Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-25

of the law. But this il not an accurate
definition. Sin is knowingly choosing ana
doing wrong. It is an act. As we cannot
inherit acts and choices we cannot inherit
sin. Sin, therefore. cannot be said TO be q
part of our nature transmitable by hereu-
ity TO future generations.
THE Scriptural phrase, 'shapen IN IN.
iquity and conceived in sin, Is nsuTe oI
speech. The purity of child me tens US
il cannot be literal. Again, the phrase III
Ephesans ii:3: We Were by nature Gnii-
dren of wrath, means that before Christlan-
ity came into the world men hVed IN rear
The following text makes this plain
when it says: God loved us with great
love when we We're yet dead IN tresPIsses
and sins The idea of inherited sin IS,
therefore, neither consonant with SCrlpluIe p
nor the laws of heredity. But the most
immoral and discouragtng phase OIL the
idea of the fall Of man Is the one IhdI
saws man Is utterly unable TO do any good
until God calls him to spiritual me Oy
a miracle. This miracle Is performed wheh
man processes belief in Jesus. IT We are
unable of ourselves to do any good. then
we are not responsible for the good We 40
not do nor are we responsible for the evil
..The Scriptures proclaim this falsehood
in every line that says man Is responsible
f1- his life and regards him as the Trainer
of hi own character, If we have inherited
evi! and do not try to eXpel 1t from our
lives. we are responsible for our moral
idlencSs. We are not to blame lhat our
ancestors We're not better than they were. ,
But St. Paul says, In Adam al dle.
What kind of death does ne mean he lie
believed what is implied IN the story OF me
Garden of Eden. that Adam. before ms SIN
was Immortal. BY SHINING he forfeited ms
| irImcrtality, and so brought mortality into
| tba world Adam also introduced spiritual
death into the world by his transSTesslon.
So long as men initiate his sin, SO long 90
they keen themselves in ignorance OF the
| higher life. The natural man cannot see
the things of the spirit OF God. rms noM ,S :
ever, is far from saying men are lhcapdoie
of doing any good thing.
The idea of the fall of man must give
| place 10 another conception of the begin
| ming and consequence OF human I[diiIS S,
| He did not fail into utter splrltual llidoll-
| ity; he took the natural course from ilno I
| cctce into the world of sin and sorrow, tolI tolI
and attainment, defeat and victory. II
man fell at all 1t was forward INTO tLie @
! world Ever since that time ne mas mas pfSn iifa
rising in the scale OF progress anu ~. It Itie'
| Man was never so well off as he IS To-Day.
| We must therefore have a view OF hunat
| nature consistent with the great ldCls VI
| life Where shall We hnd II! r,,,.,..
| when we turn to the WORDS OF Snrlstt
we find Him saving ye are aii pretnrGiil rem iad
| To discover that human nature is the same
| the world over. Some men are nlSher up
the ladder of attainment than others, pHs .H
| no matter where they are, whether in the
| kingdom or out of it, all are governed ny
| the same laws. The same divine posslpll-
| ities and opportunities stretch out beloTe
| ali This argues that man is one in nature
| and origin. All men are children OF Goo
| None are children of the tabled devil, for
| all are governed by one law
| '.The common origin and nature of man
| prophesies his common destiny. Every
| mans nature bears upon 1t the mark OF
| Gods good purpose. Couple this with oui
| social instincts that make us desire com,
| panionship. and our moral aspirations thai
| leave us unsatisfied with anything short OF
| the hest. and it is easy to see how all mer
| are travelling to their common end-holi'
| ness and happiness. In the days wher
| Rome was at the height of her glory, grea'
| highways ran from Rome in every direc'
ton to the boundaries of her provinces
1t was common proverb that all road:
of the empire a man started. if he Travelled
long enough he would finally reach Rome
I.ife's highways are built on this plan. NJ
matter from what point of the social, NOR
al or religious campus man starts, II NJ
travels long enough he reaches the throne
of God The new view of human nature
tells us all men are upon the road, and IL
time will all gather to witness the triumph
for which the ages have been battilng, aGI
glory that God, through Christ, is all IL
| all"