lf, being without
sin; and yet by his sufferings and death paying its penalty in full for
the whole human race; subject, however, to the appropriation of its
benefits by the individual, thru faith. In a measure this is the same
as that of the substitution theory; but it does not go to the extent of
the doctrine of imputed righteousness.

The only exception to it is in the Roman church, and here the exception
is apparent rather than real. In the Roman church salvation is _by
faith in the church_, the benefits of which are transmitted to the
individual thru the sacraments of the church; but in the ancient
church, and in practically all modern Protestant churches, saving faith
is held to be individual and personal; and must be not only faith in
the atoning sacrifice made by Jesus Christ on the cross for all
mankind; but it must be faith _in the correct view of the atonement_.
Hence, no matter which of the views I have herein outlined may be
correct, those who have held to either of the others are all lost.
This is the only logical conclusion any one can reach who insists that
salvation is impossible except by accepting any prescribed creed. Only
those who possess and accept the _right creed_ can be saved. All the
balance of mankind must be lost forever. To take either of these views
of the atonement, or all of them together, as the only means by which
mankind can be saved from hell is to make God a complete failure from
beginning to end. As we have already seen, the orthodox view of
creation makes God either a failure or a monster. The attempt to
reform man thru the process of elimination by the flood proved a
failure. And now if the success of God's last attempt to save mankind
thru the death of his son, is limited to any interpretation orthodox
Christianity has ever placed upon it, it is the most stupendous failure
of all.

There is but one rational interpretation of any doctrine of salvation
by vicarious atonement; and that is that the atonement must be
automatically as far-reaching and comprehensive in its results as the
sin it is designed to remedy. If sin entered into the world because of
the offence of Adam, the head of the race, and thus passed upon all
men, without their knowledge or consent, simply because they were
descendants of Adam, any scheme of redemption, atonement, or salvation
that purports in any way to remedy, or obviate the consequences of this
original sin, in order to be just must be equa