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OPEN COUNCIL.

[The utmost freedom of honest thought is permitted in this department. The reader must therefore use his own discriminating faculties, and the Editor must be allowed to claim freedom from responsibility.]

THE GREAT PROPITIATION.

Replicant.-In answer to Querist No. 16, p. 352, Vol. XVII., and continued from p. 237, Vol. XX.

Let us now consider:

III. The atonement of Christ as explained by the theory of substitution.

There is no explanation which is more popular among what are called Evangelical Christians than this; and, in fact, no explanation is supposed to be satisfactory, unless it embraces the idea of substitution.

Let us suppose the existence of an imaginary ideal man, representing the human race; a man in whom every other man finds himself fairly and fully mirrored. As some men are thieves, the ideal man must be a thief; and for a similar reason must he be guilty of every crime and vile deed and purpose of which any member of the human race is guilty.

God, as a just ruler of the universe, must punish every form of transgression, and, therefore, must the eternal wrath come down in showers upon the guilty head of this ideal man. The sword of justice is unsheathed, and God, the righteous King of all, is about to plunge it in the sinner's heart. But just at this point, according to the theory of substitution, Jesus Christ comes forward and offers to enter the sinner's place. God is to regard Him as if He were a sinner, though He is innocent, and to deal to Him the fatal stroke. The ideal, representative man, moves out of

his place, and Christ enters the place of danger, when in a moment God strikes the victim, and the innocent suffers for the guilty, or instead of the guilty.

As it would be wrong to punish the innocent, it is supposed that, by agreement, Christ is reckoned guilty. This, of course, is not true, as He is innocent, but is mentioned as a legal fiction. How that fiction may act upon God-how He can look at things in any way except as they are, it is difficult to explain, and these theorists seldom care about explanation. In ninety-nine pulpits out of every hundred, in the Church and among the leading denominations of Dissenters, throughout the British Isles, this is represented as the Gospel.

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I heard one of the most popular preachers of the day put the matter thus, in commenting on the words: "He tasted death for every man.' He said, "You and I were at the bar of justice, and Justice (i.e., God as a just being) was there to enforce his demands. There we stood. with the cup of poison in our hands. Justice (ie., God as a just being) insisted on our drinking the last drop. But Jesus then appeared in the room, and He said, 'may I drink it for them ?' God consented, and the Saviour took our cups of poison from our hands, and, blessed be his name, He drained them all." The sermon was on the crucifixion, and those scenes were painted up, which made one feel as if he had been to see a public execution at

Newgate. The impression produced by the discourse, as a whole, was, that Jesus Christ was a most kind being, but as for God, He was just like the Jew in Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice," heartless and exacting-would have his pound of flesh. Had the sermon been preached to men of mind, or even savages who had not been intellectually blinded by their education, some would have shouted the praise of Christ, and all would have disapproved of God; but these Christians in England seem, at the time, to think of Christ's love alone, so that the unmerciful nature of God, as represented in the discourse, has not the same power of destroying souls by leading them to hate Him. Yet these notions, which make it impossible to love God, because they deprive Him of every loveable quality, are supposed to be the Gospel, which, on the contrary, shows God's love to man.

Many suppose the substitution of Christ to have a reference to the punishment of sin, and yet it is not supposed that the punishment which He endured was the same as that which should have fallen upon the sinner. This is manifestly a fault in the theory.

Some of these theorists are of opinion that our Lord not only was treated as a sinner, but actually that He became a sinner. Luther expresses himself thus:"And this, no doubt, all the prophets did foresee in spirit, that Christ should become the greatest transgressor, murderer, adulterer, thief, rebel, and blasphemer, that ever was or could be in the world. If it be not absurd to confess and believe that Christ was crucified between two thieves, then it is not absurd to say that He was accursed, and of all sinners the greatest."-Luther on Gal. iii. 13.

Dr. Candlish, in that book of

his, entitled, "The Fatherhood of God,"-in which the most glorious subject within the reach of a creature's thought is made the most meaningless fiction upon which any bewildered imagination has fallen speaks of our Lord's work and character thus:-"He becomes one of us, one with us, as fallen creatures, guilty, corrupt, condemned." (P. 93.) "The incarnation of the Son of God is his entering into our relation to God, as a relation involving guilt to be answered for, and the wrath and curse of God to be endured." (P. 95.)

