THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF ATONEMENT. 



53 



animal ? Would it have occurred to them naturally that the 

 Creator would be pleased with their burning to Him, in part or in 

 whole, one of the creatures that He had made ? Must they not 

 have learnt it by tradition from our common ancestor, Noah 1 It 

 should be remembered that in the Babylonian account of the Flood, 

 as in the account in the Bible, stress was laid on the offering up of 

 sacrifice as soon as the Flood was over. Probably Noah had 

 received the tradition from Adam who had been taught of God in 

 this matter. 



Rev. E. Seeley said : I do not rise to criticise as I agree with 

 nearly all that Mr. Marston has now set before us whether by 

 printed or spoken word. 



"Christ died for our sins"; a "Propitiation for our sins 

 . for the whole world." 



" God . . . gave His only begotten Son that whosoever 

 believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."' 



" The Blood of Jesus Christ Plis Son cleanseth us from all sin." 



These scripture truths I fully accept. But, "the Christian Doctrine 

 of Atonement " includes more, and the fuller revelation makes the 

 Gospel more intelligible : — more evidently " the wisdom of God." 

 I Cor. i, 23, 24. 



Let Scripture be our sole basis, and let us start with the first 

 revelation of God's Gospel. Gen. iii, 15, " It shall bruise thy head, 

 and thou shalt bruise his heel." This implies victory through 

 suffering, a victory of conquest of the Evil one, and of deliverance 

 of the enslaved. The New Testament tells us in clearer language 

 of the Saviour " becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death 

 of the Cross." " Wherefore also God highly exalted Him, etc." (Phil, 

 ii, 8, 9). Christ came as the God-given Lamb of Sacrifice. But the 

 typical sacrifices were NOT crucified. Why was Christ crucified 1 

 With the last quoted text compare Rom. v, 18, 19 "As through one 

 trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation ; even so 

 through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to 

 justification of life. For as through the one man's disobedience the 

 many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One 

 shall the many be made righteous." 



That " one act of righteousness " was the " obedience even unto 

 death, yea, the death of the Cross." The perfect victory over 

 extremest temptation was " well-pleasing " to God and effected 



