The Seventy's Course in Theology
SECOND YEAR
Outline History of the Dispensations of the Gospel
Compiled and Edited by
B. H. ROBERTS
Of the First Council of the Seventy
"The things of God are of deep import; and time and experience, and
careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them
out."--Joseph Smith.
Salt Lake City
1908
SEVENTY'S YEAR BOOK NO. II
INTRODUCTION.
The Seventy's Year Book No. II is a series of forty-four lessons on
"The Outline History of the Dispensations of the Gospel." As our
Year Book No. I was a rapid survey of the whole body of scriptures
recognized by the Church, so the present Year Book is a like rapid,
general survey of the principle dispensations of the Gospel given to
men upon this earth. As the survey of the scripture books was made for
the purpose of forming a general idea of the books as a body of sacred
literature, and that some idea might be learned of their essential
unity; so this present outline survey of the chief dispensations of
the Gospel is intended to give some general views of the Gospel not
otherwise obtainable, and to fix in the mind of the student the idea of
essential unity in the Gospel in all dispensations: Establishing the
idea that there is but one Gospel; and that, the "everlasting gospel;"
the same through all ages. That it was the plan devised in heaven
before the foundations of the earth were laid, and will endure as a
means of salvation so long as there are men to be saved.
_The Treatment of the Theme:_ The treatment of the theme is
substantially the same as in Year Book No. I. That is to say, an
analysis of the subject of the lesson is given, in which the lesson
is subdivided under those heads into which the subject naturally
falls. For the information, of the student texts and books are cited
accompanying usually each subdivision of the subject and these
references in every case should be carefully read so far as the books
cited can be obtained by the student; and as the books to which
citations in the main are made, the four books recognized by the Church
as Holy Scripture, each Seventy student should have these. Accompanying
each lesson are a series of notes, sometimes detached, but often, in
this Year Book, they constitute a brief continuous treatise upon the
subject in hand, which should be amplified by wide reading and deep
study on the part of the student. In all cases where no citation of
authorities is given at the close or in the body of the note, they are
written by the compiler and editor or are taken from his works.
In this connection I would say a word in relation to the several
les, sons which I have called "A Prelude to the History of the
Dispensations." It may be thought that these lessons are difficult,
and deal with matters not necessary to the main subject. Of course the
author of this Year Book holds a different view or the lessons would
not be presented. To him the principles there developed are fundamental
and essential to a right understanding of the Dispensations of the
Gospel; and should not be omitted because they invite attention to
lines of thought somewhat unusual to us in the study of the Gospel.
It is the existence of these principles in our Theology that makes
"Mormonism" a religion and not a mere sect. They constitute an
essential part of the message we have for the world; and the ministry
of the Church should master these subjects, though thinking upon them
is unusual and the mastery of such themes is slowly acquired. Let it
be remembered that "The things of God are of deep import; and time and
experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thought can only find
them out."
SCRIPTURE READING AND SPECIAL TEXTS:
Scripture Reading Exercises are to continue throughout the year, though
Special Texts printed with each lesson are abandoned in this Year Book,
as it is hoped that the advantage of collecting or noting special texts
of the scripture, and striking passages from other choice literature,
while reading, has been sufficiently demonstrated to now become a habit
with those who read good books.
PREPARATION OF LESSONS.
In no case should it be regarded as a complete preparation of the
lesson to merely glance over the analysis and read the notes. The
lesson as constructed is merely to be regarded as an outline of
the particular theme as the whole Year Book itself is to be looked
upon as a mere outline tracing of the History of the Gospel in the
successive ages through which it sweeps. The lessons indicate a method
of treatment that may be followed; but original research by reading,
consulting authorities, and thorough thinking should be employed in the
preparation of the student; and the Year Book looked upon and used as
merely a help and guide in this investigation.
What is said in the Introduction of Year Book, No. I, in relation
to Class Teachers, Manner of Lesson Treatment, Home Reading, the
Preparation of Lessons, Opening Exercises and Prayer, should be
considered standing instructions to the Seventies through the ensuing
year in their class meetings. And it will be well to consider these
topics in the Introduction of Year Book No. I before beginning the
exercises outlined in this year's work, that the minds of the class may
be refreshed in those matters and the exercises and preparation work be
made to conform to these instructions.
In addition to what is in the Introduction to Year Book No. I, we
suggest that from observation of the class work during the past year,
the Seventies have not reached the character of work that may be
reasonably expected of them in treating topics of the lessons assigned
to them. We have a right to expect that members of our quorums when
assigned a lesson, or any part of it, will become such masters of the
subject, at least of that part of it assigned to them, that they will
be able to make an intelligent presentation of it, clear cut, with a
beginning, a middle, and a conclusion to it; and something that will
be an intelligent statement at least of the subject, instead of being
through with an important topic by a two or three minute statement of
it, of which half is apology or excuse. These topics certainly require
a ten or fifteen or twenty minute exposition that shall be worth while.
And while we would not be severe in our criticism of the past, or too
demanding for the future, certainly it can reasonably be expected that
Seventies will make some exertion that will give the results here
alluded to. We want, in the first place, work; in the second place,
work; in the third place, work; and then work; and more work; and
better work. That program will spell success. There is no excellence
without labor, and much of it.
TEXT BOOKS AND AUTHORITIES.
Relative to the text books. All of the books recommended in the
Introduction of last year's course are available and necessary as
authorities in this present year's course, and in addition to these
works of reference, a good, General History will be of great service.
That of P. V. N. Meyers, prepared for Colleges and High Schools, (Ginn
& Company, Publishers, Boston) being perhaps the most desirable, price
$1.50.
In the Apostatic division of our treatise, Part V, numerous references
are made to Ecclesiastical histories and works of a theological
character, some of which would be difficult to obtain, such as
"Mosheim's Institutes of Ecclesiastical History;" Neander's "History of
the Christian Religion;" Schaff's "History of the Apostolic Church;"
Mosheim's "History of Christianity in the First Three Centuries;"
Hefele's "History of Christian Councils;" "Millman's History of
Christianity in the First Three Centuries;" Lardner's "Works," and the
like. But "The Students Ecclesiastical History," written by Dr. Philip
Smith, author of the "Old Testament" and "New Testament Histories,"
frequently quoted in Seventy's Year Book No. I, and in this, published
by Harper Brothers in two volumes, (price $3.00), is within the reach
of all; and on the whole is a very fine Compendium of Ecclesiastical
History, quite dispassionate in tone, and generally trustworthy, and
brings events down to the death of Luther, 1540.
