Hamilton's _Reid_, p. 751).

It is what is known as the law of parsimony. The three views of
election referred to have bound up with them, as an integral portion
of the system, the theory of _irresistible_ grace. Take this away,
and they fall to pieces as a rope of sand. A man who has hitherto
lived an ungodly life becomes converted, and the question arises
--how are we to account for this moral phenomenon? Our friends from
whom we differ account for it in this way: In the past eternity God
saw that the man would come upon the stage of time, and determined
to visit his soul with an irresistible influence, under the
operation of which he became converted. Now this is to them a very
satisfactory way of accounting for the conversion. But may not this
change in the man take place without this _tertiam quid_, or third
something? If it may, then to import it into the controversy is to
violate the law of parsimony or maxim of philosophy, that it is
wrong to multiply causes beyond what are necessary. But let us look
at life: let us enter the sphere of human experience. We find men,
for instance, who in politics were at one period pronounced
Radicals, like Burdett, becoming Conservative in their opinions; and
men, like the Peelites, changing from the Conservative side to that
of the Liberals. In accounting for this we do not call in a
mysterious and occult influence to solve the matter. It is
explainable without this. Take the case of medicine. We find men
educated in the allopathic system changing, and becoming disciples
of Habnemann. Ask them how it came about, and they answer at once,
that it was by considering the results. Take a case of intemperance,
An old inebriate attends a temperance lecture, listens attentively,
becomes persuaded of the value of abstinence, signs the pledge, and
spends the remainder of his life a sober man. He loved the drink,
and now he hates it. Ask him how it came about? He tells you at once
that the facts and arguments of the lecture convinced him of the
evil of the drink, and led him to abandon it for ever. A great
change has been effected, but in perfect harmony with the known laws
of mind. Let us now look at religion. Paul arrives at Corinth, and
preaches the Gospel to the inhabitants of that degenerate city. They
listened to the wondrous story of redeeming love, and became changed
through means of it. Was there anything in the nature of the truth
preached to them and believed by them fitted to