Page:The Collected Works of Theodore Parker volume 3.djvu/190

Rh It is plain that no Christian sect conceives of God as infinitely perfect in power, wisdom, justice, benevolence, and holiness. In their general description they all claim absolute perfection for their notion of Deity; in their specific details of character and conduct they all deny it. The idea of the infinitely perfect God is foreign to the Christian theology.

II. .—Man was created "in the image and likeness of God," but so badly made that he became an easy prey to the devil. His first step was a "fall," which so damaged his "nature" that ever since it has been "corrupt"—this action, even his thoughts "only evil continually." His body is damaged, and unnaturally mortal—at present not even living out a tithe of the original years of even fallen man; his mind—and he cannot distinguish between truth and error, unless a miracle intervene, nor always then; his conscience—he does not know good from evil; his heart—which is perverse and desperately wicked; his soul—that of itself would neither love nor even know God, or its own immortality. He is "depraved," if not "totally"—which is the instantial opinion of Christendom—at least "generally" and "effectually," so that he is substantially good for nothing; in his flesh and his spirit there is "no good thing!" He is immortal—so much the worse for him! What avails it to increase the quantity of human life while the quality is so bad and the ultimate ruin made sure of beforehand? Damnation alone waits for the souls of the mass of men, He can find out nothing certain about God ; all the holy men who taught new religious truth to mankind did not actively learn the truth as men, but only passively received it from God, as bare pipes through which His "Revelation" flowed forth: they did not normally find out a truth, but God miraculously gave them a commandment.

All the rest of God's works are "perfect;" they turn out as He meant, and are adequate means for His purposes; but man is a failure—this wheel does not run well in the universal mill, nor accomplish the purpose it was intended for! Nay, with all manner of watching and mending, and lubricating with miracles, it works very ill, and God is sorry He made man on the earth, and it grieves