The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

;2S0OF ORIGINAL SIN.indifference, in which man is equally attracted or equally repelledby good and evil. We do not stay to enquire whetherit was due to the Divine character to make man in thisstate,—equally ready to engage himself to God or to Satanbut we ask, was it possible IAccording to this theory, man'sfaculties are entire in their number and perfect in their functionalaction ; and yet they are utterly useless. They cannotact,—they cannot make a choice ;for if the man inclinesto either side, it is because he is not in a state of indifference.If he chooses good, it is because he prefers it ; if he choosesevil, it is because he prefers it to good, and so is not indifferent.But it may be objected that the idea is, that tillthe object is put before the man he is indifferent. But tillthe object be put before the man, how can it be known thathe is in a state- of indifference or no?Besides, existence isbut a series of volitions ; and to say that the man is in astate of indifference till he begins to will, is just to say thathe is in a state of indifference till he becomes a man. Weare again called upon to believe contradictions. The schemeof indifference supposes a man witha conscience able to discriminatebetween good and evil, and yet not able to discriminatebetween them,—with the faculty of will, and yet notable to will,—with the affection of love, and yet able neitherto love nor hate ; which is just as rational as to speak of ahuman frame exquisitely strung to pleasure and pain, andyet incapable of either sensation. There is only one way ofplacing a man in a state of indifference, and that is, by strikingconscience and will dead in his breast. While the constitutionof things is what it is, and while the powers of manarewhat they are, a state of indifference is an impossibility,God cannot make impossibilities.We repeat, the Roman Catholic doctrine of the Fall is arepudiation of the Scripture doctrine of the Fall.This mustexample of Christ and of the Virgin, who were without sin, and yet enduredsufFerings. (Thcol. Mor. torn. v. p, 325.) Christ suffered as a surety;and, as regards the Virgin, Romanists have yet failed to prove that she waswithout sin.