which hold the ,evangelical or ,orthodox creed4 ,the ,swedenborgians say that the ,old ,church came to an end in #ageh1 and that since then the ,new ,church has taken its place4 ,finally1 a considerable number of persons maintain that all these churches are worse than useless1 and that it is the duty of ,christians to come out1 and be separate from them all4 ,they do not believe in the need of any church1 but would substitute for it societies for special purposes1--lyceums and literary clubs for purposes of mental instruction2 temperance societies1 peace societies1 and other associations for moral purposes2 and ,odd-,fellows associations1 ,masonic associations1 and clubs for social purposes4 ,the question then is1 ,is a ,christian ,church needed for the permanent wants of man8 ,was such a ,church established by ,christ8 ,if so1 which ,church is it8 ,and what is to be its future character and mode of organization8 ,it is scarcely necessary to discuss here the abstract question--,is a church an essential want of man1 so as to be needed by him forever8 ,it is enough to show that a church is needed now1 and will be1 for a long time to come4 ,every religion has had its church4 ,no sooner does a new idea arise1 than it is incorporated in some outward union4 ,the new wine is put into new bottles4 ,confucius has his church1 ,mohammed has his church2 even ,mormonism and ,spiritualism have established their churches4 ,the ,christian ,church arose immediately after the ascension of ,jesus2 it came as a matter of necessity1 born not of flesh1 nor of the will of man1 but of ,god4 ,it has continued ever since1 in ever-varying forms1 but one undying body4 ,other institutions have risen and passed away4 ,the ,roman empire has disappeared4 ,the barbarous nations overflowed ,europe1 and then were civilized1 ,christianized1 and absorbed into the ,christian ,church4 ,protestantism separated from ,romanism1 but the ,church remained in both4 ,other sects1 ,presbyterian1 ,independent1 ,quaker1 ,methodist1 ,baptist1 ,swedenborgian1 ,unitarian1 ,universalist1 separated from the main ,protestant body1 but each took with it the church2 each has its own church4 ,even the ,quakers1 the most unchurched apparently of any1 who renounced the visible ministry1 and the visible sacraments1 made themselves presently into the most compact church of all4 ,so the word continues evermore to be made flesh4 ,so all spirit presently becomes incarnate in body4 ,the body is outward and visible2 the spirit inward and invisible4 ,both are necessary to the life1 growth1 and active influence of the gospel4 ,without the spirit of ,christianity1 the body would be good for nothing2 it would be only a corpse4 ,without the body of ,christianity1 the spirit would be comparatively inactive2 it would be only a ghost4 ,a body without spirit corrupts and is offensive2 a spirit without body is inoperative and alarming4 ,through body alone the spirit can act2 through spirit alone the body can live4 ,without asking1 therefore1 for any other authority for the ,church1 than its adaptation to human wants1 we may safely say1 that it is a great mistake to suppose we can dispense with churches4 ,you cannot overthrow the churches1 not the weakest of them1 by any agency you can use2 for all came up to meet and supply a want of the human soul4 ,they are built on that rock4 ,what will you put in their place8 ,a lyceum8 ,a debating society8 ,a reform club8 ,what are you to say to the souls of men1 hungering and thirsting for ,god8 ,what to the sinner1 borne down by the mighty weight of transgression8 ,what to the dying man1 who knows not how to prepare to meet his ,god8 ,we need the ,church of ,christ--the ,church whose great aim it is1 and always has been1 to renew and regenerate the soul from its foundation1 to lay the axe at the root of the tree of evil1 and the very sound of whose bell1 rolling its waves of music over the sleeping hills on the ,sabbath morning1 is worth more to the soul than a thousand lyceums and debating societies4 ,no2 the ,church is not to be destroyed2 it is to be renewed with a deeper and fuller life4 ,we want a better ,church1 no doubt--one more free in its thought1 more active in its charity1 with more of brotherhood in it4 ,we want an apostolic ,church1 fitted to the needs of the nineteenth century4 ,the theological preaching which satisfied our parents is not what we wish now4 ,we need ,christianity applied to life--the life of the individual and of the state4 ,a better ,church1 no doubt1 is needed2 but we want the churches fulfilled1 not destroyed4 #b4 ,orthodox ,doctrine of the ,church--,roman ,catholic and ,high ,church4 ,admitting1 then1 the permanency of the ,christian ,church1 we next ask1 8,what is its true form80 or1 8,which is the true ,church80 or1 again1 to state it in another way1 8,is the form of the ,church permanent1 or only its substance8 ,is any union for ,christian purposes1 for worship and work1 a ,church1 or must it be found in some particular organic form80 ,to this question ,romanism and ,high ,church ,episcopacy reply1 8,it must40 ,the rest of ,protestantism answers1 8,no40 ,romanism says--,jesus established an essential form for his ,church1 as well as an essential substance4 ,the true ,church is an organization as well defined as any corporation for secular purposes4 ,it has the monopoly of saving souls1 a patent right of communicating spiritual life1 which cannot lawfully be infringed by any other corporation4 ,this right was originally bestowed on ,st4 ,peter1 and has been transmitted by him to his successors1 bishops of ,rome4 ,the proof is in the original deed of gift1 8,thou art ,peter10 c41 and in the regularity of the succession of subsequent bishops4 8,according to the ,catholic dogma10 says ,guericke17#fj7 8the ,church is an outward community1 by which all communion with ,christ is conditioned and mediated4 ,this outward community is the true ,church1 with the signs of unity1 universality1 apostolicity1 and holiness1 and is both the only infallible ,church1 and only one which can save the soul40 ,this ,church1 according to ,bellarmine1 is a wholly visible and outward association2 as much so as the kingdom of ,france or republic of ,venice47#fa7 ,according to ,moehler17#fb7 the ,church 8is the visible community of believers1 founded by ,christ1 in which1 by means of an enduring apostleship1 c41 the works wrought by him during his earthly life are continued to the end of the world40 ,the ,roman ,catholic idea is of a visible ,church only1 and not of a ,church at once visible and invisible1 which is the ,protestant notion4 ,it is composed of good and bad1 while the ,protestant notion makes the true ,church consist only of the regenerate47#fc7 ,the chief refutation of this claim of the ,romish ,church is to be found in the very vastness of its assumption4 ,assuming itself to be the only true ,church1 and the only one founded by ,christ1 we of course require full and exact evidence in proof of its assertion4 ,it must prove1 7#a47 ,that ,jesus founded an outward ,church of this kind2 7#b47 ,that he made ,peter its head2 7#c47 ,that he gave ,peter power to continue his authority to his successors2 7#d47 ,that the bishops of ,rome are the successors of ,peter2 7#e47 ,that this succession has been perfect and uninterrupted2 7#f47 ,that the ,roman ,catholic ,church is infallible1 and has never committed any mistake2 7#g47 ,that it is ,catholic1 and includes all true ,christians2 7#h47 ,that it is at one with itself1 having never known divisions2 7#i47 ,that it is the only holy ,church1 bearing the fruits of ,christian character in a quality and quantity which no other ,church can rival4 ,if any one of these nine propositions fail1 the whole claim of ,rome falls prostrate4 ,but they all fail1 not one being susceptible of proof4 ,it cannot be made to appear that ,jesus ever intended to found a ,church having such a monopoly of salvation2 nor that the apostle ,peter was ever placed at its head1 with supreme authority27#fd7 nor1 if he had this authority1 that he ever was bishop of ,rome2 nor1 if he were1 that he transmitted his authority to his successors2 nor1 if he did1 that the bishops of ,rome are his successors2 nor1 if they are1 that the succession has been unbroken2 nor that the church has been actually infallible2 nor that it includes all true ,christians2 nor that it has been free from schisms2 nor that it has always been so pure and holy as to show that ,romanism is eminently ,christian1 and ,protestantism not so4 ,the chain of proof1 therefore1 which1 if one link parted1 would be a broken chain1 is broken at every link1 and cannot carry conviction to any unbiassed mind4 ,in a little work lately published in ,france by the ,protestant ,pastor1 ,mr4 ,bost17#fe7 the author gives as a reason for not being a ,catholic1 that while the ,church calls on us to submit to its authority1 it cannot tell where the authority resides47#ff7 ,the ,ultramontanes place it in the person of the pope2 but the ,gallicans have never admitted this idea1 and place the supreme authority in a universal council4 ,besides1 what sort of infallibility is that which has tolerated the ,inquisition1 applauded the ,st4 ,bartholomew massacre1 preached crusades against the heretics in ,france1 massacred the ,protestants in ,holland1 burned ten thousands at the stake in ,spain8 ,if it be said that ,protestants also have persecuted1 we reply1 that they did it against their own principles1 but that the ,catholics persecuted in accordance with theirs2 and that the ,church which claims exclusive infallibility and holiness has no right to excuse itself because it has done no worse than those which it denounces as being in error and sin4 #c4 ,the ,protestant ,orthodox ,idea of the ,church4 ,protestantism does not claim for its ,church exclusive holiness or infallibility4 ,it defines the ,church to be 8a congregation of faithful men1 in which the pure word of ,god is preached1 and the sacraments duly administered407#fg7 ,why1 then1 the reaction towards ,romanism8 ,it is partly owing to the passive element in man--the wish to be governed1 the weariness of independent thought1 which led ,wordsworth to say1-- 8,me this unchartered freedom tires10-- and which1 in 8,van ,artevelde10 declares that1-- ,thought is tired of wandering through the world1 ,and homeward fancy runs its bark ashore1-- and partly because the ,protestant ,churches are often less active and diligent in the practical part of ,christian work than the ,roman ,catholic ,churches4 ,instead of a manly ,protestantism1 they give us a diluted ,catholicism4 ,they insist on a creed which has neither antiquity nor authority to recommend it1 on sacraments that are no real sacraments1 but only symbols1 and on a ritual which has neither the beauty nor variety of the ,roman worship4 ,what does the ,protestant ,church propose to itself as its end8 ,to produce an abstract piety1 instead of a concrete piety--not a piety embodied in life and conduct1 but taking only the form of an inward experience4 ,if the churches should set themselves the work of feeding the hungry and clothing the naked1 of removing the vices and crimes of men1 of helping the outcasts and visiting the prisoners1 they would have a more living piety growing out of this active charity4 ,their prayer meetings would be much more vigorous when they prayed in order to work1 than when they pray in order to pray4 ,men should not be admitted into the ,church because they are pious1 but in order to become pious by doing ,christian work4 ,by loving1 practically1 the brother they have seen1 they would come to love ,god1 whom they have not seen4 ,again3 the ,protestant ,church feebly imitates the aristocracy of the ,romish ,church4 ,in order to conquer ,romanism1 we must go on and leave it behind1 seeking something better1 and finding some more excellent way4 ,now1 the sin of ,romanism is its aristocracy2 ,protestantism ought1 then1 to give us1 in its ,church1 a ,christian democracy4 ,but it keeps up the pernicious distinction between clergy and laity1 making the clergy a separate class1 and so justifying ,milton's complaint that the 8,presbyter is only the old priest written large40 ,it makes a distinction between men and women in the ,church1 not encouraging the latter to speak or to vote4 ,it makes a distinction between the rich and poor1 selling its pews to those who can buy them1 and leaving those who are unable to do so outside of the sanctuary4 ,it makes a distinction between ,orthodox and heretics1 excluding the latter1 instead of inviting them in where their errors might be corrected4 ,and finally1 it makes an unchristian distinction between good people and bad people2 for while ,jesus1 its ,master1 made himself the friend of publicans and sinners1 the ,church too often turns to them the cold shoulder1 and leaves them to be cured by the law1 and not the gospel4 ,the following saying of a saint of the desert1 ,abbot ,agatho1 is reported by ,dr4 ,newman1 who tells it as something wise and good4 ,it seems to us to illustrate1 with much navet1 the tendency of both ,catholic and ,protestant ,orthodoxy1 to put right opinion above right conduct4 8,it was heard by some that ,abbot ,agatho possessed the gift of discrimination4 ,therefore1 to make trial of his temper1 they said to him1 #8,we are told that you are sensual and haughty4' ,he answered1 #8,that is just it4' ,they said again1 #8,are you not that ,agatho who has such a foul tongue8' ,he answered1 #8,i am he4' ,then they said1 #8,are not you ,agatho the heretic8' ,he made answer1 #8,no4' ,then they asked him why he had been patient of so much1 but would not put up with this last4 ,he answered1 #8,by those ,i was but casting on me evil2 but by this ,i should be severing me from ,god4' 0 ,according1 therefore1 to ,agatho and ,dr4 ,newman1 the tongue 8which is set on fire of hell10 does not separate us from ,god1 but an error of opinion does4 ,pride1 8which comes before a fall10 and sensuality1 which makes of a man a beast1 do not come between the soul and ,god so much as an honest error of opinion4 ,the ,protestant ,church fails to overcome the ,catholic ,church only by being too much like the latter4 ,with ,protestant ideas1 we have semi-,catholic ,churches4 ,we claim as our fundamental principle the right of private judgment1 and then denounce and exclude those who differ from us4 ,we claim that the soul is not to be saved by monkish seclusion1 by going away from the world2 and yet we do not preach and carry out in our church-action the purpose of saving the bodies of men as well as their souls4 ,when the ,protestant ,church work gets more into harmony with ,protestant ideas1 we shall then see fewer relapses into ,romanism4 #d4 ,christ's ,idea of a ,church1 or the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,the ,roman ,catholics having made the visible ,church1 or outward ,christian community1 the central idea of ,christianity1 and having changed this into a close corporation of priests1 it was natural1 perhaps1 that ,protestants should go too far in another direction4 ,accordingly1 the central idea in ,protestantism is not the ,church1 but the salvation of the soul2 not social1 but personal religion2 not the ,christian community1 but personal development2 not the kingdom of heaven here1 but heaven in a future life4 ,yet it is true1 and has been shown lately with great power17#fh7 that the direct and immediate object of ,jesus was to establish a community of believers4 ,this was implied in his being the ,christ1--for the ,christ was to be the head of the kingdom of heaven1--and the kingdom of heaven was to be an earthly and human institution4 ,jesus took the idea of the kingdom of ,god1 as it was announced by the prophets2 purified1 developed1 deepened1 and widened it2 and it resulted in his varied descriptions of the 8kingdom of heaven10 ,this phrase1 in the mouth of ,jesus1 expresses essentially what we mean by 8the ,church40 ,this will appear more plainly if we sum up the principal meanings of the phrase 8kingdom of ,god0 in the ,new ,testament4 ,it is1-- #a4 ,something near at hand4 ,mark #a3ae4 8,the kingdom of ,god is at hand40 ,luke #i3bg4 8,there are some standing here who shall not taste of death till they see the kingdom of ,god40 ,mark #i3a4 8,there be some of them which stand here which shall not taste of death till they have seen the kingdom of ,god come with power40 #b4 ,it was already beginning4 ,luke #ag3bj4 8,and when he was demanded of the ,pharisees when the kingdom of ,god should come1 he answered them and said1 ,the kingdom of ,god cometh not with observation1 neither shall they say1 ,lo1 here6 or1 ,lo1 there6 for behold1 the kingdom of ,god is within 7or #8among'7 you40 #c4 ,it was not of this world4 ,john #ah3cf4 ,jesus said1 8,my kingdom is not of this world40 #d4 ,but was to be in this world4 ,matt4 #f3aj4 8,thy kingdom come1 thy will be done on earth1 as it is in heaven40 #e4 ,in some respects it was to be an outward and visible kingdom1 or an outward institution4 ,parable of the grain of mustard-seed4 ,matt4 #ac3ca1 #cb4 #f4 ,it would contain good and bad4 ,parable of the net4 ,matt4 #ac3dg4 #g4 ,it would belong to ,christ4 ,col4 #a3ac4 8,hath translated us into the kingdom of his ,son40 ,luke #bb3cj4 8,ye shall eat and drink in my kingdom40 ,john #ah3cf4 8,my kingdom is not of this world40 ,matt4 #af3bh4 8,shall see the ,son of man coming in his kingdom40 #h4 ,it would be finally given up to ,god4 #a ,cor4 #ae3bd4 8,then the end2 when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to ,god1 even the ,father10 c4 #i4 ,it is a spiritual kingdom4 ,rom4 #ad3ag4 8,for the kingdom of ,god is not meat and drink1 but righteousness1 peace1 and joy in the ,holy ,ghost40 #aj4 ,flesh and blood cannot inherit it4 #a ,cor4 #ae3ej4 8,flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of ,god2 neither doth corruption inherit incorruption40 #aa4 ,the conditions of admission are spiritual4 ,john #c3c4 8,except a man be born again10 c4 ,matt4 #e3c4 8,blessed are the poor in spirit10 c4 #a ,cor4 #f3i4 8,the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of ,god40 ,see ,gal4 #e3ba4 ,eph4 #e3e4 #ab4 ,the kingdom was to be established by the ,son of man at his coming4 ,matt4 #bd3cj2 #be3a4 8,they shall see the ,son of man coming in the clouds of heaven10 c4 8,then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened407#fi7 ,christ1 therefore1 had in his mind1 as the direct object of his coming1 to cause ,god's kingdom to come1 and his will to be done on earth as in heaven4 ,it was not his direct purpose to teach the truth in abstract forms1 like the philosophers2 nor to make atonement by his death for human sins2 nor to set an example of a holy life2 nor to make a revelation of ,god and immortality2 nor to communicate new life to the world4 ,these he did2 but they came as a part of the kingdom of heaven4 ,they were included in this great idea4 ,his kingdom was a kingdom of truth1 in which his word was to be the judge4 ,he was to reconcile the world to ,god by his death4 ,he was to show what man was made to be and could become4 ,he was to reveal ,god as a ,father to his human children4 ,he was to set in motion a tide of new spiritual life4 ,but the ,,method by which all this was to be done was the method of a community of disciples and brethren1 who should be his apostles and missionaries4 ,they were to be an outward1 visible association with the symbols of baptism and the supper4 ,they were also to be an influence in the world1 a current of religious life4 ,we find that such was the result4 ,we see the disciples embodied and united in a visible community1 which spread through all the ,roman empire1 which soon had its teachers1 officers1 its meetings1 its worship1 its sacred books1 its sacred days4 ,but we find also the larger and deeper current of life1 which constitutes the invisible ,church1 flowing1 like a great river1 down through the centuries4 ,all ,christians in all ,christian lands drink from this stream1 and all their ideas of ,god1 man1 duty1 immortality1 are colored and tinged by it4 ,we read the ,bible by the light of the convictions we absorbed at our mother's knee in our infancy4 ,we carry on our churches in the power of the holy traditions which have become a part of our nature4 ,there is a ,christian consciousness which grows up in every child who is born in ,christendom1 and is the best part of his nature4 ,this makes him a member of the invisible ,church before he outwardly becomes a member of the visible ,christian community4 #e4 ,church of the ,leaven1 or the ,invisible ,church4 ,there are two parables of ,christ which apply to the ,church visible and invisible4 ,the ,church ,visible is the ,church of the ,mustard-seed2 the ,church ,invisible is the ,church of the ,leaven4 ,the former is an organization1 the latter an influence2 the one is body1 and the other spirit4 ,the ,visible ,church is limited by certain boundaries2 defined by its worship1 creeds1 officers1 assemblies1 forms4 ,it has its holy days1 holy places1 holy men1 holy books4 ,but the ,invisible ,church is not limited by any such boundaries2 it exists wherever goodness exists4 ,the ,church of the ,leaven is to be found inside and outside of ,orthodoxy2 inside and outside of professing ,christianity2 among ,jews1 ,mohammedans1 ,heathen2 among ,deists and unbelievers of all sorts1 who build better than they know4 ,for says ,jesus1 8,the wind bloweth where it listeth1 and we hear the sound thereof4444 ,so is every one who is born of the ,spirit40 ,a locomotive must run on a track1 a wagon on a road4 ,but there is no track laid through the sky for the south wind2 there is no time-table to determine the starting and arriving of the soft breeze which comes from the far prairies1 laden with the sweet fragrance of ten thousand flowers4 8,so is every one who is born of the ,spirit40 ,get out your ,catechism1 my ,orthodox friend2 establish1 dear ,methodist brother1 your experience to determine whether one is converted or no4 ,settle for yourself1 excellent formalist1 the signs of the true ,church1 out of which there is no salvation2 and when you have got all your fences arranged1 and your gates built to your satisfaction1 you are obliged to throw them all down with your own hands1 to let ,,the ,,church ,,of ,,the ,,leaven pass through4 8,nobody can be saved10 says ,dogmatic ,christianity1 8who does not believe in the ,trinity and the ,atonement40 8,nobody can be saved10 says ,sentimental ,christianity1 8who has not had a conscious change of heart40 8 ,nobody can be saved10 says ,formal ,christianity1 8who is out of the true ,church and its sacraments40 ,here are the three fences of the ,church of the ,mustard-seed4 ,but see6 here comes an innumerable multitude of little children1 who have never believed in ,trinity or ,atonement2 have never been baptized at all2 have never been converted4 ,yet neither ,dogmatist1 ,sentimentalist1 nor ,formalist dares to exclude them from heaven4 ,logic steps aside2 good feeling opens the three gates2 and the little ones all walk quietly to the good ,shepherd1 who says1 8,let them come to me1 and forbid them not20 gathering the lambs in his arms1 carrying them in his bosom1 and tenderly leading them in the green pastures beside the still waters4 ,the little children must be allowed to go through2 consistency requires them to be damned2 but consistency must take care of itself2 so much the worse for consistency4 ,but who comes next8 ,here are all the heathen1 who have not heard of ,christ4 ,must they be damned8 ,according to the creeds1 yes2 but modern ,orthodoxy has its doubts2 its heart has grown tender4 ,somehow or other we think that we shall have to let them pass1 before a great while4 ,then here are all the people whom we have known and loved4 ,they did not believe as they should4 ,they were never converted1 so far as we know2 they were not members of any ,church1 true or false4 ,but we loved them4 ,cannot the three fences be put aside again1 just to let these friends of ours pass by4 ,what kind-hearted ,orthodox man or woman was ever wanting in an excuse for letting his heretical friends into heaven4 8,he changed his views very essentially before he died4 ,he used very ,orthodox language1 to my certain knowledge4 ,he said he relied on the merits of ,christ2 or1 at least1 he said he believed in ,christ40 ,and so all the good and kind dead people must follow all the little children1 and pass the triple fence4 ,they do not belong to the ,church of the ,mustard-seed2 but they belong to the ,church of the ,leaven4 ,these fences are like the flaming wall in ,tasso2 they seem impassable1 but as soon as one comes up to them they are found to be nothing4 ,blessed be ,god that common sense is stronger than logic2 that humanity is stronger than forms2 and that large1 kind ,christian hearts are more than a match for the somewhat narrow ,christian head4 #f4 ,the ,church of the ,mustard-seed4 ,this is not the spirit1 but the body2 not the life1 but the organization of that life4 ,there is no doubt that we need a ,church visible as well as a ,church invisible2 need a body as well as a soul2 and it is a very important question what sort of a body we shall have4 ,soul1 no doubt1 is infinitely more important than body2 still we do not wish our body to be lame1 blind1 or dyspeptic4 ,because soul is better than body1 we do not like rheumatism or neuralgia4 ,our visible ,church1 the body of ,christ1 is sometimes a little dyspeptic1 and goes about looking very gloomy and miserable1 when it ought to be as gay as a lark4 ,sometimes also it seems to be rheumatic2 at any rate1 it cannot go and attend to its work4 ,it is very subject to fever and ague2 plenty of meetings to-day1 all alive with zeal and heat1 but to-morrow it is cold and shivering4 ,it has its pulmonary disease too2 its lungs are not strong enough to speak when it ought2 to cry out for truth and right in the day of trial4 ,and as we find that hygienics are better than therapeutics for physical diseases1 so1 perhaps1 it will be better for us to prevent the diseases of the ,church by wise arrangements1 which shall give it air1 exercise1 and a wholesome diet1 than to cure it1 when sick1 by the usual medicine of rebuke1 reproof1 and ascetic mortification4 ,the visible ,church may be looked at in four points of view4 ,we may consider it as1-- #a4 ,the ,primitive ,church1 or ,church as it was4 #b4 ,the ,church ,actual1 or ,church as it is4 #c4 ,the ,ideal ,church1 or ,church as it ought to be4 #d4 ,the ,possible ,church1 or ,church as it can be4 #g4 ,primitive and ,apostolic ,church1 or ,church as it was4 ,if we study the nature1 organization1 and character of the primitive ,christian ,church1 as it appears in the book of ,acts and in the ,epistles1 we recognize easily the warm1 loving life which was in its spring time1 when all buds were swelling1 and all flowers opening4 ,it was far from being a perfect ,church4 ,it had many errors1 and included many vices4 ,some persons in the ,church did not believe in the resurrection of the dead4 7#a ,cor4 #ae3ab47 ,some disciples had not heard there was a ,holy ,ghost4 7,acts #ai3b47 ,some even became intoxicated at the ,lord's ,supper4 7#a ,cor4 #aa3ba1 74 ,some ,christians had to be told not to steal 7,eph4 #d3bh72 nor to lie1 7,col4 #c3i72 nor to commit other immoralities4 ,peter 7supposed to be the infallible head of the ,church7 was rebuked by ,paul for dissimulation4 ,paul and ,barnabas could not get along together1 but quarrelled1 and had to separate4 ,part of the ,church ,judaized1 and denounced ,paul as a false apostle4 ,another part ,paganized1 and carried ,pauline liberty into license4 ,and yet1 though there was so little of completed ,christian character1 there was a great amount of spiritual life in the apostolic ,church4 ,they are styled saints1 but never was anything less saintly than the state of things in the beginning4 ,but they were looking the right way1 and going in the right direction4 ,they were full of faith1 zeal1 enthusiasm1 and inspiration2 so they had in themselves the promise and expectation of saintship1 if not its reality4 ,directly after the ascension of ,christ1 and the wonderful experiences of the day of ,pentecost1 we find the ,christian community in active operation4 ,its organization was as yet very indefinite2 that was to come by degrees4 ,it was a ,church without a creed2 its only creed was a declaration of faith in ,jesus as the ,christ1 the ,son of ,god4 ,it was a ,church without a bishop1 or a single head of any kind2 for ,peter1 ,james1 and ,john seem all three to have possessed an equal influence in it1 and that influence was derived from their character4 ,paul tells us expressly1 in the ,epistle to the ,galatians1 that when he went up to ,jerusalem1 long after his conversion1 ,peter1 ,james1 and ,john 8seemed to be pillars0 there4 ,no mention is made anywhere in the book of ,acts of a single bishop presiding over the ,church at ,jerusalem1 or over any other ,church4 ,and as to the ,romish ,church1 which claims to be the oldest ,church1 and the mother of all the rest1 it was not yet founded at all1 when the ,church at ,jerusalem was established4 ,nor was the ,church at ,rome as old as the ,churches at ,antioch1 at ,lystra1 at ,iconium1 and elsewhere1 for ,paul and ,barnabas ordained elders in all these churches1 as we are expressly told in ,acts #adth2 and in ,acts #ae3g we find ,peter still at ,jerusalem4 ,if there was any church at ,rome1 ,peter was not its bishop2 then either it was a church without a bishop1 or ,peter was not its first bishop4 ,we find also that as the apostolic ,church had no creed and no bishop1 neither had it any fixed or settled forms4 ,its forms and usages grew up naturally1 according as convenience required4 ,thus 7,acts #f3a-e7 we find that the apostles recommended the disciples to choose seven persons to attend to the distribution of charity4 8,a murmuring arose0 because the ,greek widows were neglected--neglected1 probably1 because not so well known as the others4 ,this shows that there were no fixed1 established forms2 even the order of deacons was originated to meet an occasion4 ,that they had no form of service1 no fixed ,liturgy1 in the apostolic ,church1 appears from #a ,cor4 #ad3bf4 8,how is it1 brethren1 when ye come together1 every one of you hath a psalm1 a doctrine1 a tongue1 a revelation1 an interpretation8 ,let the prophets speak1 two or three1 and the others judge1 and if anything be revealed to another that sitteth by1 let the first hold his peace4 ,you may all prophesy one by one1 that all may learn1 and all be comforted40 ,now1 it is very evident no fixed or formal service could have been established in the churches when he recommended this4 ,but though the apostolic ,church had neither bishop1 nor creed1 nor fixed forms1 nor a fixed body of officers1 it had something better--it had faith in ,god1 and mutual love4 8,the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul2 neither said any man that aught that he possessed was his own1 but they had all things common40 ,we do not find an absolute community of property established by a law of the ,church1 as in the monastic orders1 or as in the school of ,pythagoras1 and some modern communities1 as that of ,st4 ,simon2 for ,peter says to ,ananias1 of his property1 8,while it remained1 was it not thine own8 and after it was sold1 was it not in thine own power80 ,but though their property was in their own power1 they did not call it their own1 or consider it so2 it belonged to ,god3 they were only stewards1 and they readily brought it1 and gave it to the use of the ,church4 ,the apostolic ,church was a home of peace and joy4 ,whatever tribulations they might have in the world1 when they met together they met ,christ1 and ate their meat with gladness and singleness of heart4 ,they were in an atmosphere of love and freedom4 ,we hear of no rules1 no laws1 no constraining forms2 but all were led by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,even in their public service1 as we have seen1 though ,paul recommended a greater order1 it was not based on authority1 but on the sense of propriety of each individual1 because ,god was not the ,god of confusion1 but of peace4 ,such was the original ,church1 as described in the ,acts and ,epistles4 ,it sprang up because it was wanted1 and ,christ foresaw that it would be4 ,it was founded not on an arbitrary command1 but on the needs of human nature4 ,man is not a solitary1 but a social being4 ,he needs society in his labors and in his joys2 society in study1 society in relaxation4 ,even in the highest act of his life1--in the act of prayer1 in communion with ,god2 in that act1 called by an ancient ,platonist 8the flight of one alone to the only ,one10--even then he cannot be alone4 ,in the union of man with man in any natural and true relation1 his thought becomes more clear1 his will more firm1 his devotion more profound1 his affections more enlarged4 ,the broader and deeper the basis of the union1 the more it blesses and helps him4 ,a friendship based upon the knowledge and love of the same ,god1 what can be better for us than this8 ,thus we see that the apostolic ,church was a home for ,christ's family 7,matt4 #ab3di72 a school for his disciples2 a fraternity of brethren4 ,for discipline1 it had officers1 but no clergy1 nor priesthood1 for all were priests1 and all took part in the services4 7#a ,peter #b3e2 ,rom4 #a3f2 #a ,cor4 #ad3bf47 ,its only creed was a belief in ,jesus as the ,christ1 the ,son of ,god4 7,acts #h3cg2 #af3ca4 #a ,john #d3ae2 #e3e1 #aj4 ,rom4 #aj3i47 ,the unity of the ,church was not the unity of opinion1 nor the unity of ceremonies1 but the bond of the ,spirit 7,eph4 #d3c71 and the central unities of faith1 not of doctrine 7,eph4 #d3e47 ,the object of the ,church service was not merely to partake the ,lord's ,supper together1 nor to maintain public worship1 nor to defend and propagate a creed1 nor to call men into an outward organization1 nor to gather pious people together1 and keep them safe as in an ark1 but to do good and get good--to grow up in all things into ,him who is the ,head4 ,and the condition of membership was to wish to be saved from sin1 and to have faith in ,christ that he could save them2 it was to hunger and thirst after righteousness4 #h4 ,the ,actual ,church1 or the ,church as it is4 ,now1 if we turn from the ,church as it was to the ,church as it is1--from the apostolic ,church to those around us1--we see a difference4 ,instead of the freedom and union which were in the early ,church1 we find in the ,roman ,catholic communion union1 but no freedom2 in the ,protestant ,churches freedom1 but no union4 ,in both we find the ,church built on the ministry1 instead of the ministry on the ,church2 the priests everything1 the people nothing2 fixed forms1 instead of a free movement2 dead creeds1 instead of a living faith4 ,the spirit of worldliness has entered the churches1 and they try to serve ,god and ,mammon2 ,god on ,sunday1 and ,mammon on the week days4 ,the members of the churches are more devout and more religious1 but not more moral or more humane1 than many who are out of their body4 ,and because they do not love man whom they have seen1 they find it hard to love ,god1 whom they have not seen4 ,their want of humanity destroys their piety4 ,a vast amount of good is done by the churches1 even in their present state2 but when we think of what they might do1 it seems nothing4 ,yet it is not nothing4 ,could we know the good done by the mere sound of the church bells on ,sunday1 by the quiet assembling of peaceful multitudes in their different churches2 could we measure the amount of awe and reverence which falls over every mind1 restraining the reckless1 checking many a half-formed purpose of evil1 rousing purer associations and memories1 calling up reminiscences of innocent childhood in the depraved heart of man2 could we know how many souls are roused to a better life1 made to realize their immortal nature1 reminded of a judgment to come2 could we see how many souls1 on every ,sabbath1 in our thousands of churches1 are turned from sin to ,god1 how many sorrowing hearts are consoled by the sweet promises of the gospel2 could we see1 as ,god sees and the angels see1 all this1--we should feel that the churches1 in their greatest feebleness1 are yet the instruments of an incalculable good4 ,but when we look at what is to be done1 what ought to be done1 what could be done by them1 their present state seems most forlorn4 ,it is one of the most difficult of our duties not to despise an imperfect good1 and yet not to be satisfied with it4 ,one of the greatest evils of our churches is1 that they are churches of the clergy1 not of the people4 ,our clergy are generally pure-minded1 well-intentioned men1 less selfish and worldly than most men2 but they are not equal to the demands of their position4 ,we take a young man1 send him to college1 then to a theological school1 where he studies his ,greek very faithfully1 and learns to write sermons4 ,he comes out1 twenty-two years old1 a pleasing speaker1 and is immediately settled and ordained over a large long-established church4 ,as he rises in the pulpit and looks down on his congregation1 one would think he would despair4 ,what can he say to them8 ,he knows nothing of human nature1 of its struggles and sins1 its temptations in the shop and the street4 ,men do not curse at him1 nor try to cheat him1 nor entice him into bar-rooms1 oyster-cellars1 billiard-rooms1 and theatres4 ,he cannot speak to men of their vices1 their stony and hard hearts1 their utter unbelief1 their crying selfishness1 for he knows nothing of it4 ,he must speak of sin in the abstract1 not of sin in the concrete4 ,if he did1 what could he say8 ,what weapons has he8 ,the sword of the ,spirit is in his hands1 but he has not tried it2 he has no confidence in it4 ,the awful truths of the ,bible1 which smite the stoutest sinner to the earth1 these he might utter1 if he dared2 but he knows not how4 ,and yet he is the teacher of these gray-headed men1 and their only teacher4 ,had he gone out as ,jesus sent his disciples1 without purse or shoes or two coats1 and preached the gospel for ten years by the way-side1 in cottages1 in school-houses1 living hard1 sleeping on the floor1 seeing men and women everywhere without disguise1 and taking no thought beforehand what to say1 but leaning on ,god for his inspiration1--then might he have learned how to say something weighty even to a great congregation4 ,or if this poor boy were surrounded by a living active church1 helping him by advice1 going with him into the house of sorrow1 the haunt of sin1 kneeling with him by the sick couch and death-bed1 and adding to his small experience the whole variety and richness of theirs1--then might he be a man of ,god1 thoroughly furnished for every work4 ,if there were ,judaism and ,paganism in the early ,church1 they still1 no doubt1 linger in our churches to-day4 ,the ,church ,judaizes in this--that it still puts forms above life4 ,for example1 the ,roman ,catholic ,church teaches that if you take a child1 and put water upon him1 repeating the baptismal formula1 and with the intention of baptizing him1 the child becomes in that moment regenerate4 ,if he had died the moment before1 he would have been damned forever in eternal torments2 if he dies the moment after1 he will go to eternal bliss in heaven4 ,now1 if an earthly parent should cover his child's body with camphene1 and then set it on fire1 because somebody had not baptized it1 we should say he was a very cruel parent4 ,but this conduct is attributed to the good ,god by the ,roman ,catholic