Also there is in print the "Ecclesiastical History" by Eusebius
Pamphilus. Bishop of Caesarea, covering the first three Christian
centuries. Eusebius is generally styled the "Father of Ecclesiastical
History," and those who can obtain this authority are dealing with
original sources of information. The work is translated from the Greek,
and published and obtainable through any of our book stores. In this
connection we urge our members to gradually obtain; but as soon as may
be, these reference books, as no workman can get along without tools.
_The Improvement Era:_ We call attention also to the Improvement
Era, the Organ of the Seventies and of the Young Men's Mutual
Improvement Associations, with its special Seventy's department, The
Seventy's Council Table. This magazine affords the First Council
opportunity to reach every quorum of Seventy once every month
throughout the year--Twelve communications each year, of several
pages of printed matter, bearing upon Seventies work;--suggestions
in class work; dealing with questions of quorum administration; with
questions of doctrine, and history, and exposition of the scriptures.
How valuable an adjunct it has become in our work! We enjoin it upon
our presidents that they see to it that all subjects in the Era of
special interest to their several quorums be brought forth to said
quorums by the Presidents, and read for the information of the quorum,
that all may be benefited by the instruction. From reports made to
the General Secretary, Elder J. G. Kimball, we learn that some two
thousand Seventies take the Era, so that with each monthly issue of
the Era we are in touch with that many individual Seventies. Many more
of our members, however, should subscribe for this magazine, and the
Presidents should urge members to subscribe for and read it as one of
the best means of keeping in touch with the work of the Seventies.
The Seventy's Course in Theology
SECOND YEAR
Outline History of the Dispensations of the Gospel
PART I
PRELUDE TO THE DISPENSATIONS
LESSON I.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
INTELLIGENCES AND SPIRITS.
ANALYSIS.
I. Intelligences--Existence and Character of.
II. Distinction Between "Intelligences" and "Spirits."
REFERENCES.
Pearl of Great Price ch. iii. St. John i:1-14 Compared with Doc. and
Cov. sec. xciii 6-31. See the Prophet Joseph's "King Follett Sermon"
Apl. 7, 1844, Mill. Star Vol. xxiii, pp. 245-280 and notes 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7.
Book of Ether ch. iii:13-16, and the foregoing references of the
lesson and notes 1, 7. Also Article in the "Improvement Era," April
1907, on the "Immortality of Man."[A]
[Footnote A: The following appears as a note preceding the article in
question, from which article most of the notes in this and in lessons
following in Part I are taken: "Elder Roberts submitted the following
paper to the First Presidency and a number of the Twelve Apostles, none
of whom found anything objectionable in it, or contrary to the revealed
word of God, and therefore favor its publication.--Editors."]
NOTES.
_1. Intelligencies-Co-Eternal:_ "If two things exist, and there be
one above the other, there shall be greater things above them. * * * *
* If there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the
other, yet these two spirits, notwithstanding one is more intelligent
than the other, have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have
no end, they shall exist, for they are gnolaum, or eternal." (Book of
Abraham ch. 3, 16, 18.)
_2. Intelligencies, Eternal, Self-existent:_ "The soul--the mind
of man--the immortal spirit--where did it come from? All learned men
and doctors of divinity say that God created it in the beginning;
but it is not so: the very idea lessens man in my estimation. I do
not believe the doctrine. I know better. Hear it, all ye ends of the
world, for God has told me so, if you don't believe me, it will not
make the truth without effect. * * * We say that God himself is a
self-existent being. Who told you so? It is correct enough, but how
did it get into your head? Who told you that man did not exist in
like manner, upon the same principles? Man does exist upon the same
principles. * * * * * The mind or the intelligence which man possesses
is co-equal, [co-eternal[A]], with God himself. I know my testimony is
true."--Joseph Smith, (Mill. Star, Vol. XXIII, p. 262.)
[Footnote A: It must be remembered that these sermons of the prophet
were reported in long hand, and by several persons (See History of
the Church, Vol. IV, p. 556-note); and hence verbal inaccuracies may
exist, of which the above is doubtless one. The Prophet could not have
meant to have taught that the "intelligence" in man was "co-equal with
God", except as to being co-equal in eternity with God, since the
Book of Abraham teaches that God is more intelligent than all other
intelligencies (ch. iii:19) and the Prophet himself, as will be seen
in subsequent quotations, teaches the same truth. Hence the insertion
of word above in brackets.]
_3. The Nature of Intelligencies:_ There is in that complex
thing we call man, an intelligent entity, uncreated, self existent,
indestructible, He--for that entity is a person; because, as we shall
see, he is possessed of powers that go with personality only, hence
that entity is "he," not "it,"--he is eternal as God is; co-existent,
in fact, with God; of the same kind of substance or essence with deity,
though confessedly inferior in degree of intelligence and power to
God. One must needs think that the name of this eternal entity--what
God calls him--conveys to the mind some idea of his nature. He is
called an "intelligence;" and this I believe is descriptive of him.
That is, intelligence is the entity's chief characteristic. If this
be a true deduction, then the entity must be self-conscious, and
"others--conscious," that is, he must have the power to distinguish
himself from other things--the "me" from the "not me." He must have
the power of deliberation, by which he sets over one thing against
another; with power also to form a judgment that this or that is a
better thing or state than this or that. Also there goes with this idea
of intelligence a power of choosing one thing instead of another, one
state rather than another. These powers are inseparably connected with
any idea that may be formed of an intelligence. One cannot conceive
of intelligence existing without these qualities any more than he can
conceive of an object existing in space without dimensions. The phrase
"the light of truth" [Doc. & Cov., Sec. xciii.] is given in one of the
revelations as the equivalent for an "intelligence" here discussed; by
which is meant to be understood, as I think, that intelligent entities
perceive the truth, are conscious of the truth, they know that which
is, hence "the light of truth," "intelligence." Let it be observed that
I say nothing as to the mode of the existence of these intelligences,
beyond the fact of their eternity. But of their form, or the manner
of their subsistence nothing, so far as I know, has been revealed,
and hence we are without means of knowing anything about the modes of
their existence beyond the fact of it, and the essential qualities they
possess, which already have been pointed out.
