ure rewards and
punishment. Take this fact away and the justice of God is imperiled by the
teachings of the Bible upon the subject of the future retribution. I know
that men who are under the influence of the traditions of their fathers
and mothers turn from the truth upon this question and say hard things
against it; but I know, also, that those same men speak the same sentiment
when they talk about the future judgment.

_Fourth._ The idea that the Divine Spirit must convert the man, and that
it passes the unwilling soul without giving him ability that he may be
tried, for a man must be able to attain the desired object, otherwise
trial is mere mockery. So, according to this kind of teaching, justice is
mocked, and the sinner is sent to perdition without anything more than a
mock trial; _i.e._, without being tried. If this be not true, the theory
of helplessness growing out of Adam's sin is utterly false, and man's
salvation, under all dispensations, is presented to us as a matter that
was, and is, disposed of by himself, he being able, in his own natural
strength, to turn and prepare himself to faith and calling upon God.
Again, all men pray. It is instinctive to pray. It is an instinct that
defies reason and philosophy. If men have not "natural strength to turn
and prepare themselves to faith and calling upon God," then they are not
_naturally_ responsible _nor_ accountable.

_Fifth._ The idea that the Spirit goes to the unwilling sinner to give him
a good will, and then, because the man is not willing already, departs
from him, leaving him in his sins to continue in his helpless, wicked
condition until, having passed a mock judgment, he is banished to outer
darkness, for if the man was never able to do otherwise on account of his
helplessness, why should he be condemned? Tell him it is for his own deeds
and you mock his good sense.

_Sixth._ The idea that Christ died for an elect few, and damns all the
balance because they don't believe he died for them, _when he did not_.

_Seventh._ The idea that Christ died for a few, and commissioned his
disciples to preach the fact to all nations--to every creature, as "glad
tidings of great joy," which was "to be unto all people," when it is,
according to the doctrine that he did not die for all, positively no good
news to any soul that was passed by.

_Eighth._ The idea that all who are finally lost, will be in that sad
condition because of unbelief, when, if they had bel