THE CHRISTFAN DOCTRINE OF ATONEMENT. 



51 



Discussion. 



In a spoken address of great eloquence, ^Ir. Marston introduced 

 some details which were not included in the printed paper, and at 

 the request of the Chairman, in which the meeting heartily joined, 

 Mr. Marston added later the following section : — 



I have thus stated the Christian Doctrine of Atonement in a 

 light whioh seems to make that doctrine appear to be incompar- 

 able, indispensable, and completely moral. It remains for me 

 to notice four objections alleged against all theories of Atone- 

 ment ; and therefore, of course, against the Christian doctrine. 



The first objection is that alleged by some students of 

 Comparative Eeligion. The second is alleged by those who 

 maintain that repentance is sufficient to secure the complacency 

 of God towards the sinner. The third is alleged by those who 

 say that the Doctrine of Atonement offends the Moral Sense. 

 The fourth is alleged by some disciples of Evolution, who say 

 that there is no such thing in reality as a sense of sin, and 

 therefore there is no such thing in reality as the need of atone- 

 ment. 



The Comparative Eeligionist pronounces the Doctrine of 

 Atonement to be mythical ; the advocate of Eepentance 

 pronounces it to be superfluous ; the stickler for the Moral 

 Sense pronounces it to be immoral ; the votary of Evolution 

 pronounces it to be obsolete. I will briefly reply to each 

 objector. 



1. The objection alleged from Comparative Eeligion I meet 

 in this way. There are no doubt many tokens and guesses at 

 Atonement scattered throughout history, human sacrifices, 

 scapegoats, banquets of flesh and blood, and many grotesque 

 and horrible ceremonies can be collected in illustration of 

 Atonement, but at best, these are rude adumbrations of the Cross 

 of Christ. Even the Old Testament sacrifices are called by the 

 Apostle to the Hebrews a mere shadow of the things to come. 

 But between the Cross of Christ in its definite historical power, 

 and its moral majesty, and the quaint or painful examples of 

 Atonement put forth by Comparative Eeligion, there is so deep 

 and wide a gulf that any true comparison is out of place ; at 

 least it must be allowed that all such comparisons prove 

 Christianity to be the superlative religion. 



2. The objector who says that Eepentance is sufficient to 

 secure forgiveness may be. answered thus. Is there anything 



E 2 