_4. Words Used Interchangeably:_ It is often the case that
misconceptions arise through a careless use of words, and through
using words interchangeably, without regard to shades of differences
that attach to them; and this in the scriptures as in other writings.
Indeed, this fault is more frequent in the scriptures perhaps than in
any other writings, for the reason that, for the most part, they are
composed by men who did not aim at scientific exactness in the use of
words. They were not equal to such precision in the use of language,
in the first place; and in the second, they depended more upon the
general tenor of what they wrote for making truth apparent than upon
technical precision in a choice of words; ideas, not niceness of
expression, was the burden of their souls; thought, not its dress.
Hence, in scripture, and I might say especially in modern scripture,
a lack of careful or precise choice of words, a large dependence upon
the general tenor of what is written to convey the truth, a wide range
in using words interchangeably that are not always exact equivalents,
are characteristics. Thus the expressions, "Kingdom of God," "Kingdom
of Heaven," "the Whole Family in Heaven," "the Church," "the Church of
Christ," "the Church of God," are often used interchangeably for the
Church of Christ when they are not always equivalents; so, too, are
used the terms "Spirit of God," and "Holy Ghost;" "Spirit of Christ,"
and the "the Holy Ghost;" "Spirit" and "Soul;" "intelligencies," and
"spirits;" "spirits," and "angels." I mention this in passing, because
I believe many of the differences of opinion and much of the confusion
of ideas that exist arise out of our not recognizing, or our not
remembering these facts. Hereafter let the student be on his guard in
relation to the use of the words "intelligencies," "spirits," "soul,"
"mind," etc.: and he will find his way out of many a difficulty.
_5. Intelligence Eternal--Not Created:_ "Man was also in the
beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not
created or made, neither indeed can be." (Doc. & Cov., Sec. xciii. 29.)
"I am dwelling on the immorality of the spirit of man. Is it logical
to say that the intelligence of spirits is immortal, and yet that it
(i. e. the intelligence) had a beginning. The intelligence of spirits
had no beginning, neither will it have an end. That is good logic. That
which has a beginning may have an end. There never was a time when
there were no spirits, for they are co-equal (co-eternal) with our
Father in heaven. * * * * * I take my ring from my finger and liken it
unto the mind of man--the immortal part, because it has no beginning.
Suppose you cut it in two; then it has a beginning and an end; but join
it again and it continues one eternal round. So with the spirit of man.
As the Lord liveth, if it had a beginning it will have an end. * * * *
Intelligence is eternal and exists upon a self-existent principle. It
is a spirit [A] from age to age and there is no creation about it. * *
* * * The first principles of a man are self-existent with God."--Joseph
Smith--(Mill. Star, Vol. 23, p. 262.)
[Footnote A: Observe in the above quotation from the Prophet, how he
sometimes uses the word "spirit" interchangeably with "intelligence,"
but mark, he twice uses the expression, "intelligence of spirits."]
_6. The Difference Between "Spirits," and Uncreated
"Intelligencies:_" In the Book of Mormon we have the revelation
which gives the most light upon spirit-existence of Jesus, and, through
his spirit-existence, light upon the spirit-existence of all men.
The light is given in that complete revelation of the pre-existent,
personal spirit of Jesus Christ, made to the brother of Jared, ages
before the spirit of Jesus tabernacled in the flesh. The essential part
of the passage follows:
Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to
redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ; * * * * * and never have I
showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed
in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine own
image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own
image. Behold this body which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit;
and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I
appear unto thee to be in the spirit, will I appear unto my people in
the flesh.
What do we learn from all this? First, let it be re-called that
according to the express word of God "intelligences" are not created,
neither indeed can they be. Now, with the above revelation from the
Book of Mormon concerning the spirit-body of Jesus, before us, we
are face to face with a something that was begotten, and in that
sense a "creation," a spirit, the "first born of many brethren;" the
"beginning of the creations of God." The spirit is in human form--for
we are told that as Christ's spirit-body looked to Jared's brother, so
would the Christ look to men when he came among them in the flesh; the
body of flesh conforming to the appearance of the spirit, the earthly
to the heavenly. "This body which ye now behold is the body of my
spirit"--the house, the tenement of that uncreated intelligence which
had been begotten of the Father a spirit, as later that spirit-body
with the intelligent, uncreated entity inhabiting it, will be begotten
a man. "This body which you now behold is the body of my spirit,"
or spirit-body. There can be no doubt but what here "spirit," as in
the Book of Abraham, is used interchangeably with "intelligence,"
and refers to the uncreated entity; as if the passage stood; "This
is the body inhabited by an intelligence." The intelligent entity
inhabiting a spirit-body make up the spiritual personage. It is this
spirit life we have so often thought about, and sang about. In this
state of existence occurred the spirit's "primeval childhood;" here
spirits were "nurtured" near the side of the heavenly Father, in his
"high and glorious place;" thence spirits were sent to earth to unite
spirit-elements with earth-elements--in some way essential to a fulness
of glory and happiness (Doc. & Cov. Sec. xciii:32-35)--and to learn
the lessons earth-life had to teach. The half awakened recollections
of the human mind may be chiefly engaged with scenes, incidents
and impressions of that spirit life; but that does not argue the
non-existence of the uncreated intelligences who preceded the begotten
spiritual personage as so plainly set forth in the revelations of God.
The difference, then, between "spirits" and "intelligencies," as
here used, is this: Spirits are uncreated intelligencies inhabiting
spiritual bodies; while "intelligencies," pure and simple, are
intelligent entities, but unembodied in either spirit bodies or
bodies of flesh and bone. They are uncreated, self-existent entities,
possessed of "self-consciousness," and "other-consciousness"--they
are conscious of the "me" and the "not me"; they possess powers of
discrimination, (without which the term "intelligence" would be a
solecism) they discern between the evil and the good; between the
"good" and "the better." They possess "will" or "freedom,"--within
certain limits at least [A]--the power to determine upon a given course
of conduct, as against any other course of conduct. This intelligence
"can think his own thoughts, act wisely or foolishly, do right or
wrong." To accredit an "intelligence" with fewer or less important
powers than these, would be to discredit him as an "intelligence"
altogether.
[Footnote A: We see that this is true as to men as intelligencies.
As one remarks: "Within certain temporary material limitations, man
is free. He cannot speak if he be dumb, nor see if he be blind; but,
mentally and morally, he is always free. He can think his own thoughts,
act wisely or foolishly, do right or wrong."--(See Great Questions, p.
