Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-04-06

"But you believe there IS one t"lu tho
Professor.
"Well. if there be-" said the Doctor, che
is Gods creature-lor ! don't believe in an |
infinite and self-existent Evil One--and so |
hone God will be able to reclaim him to good |
ness. as / am sure His nature would lead |
Him to wish to do But ] am quite sure no
amount Of useful knowledge will ever make
him good.
30 husband, why do you speak in such a
way2 Mrs. Shaiton was scandalized the other
day by what you said
"What was it,
Something about the Evil One, much like
what you have Just now said.
"What, my charitable wish for his CONVEX
soni"
"Yes, you quite shocked her
"Thcn she needed to be shocked. A per-
son who is shocked at the mere suggestion Of
a benevolent wish, for the restoration TO good
ness and blesscdncss, Of one of the highest
order Of Gods spiritual creatures, ought to
be shocked number of times-ii only 1t
would do any good
"But she supposed you meant he would be
restored
THAT is not my fault. didn't say any
such thing; and person ought to have a
double galvano shock for not distinguishing
between the suggestion Of charitable wish
and positive belief on the subicct-it it
would quicken the faculty Of distinguishing
lust distinctions Which is the most shock
ing the most contradictory to the natural aud
necessary impulse Of the best and most graz
cious iccinga of the benevolent heart, u wish
the evil and wretched may continue et3rnally
evil and wrotchcd, or wish they may become
good and blessed Il seems to me the former
is far The most shocking Of the two
But you don't belieyeho will be restored p
"No, though it has been the belief of many
great and gody men and doctors Of the
church, Trom the time of Origen to the pres
cnt day. But have no doctrine on the sub
icct, whatever may wish or hope | don't
know but he will continue forever evil and
if so he must be forever vrctched. That is
a law of the spiritual universe which the AL
mighty cannot abrogate if lie would, and
ought not if lie could.
But this do know that it lies in the
very necessity Of Gods essential Goodness
His Loving Holiness and Holy Loyinguess-
that be should desire and--as far as in Him
lies-secure the goodness, and thereby the
blessedness, of all His spiritual creatures
lIE MhNlu llNl hiUNlW lot Ut AOus TIC MONlu
bccome--I speak it in no irrovcrent spirit
the Infinite Evil One. This know by the
necessity Of the reason He has given me.
81 know, too, as matter of fact, that His
love is not confined to the good. il embraces
the sinful race of man. lie has shown it in
some very wonderful methods for our restora-
ton. And | see no reason in the nature of
superhuman sinful spirits, if such there are
the Bible says there are, and it /, nothing
strange there should be-why they should be
excluded from the sphere of God retaining
love. lie is the Father of their spirits as
much as Of ours They are His children as
much as we are. They must have been, like
us, originally pure and good-for God made
them, aud higher and brighter, we are told, in
order and endowment than our race. They
fell from goodness and bliss in the same way
as we did, in spite Of the good and gracious
spirit Of God in them to help them keep right,
fell through abuse of their freedom, that
awful endowment, without which there could
be no moral universe
But husband, the Bible seems to say that
in point of fact they will continue forever evil
and wrctched"
1T may be so God cannot force them to
become good any moro than us; but we must
believe in Him as doing all lie can for their
restoration, They may be forever evil and
( so forever wretched, because they can rcsis
e. all Gods love and grace drawing them t,
a goodness. This is the only way we can re
e concilo such a sad fate with the idea Of
a proper moral universe, the only way TO have
d a good God and common sense in our thcol
1 ogy.
"But the thought Of Eternal Evil in thu
q spiritual universe of the Infinite, Holy. Low
ing ll-Father, is one do not like To enter
n tain The Thought that it will bc so through
G defect of any thing lie can do TO prevent it i
O monsrous The thought that it will be ST
y through any eternal purpose or agency of Hi
{ is abominable. 1t is not the 'cnmity of th
b carnal heart, as some folks say that resist
% it; it is the voice of God in the universal rca
y son and conscience revolving against the afro
# cious doctrine. l would rather be an Atheis
j. than hold it.
y "ls it not better, more congruous with ever
C dictate of a good and benevolent heart, to hop
70 that in some way, yet unknown to us, Ey
If will go down, yanquished, absorbed, extiu
guished and destroyed by the all-conqueriu
d power of Infinite Love How great its re
sources may be, without doing violence t
e spiritual freedom, who can tell -
n | have already, at the outset Of this work
oppriscd the reader that the Doctor woul
c be likely to say good many things not per
y lectly acceptable to everybody, and some per
IT haps offensive to many persons including a
Il the Pharsees. Sadducees and Herodians, VIII,
re as well as some of quite a different and belt,
" sort, are all likely to be displeased with tn
IL chapter
n, do not hold solfresponsible for all III
y. Doctors utterances. My business is to n
ct cord his talk. At the same time | would n,
n, set down any thing which ! did not thin
n would, on the whole, be approved by a
y Courteous candid, intelligent, Discriminating
thoughtful and judicious readers, and such
take it arc all who read, and certainly all wi
like this book
y Young men who hang around corners a
l. qualifying themselves to hang in very ditTe
n ent way.