doctrine4 ,moreover1 when an outward form is made thus essential1 when everlasting salvation or damnation depends on it1 it behooves us to know what it is4 ,baptism consists of three parts--the water1 the formula1 and the intention of the baptizer4 ,but as to the water1 we may ask1 ,how much is essential8 ,is it essential that there be enough to entirely immerse the body8 ,the ,catholic ,church replies1 8,no40 ,is the aqueous vapor always present in the air enough8 ,it answers1 8,no1 that is not enough40 ,at what precise point1 then1 between these two1 does enough begin1 does baptism take place1 and the child cease to be a child of perdition1 and become an heir of salvation8 ,the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 being obliged to answer this question1 has answered it thus3 ,there is no baptism until water enough to run is put on the child4 ,a drop which will not run1 does not baptize him2 a drop which will run1 baptizes him4 ,the difference1 then1 between these two drops1 is the difference to the child between eternal damnation and eternal salvation47#gj7 ,how does this sound by the side of the declaration of the apostle ,paul--8,he is not a ,jew who is one outwardly1 neither is circumcision outward in the flesh2 but he is a ,jew who is one inwardly1 and circumcision is of the heart08 ,judaism1 if anything1 was an outward institution2 ,christianity1 if anything1 is an inward life4 ,and yet that which the apostle ,paul said of ,judaism we hardly to-day would venture to say of ,christianity4 8,he is not a ,christian who is one outwardly1 neither is ,christianity in outward belief1 profession1 or aspect2 but he is a ,christian who is one inwardly40 8,o1 no60 we say1 8there must be a distinction4 ,a man who does not believe in the miracles1 for example1 may be a good man1 but you must not call him a ,christian40 ,but he who follows ,christ1 we think1 is a ,christian4 ,and as ,christ walks before mankind on the divine road of goodness1 truth1 love1 purity1 he who walks on that road cannot help being a follower of ,christ1 whatever he may call himself4 ,how the ,church ,judaizes about the ,sabbath--pretending1 first1 that there is a ,sabbath in ,christianity1 and teaching people that there is a sort of piety in calling ,sunday the ,sabbath1 and next putting this ritual observance1 this abstinence from labor and amusement1 on a level with moral duties6 ,when men tithe mint1 they are apt to forget justice and mercy4 ,if ,jesus were to return1 after all these centuries1 and were only to do and say just what he did and said about the ,sabbath when he was here before1 there are many pious ,protestants who would think him rather lax in his religious principles4 ,how long he has been with us1 and yet we have not known him6 ,an ,american ,protestant bishop once forbade a clergyman of his church to officiate again1 because this clergyman had invited a ,methodist minister to assist him in the administration of the sacrament4 ,this is backsliding a good way from the position of ,him who said1 8,forbid him not3 he that is not against us is with us40 ,and again3 8,whosoever wishes to do the will of ,god1 the same is my mother1 my sister1 and my brother40 ,dear ,master6 is thy ,church so broad as to include all who desire to do the will of ,god1 and are our churches so narrow that they cannot hold any but those who agree with us in our little notions about ceremony and form8 ,hast thou been so long time with us1 and yet have we not known thee8 ,the ,church ,actual is a timid ,church4 ,it is afraid of truth1 and afraid of love4 ,its creed is full of mysteries too solemn and sacred to be examined4 ,they are the sealed book of the prophet1 which is given to the learned clergy1 and to the unlearned laity2 and the answer of the unlearned laity is1 8,we are not learned40 ,and the answer of the learned clergy is1 8,it is sealed4 ,it is a mystery4 ,we must not even try to understand it40 ,the ,actual ,church is not fond of a free examination of its tenets1 but rather represses it by the flaming terrors of perdition impending over honest error4 ,the ,church ,actual sticks in the letter4 ,how it idolizes the ,bible6 ,but when you ask1 ,what8 you find it is rather the letter of the ,bible than its manly1 generous1 humane1 and holy spirit4 ,it babbles of verbal inspiration and literal inspiration1 which are phrases as absurd as it would be to say 8bodily spirit40 ,question the inspiration of the letter1 and a thousand voices cry1 8,you are cutting away the very foundations of our faith4 ,if we cannot believe every letter of the ,bible to be from ,god1 we have nothing to hold by40 ,but the apostle ,paul thought somewhat differently1 when he said1 8,who hath also made us able ministers of the ,new ,testament1 not of the letter1 but of the spirit2 for the letter killeth1 but the spirit giveth life40 ,the ,american ,bible ,society appointed a committee of learned persons to revise the present translation of the ,bible--not to make a new translation by any means1 but merely to correct palpable blunders of the press1 palpable errors in the headings of chapters1 or universally admitted mistakes of the translators4 ,the learned men did their work4 ,it was examined1 printed--about to be published4 ,but an outcry was made1 that the ,bible ,society1 in taking away these few errors of the press1 was taking away our ,bible4 ,the ,christian public1 in the middle of the nineteenth century1 has been so instructed1 that when a few errors in the letter of the outward word are corrected1 it cries out1 8,they have taken away my ,lord1 and ,i know not where they have laid him40 ,the ,church ,actual is sectarian4 ,every church is trying to swell its numbers at the expense of its neighbors4 ,we do not think that a ,christian ,church should be constructed on the principle of a mouse-trap1 which it is easy enough to get into1 but hard to get out of4 ,we do not think it right that young persons1 in the glow of their piety1 should be drawn into a church1 without being told that if they should change their views on any important point1 they cannot leave it except by being excommunicated publicly4 ,but there are churches in ,new ,england which have many very easy and agreeable entrances1 but only two exits--very difficult and disagreeable4 ,if one wishes to leave1 he is dismissed with a letter directed to some other church of the same creed1 and not till he has joined some such church1 and a certificate is sent back to that effect1 is he released from his obligations4 ,the ,church is therefore like a city on a hill1 with a palisade fence all round1 with openings by which one can get in1 but not out2 and having only two outlets--one by a gate kept carefully locked1 and the other over a steep wall1 fifty feet high4 ,you have your choice of three things3 #a4 ,stay where you are2 #b4 ,go through the gate into another palisaded enclosure2 #c4 ,be pitched down the ,tarpeian rock of excommunication47#ga7 ,thus we see that the ,church ,actual differs much1 and often for the worse1 from the ,church ,primitive4 ,it is not now a home or a fraternity1 for its members often do not know each other by sight4 ,it is not a school of disciples1 for it is thought necessary to take your whole creed at once1 ready made1 and not learn it by degrees4 ,the worship is too often by the minister and choir1 the people being only spectators4 ,instead of the simple original faith in ,jesus as the ,christ1 the people are taught long and complicated creeds4 ,instead of a unity of conviction1 seeing the same things1 there is only a unity of expression1 saying the same things4 ,instead of seeking to save the outcasts1 infidels1 vicious2 churches are built and occupied by ,christians themselves1 as though ,christ came to call only the righteous to repentance4 ,there may be1 in our great cities1 a church to every two thousand persons2 but every seat in every church is bought and occupied by the respectable and comfortable classes4 ,the gospel is preached1 but no longer to the poor4 ,there is something wrong in all this4 #i4 ,the ,church ,ideal1 or ,church as it ought to be4 ,the ,church ,ideal is full of life1 power1 love1 freedom4 ,it is a teaching ,church2 calling men out of darkness into marvellous light1 throwing light on all the mysteries of human existence4 ,it takes the little child and teaches it concerning its duty and destiny4 ,it organizes schools through every ,christian nation1 so that all ,christian children shall be taught of ,god1 and that great shall be their peace4 ,it teaches systematically and thoroughly all classes of society2 so that all1 from least to the greatest1 know the ,lord4 ,it organizes missions to all heathen lands1 and its missionaries are so true1 noble1 kind1 so reflect the life of ,jesus in their own1 that the heathen come flying like clouds1 and like flocks of doves1 to the windows of the holy home4 ,the dusky1 and swarming races of ,hindostan1 the mild and studious ,chinamen1 come flowing to ,christ1 as the long undulating clouds of pigeons darken along the ,october sky in our western forests4 ,the ideal ,church is a loving ,church4 ,it loves men out of their sins4 ,it seeks the poor and forlorn1 the hard-hearted and impenitent1 and by unwearied patience soothes their harsh spirit4 ,enter its gates1 and you find yourself in an atmosphere of affection4 ,the strong bear the infirmities of the weak4 ,each seeks the lowest place for himself4 ,they love to wash the disciples' feet4 ,the ,ideal ,church is an active ,church4 ,all the members work together for the building up of the body2 some after this fashion1 others after that4 8,so the whole body1 fitly joined together1 and compacted by that which every joint supplieth10 is built up in love4 ,is there any ruinous vice1 any corroding sin1 any festering moral disease in the land8 ,the ,ideal ,church searches for its root1 and finds its cure4 ,it takes the intemperate man by the hand1 and will not let him go till he abstains4 ,it penetrates into every haunt of sin and pollution1 and brings forth the half-ruined child1 triumphantly leads out the corrupt woman1 and places them in new homes4 ,the ,ideal ,church does not dispute about doctrines or dogmas4 ,it says to each1 8,to your ,master you shall stand or fall1 not to me40 ,therefore the ,ideal ,church is an earthly heaven4 ,there is in it a warm1 serene1 sunny atmosphere2 a sky without clouds2 the society of love1 the solitude of meditation1 the inaccessible mountain tops of prayer2 the low-lying1 quiet valleys1 where the wicked cease from troubling1 and the weary are at rest4 ,but where is the ,ideal ,church8 ,we have seen that it is not in the past1 where many look for it4 ,the golden age of the ,church1 the ,paradisiacal state of ,christianity1 is not behind us4 ,was the ,ideal ,church that which persecuted ,paul for renouncing ,judaism8 ,was it any of the ,churches described by ,john in the book of ,revelation8 that of ,ephesus1 which had 8left its first love08 that of ,pergamos1 which contained heretical teachers8 that of ,thyatira1 which communed with ,jezebel and the depths of ,satan8 that of ,sardis1 which had 8a name to live1 and was dead08 or that of ,laodicea1 which was lukewarm8 ,was that an ,ideal ,church where ,paul was obliged to write to ,titus that a bishop must not be a striker1 nor given to wine1 nor to filthy lucre8 and to advise ,timothy to avoid 8profane and vain babbling08 ,there was more life in it than in the ,church now2 a great struggling1 but undeveloped power of life1 heaving and tossing the ,church1 as with subterranean fire--smoke and flame bursting forth together2 a great power of life1 but little chance of doctrine as yet2 little harmony of action2 little in accordance with our ideas of decency and order4 ,it was the spring time1 and as in the spring there is a great power of life in nature1 swelling all buds1 pushing all shoots1 unfolding leaves1--but all things still bare2 few flowers1 no fruit1--so it was in the ,primitive ,church4 ,it was not ,ideal4 ,the ,ideal ,church is before us1 not behind us2 it is to come4 #aj4 ,the ,church ,possible1 or ,church as it can be4 ,is any ,church possible but the ,actual8 ,we think there is4 ,we think that a ,church may be something more and better than any we have now4 ,without reaching the ideal standard we can yet do something4 ,we think it possible for a ,church to be united on a basis of study and action rather than on that of attainment4 ,instead of having it consist of those who have formed opinions1 let it consist of those who wish to form them4 ,instead of having it consist of those who have been converted1 and who believe themselves pious1 let it consist of those who wish to be converted1 and who desire to be pious4 ,instead of having it consist of good people1 let us invite in the bad people who desire to be good4 ,do you send your children to school because they are learned1 and not rather because they are ignorant8 ,why should we not become disciples of ,christ because of our ignorance1 rather than our knowledge4 ,we think it possible to have a ,church1 and even a denomination1 organized1 not on a creed1 but on a purpose of working together4 ,suppose that the condition of membership was the desire and intention of getting good and doing good4 ,the members of a church are not those who unite in order to partake the ,lord's ,supper1 but to do the ,lord's work4 ,the ,lord's ,supper is their refreshment after working4 ,they come together sometimes to remember his love1 and to get strength from him4 ,let them sit together1 express their desires1 confess their faults1 say what they have been trying to do1 where they have failed1 where succeeded1 and so encourage each other to run with diligence the race set before them4 ,we therefore think it possible for a ,church to be built on ,christ himself1 and not on a minister4 ,the ,church might even do without a sermon2 the members might pray together and sing together1 when they had no minister1 and be a true family of ,christian men and women1 brothers and sisters in the ,lord4 ,the lowest view of a ,christian ,church is that which makes it a body of pew-holders2 the next lowest1 that which makes them an audience met to hear a sermon2 the next lowest1 a mere congregation or assembly of worshippers2 a little higher is that of a body of communicants1 bound together by the desire of knowing ,christ2 but highest of all is that which regards a ,church as the body of ,christ4 ,such a ,church is to learn of him1 and to do his will2 it is his eyes1 to look on all things with a ,christian vision2 his hands1 by which he shall still touch and heal the wretched2 his feet1 to go through the world1 to search out its evils and sins2 his mouth1 through which he shall speak words of divinest help and encouragement4 8,the body of ,christ1 and members one of another40 ,the body of ,christ2 always active1 always progressing1 always advancing2 advancing into a deeper and better knowledge of his will1 into a purer love of his kingdom1 into a further and divine life of union with him2 the body fitly joined together1 and compacted by that which every joint supplieth1 making increase of the body to the building of itself up in love4 ,it is possible to have a ,church which shall be ready to teach and preach the gospel1 not to a few pew-holders only1 but to the whole community4 ,every child born in ,new ,england is taught the elements of secular knowledge without money and without price4 ,are the waters of earthly knowledge1 then1 so much more essential to the safety of the state than the waters of life1 that we cannot risk the chance of leaving any child uninstructed in reading and writing1 but may leave him untaught in the gospel8 ,it would seem to be possible1 since we have free schools1 to have also free ,churches1 and so really to have1 what we profess to maintain1 ,public ,worship6 ,there is no such thing now as public worship4 ,the churches are not public places--each belongs to a private corporation of pew-holders4 ,it is possible to have a ,church which shall consider it its duty to obey its ,master's first command1 and 8preach the gospel to every creature40 ,its mission shall be to go out into the highways and the hedges1 to seek and save the lost4 ,it will regard the world as its field1 and the whole community as its sphere of labor--the whole community1 according to its needs1 to be taught1 helped1 comforted1 and cured by the gospel4 ,it is possible to have a ,church which shall be united1 not on ceremonies1 nor on a creed1 but on study and labor1 on loving and doing4 ,the condition of admission should be the purpose to get good and do good4 ,they should enter this school to learn1 and not because they were already learned2 to become good1 and not because they were already so4 ,it is possible to have a ,church which shall make it its purpose to educate the whole man--spirit1 soul1 and body2 and not merely the spirit2 to present the human being to ,god perfect and entire1 wanting nothing4 ,it is possible to have a ,church which shall combine union and freedom4 ,the ,roman ,church1 aiming at union1 and neglecting freedom1 has a union which is no real union2 which is an outward shell of conformity1 without inward unity of heart and thought4 ,the ,protestant ,church1 desiring freedom and neglecting union1 has a freedom which is not really freedom1 being only the outward liberty of tolerated opinions1 but one in which free thought is discouraged1 and honest difference of opinion disallowed4 ,only by combining in a living whole such antagonist needs1 can either of these be fully secured4 ,union without freedom is not union2 freedom without union1 not freedom4 ,there is no harmony in the juxtaposition of similar notes1 but in the concord of dissimilar ones4 ,difference without discord1 variety in harmony1 the unity of the spirit with diversity of the letter1 difference of operation1 but the same ,lord1 many members1 but one body1--this is very desirable1 and wholly possible4 ,the day is coming in which our dogmatic ,churches1 formal ,churches1 sentimentally pious ,churches1 and professedly liberal ,churches1 shall be all taken up into something higher and better4 ,the very discontent which prevails everywhere announces it4 ,it is the working of the leaven--mind agitating the mass4 ,in ,protestant countries there is a tendency to ,rome2 but in ,roman ,catholic countries an equal or greater tendency to ,protestantism4 ,orthodoxy tends to ,liberal ,christianity4 ,liberal ,christianity tends to ,orthodoxy4 ,each longs for its opposite1 its supplement1 its counterpart4 ,it is a movement towards a larger liberty and a deeper life4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,trinity4 #a4 ,definition of the ,church ,doctrine4 8,the fundamental formula for the doctrine of the ,trinity1 as defined by the ,church10 says ,twesten17#gb7 8is1 that in one divine essence or nature there are three persons1 distinguished from each other by certain characteristics1 and indivisibly participating in that one nature40 ,the 8,augsburg ,confession10 says1 in like manner1 8three persons in one essence407#gc7 ,so the 8,gallic ,confession10 and other ,church ,confessions1 which say almost the same thing in the same words47#gd7 ,the explanations given to these phrases vary indefinitely4 ,nitzsch 7,system d4 ,christ4 ,lehre1 #hj7 says1 8,we stand related in such a way1 with all our ,christian experience 7,gewerdensein und ,werden71 to the one1 eternal1 divine essence1 who is love1 that in the ,son we adore love as mediating and speaking1 in the spirit as fellowship and life1 in the ,father as source and origin40 ,schleiermacher considers this doctrine as not any immediate expression of the ,christian consciousness1 and declares that 8our communion with ,christ might be just the same if we knew nothing at all of this transcendent mystery40 ,hase says17#ge7 8,this ,church dogma always has floated between ,unitarianism1 ,tritheism1 and ,sabellianism1 asserting the premises of all three1 and denying their conclusions only by maintaining the opposite40 ,all sorts of illustrations have been used from the earliest times--such as fountain1 brook1 river2 root1 stalk1 branch2 memory1 understanding1 will27#gf7 soul1 reason1 sense27#gg7 three persons in grammar1 the teacher1 the person spoken to1 and that spoken of47#gh7 ,some mystics argued the necessity of three persons in the ,deity for the sake of a divine society and mutual love47#gi7 ,lessing argues that 8,god from eternity must have contemplated that which is most perfect1 but that is himself2 but to contemplate with ,god1 is to create2 ,god's thought of himself1 therefore1 must be a being1 but a divine being1 that is1 ,god1 the ,son ,god2 but these two1 ,god the thinker and ,god the thought1 are in perfect divine harmony1 and this harmony is the ,spirit407#hj7 ,leibnitz also considers the ,trinity as illustrated best by the process of reflection in the human mind4 ,strauss objects to this class of definitions1 that they are two elements united in a third1 while the ,church doctrine requires three united in a fourth4 ,the ,church doctrine concerning the ,trinity appears most fully developed in its ,orthodox form in what is called the ,creed of ,st4 ,athanasius4 ,it was not written by him1 but by some one in the fifth or sixth century4 #a4 ,whosoever will be saved1 before all things must take care to keep the ,catholic faith3 #b4 ,which except one keeps it entire and inviolate1 he shall without doubt perish everlastingly4 #c4 ,but the ,catholic faith is this3 that we adore one ,god in ,trinity1 and the ,trinity in ,unity2 #d4 ,neither confounding the persons1 nor dividing the substance4 #e4 ,for there is one person of the ,father1 another of the ,son1 and another of the ,holy ,spirit4 #f4 ,but the divinity of the ,father1 ,son1 and ,spirit1 is one1 the glory equal1 the majesty equal4 #g4 ,as is the ,father1 so is the ,son1 and so is the ,holy ,spirit4 #h4 ,the ,father is uncreated1 the ,son is uncreated1 and the ,holy ,spirit uncreated4 #i4 ,the ,father immeasurable17#ha7 the ,son immeasurable1 and the ,holy ,spirit immeasurable4 #aj4 ,the ,father eternal1 the ,son eternal1 and the ,holy ,spirit eternal4 #aa4 ,and yet there are not three ,eternals1 but one ,eternal4 #ab4 ,and so there are not three uncreated1 nor three immeasurable1 but one uncreated1 and one immeasurable4 #ac4 ,so the ,father is omnipotent1 the ,son is omnipotent1 and the ,holy ,spirit is omnipotent4 #ad4 ,and yet there are not three omnipotents1 but one omnipotent4 #ae4 ,so the ,father is ,god1 the ,son is ,god1 and the ,holy ,spirit is ,god4 #af4 ,and yet there are not three ,gods1 but one ,god4 #ag4 ,so the ,father is ,lord1 the ,son is ,lord1 and the ,holy ,spirit is ,lord4 #ah4 ,and yet there are not three ,lords1 but one ,lord4 #ai4 ,for as we are compelled by ,christian truth to confess of each one1 that each person7#hb7 is ,god and ,lord2 so we are forbidden by the ,catholic religion from saying three ,gods or three ,lords4 #bj4 ,the ,father is not made1 nor created1 nor begotten4 #ba4 ,the ,son is from the ,father alone2 not made1 nor created1 but begotten4 #bb4 ,the ,holy ,spirit is from the ,son and the ,father2 not created1 nor begotten1 but proceeding4 #bc4 ,therefore there is one ,father1 and not three2 one ,son1 and not three2 one ,holy ,spirit1 and not three4 #bd4 ,and in this ,trinity there is none before or after1 none greater or less1 but all three ,persons are coeternal and coequal4 #be4 ,so that everywhere we must adore the ,unity in ,trinity1 and the ,trinity in ,unity4 #bf4 ,whoever1 therefore1 would be saved1 must think thus of the ,trinity4 #b4 ,history of the ,doctrine4 ,in the ,christian ,church1 the history of this doctrine is interesting and important4 ,some sort of ,triad1 or ,trinity1 existed in very early times1 although the ,orthodox form was not established until later4 ,at first1 the prevailing doctrine is that of subordination2 that is1 that the ,son and the ,spirit are inferior to the ,father4 ,but1 as the ,son and the ,spirit were also called divine1 those who thought thus were accused of believing in three ,gods47#hc7 ,some then said1 that the ,father was alone divine2 and these were called ,monarchians4 ,others1 wishing to retain the divinity of the ,son and ,spirit1 and yet to believe in one ,god1 said that the divinity in the ,father1 in the ,son1 and in the ,spirit1 was essentially the same1 but that the divinity of the ,father was the fountain from which that of the ,son and ,spirit was derived4 ,this was fixed as ,orthodox at the ,council of ,nice1 ,a4,d4 #cbe1 and was the beginning of ,orthodoxy in the ,church4 ,it was a middle course between ,scylla and ,charybdis1 which were represented on the one side by ,arius1 who maintained that the ,son was created out of nothing2 and by ,sabellius on the other hand1 who maintained that the ,son was only a mode1 manifestation1 or name of ,god2 ,god being called the ,father1 as ,creator of the world2 called ,son1 as ,redeemer of the world2 and ,spirit1 as ,sanctifier of the world4 ,the ,council of ,nice declared that the ,son was not a manifestation of ,god1 as ,sabellius said1 nor a creation by ,god1 as ,arius said1 but a derivation from ,god47#hd7 ,just as the essence of the fountain flows into the stream derived from it1 so the essence of the ,father flows into the ,son1 who is derived from him4 ,here1 then1 we have the three formulas of the early ,church--that of ,arius1 who says1 8,the ,son was created by the ,father1 and is inferior to him20 that of ,sabellius1 who says1 8,the ,father1 ,son1 and ,spirit1 are manifestations of ,god1 and the same essence20 and ,orthodoxy1 as the ,council of ,nice1 trying to stand between them1 and saying1 8,the ,son is derived from the ,father1 and is of the same essence with him40 ,the ,church1 ever since1 has been like a ship beating against head winds between opposing shores4 ,it has stood on one tack to avoid ,arianism or ,tritheism1 till it finds itself running into ,sabellianism2 then it goes about1 and stands away till it comes near ,arianism or ,tritheism again4 ,unitarianism is on both sides3 on one side in the form of one ,god1 with a threefold manifestation of himself2 on the other side in the form of a ,supreme ,god1 with the ,son and ,spirit subordinate4 ,it has always been very hard to be ,orthodox2 for1 to do so1 one must distinguish the ,persons1 and yet not divide the substance1 of the ,deity4 ,in keeping the three ,persons distinctly separate1 there was great danger of making three distinct ,gods4 ,on the other hand1 if one tried to make the ,unity distinct1 there was danger that the ,persons would grow shadowy1 and disappear4 ,the heaviest charge against the ,church doctrine of the ,trinity is1 that1 driven to despair by these difficulties1 it has at last made ,orthodoxy consist1 not in any sound belief1 but only in sound phrases4 ,it is not believing anything1 but saying something1 which now makes a man ,orthodox4 ,if you will only use the word 8,trinity0 in any sense1 if you will only call ,christ ,god in any sense1 you are ,orthodox4 #c4 ,errors in the ,church ,doctrine of the ,trinity4 ,the errors in the popular view concerning the ,trinity1 as it is at present held1 appear to be these3-- #a4 ,the ,trinity is held as a mere dogma1 or form of words1 not as a reality4 ,it is held in the letter1 not in the spirit4 ,there is no power in it1 nor life in it2 and it is in no sense an object of faith to those who accept it4 ,they do not believe it1 but rather believe that they ought to believe it4 ,there are certain texts in ,scripture which seem to assert it1 certain elaborate arguments which appear convincing and irrefutable4 ,on the strength of these texts and these arguments1 they believe that they ought to believe it4 ,but it is a matter of conscience1 not of heart2 of logic1 not of life2 of law1 not of love4 ,it is not held as a ,christian doctrine ought to be held1 with the heart2 but only philosophically1 with the head4 ,if it should cease to be preached for a few years in ,orthodox pulpits1 it would cease to be believed2 it would drop out of the faith1 or rather out of the creed1 of the community4 ,unitarianism has extended itself1 without being preached1 from the simple reading of the ,bible4 ,but ,trinitarianism cannot be trusted to its own power4 ,it has no hold on the heart4 ,here1 in ,massachusetts1 the ministers left off preaching the ,trinity1 and the consequence was1 that the people became ,unitarian4 ,unitarianism in ,new ,england was not diffused by preaching3 it came of itself1 as soon as the clergy left off preaching the ,trinity4 ,this shows how worthless1 empty1 and soulless the doctrine was and is4 ,instead of this formal doctrine1 we want something vital4 #b4 ,another objection to the present form of the ,trinity is1 that it is not only scholastic1 or purely intellectual1 but that it is also negative4 ,it is not even a positive doctrine4 ,it is often charged against ,unitarianism1 that it is a mere negation2 and1 in one sense1 the charge is well founded4 ,unitarianism is a negation1 so far as it is a mere piece of reasoning against ,orthodoxy2 but1 as asserting the divine ,unity1 it is very positive1 ,but the doctrine of the ,trinity is a mere negation1 as it is usually held2 because it is an empty form of denial4 ,it only can be defined or expressed negatively4 ,the three ,persons are not substances1 on the one hand2 nor qualities1 on the other hand4 ,it is not ,sabellianism1 nor is it ,arianism4 ,every term connected with the ,trinity has been selected1 not to express a truth1 but to avoid an error4 ,the term 8one essence0 was chosen in order to exclude ,arianism2 the term 8three ,persons10 or subsistences1 was chosen in order to avoid ,sabellianism4 ,because the doctrine is thus a negation1 it has failed of its chief use4 ,it has become exclusive2 whereas1 when stated truly1 as a positive truth1 it would become inclusive4 ,rightly stated1 it would bind together all true religion in one harmonious whole1 comprehending in its universal sweep everything true in natural religion1 everything true in reason1 and uniting them in vital union1 without discord and without confusion4 ,every manifestation which ,god has made of himself in nature1 in ,christ1 and in the human soul1 would be accepted and vitally recognized by ,christianity1 which comes1 not to destroy1 but to fulfil4 ,the doctrine of the ,trinity would be the highest form of reconciliation or atonement1--reconciling all varieties in one great harmony2 reconciling the natural and supernatural1 law and grace1 time and eternity1 fate and freedom4 ,but1 before illustrating this1 we must consider further some of the objections to the common form of the doctrine4 #c4 ,it is also charged against the doctrine of the ,trinity1 8that it is a contradiction in terms1 and therefore essentially incredible40 ,to this it is replied1 that it would be a contradiction if ,god were called ,three in the same sense in which he is called ,one2 but not otherwise4 ,the answer is perfectly satisfactory2 and we therefore proceed to ask1 ,in what sense is he called ,three1 and in what sense is he called ,one8 ,the answer is1 ,the ,unity is of essence1 or substance3 the ,trinity is of persons4 ,this answer1 again1 is satisfactory1 provided we know what is meant by these two terms4 ,but the difficulty is to know what is meant by the word 8person40 ,we are expressly informed1 that this term is not used in its usual sense2 for1 if it were1 it would divide the essence1 and three ,persons would be the same as three ,gods4 ,on the other hand1 we are told that it means more than the three characters or manifestations4 ,here lies the difficulty1 and the whole of the rational difficulty1 in the doctrine of the ,trinity4 ,it is all on the side of the ,triad4 ,when we ask1 ,what do you mean by 8the three08 there can be given but three answers1--two of them distinct1 and one indistinct4 ,these answers are1 7#a47 ,we mean three somethings1 which we cannot define2 7#b47 ,we mean three ,persons1 like ,peter1 ,james1 and ,john2 7#c47 ,we mean three manifestations1 characters1 or modes of being4 ,let us consider these three answers4 7a47 8,the three ,persons are three somethings1 which cannot be defined4 ,it is a mystery4 ,it is above reason4 ,there is mystery in everything1 and there must be mystery in the ,deity40 ,so ,augustine said1 long ago1 8,we say three ,persons1 not because we have anything to say1 but because we want to say something407#he7 ,but if one uses the phrase 8three ,persons10 and refuses to define it positively1 merely defining it negatively1 saying1 8,it does not mean this1 and it does not mean that1 and ,i don't know what it does mean10 he avoids1 it is true1 the difficulties1 and escapes the objections2 but he does it by giving up the article of faith4 ,no one can deny that there may be three unknown distinctions in the divine nature2 but no one can be asked to believe in them1 till he is told what they are4 ,to say1 therefore1 that the ,trinity is a mystery1 is to abandon it as an article of faith1 and make of it only a subject of speculation4 ,we avoid the contradiction2 but we do it by relinquishing the doctrine4 ,this fact is not sufficiently considered by ,trinitarians4 ,they first demand of us to believe the doctrine of the ,trinity1 and1 when pressed to state distinctly the doctrine1 retire into the protection of mystery1 and decline giving any distinct account of it4 ,now1 no human being ever denied the existence of mysteries connected with ,god1 and nature1 and all life4 ,to assure us1 therefore1 that such mysteries exist1 is slightly superfluous4 ,but1 on the other hand1 no human being ever believed1 or could believe1 a mystery1 any more than he could see anything invisible or hear anything inaudible4 ,to believe a doctrine1 the first condition is1 that all its terms shall be distinct and intelligible4 7b47 ,the second answer to the question is1 8,we mean1 by ,persons1 three ,persons1 like ,peter1 ,james1 and ,john40 ,according to this answer1 the ,trinity remains1 but the ,unity disappears4 ,this answer leaves the ,persons distinct1 but the ,unity indistinct4 ,the ,persons are not confounded2 but the essence is divided4 ,the ,tri-personality is maintained1 but at the expense of the ,unity4 ,in fact1 this answer gives us ,tritheism1 or three ,gods1 whose unity is only an entire agreement of feeling and action4 ,but this answer we may set aside as unorthodox1 no less than unscriptural4 7c47 ,having thus disposed of each other possible answer1 there remains only that which makes of the three ,persons three revelations or manifestations of ,god1 or representations of ,god4 ,this answer avoids all the difficulties4 ,it avoids that of contradiction2 as we do not say that ,god is one in the same sense in which he is three1 but in a different sense4 ,it avoids the objection of obscurity2 for it is a distinct statement4 ,it avoids the objection of ,tritheism2 for it leaves the ,unity untouched4 ,moreover1 it is a real ,trinity1 and not merely nominal4 ,the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost are not merely three different names for the same thing1 but they indicate three different revelations1 three different views which ,god has given of his character1 which1 taken together1 constitute the total divine representation4 ,it remains1 therefore1 simply to ask1 ,is this view a true one8 ,is there any foundation for it in ,scripture1 in reason1 and in ,christian consciousness1 the three sources of our knowledge of the truth8 #d4 ,the ,trinity of ,manifestations founded in the ,truth of ,things4 ,we repeat1 that this view is an ,orthodox view of the ,trinity1 according to the teaching of the greatest fathers of the ,church4 ,if we suppose that the ,deity has made1 and is evermore making1 three distinct and independent revelations of himself1--each revelation giving a different view of the divine ,being1 each revelation showing ,god to man under a different aspect1--then each of these is a personal manifestation4 ,each reveals ,god as a ,person4 ,if we see ,god1 for example1 in nature1 we see him not merely as a power1 a supreme cause1 but also a living ,person1 who creates evermore out of a fulness of divine wisdom and love4 ,god in nature is1 then1 a ,person4 ,again3 if ,god reveals himself in ,christ1 it is not as abstract truth or as doctrinal statement4 ,but we see ,god himself1 the personal ,god1 the ,father and ,friend1 the redeeming grace1 the ,god who loved us before the foundation of the world1 approaching us in ,christ to reconcile us and save us4 ,it is a ,god who 8so loved the world0 that we see in ,christ1 therefore1 a ,person4 ,and so the ,spirit1 which speaks in the human conscience and human heart1 is not a mere influence1 or rapture1 or movement1 but is one who communes with us2 one who talks with us2 one who comforts us2 one who hears and answers us2 therefore a ,person4 ,if1 then1 there is no antecedent objection to this form of the ,trinity as a threefold manifestation of the divine ,being1 we have only to ask1 ,is it true as a matter of fact8 ,has such a threefold manifestation of ,god actually taken place8 ,we reply1 that it is so4 ,according to ,scripture1 observation1 and experience1 we find such to be the fact4 ,scripture shows us ,god1 the ,father1 as the source of all being1 the fountain and end of all things2 from whom all things have come1 and to whom all things tend4 ,as the ,creator1 he reveals himself in nature and providence 7as the apostle ,paul declares71 8being understood by the things that are made10 and 8not leaving himself without a witness40 ,supreme power1 wisdom1 and goodness are manifested in nature as unchanging law1 as perfect order4 ,but ,god is seen in ,christ again as ,redeemer1 as meeting the exigencies arising from the freedom of the creature by what we call miracle2 not contrary to nature1 but different from nature1 showing himself as the ,friend and ,helper of the soul4 ,as the essence of the first revelation of ,god is the sight of his goodness1 and wisdom1 and power1 displayed in law1 so the essence of the second revelation is of the same essential ,being displaying himself as love4 ,in the first revelation1 he is the universal ,parent2 in the second1 he is the personal ,friend4 ,but there is a third revelation which ,god makes of himself1--within the soul as life4 ,the same power1 wisdom1 and goodness which we see displayed externally in outward nature1 we find manifested internally in the soul itself1 as its natural and its spiritual life4 ,that which is displayed outwardly as power is manifested within the soul as cause2 that which is manifested outwardly as wisdom is revealed inwardly as reason2 and that which is manifested outwardly as goodness is manifested inwardly as conscience1 or the law of right4 #e4 ,it is in ,harmony with ,scripture4 ,the ,scriptures also speak of the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost4 ,when they speak of the ,father1 they usually mean ,god as the ,supreme ,being4 ,matt4 #aa3be3 8,jesus said1 ,i thank thee1 ,o ,father1 ,lord of heaven and earth40 ,as omniscient3 8,of that day knoweth no man1 nor the angels1 nor the ,son1 but the ,father only40 ,as omnipotent3 8,abba1 ,father1 all things are possible to thee40 ,as having life in himself1 and as spirit3 8,they shall worship the ,father in spirit and in truth40 ,as the source of all power1 life1 and authority of the ,son3 8,i came forth of the ,father20 8the ,father1 which hath sent me20 8the works which the ,father hath given me to do40 ,the apostle ,paul says1 8,to us there is but one ,god1 the ,father20 and calls him 8the ,god of our ,lord ,jesus20 