ct, its
_unreasonableness_, from any natural human viewpoint, was quite freely
admitted. But it was argued that man in his fallen state was quite
incapable of perceiving, or understanding, any of the great mysteries
of God. "Great is the mystery of Godliness" was often quoted to me; as
well as, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways
my ways," saith Jehovah. "For as the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts." This was the court of last resort and must be accepted, and
to ask further questions was to blaspheme.

Perhaps it may be well to give here a quotation which I came across
years afterwards, as illustrating this process of reasoning from the
assumed hypothesis of a divine and infallible revelation, that _must be
taken_ as the starting point. It is from Dr. Albert Barnes, a
distinguished Presbyterian minister of Philadelphia, about the middle
of the last century. I quote him because of his high character and
representative position; and his dilemma is substantially the same with
practically all others with whom I have conversed on the subject. Here
is what he says:

"That the immortal mind should be allowed to jeopard its infinite
welfare, and that trifles should be allowed to draw it away from God
and virtue and heaven; that any should suffer forever,--lingering on in
hopeless despair and rolling amidst infinite torments, without the
possibility of alleviation and without end; that since God _can_ save
men, and _will_ save a part, He has not purposed to save _all_; that,
on the supposition that the atonement is ample, and that the blood of
Christ can cleanse from all and every sin, it is not in fact applied to
all; that, in a word, a God who claims to be worthy of the confidence
of the universe, and to be a being of infinite benevolence, should make
such a world as this, full of sinners and sufferers; and that, when an
atonement had been made, He did not save _all_ the race, and put an end
to sin and woe forever,--these, and kindred difficulties, meet the mind
when we think on this great subject; and they meet us when we endeavor
to urge our fellow-sinners to be reconciled to God, and to put
confidence in him. On this ground they hesitate. These are _real_,
not imaginary difficulties. They are probably felt by every mind that
has ever reflected on the subject; and they are _unexplained,
unmitigated, unremoved_. I