21.)]
7. Effect of the Doctrine of the Eternal Existence of Intelligences on
Our Terminology: The conception here set forth in the doctrine that
intelligencies are co-eternal with God, uncreated and uncreatable,
self-existent, indestructible, will be to change somewhat the currently
accepted notion in regard to pre-existence of intelligencies and
spirits, and in a way the number of estates through which they pass.
It is customary for us to say that there are three grand estates of
existence through which intelligencies pass in the course of their
exaltation to resurrected, immortal, divine beings (See Jacques's
Catechism, chap, vi.): first, their pre-existence as spirits, sons
and daughters of God, in the spirit world; second, these spirits
clothed upon with mortal bodies--earth-life of men and women; third,
spirits inhabiting bodies that have been resurrected, immortal beings
clothed with imperishable bodies prepared for eternal advancement
in the kingdoms of God. But the doctrine of the Prophet and of the
scriptures he gave to the world, require us to recognize before the
first estate as set forth in the above order, the existence of the
self-existent intelligences before they are begotten spirits, sons and
daughters of God. So that it could be said that there are four estates
in which intelligences exist instead of three; namely; self-existent,
uncreated and unbegotten intelligences, co-eternal with God; second,
intelligences begotten of God spirits; third, spirits begotten men and
women, still sons and daughters of God; fourth, resurrected beings,
immortal spirits inhabiting imperishable bodies, still sons and
daughters of God, and in the line of eternal progression, up to the
attainment of divine attributes and powers. Still, if we have regard to
those changes through which intelligences pass, rather than to their
status before and after those changes, then we may still say that so
far as the matter has been revealed there are three estates or changes
through which intelligences pass in the course of their development or
evolution into divine beings; and thus preserve the terminology of our
sacred literature to which we are accustomed. (See Book of Abraham, ch.
iii:22-26. Also Jaques' Catechism, ch. vi.)
LESSON II.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
THE RELATIONSHIP OF INTELLIGENCES.
ANALYSIS.
I. Relationship of Jesus to Other Intelligences.
II. The Relationship of God and Other Intelligences.
REFERENCES.
St. John's Gospel i:1-14; in connection with Doc. and Cov. Sec. xciii:
6-22. King Follet's Sermon, Mill. Star, Vol. XXIII: p. 245-280. Also
notes, 2, 3, 4.
Pearl of Great Price, Book of Abraham, ch. iii:19-23 and note 5.
NOTES.
_1. Men and Jesus of the Same Order of Beings:_ The Scriptures
teach that Jesus Christ and men are of the same order of beings; that
men are of the same race with Jesus, of the same nature and essence;
that he is indeed our elder brother. "For it became him, for whom
are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons
unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
suffering. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are
all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren."
(Heb. ii:10, 11.) Hence while very far removed from us in that the
Christ is more perfect in righteousness, and more highly developed in
intellectual and spiritual powers than we, yet these differences are
of degree, not of kind; so that what is revealed concerning Jesus,
the Christ, may be of infinite helpfulness in throwing light upon the
nature of man and the several estates he has occupied and will occupy
hereafter. The co-eternity of Jesus Christ with God, the Father, is
quite universally held to be set forth in the preface of John's gospel,
which is so familiar that it need not be quoted here. Moreover, to us
who accept the new' dispensation of the gospel, through the revelations
of God to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the doctrine of John's preface
comes with increased emphasis by reason of the proclaimed extension of
the principle of the co-eternity of God, the Father, and Jesus Christ,
to other beings, namely, to men; and by asserting also the fact that
the intelligent entity in man, the mind, intelligence, was "not created
or made, neither indeed can be." The following is from the revelation:
"John saw and bore record of the fulness of my glory * * * and he
bore record saying, I saw his glory that he was in the beginning
before the world was; therefore in the beginning the Word was, for
he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation, the Light and the
Redeemer of the world, the Spirit of Truth, who came into the world
because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men
and the light of men."
Such is the account which Jesus gives of John's testimony; and now
Jesus himself:
"And now, verily, I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the
Father, and am the first born. * * * * * Ye [referring to the
brethren who were present when the revelation was given] were also
in the beginning with the Father, that which is spirit, even the
spirit of truth. * * * * * Man [meaning the race] was also in the
beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not
created or made, neither indeed can be. All truth is independent
in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as
all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence. Behold here
is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man, because
that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them and
they receive not the light. And every man whose spirit receiveth
not the light is under condemnation, for man is spirit."
Here we have the co-eternity of Jesus and of all men most emphatically
stated: "I was in the beginning with the Father. * * * * * Ye were
also in the beginning with the Father, that which is spirit;" that
is, that part of man that is spirit. "Man," that is all men, the term
is generic--"man was in the beginning with God." And then mark what
follows: "Intelligence"--the part that was with God in the beginning,
the entity of man which cognizes truth, that perceives that which is,
mind, say,--"intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or
made, neither indeed can be."
_2. Jesus as the First Born:_ Sure it is that God, the Father, is
the Father of the spirits of men. "We," says Paul, "have had fathers of
our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not
much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live?"
According to this, then, there is a "Father of Spirits." It follows, of
course, that "spirits" have a father--they are begotten. It should be
remarked that the term, "spirits" in the above passage cannot refer to
self-existent, unbegotten intelligences of the revelations, considered
in the foregoing note; and certainly this relationship of fatherhood
to spirits is not one brought about in connection with generation
of human life in this world. Paul makes a very sharp distinction
between "Fathers of our flesh" and the "Father of spirits," in the
above. Fatherhood to spirits is manifestly a relationship established
independent of man's earth-existence; and, of course, in an existence
which preceded earthlife, where the uncreated intelligences are
begotten spirits. Hence, the phrase "shall we not be subject to the
Father of spirits and live?"
Christ is referred to by the writer of the epistle to the Colossians,
as the "first born of every creature;" and the Revelator speaks of
him as "the beginning of the creation of God;" and in the revelation
already quoted so often (Doc. & Cov. sec. xciii.) Jesus represents
himself as being in the "beginning with the Father;" and as "the first
born."
The reference to Jesus as the "first born of every creature" cannot
refer to his birth into earth-life, for he was not the first-born into
this world; therefore, his birth hare referred to must have reference
to the birth of his spirit before his earth life.