also 8the one ,god and ,father of all1 who is above all1 and through all1 and in us all40 ,the great order of the universe depends on him3 8,he has put the times and the seasons in his own power40 ,christ will at last 8deliver up the kingdom to ,god1 the ,father40 ,by ,christ1 8we have access in one spirit to the ,father40 8,all things were delivered0 to ,christ 8of his ,father10 whose will ,christ always sought4 ,thus is the ,father spoken of in the ,new ,testament as the ,source from which all things have proceeded1 and the ,end to whom all things tend4 ,the ,son 7or ,son of ,god7 is spoken of in the ,new ,testament as distinct from the ,father1 but intimately united with him4 ,the ,father gives power2 the ,son receives it4 ,the ,father gives light2 the ,son receives it4 ,the ,son does nothing but what he seeth the ,father do4 8,the ,father hath sent me10 he says1 8and ,i live by the ,father40 8,i am not alone2 but ,i1 and the ,father who sent me40 8,the ,son is in the ,father1 and the ,father in him40 8,no man cometh to the ,father but by0 him4 ,he shows the ,father to the world4 ,the ,father is glorified in the ,son4 ,he is in the bosom of the ,father4 ,the ,father sent him to be the ,saviour of the world4 8,he that hath the ,son hath life20 8,and in him is everlasting life40 ,the ,holy ,spirit1 which came after ,jesus left the world 7also called the ,holy ,ghost and the ,spirit of ,god71 is an inward revelation of ,god and of ,christ4 ,it teaches all things1 comforts1 convinces4 ,it is a spirit of life1 lifts one above the flesh1 makes one feel that he is a ,son of ,god1 communicates a variety of gifts1 produces unity in the ,church1 sanctifies1 sheds the love of ,god into the heart1 and renews the soul4 ,the ,new ,testament speaks of joy in the ,holy ,ghost1 power of the ,holy ,ghost1 and communion of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,according to the ,new ,testament1 the ,father would seem to be the ,source of all things1 the ,creator1 the ,fountain of being and of life4 ,the ,son is spoken of as the manifestation of that ,being in ,jesus ,christ2 and the ,holy ,ghost is spoken of as a spiritual influence1 proceeding from the ,father and the ,son1 dwelling in the hearts of believers1 as the source of their life1--the idea of ,god seen in causation1 in reason1 and in conscience1 as making the very life of the soul itself4 ,there are these three revelations of ,god1 and we know of no others4 ,they are distinct from each other in form1 but the same in essence4 ,they are not merely three names for the same thing2 but they are real personal manifestations of ,god1 real subsistences1 since he is personally present in all of them4 ,this view avoids all heresies1 since it neither 8divides the substance0 nor 8confounds the persons40 ,and these are really the two heresies1 which are the most common and the most to be avoided4 ,we think it can be easily shown that these are the great practical dangers to be avoided4 ,to 8divide the substance0 is so to separate the revelations of ,god as to make them contradict or oppose each other3 to 8confound the persons0 is not to recognize each as an independent source of truth to the soul4 #f4 ,practical value of the ,trinity1 when rightly understood4 ,there is1 therefore1 an essential truth hidden in the idea of the ,trinity4 ,while the ,church doctrine1 in every form which it has hitherto taken1 has failed to satisfy the human intellect1 the ,christian heart has clung to the substance contained in them all4 ,let us endeavor to see what is the practical value of this doctrine1 for the sake of which its errors of statement have been pardoned4 ,what does it say to the ,christian consciousness8 ,the ,trinity1 truly apprehended1 teaches1 by its doctrine of ,tri-personality1 that ,god is immanent in nature1 in ,christ1 and in the soul4 ,it teaches that ,god is not outside of the world1 making it as an artisan makes a machine2 nor outside of ,christ1 sending him1 and giving to him miraculous powers2 nor outside of the soul1 touching it ab extra from time to time with unnatural influences1 revolutionizing and overturning it2 but that he is personally present in each and all4 ,so that1 when we study the mysteries and laws of nature1 we are drawing near to ,god himself1 and looking into his face4 ,when we see ,christ1 we see ,god1 who is in ,christ2 and when we look into the solemn intuitions of our soul1 the monitions of conscience1 and the influences which draw our heart to goodness1 we are meeting and communing with ,god4 ,moreover1 the ,trinity1 truly apprehended1 teaches1 by its doctrine of ,one ,substance 7the ,homoousion71 that these three revelations1 though distinct1 are essentially at one2 that nature cannot contradict revelation2 that revelation cannot contradict nature2 and that the intuitions of the soul cannot be in conflict with either4 ,hence it teaches that the ,naturalist need not fear revelation2 nor the ,christian believer1 natural ,theism4 ,since it is one and the same ,god who dwells in nature1 in ,christ1 and in the soul1 all his revelations must be in harmony with each other4 ,to suppose otherwise is to 8divide the substance0 of the ,trinity4 ,and again3 the ,trinity1 rightly understood1 asserts the distinctness of these three personal revelations4 ,it is the same ,god who speaks in each2 but he says something new each time4 ,he reveals a new form of his being4 ,he shows us1 not the same order and aspect of truth in each manifestation1 but wholly different aspects4 ,and yet again3 as the doctrine teaches that the ,son is begotten of the ,father1 and the ,spirit proceeds from the ,father and ,son1 it thereby shows how the revelation in nature prepares for the revelation in ,christ1 and both for the revelation in the soul4 ,the error of 8dividing the substance0 is perhaps the most common4 ,the man who sees ,god in nature1 sees him only there3 therefore ,god loses to him that personal character which seems especially to be seen through ,christ2 for ,god1 as a person1 comes to us most in ,christ1 and then is recognized also in nature and the soul as a personal being4 ,so1 without ,christ1 natural religion is cold3 it wants love2 it wants life4 ,but1 on the other hand1 the ,christian believer who avoids seeing ,god in nature1 and who finds him only in his ,bible1 loses the sense of law or order1 of harmonious growth1 and becomes literal1 dogmatic1 and narrow4 ,and so1 too1 the mystic1 believing only in ,god's revelation through the soul1 and not going to nature or to ,christ1 becomes withdrawn from life1 and has a morbid and ghastly religion1 and1 having no test by which to judge his inward revelations1 may become the prey of all fantasies and all evil spirits1 lying spirits1 foul spirits1 and cruel spirits4 ,such errors come from 8dividing the substance20 and they are only too common4 ,so that1 when the true doctrine of ,trinity in ,unity is apprehended1 the most beneficial results may be expected to flow into the life of the ,church4 ,no longer believed as a dead formula1 no longer held in the letter which killeth1 no longer accepted outwardly as a dogma or authority1 but seen1 felt1 and realized in the daily activity of the intellect and heart1 the whole ,church will recover its lost union1 sects will disappear1 and the old feud between science and religion forever cease4 ,science will become religious1 and religion scientific4 ,science1 no longer cold and dead1 but filled through and through with the life of ,god1 will reach its hand to ,christianity4 ,piety1 no longer an outlaw from nature1 no longer exiled from life into churches and monasteries1 will inform and animate all parts of human daily action4 ,christianity1 no longer narrow1 ,jewish1 bigoted1 formal1 but animated by the great liberty of a common life1 will march onward to conquer all forms of error and evil in the omnipotence of universal and harmonious truth4 ,natural religion1 ,christianity1 and spiritual piety1 being thus harmonized1 nature will be more warm1 ,christ more human1 and the divine influences in the soul more uniform and constant4 ,nature will be full of ,god1 with a sense of his presence penetrating it everywhere4 ,christianity will become more natural1 and all its great facts assume the proportion of laws1 universal as the universe itself4 ,divine influences will cease to be spasmodic and irregular1 and become calm1 serene1 and pure1 an indwelling life of ,god in the soul4 ,a simple ,unity1 as held by the ,jews and ,mohammedans1 and by some ,christian ,unitarians1 may be a bald ,unity and an empty ,unity4 ,then it shows us one ,god1 but ,god withdrawn from nature1 from ,christ1 from the soul2 not immanent in any1 but outside of them4 ,it leaves nature godless2 leaves ,christ merely human2 leaves the soul a machine to be moved by an external impulse1 not an inward inspiration47#hf7 ,we conclude1 finally1 that no doctrine of ,orthodoxy is so false in its form1 and so true in its substance1 as this4 ,there is none so untenable as dogma1 but none so indispensable as experience and life4 ,the ,trinity1 truly received1 would harmonize science1 faith1 and vital piety4 ,the ,trinity1 as it now stands in the belief of ,christendom1 at once confuses the mind1 and leaves it empty4 ,it feeds us with chaff1 with empty phrases and forms1 with no real inflowing convictions4 ,it seems to lie like a vessel on the shore1 of no use where it is1 yet difficult to remove and get afloat2 but when the tide rises1 and the vessel floats1 it will be able to bear to and fro the knowledge of mankind1 and unite various convictions in living harmony4 ,it is there for something4 ,it is providentially allowed to remain in the creeds of the ,church for something4 ,it has in itself the seed of a grand future2 and1 though utterly false and empty as it is taught and defended1 it is kept by the deeper instinct of the ,christian consciousness1 like the ,christ in his tomb1 waiting for the resurrection4 ,,appendix4 ,,critical ,,notices4 ,in this ,appendix we shall add a brief critical examination of certain recent works on points connected with our previous subjects4 ,these criticisms will complete the discussion in these various directions1 so far as space will allow here4 ,the largest part of what follows has been printed already1 either in the 8,christian ,examiner10 or in the 8,monthly ,journal of the ,american ,unitarian ,association40 #a4 ,on the ,defence of ,nescience in ,theology1 by ,herbert ,spencer and ,henry ,l4 ,mansel4 ,mr4 ,herbert ,spencer1 in his book called 8,first ,principles10 lays down the doctrine of theological nescience1 as the final result of religious inquiry4 ,in his chapter on 8,ultimate ,religious ,ideas0 he argues thus3 ,the religious problem is1 ,whence comes the universe8 ,in answer to this question only three statements are possible4 ,it is self-existent4 ,it was self-created4 ,it was created by external agency4 ,now1 none of these1 says ,spencer1 is tenable4 ,for1 7#a47 ,self-existence means simply an existence without a beginning1 and it is not possible to conceive of this4 ,the conception of infinite past time is an impossibility4 7#b47 ,self-creation is ,pantheism4 ,we can conceive1 somewhat1 of self-evolution1 but not of a potential universe passing into an actual one4 7#c47 ,the theistic hypothesis is equally inconceivable4 ,for this is to suppose the world made as a workman makes a piece of furniture4 ,we can conceive of this last1 because the workman has the material given2 he only adds form to the substance4 ,to produce matter out of nothing is the real difficulty4 ,no simile enables us to conceive of this production of matter out of nothing4 ,again1 says ,spencer1 space is something1 the non-existence of which is inconceivable2 hence the creation of space is inconceivable4 ,and lastly1 says ,spencer1 if ,god created the universe1 the question returns1 ,whence came ,god8 ,the same three answers recur4 ,god was self-existent1 or he was self-created1 or he was created ab extra4 ,the last theory is useless4 ,for it leads to an endless series of potential existences4 ,so the theist returns to self-existence2 which1 however1 says ,spencer1 is as inconceivable as a self-existent universe1 involving the inconceivable idea of unlimited duration4 ,nevertheless1 continues ,spencer1 we are compelled to regard phenomena as effects of some cause4 ,we must believe in a cause of that cause1 till we reach a first cause4 ,the ,first ,cause must be infinite and absolute4 ,he then follows ,mansel in showing the contradiction between the two ideas4 ,but total negation is not the result1--only nescience4 ,atheism1 ,pantheism1 and ,theism agree in one belief1 namely1 that of a problem to be solved4 ,an unknown ,god is the highest result of theology and of philosophy4 8,if religion and science are to be reconciled1 the basis of the reconciliation must be their deepest1 widest1 and most certain of all facts--that the power which the universe manifests is utterly inscrutable40 ,thus ,mr4 ,spencer proposes to take back human thought eighteen centuries1 and ignoring the conquests of ,christian faith in civilization1 theology1 and morals1 carries us to ,athens1 in the time of ,paul1 to worship at the altar of an unknown ,god4 ,he makes a solitude in the soul1 and calls it peace4 ,he makes peace between religion and science1 by commanding the first to surrender at discretion to the other4 ,science knows nothing of ,god2 therefore theology must know nothing of ,god4 ,but not so4 ,let each impart to the other that which it possesses1 and which the other lacks4 ,let science enlarge theology with the idea of law1 and theology inform science with the idea of a living ,god4 ,it is not difficult to detect the fallacies in this argument of ,spencer for religious nescience4 ,his notion of conception is that of a purely sensible image4 ,he assumes that we have no knowledge but sensible knowledge1 and then easily infers that we do not know ,god4 ,we can conceive1 he says1 of a rock on which we are standing1 but not of the whole earth4 ,no great magnitudes1 he declares1 can be conceived4 ,the conception of infinite time is1 therefore1 an impossibility4 ,but it is clear to any one1 not bound hand and foot by the assumptions of sensationalism1 that it is just as easy to conceive of the whole globe of earth1 as of the piece of it which we see4 ,we cannot have a visual image of the whole earth1 indeed1 but the mental conception of the globe is as distinct as that of the stone we throw from our hand4 ,and so far from the conception of infinite duration being an impossibility1 not to conceive of time and space as infinite is the impossibility4 ,it is impossible to imagine or conceive of the beginning of time1 or the commencement of space4 ,looking at his trilemma concerning the universe1 namely1 that it was either1 7#a47 ,self-existent1 7#b47 ,self-created1 or1 7#c47 ,created by an external power1 we say1-- #a4 ,the real objection to a self-existent universe1 is not that we cannot conceive of existence without beginning4 ,nothing is easier than to conceive of an everlasting1 unchanging universe1 without beginning or end4 ,it is not existence1 but change1 that suggests cause4 ,phenomena1 events1 require us to believe in some power which produces them4 ,now1 the events which take place in the universe suggest an intelligent1 absolute1 and central cause1 that is1 a cause combining supreme wisdom1 power1 and goodness4 ,a self-existent universe is not inconceivable1 but it is incredible4 #b4 ,self-creation1 he objects1 is ,pantheism4 ,but this is no reason for denying it1 since ,pantheism may1 for all we see at this stage of the argument1 be the true explanation of the universe4 ,the real objection to the hypothesis of a self-created universe 7or of a self-created ,god71 is that it involves the contradiction of something which exists and which does not exist at the same moment2 at the moment of self-creation1 the universe must exist in order to create1 but must be non-existent in order to be created4 ,a self-created universe1 then1 is not incredible because it involves ,pantheism1 but because it involves a contradiction4 #c4 ,he objects to the ,theistic hypothesis1 that we cannot conceive of the production of matter 7more strictly1 of substance7 out of nothing4 ,he adds that no simile can enable us to imagine it4 ,but ,i can produce1 out of nothing1 something visible1 tangible1 and audible4 ,there is no motion and no sound4 ,i move my arm by the power of will1 and ,i produce both sound and motion4 ,the motion of a body in space is a material phenomenon2 for whatever is perceived by the senses is material4 ,we do then constantly perceive material phenomena created out of nothing1 by human will4 ,his argument against the ,theist1 that space could not have been created by ,god1 since its non-existence is inconceivable1 is much more plausible4 ,but suppose we grant that space1 supposed to be a real existence1 was not created in time4 ,does it follow from that1 that it does not proceed from ,god8 ,not being an event in time1 it does not require a cause2 but being conceived of as a reality1 it may have eternally proceeded from the divine will1 and so not be independent of the ,creator4 ,and as regards his trilemma concerning ,deity1 that also fails in the failure of his thesis that eternal duration is inconceivable4 ,his argument against the self-existent ,deity1 only rests on that assumption which we have shown to be untenable4 ,but ,mr4 ,spencer1 who is not a theologian1 is at this point renforced by ,mr4 ,mansel1 on whose former work1 8,the ,limits of ,religious ,thought10 we proceed to offer some criticism4 ,this also is an argument for nescience in theology1 in the presumed interests of revelation4 ,mr4 ,martineau has ably shown the weakness and the dangerous tendency of this whole argument of ,mansel1 in an article to which we earnestly refer our readers4 ,the work of ,mr4 ,mansel is a desperate attempt to save ,orthodox doctrines from the objections of reason1 not by replying to those objections and pointing out their fallacy1 but by showing that similar objections can be brought against all religious belief4 ,for example1 when reason objects to the ,trinity1 that it is a contradiction1 ,mr4 ,mansel does not attempt to show that it is not a contradiction1 but argues that our belief in ,god is another contradiction of the same kind4 ,his inference therefore is1 that as we believe in ,god1 notwithstanding the contradiction1 we ought to believe in the ,trinity also1 notwithstanding the contradiction4 ,if we believe one1 we may believe both4 ,but this is a dangerous argument2 since it is evident that one might reply1 that there remains another alternative2 which is1 to believe neither4 ,if ,mr4 ,mansel succeeds in convincing his readers1 the result may be a belief in the ,trinity1 or it may be a disbelief in ,god altogether2 one of two things--either a return to ,orthodoxy1 or a departure from all religion4 ,either they will renounce reason in order to retain religion1 or they will renounce religion in order to retain reason4 ,at the very best1 also1 the help which this argument offers us is to be paid for somewhat dearly4 ,it proposes to save ,orthodoxy by giving up the use of reason in religion4 ,mr4 ,mansel would say1 8by giving up the unlimited use of reason20 but1 as we shall presently see1 this comes very much to the same thing at last4 ,what1 then1 is the nature of ,mr4 ,mansel's argument8 ,it is an argument founded upon ,sir ,william ,hamilton's philosophy of the ,unconditioned4 ,now1 this has been generally considered the weak side of ,hamilton's system4 ,according to him1 the unconditioned is inconceivable3 in other words1 of the ,absolute and ,infinite we have no conception at all4 ,but this denies to man the power of conceiving of ,god1 and so leads directly to ,atheism4 ,this charge has already been brought against ,hamilton's philosophy1 in various quarters2 for example1 in the 8,north ,british ,review 0 for ,may1 #ahce4 ,but we will not here attempt any examination of ,hamilton's theory1 but confine ourselves to ,mr4 ,mansel4 ,the argument of ,mansel is this 7p4 #ge73 8,to conceive the ,deity as he is1 we must conceive him as ,first ,cause1 as ,absolute1 and as ,infinite4 ,by the ,first ,cause is meant that which produces all things1 and is itself produced of none2 by the ,absolute is meant that which exists in and by itself1 having no necessary relation to any other being2 by the ,infinite is meant that which is free from all possible limitation40 ,having thus defined the ,deity as the ,first ,cause1 the ,absolute1 and the ,infinite1 ,mansel goes on to show that these ideas are mutually contradictory and destructive4 ,a ,first ,cause necessarily supposes effects1 and therefore cannot be absolute3 nor can the ,infinite be a person2 for personality is a limitation4 ,by a course of such arguments as these1 ,mansel endeavors to show that the reason is as incapable of conceiving ,god as it is of conceiving the ,trinity1 the ,atonement1 or any other ,orthodox doctrine2 and since we do not renounce our belief in ,god because of these contradictions1 neither ought we1 because of similar contradictions1 to renounce our belief in the ,trinity4 ,such is the substance of ,mansel's statement1 though the arguments by which it is proved are varied with great ingenuity and to great extent4 ,this course of thought is by no means original1 either with ,mr4 ,mansel or ,sir ,william ,hamilton4 ,a far greater thinker than either of them 7,immanuel ,kant7 had long before shown the logical contradictions of the understanding in what he called the ,antinomies of the pure reason4 ,but the important question is1 ,if the reason contradicts itself thus in its conception of ,deity1 how are we to obtain a ground for our belief in ,god8 ,mansel answers1 8,through revelation2 that is1 through the direct declarations of ,scripture40 ,this he calls faith4 ,we are to believe in a personal ,god on the ground of a ,bible confirmed by miracles4 ,this result is so strange1 that it may well seem incredible4 ,yet we cannot think that we have misrepresented the tendency of the argument2 though1 of course1 we have given no ideas of the acuteness and flexibility of the reasoning1 the extent of the knowledge1 and mastery of logic1 in this work4 ,that such a position should be taken by a religious man1 in the supposed interest of ,christianity1 is sufficiently strange2 for it seems to us equally untenable in its grounds1 unfounded in its statements1 empty of insight1 destructive in its results4 ,we will add1 very briefly1 a few of the criticisms which occur to us4 ,the first thing which strikes us in the argument is1 that everywhere it deals with words rather than with things4 ,the whole object of the discussion concerns the meaning of terms1 and it deals throughout with the relation of words to other words4 ,it is an acute philological argument4 ,we feel ourselves to be arguing about forms1 and not about substances4 ,now1 such arguments may confuse1 but they cannot convince4 ,we do not know1 perhaps1 what to say in reply2 but we remain unsatisfied4 ,one not used to logic may listen to an argument which shall conclusively prove that white is black2 that nothing is greater than something2 that a man who jumps from the top of the house can never reach the ground2 but1 though the thing is proved1 he is not convinced4 ,so1 when ,mr4 ,mansel proves to us that we cannot conceive of a ,being who is at the same time ,infinite and ,personal1 we are unable1 perhaps1 to reply to the argument2 but we know it to be false1 since we actually have the two conceptions in our mind4 ,we do conceive of the ,deity as an infinite personality4 ,of what use to tell us that we cannot have an idea1 when we know that we do have it8 ,mansel tells us that we cannot think the idea of the ,infinite and ,absolute4 ,he says 7p4 #aaj71 8,the ,absolute and the ,infinite are thus1 like the ,inconceivable and ,imperceptible1 names indicating1 not an object of thought or of consciousness at all1 but the mere absence of the conditions under which consciousness is possible40 ,but1 then1 they are only words1 with no meaning attached2 and1 if so1 how can we argue about them at all8 ,all argument must cease when we come to an unmeaning phrase2 therefore the existence of ,mr4 ,mansel's argument proves the falsehood of his assertion4 ,since he argues about the ,infinite1 it is evident that he has the idea of the ,infinite in his mind4 ,mr4 ,mansel agrees in principle wholly with the ,atheists2 for the ,atheists do not say that ,god does not exist1 or that ,god cannot exist1 but that we cannot know that he exists4 ,so says ,mr4 ,holyoake1 a leading modern ,atheist4 ,this is what ,mansel also asserts1 only he goes farther than they1 contending that the very idea of ,god is impossible to the human reason4 ,it is true that he believes in ,god on grounds of revelation1 which the ,atheists do not2 but he agrees with them in setting aside all natural and reasonable knowledge of ,deity4 ,but how is it possible to obtain an idea of ,god from revelation1 if we are before destitute of such an idea8 ,when ,paul preached to the ,athenians1 he addressed them as having already a true1 though an imperfect1 idea of ,god4 8,whom1 therefore1 ye ignorantly worship1 him declare ,i unto you40 ,but1 if they had not already an idea of ,god1 how could he have given them such an idea8 ,suppose that he works a miracle1 and says1 8,this miracle proves that ,god has sent me to teach you40 ,but1 by the supposition1 they know nothing about ,god2 consequently1 they have nothing by which to test the truth of a revelation professing to come from him4 ,neither miracles1 nor the nature of the truth taught1 nor the character of the teacher1 avail anything as evidence of a revelation from a ,being of whom we know nothing4 ,without a previous knowledge of ,god1 only immediate revelation is possible4 ,mr4 ,mansel1 therefore1 is one who1 without a foundation1 builds a house on the sand4 ,he attempts to erect faith in ,god after taking away the foundation of reason4 ,the apostles built revealed religion upon natural religion1 revealed theology upon natural theology1 according to the rule1 8,that is not first which is spiritual1 but that which is natural2 afterward that which is spiritual40 ,christ said1 8,ye believe in ,god3 believe also in me40 ,mr4 ,mansel reverses all this1 and makes ,christ say1 8,ye believe in me3 believe also in ,god40 ,but1 even if it were possible to ascend to belief in ,god through belief in ,christ1 we must ask1 ,is not belief thought8 ,if the mind cannot think the ,infinite1 how can it believe the ,infinite8 ,must we not apprehend a proposition before we can believe it8 ,does not the conception of a thing logically precede the belief of it8 ,if it is impossible to apprehend the ,absolute1 if this is only an empty name1 how is it possible to believe in the ,absolute on grounds of revelation1 or on any other grounds8 ,a miracle cannot communicate to the mind an idea which is beyond its power of conception4 ,mr4 ,mansel declares that our religious knowledge is regulative1 but not speculative4 ,he lays great stress on this distinction3 by which he means that we have ideas of the ,deity sufficient to guide our practice1 but not to satisfy our intellect2 which tell us1 not what ,god is in himself1 but how he wills that we should think of him4 ,according to this view1 all revelation is overturned1 just as all natural religion has been previously overturned4 ,revelation does not reveal ,god on this theory4 ,we have no knowledge of ,god in the gospel1 any more than we had in nature4 ,instead of knowledge1 we have only law4 ,but this seems to despoil ,christianity of its vital force4 ,christ says1 8,this is life eternal1 to know thee1 the only true ,god40 ,but ,mr4 ,mansel tells us that such knowledge of ,god is impossible4 ,therefore1 instead of the gospel1 he gives us the law2 for it is certain that his regulative truths are simply moral precepts1 addressed to the will1 not to the intellect2 capable of being obeyed1 but not of being understood4 ,the radical error of ,mansel seems to be this1--that his mind works only in the logical region belonging to the understanding1 and is ignorant of those higher truths which are beheld by the reason4 ,he has tried to find ,god by logical processes1 and1 of course1 has failed4 ,he therefore concludes that ,god cannot be known by the intellect4 ,he has fully demonstrated that ,god cannot be comprehended by the logical understanding2 and in this he has done a good work4 ,but he has not shown that ,god cannot be known by the intuitive reason4 ,the understanding comprehends3 the reason apprehends4 ,the understanding perceives the form3 reason takes holds of the substance4 ,the understanding sees how things are related to each other3 the reason sees how things are in themselves4 ,the understanding cannot1 therefore1 see the infinite and absolute2 cannot apprehend substance or cause2 knows nothing of the eternal4 ,but the reason is as certain of cause as of effect2 knows eternity as really as it knows time2 it is as sure of the existence of spirit as it is of matter2 and sees the infinite to be as real as the finite4 ,therefore1 though we cannot comprehend ,god by logic1 we can apprehend him by reason4 ,we can be as sure of his being as we are of our own1 and we are not obliged to explain away all those profound scriptures which teach us that the object and end of our being is to know ,god4 ,since1 therefore1 ,mr4 ,mansel's argument1 with all its acuteness1 learning1 and honesty1 tends directly to ,atheism2 since1 by overturning the foundation of ,christianity1 it overturns ,christianity itself2 since it substitutes mere moral laws in place of the vital forces of the gospel1--it is no wonder that its positions have been rejected with much unanimity by the most eminent ,orthodox scholars4 ,its defence of ,orthodoxy costs too much4 ,leading thinkers of very different schools--for example1 ,mr4 ,brownson1 the ,roman ,catholic1 in his 8,quarterly ,review20 ,professor ,hickok1 the ,presbyterian1 in the 8,bibliotheca ,sacra20 and ,mr4 ,maurice1 of the ,church of ,england1 in an able pamphlet--have opposed with great force the arguments and conclusions of this volume4 ,it is true that some ,orthodox divines consider that ,mr4 ,mansel has demonstrated that the human consciousness is unequal to the speculative conception of a ,being at once absolute1 infinite1 and personal1 and seem gladly to have the aid of this book in defending the ,trinity4 ,but the more distinguished and experienced thinkers mentioned above are cautious of accepting the help of so dangerous an ally4 #b4 ,on the ,defence of ,verbal ,inspiration by ,gaussen4 ,following the declaration of the apostle ,paul1 that 8the letter killeth10 we have1 in the text of this volume1 set aside all the theories of the ,bible which assume its absolute and literal infallibility4 ,but within a few years1 a work in defence of this doctrine has been published abroad1 by an excellent man1 ,m4 ,gaussen1 of ,geneva1 and translated and republished in ,america by ,rev4 ,dr4 ,kirk1 of ,boston4 ,such a work1 coming from such sources1 deserves some examination4 ,we shall1 therefore1 show the course of argument followed in this book1 and the reasons which lead us to consider its conclusions unsound1 and its reasoning inadequate4 ,inspiration1 as defined by ,gaussen1 is 8that inexplicable power which the divine ,spirit formerly exercised over the authors of the ,holy ,scriptures1 to guide them even in the employment of the words they were to use1 and to preserve them from all error1 as well as from every omission4 8,we aim10 says he1 8to establish1 by the word of ,god1 that the ,scriptures are from ,god--that all the ,scriptures are from ,god--and that every part of the ,scripture is from ,god40 ,let us consider the arguments in support of this kind of inspiration1 and the objections to them4 ,argument ,i4 ,plenary ,inspiration is necessary1 that we may know with certainty what we ought to believe4 ,great stress is laid upon this supposed necessity1 both by ,gaussen and ,kirk4 8,the book so written10 say they1 8is the ,word of ,god1 and binds the conscience of the world2 and nothing else does so bind it1 even though it were the writings of ,paul and ,peter4 8,with the ,infidel1 whether he be ,christian in name or otherwise1 the sharp sword of a perfect inspiration will be found1 at last1 indispensable4 ,if the ground is conceded to him that there is a single passage in the ,bible that is not divine1 then we are disarmed2 for he will be sure to apply this privilege to the very passages which most fully oppose his pride1 passion1 and error4 ,how is the conscience of a wicked race to be bound down by a chain1 one link of which is weak80 ,reply to ,argument ,i4--,it is no way to prove a theory true to assume its necessity4 ,the only legitimate proof of a theory is by an induction of facts4 ,this method of beginning by a supposed necessity1 this looking first at consequences1 has always been fruitful of false and empty theories4 ,the great advance in modern science has come from substituting the inductive for the ideological method4 ,find what the facts say1 and the consequences will take care of themselves4 ,an argument from consequences is usually only an appeal to prejudices4 ,again3 ,this argument is fatal to the arguments drawn from the ,scriptures themselves4 ,in arguing from the ,scripture to prove that every passage is divine1 we have1 of course1 no right to assume that every passage is divine1 for that is the very thing to be proved4 ,then the texts which we quote to prove our position may themselves not be divine1 and if we grant that1 8we are disarmed40 ,for1 according to this argument1 nothing can be proved conclusively from ,scripture except we believe in plenary inspiration--then plenary inspiration itself cannot be proved from ,scripture4 ,but ,gaussen admits that this doctrine can be proved 8only by the ,scriptures20 therefore 7according to this argument7 it cannot be proved at all4 ,if1 therefore1 the doctrine of plenary inspiration is necessary 8to bind the conscience of the world10 it is a doctrine incapable of proof4 ,if1 on the other hand1 it can be proved1 it is then clearly not necessary 8to bind the conscience of the world40 ,but again4 ,this theory of plenary inspiration does not bind the consciences of men4 ,if men are naturally disposed 7as ,messrs4 ,gaussen and ,kirk maintain7 to deny and disbelieve the doctrines and statements of the ,bible1 they have ample opportunity of doing so1 notwithstanding their belief in this theory4 ,for1 after admitting that the words of ,scripture1 just as they stand1 are perfectly true and given by ,god1 the question comes1 ,what do they mean8 ,for instance1 ,i wish1 we will suppose1 to deny the doctrine of the ,deity of ,christ4 ,now1 you quote to me the text ,rom4 #i3e4 8,of whom1 as concerning the flesh1 ,christ came1 who is over all1 ,god1 blessed forever10--which is the strongest text in the ,bible in support of that doctrine4 ,now1 though ,i believe in the doctrine of plenary inspiration1 ,i am not obliged to accept this passage as proof of the ,deity of ,christ4 ,for ,i can1 #a4 ,assert that the verse is an interpolation2 #b4 ,assert that it is wrongly pointed2 #c4 ,assert that it is mistranslated2 #d4 ,assert that ,christ is called ,god in an inferior sense1 as ,god over the ,church4 ,and1 as a matter of fact1 these are the arguments always used1 even by those who deny the doctrine of a plenary inspiration4 ,they seldom or never accuse the writer of a mistake1 but always rely on a supposed mistranslation1 or misinterpretation1 in order to avoid the force of a passage4 ,hence1 also1 we find believers in this doctrine of plenary inspiration1 differing in opinion on a thousand matters1 and with no probability of ever coming to an agreement4 ,argument ,,ii4 ,several ,passages of the ,new ,testament plainly teach the ,doctrine of the ,plenary ,inspiration of the ,bible4 ,the passages quoted by ,gaussen1 and mainly relied upon1 are #b ,tim4 #c3af4 8,all ,scripture is given by inspiration10 c42 #b ,peter #a3bg1 8,holy men of ,god spake as they were moved10 c4 ,besides these1 he refers to many passages in the ,old and ,new ,testaments1 but his chief stress is laid on these4 ,reply to ,argument ,,ii4--,it is well known that both these passages refer only to the ,old ,testament ,scriptures4 ,it is well known that the first may be translated so as to read1 8,all ,scripture1 given by inspiration1 is profitable10 c4 ,but it is reply enough to both these passages1 to say1 that neither of them indicates what kind of inspiration is intended4 ,they assert an inspiration1 which we also maintain4 ,but they do not assert a verbal inspiration1 nor one which makes the ,scriptures infallible1 but simply one which makes them profitable4 ,the stress laid on the passage #b ,tim4 #c3af1 8,all ,scripture10 c41 is itself an argument against the theory of plenary inspiration4 ,the most which can be made of this text1 by any punctuation or translation1 is1 that all the ,scripture is written by inspired men4 ,what was the degree or kind of their inspiration1 is not in the least indicated4 ,it might have been verbal1 it might have been the inspiration of suggestion1 or of superintendence1 or the general inspiration of all ,christians4 ,gaussen's only argument on this point is1 8that it is the writing which is said to be inspired1 and writing must be in words2 hence the inspiration must be verbal40 ,to this we must reply1 that inspired writing can only mean what is written by inspired men4 ,the writing itself cannot be inspired4 ,this argument is too flimsy to be dwelt upon4 ,but further still4 ,there is another argument which lies against every attempt to prove plenary inspiration out of the ,scripture4 ,every such attempt is necessarily reasoning in a circle4 ,gaussen and ,kirk have labored earnestly to reply to this argument1 but in vain4 ,the answer they make is1 8,we are not reasoning with ,infidels1 but with ,christians4 ,we address men who respect the ,scriptures1 and who admit their truth4 ,the ,scriptures are inspired1 we affirm1 because1 being authentic and true1 they declare themselves inspired2 and the ,scriptures are plenarily inspired1 because1 being inspired1 they say that they are so totally1 and without any exception40 ,but we answer ,messrs4 ,gaussen and ,kirk thus3 8,you are indeed reasoning with ,christians1 not with ,deists2 but you are reasoning with ,christians who do not believe that every passage of ,scripture is infallibly inspired4 ,to prove your doctrine from any particular passages or verbal expressions1 you must prove that those particular passages and expressions are not themselves errors4 ,you yourselves assert that this cannot be done1 except we believe these passages to be infallibly inspired4 ,therefore you must assume infallible inspiration in order to prove infallible inspiration4 ,in other words1 you beg the question instead of arguing it40 ,in this vicious circle the advocates of a verbal inspiration of infallibility are necessarily imprisoned whenever they attempt to argue from the words of ,scripture4 ,they contend that one must believe their theory in order to be sure that any passage is absolutely true1 and then they quote passages to prove their theory1 as if they were absolutely true4 ,argument ,,iii4 ,the theory of plenary inspiration is simple1 precise1 intelligible1 and easy to be applied4 ,we admit this to be true4 ,it has this merit in common with the opposite theory of no inspiration4 ,both are simple1 precise1 and very easy