The theory of substitution involves the following particulars:-1. That Christ offered to God to suffer punishment equal to that which man, as a sinner, or all men, as sinners, deserved. 2. That God accepted this offer, though He knew that the innocent, and not the guilty, would suffer; and, 3. That He inflicted on Christ a punishment equal to that which all guilty men deserved. These particulars enter into every conception of the theory of substitution, but in some this also is involved-4. That Christ became a sinner-that by submitting to be treated as a murderer, He became guilty of murder. If this had been possible, then the punishment He endured would be only what He deserved on his own

account.

Let us now examine the ground. of this theory. Is there any foundation for this idea in either Scripture or reason? The whole Scriptural argument turns upon the meaning of the word, "for," in such expressions as these, "Christ died for us," "died for the ungodly," &c. These expressions, it is said, denote that Christ died in our place-died in the place of the ungodly. And yet there is confessedly no foundation for this, but the ambiguous meaning of the word for-uπep. I have fully dis

cussed the meanings of this word before. (See HOMILIST.) Even if it be granted that rep (for), means, in some cases, " in the place of," it must be confessed that in many cases it means "on account of," and "for the good of," &c. Hence, it is manifest that no stress can be put on the meaning of Tep, for. Thus, the Scriptural argument for the idea of substitution vanishes into thin air.

It fares no better in the province of reason, for then, God and Christ must be different parties, one punishing, and one being punished; and if each be God, you have two Gods, one inflicting pain upon the other. This is the old Pagan Mythology revived.

The Scriptures speak much of the forgiveness of sin. No one can read the words of either prophets or apostles, without being struck with the importance attached by them to this glorious doctrine; but if sin has been punished, no matter how, or when, or where, if sin has been punished according to law, whether in the sinner or in the substitute, it matters not, then it cannot be forgiven. The forgiveness of sin is a merǝ fiction, and if these theorists are right, the sacred writers must have been lost in hopeless error.

For one, I would rather accept the errors of inspired men than the theories of substitutionists.

There is yet another difficulty in relation to this theory, which seems to many thoughtful minds insurmountable-a difficulty involved in this question: Is it right as a matter of mere justice is it right, on any condition, or under any circumstances whatever, to punish the innocent for the guilty? "Oh!" says Bishop Trench, and others, "this world is full of vicarious sufferings." That may be, but the examples given are nothing to the point.

My friend may become a debtor through his own folly, and I may deprive myself of comforts to pay it for him. But this case is no parallel to the work of Christ, for the latter is an arrangement accepted by a government, the former is the isolated act of an individual. If I asked Justice if I might pay the debt, Justice would reply, No. In my act I go beyond justice; but Christ is represented by the theory of substitution, as agreeing with Justice to die instead of man. I might prevent a man from going to prison by paying the fine imposed upon him by the magistrates, but if he be sentenced to go to prison, at the assize, no substitution I can offer will be accepted.

Now, if Justice demands the punishment of sin, does it not equally demand its punishment in the transgressor? Nay, it seems to me that Justice seeks the sinner rather than the sin; the sin is sought only to regulate the measure of the punishment. It must be carefully remembered in all these considerations that there is an essential difference, too, between being punished for crime, and being the victim of misfortune.

Let me take a case-a case exactly in point-which will show the absurdity of the theory of substitution. Dr. Pritchard poisoned his wife and her mother in the most brutal and unmanly way, and for the vilest purpose. He deserved no pity. He had a daughter -his eldest child-who clung to him to the last. Neither his crime, nor his cruelty, nor his degradation, could either break or slacken the cords of affection which bound her heart to his. Now, supposing that previous to his execution, this kind daughter had offered to be executed in his stead, would it have been right on the part of

the Crown to have accepted of this voluntary substitute? Would the death of that innocent child beneath the gallows have been an act of justice, or rather of villany? Would the Government which accepted of such a substitute have been honoured by it or disgraced? Suffice it to say, that there are many men whose consciences could no more justify such an act of substitution than a positive act of murder. The acceptance of Christ, the innocent, as a substi

tute for man, the criminal, is a case in every way parallel.

