great mystery. I refer to the doctrine of Free-will or
moral liberty. How to reconcile this with God's fore-
knowledge and human dependence, is a question which
has perplexed the greatest minds. It is probable that
much of the obscurity arises from our applying to God
the same kind of foreknowledge as men possess by their
acquaintance with causes, and from our supposing the
Supreme Being to bear the same relation to time as
man. It is probable that juster views on these subjects
will relieve the freedom of the will from some of its
difficulties. Still the difficulties attending it are great.
It is a mystery in the popular sense of the word. Now
is it not strange that theologians who have made and
swallowed so many other mysteries, have generally re-
jected this, and rejected it on the ground of objections
less formidable than those which may be urged against
their own inventions? A large part of the Protestant
world have sacrificed man's freedom of will to God's
foreknowledge and sovereignty, thus virtually subverting
all religion, all duty, all responsibility. They have made
man a machine, and destroyed the great distinction be-
tween him and the brute. There seems a fatality attend-
ing creeds. After burdening Christianity with mysteries
of which it is as innocent as the unborn child, they have
generally renounced the real mystery of religion, of
human nature. They have subverted the foundation
of moral government, by taking from man the only ca-
pacity which makes him responsible, and in this way
have fixed on the commands and threatenings of God
the character of a cruel despotism. What a lesson
against man's attempting to impose his wisdom on his
fellow-creatures as the truth of God!

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