of application4 ,but simplicity is not always a sign of truth4 ,the facts of nature and life are more apt to be complex than simple4 ,theories distinguished by their simplicity most commonly ignore or omit a part of the facts4 ,simplistic theories are generally one-sided and partial4 ,materialism1 ,atheism1 ,idealism1 ,fatalism1 are all very simple theories1 and explain all difficulties with a marvellous rapidity4 ,this makes them1 at first1 attractive to the intellect1 which always loves clear and distinct views2 but afterwards1 when it is seen that they obtain clearness by means of shallowness they are found unsatisfactory4 ,argument ,,iv4 ,the quotations from the ,old ,testament1 by ,jesus and his apostles1 show that they regarded its language as infallibly inspired4 ,this argument1 upon which great stress is laid1 both by ,prof4 ,gaussen and ,dr4 ,kirk1 though plausible at first sight1 becomes wholly untenable on examination4 ,thus1 in the temptation of ,jesus1 in his reply to the tempter1 he says1 8,thou shalt not live by bread alone20 the whole force of the argument depending on the single word alone4 ,replying to the ,sadducees1 who denied the resurrection1 he says1 8,have ye not read that ,god says1 ,i am the ,god of ,abraham1 and of ,isaac1 and of ,jacob8 ,god is not the ,god of the dead1 but of the living40 ,then the whole stress of the argument rests on the use of the verb in the present tense1 8,i am40 ,arguing with the ,pharisees1 8,how did ,david1 by the ,spirit1 call him ,lord1 saying1 ,the ,lord said to my ,lord10 c48 ,here the argument depends on the use of the single word ,lord4 ,many more instances could be produced of the same kind2 and ,gaussen contends1 that when ,jesus and his apostles thus rest their argument on the force of a single word of the ,old ,testament1 they must have believed that the very words were given by inspiration4 ,for otherwise the writers might not have chosen the right word to express their thought in each particular case4 ,and unless the ,jews had also believed in the verbal inspiration of their ,scriptures1 they would have replied that these particular words might have been errors4 ,reply to this ,argument4--,plausible as this argument may seem1 it turns out to be wholly empty and worthless4 ,whenever any writer is admitted to be an authority1 then his words become authoritative1 and arguments are necessarily based on single words and expressions4 ,in all such cases1 we assume that he chose the best words by which to convey his thought1 and yet we do not ascribe to him any inspiration or infallibility4 ,thus1 go into our courts of law1 and you will hear the language of the ,united ,states constitution1 of the acts of legislature1 of previous decisions of the courts1 argued from1 word by word4 ,counsel argue by the hour upon the force and weight of single words in the authorities4 ,judges in their charges instruct the jury to determine the life and death of the criminal according to the letter of the law4 ,and this they do necessarily1 according to the rule1 8,cum recedit a litera1 judex transit in legislatorem40 ,but will any one maintain that the counsel and court believe that the legislature was infallibly inspired to choose the very language which would convey their meaning8 ,in this very argument for plenary inspiration1 ,gaussen and his associates rest their argument on the single word 8all10 in the text1 8,all ,scripture is given by inspiration10 c4 ,yet1 say they1 we are not assuming that this text is plenarily inspired1 for that1 we admit1 would be begging the question4 ,if1 then1 ,mr4 ,gaussen can argue from the force of the single word all1 without assuming the doctrine of plenary inspiration1 why could not ,jesus and his apostles argue from single words1 without assuming the doctrine of plenary inspiration8 ,there is1 however1 a passage in ,paul 7,gal4 #c3af71 in which the apostle quotes a text from the ,old ,testament1 and lays the whole stress of his argument on two letters4 8,he says not1 #8,and to seeds' 1 as of many1 but as of one1 #8,and to thy seed' 40 ,according to ,gaussen's argument1 ,paul must have believed in the inspiration of the letters4 ,but ,gaussen is careful not to adduce this instance1 which seems at first so much in his favor4 ,for1 in fact1 both in ,hebrew and ,greek1 as in ,english1 8seed0 is a collective noun1 and does mean many in the singular4 ,the argument of ,paul1 therefore1 falls through2 and it is evident that he is no example to be imitated here1 in laying stress on one or two letters4 ,most modern interpreters admit that he made a mistake2 and so1 among the ancients1 did ,jerome1 who nevertheless1 said the argument 8was good enough for the foolish ,galatians40 ,having thus replied1 very briefly1 but we believe sufficiently1 to the main arguments in support of this theory1 we say1 in conclusion1 that it cannot be true1 for the following reasons1 which we simply state1 and do not now attempt to unfold4 #a4 ,the ,new ,testament writers nowhere claim to be infallibly inspired to write4 ,if they had been infallibly inspired to write the ,gospels and ,epistles1 they certainly ought to have announced this important fact4 ,instead of which ,luke gives as his reason for writing1 not that ,god inspired him to write1 but that 8inasmuch as others have taken in hand0 to write1 it seemed good to him also to do the same1 and that for the benefit of ,theophilus4 ,john and ,paul assert the truth of what they say1 but not on account of their being inspired to write1 but because they are disciples and apostles4 #b4 ,the differences in the accounts of the same transactions show that their inspiration was not verbal4 ,these differences appear on every page of any ,harmony of the ,new ,testament4 ,they are numerous but unimportant2 they go to prove the truth of the narrative1 and give probability to the main ,gospel statements4 ,but they utterly disprove the theory of plenary inspiration4 #c4 ,paul declares that some things which he says are 8of the ,lord10 other things 8of himself20 that in regard to some things he was inspired1 in regard to others1 not4 #d4 ,every writer in the ,new ,testament has a style of his own1 and there is no appearance of his being merely an amanuensis4 #e4 ,while the ,new ,testament writers lay no claim to any such inspiration as this theory assumes1 they do claim for themselves and for all other ,christians another kind of inspiration1 which is sufficient for all the facts1 and which gives them ample authority over our faith and life1 and makes them independent sources of ,christian truth4 ,this view we have already sufficiently considered in our chapter on inspiration4 #c4 ,defence of the ,doctrine that ,sin is a ,nature1 by ,professor ,shedd4 ,in the 8,christian ,review0 for #aheb appeared an article of great power1 written by a gentleman who has since become eminent as a thinker and writer--,professor ,w4 ,g4 ,t4 ,shedd4 ,the title of the article was calculated to attract attention1 as a bold attempt to defend an extreme position of ,calvinism--8,sin a ,nature1 and that ,nature ,guilt40 ,the article was so rational and clear that we consider it as being even now the best statement extant of this thorough-going ,calvinism1 and therefore devote a few pages here to its examination47#hg7 ,after some introductory remarks1 which it is not necessary to notice1 the writer lays down his first position1 that sin is a nature4 ,his statement is1 that we all sin necessarily and continually in consequence of our nature1 i4e41 the character born with us1 original and innate4 ,the proofs of this position are1 #a4 ,the language of ,st4 ,paul 7,eph4 #b3c71 8,we were by nature the children of wrath1 even as others40 #b4 ,that we are compelled by the laws of our mind to refer volitions to a nature1 as qualities to a substance4 ,we cannot stop in the outward act of sin1 but by a mental instinct look inward to the particular volition from which the sin came4 ,nor can the mind stop with this particular volition4 ,there is a steady and uniform state of character1 which particular volitions cannot explain4 ,the instinct of reason causes us to look back for one common principle and source1 which shall give unity to the subject2 and1 having attained a view both central and simple1 it is satisfied4 ,as our mind compels us to refer all properties to a substance in which they inhere1 so it compels us to refer all similar volitions to a simple nature4 ,when we see exercises of the soul1 we as instinctively refer them to a nature in that soul1 as we refer the properties of a body to the substance of that body4 #c4 ,christian experience proves that sin is a nature4 ,the ,christian1 especially as his experience deepens1 is troubled1 not so much by his separate sinful actions and volitions1 as by the sinful nature which they indicate1 and out of which they spring4 ,we are compelled to believe1 as we look inward1 that there is a principle of evil within us1 below those separate transgressions of which we are conscious4 ,there is a diseased condition of the soul1 which these transgressions1 indicate4 ,there are secret faults from which we pray to be cleansed4 #d4 ,the history of ,christian doctrine shows that the ,church has in all ages believed in a sinful nature1 as distinguished from conscious transgressions4 ,these are the proofs of the first position1 that sin is a nature4 ,we have stated them concisely1 but with sufficient distinctness and completeness4 ,let us now examine their validity4 ,the first argument is the text in ,ephesians1 8,we were by nature children of wrath10 4 ,the word 1 the writer contends1 8always denotes something original and innate1 in contradistinction to something acquired by practice or habit40 ,this text1 we know1 is the proof-text of original sin1 and is considered by many commentators as teaching that man's nature is wholly corrupt4 ,but plainly this is going too far4 ,granting the full meaning claimed for the word 1 the text only asserts that there is something in man's nature which exposes him to the divine displeasure by being the source of sin4 ,it does not assert the corruption of the whole nature1 nor preclude the supposition that we are born with tendencies to good1 no less than to evil4 ,that we are so1 the writer is bound by his own statement to admit2 for if this ,greek word 8always denotes something original and innate10 it denotes this in ,rom4 #b3ad17hh7 which declares that the ,gentiles 8do by nature the things contained in the law40 ,according to this passage in ,romans1 if there be such a thing as natural depravity1 it is not total2 and if there be such a thing as total depravity1 it is not natural4 ,those who wish to maintain both doctrines can only do it by admitting two different kinds of sinfulness in man1 one of which is natural1 but not total2 the other total1 but not natural--a distinction which we esteem a sound one4 ,according to this passage in ,rom #b3ad1 we must understand as referring to the good side of man's nature1 and the same word in ,eph4 #b3c as referring to the corrupt side of man's moral nature4 ,the first refers to the 8law of the mind20 the second1 to the other 8law in the members0 7,rom4 #g3bc74 ,but there is another passage 7,gal4 #b3ae71 which asserts that the ,jews by nature are not sinners1 like the heathen4 ,now1 as we can hardly suppose that the original instincts and innate tendencies of the ,jewish child were radically good from birth1 and essentially different from those of the heathen1 and as such a supposition would contradict the whole argument of ,paul in ,rom4 ch4 #b1 it is evident that in ,gal4 #b3ae does not denote something original and innate4 ,the meaning of this verse probably is1 that the ,jew from birth up1 and by the mere fact of being born a ,jew1 came under the influences of a religious education1 which preserved him from many forms of heathen depravity4 ,the word1 therefore1 means in that passage1 not a ,jew by nature1 but a ,jew by birth2 and1 if so1 we are at liberty1 if we choose1 to ascribe the same meaning to the word in ,ephesians1 and to understand the text to teach that we were by birth placed under circumstances which tended necessarily to deprave the character4 ,this passage1 therefore1 quoted by the writer1 does not teach entire depravity by nature1 but a partial depravity1 either found in the hereditary tendencies and instincts1 or acquired by means of the evil circumstances surrounding the child from his birth4 ,the second argument of the writer is1 that the laws of mind compel us to refer sinful volitions to a sinful nature1 as they compel us to refer qualities to a substance4 ,we admit that1 where we see uniform and constant habits of action1 we are compelled to refer these to a permanent character or state of being4 ,if a man once in his life becomes intoxicated1 we do not infer any habit of intemperance1 or any vicious tendency2 but if he is habitually intemperate1 we are compelled1 as the writer justly asserts1 to look beneath the separate single actions for one common principle and source4 ,but in assuming that this source is a nature brought with us into the world1 the writer seems to us to jump to a conclusion4 ,it may be an acquired character1 not an original nature4 ,it may be an induced state of disease either of body or mind1 a depravity which has commenced this side of childhood4 ,we know that there are acquired habits both of mind and of body2 otherwise1 not only would it be impossible for a man to grow worse1 but it would also be impossible for him to grow better1 and there would be an end to all improvement and progress4 ,such an acquired character introduces unity into the subject of investigation1 as completely as does an original nature1 and therefore satisfies all the wants of the mind4 ,a precisely similar answer may be made to the writer's third argument1 drawn from ,christian experience4 ,he is perfectly right1 we think1 in saying that the ,christian is troubled1 not merely1 nor chiefly1 by the recollection of single acts and volitions of evil1 but in the evidence which they seem to give of a sinful state of mind and heart4 ,he is right in considering any theory of moral evil shallow and inadequate which only takes into account sinful actions and sinful volitions4 ,what earnest man1 who has seriously set about correcting a fault1 or improving his character1 but has been obliged to say1 8,to will is present with me2 but how to perform that which ,i will1 ,i find not08 ,every earnest effort shows us more plainly how deep the roots of evil run below the surface4 ,we find a law in the members warring against the law of the mind1 and bringing us into captivity to the law of sin4 ,this is the description which ,paul gives of it4 ,it is a law2 that is1 something regular1 constant1 permanent--a steady stress1 a bias towards evil4 ,the apostle1 however1 differs from the writer in placing this law1 not in the will1 but in the members2 and also in stating that there is another law1--that of the mind1--which has a tendency towards good4 ,in the unregenerate we understand him to teach that the law of evil is the stronger1 and holds the man1 the personal will1 captive4 ,in the regenerate1 the reverse is the case4 ,nor does ,paul teach that this sinful tendency is guilt4 ,it is not 8,o guilty man that ,i am60 but 8,o wretched man that ,i am60 ,now1 while we agree with the writer in rejecting as superficial and inadequate any theory of evil1 whether emanating from our own denomination or from any other1 which does not recognize this evil state or tendency lying below the volitions1 we differ from him in that we think it not always a nature1 but a character4 ,he has not proved1 nor begun to prove1 that this dark ground of evil in man is always innate or original4 ,it may or may not be2 but the argument from ,christian experience shows nothing of the sort4 ,the writer's fourth and remaining argument is1 that the ,church has1 in all ages1 believed in a sinful nature1 as distinguished from conscious transgressions4 ,if this were so1 we admit that it should have weight in the inquiry2 but we deny the fact so far1 at least1 as the sinful nature is concerned47#hi7 ,the writer proceeds thus3 8,assuming1 then1 that the fact of a sinful nature has been established1 we pass to the second statement of ,st4 ,paul1 that man is by nature a child of wrath4 ,we pass from his statement that sin1 in its ultimate form1 is a nature1 to his statement that this nature is guilt40 ,if we have done justice to the writer's arguments1--and it has been our object to state them fairly1 though briefly1--we submit that the fact of a sinful nature has not been established by them4 ,he has shown that in man there is a tendency to evil running below the conscious1 distinct volitions--that there is a permanent character1 good or evil1 which manifests itself1 and becomes first apparent to ourselves1 or to others1 in these separate1 spiritual exercises or actions4 ,but that this stress either to good or evil1 this law either of the mind or members1 is original and inborn1 is yet to be proved4 ,let us then consider the second point1 namely1 whether this character or nature1 whichever it may be1 is also guilt4 ,as the writer's first argument to prove a sinful nature was drawn from the ,greek word 1 so his first argument to prove that nature guilt is derived from the ,greek word in the same passage4 8,the apostle teaches10 he says1 8that sinful man is a child of wrath4 ,now1 none but a guilty being can be the object of the righteous and holy displeasure of ,god40 ,but this word1 translated wrath1 is confessedly used in other senses besides that of the divine anger or displeasure4 ,it may mean the sufferings or punishments which come as the result of sin1 in which sense it is used in ,matt4 #c3g1 8,who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come80 and other places4 ,this word is used in the passage just quoted for some future evil2 in ,john #c3cf1 for a present evil--8,the wrath of ,god abides on him20 and in #a ,thess4 #b3af1 for a past evil--8,for the wrath is come lit4 has come on them to the uttermost40 ,it may mean the subjective feeling of guilt2 the sense that we deserve the divine displeasure1 which is removed by the assurance of forgiveness4 ,it may mean the state of alienation from ,god1 which results by a law of the conscience from this sense of guilt--an alienation removed by the divine act by which ,god reconciles the sinner to himself4 ,and the radical meaning1 from which these secondary meanings flow1 may be the essential antagonism existing between the holy nature of ,god and all evil4 ,but whatever it means1 it cannot intend anything like human anger4 ,in the divine wrath there is neither selfishness nor passion2 and it must consist with an infinite love towards its object4 ,the word1 therefore1 as used in ,eph4 #b3c1 does not convey the idea of guilt1 a vi terminis4 ,it may mean as well1 that this sinful tendency in man1 manifesting itself in sinful actions1 produces a state of estrangement or alienation between man and ,god4 ,how far this is a guilty alienation1 and how far it is evil and sorrowful1 is not to be learned from the term itself4 ,but the main proof of the writer in support of his second position is found in the assertion1 that this sinful tendency in man1 out of which evil acts continually flow1 is not a tendency of the physical nature1 but of the will itself4 ,he distinguishes the will proper from the mere faculty of single choices1 and considers it to be a deeper power lying at the very centre of the soul1 which determines the whole man with reference to some great and unlimited end of living4 ,it is1 in fact1 the man himself--the person4 ,for man1 he asserts1 is not essentially intellect or feeling2 but is essentially and at bottom a will1 a self-determining creature4 8,his other faculties of knowing and feeling are grafted into this stock and root2 and hence he is responsible from centre to circumference40 ,he then affirms the will1 thus defined1 to be the responsible and guilty author of the sinful nature2 being nothing more nor less than its constant and total determination to self as the ultimate end of living4 ,this voluntary power1 which is the man himself1 has turned away from ,god and directed itself to self as an ultimate end2 and this state of the will is the sinful nature of man4 ,we have no disposition to quarrel with the psychology of this statement4 ,we admit man to be essentially will1 in the sense here described4 ,he is essentially activity2 an activity limited externally1 by special organization and circumstances1--limited internally1 by quantity of force1 and knowledge4 ,nor1 again1 do we deny that in the unregenerate state the will of man is directed to self rather than to ,god as its ultimate end2 and that this is guilt1 and in a certain sense total guilt4 ,no man can serve two masters4 ,if he is obedient to one1 he is necessarily disobedient to the other4 ,this disobedience may1 or may not1 appear in act2 but it is there in state4 ,he whose ultimate end is self-gratification is always ready to sacrifice the will of ,god to his own4 ,he whose ultimate end is ,god is always ready to sacrifice his own will4 ,in this sense1 the unregenerate man may be said to be wholly sinful2 and he who is born of ,god1 not to commit sin4 ,thus much we grant2 and the admission is a large one4 ,but we must now object to the writer1 that this is but one side of the question2 and that he has omitted to see the other side4 ,the sources of evil are not so simple as he seems to suppose2 for man is a very complex being1 and the world in which he lives is a very complex world4 ,we therefore would inquire1-- ,what proof have we that this guilty direction of the will is a nature1 in the sense claimed1 i4e41 something innate or original8 ,why may not the will have been turned gradually in this direction as we grow up1 by enticements of pleasure2 and why might not the will1 in like manner1 by means of wise culture1 have been gradually directed to ,god8 ,again3 what proof have we that we are so wholly unconscious of this direction of the will1 as our author contends8 ,that a great many of the acts of the will are unconscious acts1 like the separate movements of the finger in a skilful pianist1 or lifting of the feet in walking1 we admit2 and we are not responsible for these separate acts1 but for the preceding choice1 by means of which we determine to play the tune1 or walk the mile4 ,in like manner1 the direction of the soul to self rather than to ,god may be moral evil2 but is not moral guilt1 until we become conscious of it1 in a greater or less degree4 ,then1 when partially or wholly awakened to the evil direction of the soul1 if we allow ourselves to neglect this discovery1 to turn away from the fact and forget it1 on that conscious act presses the whole burden of guilt1 and not on the unconscious volitions which may result from it4 ,we say1 therefore1 in opposition to the writer1 that though there may be depravity without consciousness of the depraved state1 there cannot be guilt without consciousness of the evil choice1 or1 as the apostle says1 8,sin is not imputed where there is no law40 ,again3 we totally dissent from the statement that this deep-lying will in man is unable to obey the commands1 8,turn ye1 turn ye from your evil way1 for why will ye die80--8,repent and be converted1 that your sins may be blotted out10--8,make you a new heart and a new spirit10--8,choose you this day whom you will serve10--8,believe in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ and be saved40 ,the writer says1 that 8such a power as this1 including so much1 and running so deep1 which is a determination of the whole soul1 cannot1 from the very nature of the case1 be such a facile and easily managed power as that by which we resolve to do some particular thing in every-day life40 ,true3 not so easily managed2 but can it not be managed at all8 ,it may require more self-examination to understand what the direction of the will is1 and more concentration of thought and will1 and more leaning on ,god's help2 but with all these are we able or not able to turn to ,god8 ,he says1 the great main tendency of the will to self and sin as an ultimate end1 though having a free and criminal origin1 8is not to be reversed so easily40 ,true1 again2 but why not less easily8 ,the writer speaks of the sinful will as a 8total determination of itself to self20 and asks 8how the power that is to reverse all this process can possibly come out of the will thus shut up1 and entirely swallowed in the process4 ,how is the process to destroy itself80 ,but what6 ,has man become a process8 ,he is essentially will1 but is this will blind mechanism8 ,has it not1 according to our author's own theory1 intelligence1 conscience1 affection1 rooted into it8 ,the moment that the writer begins to speak of the will1 as unable to change its direction1 he is compelled to conceive of it materially and mechanically1 and not as the moral1 responsible soul4 ,he says1 8,the human will becomes a current that becomes unmanageable simply because of its own momentum40 ,and therefore1 again1 he is obliged to conceive of the whole voluntary power as lost1 and lost before man was born2 and he reduces all our real freedom to the original act of the will previous to birth1 which took place when we were present in ,adam's soul1 and committed the first transgression with him4 ,this is plainly the denial of all human freedom since the fall of ,adam4 ,we bring into the world1 according to the writer1 a will wholly and inevitably bent to evil4 ,we have no consciousness of this tendency1 and if we were conscious of it we have no power to change it2 but we yet are responsible for it1 and guilty because of it1 inasmuch as we began this state ourselves when all our souls were mystically present in the soul of ,adam4 ,of this theory1 we merely say now1 that1 if it be true1 man is not now guilty of any sin which he commits in his mortal life2 for he is not now a free being4 ,he is only responsible for the sin which he freely committed in ,adam4 ,he is no more responsible when we suppose his sin to proceed from his will1 than when we suppose it to proceed from a depraved sensuous nature1 or from involuntary ignorance1 for he is no more free in the one case than in the other4 ,he may be an infinitely depraved and infinitely miserable being1 but he can in no true sense be called a guilty being4 ,again we say1 if this theory be true1 it is an awful theory1 and one which we cannot possibly reconcile with the justice or goodness1 and still less with the fatherly character1 of ,god4 ,that ,god should so have constituted human nature that all the millions of the human race should have had this fatal opportunity of destroying themselves utterly1 by one simultaneous act1 in ,adam1 is1 to say the least1 an awful theory to propound concerning our heavenly ,father4 ,we might put ,christ's argument to any man not hardened by theological study1 as it seems to us1 with irresistible force4 8,what man is there among you1 ,,being ,a ,,father10 who could do anything of this sort8 ,but we know too well that all such appeals fall harmless from the sevenfold shield of a systematized theology4 ,therefore we will only say further1 concerning this theory1 that1 as being apparently in direct conflict with the divine attributes as taught in the ,new ,testament2 as making man a mere process deprived of real freedom2 as proving man not guilty for any sin committed in this life2 and as thereby deadening the sense of responsibility1 and showing that we cannot possibly obey the command1 8,repent and turn to ,god10--this theory of a sin committed in ,adam ought to have the amplest proof before we believe it4 ,we admit that it may be true1 though opposed to all our ideas of ,god1 man1 and duty4 ,but being thus opposed1 it ought to be sustained by the most unanswerable arguments4 ,if ,jesus and his apostles have told us so plainly1 we will believe it if we can4 ,how is it1 then8 ,not a word on the subject in the four ,gospels4 ,not a text from the lips of ,jesus which can be pretended to lay down any such theory4 ,he does not even mention the name of ,adam once in the ,gospels1 nor allude to him1 except when speaking of marriage4 ,this theory rests1 not on anything contained in the ,gospels1 book of ,acts1 or ,epistles of ,peter1 ,james1 or ,john1 but on two texts in two ,epistles of ,paul 7,rom4 #e3ad2 #a ,cor4 #ae3bb74 ,in the latter passage ,paul says not a word of ,adam's sin1 but only of his death1--the whole chapter treating1 not of sin1 but of death and the resurrection4 ,this passage1 therefore1 can hardly be considered a plain statement of the theory4 ,the other1 in ,romans1 is confessedly so far from plain1 that it is difficult to make it agree with any theory2 but the most evident meaning1 to one who has no theory to support1 is1 that sin began with ,adam1 and the consequences of sin1 which are moral and physical evil1 began also with him2 and as he thus set in motion a series of evil tendencies which we find in our organization1 and which ,paul elsewhere calls the law of the members1 and a series of evil circumstances which we find around us in the world1 both of which are the occasion of sin1 we may trace back to him the commencement of human disobedience4 ,if the passage teaches anything more than this1 it certainly does not teach it plainly or explicitly4 #d4 ,defence of ,everlasting ,punishment1 by ,dr4 ,nehemiah ,adams and ,dr4 ,j4 ,p4 ,thompson4 ,two defences of this dreadful doctrine have appeared within a few years--one by ,rev4 ,nehemiah ,adams1 ,d4 ,d4 7chiefly known by his many and determined pleas for slavery71 and the other by ,dr4 ,thompson of ,new ,york4 ,we will first examine ,dr4 ,adams's tract on 8,the ,reasonableness of ,eternal ,future ,punishment40 ,we have these three objections to it3-- ,i4 ,it1 throughout1 denies the sovereignty of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,it is1 throughout1 a system of naturalism4 ,,iii4 ,it1 throughout1 ignores the central truth of the gospel4 ,it is our business to substantiate these assertions by sufficient proof4 #a4 ,the view taken in his tract1 of ,god1 cannot be true1 because it conflicts with his supreme and sovereign deity4 ,of course1 this is to dethrone ,god4 ,god1 if not sovereign1 is not ,god4 ,any view which disturbs1 however remotely1 the supremacy of the ,deity1 must be a relapse towards ,pagan idolatry4 ,we charge this tendency on the whole tenor of this tract4 ,we affirm that it seriously impairs that confidence and strength which can only come from reliance on ,omnipotence1 and remands us to the terrors and narrowness of ,polytheism3 not consciously1 of course1 or intentionally1 but by the logic of its ideas and the tendency of its argument4 ,according to ,dr4 ,adams's view of the world1 it is a scene of conflict between ,god and the ,devil4 ,the prize contended for is the souls of men4 ,god wishes to save them3 the ,devil wishes to damn them4 ,by immense efforts1--by the unparalleled sacrifice of himself on the cross1--,god succeeds in saving a portion of this race1 whom the ,devil had plunged into fearful and desperate sin4 ,as for the rest1 ,he can do nothing with them1 but must go away and leave them2 escaping with the saved to some other region1 where the sin and misery of the rest may be lost sight of4 ,the only divine supremacy which ,dr4 ,adams admits is that of force4 ,god is1 on the whole1 stronger than the ,devil2 so that ,he can prevent him from carrying his ravages beyond certain limits4 ,god can 8hem in and overrule0 the power of sin2 but he cannot conquer it4 ,he has no complete power over the heart and will of men to become supreme there2 but he has power over their conduct1 and can restrain that within certain limits4 ,god's sovereignty1 according to ,dr4 ,adams1 is only like that of a human government1 and that1 again1 a weak one4 ,a human government is strong when it is able to dispense with standing armies1 with an omnipresent police1 with prisons and dungeons3 it is weak when its authority is only maintained by these4 ,in the first case1 it rests on the love of the people2 in the other case1 only on force4 ,now1 according to ,dr4 ,adam's tract1 ,god's sovereignty is essentially one of force4 ,he is not sovereign by overcoming sin through his own holiness1 but only by restraining its outbreaks by externally applied force4 ,so far from conquering sin1 he is represented as giving up all hope of conquering it4 ,he has tried everything in his power1 and has failed4 ,he can do nothing more4 ,dr4 ,adams speaks of ,god's 8having expended upon us all which the gospel of his grace includes10 and of 8the failure of that which is the brightness of his glory40 ,now1 ,dr4 ,adams says1 8,what ,god will probably do is1 to go away and leave us10 ,god says1 according to the idea of this tract1 8,i will place all of you1 who sin1 in a world by yourselves1 from which ,i and my friends will forever withdraw40 ,in substance1 ,he gives up1 and acknowledges himself defeated4 ,he is beaten by sin1 which is more powerful than his gospel4 ,sin compels the ,deity to compromise2 to take some souls1 and to leave others2 to divide the universe1--love reigning in one part of it1 hatred and wickedness in another4 #b4 ,the second objection to the doctrine of everlasting punishment1 as taught in these works1 is1 that it is a system of pure materialism4 ,it is naturalism1 as opposed to supernaturalism4 ,all its arguments from ,scripture interpret ,scripture according to its letter1 and not according to its spirit4 ,while much stress is laid on the word 8eternal10 no real eternity is believed in1 or even conceived of4 ,the fundamental law of religious knowledge--namely1 that a man must be born of the ,spirit in order to see the kingdom of ,god1 and that spiritual things must be spiritually discerned--is wholly lost sight of4 ,the spiritual world1 with its bliss and its woe1 is supposed to be a continuation of the natural world1 instead of being its exact opposite4 ,the same conditions of space and time are supposed to prevail there as here4 ,hell is regarded by ,dr4 ,adams as a large place1 located in some remote part of the universe1 where the sufferings and blasphemies of damned souls and devils will not disturb the sentimental happiness of himself and his pious companions4 ,eternity he regards as an enormous and quite inconceivable accumulation of time1 instead of being the very negation of time4 ,an unlimited quantity of days1 months1 and years1 is his notion of eternity4 ,in like manner1 all the arguments by which the school to which he belongs maintains this doctrine1 are drawn from relations which exist in this world4 ,great use is made of the analogies of human government4 ,it is said that it would not be safe for the ,deity to forgive sins on the simple condition of repentance1 without an atonement1 because it would not be safe for human governments to do so4 ,the government of ,god is made wholly similar to the imperfect and ignorant governments of men4 ,when we say that ,god1 as described in the ,new ,testament1 is not a ,being to inflict everlasting suffering hereafter1 we are told that he inflicts suffering here2 as though there were no essential distinction between the finite and the infinite1 the temporal and the eternal4 ,when we argue that ,god would not suspend the eternal destiny of a soul upon the conduct and the determination of a brief earthly life1 we have instances given us of great risks to which we are exposed1 and great evils which we may incur1 in this world2 as though there were no difference between a partial loss and total destruction4 ,when we say that the justice of ,god will not permit him to punish everlastingly those who1 like the heathen1 have never known ,christ1 we have instances given of those who have ignorantly burned themselves or have fallen down precipices4 ,in all such examples1 these reasoners overlook the essential distinction between the finite and the infinite4 ,they forget that all finite evil can be made the means of a greater ultimate good1 but that infinite evil cannot4 ,it is a curious fact1 that those who are most ,orthodox fall most easily into a very hard and dry naturalism4 ,god is to them a king sitting on a throne in some far heaven outside of the world1 not a spirit pervading it and sustaining it4 ,he governs men from without by offering them rewards and threatening them with punishments1 not by inward inspirations and influence4 ,he teaches them from without by an outward ,christ1 an outward ,bible1 outward preachers1 pulpits1 creeds1 ,sabbaths1 and churches2 not by ,christ formed within us1 not by epistles and gospels written on the fleshly tables of the heart4 ,the day of judgment is a particular time1 when ,god shall sit on his throne1 and all appear before him2 not the perpetual spiritual sentence pronounced in each human soul by the divine law4 ,and so heaven is a place where there is to be some singing of psalms1 and such amusements as are here considered proper in ,orthodox families2 hell1 another place1 where souls are shut up1 to suffer from physical fire1 or at least from some external infliction4 ,the doctrine taught by the ,saviour in the first twelve verses of his first sermon1 that the humble1 the generous1 the merciful1 are already blessed1 and have heaven now1 does not appear to be at all comprehended4 ,that heaven and hell are in this world already2 that truth1 love1 and use are its essence1 whilst falsehood and selfishness are the essence of hell1--these1 though rudimental facts of ,christianity1 are commonly considered mere mysticism4 ,but those who do not see all this have not seen the kingdom of heaven1 and must be born again1 into a new world of spiritual ideas1 in order to see it4 #c4 ,the third and principal argument against the doctrine of everlasting punishment is1 that it is inconsistent with the divine love to his creatures4 ,it is impossible for ,god to manifest love to a human being by inflicting everlasting torment upon him4 ,it cannot do him good1 because1 according to this theory1 the period of probation is past1 and he has no power now to repent4 ,as far1 therefore1 as the man himself is concerned1 it is gratuitous suffering--torment inflicted without any purpose4 ,it cannot be said that ,god has any love for the soul which he is treating in this way4 ,he has cast it off4 ,to that soul1 nevermore1 throughout the ages of an everlasting existence1 shall ,god appear as a friend1 but always as an enemy4 ,we sometimes hear of a father who disinherits a child in consequence of some act of disobedience4 ,in one of the most touching tragedies in the ,english language1 a father refuses to forgive his daughter who had married contrary to his wishes4 ,he leaves her to starve1 and refuses to forgive her or to see her4 ,no one approves of this conduct in the parent4 ,but every ,orthodox man1 who believes in everlasting punishment1 attributes an infinitely greater cruelty to ,god2 infinitely greater1 because the obstinacy of the human parent endures only during a short life1 but the severity of ,god endures forever4 ,the force of this objection is such1 that ,dr4 ,adams has felt obliged to add to his tract on 8,everlasting ,punishment0 another tract upon the text1 8,god is love10 endeavoring to show a consistency between the two4 ,but he does this by substituting something else in the place of the last4 ,it is curious enough1 that a master in ,israel should have written a tract upon the 8love0 of ,god1 and should have substituted 8benevolence0 instead of it4 ,in other words1 instead of that fatherly love to every individual which