When we speak of God punishing sin, we begin at the wrong end. It is the sinner that justice seeks to punish, and therefore it is blasphemy against the government of God-against God as the Governor of the universe, to suppose that He would agree that the innocent should be punished in place of the guilty.

GALILEO.

(To be continued.)

Literary Notices.

[We hold it to be the duty of an Editor either to give an early notice of the books sent to him for remark, or to return them at once to the Publisher. It is unjust to praise worthless books; it is robbery to retain unnoticed ones.]

THE REVIEWER'S CANON.

In every work regard the author's end,
Since none can compass more than they intend.

OUR FATHER'S BUSINESS.

By THOMAS Guthrie, D.D.
Strahan, 56, Ludgate-hill.

Alexander

THIS volume is an eloquent and practical discourse, founded on the words, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business ?" The leading doctrines, animating spirit, and general style of the distinguished author are too well known to require explanation, and too much valued to require our commending. This we consider one of the most useful of his many useful works. It teems with very noble thoughts: it beats with a manly heart: it has many strokes of mighty eloquence; and abounds with characteristic illustrations.

DISCOURSES BY THE LATE REV. DAVID DUNCAN. With a Memoir of his Life. Edinburgh: William Oliphant & Co. THIS is a volume of posthumous sermons, edited by the brothers of the departed author, and are selected, we are told, from those preached in the ordinary course of his ministry. The discourses, though destitute of any great originality, striking illustrations, or eloquent passages, are well thought out, clearly and vigorously expressed, and, in all, stiffly orthodox. They will be prized not only by the intelligent members of his bereaved congregation, but by all who wish to see Calvinian doctrines presented with fervour and force.

LIFE'S WORK AS IT IS. By a COLONIST. London: Sampson Low and Co., Milton House, Ludgate-hill.

THIS book is written in order to correct the false impressions concerning Australia. The views it gives of Australian civilization, resources, and life are most tempting to those whom poverty crushes in Old England. It is a book full of interest and information.

THE NATIONAL ENCYCLOPÆDIA: A DICTIONARY OF UNIVERSAL KNOWLEDGE. By WRITERS of EMINENCE in Literature, Science, and Art. Vol. IX. METHODISM-PEDUNCLE. London and Glasgow: Wm. Mackenzie. We have from time to time recorded our hearty commendation of the "National Encyclopædia." The nine volumes which are now before our readers quite justify what we have said, and embody our best anticipations. We have subjected them to examination, and are bound to say that they are beyond impeachment on the ground of careful accuracy and literary excellence. The treatment of the different subjects evinces unflagging diligence, a proper acquaintance with the bearing of the last discoveries upon them, and a good, lucid, terse, expository style. The mechanical details are also unexceptionable. The paper, printing, binding, are all of the highest class. The type is extremely neat and legible. The exceeding cheapness of the work has not been used as an excuse for a meagre or careless execution. It will bear inspection from every point of view; and the verdict which even a fastidious critic will pronounce will be, that it is an ornament and a treasure to his library shelves. We have already taken occasion to remark on the great value, particularly to students and young ministers, of works of this class. We need, therefore, add nothing on that head. It only remains for us to suggest that those to whom we offered those observations would do well to avail themselves of the very eligible opportunity which they now possess of carrying them into effect.

HANDY BOOK ON THE LAW AND PRACTICE OF PUBLIC MEETINGS.

By JAMES WALTER SMITH, LL.D. Effingham Wilson, Royal
Exchange.

THE erudite barrister who is the compiler of this little work, is well known as having given to the public a series of legal "Handy Books," that are most valuable, and have become deservedly popular. This one, treating of the "law and practice of public meetings," has already had a very large sale, and both from its subject and the lucid and authoritative treatment of it, is destined to a wide and lasting circulation. Few men have more to do with public meetings than ministers, and therefore we especially recommend to our readers this only, and at the same time amply sufficient, manual on the subject.

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