The reference to Jesus as the "beginning of the creation of God,"
cannot refer to his creation or generation in earth-life; for
manifestly he was not the beginning of the creations of God in this
world; therefore, he must have been the "beginning" of God's creation
elsewhere, viz. in the spirit world, where he was begotten a spiritual
personage; a son of God.
The reference to Jesus as the "first born"--and hence the justification
for our calling him "our Elder Brother"--cannot refer to any
relationship that he established in his earth-life, since as to the
flesh he is not our "elder brother," any more than he is the "first
born" in the flesh; there were many born as to the flesh before he was,
and older brothers to us, in the flesh, than he was. The relationship
of "elder brother" cannot have reference to that estate where all
were self-existent, uncreated and unbegotten, eternal intelligencies;
for that estate admits of no such relation as "elder," or "younger;"
for as to succession in time, the fact on which "younger" or "elder"
depend, the intelligences are equal, that is,--equal as to their
eternity. Therefore, since the relationship of "elder brother" was
not established by any circumstance in the earth-life of Jesus, and
could not be established by any possible fact in that estate where all
were self-existing intelligences, it must have been established in the
spirit life, where Jesus, with reference to the hosts of intelligences
designed to our earth, was the "first born spirit," and by that fact
became our "Elder Brother," the "first born of every creature," "the
beginning of the creations of God," as pertaining to our order of
existence. (See note 10, lesson v.)
_3. Why God is God:_ "These two facts do exist, that there are
two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be
another more intelligent than they: I am the Lord thy God, I am more
intelligent than them all. * * * * * I dwell in the midst of them all;
* * * I rule in the heavens above, and the earth beneath, in all wisdom
and prudence, over all the intelligencies thine eyes have seen from the
beginning." (Word of the Lord to Abraham, Book of Abraham, ch. iii:
19-21.) "I am more intelligent than them all." By this expression I do
not understand the scripture to mean that God is more intelligent than
any one of the other intelligencies, but more intelligent than all of
them combined. His intelligence is greater than that of the mass. It
is this fact doubtless which makes this One, "more intelligent than
them all," God. He is the All-Wise One! The All-Powerful One! What
he tells other intelligencies to do must be precisely the wisest,
fittest thing that they could anywhere or anyhow learn--the thing which
it will in all ways behoove them with right loyal thankfulness, and
nothing doubting, to do.[A] There goes with this, too, the thought
that this All Wise One, will be the Unselfish One, the-All-Loving One,
the One who desires that which is highest, and best; not for Himself
alone, but for all; and that will be best for Him too. His glory, His
power, His joy will be enhanced by the uplifting of all, by enlarging
them; by increasing their joy, power, and glory. And because this All
Intelligent One is all this, and does all this, the other intelligences
worship Him, submit their judgments and their will to His judgment and
His will. He knows, and can do that which is best; and this submission
of the mind to the most Intelligent, Wisest--wiser than all--is
worship. This the whole meaning of the doctrine and the life of the
Christ expressed in--"Father, not my will but Thy will, be done."
[Footnote A: The language here is paraphrased from Carlyle's lecture,
"The Hero as King."]
_5. The Desire of God for the Advancement of Other Intelligences:_
"The first principles of man are self-existent with God. God himself,
finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more
intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have
a privilege to advance like himself. The relationship we have with
God places us in a situation to advance in knowledge. He has power
to institute laws, to instruct the weaker intelligences, that they
may be exalted with himself, so that they might have one glory upon
another, and all that knowledge, power, glory, and intelligence which
is requisite in order to save them in the world of spirits. This is
good doctrine. It tastes good. I can taste the principles of eternal
life, and so can you. They are given to me by the revelations of Jesus
Christ; and I know that when I tell you these words of eternal life as
they are given to me, you taste them, and I know that you believe them.
You say honey is sweet, and so do I. I can also taste the spirit of
eternal life. I know it is good; and when I tell you of these things
which were given me by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, you are bound
to receive them as sweet, and rejoice more and more."--Joseph Smith.
(Mill. Star, Vol. XXIII, p. 262.)
_6. Value of the Doctrine of Eternal Existence:_ But what is
the value of this doctrine of the eternal existence of uncreated
intelligences? In what way does it contribute to the better
apprehension of that which is, the truth? These considerations,
of course, should not be and are not our first concern. Our first
consideration should be and has been the truth of the thing. But since
that is now settled by what God has revealed about it, we may well, if
possible, ascertain what helpfulness there is in the doctrine, for the
right apprehension of the general scheme of things. This apprehension,
I believe, it affects in a very vital way. As matters now stand, the
usually accepted Christian doctrine on the matter of man's origin is
that God of his free-will created of nothing the spirits and bodies of
men. That they are as he would have them, since in his act of creation
he could have had them different if he had so minded. Then why should
he--being infinitely wise and powerful and good, for so the creeds
represent him--why should he create by mere act of volition beings
such as men are, not only capable of, but prone to, moral evil? Which,
in the last analysis of things, in spite of all special pleadings to
the contrary, leaves responsibility for moral evil with God? God's
creative acts culminating thus, the next pertinent questions are:
Then what of the decreed purpose of God to punish moral evil? and
what of the much vaunted justice of God in that punishment? Wherein
lies the just responsibility of man if he was so created as to love
evil and to follow it? It is revolting to reason, as it is shocking
to piety to think, that God of his own free will created some men,
not only inclined to wickedness, but desperately so inclined; while
others, he of his own volition created with dispositions naturally
inclined toward goodness. In like manner stands it with man in relation
to his inclination to faith, and to disbelief: and yet, under the
orthodox belief all are included under one law for judgment! Under the
conception of the existence of independent, uncreated, self-existent
intelligences, who by the inherent nature of them are of various
degrees of intelligence, doubtless differing from each other in
many ways, yet alike in their eternity and their freedom; with God
standing in the midst of them, "more intelligent than them all," and
proposing the betterment of their condition--progress to higher levels
of being, and power through change--under this conception of things
how stand matters? There is the begetting of these intelligences,
spirits; the spirits, men; the men, resurrected personages of infinite
possibilities; at each change increased powers for development are
added to intelligences, yet ever present through all the processes
of betterment is the self-existent entity, the "intelligencies,"
with the tremendous fact of his consciousness and his moral freedom,
and his indestructibility;--he has his choice of moving upward or
downward in every estate he occupies; often defeating, for a time, at
least, the benevolent purposes of God respecting him, through his own
perverseness; he passes through dire experiences, suffers terribly, yet
learns by what he suffers, so that his very suffering becomes a means
to his improvement; he learns swiftly, or slowly, according to the
inherent nature of him, obedience to law; he learns that "that which is
governed by law, is also preserved by law, and perfected and sanctified
by the same; and that which breaketh law abideth not by law, but
seeketh to become a law unto itself and willeth to abide in sin, cannot
be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice nor judgment. Therefore
they must remain filthy still." (Doc. & Cov. sec. 88:34, 35.) This
conception of things relieves God of the responsibility for the nature
and status of intelligences in all stages of their development; their
inherent nature and their volition make them primarily what they are,
and this nature they may change, slowly, perhaps, yet change it they
may. God has put them in the way of changing it by enlarging their
intelligence through change of environment, through experiences; the
only way God effects these self-existent beings is favorably; he
creates not their inherent nature; he is not responsible for the use
they make of their freedom; nor is he the author of their sufferings
when they fall into sin: that arises out of the violations of law to
which the "intelligence" subscribed, and must be endured until its
lessons are learned.