is the essential fact revealed in the gospel1 he gives us a general good-will towards the human race4 ,such a general benevolence he finds not inconsistent with the doctrine of everlasting punishment2 for1 if love be only general good-will1 then1 the greatest good of the greatest number being the object1 there is nothing to complain of if a few are sacrificed for the sake of the rest4 ,it is not1 to be sure1 easy to see how those who have safely reached glory1 and are in no danger of relapse1 can be benefited by the knowledge that their old neighbors and friends are in hell2 but there may be some benefit which is not apparent4 ,by quietly substituting1 therefore1 the idea of benevolence in the place of love1 the difficulty may be evaded1 which otherwise is unanswerable4 ,but what an entire confusion of ideas is this1 which substitutes a general benevolence for a personal affection1 good-will towards the race for love to the individual6 ,it is1 in fact1 abolishing the idea of ,father1 and substituting that of ,ruler4 ,the kind ruler1 actuated by benevolence1 desires the good of all his subjects2 but he does not love them as individuals4 ,but the father loves the child with a wholly different feeling4 ,the tie is personal1 not general4 ,it is one of mutual knowledge and mutual dependence4 ,we cannot love one whom we do not know2 but we can exercise benevolence towards him very easily4 ,benevolence depends wholly on the character of the benevolent person2 but love is drawn out by the object loved4 ,i do not love my child because ,i am benevolent1 but because it is my child4 ,the infant draws forth a host of feelings1 before unknown1 in the mother's heart4 ,she does not love her infant because she is a benevolent woman1 but because the infant excites her love4 ,a man is benevolent towards the sufferers in ,kansas1 whom he has never seen2 but he does not love them4 ,he loves his wife1 but is not benevolent towards her4 ,benevolence and love1 therefore1 are not only essentially different in their nature1 origin1 and manifestations1 but so different as often to exclude each other4 ,now1 it has always been seen that ,god is benevolent4 ,this is taught by natural religion4 ,we see it in all the arrangements of divine ,providence4 ,the infinitely varied provisions for the good of his creatures1 the myriad adaptations by which their wants are met1 are ample evidence of this4 ,but ,christianity comes to teach us something else1--to teach us that ,god is our ,father1 and so to see in him benevolence swallowed up in love4 ,god does not love his children because he is benevolent1 but because they are his children4 ,he does not love them for the sake of others1 but for their own sake4 ,his love does not depend upon their being good1 pious1 or ,christian2 it depends only upon the fact that they are his children4 ,this is the doctrine of the prodigal son2 in which wonderful parable it is more distinctly stated than in any other part of the ,new ,testament4 ,the doctrine there taught1 that there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance1 is somewhat different from that other doctrine1 that the redeemed in heaven look down with joy upon the sufferings of the damned below4 ,this parable teaches that ,god has a personal1 fatherly love towards the impenitent sinner who has gone away from him into a far country4 ,the father's joy when his child returned is the evidence of the love which had continued in his heart while his child was absent from him4 ,this being the character ascribed by ,christ to the ,deity1 we assert that it is wholly inconsistent with the doctrine of everlasting punishment as taught in the pamphlet before us4 ,there are1 it is true1 many widely different doctrines to which the term 8eternal punishment0 is applied4 ,some of these may not be inconsistent with the love of ,god4 ,let us give some instances4 ,some1 by eternal punishment1 intend the punishments of eternity1 as distinguished from those of time4 ,they mean spiritual punishment1 as distinguished from temporal punishment4 ,they mean the sufferings which have their root in the sight of eternal things1 as distinguished from those which originate in the sense of earthly things--sufferings which come to us from within1 and not from without4 8,eternal10 in this sense1 describes the quality1 and not the quantity1 of the suffering2 and in this sense eternal punishment is not inconsistent with the divine love4 ,but this is not the sense which ,dr4 ,adams intends4 ,some mean by endless punishment1 that1 as long as men continue to sin1 they will continue to suffer2 that sin is eternally suffering4 ,but this is not the sense which ,dr4 ,adams intends4 ,and some say that they believe in eternal punishment2 meaning thereby1 that the consequences of sin are everlasting1--either positively1 by leaving forever some remorseful sorrow in the mind1 or negatively1 by leaving men forever lower down in the scale of excellence and happiness than they would otherwise be4 ,but this is not what ,dr4 ,adams means by it4 ,and some men believe in eternal punishment in the sense of a dark background to the universe1 which will always continue1 a shadow as permanent as light1--necessary for the full perfection and beauty of an infinite divine creation4 ,into this shadow man may forever plunge2 out of it he may forever emerge3 and it will always continue so to be4 ,but this is not the view taken by ,dr4 ,adams4 ,the view which ,dr4 ,adams takes is of endless punishment inflicted as a consequence of temporal sin committed in this life4 ,there will be no opportunity to repent hereafter1 no pardon offered4 ,there is nothing done by ,god1 after this life1 to save men4 ,the heathen who have never heard of ,christ1 unconverted infants1 those who have been brought up in the midst of evil1 and heretics who do not accept the theory of ,calvin concerning ,christianity1 are to be tormented forever in the other world4 ,this view he thinks not only scriptural1 but reasonable4 ,it corresponds nearly to the human penalty of imprisonment for life2 except that1 instead of a few years of earthly life1 it is a never-ending existence2 and1 instead of simple imprisonment1 it is imprisonment with torture added4 ,we are accustomed to complain of the 8horrors of the ,inquisition20 but wherein do they differ in principle from the doctrine of ,dr4 ,adams8 ,the inquisitors tortured men for heresy2 ,dr4 ,adams thinks that ,god will do the same4 ,the power of the ,inquisition1 however1 was limited1 on the principle1 ,dolor1 si dura1 brevis2 si longa1 levis4 ,but not so with everlasting punishment4 ,that this view is absolutely inconsistent with the fatherly love of ,god to every soul1 is apparent4 ,it would be impossible for a father to torment his child forever in consequence of temporal sin4 ,no earthly parent could be found cruel enough to inflict a million years of torture upon his child for each sin committed by him2 but a million years for every sinful action would be but a trifling penalty compared with everlasting punishment4 ,as it is absolutely impossible to defend this doctrine on the ground of the fatherly love of ,god1 it is defended by ,dr4 ,adams and his companions on other grounds1 namely1 of the divine benevolence1 and the duty of ,god as a governor4 ,the argument is this3 ,if ,god was dethroned1 all sorts of evil would ensue4 ,but sin is always endeavoring to dethrone ,god2 therefore it is his duty to use the most strenuous measures to prevent this result4 ,these strenuous measures consist in the highest rewards offered to obedience1 and the severest punishments threatened to disobedience4 ,but no punishment is so severe as everlasting punishment2 therefore the benevolence of ,god requires him to threaten it2 and1 if threatened1 his truth requires him to inflict it4 ,this is the sort of argument by which the doctrine is defended4 ,its fallacies are manifest4 ,it is based on a sort of ,manicheism1 making evil a hostile power in the universe1 which threatens the supremacy of ,god4 ,it makes ,god in danger of outward overthrow in consequence of the external assaults of sin4 ,but we have always supposed that the essence of sin was the state of the heart1 and the evil of sin to consist in the estrangement of the heart from ,god1 and not in any danger that ,omnipotence would be dethroned by it4 ,besides1 though the fear of future punishment may restrain the outward act1 it cannot change the heart1 and cannot1 therefore1 remove the real evil of sin4 ,here is the fallacy of this whole argument4 ,another weak point in the argument for everlasting punishment regards its proof1 that all opportunity for repentance is confined to this life4 ,only two or three texts are quoted in proof of this very important position4 ,one is taken from the book of ,ecclesiastes1 and declares1 that1 8in the place where the tree falleth1 there it shall be20 of which there is no evidence that it has any relation to the subject2 or1 if it has1 that it carries the least authority with it4 ,another passage asserts that 8there is no work1 nor device1 nor knowledge1 nor wisdom1 in the grave whither thou goest40 ,but this would prove too much2 for it would prove that there was no knowledge in the other life4 ,another passage1 quoted by ,dr4 ,adams from the book of ,revelation1 says1 8,let him that is unjust be unjust still20 from which it is inferred that men have no opportunity hereafter for repentance4 ,but1 as this is said to those who are in this world waiting for the coming of ,christ1 it also proves too much1 if taken literally2 since it would declare that men cannot repent even in this world4 ,such is the extremely slight foundation on which this essential part of the doctrine is made to rest4 ,never was there so weak a support for so important a position4 ,the arguments from reason1 by which our writer supports this part of his doctrine1 are all taken from the plane of the lowest naturalism4 ,he thinks it reasonable that the ,almighty should suspend the everlasting destiny of his creatures upon what they do or omit doing in this life1 because men1 in earthly transactions1 adopt a similar principle4 ,a railroad train is advertised to start at a certain hour4 ,if we are there a minute too late1 we lose our opportunity of going on an important journey4 ,we think this reasonable2 why1 then1 argues ,dr4 ,adams1 should we think it unreasonable for ,god to make us lose our chance throughout eternity if we do not take the opportunity during life8 ,god has given us full notice1 he says1 of his intention2 we have been duly notified2 and1 after due notice1 it is thought reasonable1 in earthly business transactions1 for people to run their chance4 ,a man may commit a crime in a minute1 for which he is sentenced to imprisonment for life or to capital punishment4 ,we think this reasonable2 why should we think it unreasonable that ,god should send men to an everlasting hell in consequence of sin committed in a short lifetime8 ,all these arguments are fallacious1 because they apply to the infinite1 conditions belonging wholly to the finite2 because they transfer to ,him1 whose ways are not as our ways1 and whose thoughts are not as our thoughts1 the poor necessities of human ignorance and weakness4 ,to those who reason thus1 the ,almighty may say1 8,thou thoughtest me altogether such a one as thou thyself40 ,it is because man is weak and ignorant that he is obliged to live under these limitations4 ,if we were able to do differently1 we should not make such severe consequences flow from human ignorance and weakness4 ,we do such things1 not because we think them absolutely just and good1 but because we cannot help it4 ,to argue that1 because it is reasonable for human weakness to do something which it cannot help1 it is reasonable for divine ,omnipotence to do an infinitely more injurious thing of the same kind1 is to fly in the face of all logic and reason4 ,men make a rule1 that1 if ,i am not at the station when the train starts1 ,i shall lose my trip for that day4 ,yes2 but suppose the rule should be1 that1 if ,i arrived a moment too late1 ,i should be crucified4 ,suppose a father should give full notice to his children1 that1 whenever any of them mispronounced a word1 he should be burned alive4 ,but it is easier1 according to ,dr4 ,adams's theory1 for a child never to make a mistake1 than not to commit the sins for which it is to be punished with everlasting torment4 8,what man among you is there1 being a father10 who would cause his children to come into the world exposed to such fearful risks2 who would allow them to be born with constitutions tending inevitably to sin1 the inevitable consequence of which1 after a few short years of life1 is never-ending torment1 the only possible escape from which is salvation through a ,being of whom the majority never heard1 according to a system which the majority cannot believe1 and by a process1 which1 except by a special help1 none of them are able to accomplish8 ,we should say1 that we would not have children under these conditions4 ,it were better that such children had never been born4 ,if we then1 being evil1 would not subject our children to such risk1 how much less would our ,father in heaven do anything of the kind6 ,the reply to such arguments1 by those whom ,thomas ,burnet calls the 8unmerciful doctors0 and 8ferocious theologians10 is always the same4 ,because finite evil exists1 and is not inconsistent with the divine plan1 therefore infinite evil may also exist1 and not be inconsistent with the divine plan4 ,because one may suffer for a time in this world1 therefore he may be compelled to suffer forever in the other world4 ,it is assumed that there is no essential distinction between time and eternity1 between finite and infinite evil4 ,here is the immense fallacy of the argument4 ,the difference is simply this3 ,all finite suffering1 however great1 is as nothing when compared with everlasting happiness afterwards2 but all finite happiness1 however great1 is as nothing when compared with everlasting suffering afterwards4 ,if we deny1 therefore1 the doctrine of everlasting suffering1 evil virtually disappears from the universe2 if we accept it1 good virtually disappears1 as far as the sufferers are concerned4 ,if all evil is finite1 the goodness of ,god can be fully justified2 but1 if to any one it is infinite1 no such theodicy is possible4 ,this is the fatal objection to the doctrine of everlasting punishment4 ,it clouds the face of the heavenly ,father with impenetrable gloom4 ,it takes away the best consolations of the gospel4 ,when ,jesus tells us to forgive our enemies1 that we may be like our heavenly ,father1 who sends his blessings upon the evil and the good1 this doctrine adds1 that ,god's character is thus forgiving only in this world2 but that1 in the other world1 he will torment his enemies forever in hopeless suffering4 ,when we seek consolation amid the griefs and separations of this world by looking to a better world1 where all tears will be wiped away1 we have presented to us instead this awful vision of unmitigated horror4 ,instead of finite evil being swallowed up into infinite good1 it darkens down into infinite woe4 ,dr4 ,adams quotes ,thomas ,burnet1 ,master of the ,charter-house1 as a striking instance of one1 who1 though he denied or doubted this doctrine1 admitted1 nevertheless1 that the ,scriptures were probably against him4 ,he quotes him correctly as saying1 8,human nature shrinks from the very name of eternal punishment2 yet the ,scriptures seem to hold the other side40 ,though ,dr4 ,adams gives the ,latin1 and refers to the page of the book1 let us hope1 for his own sake1 that he quotes it at second-hand2 which1 as he twice misspells the name1 is not unlikely2 for ,dr4 ,burnet1 so far from admitting that the ,scriptures are 8probably against him10 concludes1 after an examination of the leading passages1 that they prove nothing certainly as to the eternal duration of future punishment4 ,he quotes the passage in which the ,jewish servant is said to become a slave forever1--meaning till the year of jubilee2 in which circumcision is called an everlasting covenant1--meaning that it shall be abolished by the same divine authority2 in which the land of ,canaan was given for an everlasting possession to ,abraham and his seed1 from which they have long since been expelled2 c4 ,dr4 ,burnet does1 indeed1 say that the ,scriptures seem to favor the doctrine he opposes2 but he then goes on to show that such is not the case4 ,he also 8awakens antiquity10 and calls to his aid the merciful doctors of the early church 7,justin ,martyr1 ,jerome1 the ,gregories1 c47 to support his hope in a merely limited future suffering4 ,we will now consider the meaning of some of the texts usually adduced in support of this doctrine4 ,of these texts1 there are some six or seven only upon which much stress is laid2 and of these the principal ones are as follows3-- #a4 ,matt4 #ah3h1 8,having two eyes1 two hands10 c41 8to be cast into hell fire10 or 8into everlasting fire0 7 7--7 74 #b4 ,matt4 #be3df1 8,these shall go away into everlasting 7eternal7 punishment1 but the righteous into life eternal 07 and 74 ,the same adjective is used in both places here1 in the ,greek2 but our translators have seen fit to render it 8everlasting0 in the first place1 and 8eternal0 in the second4 ,there is no authority for such a different translation4 ,the word 1 translated 8punishment10 occurs in one other place in the ,new ,testament3 this is 7#a ,john #d3ah71 8,perfect love casteth out fear1 because fear hath torment40 ,in this last instance1 it is evident that the idea of punishment is not found1 but only that of suffering4 ,in the ,,lxx4 7,ezek4 #ad3c1 #d1 #g7 it is translated 8stumbling-block10 and means1 says ,schleusner 7,lexicon in ,,lxx471 8all that is the source of misfortune or suffering40 ,donnegan gives as its meaning1 8the act of clipping or pruning2 generally1 restriction1 restraint1 reproof1 check1 chastisement2 lit4 and met41 punishment40 ,the true translation of the passage1 then1 is1-- 8,these shall go away into the sufferings or punishments of eternity2 and the righteous1 into the life of eternity40 ,the simple1 direct1 and natural meaning1 therefore1 of this passage is1 that1 besides temporal joy and suffering1 there are eternal joy and suffering3 besides the joys and sufferings which have their root in time and in temporal things1 there are joys and sufferings which have their root in eternity and in eternal things4 ,in the twenty-fifth chapter of ,matthew1 the sufferings of eternity are described as following directly upon judgment1 and as being its natural consequence4 ,the judgment on each soul consists1 according to this passage1 in showing it its real character4 ,both the good and the bad are represented as needing such a judgment as this4 ,until the judgment takes place1 men are described as being ignorant of the true nature of their own past conduct4 ,they do not know their own good or their own evil3 they do not understand themselves as they really are4 ,they have done good and bad actions1 but have not understood the value of those actions4 ,they have not seen1 that in every deed of charity1 in every act of humble benevolence1 they were helping ,christ and his cause4 ,they have not understood1 that1 by every selfish and cruel deed1 they were injuring their ,master4 ,but the judgment reveals all this to them1 and lifts them immediately out of temporal joy or pain into eternal joy or pain4 ,they rise out of temporal things into eternal things1 and the new insight is to them a source of spiritual joy or spiritual suffering4 ,in some instances1 if were translated 8everlasting0 or 8never-ending10 it would make such palpable nonsense1 that our translators have been obliged to give it an entirely different rendering4 ,thus 7#b ,tim4 #a3i2 ,tit4 #a3b7 we have the phrase 2 which would be1 literally1 8before eternity10 or 8before everlasting time began10 according to the common rendering4 ,they have1 therefore1 translated it 8before the world began40 ,in the same way 7,matt4 #bd3c2 #a ,cor4 #aj3aa71 they are obliged to change their usual rendering1 or they would have to say1 8,so shall it be at the end of forever20 or1 8,the ends of eternity have arrived40 ,mark #i3dc-ej1 it is said that the 8worm does not die0 in ,gehenna1 and 8the fire is not quenched40 ,this1 therefore1 is thought to teach the doctrine of never-ending punishment hereafter2 but this was a proverbial expression1 taken from the book of ,isaiah4 ,chap4 #ff3bd1 the prophet says1 that1 in the times of the ,messiah1 all men shall come1 and worship in the presence of ,jehovah2 and shall then go out1 and look upon the dead bodies of the men who had transgressed against the ,lord2 8for their worm shall not die1 neither shall their fire be quenched2 and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh40 ,our ,saviour1 therefore1 is not making an original doctrinal statement1 but he is quoting from ,isaiah4 ,now1 the passage in ,isaiah refers1 not to punishment of the soul hereafter1 but to the destruction of the bodies of transgressors in the valley of ,hinnom4 ,the fire and the worms in that valley were not everlasting in any strict sense4 ,when ,isaiah says1 8,their worm shall not die1 nor their fire be quenched10 he expresses merely the utter destruction which would fall upon them4 ,the fire and the worms of the valley of ,hinnom have long since disappeared2 but1 while the fire lasted1 it was the emblem1 to the ,jews1 of the destruction which was to fall upon those who resisted the will of ,jehovah4 ,but it is not to be supposed that the idea of eternity1 which is not in the original image1 should be added in the figure4 ,the fire and the worms were to last in the valley of ,hinnom as long as there were idolaters to be punished for their idolatry2 and so the spiritual suffering consequent upon sin lasts as long as sin lasts4 ,sin is perpetual misery2 conscience is a worm which never dies2 bad passions are a fire which is never extinguished4 ,this is the simple and natural meaning of this passage4 #c4 ,matt4 #bf3bd4 ,in this passage1 as it stands in our translation1 ,jesus says concerning ,judas1 8,woe to that man by whom the ,son of man is betrayed6 ,it were good for that man if he had never been born40 7,mark #ad3ba47 ,the argument is1 that1 if it were good for ,judas not to have been born1 it must be impossible that he should ever repent and be saved2 because1 if he should ever be saved1 and his punishment should cease 7though at ever so remote a period71 it would be better for him to have been born than not to have been born2 since there would remain an eternity of happiness to be enjoyed afterwards4 ,and if this be true of ,judas1 it may be also true of others4 ,but1 in reply to this argument1 we say1-- #a4 ,the translation is doubtful4 ,the literal translation is1 8,woe to that man by whom the ,son of man is betrayed6 ,it had been good for him if that man had never been born40 ,this is the literal rendering of the ,greek2 and the apparent meaning seems to be1 8that it had been good for the ,son of man if ,judas had not been born40 ,jesus seems to say that it is a great woe to him1 a great sorrow1 to be betrayed by one of his own friends1 by a member of his own household4 ,it would have been good for ,jesus1 if this traitor1 who was to wound his heart so deeply1 had never existed4 #b4 ,but1 retaining our present translation1 the natural application of it is to this life4 ,it means simply this3 ,the earthly life of this man is an entire failure4 ,his life is wholly thrown away4 ,he had better never have been in the world1 than to stand1 as he will to all time1 a monument of the basest treachery4 ,the idea of the future life does not come it at all here4 ,on the whole1 one must feel1 in reading these books and tracts1 that such writers are more to be pitied than to be blamed4 ,confined in the strait-jacket of an austere theology2 steeped to the lips in ,calvinism2 working painfully all his life in sectarian harness2 with an angry heaven over his head1 and a ruined earth about his feet2 his friends and neighbors dropping into hell by thousands every year2 never having had any real sight of the blessed face of ,jesus2 having for them no hope full of immortality1 but1 instead thereof1 a tenor full of damnation1--even a kindly nature and an affectionate heart must suffer1 be dwarfed and crippled4 ,it is not an agreeable task to refute such errors2 but believing them equally destructive1 in their tendency1 to piety and morality1--corrupting the ,christian life at its centre1 and weakening its chief source of power1--we feel it a duty not to be avoided4 ,advancing age does not make us conservative in regard to such doctrines4 ,the longer we live1 the more we see of their evil tendency4 ,when young1 we shrank from attacking them1 fearing lest they might contain some truth beyond the range of our limited experience4 ,but1 having come to see wherein the essence of ,christian truth lies in all varieties of pious experience1 we know that this doctrine is an excrescence1 weakening always the vital power of the gospel4 ,it rests on custom1 on cowardice1 on the fear of change1 not on any positive insight or substantial knowledge4 ,but1 as ,tertullian declared of another doctrine defended by precedent1 8,christ did not say1 #8,i am the ,custom1' but1 #8,i am the ,truth4' 0 ,the time will come in which the ,christian ,church will look back upon its past belief in this doctrine as it looks back now on its former universal belief in the duty of persecution1 the primacy of the pope1 or the atonement made by ,christ to ,satan4 ,it will regard it with the horror with which it now regards its former universal conviction1 that ,god was pleased when his children burned each other alive for difference of opinion4 ,we now shudder when we hear of 8,,an ,,act ,,of ,,faith10 consisting in burning at the stake ten or twenty ,jews and ,protestants4 ,our children will shudder with a still more inward grief that we could make it an act of faith to believe that ,,god burns millions of his own children in unquenchable fire forever because they deny ,calvin's view of the atonement1 or the ,church definition of the ,trinity1 or because of any possible amount of sin committed in this world4 ------------------------------------- ,we now proceed to add some remarks upon a recent work by ,dr4 ,thompson of ,new ,york1 a zealous and favorite disciple of the late ,dr4 ,taylor of ,new ,haven4 ,this book1 the title of which is1 8,love and ,penalty10 consists of nine lectures delivered in the ,broadway ,tabernacle4 ,with the contents of some of the chapters we have nothing to do4 ,all the arguments for retribution1 derived from the nature of ,god1 the nature of man1 the course of ,providence1 the demerit of sin1 have for their object to prove what all ,christians fully believe4 ,unitarians and ,universalists1 ,theodore ,parker and ,r4 ,w4 ,emerson1 teach retribution1 present and future1 with a force which leaves little need of additional arguments from ,orthodoxy4 ,they teach a perfect and inevitable retribution1 proceeding both from the truth and goodness of ,god1 by means of which every man reaps as he sows4 ,orthodoxy1 they complain1 teaches no such full and perfect retribution4 ,all that part of this volume1 therefore1 which is intended to show the probability of retribution1 is wasted1 so far as any opposers are concerned4 ,in this part of his book1 ,dr4 ,thompson fights as one who beats the air4 ,he is very zealous to disprove that which no one asserts1 to prove that which no one denies1 and to show the folly of a position which no one assumes4 ,the confusion referred to runs through the whole book2 and perhaps there is no better illustration than this volume presents of that logical fallacy which is called 8the irrelevant conclusion40 ,this fallacy consists in proving one thing1 and making men think you have proved another4 ,dr4 ,thompson's hearers saw that he proved future retribution1 and thought that he proved eternal punishment4 ,we do not suppose that he intended to sophisticate them3 the difficulty seems rather to be1 that he has sophisticated himself4 ,the ignoratio elenchi is in his own mind4 ,he thinks1 because he sees penalty1 that he has seen vengeance2 that1 because he has established retribution1 he has demonstrated everlasting punishment4 ,a reasoner has1 no doubt1 a perfect right to try to prove two distinct and independent propositions2 but he must keep them distinct and independent1 and not pretend to be proving one when he is proving the other4 ,he has also a perfect right1 if he desires to establish one proposition1 to prove another1 as the first step towards it2 but he has no right to assume or imply that he has made out one of his points1 when he has only shown the probability of the other4 ,now1 our author 7p4 #ai7 declares that he has one object2 viz41 to show the truth of the doctrine of everlasting punishment4 ,he says1 8,it will be the aim of this series of lectures to show that the doctrine of the eternal punishment of the wicked is in entire harmony with the paternal character of ,god40 ,he then proceeds to give the substance of his argument1 under eight heads4 ,six of these only prove future retribution1 and only two of them have any direct bearing upon the main question4 ,yet1 through all of them1 there runs a quiet assumption1 that they are bearing directly on the main question4 ,this is the radical sophism of the whole volume4 ,we may see this more plainly by analyzing some of his chapters4 ,his first position is this1 in ,lecture ,i43 8,our own nature1 which is appealed to as refusing to recognize the attribute of punitive justice in a ,god of love1 in fact demands this attribute1 as essential to the moral perfection of the ,deity--an attribute without which he could not command the confidence and homage of his intelligent creatures40 ,before attempting to demonstrate any theorem1 it is important to define its terms4 ,an accurate definition at first of what we wish to prove would often make a long discussion unnecessary4 ,what is meant by the 8attribute of punitive justice08 ,does it mean that ,god's nature is such that he causes happiness to flow from goodness1 and suffering from wickedness1 in the constitution of the universe8 ,if this is meant1 ,dr4 ,thompson will find no one to oppose him2 for all this can take place in perfect accordance with divine love to the sinner himself4 ,what he needs is suffering3 this is the way by which he is to be cured of that sin which is a greater evil than suffering4 ,or does the author mean1 by 8punitive justice10 some attribute of the divine nature which finds pleasure in punishing the sinner1 without regard to any good which is to come from it1 either to him or to any one else8 ,apparently1 this last is what he means2 for he goes on to quote from ,pagan authorities and ,pagan religions1 to show that conscience in man requires that the wicked should be punished1 without any regard to any good to result from it4 ,but these authorities only show1 that1 in the one-sided action of man's nature1 the sense of justice acts independently of love4 ,what ,dr4 ,thompson has undertaken to show is1 that it can act in ,god in harmony with love4 ,in man1 conscience produces hatred of sin1 without regard to the good of the sinner2 but the divine conscience acts in no such one-sided way4 8,mercy and truth meet together2 righteousness and peace kiss each other40 ,the law is vindicated and the sinner benefited at the same moment4 ,the atonement of ,christ1 objectively considered1 consisted exactly in this1 that he showed a perfect reconciliation1 in his own life1 of ,god's hatred to sin1 and love to the sinner4 ,no one was ever so averse from sin1 no one was ever so in sympathy with the sinner1 as ,jesus4 ,the power of his life1 death1 and higher life1 lay in this union of holiness and love4 ,this was the objective atonement in ,christ1 and in this he was ,god manifest in the flesh4 ,he who has seen him has seen the ,father4 ,the ,christianized conscience1 following ,christ1 pities the sinner1 while it abhors the sin4 ,christian legislation lays aside the vindictive tendencies of natural law1 and seeks at the same time to destroy evil1 to protect society1 and to reform the criminal4 ,from this gospel view our author remands us to ,paganism1 and to the dicta of the natural conscience in unregenerate man4 ,these testimonies only show1 that conscience1 in its unregenerate state1 demands that the sinner be punished1 and does not care whether that punishment does him good or harm1 makes him better or worse4 ,but conscience1 when ,christianized1 does care3 it wishes to save the sinner1 while it punishes the sin4 ,as far as the natural conscience goes1 it speaks truly in saying that evil should follow sin4 ,but why it should follow it1 and what shall be the result1 it does not say4 ,that was left to ,christ to reveal4 ,dr4 ,thompson himself bears witness1 unconsciously1 to the truth of this distinction4 ,along with his testimonies from the ,heathen conscience1 he gives us two testimonies from the ,christian conscience4 ,the one is his own feelings on seeing a woman carried to the ,tombs4 ,he says he felt sympathy for her1 and would fain have saved her from that shame1 while he wished her crime to be punished4 ,the other is the testimony of ,dr4 ,bushnell1 that the 8necessary reason0 why wicked people1 remaining wicked1 should not be in heaven1 is1 that it would destroy the happiness of heaven4 ,these two ,christians1 therefore1 have consciences which do not testify to punishment proceeding from naked1 arbitrary1 and vindictive law1 such as the ,pagan conscience accepts1 but punishment having a reasonable end1 a benevolent purpose1 and accompanied with sympathy for the sinner4 ,another position of ,dr4 ,thompson is1 however1 so extraordinary1 that it needs more consideration4 ,his fifth proposition is this3 8,the high and sacred ,fatherhood which the gospel reveals is a ,fatherhood in ,christ towards those who love him1 and not a general ,fatherhood of indiscriminate love and blessing for the race40 ,a certain want of logical clearness in our author's mind appears in the very statement of this proposition4 ,he joins together a positive and a negative1 which have no antithetical relation4 ,we entirely agree with him1 that the ,fatherhood of ,god is not one of indiscriminate love and blessing for the race2 but we utterly reject the proposition1 that the ,fatherhood which ,christ reveals is only one towards those who love him4 ,the apostle ,john tells us that 8we love him because he first loved us40 ,and again3 8,herein is love2 not that we loved ,god1 but that he loved us1 and sent his ,son to be the propitiation for our sins40 ,the doctrine of the apostle is exactly opposite to that of ,dr4 ,thompson4 ,the modern divine teaches that ,god only loves those who first love him2 but the ancient divine teaches that only by ,god's loving us first do we come to love him4 ,nor is this doctrine peculiar to ,john4 ,it is a fundamental truth of the ,new ,testament1 that ,god's fatherly love1 manifested to the soul1 creates an answering love1 and that nothing else can create it4 ,jesus said of the woman1 8,she loved much2 but to whom little is forgiven1 the same loveth little40 ,god's forgiving love comes first1 and creates a grateful love in return4 ,and again we read 7,john #c3af71 8,god so loved the world1 that he gave his only-begotten ,son40 ,he therefore loved the world while it was still alienated from him4 ,and again we are told by the ,saviour 7,matt4 #e3dd7 to 8love our enemies1 that we may be the children of our ,father in heaven10 who loves his enemies4 ,possibly our friend may say1 8,yes1 ,god loves the sinner2 but he does not love him with a fatherly love1 but only with a general love40 ,perhaps a copy of the ,new ,testament may be used in the ,tabernacle ,church1 ,new ,york1 which does not contain the ,parable of the ,prodigal ,son4 ,only on some such supposition can we account for this assertion of ,dr4 ,thompson1 that 8the high and sacred ,fatherhood which the gospel reveals is a ,fatherhood in ,christ towards those who love him40 ,is that 8high and sacred ,fatherhood of ,god0 revealed anywhere more fully and plainly than in this parable8 and does it not teach expressly that the father loved the son1 while he was absent1 as a son8 ,is not his joy at the return of his son the evidence of that love which clung to him while he was away8 ,even after the son returned1 he had not begun to love his father as a son3 he did not think he had any right to do so4 ,he did not expect that his father would love him again3 he only expected to be as a servant4 ,it is evidently1 then1 utterly false to say that ,god's ,fatherhood1 revealed in the gospel1 is only a ,fatherhood towards those who love him3 it is a ,fatherhood to those who hate him and to those who fear him4 ,his love creates theirs1 and is not created by it4 ,such a doctrine as this of ,dr4 ,thompson1 if generally believed1 would sap the foundations of ,christian life1 and turn the gospel of reconciling grace into a cold system of retribution4 ,as a proof of this melancholy opinion1--an opinion which takes the life out of the gospel1--the author relies chiefly on that passage in which ,jesus says to the ,jews that they were of their father the devil4 7,john #h3dd47 ,from this he argues that they had no right to regard ,god as ,father1 and that no one has that right except pious believers in ,christ4 ,but was not ,god at that very moment their ,father1 in the same way that the father of the prodigal son was his father while he was yet in the far country8 ,the prodigal son could not see his father's love3 while absent from him1 he could not tell how much his father loved him4 ,only when he returned1 and came back to his father's house1 could he behold that blessed countenance and feel that pardoning love4 ,but none the less did his father love him during all that absence2 none the less did he desire his return4 ,when ,jesus said to the unbelieving ,jews1 8,ye are of your father the devil10 was he describing ,god's state of mind1 or their state of mind8 ,did he mean that ,god was alienated from them1 or that they were alienated from ,god8 ,he evidently meant to say that they were in a devilish state of mind2 that in their character and feelings they partook of the spirit of the devil1 and not of the spirit of ,god4 ,he was describing their position in relation to ,god1 not ,god's position in relation to them4 ,the text1 therefore1 appears to have no direct bearing on the subject4 ,it teaches1 indeed1 that they could have no truly filial feeling towards ,god2 but it does not show that he might not have a truly parental feeling towards them4 ,if they could not truly say1 8,abba1 ,father10 he could say1 8,my son1 give me thy heart40 ,we dwell on this because our author seems to us to have assumed a position injurious1 if not fatal1 to the most vital force of the gospel4 ,that which subdues and converts the heart1 and makes all things new in the soul1 is not to be told1 that ,god will be our ,father when we love him1 but that he is our ,father now4 8,herein is love2 not that we loved ,god1 but that he loved us40 8,god commends his love toward us1 that1 while we were sinners1 ,christ died for us40 ,but why multiply quotations to prove that which is written on the face of the gospel1 and to which all ,christian experience bears testimony8 ,it is ,god's love to us1 descending in ,christ1 while we are estranged and far off1 which draws up our affection to him3 it is not our love which takes the initiative1 and draws his