Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

230 INFLUENCE OF SCRIPTURE1191. As respects free-will, Dr. Johnson shrewdly said that all practiceis in its favour, all theory against it; but whatever view maybe takenon this subject, no one can deny that so far as it is 2>ossible for sin to heavoided Jit must be within the power of God to make men virtuous. Thefact that they arc not sinless, must arise either from his not wishing tomake them more virtuous, or from his inability to make them so. Thathe does not make them free from sin implies either a want of will or awant of power.1192. But whatever may in this respect be true, his omniscience musthave enabled him to perceive the result beforehand, and of course it isinconceivablethat he would, consistently with his goodness, have createdthem, foreknowing that they would be so wicked as to deserve eternalpunishment.1193. All this it was in his power to obviate by not creating men, orby making their temptations less, or their power of resistance greater.But foreseeing their wickedness, and imposing fetters on his omnipotentpower, so as to render a certain amount of suffering inevitable, he is saidto have determined that a portion of the godhead should expiate in theflesh, by the pains of crucifixion, the punishment due to the sinful creatureswhich he has been supposed to have wilfully created, foreseeing thisresult.1194. But in order to make men better, instead of using that almightypower with which he is said to have hardened the heart of Pharaoh, tosoften the human heart and enlighten the human mind universally, he ismade to resort to a method which, however cruel and manifestly unjust inmaking an innocent being suffer for ^he guilty, has proved utterly inefficient,since only a small minority of mankind profess Christianity, andof that minority only an imperceptible portion, if any, comply with itsrequisitions, as before observed; hence the greater part are liable "to hebeaten with many strijyes/'been unknown are towhile those to whom the mission of Christ has"he beaten with hut few stripes."1195. Human lawgivers may enact constitutions which result in practicalfailure, because they do not foresee the issue. Such ftiilures areascribed to their deficiency in practical wisdom. But the failure of measuresfor the production of any result proving it unwise, must demonstratethat it did not originate with an all-wise author; in other words, with theAlmighty.119 G. It is manifestly absurd to ascribe to that Being any measureswhich have failed to effect the ends for which they have been speciallydevised. Knowing that Mohammed would have more followers thanChrist, that the largest portion of mankind would remain pagans, thateven in Christendom the Christian religion would be a source of bloodycontention and theological hatred, making scarcely any real Christians,how could it originate with a wise and prescient Deity ?