[Note: To the class teachers. When giving this lesson make your
appointment for lesson six, which is a discourse. This will give plenty
of time for preparation. The class ought to expect much from him or
those who receive the assignment. Make it an occasion.]
LESSON III.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
THE PURPOSE OF GOD IN RELATION TO MAN.
ANALYSIS.
I. The Purpose of God in the Earth-existence of Man.
II. The Pre-Creation Council in Heaven.
1. Character of Lucifer--his Proposition.
2. Character of Messiah--His Proposition.
REFERENCES.
Job xxxviii:4-7. Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses, ch. i:27-40.
II Nephi ii--the whole chapter, especially verses 22-26. Doc. and Cov.
Sec. cxiii:30-35. Notes 1, 2, 3.
Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses, ch. iv:1-4. Ibid, Book of
Abraham, ch. iii:22-28. Rev. xii:7-17. II Nephi ii:17, 18. Ibid, ch.
ix 8, 9. Doc. and Cov. Sec. xxix:36-39. Ibid, lxxvi:25-29, Jude 6. II
Peter ii:4, and note 4.
NOTES.
_1. The purpose of God in His Creations:_ "And it came to pass
that Moses called upon God, saying: Tell me I pray thee why these
things [the creations of God upon which Moses had looked] are so, and
by what Thou madest them. * * * And the Lord God said unto Moses: For
mine own purpose have I made these things. * * * * * And by the Word
of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who
is full of grace and truth. And worlds without number have I created;
and I also create them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created
them, which is mine Only begotten. And the first man of all men have I
called Adam, which is many. * * * And it came to pass that Moses spake
unto the Lord, saying: Be merciful unto thy servant, O God, and tell
me concerning this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, and also the
heavens, and then thy servant will be content. And the Lord God spake
unto Moses, saying: The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be
numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine.
And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof, even so
shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my
words. For behold, this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the
immortality and eternal life of man."--(Pearl of Great Price, Book of
Moses, ch. i:30-39.)
_2. The Purpose of Man's Earth-Existence:_ "Q. For What purpose
are the spirits of men sent to take bodies upon the earth?
"A. That they may be educated, developed, and perfected; that they
may enjoy a fulness of knowledge, power, and glory forever, and thus
increase the dominion and glory of God. (Jacques' Catechism, ch. 6.)
"We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure
before God in the celestial kingdom. The great principle of happiness
consists in having a body. The devil has no body, and herein is his
punishment. He is pleased when he can obtain the tabernacle of man,
and when cast out by the Savior he asked to go into the herd of swine,
showing that he would prefer a swine's body to having none."--Joseph
Smith, Richards & Little's Compendium--"Gems", p. 288.
_3. "Man is Spirit:_ The elements an eternal, and spirit and
element, inseparably connected receive a fulness of joy; and when
separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy. The elements are the
tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples."
(Doc. & Cov. sec. xciii, 33-35.)
_4. All Present at the Pre-creation Council:_ "The first step
in the salvation of man is the laws of eternal and self-existent
principles. Spirits are eternal. At the first organization in heaven we
were all present, and saw the Savior chosen and appointed and the plan
of salvation made, and we sanctioned it."--Joseph Smith, Richard and
Little's Compendium, "Gems," p. 288.
_5. Council of the Gods:_
In Solemn council sat the Gods;
From Kolob's height supreme,
Celestial light blazed forth afar
O'er countless kokaubeam;
And faintest tinge, the fiery fringe
Of that resplendent day,
'Lumined the dark abysmal realm
Where earth in chaos lay.
Silence self-spelled; the hour was one
When thought doth most avail;
Of worlds unborn the destiny
Hung trembling in the scale.
Silence o'er all, and there arose,
Those kings and priests among,
A Power sublime, than whom appeared
None nobler 'mid the throng.
A stature mingling strength with grace.
Of meek though God-like mien,
The love-revealing countenance
Lustrous as lightning sheen;
Whiter his hair than ocean spray.
Or frost of alpine hill.
He spake;--attention grew more grave,
The stillness e'en more still.
"Father!"--the voice like music fell,
Clear as the murmuring flow
Of mountain streamlet trickling down
From heights of virgin snow.
"Father," it said, "since one must die,
Thy children to redeem.
Whilst earth, as yet unformed and void,
With pulsing life shall teem;
"And thou, great Michael, foremost fall,
That mortal man may be,
And chosen Saviour yet must send,
Lo, here am I--send me!
I ask, I seek no recompense.
Save that which then were mine;
Mine be the willing sacrifice,
The endless glory, Thine!
"Give me to lead to this lorn world,
When wandered from the fold,
Twelve legions of the noble ones
That now thy face behold;
Tried souls, mid untried spirits found;
That captained these may be,
And crowned the dispensations ail
With powers of Deity.
"A love that hath redeemed all worlds.
All worlds must still redeem;
But mercy cannot justice rob--
Or where were Elohim?
Freedom--man's faith, man's work, God's grace--
Must span the great gulf o'er;
Life, death, the guerdon or the doom.
Rejoice we or deplore."
Silence once more. Then sudden rose
Aloft a towering form.
Proudly erect as towering peak
'Lumed by the gathering storm;
A presence bright and beautiful,
With eye of flashing fire,
A lip whose haughty curl bespoke
A sense of inward ire.