down4 ,the sixth position argues future retribution from the demerit of sin1 and asserts that 8no punishment equal to the demerit of sin is1 or can be1 inflicted in the present life40 ,the boldness of this proposition is only equalled by the poverty of the reasoning by which it is supported4 ,to assert that it is not in the power of ,god adequately to punish sin in this world1 is to profess a knowledge of the resources of ,omnipotence1 and an acquaintance with the deserts of man1 which it seems to us presumptuous to claim4 ,on this point it is not necessary to enlarge4 ,an a priori argument to prove that ,god cannot punish sin in this life as much as it deserves to be punished1 can carry conviction to no mind which possesses any intellectual humility4 ,the seventh position declares that 8there is no conceivable mode and no revealed promise by which the ,fatherhood of ,god can make one1 dying in impenitence and unbelief1 holy and blessed in the future world40 ,this is1 of course1 the very key-stone of the argument in support of the doctrine of everlasting punishment4 ,the burden of proof rests upon those who assert that doctrine4 ,it is not enough that ,scripture does not expressly declare that there is an opportunity in the other life for repentance and pardon2 for ,scripture is dealing with us in this life1 and has no occasion to say much of the opportunities of the other4 ,those who wish to prove that there is no opportunity hereafter must show some text which expressly declares it4 ,no such text is produced1 and there is no such text in the ,bible4 ,if ,jesus had said1 8,you must repent in this life1 for after death there will be no opportunity20 or1 8,at death1 man's spiritual condition is finally determined20 or1 8,after this life1 man cannot turn from evil to good10--we should have some distinct proof of the doctrine4 ,but now we have none4 ,the ,parable of ,dives and ,lazarus is referred to more than once by our author in support of his position4 ,it is sufficient to say in regard to this1 that the most ,orthodox commentators1 provided they are scholars1 expressly deny that this refers to the doctrine of everlasting punishment4 ,olshausen1 for instance1 says1 8,rightly to understand the whole delineation1 we must1 above all1 keep clearly in view1 that it is not everlasting salvation or condemnation which is here described1 but the middle state of departed souls1 between death and the resurrection40 8,in our parable1 there is no possible reference to the everlasting condemnation of the rich man1 inasmuch as the germ of love1 and of faith in love1 is clearly expressed in his words40 ,the word translated 8hell0 in this parable is not ,gehenna1 but ,hades4 ,our author says1 and says justly1 that we can form no opinion as to another probation hereafter from a priori reasoning1 but that the question must be answered only from ,scripture4 ,having said this1 he immediately proceeds to argue it1 a priori1 stating that there are only three conceivable modes by which those dying impenitent can be saved2 and then tries to show that neither is possible4 ,after this1 he quotes a few passages bearing only indirectly1 and by inference1 upon the question4 ,the ,parable of the ,ten ,virgins is one of these1 because in it it is said1 8,the door is shut20 and1 8,depart6 ,i know you not40 ,with regard to this parable1 also1 ,olshausen says that 8the words #8,i know you not' cannot denote eternal condemnation20 that the foolish virgins were 8saved1 but not sanctified20 and that the parable does not distinguish between the penitent and the impenitent1 but between the penitent believers who watch and those who do not watch4 ,of course1 we have not been able to notice all the arguments of this book1 or all the texts referred to2 but we have perhaps said enough to show that its positions are not all tenable1 and that its arguments are not absolutely unanswerable4 ,this book of ,dr4 ,thompson1 though able1 cannot be called conclusive4 #e4 ,defence of the ,trinity1 by ,frederick ,d4 ,huntington1 ,d4 ,d4 ,the last section of this ,appendix shall be devoted to an examination and criticism of ,dr4 ,huntington's sermon1 printed some time since1 in defence of the ,trinity4 ,the course of our argument will be as follows4 ,we shall give the reasons which have induced ,unitarians to reject the ,church doctrine of the ,trinity2 also examining ,dr4 ,huntington's positions and arguments in its support4 ,the principal reasons1 then1 for rejecting the ,church doctrine of the ,trinity1 as assigned by ,unitarians1 are these3-- #a4 ,that it is nowhere taught in the ,new ,testament4 #b4 ,that every statement of the ,trinity1 which has ever been made1 has been either1 7#a47 ,self-contradictory2 7#b47 ,unintelligible2 7#c47 ,tritheistic2 or1 7#d47 ,unitarian1 in the form of ,sabellianism1 or of ,arianism4 #c4 ,that the arguments for it are inadequate4 #d4 ,that the arguments against it are overwhelming4 #e4 ,that the good ascribed to it does not belong to it1 but to the truths which underlie it4 #f4 ,that great evils to the ,church come from it4 #g4 ,that it is a doctrine of philosophy1 and not of faith4 #h4 ,that we can trace its gradual historic formation in the ,christian ,church4 #i4 ,that it is opposed to a belief in the real divinity of ,christ1 and to a belief in his real humanity2 thus undermining continually the faith of the ,church in the divine humanity of ,christ ,jesus the ,lord4 ------------------------------------- ,proceeding1 then1 to an examination of these reasons1 we say1-- ,i4 ,the ,church doctrine of the ,trinity is nowhere stated in the ,new ,testament4 ,to prove this1 as it is a negative proposition1 would require us to go through the whole ,new ,testament4 ,but we are saved this necessity by the fact that we have a statement on this point from one of ,dr4 ,huntington's own witnesses1 and one on whom he mainly relies4 ,he brings forward ,neander1 the great ,church historian1 as a believer in the ,trinity 7p4 #cfa71 and again 7p4 #cgh71 by an error which he has since candidly admitted1 quotes him as saying1 8,it is the fundamental article of the ,christian faith10--which is just what he denies in the following passage4 ,we call ,neander to the stand1 however1 now1 to have his unimpeachable testimony as a ,trinitarian 7and a ,trinitarian claimed by ,dr4 ,huntington with pride7 to the fact1 that the doctrine of the ,trinity is nowhere stated in the ,new ,testament4 ,this is what ,neander says of the ,trinity1 in the first volume of his great work on ,church ,history 7p4 #egb1 ,torrey's translation73-- 8,we now proceed to the doctrine in which ,theism1 taken in its connection with the proper and fundamental essence of ,christianity1 or with the doctrine of redemption1 finds its ultimate completion--the doctrine of the ,trinity4 ,this doctrine does not strictly belong to the fundamental articles of the ,christian faith1 as appears sufficiently evident from the fact1 that it is expressly held forth in no one particular passage of the ,new ,testament2 for the only one in which it is done1 the passage relating to the three that1 bear record 7#a ,john #e3g71 is undoubtedly spurious1 and in its ungenuine shape1 testifies to the fact1 how foreign such a collocation is from the style of the ,new ,testament ,scriptures4 ,we find in the ,new ,testament no other fundamental article than that of which the apostle ,paul says1 that other foundation can no man lay than that is laid--the annunciation of ,jesus as the ,messiah40 ,with this authority we might be content4 ,but ,dr4 ,huntington differs from ,neander in thinking that ,jesus has himself stated the doctrine of the ,trinity1 and stated it clearly and fully1 in the baptismal formula4 7,matt4 #bh3ai47 ,he says that this is 8a clear and full declaration of the fundamental article of ,christian belief40 ,he says1 8,now1 if ever1 ,christ will distinctly proclaim the doctrine of ,christendom20 and he then declares that ,christ1 in this passage1 told his ,church to baptize 8in the ,triune name407#ij7 ,not in the ,triune name1 certainly4 ,this is an assumption of our friend4 ,he may think that this is implied2 that this is to be inferred2 that this is what ,christ meant2 but certainly it is not what ,christ said4 ,christ gives us here three objects of baptism1 no doubt2 but he does not say that they are one4 ,how far this baptismal formula is 8a clear and full declaration0 of the doctrine of the ,trinity will appear thus4 ,the doctrine of the ,trinity declares1-- #a4 ,that the ,father is ,god4 #b4 ,that the ,son is ,god4 #c4 ,that the ,holy ,ghost is ,god4 #d4 ,that the ,holy ,ghost is a person1 like the ,father and the ,son4 #e4 ,that these three persons constitute one ,god4 ,of these five propositions1 all of which are essential to the doctrine of the ,trinity1 not one is stated in the baptismal formula4 ,christ here says nothing about the deity of the ,father1 the ,son1 or the ,holy ,ghost2 nothing about the personality of either of them2 and nothing about their unity3 ,it is difficult to conceive1 therefore1 how ,dr4 ,huntington can bring himself to call this a command to baptize in the ,triune name4 ,dr4 ,huntington adds1 8,our faith is summoned to the three persons1 of the one ,god40 ,but nothing is said of three persons2 nothing is said of their being one ,god4 ,he says1 8,no hint is given that there is any difference of nature1 dignity1 duration1 power1 or glory1 between them40 ,we admit it1 but also say1 that no hint is given of any equality of nature1 dignity1 duration1 power1 or glory1 between them4 ,which way1 then1 is the argument8 ,christ does not state1 on the one hand1 that the three are unequal or different3 he does not state1 on the other hand1 that they are equal and the same4 ,the inference of proof from this fact seems to us to be this3 ,if the apostles1 when ,christ spoke to them1 were already full believers in the church doctrine of the ,trinity1 the fact that ,christ did not deny it would be an argument in its favor2 but if the apostles were1 at that time1 wholly ignorant of the ,trinity1 then the fact1 that he did not assert it distinctly1 at least shows that he did not mean to teach it at that time4 ,that inference appears to us a very modest one4 ,but ,dr4 ,huntington will admit that they did not know the doctrine2 for he tells us that it was the purpose of ,christ to teach it to them at that time4 ,to which we can only reply1 ,if he meant to teach the doctrine1 why did he not teach it8 ,that the word ,,trinity is not to be found in the ,new ,testament1 and that it was invented by ,tertullian1 is a matter of little consequence2 but that the doctrine itself should be nowhere stated in the ,new ,testament we conceive to be a matter of very great consequence4 ,we have seen that ,dr4 ,huntington's attempt to show that it is stated in the baptismal formula is a failure4 ,if not stated there1 we presume that he will not maintain that it is stated anywhere4 ,we therefore agree with ,neander in saying1 that1 whether the doctrine be true or not1 it is not taught distinctly in the ,new ,testament4 ,if taught at all1 it is only taught inferentially2 that is1 it is a matter of reasoning1 not a matter of faith4 ,it is metaphysics3 it is not religion4 ,,ii4 ,the second reason why ,unitarians reject the ,church doctrine of the ,trinity is this3-- ,that every statement of the ,trinity has proved1 on examination1 to be either1 7#a47 ,a contradiction in terms2 or1 7#b47 ,unintelligible2 or1 7#c47 ,tritheistic2 or1 7#d47 ,unitarianism under a ,trinitarian form4 ,let us examine this objection4 ,what is the general statement of the ,trinity1 as made by the ,orthodox ,church1 ,catholic and ,protestant8 ,fortunately1 this question is easily answered4 ,orthodoxy has been consistent since the middle ages in its general statement1 however much it may have varied in its explanations of what it meant by that statement4 ,the doctrine of the ,trinity1 as it stands in the creeds of the churches1 is this3-- ,there is in the nature of ,god three persons1--the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost1--and these three are one being4 ,they are the same in substance1 equal in power and glory4 ,each of these three persons is very ,god1 infinite in all attributes2 and yet there are not three ,gods1 but one ,god4 ,according to the general doctrine of ,orthodoxy1 the unity of ,god is in being1 essence1 and substance2 that is1 ,god is one being1 ,god is one essence1 ,god is one substance4 ,the threefold division stops short of the being of ,god3 it does not penetrate to his essential nature3 it does not divide his substance4 ,what1 then1 is the ,trinity8 ,it is a ,trinity of persons4 ,but what is meant by 8person10 as used in this doctrine8 ,according to the common and familiar use of the word at the present time1 three persons are three beings4 ,personality expresses the most individual existence imaginable4 ,if1 therefore1 the word 8person0 is to be taken according to the common use of the phrase1 the doctrine of the ,trinity would be evidently a contradiction in terms4 ,it would be equivalent to saying1 ,god is one being1 but ,god is three beings2 which again would be equivalent to saying that one is three4 ,now1 ,trinitarians generally are too acute and clear-sighted to fall into such a palpable contradiction as this4 ,it is a common accusation against them1 that they believe one to be three1 and three one2 but this charge is1 in most cases1 unjust4 ,this would be only true in case they affirmed that ,god is three in the same way in which he is one2 but they do not usually say this4 ,they declare that he is one being1--not three beings4 ,they declare that the threefold distinction relates to personality1 not to being1 and that they use the word 8person10 not in the common sense1 but in a peculiar sense1 to express1 as well as they can1 a distinction1 which1 from the poverty of language1 no word can be found to express exactly4 ,thus ,st4 ,augustine confessed1 long ago1 8,we say that there are three persons1 not in order to say anything1 but in order not to be wholly silent40 ,non ut aliquid diceretur1 sed ut ne taceretur4 ,and so ,archbishop ,whately1 in the notes to his ,logic1 regrets that the word 8person0 should ever have been used by our divines2 and says1 8,if hypostasis1 or any other completely foreign word1 had been used instead1 no idea at all would have been conveyed1 except that of the explanation given2 and thus the danger1 at least1 of being misled by a word1 would have been avoided40 7#a47 ,the ,unintelligible ,statement4 ,the ,trinitarian thus avoids asking us to believe a contradiction2 but1 in avoiding this1 he runs upon another rock--that1 namely1 of not asking us to believe anything at all2 for if 8person0 here does not mean what it commonly means1 and if it be impossible1 from the poverty of language1 to define precisely the idea which is intended by it1 we are then asked to believe a proposition which ,trinitarians themselves are unable to express4 ,but a proposition which is not expressed is no proposition4 ,a proposition1 any important term of which is unintelligible1 is wholly unintelligible4 ,to make this matter clear1 let us put it into a conversational form4 ,we will suppose that two persons meet together1--one a ,unitarian1 the other a ,trinitarian4 ,trinitarian4 ,you do not believe the ,trinity8 ,then you cannot be saved4 ,no one can be saved who denies the ,trinity4 ,it is a vital and fundamental doctrine4 ,unitarian4 ,tell me what it is1 and ,i will see if ,i can believe it4 ,what is the ,trinity8 ,trin4 ,god exists as one being1 but three persons4 ,unit4 ,what do you mean by 8person08 ,do you mean a person like ,peter1 ,james1 or ,john8 ,trin4 ,no2 we use 8person0 from the poverty of language4 ,we do not mean that4 ,unit4 ,what1 then1 do you mean by it8 ,trin4 ,it is a mystery4 ,we cannot understand it precisely4 ,unit4 ,i have no objection to the doctrine being mysterious2 ,i believe a great many things which are mysterious2 but ,i don't want the language to be mysterious4 ,you might as well use a ,greek1 or a ,hebrew1 or a ,chinese word1 and ask me to believe that there are three hypostases or three prosopa in ,deity1 if you do not tell me what you mean by the word 8person40 ,trin4 ,it is a great mystery4 ,it is a matter of faith1 not of reasoning4 ,you must believe it1 and not speculate about it4 ,unit4 ,believe it8 ,believe what8 ,i am waiting for you to tell me what ,i am to believe4 ,i am ready to exercise my faith2 but you are tasking1 not my faith1 but my knowledge of language4 ,i suppose that you do not wish me to believe words1 but thoughts4 ,i wish to look through the word1 and see what thought lies behind it4 ,now1 it seems to us that this is a very fair demand of the ,unitarian4 ,to ask us to believe a proposition1 any important term of which is unintelligible1 is precisely equivalent to asking us to believe no proposition at all4 ,let us listen to ,paul3 8,even things without life1 giving sound1 whether pipe or harp1 except they give a distinction in the sounds1 how shall it be known what is piped or harped8 ,for1 if the trumpet give an uncertain sound1 who shall prepare himself for battle8 ,so likewise ye1 except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood1 how shall it be known what is spoken8 for ye shall speak into the air4444 ,for1 if ,i know not the meaning of the voice1 ,i shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian2 and he that speaketh1 a barbarian unto me40 ,it is of no use to talk about mystery in order to excuse ourselves for not using intelligible language4 ,that which is mysterious is one thing2 that which is unintelligible is quite another thing4 ,we may understand what a mystery is1 though we cannot comprehend how it is2 but that which is unintelligible we neither comprehend nor understand at all4 ,we neither know how it is1 nor what it is4 ,thus1 for example1 the fact of ,god's foreknowledge and man's freedom is a mystery4 ,i cannot comprehend how ,god can foreknow what ,i am to do to-morrow1 and yet ,i be free to do it or not to do it4 ,i cannot comprehend how ,jesus should be delivered to death by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of ,god1 and yet the ,jews have been free agents in crucifying him and accountable for it4 ,these things are mysteries2 but they are not unintelligible as doctrines4 ,i see what is meant by them4 ,there is no obscurity in the assertion that ,god foreknows everything1 nor in the other assertion that man is a free agent4 ,i can see clearly what is implied in both statements1 although my mind cannot grasp both1 and bring them together1 and show the way in which they may be reconciled4 ,so1 too1 infinity is a mystery4 ,we cannot comprehend it4 ,our mind cannot go round it1 grasp it1 sustain it4 ,our thought sinks baffled before the attempt to penetrate to the depth of such a wonderful idea4 ,but we understand well enough what is meant by infinity4 ,there is nothing obscure in the statement of the fact1 that the universe is unbounded4 ,so the way in which a flower grows from its seed is mysterious4 ,we cannot comprehend how the wonderful principle of life can be wrapped up in those little folds1 and how it can cause the root to strike downward1 and the airy stalk to spring lightly upward1 and the leaves to unfold1 and1 last of all1 the bright1 consummate flower to open its many-colored eye4 ,but certainly we can understand very well the statement that a flower grows1 though we do not comprehend how it grows4 ,do not1 then1 tell us1 when you have announced a doctrine1 the language of which is unintelligible1 that you have told us a mystery4 ,you have done no such thing4 ,your proposition is not mysterious3 it is unintelligible4 ,it is not a mystery3 it is only a mystification4 7#b47 ,the ,tritheistic ,statement4 ,leaving1 then1 this ground of mystery1 and attempting to define move clearly what he means by three persons and one substance1 the ,trinitarian often sinks the ,unity in the ,triplicity1 and so runs ashore upon ,tritheism4 ,this happens when he explains the term 8person0 as implying independent existence2 in which case the ,unity is changed into ,union4 ,then we have really three ,gods3 the ,,father1 who devises the plan of redemption2 the ,,son1 who goes forth to execute it2 and the ,,holy ,,spirit1 who sanctifies believers4 ,if there are these three distinct beings1 they can be called one ,god only as they are one in will1 in aim1 in purpose1--only as they agree perfectly on all points4 ,the ,unity of ,god1 then1 becomes only a unity of agreement1 not a unity of being4 ,this is evidently not the ,unity which is taught in the ,bible1 where ,jesus declares that the first of all the commandments is1 8,hear1 ,o ,israel6 the ,lord our ,god is ,,one ,lord40 ,moreover1 against such a ,trinity as this there are insuperable objections1 from grounds of reason as well as of ,scripture4 ,for ,god is the ,supreme ,being1 the ,most ,high2 and how can there be three ,supreme ,beings1 three ,most ,high ,gods8 ,again3 ,god is the ,first ,cause2 but if the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost are each ,god1 and all equal in power and majesty1 and have each an independent existence1 then there are three first causes2 which is evidently impossible4 ,again3 one of the attributes of ,god is his independent or absolute existence4 ,a being who depends on another cannot be the ,supreme ,god4 ,the ,father1 ,son1 and ,spirit1 therefore1 cannot depend on each other2 for each1 by depending on another1 would cease to be the independent ,god4 ,but1 if they do not depend on each other1 then each ceases to be ,god1 who is the ,first ,cause2 for that being is not the ,first ,cause who has two other beings independent of him4 ,other arguments of the same kind might be adduced to show that there cannot be three necessary beings4 ,in fact1 all the arguments from reason1 which go to prove the ,unity of ,god1 prove a unity of nature1 not of agreement4 8,but why argue against ,tritheism80 you may say4 8,are any ,tritheists80 ,yes3 many ,trinitarians are in reality ,tritheists1 by their own account of themselves4 ,there are many who make the ,unity of ,god a mere unity of agreement1 and talk about the society in the ,godhead1 and the intercourse between the ,father1 ,son1 and ,spirit47#ia7 ,opposed to this kind of ,trinity is another view1 in which the ,unity is preserved1 but the ,trinity lost4 ,according to this view1 ,god is one ,being1 who reveals himself in three ways1--as ,father1 as ,son1 as ,spirit1--or sustains three relations1 or manifests himself in three modes of operation4 ,the ,trinity here becomes a nominal thing1 and is1 in reality1 only ,unitarianism with an ,orthodox name4 ,this kind of ,trinity also is very prevalent1 and is the one really maintained by men of high standing in the ,orthodox ,church1 both in ,europe and ,america4 ,according to this view1 the word 8person0 in the doctrine of the ,trinity means the same as the corresponding word in ,greek and ,latin formerly meant2 namely1 the outward character1 not the inward individuality4 ,thus ,cicero says1 8,i1 being one1 sustain three persons or characters2 my own1 that of my client1 and that of the judge0--,ego unus1 sustineo tres personas4 ,this view of the ,trinity is commonly called ,modalism1 or ,sabellianism1 and is also widely held by those who call themselves ,trinitarians4 ,it is1 in fact1 only ,unitarianism under a ,trinitarian name47#ib7 7#c47 ,the ,subordination ,view4 ,avoiding these two extremes1 and yet wishing to retain a distinct idea of ,unity and ,tri-personality1 the ,trinitarian is necessarily driven upon a third view1 in which the ,father is the only really ,supreme and ,independent ,being1 the ,son and the ,holy ,spirit subordinate and dependent4 ,this view1 which is called the subordination scheme1 or ,arianism1 is ,unitarianism again in another form2 and this view also is entertained by many who still retain the name of 8,trinitarians40 ,according to this view1 the ,son and the ,holy ,ghost are really ,god1 but are so by a derived divinity4 ,god the ,father communicates his divinity to the ,son and the ,holy ,ghost4 ,this is the view really taken in the ,nicene ,creed1 though adopted in opposition to the ,arians1 and was the doctrine of the earliest ,church ,fathers before the ,arian controversy began4 ,in the ,nicene ,creed1 we read that the ,son is 8,god of 77 ,god1 ,light of 77 ,light1 true ,god of true ,god20 the 8of0 here being the same as 8from10 and denoting origin and derivation4 ,this doctrine seems1 in reality1 to have less in its favor than either of the others4 ,by calling the ,son and ,holy ,spirit ,god1 it contrives to make three distinct ,gods1 and so is ,tritheism2 and yet1 by making them dependent on the ,father1 it becomes ,unitarianism again4 ,thus1 singularly enough1 this attempt at making a compromise between ,unity and ,trinity loses both ,unity and ,trinity2 for it makes three ,gods1 and so loses the ,unity2 and yet it makes ,christ not 8,god over all10 not the ,supreme ,being1 and so loses the ,trinity4 ,between these different views1 between ,tritheism1 ,sabellianism1 and ,arianism1 the ,orthodox ,trinity has always swung to and fro1--inclining more to one or to the other according to the state of controversy in any particular age4 ,when the ,arian or ,tritheistic views were proclaimed and defended1 the ,orthodoxy of the ,church swung over towards ,sabellianism1 making the ,unity strong and solid2 and the ,trinity became a thin mode or an airy abstraction4 ,when ,sabellianism1 thus encouraged1 came openly forward1 and defended its system and won adherents1 then ,church ,orthodoxy would hasten to set up barriers on that side1 and would fall back upon ,tritheistic ground1 making the ,threefold ,personality a profound and real distinction1 penetrating the very nature of ,deity1 and changing the ,unity of ,being into a mere ,unity of ,will or agreement4 ,we will venture to say1 that there has never yet been a definition of the ,trinity which has not been either ,tritheistic or ,modalistic2 and ,church ,orthodoxy has always stood either on ,tritheistic or on ,sabellian ground4 ,in other words1 the ,orthodox ,trinity of any age1 when searched to the bottom1 has proved to be ,unitarianism1 after all--,unitarianism in the ,tritheistic or in the ,sabellian disguise2 for the ,tritheism of three coequal1 independent1 and absolute ,gods1 is too much opposed both to reason and ,scripture to be able ever to maintain itself openly as a theology for any length of time4 ,the analogies which are used to explain the ,trinity are all either ,sabellian or ,tritheistic4 ,nature has been searched in all ages for these analogies1 by which to make the ,trinity plain2 but none have ever been found which did not make the ,trinity either ,sabellianism or ,tritheism4 ,they are either three parts of the substance1 or else three qualities or modes of the substance4 ,thus we have instances in which the three are made the three parts of one being1 or substance2 as in man1--spirit1 soul1 body2 thought1 affection1 will2 head1 heart1 hand4 ,one ,being with three distinct faculties is ,tritheism3 one ,being acting in three directions is ,sabellianism4 ,time is past1 present1 and future4 ,syllogism has its major1 minor1 and conclusion4 ,there are other like analogies4 ,st4 ,patrick took for his illustration the three leaves of trefoil1 or clover4 ,others have imagined the ,trinity like a triangle2 or they have referred to the three qualities of space1--height1 breadth1 width2 or of fire1--form1 light1 and heat2 or of a noun1 which has its masculine1 feminine1 and neuter2 or of a government1 consisting of king1 lords1 and commons2 or of executive1 legislative1 and judiciary4 ,this survey of ,church ,trinity shows that it is either one in which1-- #a4 ,the persons are not defined2 or an unintelligible ,trinity4 #b4 ,or which defines person and ,unity in the usual sense2 or a contradictory ,trinity4 #c4 ,or which defines person as usual1 and the ,unity as only ,union2 or ,tritheism4 #d4 ,or which defines person as only manifestation2 or ,sabellianism4 ,these four are all the views ever hitherto given1 and are all untenable4 ,we might stop here1 and say that the ,trinity is utterly unsupported4 ,there is no need of going to the ,scripture to see if it is taught there2 for we have1 as yet1 nothing to look for in ,scripture4 ,the ,trinitarian's difficulty appears to be in defining person4 ,but possibly he may say1 8,i cannot1 indeed1 give a positive idea of person2 but ,i can give a negative one4 ,i cannot say what it is2 but ,i can say what it is not4 ,it is not a mere mode on the one hand2 and not being1 on the other4 ,we must neither confound the persons nor divide the substance40 ,we will1 then1 go further1 and say1 as ,trinitarians have never yet defined person1 without making it either a mode or a being1 so they never can define it otherwise4 ,there is no third between being and mode4 ,they must either confound the persons or divide the substance4 ,again3 that which differences one person in the ,deity from another must be either a perfection or an imperfection4 ,there is nothing between these4 ,but it cannot be an imperfection2 for no imperfection exists in ,god3 and it cannot be a perfection2 for then the other two persons would want a divine perfection1 and would be imperfect4 ,,iii4 ,the arguments in support of the ,trinity are wholly inadequate4 ,since1 according to ,neander1 the ,trinity is not stated in the ,new ,testament1 it follows that it is a doctrine of inference only2 that is1 a piece of human reasoning4 ,now1 we have1 no doubt1 a perfect right to infer doctrines from ,scripture which are not stated there2 but1 as ,protestants1 we have no right to make these inferences fundamental1 or essential to the religious life4 ,they may1 indeed1 be metaphysically essential2 that is1 essential to a well-arranged system2 but they are not morally essential2 that is1 not essential to the moral and spiritual life of the soul4 ,but this is just what ,dr4 ,huntington attempts to do4 ,he tries to show that there is a doctrine essential to the life1 peace1 and progress of man1 which the ,new ,testament has omitted to state2 which is neither distinctly stated by our ,saviour nor by any of his apostles2 which has been left to be inferred1 and inferred by the mere processes of unaided human reason4 ,what arguments does he allege for this8 ,his first and principal argument is the universal belief of the ,christian ,church in the doctrine of the ,trinity4 ,on this ,dr4 ,huntington lays great stress4 ,he says1-- 8,truth is not determined by majorities2 and yet it would be contrary to the laws of our constitution not to be affected by a testimony so vast1 uniform1 and sacred as that which is rendered by the common belief of ,christian history and the ,christian countries to the truth of the ,trinity4 ,there is something extremely painful1 not to say irreverent1 towards the ,providence which has watched and led the true ,christian ,israel1 in presuming that a tenet so emphatically and gladly received in all the ages and regions of ,christendom1 as almost literally to meet the terms of the test of ,vincentius1--believed always1 everywhere1 and by all1--is unfounded in revelation and truth4 ,such a conclusion puts an aspect of uncertainty over the mind of the ,church1 scarcely consistent with any tolerable confidence in that great promise of the ,master1 that he would be with his own all days40 7p4 #cei47 ,to which we answer1-- 7#a47 ,that1 according to ,dr4 ,bushnell 7,dr4 ,huntington's own witness71 there never has been1 nor is now1 any such belief in the doctrine of the ,trinity as he asserts4 ,the largest part of the ,church have always 8divided the substance0 of the deity1 and another large portion have 8confounded the persons20 and so the majority of the ,church1 while holding the word 8,trinity10 have never believed in the ,triunity at all4 ,dr4 ,huntington summons ,dr4 ,bushnell as a witness to the practical value of the ,trinity2 and we may suppose something such an examination as this to take place3-- ,dr4 ,huntington4 ,tell us1 ,dr4 ,bushnell1 what instances you know of persons who have been converted or deeply blessed by the holy doctrine of the ,trinity4 ,dr4 ,bushnell4 ,i have known of 8a great cloud of witnesses10 8living myriads10 8who have been raised to a participation of ,god in the faith of this adorable mystery10 7,huntington1 p4 #dac47 ,dr4 ,h4 ,mention some of them4 ,dr4 ,b4 8,francis ,junius10 8two centuries and a half ago10--a professor 8at ,heidelberg 7,leyden871 testified that he was1 in fact1 converted from atheism by the ,christian ,trinity20 also 8the mild and sober ,howe20 8,jeremy ,taylor20 also 8the ,marquis de ,rentz20 8,edwards10 and 8,lady ,maxwell40 7,huntington1 p4 #dad47 ,unitarian4 ,say1 ,dr4 ,bushnell1 whether1 in your opinion1 the majority of ,christians really believe in the ,church doctrine of the ,trinity4 ,dr4 ,b4 8,a very large portion of the ,christian teachers1 together with the general mass of disciples1 undoubtedly hold three living persons in the interior nature of ,god40 7,bushnell3 8,god in ,christ10 p4 #acj47 ,unit4 ,is that scriptural or ,orthodox8 ,dr4 ,b4 ,no4 ,it is only 8a social ,unity40 ,it is 8a celestial ,tritheocracy40 ,it 8boldly renounces ,orthodoxy at the point opposite to ,unitarianism40 7,bushnell3 8,god in ,christ10 p4 #aca47 ,unit4 ,do ,i understand you to be now speaking of the properly ,orthodox ministers and churches generally8 ,dr4 ,b4 8,our properly ,orthodox teachers and churches1 while professing three persons1 also retain the verbal profession of one person4 ,they suppose themselves really to hold that ,god is one person2 and yet they most certainly do not3 they only confuse their understanding1 and call their confusion faith4 ,this ,i affirm on the ground of sufficient evidence2 partly because it cannot be otherwise1 and partly because it visibly is not40 7,ibid4 p4 #aca47 ,unit4 ,do you believe1 ,dr4 ,bushnell1 that spiritual good can come from such a belief in the ,trinity as you describe to be 8undoubtedly0 that of 8the general mass of disciples08 ,dr4 ,b4 8,mournful evidence will be found that a confused and painfully bewildered state is often produced by it4 ,they are practically at work in their thoughts to choose between the three1 sometimes actually and decidedly preferring one to another2 doubting how to adjust their mind in worship2 uncertain1 after1 which of the three to obey2 turning away1 possibly1 from one with a feeling of dread that might well be called aversion2 devoting themselves to another1 as the ,romanist to his patron saint4 ,this1 in fact1 is ,polytheism1 and not the clear1 simple love of ,god4 ,there is true love in it1 doubtless2 but the comfort of love is not here4 ,the mind is involved in a dismal confusion1 which we cannot think of without the sincerest pity4 ,no soul can truly rest in ,god1 when ,god is in two or three1 and these in such a sense that a choice between them must be continually suggested40 7,ibid4 p4 #acd47 ,unit4 ,this state of mind is undoubtedly that of the general mass of the disciples8 ,dr4 ,b4 ,it is4 7,ibid4 p4 #acj47 ,unit4 ,are there others1 calling themselves ,trinitarians1 who hold essentially the ,unitarian doctrine8 ,dr4 ,b4 ,yes4 8,it is a somewhat curious fact in theology that the class of teachers who protest over the word #8person1' declaring that they mean only a threefold distinction1 cannot show that there is really a hair's breadth of difference between their doctrine and the doctrine asserted by many of the later ,unitarians4 ,they may teach or preach in a very different manner2 they probably do3 but the theoretic contents of their opinion cannot be distinguished4 ,thus they say that there is a certain divine person in the man ,jesus ,christ2 but that1 when they use the term #8person1' they mean1 not a person1 but a certain indefinite and indefinable distinction4 ,the later ,unitarians1 meantime1 are found asserting that ,god is present in ,christ in a mysterious and peculiar communication of his being2 so that he is the living embodiment and express image of ,god4 ,if1 now1 the question be raised1 #8,wherein does the indefinable distinction of one differ from the mysterious and peculiar communication of the other8' or #8,how does it appear that there is any difference8' there is no living man1 ,i am quite sure1 who can invent an answer40 7,ibid4 p4 #ace47 ,unit4 ,is it not true that both of these views are sometimes held alternately by ,trinitarians8 ,dr4 ,b4 8,probably there is a degree of alternation1 or inclining from one side to the other1 in this view of ,trinity1 as the mind struggles1 now to embrace one1 and now the other1 of two incompatible notions4 ,some persons are more habitually inclined to hold the three2 a very much smaller number1 to hold the one40 7,ibid4 p4 #acd47 ,unit4 ,but can they not hold the ,unity with this ,trinity8 ,dr4 ,b4 8,no man can assert three persons1 meaning three consciousnesses1 wills1 and understandings1 and still have any intelligent meaning in his mind1 when he asserts that they are yet one person4 ,for1 as he now uses the term1 the very idea of a person is that of an essential1 incommunicable monad1 bounded by consciousness1 and vitalized by self-active will2 which being true1 he might as well profess to hold that three units are yet one unit4 ,when he does it1 his words will1 of necessity1 be only substitutes for sense40 7,ibid4 p4 #aca47 7#b47 ,but suppose that the belief of the ,church in the ,trinity was as universal as ,dr4 ,huntington asserts and ,dr4 ,bushnell denies1 what would be its value8 ,his argument proves too much4 ,if it proves the ,trinity to be true1 it proves1 a fortiori1 the ,roman ,catholic ,church to be the true ,church1 and ,protestantism to be an error2 for ,martin ,luther1 at one time1 was the only ,protestant in the world4 ,suppose that a ,roman priest had come to him then4 ,he might have addressed him thus3-- 8,it is certainly an impressive testimony to the truth of the ,church of ,rome1 that the ,christian world have been so generally agreed in it4 ,truth is not determined by majorities2 and yet it would be contrary to the laws of our constitution not to be affected by a testimony so vast1 uniform1 and sacred as that which is rendered by the common belief of ,christian history and the ,christian centuries to the doctrines and practices of the ,roman ,catholic ,church4 ,we travel abroad1 through these converted lands1 over the round world4 ,we enter1 at the call of the ,sabbath morning light1 the place of assembled worshippers2 let it be the newly planted conventicle on the edge of the ,western forest1 or the missionary station at the extremity of the ,eastern continent2 let it be the collection of ,northern mountaineers1 or of the dwellers in ,southern valleys2 let it be in the plain village meeting-house1 or in the magnificent cathedrals of the old cities2 let it be the crowded congregation of the metropolis1 or the #8two or three' that meet in faith in upper chambers1 in log-huts or under palm-trees2 let it be regenerate bands gathered to pray in the islands of the ocean1 or thankful circles of believers confessing their dependence and beseeching pardon on ships' decks1 in the midst of the ocean4 ,so we pass over the outstretched countries of both hemispheres2 and it is well nigh certain--so certain that the rare and scattered exceptions drop out of the broad and general conclusion--that the lowly petitions1 the fervent supplications1 the hearty confessions1 the eager thanksgivings1 or the grand peals of choral adoration1 which our ears will hear1 