New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-04-05
DIR. BUSHNELL on THE ORIGIN OF EVIL.
LETTER V.

LETTER V.
To ne Edho, Of TIs ". y. T,,ovns.
SIR: DIR BGthuelPs starting point ia eH hi, sp.cua-
tons notsby 30 this upon tho origin Of Evil, ID our
practical il fnitsde, and Gods practical 6peness. In
oroer TO make the responsible Tor his action to
The creator bs is bound to 1--WE bim far torth, ind"-
pep6e CO Of the cfssoT to be ipdepeodeD: Of the
creator is to baye to all the extent 10 which indepeoi
.ncs is yreCicsted, oreinstiye or strictly creative
power, which Is the very etsencs Of iuf1itude. Hence
lie argues tbat eD far man IA concernso Is not to
be accounted }o,-ihat is does not fall under the oroi-
u6iy laws OF caosailon; 1t graad prma fact the
act q free bst IT, au independent being utery re-
iusng to sckDo Wedge sIy alive power beyond
lis OWL sovereign WILL or faculty of originaion. We
have already bai a sufficient glimpse OF hls higa-
fslutipy doctrine e nsn, whom he makes the grand
reality Of Goo = uDlver,a systcm, AID Of whom ne
FAYE considering the str ct oIigaa!ay OF hs ocii)ns
/" AID regarding hun ~ properly TIEsT CAUSE OF MS
COWS, "a, st,,c'iy H0dmss'bte TO snPPos, hlm sub
" eet 10 a, . diytct control mpls,oa # omn,po
tehce." Page % ard then, Of course, in order ID
Justify thF esed infntnde Of uan there csnoot
be twO iIisitOs lie 10 Obliged far forth TO bate the
Deity, which be ooes by judicously undermining tue
old tradition OF His omuipOteDoe. He allows the Old
tradition to survive wotcs Indeed, but be cvscustes
II a. s iss old auDg and nIootates II TO the
rev need. Ii is very much Ike my ssyiog "Oh, yes,
Mrs. 4. is very handsome wom4n-sltogetner
handsome, indeed, stb very large feet, no chest,
pug nose, and bad teeth Let The reader turn 10
page 49, ard ve,ify my question.
"A certain crude.mnaed class Of theologisns," ssys
DIR. Bushu.l, have such an undl-c.rnug and coarse
conception Of the Dvre omripotence as to suppose
thai bsing ounipotent do everything be really
" w,hes 70 have doce' Very veil, then, suppose ~e
oefue 90 mUipotent being hereafter AZ one who
CANNOT 90 everything ne really wishes 70 have
done !" would rot this be charming l cave always
been crode-mlnded enough 10 suppose that 1t was
impotence aud not omr pot.Dce which consisted 10 the
falling short Of ones deses in the being unable TO do
What ole wishes 10 do. But now that onDipOtence
ittelf according to Dr.. Buhnell, lays clsm 10 tins
definition, what shall do for impotence, thus shofn
Of is inmenoris repute bat array II IN he csstof
garments Of omD'poteIc., by mbkIg 1t meau hence
forth ore ability TO do all one wishes to DOT The
Jolly depths Of GbsuIdty 10 whion the New-Hsyea
divinity CONDUCTS NJ SEeder borg says that logic
choppers N the other w0rld. men of great srsumeota
tive force being able to make whiIe sppesr black and
black white their pleasure advertise their spproach
70 you by souni resembling the gnssoipg OF teeth;
ana hs inteFprets The evsegehc prediction o.
Il certsin poSs morts1s condition in which there shs
be crest ooDmotiou Of tire grinders, a. exclusively
spphcsble 70 this tresOme clsss Of people, who.e
ability is 30 useless or inhunan, consulting In sort OF
Intellectual jUggery that toer very voices lose their
nch bum ar quality, and get Swallowed up a. little
dstsI ce in TINS and Impoverished clster OF the
teeth. DR.. Ba>hreh 10 very mach more than logic
chopper he is a m8o of uncommon literary vigOr, end
oh every page of his book l perceive fehclties Of
thought ard expression which any writer of our
lsI gusse might be proud 10 own, which, IN fact,
excite perpetual glow OF snmi' alton in NE.
Bot the substance of his thought this aud
related TOPICS is so undsDiaby trashy, and the
book 20 teens with monstIosities of the kiM
have quoted, tbst | reminded 10 spite OF
nlyse Of Swed.nbOrg experience and scarcely know,
half the tine how TO escsps the conviction that the
whole thing -, after al, gysntc joke. mere urme-
looiCus uoverty Of molar with molsr sad ncisor
with ircisor.
But there is sense even under Or. Buhneus non
seIse sDd accordingly wha; does he by this pre-
po1erous attempt to sophistcae the dogma o the Di
vine ounroterce : Why he means 50 10 provide q
way for explaining the origin Of evil He thinks Il i'm
possible 10 manage that problem Gnlees you soete bot
in words of course but IN f.ct, the DIVIDE Dfintade.
Crude minded people, az DR.. Bushnell cals then,
are forever irtEudirg upon HIM with a.euogstoneS
Of this sorts How csue it, y, az 81. say God Be
otaEtpoters, that He did no; exclu5e evil from HIS
universe seeing that lie hses as TO puDih it With
eternal torment Why did lie not prevent It, ss0iHg
cA ose 20 Do So rather than tu,r II 10 enter, aud
sittrwsrd to excite such unsuitable emotions in His
bosom TO ali eteivity Aan;testy, the only way the
Doctor, good iosiciaa, get rehei, sud sencs
these srxoNs ipQGireis, il to take TIE ball by the
hons, and boldly oeoy .hat omhipoteDoo Tightfauy
Tests Unlimited power. Only 'crade1nIpdsi the
oogiats be ssys, entertain that conception of it, But
even his unrivssd hsreibood sbrinks ~ hast before
Tie naked DENIAL q the tradition aud he accordingly
seks 10 hiae its true character rem himself sed his
roseeT' by this transparent Arti6ce, nsnely: ,dSt
WREN We use the word competence in application TO
Deity, We mean his physical potency; and il is Of
course Irrelevant to suppose God capable Of sup
pressing mora! disorder by physical FORCE Prcdgious
stupidity sIe,sms re Dscso., with adn;rabss Lis