"Give me to go!" thus boldly cried.
With scarce concealed disdain;
"And hence shall none, from heaven to earth,
That shall not rise again.
My saving plan exception scorns;
Man's agency unknown;
As recompense, I claim the right
To sit on yonder throne!"
Ceased Lucifer. The breathless hush
Resumed and denser grew.
All eyes were turned; the general gaze
One common magnet drew.
A moment there was solemn pause;
Then, like the thunder-burst,
Rolled forth from lips omnipotent--
From Him both last and first:
"Immanuel! thou my Messenger,
Till time's probation end.
And one shall go thy face before,
While twelve thy steps attend.
And many more, on that far shore,
The pathway shall prepare.
That I, the First, the last may come,
And earth my glory share.
"Go forth, thou chosen of the Gods,
Whose strength shall in thee dwell!
Go down betime and rescue earth,
Dethroning death and hell.
On thee alone man's fate depends,
The fate of beings all.
Thou shalt not fail, though thou art free--
Free, but too great, to fall."
--Whitney's "Elias," Canto III.
[Note: A careful study of all the scriptural references should be made
of all lessons, but particularly of this lesson.]
LESSON IV.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
THE FREE AGENCY OF INTELLIGENCES.
ANALYSIS.
I. The Fact of Agency.
II. Nature of Agency.
III. Fact of Free Agency Assumed in Practical Life and in Jewish
Scripture.
IV. Effect of the Doctrine of Free Agency Upon the Relationship of God
and Other Intelligences.
REFERENCES
Note 1, definition.
Doc and Cov. Sec. xciii; 30-33. lxxxvi:46, 47: x:63-66; xxix:34-37.
Book of Moses--(P. G. P.) ch. iii; iv:3; vi:56.
Book of Mormon II Nephi ii:26-29; x:23; Alma phi ii:26-28; x:23;
Alma xiii:3; Helaman xiv:31. Alma xxix:4. also ch xiii; 27.
Notes 2 and 3.
Notes 4 and 5.
Note 3 in Lesson I. Also note 6, Lesson II.
NOTES.
_1. Free Agency:_ First as to the word "free." The authorities
define it to mean having liberty to follow ones own views, desires,
inclinations, or choice. Possessed of self-initiatory power. Hence
exempt from the arbitration, dominion or direction of others. By
"free agency" is meant the power or capacity of acting freely, that
is, without constraint of the law. A rational agent whose actions
are determined by his own unstrained will. Wayland in his University
sermons says, man was endowed with the gift of free agency. He has the
same power to disobey the law of God as to obey it. If a man is not a
free agent he is not the authority of his actions, and has, therefore,
no responsibility, no moral personality at all. (Standard Dictionary).
The term "moral agent," means practically the same thing as "free
agent." "A moral agent is a being that is capable of those actions that
have a moral quality, and which can properly be denominated good or
evil in a moral sense."
_2. Analysis of mind Operations in Free Agency:_ I believe the
student of the subject of the "free agency of intelligences" will find
the following analysis on the freedom of the will, summarized from
Guizot, helpful.
_(a) Power of Deliberation:_ The mind is conscious of a power of
deliberation; before the intellect passes the different motives of
action, interests, passions, opinions, etc. The intellect considers,
compares, estimates, and finally judges them. This is a preparatory
work which precedes the act of will.
_(b) Liberty, Free Agency or Will:_ When deliberation has taken
place--when man has taken full cognizance of the motives which present
themselves to him, he takes a resolution, of which he looks upon
himself as the author, which arises because he wishes it, and which
would not arise unless he did wish it--here the fact of agency is
shown; it resides complete in the resolution which man makes after
deliberation; it is the resolution which is the proper act of man,
which subsists by him alone; a simple fact independent of all the facts
which precede it or surround it.
_(c) Free Will, or Agency Modified:_ At the same time that man
feels himself free, he recognizes the fact that his freedom is not
arbitrary, that it is placed under the dominion of a law which will
preside over it and influence it. What that law is will depend upon
the education of each individual, upon his surroundings, etc. To act
in harmony with that law is what man recognizes as his duty; it will
be the task of his liberty. He will soon see, however, that he never
fully acquits himself of his task, never acts in full harmony with his
moral law. Morally capable of conforming himself to his law, he falls
short of doing it. He does not accomplish all that he ought, nor all
that he can. This fact is evident, one of which all may give witness;
and it often happens that the best men, that is, those who have best
conformed their will to reason have often been the most struck with
their insufficience.
_(d) Necessity of Eternal Assistance:_ This weakness in man leads
him to feel the necessity of an external support to operate as a
fulcrum for the human will, a power that may be added to its present
power and sustain it at need. Man seeks this fulcrum on all sides;
he demands it in the encouragement of friends, in the councils of
the wise; but as the visible world, the human society, do not always
answer to his desires, the soul goes beyond the visible world, above
human relations, to seek this fulcrum of which it has need. Hence the
religious sentiment develops itself: man addresses himself to God, and
invokes his aid through prayer.
_(e) Man Finds the Help He Seeks:_ Such is the nature of man that
when he sincerely asks this support he obtains it; that is, seeking
it is almost sufficient to secure it. Whosoever feeling his will weak
invokes the encouragement of a friend, the influence of wise councils,
the support of public opinion, or who addresses himself to God by
prayer, soon feels his will fortified in a certain measure and for a
certain time.
_(f) Influence of Spiritual World on Liberty:_ There are spiritual
influences at work on man--the empire of the spiritual world upon
liberty. There are certain changes, certain moral events which manifest
themselves in man without his being able to refer their origin to
an act of his will, or being able to recognize the author. Certain
facts occur in the interior of the human soul which it does not refer
to itself, which it does not recognize as the work of its own will.
There are certain days, certain moments in which it finds itself in a
different moral state from that which it was last conscious of under
the operations of its own will. In other words, the moral man does
not wholly create himself; he is conscious that causes, that powers
external to himself act upon and modify him imperceptibly--this fact
has been called the grace of God which helps the will of man, while
others see in it the evidences of predestination.
