The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-02-18

the compound word, free-agency Are
we to understand that it teaches that
man is absolutely, or only relatively
free? If God, the all-wise and all-lov-
ing Father, rules, reigns and governs,
in infinite projections, mans freedom
is only relative. Isman a child of God,
created in his image, and acting by del
egated, or from self-originated powers?
Why this bolstering up of contradic-
tory statements .? Is truth so ambigu-
Gus Are we not plainly taught in
the good word Of inspiration, that all
the powers, gifts, and blessings that
man possess are from God, and are or
dained by him for good and wise pur-
pose and end +? These words, "free-
agency" when applied to the science
of man, are contradictory. An agent
is one who acts in the room and stead
of another, and is under the direction,
and acts from or by the authority re-
ceived of his principal. To be strictly
free is to act independent of any exter-
nal power or force impelling us there
unto, through our environments; being
at liberty, not being under necessity or
restraint. If his actions are determined
by causes beyond his control, he acts
from received powers and is not strictly
free. The validity and efficiency of the
law of cause and effect, in the world of
mind and motive, prevents such thing
as causeless choice, will or determine
ton. Does not the great first cause Of
all causes, reign in and over all our vo-
litions not by special or arbitrary, but
by the inflexible laws of his enactment?
Volition is the power of willing, choos-
ing or determining, and is the immedi-
ate cause of action. Gods creative
power has brought man into the world,
as dependent child, with mind pos
sessing the power of sensation and dis
elimination, by which it is strengthened
and taught to distinguish the agreeable
from the disagreeable, the good from
the evil. The minds intuitive powers
are constantly receiving impressions
through the five senses, causing Volt
ton, the effect of the innumerable sur
roundings which reach the mind through
the senses of hearing, seeing, feeling,
tasting, and smelling; and are called
simple ideas. The mind, by powers del
egated by God, is enabled to perceive,
retain, reflect, combine or arrange, and
determine, which determination is the
immediate cause of action, and is not
free, but the effects of the previous
causes that God has instituted for man g
final good.
A poor man, with hungry, starving
family, if presented with ten dollar
gold piece and nickel, and assured
that he could have either one he wished,
will readily take the ten dollar piece,
the intrinsic value causing the choice,
and he could not do otherwise until the
motive power be changed by other in
f1uences. The strength of reason, judg-
ment and moral sense, gives weight
and direction to all motive power.
The reader has been informed, that the
question under consideration belongs
to the science Of man, not theology
And yet, there has been an appeal to
the words Of inspiration. Remember,
kind reader, that the truth of the writ
ten words has to be determined by i'm
pressions, reaching the mind through
the senses, causing it to reflect and de-
termine what is the truth conveyed by
the words. AS the mind perceives the
harmony existing in the taught word
with the perfect author of existence, it
is received; otherwise rejected.
The watchmen on lions walls should
be very careful to give the true and GER
tain sound that there may be harmony
among the believers of the written
word. AS we reason from what we
know, respecting what we do not know,
the reader will do well to decide whether
God could create perfectly free agent,
and then control him, or would man
be an agent, if he acted independent
of Gods delegated powers Is not
God the only free, independent and alb
solute cause of all the causes that be =?
An able writer has truly said, that the
cause of the cause is the cause of the
thing caused just as much as though it
(he) was the immediate cause. May
we learn the truth, and love it, and be
made better by it. Let us remember
that God is near US, even in our hearts,
to lead us through the green fields and
along the cooling streams. Let us not
limit the holy one, in order to magnify
mans powers. If there be an automa-
ton in the universe, it is not God, the
maker and cause of all things.
DIR. BALOH AND HIS BIOGRAPHY.