will be uttered according to the grand ritual of the ,church of ,rome4 ,this is the voice of the unhesitating praise that embraces and hallows the globe40 ,what would ,luther have replied to that8 ,he would have said1 8,truth must have a beginning4 ,it is always1 at first1 in a minority4 ,the gate of it is strait1 the path to it narrow1 and few find it4 ,all reforms are1 at the beginning1 in the hands of a small number4 ,if ,god and truth are on our side1 what do we care for your multitudes80 ,we can make the same answer now4 ,dr4 ,huntington proceeds to give his own creed in regard to the ,trinity1--to state his own belief4 ,god1 in himself1 he declares1 we cannot know at all4 ,we know him only1 in his revelation4 8,out of that ineffable and veiled ,godhead--the groundwork1 if we may say so1 of all divine manifestation2 a theocracy--there emerge to us1 in revelation1 the three whom we rightly call persons--,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost40 ,we can only conceive of ,god1 he says1 in action2 and in action we behold him as three4 ,but action and revelation take place in time4 ,the ,trinity1 therefore1 according to ,dr4 ,huntington1 is only known to us in temporal manifestation3 whether it exists in eternity or not1 we cannot tell4 ,and yet1 in the next sentence1 he goes on to say that 8the ,son is eternally begotten of the ,father10 and 8the ,holy ,ghost proceeds out of the ,father1 not in time20 which is the very thing he had a moment before professed to know nothing about4 ,it is very difficult1 therefore1 to tell precisely what his view is4 ,with regard to the incarnation of the ,son1 he is still more obscure4 ,he says that 8,christ comes forth out of the ,godhead as the ,son20 that he 8leaves the glory he had with the ,father20 that1 while he is on earth1 the ,father alone represents the unseen personality of the ,godhead1 and that therefore the ,son appears to be dependent on him1 and submissive2 that temporarily1 while the ,son is in the world1 he remains ignorant of what the ,father knows1 and says that his ,father is greater than he4 8,he lessens himself to dependency for the sake of mediation40 8,all this we might expect40 ,this he calls an 8instrumental inequality between ,son and ,father30 it 8is wrought into the biblical language1 remains in all our devotional habit1 and ought to remain there40 ,in other words1 ,dr4 ,huntington believes that the ,infinite ,god became less than infinite in the incarnation4 ,the common explanation of those passages1 where ,christ says1 for example1 8,my ,father is greater than ,i10 does not satisfy him4 ,he is not satisfied that ,jesus said it 8in his human nature40 ,no4 ,it was the divine nature which said it2 and it was really ,,god ,,the ,,son1 who did not know the day nor the hour of his own coming4 ,he lost a part of his omniscience4 ,he ceased to be perfect in all his attributes4 ,we should say1 then1 that he ceased to be ,god2 but ,dr4 ,huntington maintains that he was ,god1 nevertheless2 but ,god less than omnipotent1--,god less than omniscient2 ,god the ,son1 so distinct from the ,father as to be ignorant of what the ,father knew1 and unable to perform what the ,father could do4 ,dr4 ,huntington 7p4 #cff7 ascribes it to 8condescension0 in ,christ1 to say that 8of that day and hour knoweth not the ,son40 8,it is condescension indeed60 says he4 ,but this word 8condescension0 does not well apply here4 ,one does not condescend to be ignorant of what he knows3 still less does a truthful person condescend to say he is ignorant of what he knows4 ,we may wisely condescend to help the feeble1 and sympathize with the lowly1 but hardly to be ignorant with them1 or to pretend to be ignorant4 ,it is a badly chosen word1 and seems to show the vacillation of the writer's thought4 ,,iv4 ,the arguments against the doctrine of the ,trinity are unanswerable4 ,we infer that they are unanswerable from the fact that they are not answered4 ,it is to be presumed that ,dr4 ,huntington1 having been for so many years a preacher of ,unitarian doctrine1 is acquainted with our arguments4 ,it is a remarkable fact that1 in this sermon1 he has nowhere attempted to reply to them4 ,he has passed them wholly by4 ,you would not know1 from reading the discourse1 that he had ever been a ,unitarian1 or had ever heard of the ,unitarian objections to the ,trinity2 still less that he had himself preached against it4 ,unitarians1 for instance1 have said1 that if the ,trinity be true1 and if it be so important to the welfare of the soul as is contended1 it would be somewhere plainly taught in the ,new ,testament4 ,does ,dr4 ,huntington answer this argument8 ,no2 he answers the argument from the word 8,trinity0 not being in the ,bible1 and his answer is sufficient2 but he does not answer the argument from the fact1 that the doctrine itself is not anywhere distinctly taught1 and that none of the terms which have been found essential to any ,orthodox statement of the doctrine are to be met with in the ,new ,testament47#ic7 ,nor does ,dr4 ,huntington anywhere fairly meet the ,unitarian argument from the impossibility of stating the doctrine in intelligible language4 ,he tells us1 with his usual eloquence1 what we have often enough been taught before1 that there are many things which we do not understand1 and that we must believe many facts the mode of which is unintelligible4 ,but when we say1 8,can we believe a doctrine or proposition which cannot be distinctly stated80 ,he has no answer4 ,the ,trinity is a doctrine1 and must therefore be distinctly stated in order to be believed4 ,it has not been distinctly stated17#id7 and therefore cannot be believed4 ,to this objection ,dr4 ,huntington has no reply2 and we may conclude that it is an unanswerable objection4 ,dr4 ,huntington uses an unnecessary phrase about those who object to mystery4 ,he calls the objection 8shallow self-illusion10 and proceeds with the usual declaration1 that all of life is mysterious4 ,can he have been a ,unitarian preacher for twenty years1 and not have known that ,unitarians object to mystery only when it is used by ,trinitarians as a cover for obscurity and vagueness of statement8 ,you ask us to believe a precise statement1 viz41 that 8there are three persons in the ,godhead40 ,we say1 8,what do you mean by #8person'80 ,the ,trinitarian answers1 8,it is a mystery40 ,we say1 8,we cannot believe it1 then40 ,the ,trinitarian replies1 8,why1 all is a mystery4 ,how the grass grows is a mystery2 yet you believe it40 8,no10 we say1 8we do not believe it4 ,when the mystery begins1 our belief ends2 we believe up to that point1 and no farther40 ,the statement1 8the grass grows10 is not a mystery2 the fact1 8the grass grows10 is not a mystery4 ,we believe the fact and the statement4 ,the way in which it grows is mysterious2 and we do not believe anything about it4 8,you cannot understand how the grass grows40 ,no2 and1 accordingly1 we do not believe anything about how the grass grows4 ,but the whole purpose of the ,trinity is to show how the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,spirit exist4 ,you are not satisfied that we receive what the ,scripture teaches2 you try to show us the how1 and then leave it in obscurity at last4 ,nor does ,dr4 ,huntington reply to the ,unitarian explanation of the ,trinitarian proof-texts4 ,trinitarians have often quoted the texts--8,i and my ,father are one20 8,he who has seen me has seen the ,father0--in proof of the ,deity of ,christ4 ,unitarians have often replied to both of them3 to the first passage1 that since ,jesus has also said that his disciples were to be one with him1 as he is one with ,god1 it either proves that the disciples are also to be ,god1 or does not prove that ,christ is ,god4 ,to the second passage1 ,unitarians have replied by reading the next clause1 in which ,christ says1 8,believest thou not that ,i am in the ,father80 showing how it is that he reveals the ,father4 ,he is in the ,father1 and his disciples are in him4 ,those who see him1 see the ,father2 those who see his true disciples1 see the face and image of ,christ4 ,these answers are so obvious1 and ,dr4 ,huntington must have heard them so often1 that he should1 as a controversialist1 have taken some notice of them4 ,he has not done so4 ,he quotes the passage from ,eph4 #a3bj1 #ba1 and says1 8,can this be a creature80 ,we reply1 8,can he be anything but a creature8--he who was set by ,god in this place of honor40 ,does ,god set ,god1 as a reward1 above principalities and powers8 ,does ,god make ,god 8head over all things in the ,church08 ,again3 ,dr4 ,huntington quotes1 8that1 at the name of ,jesus1 every knee should bow1 and every tongue confess that he is ,lord20 but he omits the conclusion1 8to the glory of ,god the ,father40 ,he even quotes the passage1 8,him hath ,god exalted to give repentance and forgiveness of sin40 ,and he quotes the passage1 which has staggered the strongest believers in the ,trinity1 where ,paul declares 7#a ,cor4 ch4 #ae71 that1 at the end1 ,christ will give up his kingdom to the ,father1 that 8,god may be all in all10 and explains it as meaning that 8he will resume his place in the coequal ,three1 the indivisible ,one40 ,has he left his place1 then8 ,is that ,orthodox8 ,dr4 ,huntington evidently thinks so2 for he says1 8,the ,son1 in his character of ,sonship1 is retaken1 so to speak1 into the everlasting undivided ,one40 ,so to speak4 ,we may speak so3 8,but what do we mean by it80 is the question4 ,did ,god the ,son leave his place in the ,godhead8 ,did he become less than ,god8 ,did he become ignorant8 ,did he suffer and die8 ,did he arise1 and at last reascend1 and take his place1 8so to speak10 in the ,godhead8 ,if this is meant as real statement1 what better is it than the ,avatars of ,vishnu8 ,what sort of ,unity is left to us8 ,we have a ,trinity of council2 but where is the ,unity1 except of agreement8 ,one divine ,being descending1 and leaving the other divine ,being alone1 temporarily1 on the throne of the universe1 until the divine ,being who had descended should reascend to take his seat again 8in the coequal ,three and indivisible ,one06 ,one ,unitarian argument1 which appears to us unanswerable1 is in the fact1 that the very passages in which the highest attributes are ascribed to ,christ are always those in which his dependence and subordination are most strongly asserted4 ,we could throw aside all the passages in which ,jesus asserts directly his inferiority1--as1 8,my ,father is greater than ,i20 8,of mine own self ,i can do nothing10--and take the strongest proof-texts of the ,trinitarians1 and ask for no better proof for the ,unitarian doctrine3 8,all power is given to me in heaven and earth20 8,the image of the invisible ,god1 the first-born of every creature20 8,in him dwelt all the fulness of the ,godhead bodily40 ,are these passages written of ,christ in his divine or human nature8 ,not his divine nature2 for to ,god the ,son all power cannot be 8given40 ,god the ,son cannot be 8the image of ,god10 or the 8first-born of every creature40 ,the 8fulness of the ,godhead0 cannot dwell in ,god the ,son4 ,they must1 then1 be said of him in his human nature2 and1 if so1 they show that the loftiest titles and attributes do not prove him to be ,god4 ,v4 ,the good ascribed to the doctrine of the ,trinity does not belong to it1 but to the truths which underlie it4 ,dr4 ,huntington asserts1 for example1 that 8the ,triunity of ,god appears to be the necessary means of manifesting and supporting in the mind of our race1 a faith in the true personality of ,god40 ,if so1 it is remarkable that the two forms of religion in which the personality of ,god1 as absolute will1 is most distinctly recognized 7i4e41 the ,jewish religion and the ,mohammedan religion71 should both be ignorant of the ,trinity4 ,it is equally remarkable that the most ,pantheistic religion in the world1 in which the personality of ,god most entirely disappears 7i4e41 ,braminism71 should have a ,trinity of its own4 ,it is also remarkable1 on this hypothesis1 that idolatry in the ,christian ,church 7as worship of ,mary1 worship of saints and relics1 c47 should come up with the ,trinity1 and flourish simultaneously with it4 ,no2 it is not the ,trinity which brings out most distinctly the personality of ,god1 but the faith in a divine revelation through inspired men4 ,if ,god can dwell in the souls of men1 teaching and guiding them1 he must be a person like the soul with which he communes4 ,especially does the religious consciousness of ,jesus1 his simple and child-like communion with the heavenly ,father1 bring ,god near to the soul as a personal being4 ,it is not the ,trinity1 but the ,christian faith which underlies it1 which teaches the divine personality4 ,nor is it the doctrine of the ,trinity which is necessary for a living faith in ,god through ,christ1 reconciling the world unto himself4 ,all that ,dr4 ,huntington says of the evil of sin is well said1 but has no bearing on the point before us4 ,according to ,dr4 ,huntington's own witnesses1 as we have seen above1 the ,trinity was unknown in the earlier ages of the ,church4 ,was reconciliation unknown8 ,was the forgiving love of ,christ unknown8 ,if he cannot assert this1 the doctrine of the ,trinity is not necessary to a living faith in a reconciling ,god4 ,dr4 ,huntington argues1 that only the sufferings1 and actual sufferings1 of ,god himself1 can touch the sinful heart2 and1 therefore1 the ,trinity is true4 ,the conclusion is a long way from the premise1 even supposing that to be sound4 ,but as regards the premise1 he has read and quoted ,mansel4 ,has he not verged towards the dogmatism which that writer condemns8 ,would it not be more modest1 and better accord with ,christian humility1 to be satisfied with believing the scriptural assertions1 that 8,god so loved the world1 that he gave his only-begotten ,son20 that 8,he who spared not his own ,son1 but gave him up for us all1--shall he not1 with him1 freely give us all things80 ,is not this enough1 without an argument to prove that the only way by which man can be saved is the method of a suffering ,god8 ,we will not dwell further on this head1 nor examine our friend's argument to show that we cannot consistently1 as ,unitarians1 have any piety4 ,we will try1 then1 to have it inconsistently4 ,,vi4 ,great evils to the ,church have come from the doctrine of the ,trinity4 ,it has tended to the belief in three ,gods4 ,it has tended to a confusion of belief between three ,gods of equal power and majesty1 united only in counsel2 one supreme and two inferior ,deities2 one ,deity with a threefold manner of manifestation2 and a vague1 undetermined use of words1 with no meaning attached to them--unhappy confusion1 which none have been more ready to recognize and to point out than ,trinitarians themselves4 ,and what shall we say of the continual struggles1 conflicts1 and bitter controversies1 which this doctrine has caused from the time of its entrance into the ,church8 ,what is there more disgraceful in the history of the ,church1 than the mutual persecutions of ,arians and ,athanasians1 and of all the minor sects and parties1 engendered by this disputed doctrine8 ,this is what ,dr4 ,bushnell says of one of these matters2 and his testimony is1 perhaps1 sufficient on this point1-- 8,no man can assert three persons1--meaning three consciousnesses1 wills1 and understandings1--and still have any intelligent meaning in his mind1 when he asserts that they are yet one person2 for1 as he now uses the term1 the very idea of a person is that of an essential1 incommunicable monad1 bounded by consciousness1 and vitalized by self-active will2 which being true1 he might as well profess to hold that three units are yet one unit4 ,when he does it1 his words will1 of necessity1 be only substitutes for sense4 8,at the same time1 there are too many signs of the mental confusion ,i speak of not to believe that it exists4 ,thus1 if the class ,i speak of were to hear a discourse insisting on the proper personal ,unity of ,god1 it would awaken suspicion in their minds1 while a discourse insisting on the existence of three persons would be only a certain proof of ,orthodoxy2 showing that they profess three persons1 meaning what they profess1 and one person1 really not meaning it4 8,such is the confusion produced by attempting to assert a real and metaphysical ,trinity of persons in the divine nature4 ,whether the word is taken at its full import1 or diminished away to a mere something called a distinction1 there is produced only contrariety1 confusion1 practical negation1 not light40 ,so far ,dr4 ,bushnell4 ,on another point thus testifies ,twesten3-- 8,there are many to whom the biblical and religious basis of the doctrine is exceeding sure and precious1 who are dissatisfied with the ,church form of the doctrine1 and even feel themselves repelled or fettered by it4 ,it is to them more negative than positive1 more opposed to errors than giving any insight into truth4 ,it solves no difficulty1 it unseals no new revelation40 ,twesten goes on to admit that the ,trinity has really hemmed in the free movement of the mind1 substituting a dead uniformity for a manifold and various life2 and yet ,twesten is a very strong and able ,trinitarian4 ,,vii4 ,the doctrine of the ,trinity is a doctrine of philosophy1 and not of faith4 ,as philosophy1 it might be ever so true and important2 but1 when brought forward as religion 7as ,dr4 ,huntington has done71 it would become at once pernicious4 ,to offer theology for religion1 belief for faith1 philosophy born of speculative reflection in place of spiritual insight and pious experience1 have always been most deleterious both to religion and to philosophy4 ,the objects of faith are the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,spirit4 ,through ,christ we have access to the ,father in the ,spirit4 ,we see the ,father revealed to us in the ,son2 we feel the power of the ,spirit in our hearts4 ,this is religion2 but this has nothing to do with the doctrine of the ,trinity4 ,,viii4 ,we can trace the gradual formation of the doctrine in the ,christian ,church4 ,the following facts we suppose to be incontrovertible3-- #a4 ,down to the time of the synod of ,nice 7,a4,d4 #cbe71 the ,son was considered to be subordinate1 or inferior to the ,father1 by the great majority of writers and teachers in the ,christian ,church1 and by the multitude of believers2 and no doctrine of ,trinity existed in the ,church4 #b4 ,the ,nicene symbol1 which declared ,christ to be 8,god from ,god1 ,light from ,light1 true ,god from true ,god1 of the same substance with the ,father107#ie7 was directed against the two ,arian positions1--that ,christ was created1 and that there was a time when he did not exist2 but it did not declare his equality with ,god the ,father1 nor teach the personality of the ,holy ,spirit1 nor say anything of the ,trinity4 #c4 ,the councils vacillated to and fro during three hundred years1 gradually tending towards the present ,church doctrine of the ,trinity2 thus1-- #a4 ,synod of ,nice 7,a4,d4 #cbe7 opposed the ,arian doctrine of the creation of ,christ out of nothing1 and maintained that his substance was derived from that of ,god4 #b4 ,synod of ,tyre 7,a4,d4 #cce7 favored the ,arians1 and deposed ,athanasius4 #c4 ,council of ,antioch 7,a4,d4 #cdc7 opposed the views of the ,arians1 and also the views of their opponents4 #d4 ,council of ,sardica 7,a4,d4 #cdd7 resulted in a division between the ,eastern and ,western ,churches--the ,east being semi-,arian1 and the ,west1 ,athanasian--in their view of the nature of ,christ4 #e4 ,the ,western ,church tending to ,sabellianism 7taught by ,marcellus and his pupil ,photinus71 this view was condemned by two councils in the ,east and ,west1 viz43-- ,second council of ,antioch 7,a4,d4 #cdc74 ,council of ,milan 7,a4,d4 #cdf74 #f4 ,constantius1 an ,arian emperor1 endeavored to make the ,western ,churches accept the ,arian doctrine1 and1 at two synods 7,a4,d4 #cec and #cee1 at ,arelate and ,mediolanum71 compelled the bishops to sign the condemnation of ,athanasius1 deposing those who refused so to do4 #g4 ,the ,arians1 being thus dominant1 immediately divided into ,arians and ,semi-,arians1--the distinction being the famous distinction between o and oi4 ,both parties denied the ,homoousios2 but the ,semi-,arians admitted the ,homoiousios4 #h4 ,at the synod of ,ancyra 7,a4,d4 #ceh71 the ,semi-,arian doctrine was adopted1 and the ,arian rejected4 ,the third synod of ,sirmium 7,a4,d4 #ceh7 did the same thing4 #i4 ,down to this time 7,a4,d4 #cfj71 nothing was said about the ,holy ,spirit in its relation to the ,trinity4 ,the ,emperor ,valens1 an ,arian1 persecuted the ,athanasians from ,a4,d4 #cfd to #cgh4 ,then ,theodosius1 an ,athanasian emperor1 persecuted the ,arians4 ,semi-,arianism1 however1 continued ,orthodox in the ,east4 #aj4 ,the ,nestorian controversy broke out ,a4,d4 #dcj4 ,council of ,ephesus 7,a4,d4 #dca7 condemned ,nestor4 ,the ,nestorians 7who were ,unitarians7 separated entirely from the ,church1 and became the ,church of the ,persian empire4 #aa4 ,the ,monophysite controversy broke out4 ,the council of ,chalcedon 7,a4,d4 #dea7 decided that there were two natures in ,christ2 and the ,monophysites separated1 and formed the ,coptic ,church4 ,their formula was1 that 8,god was crucified in ,christ40 ,the ,nestorians were too ,unitarian1 and the ,monophysites too ,athanasian4 ,the ,church decided 7against the ,nestorians7 that ,mary was ,god's mother1 but decided 7against the ,monophysites7 that ,god was not crucified4 #ab4 ,first ,lateran ,council was called 7in ,a4,d4 #fdj7 to settle a new point4 ,it having been decided that there were two natures in ,christ1 it was now thought best by many to yield to the ,monophysites--that there was only one will in ,christ4 ,hence the ,monotheletic controversy1 finally settled at the1-- #ac4 ,sixth ,general ,council 7,a4,d4 #fhj71 when two wills in ,christ were accepted as the doctrine of the ,church4 ,thus it appears that it took the ,church from ,a4,d4 #cbe to ,a4,d4 #fhj to settle the questions concerning the relation of ,christ to ,god4 ,during all this time1 opinion vacillated between ,arianism on the one hand and ,sabellianism on the other4 ,at the end of this period1 the ,church had become consolidated1 and strong enough to compel submission to its opinions3 but the relation of the ,holy ,spirit to the ,trinity remained unsettled for several centuries more2 and finally the ,eastern ,church separated altogether from the ,western ,church on this point4 ,the whole ,greek ,church remains1 to this day1 separated from the ,latin ,church on a question belonging to this very doctrine of the ,trinity4 ,so much1 then1 for ,dr4 ,huntington's assertion1 that the ,trinity is a doctrine which can almost literally be said to have been believed 8always1 everywhere1 and by all40 ,,ix4 ,the doctrine of the ,trinity is opposed to the real divinity of ,christ and to his real humanity2 thus undermining continually the faith of the ,church in the divine humanity of ,jesus ,christ the ,lord4 ,our final and chief objection to the ,trinity is1 not that it makes ,christ divine1 but that it does not make him so4 ,it substitutes for the divinity of the ,father1 the ,supreme ,god1 which ,unitarians believe to dwell in ,christ1 a subordinate divinity of ,god the ,son4 ,this is subordinate1 because derived2 and1 because derived1 dependent4 ,the ,son may be said to be 8eternally generated20 but this is only an eternal derivation1 and does not alter the dependence1 but makes it also to be eternal4 ,the tendency of the ,church doctrine of the ,trinity is always to a belief1 not in the supreme divinity dwelling in ,christ1 but in a derived and secondary divinity4 ,how is it1 for example1 with the ,nicene doctrine concerning ,christ8 ,dr4 ,huntington claims ,nice as ,trinitarian4 7p4 #cfa47 ,but what says ,prof4 ,stuart concerning the ,nicene doctrine8 ,listen4 8,the ,nicene symbol presents the ,father as the ,monas1 or proper ,godhead1 in and of himself exclusively2 it represents him as the ,fons et ,principium of the ,son1 and therefore gives him superior power and glory4 ,it does not even assert the claims of the blessed ,spirit to ,godhead1 and therefore leaves room to doubt whether it means to recognize a ,trinity1 or only a ,duality40 7,moses ,stuart1 ,bib4 ,repos41 #ahce1 quoted by ,wilson1 ,trin4 ,test41 p4 #bfd47 ,and how is it with the ante-,nicene fathers1 whom ,dr4 ,huntington also considers to be ,trinitarian8 else certainly his rule of 8always1 everywhere1 and by all10 does not hold4 ,if1 for the first three hundred years after ,christ1 there were no ,trinitarians1 it cannot be said that the ,trinity has 8always0 been held in the ,church4 ,listen1 again1 to ,prof4 ,stuart1 whose learning no one can question4 8,we find that all the ,fathers before1 at1 and after the ,council of ,nice1 who harmonize with the sentiments there avowed1 declare the ,father only to be the self-existent ,god40 7,see the whole paragraph in ,wilson1 ,trin4 ,test41 p4 #bfg47 8,to be the author of the proper substance of the ,son and ,spirit1 according to the ,patristical creed2 or to be the author of the modus existendi of the ,son and ,spirit1 according to the modern creed1--both seem to involve the idea of power and glory in the ,father1 immeasurably above that of the ,son and ,spirit40 7,moses ,stuart1 ,bib4 ,repos41 #ahce47 ,so ,coleridge asserts that 8both ,scripture and the ,nicene ,creed teach a subordination of the ,son to the ,father1 independent of the incarnation of the ,son4444 ,christ1 speaking of himself as the coeternal ,son1 says1 #8,my ,father is greater than ,i4' 0 7,wilson1 ,trin4 ,test41 p4 #bgj47 ,according to the ,trinitarian doctrine1 then1 we do not find ,god--the ,supreme ,god1 our heavenly ,father--in ,christ2 but a derived1 subordinate1 and inferior ,deity4 ,not the one universal ,parent do we approach1 but some mysterious1 derived1 inscrutable ,deity1 less than the ,father1 and distinct from him4 ,do we not1 then1 lose the benefit and blessing of the divinity of ,jesus8 ,can we believe him when be says1 8,he who has seen me has seen the ,father80 ,no2 we do not believe that1 if we are ,trinitarians2 but rather1 that1 having seen him1 we have seen 8,,the ,,son20 whom ,coleridge declares to be an inferior ,deity2 over whom ,bishop ,pearson1 in his 8,exposition of the ,creed10 says1 the ,father holds 8preeminence10--the ,father being 8the ,origin1 the ,cause1 the ,author1 the ,root1 the ,fountain1 the ,head1 of the ,son40 ,the doctrine of the ,trinity is therefore opposed1 as ,swedenborg ably contends1 to the real divinity of ,christ47#if7 ,but it is equally opposed to his real humanity4 ,it constantly drives out of the ,church the human element in ,christ4 ,dr4 ,huntington is astonished at ,unitarians not perceiving that the humanity of ,christ is as dear to ,trinitarians as his ,deity2 yet it cannot be denied1 that the mysterious dogma of deity has quite overshadowed the simple human life of our dear ,lord1 so that the ,church has failed to see the ,son of man4 ,all his highest human traits become unreal in the light of this doctrine of his deity4 ,he is tempted2 but that is unreal1 for ,god cannot be tempted4 ,he prays1 8,our ,father20 but this also is no real prayer1 for he is omnipotent1 and can need nothing4 ,he encounters opposition1 hatred1 contumely1 and bears it with sweetest composure2 but what of that8 since1 as ,god1 he looked down from an infinite height upon the puny opposition4 ,he agonizes in the garden2 but it is imaginary suffering3 how can ,god feel any real agony1 like man8 ,jesus ceases to be example1 ceases to be our best beloved companion and brother1 and becomes a mysterious personage1 inscrutable to our thought1 and far removed from our sympathy4 ,,footnotes #a ,the following passage1 from an article in the 8,independent10 by ,henry ,ward ,beecher1 is valuable1 perhaps1 as the testimony of one who has 8summered it and wintered it0 with ,orthodoxy3-- 8,does anybody inquire why1 if so thinking1 we occasionally give such sharp articles upon the great religious newspapers1 #8,the ,observer1' #8,the ,intelligencer1' and the like8 ,o1 pray do not think it from any ill will4 ,it is all kindness6 ,we only do it to keep our voice in practice4 ,we have made ,orthodoxy a study4 ,and by an attentive examination of #8,the ,presbyterian1' #8,the ,observer1' #8,the ,puritan ,recorder1' and such like unblemished confessors1 we have perceived that no man is truly sound who does not pitch into somebody that is not sound2 and that a real modern orthodox man1 like a nervous watch dog1 must sit on the door-stone of his system1 and bark incessantly at everything that comes in sight along the highway4 ,and when there is nothing to bark at1 either he must growl and gnaw his reserved bones1 or bark at the moon to keep up the sonorousness of his voice4 ,and so1 for fear that the sweetness of our temper may lead men to think that we have no theologic zeal1 we lift up in objurgation now and then--as much as to say1 #8,here we are1 fierce and orthodox2 ready to growl when we cannot bite4' 0 #b ,thus ,theodore ,parker 78,experience as a ,minister07 speaks of a review of his 8,discourse on ,religion0 in a ,trinitarian work1 which did it no injustice4 #c ,according to the 8,chart of ,religious ,belief0 in ,johnston's ,physical ,atlas1 there are in the world #adj1jjj1jjj of ,catholics1 #gj1jjj1jjj of ,protestants1 #fh1jjj1jjj of the ,greek ,church1 and #ad1jjj1jjj of minor creeds4 ,about1 in his 8,question ,romaine10 gives the ,roman ,church #aci1jjj1jjj4 ,he says1 8,the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 which ,i sincerely respect1 is composed of #aci1jjj1jjj of individuals1 not including the little ,mortara40 #d ,mr4 ,taylor shows that the ,church1 ,a4,d4 #cjj1 was essentially corrupt in doctrine and practice2 that the ,romish ,church was rather an improvement on it2 that ,jerome1 ,ambrose1 ,gregory1 and ,athanasius are full of false doctrine2 and that a ,gnostic theology1 a ,pagan asceticism1 and a corrupt morality prevailed in the ,church in those early centuries4 #e ,of course we do not mean to charge our ,orthodox friends with believing in persecution4 ,we only show that if ,orthodoxy is in the letter1 they ought1 consequentially1 to believe in persecution4 ,no doubt ,protestantism has put an end to persecution4 ,when ,luther came1 all believed in persecution2 now1 no one does4 ,this is because the ,reformation contained a double principle3 first1 that we are saved by faith1 not by sacraments1 and that faith is the belief of doctrines2 second1 that to see them aright1 we must use our own minds1 and consequently seek for truth as the paramount duty of life4 ,but in order to seek effectually1 we must seek freely--hence the right of private judgment as against authority in ,church and ,state4 ,the last principle is that of toleration2 the first is the principle of intolerance4 ,the last has proved the stronger1 because it rests on the logic of things1 the other only on the logic of words4 #f ,heb4 #aa3a4 #g ,jacobi--whose words have been said to let the thoughts shine through1 as wet clothes around the limbs allow the form to be seen--says that all knowledge begins with faith4 ,faith is1 according to ,jacobi1 7#a7 a knowledge proceeding from immediate revelation2 7#b7 knowledge which does not need1 and cannot have1 proofs2 7#c7 much more certain knowledge than any derived from demonstration2 7#d7 a perception of the super-sensual world2 7#e7 ,a well-grounded and reliable prepossession in favor of certain truths2 7#f7 a faith which sees1 and a sight which believes2 7#g7 a vision1 an impenetrable mystery1 a perception of the thing in itself4 #h ,see 8,broken ,lights10 p4 #bjg1 note4 #i ,a story is told of a clock1 on one of the high cathedral towers of the older world1 so constructed that at the close of a century it strikes the years as it ordinarily strikes the hours4 ,as a hundred years come to a close1 suddenly1 in the immense mass of complicated mechanism1 a little wheel turns1 a pin slides into the appointed place1 and in the shadows of the night the bell tolls a requiem over the generations which during a century have lived1 and labored1 and been buried around it4 ,one of these generations might live and die1 and witness nothing peculiar4 ,the clock would have what we call an established order of its own2 but what should we say when1 at the midnight which brought the century to a close1 it sounded over the sleeping city1 rousing all to listen to the world's age8 ,would it be a violation of law8 ,no2 only a variation of the accustomed order1 produced by the intervention of a force always existing1 but never appearing in this way till the appointed moment had arrived4 ,the tolling of the century would be a variation from the observed order of the clock2 but to an artist1 in constructing it1 it would have formed a part of that order4 ,so a miracle is a variation of the order of nature as it has appeared to us2 but to the ,author of nature it was a part of that predestined order--a part of that order of which he is at all times the immediate ,author and ,sustainer2 miraculous to us1 seen from our human point of view1 but no miracle to ,god2 to our circumscribed vision a violation of law1 but to ,god only a part in the great plan and progress of the law of the universe4--,ephraim ,peabody4 #aj ,trench1 8,notes on the ,miracles of our ,lord40 #aa ,we use the term 8plenary inspiration0 rather than 8literal inspiration10 or 8verbal inspiration10 for 8literal inspiration0 is a contradiction in terms1 like 8bodily spirit40 #ab ,tholuck1 in his ,essay on the ,doctrine of ,inspiration1 ascribes the origin of the belief in the infallibility of ,scripture to this supposed need of an authoritative outward rule of faith among ,protestants4 ,he says1 8,in proportion as controversy1 sharpened by ,jesuitism1 made the ,protestant party sensible of the necessity of an externally fortified ground of combat1 in that same proportion did ,protestantism seek1 by the exaltation of the outward authoritative character of the ,sacred ,writings1 to recover that infallible authority which it had lost through its rejection of inspired councils and the infallible authority of the pope4 ,in this manner arose1 not earlier than the seventeenth century1 those sentiments which regarded the ,holy ,scripture as the infallible production of the ,divine ,spirit1--in its entire contents and its very form1--so that not only the sense1 but also the words1 the letters1 the ,hebrew vowel points1 and the very punctuation were regarded as proceeding from the ,spirit of ,god40--,tholuck's ,essay--,noyes's 8,collection40 #ac ,the doctrine of the ,roman ,catholics1 as stated by ,moehler1 a distinguished ,roman ,catholic1 is as follows3-- 8,the doctrine of the ,catholic ,church on original sin is extremely simple1 and may be reduced to the following propositions3 ,adam1 by sin1 lost his original justice and holiness1 drew down on himself1 by his disobedience1 the displeasure and judgments of the ,almighty1 incurred the penalty of death1 and thus1 in all his parts1--in his body as well as soul1--became strangely deteriorated4 ,thus his sinful condition is transmitted to all his posterity as descended from him1 entailing the consequence that man is1 of himself1 incapable--even with the aid of the most perfect ethical law offered to him from without 7not excepting even the one in the ,old ,covenant7--to act in a manner agreeable to ,god1 or in any other way to be justified before him1 save only by the merits of ,jesus ,christ40 ,the doctrine of the ,church of ,england concerning original sin and free will is in its ninth and tenth articles1 and declares that1-- 8,original sin is 444 the fault and corruption of the nature of every man1 that naturally is engendered of the offspring of ,adam2 whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness1 and is1 of his own nature1 inclined to evil1 444 and therefore in every person born into the world it deserveth ,god's wrath and damnation4444 8,the condition of man after the fall of ,adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works to faith and calling upon ,god4 ,wherefore we have no power to do good works1 pleasant and acceptable to ,god1 without the grace of ,god by ,christ preventing us1 that we may have a good will1 and working with us when we have that good will40 ,the early ,fathers took different views of the origin of sin4 ,tertullian ascribed it to human impatience4 8,nunc ut compendio dictum sit1 omne peccatum impatienti adscribendum40 7,tertul4 ,de ,patien4 #e47 ,origen thinks laziness the cause of sin2 sin is a negation--not doing right4 ,justin ,martyr ascribes the origin of sin to sensuality4 ,origen 7after ,philo7 considered the story of the fall as an allegory1 and a type of what takes place in all men4 #ad ,see1 in the ,appendix1 an examination of ,professor ,shedd's article4 #ae ,ovid4 ,metam4 #g3ah4 8,si possem1 sanior essem4 ,sed trahit invitam nova vis2 aliudque cupido1 ,mens aliud suadet1 video meliora1 proboque1 ,deteriora sequor40 ,see1 also1 the story1 in the ,cyropdia1 of ,araspes and his two souls4 #af ,see ,dr4 ,cox's ,sermon on ,regeneration1 reviewed by ,dr4 ,hodge1 in 8,essays and ,reviews40 #ag ,luther1 in his 8,table-talk10 says of his preaching against the pope1 and the enormous labors it entailed1 8,if ,i had known then what ,i now know of the difficulty of the task1 ten horses should not have drawn me to it40 8,at that time ,dr4 ,jerome withstood me1 and said1 #8,what will you do8 ,they will not endure it4' ,but said ,i1 #8,what if they must endure it8' 0 #ah ,see ,raumer1 8,geschichte ,europas10 zweiter ,band4 #ai ,god in ,christ1 by ,horace ,bushnell1 p4 #aic1 c4 #bj ,heb4 #b3i1 #ag1 #ah4 #d3ae4 #e3h1 #i4 #ba ,no sooner was ,socrates dead than he rose to be the chief figure in ,greek history4 ,what are ,miltiades1 ,pericles1 or ,alcibiades to him8 ,twenty years after ,joan of ,arc was burned by a decree of the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 the same ,church called a council to reconsider and reverse her sentence4 ,twenty years after the death of ,savonarola1 ,rafaelle painted his portrait among the great doctors1 fathers1 and saints in the halls of the ,vatican4 ,within a few years after ,john ,brown was hanged1 half a million of soldiers marched through the ,south chanting his name in their songs4 ,abraham ,lincoln was killed1 and he is now the most influential figure in our history4 #bb 8,doctrinal ,attitude of ,old ,school ,presbyterians40 ,by ,lyman ,b4 ,atwater1 ,professor of ,mental and ,moral ,philosophy in ,princeton ,college4 ,bibliotheca ,sacra1 ,january1 #ahfd4 #bc 8,the ,old ,school in ,new ,england ,theology40 ,by ,professor ,lawrence1 of ,east ,windsor4 ,bibliotheca ,sacra1 ,april1 #ahfc4 #bd 8,doctrines of the ,new ,school ,presbyterians40 ,by ,rev4 ,george ,duffield1 ,d4 ,d41 of ,detroit4 ,bibliotheca ,sacra1 ,july1 #ahfc4 #be 8,hopkinsianism40 ,by ,rev4 ,enoch ,pond1 ,d4 ,d41 ,professor in ,bangor ,theological ,seminary4 ,bibliotheca ,sacra1 ,july1 #ahfb4 #bf 8,doctrines of ,methodism40 ,by ,rev4 ,dr4 ,whedon4 ,bibliotheca ,sacra1 ,april1 #ahfb4 #bg 8,theologische ,zeitscrift40 ,herausgegeben von ,dr4 ,friedr4 ,schleiermacher1 ,dr4 ,w4 ,m4 ,l4 ,de,wette1 und ,dr4 ,friedr4 ,lcke4 ,erstes ,heft1 ,berlin1 #ahai4 ,ueber die ,lehre von der ,erwhlung4 #bh ,rom4 #aa3bi4 8,the gifts and callings of ,god are without repentance40 ,by this we understand the apostle to mean the same thing as is implied in ,ecclesiastes 7#c3ad73 8,i know that what ,god doeth1 it is forever40 ,god1 having chosen the ,jews for a work1 will continue to them the gifts1 and will see that somehow or other1 some time or other1 the work is done4 #bi ,a person who never had an intellectual doubt concerning a future life may be so poorly provided with an inward sense of immortality that he may never feel quite willing to die1 or confident in view of death4 ,such a man was ,dr4 ,johnson1 who had not the least scepticism2 who was a dogmatic believer1 and hated a heretic2 who1 yet1 never attained to any sort of comfort in view of death1 and was always afraid to die4 ,so there may be another person who may have no intellectual belief in a future life1 but who will have the instinct of immortality so strong as to be quite easy and happy in looking forward to death4 ,such a person is ,miss ,martineau1 who1 in consequence of a poor philosophy of materialism which she was taught in her childhood1 and has always held1 has been brought very logically at last to disbelieve immortality1 and even the existence of ,god1 and yet is very contented about it1 and quite happy4 #cj 8,nescio1 quomodo1 dum lego1 assentior2 cum posui librum1 et mecum ipse de immortalitate animorum cpi cogitare1 assensio omnis illa illabitur40 #ca ,thus it is said1 8,in ,christ shall all be made alive40 ,the meaning is1 that when we live in reference to ,god1 to immortal truth1 to the infinite law of right1--when we really love anything out of ourselves1--we lose all fear of death4 8,perfect love casts out fear20 that is1 pure love4 ,the love of a mother for a child casts out fear4 ,she is not afraid of death2 she will run the risk of death twenty times over to save her child4 ,the immortal element is aroused in her4 ,the soldier is roused by the general's fiery speech to a thrill of patriotism1 and thinks it sweet and beautiful to die for his country4 ,love of his country has cast out his fear4 ,this is something more than any mere insensibility4 ,men can harden themselves against danger and death2 they can think of something else4 ,but that insensibility is merely a thick shell put round it--a sevenfold shield perhaps2 but the mortal fear lies hidden all the same within4 ,true life is very different4 #cb ,the word here rendered ,,abolished is elsewhere translated 8destroyed10 8made void10 8made of none effect10 8brought to nothing10 8vanished away10 8done away10 8put down40 ,the meaning is1 that all its force1 importance1 value1 is taken out of it4 #cc 8,the ,state of the ,impenitent ,dead4 ,by ,alvah ,hovey1 ,d4 ,d40 ,boston1 #ahei4 #cd ,for before a defining clause1 see ,john #f3bi2 #d3cd2 #a ,john #c3aa1 #bc2 #d3ba2 #b ,john #f4 #ce ,die ,bestimmung des ,menschen4 ,berlin1 #ahjj4 #cf ,in addition to the extracts from ,professor ,hovey1 ,meyer1 ,lcke1 and ,de ,wette1 the following passages from ,f4 ,d4 ,maurice 78,theological ,essays07 are interesting1 as showing a concurrence of testimony from yet another quarter to the thesis of this section3-- 8,when any one ventures to say to an ,english audience1 that eternity is not a mere negation of time1 that it denotes something real1 substantial1 before all time1 he is told at once that he is departing from the simple1 intelligible meaning of words2 that he is introducing novelties2 that he is talking abstractions4 ,this language is perfectly honest in the mouths of those who use it4 ,but they do not know where they learned it4 ,they did not get it from peasants1 or women1 or children4 ,they did not get it from the ,bible4 ,they got it from ,locke4 ,and if ,i find that ,i cannot interpret the language and thoughts of peasants1 and women1 and children1 and that ,i cannot interpret the plainest passages of the ,bible1 or the whole context of it1 while ,i look through the ,locke spectacles1 ,i must cast them aside4444 8,suppose1 instead of taking this method of asserting the truth of all ,god's words1 the most blessed and the most tremendous1 we reject the wisdom of our forefathers1 and enact an article declaring that all are heretics1 and deniers of the truth1 who do not hold that eternal means endless1 and that there cannot be a deliverance from eternal punishment4 ,what is the consequence8 ,simply this1 ,i believe3 the whole gospel of ,god is set aside4 ,the state of eternal life and eternal death is not one we can refer only to the future1 or that we can in any wise identify with the future4 ,every man who knows what it is to have been in a state of sin1 knows what it is to have been in a state of death4 ,he cannot connect that death with time2 he must say that ,christ has brought him out of the bonds of eternal death4 ,throw that idea into the future and you deprive it of all its reality1 of all its power4 ,i know what it means all too well while you let me connect it with my present and personal being1 with the pangs of conscience which ,i suffer now4 ,it becomes a mere vague dream and shadow to me when you project it into a distant world4 ,and if you take from me the belief that ,god is always righteous1 always maintaining a fight with evil1 always seeking to bring his creatures out of it1 you take everything from me--all hope now1 all hope in the world to come4 ,atonement1 redemption1 satisfaction1 regeneration1 become mere words1 to which there is no counterpart in reality40 #cg ,in the ,german ,bible we have the true word--8,auferstehung40 #ch ,so ,de ,wette1 ,kurzgefasstes exegetisches ,handbuch zum ,n4 ,t41 ad locum4 #ci ,so ,schleusner1 ,lexicon in ,,lxx4 #dj ,so ,usteri 7,paulinischen ,lehrbegriff7 says that appears to denote partly the startling power of the truth1 and partly its power of calling men together from all the regions of the earth4 #da ,christ only comes when he comes to reign4 ,his first coming was as ,jesus1 not as ,christ4 ,the human life is 8the life of ,jesus40 ,christian history is 8the life of ,christ40 ,in his earthly life he was ,prophet2 in his death he was ,priest2 in his resurrection1 or risen state1 he was ,king4 #db ,the book of the ,revelation of ,john is the account of ,christ's coming2 and the true interpretation of that book depends on the proper understanding of his coming4 ,if ,christ's coming began at the destruction of ,jerusalem1 and has continued in all the developments of human history1 then the key to 8the ,revelation0 is to be found in the progress of ,christian principles and ideas in the world4 ,bertholdt 7,christologia ,judorum ,jesu ,apostolorumque tate71 note to #aa1 quotes from the ,sepher ,ikkarim this passage--8,the future age will come gradually to men after the day of the great judgment1 which will take place after the resurrection40 ,resurrection and judgment both come with ,jesus1 and his were 8the last days40 #dc #a ,thess4 #d3ag4 8,we1 who are alive1 and remain1 shall be caught up together with them1 in the clouds1 to meet the ,lord in the air40 ,usteri 7,paul4 ,lehrbeg47 says that 8this has no analogy in any other passage of the ,epistles1 or indeed of the ,new ,testament40 ,but ,paul outgrew this literalism1 and in his later ,epistles speaks of sitting already with ,christ in 8heavenly places40 #dd ,olshausen1 an ,orthodox commentator1 speaks thus in regard to ,christ's predictions concerning his coming1 in ,matt4 ch4 #bd1 #be3-- 8,one of the most striking examples of the binding of the present and future in one narrative1 and one which presents many difficulties1 is to be found in these passages4 ,plain descriptions of the impending destruction of ,jerusalem and of the ,jewish state blend with no less apparent descriptions of the coming of ,christ in his kingdom4 ,it cannot be denied that the ,orthodox interpreters are far less natural and unforced than the others1 in their treatment of this passage4 ,their dogmatic views lead them to put apart from each other elements which are blended together by ,matthew and by the other evangelists4 ,for example1 ,schott says1 that the description of ,christ's coming begins 7,matt4 #bd3bi7 immediately after #8the tribulation1' c41 and that all before that belongs to the destruction of ,jerusalem4 ,but apart from the impossibility of regarding the #bith verse as the beginning of something entirely new1 there are also in the passages which follow distinct references to the present generation 7verse #cd71 and in the first part as distinct references to #8the last time4' ,we do not1 therefore scruple 7says ,olshausen7 to accept the simple explanation which alone suits the text1 that ,christ speaks of his coming as coincident with the destruction of ,jerusalem1 and with the downfall of the ,jewish state40 ,the most interesting question1 perhaps1 is as to the opinions of ,jesus himself about his coming4 ,that he forsaw the overthrow of ,jerusalem and the ,temple is certain4 ,everything indicates that he possessed a marvellous power of reading the future in the present1 and saw in the condition of the ,jewish mind the inevitable overthrow of their state4 ,he also saw that through his death all men should be brought to him1 and that he should become ,king in the way in which he described to ,pilate his royalty1 i4e41 ,king of the truth4 ,all who love the truth shall1 sooner or later1 obey his voice4 ,in what way1 then1 did he expect to come8 ,in the way he himself indicates the coming of his kingdom--like leaven1 working secretly in the dough2 like seed1 sprouting mysteriously in the ground2 like lightning1 seen everywhere at once4 ,by these images alone could he convey to his disciples his ideas4 ,he longed to tell them many things more1 but they were not able2 to bear them4 #de ,the difficulties 7of which ,olshausen and other candid ,orthodox interpreters speak7 in harmonizing the different parts of ,matthew's two chapters 7#bd and #be7 about ,christ's coming and judgment1 may perhaps be relieved in some such way as this4 7#a47 ,the end of the ,mosaic age and the beginning of the ,messianic age are fixed at the destruction of ,jerusalem4 7#b47 ,christ's coming begins there1 and continues through ,christian history1 till all mankind are ,christians4 ,his coming1 therefore1 verifies what ,schiller says of truth1 that it 8nimmer ist1 immer wird40 7#c47 ,whenever he comes1 he judges men according to the state of mind in which they are4 7#d47 ,the three parables 7virgins1 talents1 king on his throne7 represent the judgment of three different classes4 ,the first class 7of wise and foolish virgins7 are those who are not yet converted1 and have not become disciples of ,christ4 ,when he comes1 those of them who have oil in their lamps--or who receive truth into an honest heart 7,luke #h3ae7--;are ready to receive him1 and to become ,christians2 those who have no oil reject him4 ,the second class 7in the talents7 are ,christians1 who receive more or less of power and of good1 according to past fidelity4 ,the third class 7the 8nations 07 are the heathen1 and others1 who have never known of ,christ at all1 but are ,christians outside of ,christianity4 #df ,the latest illustration of ,orthodox ideas on this subject we have met with is contained in a little tract which has fallen in our way1 containing 8extracts from a sermon addressed to the students in the ,united ,presbyterian ,theological ,seminary of ,xenia1 ,ohio1 by ,rev4 ,william ,davidson40 ,it begins in this somewhat enigmatical way3-- 8,it is an unspeakably terrible thing for any one--for even a youth or a heathen--to be lost40 ,why this limiting particle 8even0 is introduced is not explained4 ,it seems to be implied either that a youth and a heathen have not as much to lose as others1 or else that we are not bound to feel so much for their loss as for that of others4 ,after a little poetry 7which we omit1 as it is altogether too stern a matter for any sentimental ornament71 ,mr4 ,davidson proceeds3-- 8,nor is this all to those who suffer least4 ,it is not only the loss of all1 and a horrible lake of ever-burning fire1 but there are horrible objects1 filling every sense and every faculty2 and there are horrible engines and instruments of torture4 ,there are the #8chains of darkness1' thick1 heavy1 hard1 and smothering as the gloom of blank and black despair--chains strong as the cords of omnipotence1 hot as the crisping flames of vengeance1 indestructible and eternal as justice4 ,with chains like these1 every iron link burning into the throbbing heart1 is bound each doomed1 damned soul1 on a bed of burning marl1 under an iron roof1 riven with tempests1 and dripping with torrents of unquenchable fire40 ,the object of the preacher being to make as terrific a picture as possible1 he accumulates these material images of bodily torment in order to excite the imagination to the utmost4 ,we can conceive of his writing these sentences carefully in his comfortable study1 in an easy chair1 by the side of a cheerful fire1 with a smile of self-complacency1 as he selects each striking expression4 ,then he proceeds3-- 8,nor is this all4 ,unmortified appetites1 hungry as death1 insatiable as the grave1 torture it4 ,every passion burning1 an unsealed volcano in the heart4 ,every base lust a tiger unchained--a worm undying1 let loose to prey on soul and body4 ,pride1 vanity1 envy1 shame1 treachery1 deceit1 falsehood1 fell revenge1 and black despair1 malice1 and every unholy emotion1 are so many springs of excruciating and ever-increasing agonies1 are so many hot and stifling winds1 tossing the swooning1 sweltering soul on waves of fire4 ,and there will be deadly hunger1 but no food2 parching thirst1 but no water2 eternal fatigue1 but no rest2 eternal lust of sensuous and intellectual pleasures1 but no gratification4 ,and there will be terrible companions1 or rather foes1 there4 ,eternal longings after society1 but no companion1 no love1 and no sympathy there4 ,every one utterly selfish1 hateful1 and hating4 ,every one cunning1 false1 malignant1 fierce1 fell1 and devilish4 ,all commingle in the confusion and the carnage of one wide-spread1 pitiless1 truceless1 desperate strife4 ,and there will be terrible sights and sounds there4 ,fathers and sons1 pastors and people1 husbands and wives1 brothers and sisters1 with swollen veins and bloodshot eyes1 straining towards each other's throats and hearts1 reprobate men1 and devils in form and features1 hideous to as great a degree as are the beauties of the blest in heaven beautiful4 ,and there are groans and curses1 and everlasting wailings1 as harsh and horrible as heaven's songs1 shouts1 and anthems are sweet1 joyous1 and enrapturing4 ,and there will be terrible displays of the divine power and skill1 and infinitely awful displays of merciless and omnipotent justice1 in the punishment of that rebel crew1 that generation of moral vipers full grown1 that congregation of moral monsters40 ,all this1 however1 is not enough4 ,it is necessary to go further1 and represent ,god in the character of the devil1 in order to complete the picture4 8,upon such an assembly1 ,god1 who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity1 cannot look but with utter detestation4 ,his wrath shall come up in his face4 ,his face shall be red in his anger4 ,he will whet his glittering sword1 and his hand shall take hold on vengeance2 and he shall recompense4 ,he shall launch forth his lightnings1 and shoot abroad his arrows4 ,he shall unseal all his fountains1 and pour out his tumbling cataracts of vengeance4 ,he shall build his batteries aloft1 and thunder upon them from the heavens4 ,his eye shall not pity them1 nor shall his soul spare for their crying4 ,the day of vengeance is in his heart1 and it is what he has his heart set on4 ,he will delight in it4 ,he will show his wrath1 and make his power known4 ,that infinite power has never been fully made known yet2 but it will be then4 ,it is but a little that we see of it in creation and providence2 but we shall see it1 fully revealed1 in the destruction of that rebel crew4 ,he will tread them in his anger1 and trample them in his fury1 and will stain his raiment with their blood4 ,the cup of the wine of his fierce wrath shall contain no mixture of mercy at all4 ,and they will not be able to resist that wrath1 nor will they be able to endure it2 but they shall1 in soul and body1 sink wholly down into the second death4 ,the iron heel of omnipotent and triumphing justice1 pitiless and rejoicing1 shall tread them down1 and crush them lower still1 and lower ever1 in that burning pit which knows no bottom4 ,all this1 and more and worse1 do the ,scriptures declare2 and that preacher who hesitates to proclaim it has forsworn his soul1 and is a traitor to his trust40 ,now1 it is simple truth to say that the blasphemer and profane swearer who spends fifty years in cursing ,god and ,christ is not so blasphemous as the man who writes such sentences as these about the ,almighty1 and utters them to young men as a preparation for their work in the ministry4 ,the people of ,sodom and ,gomorrah shall rise up in the day of judgment against those who speak thus of ,god1 and shall condemn them4 ,the ,pagans1 who represent their gods as horrid idols1 pleased with blood and slaughter1 have an excuse1 which ,mr4 ,davidson has not1 for they do not have the gospel of the ,lord ,jesus in their hands4 ,thus he continues3-- 8,and all this shall be forever4 ,it shall never1 never end4 7,matt4 ch4 #be47 ,the wicked go away into everlasting torments4 ,this is a bitter ingredient in their cup of wormwood1 a more terrible thing in their terrible doom4 ,if after enduring it all for twice ten thousand times ten thousand years1 they might have a deliverance1 or at least some abatement1 it were less terrible4 ,but this may never1 never be4 ,their estate is remediless4 ,there is a great gulf fixed1 and they cannot pass from thence4 ,or1 if after suffering all this as many years as there are aqueous particles in air and ocean1 they might then be delivered1 or if1 after repeating that amazing period as many times as there are sand-grains in the globe1 they might then be delivered1 there would be some hope4 ,or1 if you multiply this latter sum--too infinite to be expressed by figures1 and too limitless to be comprehended by angels--by the number of atoms that compose the universe1 and there might be deliverance when they had passed those amazing1 abysmal gulfs of duration1 then there would be some hope4 ,but no6 when all is suffered and all is past1 still all beyond is eternity40 #dg ,to show how some ,roman ,catholics write in the middle of the nineteenth century1 we quote the following from a ,roman ,catholic book1 published in ,england1 by ,rev4 ,j4 ,furniss1 being especially 8a book for children40 ,wishing to spare our readers such horrors1 we put it here1 advising no one of weak nerves to read its atrocious descriptions4 8,the fourth dungeon is #8the boiling kettle4' ,listen3 there is a sound like that of a kettle boiling4 ,is it really a kettle which is boiling8 ,no4 ,then what is it8 ,hear what it is4 ,the blood is boiling in the scalded veins of that boy2 the brain is boiling and bubbling in his head2 the marrow is boiling in his bones4 ,the fifth dungeon is the #8red-hot oven1' in which is a little child4 ,hear how it screams to come out2 see how it turns and twists itself about in the fire2 it beats its head against the roof of the oven4 ,it stamps its little feet on the floor of the oven4 ,to this child ,god was very good4 ,very likely ,god saw that this child would get worse and worse1 and would never repent1 and so it would have to be punished much more in hell4 ,so ,god in his mercy called it out of the world in its early childhood40 #dh ,we take the following from the 8,monthly ,religious ,magazine30-- 8,the #8,country ,parson1' in his late work1 the #8,autumn ,holidays1' contends that the fear of future punishment in another world has little influence in deterring from crime4 ,he ought to have added1 that the reason may be1 that there is so little belief in any spiritual world whatever1 among men of grosser sensuality2 and that future punishment1 as it is preached in the old theology1 is so arbitrary as to seem unreal1 and is losing its power over all thinking minds4 ,the following case is cited from the experience of a ,scotch minister4 ,no ministers1 let it be remembered1 preach the literal flames of a local hell in tones more awful than they4 8,his parishioners were sadly addicted to drinking to excess4 ,men and women were given alike to this degrading vice4 ,he did all he could to repress it1 but in vain4 ,for many years he warned the drunkards1 in the most solemn manner1 of the doom they might expect in another world2 but1 so far as he knew1 not a pot of ale or glass of spirits the less was drunk in the parish in consequence of his denunciations4 ,future woe melted into mist in the presence of a replenished jug or a market-day4 ,a happy thought struck the clergyman4 ,in the neighboring town1 there was a clever medical man1 a vehement teetotaler2 him he summoned to his aid4 ,the doctor came1 and delivered a lecture on the physical consequences of drunkenness1 illustrating his lecture with large diagrams1 which gave shocking representations of the stomach1 lungs1 heart1 and other vital organs as affected by alcohol4 ,these things came home to the drunkards1 who had not cared a rush for final perdition4 ,the effect produced was tremendous4 ,almost all the men and women of the parish took the total abstinence pledge2 and since that day drunkenness has nearly ceased in that parish4 ,nor was the improvement evanescent2 it has lasted two or three years40 #di ,so ,erigena 7quoted by ,strauss71 ,de ,divis ,nat4 8,vera ratio docet1 nullum contrarium divin bonitati vitque ac beatitudini posse esse coeternum2 divina siquidem bonitas consumet malitiam1 terna vita absorbet mortem1 beatitudo miseriam40 #ej ,the name given to them by ,augustine 78,civ4 ,dei10 lib4 #ba1 c4 #ag73 8,denique hujus sententi ,patronos ,s4 ,augustinus appellat titulo non incongruo1 #8,doctores ,misericordes' tractatque non inhumaniter40 ,thomas ,burnet1 8,de ,statu ,mortuum et ,resurgentium40 ,chap4 ,,xi4 #ea ,see ,bretschneider1 8,dogmatik10 and ,strauss1 8,christliche ,glaubenslehre40 #eb 8,nos et angelos futuros dmones si egerimus negligenter2 et rursum dmones1 si voluerint capere virtutes1 pervenire ad angelicam dignitatem40 ,origen1 quoted by ,jerome4 #ec 8,nihil enim omnipotenti impossibile est1 nec insanabile aliquid est factori suo40 #ed 8,quod tamen non ad subitum fieri1 sed paulatim et per partes intelligen dum est1 infinitis et immensis labentibus sculis1 cum sensim per singulos emendatio fuerit et correctio prosecuta1 prcurrentibus aliis1 aliis insequentibus40 ,see these quotations in ,strauss1 ,hase1 c4 #ee ,matt4 #be3df4 ,the ,greek word translated in the ,english as 8everlasting0 punishment in the beginning of the verse1 and as life 8eternal0 at the end1 is the same word 77 in both places1 and should be translated 8eternal0 in both4 #ef ,remorse--from mordeo1 to gnaw4 ,so ,st4 ,thomas 7,summa1 ,pars ,,iii4 #b1 #ig73 8,vermis non debet esse intelligi corporalis sed spiritualis1 qui est con scienti remorsus40 #eg 8,pauci res ipsas1 sed rerum imagines1 tanquam in speculo1 intuentur3 at res ipsas1 facie ad faciem1 ut dicitur1 et ablato velo1 visuri sumus tandem si ,deo placuerit1 partim sub occasu hujusee mundi1 plenius autem in futuro40--,thomas ,burnet1 ,de ,statu ,mortuorum et ,resurgentium ,tractatus4 ,londini4 ,typis et impensis ,j4 ,hooke1 in vico vulg dicto ,fleet ,street1 #agcg4--,no one has spoken more powerfully and eloquently than he against everlasting punishment1 particularly in the passage beginning 8,nobis difficile est omnem exuere humanitatem40 p4 #cji4 #eh ,is it not remarkable 7as showing how little the ,new ,testament has as yet been really studied7 that there should be so many discussions as to the future doom of the heathen1 when ,jesus himself here distinctly tells us what it will be4 ,the word is the only word in the ,new ,testament which is ever translated heathen3 wherever the word heathen occurs in our ,bible1 it is always this4 ,jesus teaches that the heathen 7inside and outside of ,christendom7 will be judged according to their humanity1 their obedience to the law written in their hearts2 and he shows that this is coincident with the law of ,christianity4 ,so1 when the ,church of ,england says 7in its #ahth article7 that 8they also are to be had accursed that presume to say that every man shall be saved by the law or sect he professeth1 so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that law and the light of nature20 it denounces this curse on ,christ himself1 and thus proves conclusively that it is not speaking by the ,spirit of ,god1 since 8no man1 speaking by the ,spirit of ,god1 calleth ,jesus accursed40 7#a ,cor4 #ab3c7 ,this comes of the habit 7happily less common now than formerly7 of throwing about curses at random1 against those who differ from our opinions4 ,some of them may thus1 accidentally1 hit the ,master himself4 ,it is1 perhaps1 of less consequence that this anathema also touches the apostle ,paul1 who declares that the heathen who have not the law are a law to themselves when they do right1 and are absolved by their conscience4 7,rom4 #b3ad47 #ei ,origen1 ,homil4 in ,levit4 #g3b4 8,salvator meus luget etiam nunc peccata mea2 ,salvator meus ltari non potest1 donec ego in iniquitate permaneo4 ,non vult solus in regno ,dei bibere vinum ltiti--nos expectat40 #fj ,guericke1 ,christ4 ,symbolik1 #gj4 #fa 8,ecclesia enim est ctus hominum ita visibilis et palpabilis ut est ctus populi ,romani1 vel regnum ,galli1 aut respublica ,venetorum40 ,bellarmin4 ,eccles4 ,milit4 c4 #b4 #fb ,moehler1 ,symbolism1 #cf4 #fc 8,bonos et malos ad ecclesiam pertinere ,catholica fides vere et constante affirmat40 ,cat4 ,rom4 #fd ,the chief passage in proof of this1 as is well known1 is ,matt4 #af3ah1 #ai 8,thou art ,peter10 c4 ,but even ,augustine1 the great light of the ,latin ,church1 says that 8,peter was not the ,rock1 but ,christ was the ,rock40 7,neander1 vol4 ii4 p4 #afh47 ,the same power was given to the other apostles4 ,matt4 #ah3ah4 ,john #bj3bc4 ,rev4 #ba3ad4 #fe ,le ,protestantisme ,libral par le ,pasteur ,bost4 ,paris1 ,baillire1 #ahfe4 #ff 8,il est de fait que le ,catholicisme1 qui est essentiellement un principe d'authorit1 ne sait pas dire o reside cette authorit40 #fg 8,thirty-nine ,articles1 art4 xix40 ,so ,augs4 ,conf4 art4 #g3 8,congregatio sanctorum1 in qua evangelium recte docetur1 et recte administrantur sacramenta40 ,but it may be asked1 ,who is to decide on the 8recte08 #fh ,in the remarkable work 8,ecce ,homo04 #fi ,tholuck1 in his charming work on the ,sermon on the ,mount1 speaks thus 78,bergpredigt ,christ4 von ,a4 ,tholuck407 8,two principal defects are found in the usual treatment of this doctrine3 first1 the different aspects and relations of the kingdom of ,god are by many considered as different meanings of the word1 and are left standing side by side1 without any attempt to ground their unity in some fundamental idea4 ,or1 secondly1 and still worse1 a single aspect of the term is taken up1 and the rest are wholly neglected4 ,examples of the first defect are to be found in ,zwingle1 in his note to ,john #c3c4 7,here the kingdom of ,god is considered as divine doctrine and preaching of the gospel1 as in ,luke #ah2 sometimes it is taken for eternal life1 ,matt4 #be2 ,luke #ad2 sometimes for the church and congregation of the faithful1 as ,matt4 #ac3bd47 ,the later lexicographers1 as ,schleusner and ,bretschneider1 have not avoided these vague statements2 and the last of them is particularly defective in his article on this phrase4 ,trahl more correctly sums up all these significations of the word thus3 #8,happiness1 present and future1 obtained through ,christ4' ,but in this definition the notion of #8a kingdom' is omitted4 ,the opposite defect of taking only one of the meanings of the matter1 to the neglect of the rest1 is to be found1 for example1 in ,koppe and ,keil1 according to whom the expression relates merely to the future reign of the ,messiah one day to be established4 8,our own explanation of this expression starts from the phrase #8kingdom of ,god1' which explains the others1 #8kingdom of heaven' and #8kingdom of ,christ4' ,we think that the fundamental idea has been grasped by none more correctly than by ,origen among the ancients1 and by ,calvin among the reformers4 ,the phase of the idea principally dwelt upon by the ,church ,fathers may be seen in their explanation of the third petition of the ,lord's ,prayer1 which ,augustine especially examines profoundly4 ,most of them understand by it the realm of glory1 the future revelation of ,christ4 ,origen alone1 in his book on ,prayer1 taken a more exact view of the subject4 ,in like manner ,calvin1 in his ,commentary on the ,harmony4 ,so ,luther1 in his fine ,sermon on the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,our own fundamental view we express thus3 #8,a community in which ,god reigns1 not by force1 but by being obeyed freely from love1 and which is therefore necessarily united in itself by mutual love4' ,the ,saviour came upon the earth to found such a community1 and since it can only be completely established after he has conquered all his enemies1 this kingdom of ,christ belongs in its perfection to the other world40 #gj ,an eminent and learned gentleman told me of this conversation which he had with a ,roman priest3 8,when the wine of the ,eucharist is consecrated1 it becomes the real blood of ,christ--does it not80 ,priest1 8,it does40 8,what1 then1 do you do with that which remains in the cup1 after communion80 ,priest1 8,we drink it40 8,does not some adhere to the glass80 ,priest1 8,yes2 but we wash the glass40 8,what do you do with the water80 ,priest1 8,we drink it40 8,but must there not yet remain1 on the napkin1 with which you wipe the glass1 some portion of the blood of ,christ1 even though it be an infinitesimal portion80 ,priest1 8,yes40 8,then1 might it not happen that when the napkin is washed1 this portion of ,christ's blood may go into the water1 and be poured on the ground1 and be taken up by the root of a plant--say a cabbage4 ,would1 then1 the flesh of that cabbage contain1 or would it not a portion of the blood of ,christ80 #ga ,see1 in the ,new ,york 8,independent10 ,june #i1 #ahff1 the account of the 8,recognition of ,congregational ,churches in ,philadelphia10 where the existence of this principle is admitted and defended by some eminent ,congregational ministers2 admitted and deplored by others4 #gb ,twesten1 8,vorlesungen10 c41 vol ii41 p4 #baf4 ,he adds to this definition its ,latin form1 in which the words 8certain characteristics0 stand 8certis characteribus hypostaticis40 #gc ,quoted by ,schleiermacher1 8,glaubenslehre10 #agj4 #gd ,see the full discussions of these terms in ,twesten 7as above71 ,hase1 8,christl4 ,glaubenslehre10 #ef4 ,strauss1 8,christl4 ,glaubenslehre10 vol4 i4 ,hase1 8,dogmatik10 c4 #ge ,dogmatik1 #bci4 #gf ,augustine 7de ,trinit471 says1 8,one life in man1 but three faculties--memory1 intelligence1 will40 ,but how if this is bad psychology8 #gg ,erigena1 8,the ,father in the soul1 the ,son in the reason1 the ,spirit in the sense--this makes the most luminous illustration40 #gh ,abelard 7quoted by ,strauss74 #gi ,richard ,st4 ,victor 7quoted by ,hase71 8,there can be no possible communion of affection between a less number than three persons40 ,so ,augustine1 8,cum aliquid amo1 tria sunt--ego1 et quod amo1 et ipse amor40 ,such illustrations are hardly satisfactory at the present day4 ,poiret says the ,father is 8,deus a se10 the ,son is 8,deus ex se10 the ,holy ,spirit 8,deus ad se refluens40 ,angelus ,silecius makes the ,trinity a divine kiss4 8,god kisses himself--the ,father kisses1 the ,son is kissed1 the ,spirit is the kiss40 #hj ,translated from the ,latin in ,hagenbach 7,compend of the ,history of ,doctrines1 vol4 i4 p4 #bhi74 ,we agree with ,strauss1 who says1 8,frwahr1 wer das ,symbolum ,quidcunque beschworen hatte1 der hatte die ,gesetze des menschlichen ,denkens abgeschworen40 ,so the ,pastor ,bost 7,le ,protestantisme ,liberal71 after giving the ,creed1 in a somewhat different form1 adds1 8ubi insana faciunt1 mysterium appellant40 #ha 8,incomprehensible10 ,church of ,england ,liturgy4 #hb ,or 8each person by himself40 ,the word in the ,latin is 8sigillatim10 a word not in most of the dictionaries1 but in some of them made equivalent to 8singulatim40 #hc ,tertullian said1 we can call ,christ 8,god0 when we speak of him alone2 but if we mention him with the ,father1 then we must call the ,father 8,god10 and call ,christ only 8,lord40 8,for a ray of light shining into a room1 we may call the sun shining there2 but if we speak of the sun at the same time1 then we must distinguish the ray1 and call it not sun1 but sunbeam40 #hd ,the decrees of the ,council of ,nice inclined to ,sabellianism4 ,the term 7of the same essence7 was a ,sabellian term4 ,sabellianism could1 in fact1 stand most of the tests of modern ,orthodoxy1 since it maintains three persons and one essence1 and 2 and ,schleiermacher1 in one of his most elaborate treatises 7,ueber den ,gegensatz zwischen der ,sabellianischen und der ,athanasianischen ,vorstellung von der ,trinitat4 ,theolog4 ,zeitschrift4 ,berlin1 #ahbb71 has sought to rehabilitate ,sabellianism4 ,moses ,stuart translated this treatise1 and plainly advocated a similar view4 ,hase 7,kirchengeschichte1 #ia7 defines the view of ,sabellius as making 8,father1 ,son1 and ,spirit the different forms of revelation of the ,supreme ,unity unfolding itself in the world history as the ,triad40 ,perhaps 7see ,baur7 the chief peculiarity of ,sabellius is in making the ,triad begin and end with the process of revelation4 ,the ,monad is ,god in himself3 the ,triad is ,god in the process of self-revelation 7,baur1 8,christliche ,lehre von der ,dreieinigkeit10 and 8,lehrbuch der ,christlichen ,dogmengeschichte074 #he 8,dictum est tamen tres person1 non ut illud diceretur1 sed ut ne taceretur40 ,aug4 de4 ,trin41 quoted by ,hase1 ,dog4 #bch4 #hf ,john of ,damascus 7quoted by ,twesten7 made his boast of ,christianity1 that it united what was true in ,polytheism with what was true in ,judaism4 8,from the ,jews10 he says1 8we have the oneness of nature1 from the ,greeks the distinction in hypostases40 #hg ,the substance of what follows in this section1 appeared in the 8,christian ,examiner40 #hh ,the nature by which the heathen 8do the things contained in the law10 i4e41 obey ,god1 which is here 7,rom4 #b3ae7 called 8the law written in the heart10 is in ,rom4 #g3bc called the 8law of the mind40 ,olshausen 7a sufficiently ,orthodox commentator71 says1 8,it is wholly false to understand of a mere ideal possibility2 the apostle speaks evidently of a real and actual obedience4 ,paul infers that1 because there are actually pious heathen1 they must have a law which they obey40 ,ad locum4 #hi ,we have no room to enter into an examination of this question at this time1 and can only give a general statement on this subject from one of the authorities which happens to be at hand3-- 8,all the ,fathers0 7before ,augustine1 fourth and fifth century7 8differed from ,augustine in attributing freedom of will to man in his present state4 ,thus ,justin3 #8,every created being is so constituted as to be capable of vice or virtue4' ,cyril of ,jerusalem3 #8,know that thou hast a soul possessed of free will2 for thou dost not sin by birth 7 71 nor by fortune1 but we sin by free choice4' ,all the ,latin ,fathers also maintained that free will was not lost after the fall4 ,the ,fathers also denied in part1 that man is born infected with ,adam's sin4 ,thus ,athenagoras says in his ,apology1 #8,man is in a good state1 not only in respect to his ,creator1 but also in respect to his natural generation4' 0--,wiggers1 ,augustinism and ,pelagianism4 ,translated by ,rev4 ,ralph ,emerson1 ,professor in the ,theological ,seminary1 ,andover1 ,mass4 #ij 8,abi ad ,jordonum1 et ,trinitatem disce10 was on early notion4 #ia ,dr4 ,horace ,bushnell1 a favorite authority with ,dr4 ,huntington1 whom ,dr4 ,huntington quotes largely1 and whose views he earnestly recommends1 gives us his testimony to this point1 thus 78,god in ,christ10 pp4 #acj1 #aca73-- 8,a very large portion of ,christian teachers1 together with the general mass of disciples1 undoubtedly hold three real living persons in the interior nature of ,god2 that is1 three consciousnesses1 wills1 hearts1 understandings40 8,a very large portion of ,christian teachers0 hold1 then1 to a belief in three ,gods2 and with them is joined 8the general mass of the disciples40 ,the only ,unity held by these teachers is1 he goes on to say1 8a social ,unity40 ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost are1 in their view1 socially united only1 and preside in that way1 as a kind of celestial ,tritheocracy1 over the world4 ,this heresy1 he says1 8because of its clear opposition to ,unitarianism1 is counted safe1 and never treated as a heresy40 ,that is1 the ,christian ,church allows the belief in three ,gods1 and will not discipline those who hold that opinion2 but1 if you believe strictly and only in one ,god1 you cannot be saved6 #ib ,dr4 ,bushnell goes on to say 7p4 #acc71 8,while the ,unity is thus confused and lost in the threeness1 perhaps ,i should admit that the threeness sometimes appears to be clouded or obscured by the ,unity4 ,thus it is sometimes protested1 that in the word1 #8person' nothing is meant beyond a threefold distinction2 though it will always be observed1 that nothing is really meant by the protestation2 that the protester goes on to speak and to reason of the three1 not as being only somewhats or distinctions1 but as metaphysical and real persons4444 ,indeed1 it is a somewhat curious fact in theology1 that the class of teachers who protest over the word #8person1' declaring that they mean only a threefold distinction1 cannot show that there is really a hair's breadth of difference between their doctrine and the doctrine asserted by many of the later ,unitarians40 #ic 8,it has often been asserted and admitted10 says ,tweaten1 one of the strongest of modern ,trinitarians1 8that even the principal notions about which the ,church doctrine turns are foreign to the ,new ,testament2 as and 1 and 1 and 407,twesten3 ,dogmatik1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bha47 #id 8,who will venture to say that any of the definitions heretofore given of personality in the ,godhead1 in ,itself considered1--such definitions as have their basis in the ,nicene or ,athanasian ,creed1--are intelligible and satisfactory to the mind8 ,at least1 ,i can truly say1 that ,i have not been able to find them1 if they do in fact exist2 nor1 so far as ,i know1 has any one been able1 by any commentary on them1 to make them clear and satisfactory40 7,prof4 ,stuart1 ,biblical ,repository1 ,april1 #ahce4 ,see ,wilson1 ,trin4 ,test41 p4 #bgb47 #ie ,see the creed in ,hagenbach 7,history of ,doct41 vol4 i4 p4 #bjh73 8 1 1 40 #if ,thus speaks ,dr4 ,bushnell on this head 78,god in ,christ10 p4 #aci73-- 8,besides1 it is another source of mental confusion1 connected with this view of three metaphysical persons1 that1 though they are all declared to be infinite and equal1 they really are not so4 ,the proper deity of ,christ is not held in this view4 ,he is begotten1 sent1 supported1 directed1 by the ,father1 in such a sense as really annihilates his deity4 ,this has been shown in a truly searching and convincing manner by ,schleiermacher1 in his historical essay on the ,trinity2 and1 indeed1 you will see at it at a glance1 that this view of a metaphysical ,trinity of persons breaks down in the very point which is commonly regarded as its excellence--its assertion of the proper deity of ,christ40