_3. Free Agency More Than a Mere Choice Between Alternatives:_
"When most people talk of believing in moral freedom, they mean by
freedom a power which exhausts itself in acts of choice between a
series of alternative courses: but, important though such choice as a
function of freedom is, the root idea of freedom lies deeper still. It
consists in the idea, not that a man is, as a personality, the first
and the sole cause of his choice between alternative courses, but
that he is, in a true, even if in a qualified sense, the first cause
of what he does, or feels, or is, whether this involves an act of
choice, or consists of an unimpeded impulse. Freedom of choice between
alternatives is the consequence of this primary faculty. It is the form
in which the faculty is most noticeably manifested; but it is not the
primary faculty of personal freedom itself. That this faculty of the
self-origination of impulse is really what we mean by freedom, and what
we mean by personality also, is shown by the only supposition which
is open to us, if we reject this. If a man is not in any degree, be
this ever so limited, the first cause or originator of his own actions
or impulses, he must be the mere transmitter or quotient of forces
external to his conscious self, like a man pushed against another by
the pressure of a crowd behind him. In other words, he would have no
true self--no true personality at all." (Mallock, see note 4.)
_4. Free Agency in Practical Life--Literature--History:_ In his
work on the "Reconstruction of Religious Belief," (a work by the way,
we recommend to our Seventies) W. H. Mallock devotes a chapter to
"Mental Civilization and the Belief in Human Freedom," the tenor of
which assumes that in the practical affairs of life, in literature
and in history, we proceed upon the assumption that man is a free
agent and can determine, within certain limits at least, both his
physical and moral conduct; and argues that without this power, the
life of man would be meaningless. In the matter of love he decides
with Shakespeare's Iago that "It is in ourselves that we are thus or
thus. Our bodies are the gardens to the which our wills are gardeners."
That this is true he holds to be "attested not only by the private
experiences of most civilized men, but also by all the great poetry
in which the passion of love is dealt with." "Such poetry is," in
Shakespeare's words, "a mirror held up to nature; and it is only
recognized as great because it reflects faithfully." In the matter of
heroism in the face of physical danger, he holds that the same story
repeats itself. "A man who for some great end undergoes prolonged
peril, and deliberately wills to die for the sake of that end if
necessary, is no doubt valued, because such conduct 'originates in
the man's conscious self, which he has deliberately chosen, when he
might just as well have chosen its opposite and which is not imposed
on him by conditions, whether within his organism or outside it." The
virtue which arises from forgiveness of sin exists in consequence of
recognition of this force we call agency in man. "Forgiveness," says
our author, "is an act which, in the absence of a belief in freedom,
(free agency) not only would lose its meaning, but could not take place
at all. To forgive an injury, implies that bad as the offence may have
been, the man who committed it was better than his own act, and was
for this reason not constrained to commit it; and while it is only
the assumption of the better potential self in him that makes him a
subject to whom moral blame is applicable, it is only for the sake of
this self that forgiveness can abstain from blaming. The believer in
freedom says to the offending party, 'I forgive you for the offense of
not having done your best.' The determinist (one who believes that man
has not the power of free will) says: 'I neither forgive nor blame you;
for although you have done your worst, your worst was your best also.'"
Of the great characters of literature, Mr. Mallock also says: "They
interest us as born to freedom, and not naturally slaves, and they pass
before us like kings in a Roman triumph. Once let us suppose these
characters to be mere puppets of heredity and circumstance, and they
and the works that deal with them lose all intelligible content, and we
find ourselves confused and wearied with the fury of an idiot's tale."
Historical characters are placed in the same category. All praise or
blame only has meaning as we regard these historical characters as free
moral agents: "All this praising and blaming is based on the assumption
that the person praised or blamed is the originator of his own actions,
and not a mere transmitter of forces. Man's significance for men in
the whole category of human experiences 'resides primarily in what he
makes of himself, not in what he has been made by an organism derived
from his parents, and the various external stimuli to which it has
automatically responded." ("The Reconstruction of Religious Belief," W.
H. Mallock.)
_5. The Fact of Free Agency Assumed in the Jewish Scripture:_
It will be matter of surprise perhaps to the student that in the
scriptural references upon the subject of free agency of intelligencies
no references are cited in either the Old or the New Testament. The
reason is that so far as the writer knows there is no explicit text
in either covering the exact point. The "freedom" of man, however,
free agency, power to obey or disobey the law of God, is everywhere
pre-supposed throughout both the Old and New Testaments. It is a
doctrine nowhere in doubt from the first commandment in Genesis to the
last in the Book of Revelation. Of what significance is the commandment
in Genesis: "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But
of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:
for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die"--of what
significance, I say, is this law to man if he possesses not the power
within himself to obey it or disobey it? Then in the last chapter of
the last book of the Bible (as now arranged) it is written: "Blessed
are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree
of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. * * * And
the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come.
And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the
water of life freely"--of what significance to man is this scripture
if he has not the power of his own volition to keep the commandments
of God that he may have right to the tree of life; or to accept the
invitation of the Lamb and the Bride to come and "take of the water of
life freely?" "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely!"
What a mockery is here if man cannot "will" to take of the waters of
life! Is it thinkable that the "Lamb," the loving Christ, would issue
an invitation to man in a matter so important as partaking of the water
of life, if man has no power to accept such invitation? Is the Christ
capable of such mockery? One could think it of some malicious demon;
but of Messiah, never!
I have said that so far as known to this writer there is no passage
either in the Old or New Testament that explicitly teaches the free
agency of intelligencies of men; but implicitly free agency is taught
in many passages throughout the Jewish scriptures of which the above
quoted passages are but examples. In lesson IX of Part II of the First
Year Book (p. 53) attention is called to the fact that in the Book of
Esther the name of Deity does not occur; and yet it may be said to
be the general opinion of all Bible scholars that in no book in the
sacred collection is the presence of God more felt than in that same
Book of Esther! So it is in respect of this doctrine of free agency
and the Jewish scriptures. Though this doctrine is nowhere explicitly
designated in terms in the Old or New Testament, yet every where
throughout the sacred book its presence is felt, and the fact of it is
everywhere assumed.
[Note: This is a brief treatise on the spiritual and natural creations,
but is too long for insertion in the notes of this lesson. Where
available I suggest it be read to the quorums.]
LESSON V.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
PREPARATION OF THE EARTH FOR THE ABODE OF MAN.
ANALYSIS.
I. Matter--External Existence and Extension of.
II. Creation--[A]
1. Spiritual.
2. Natural.
III. The Revelations of Scripture Local.
REFERENCES.
Note 1, Definition; notes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. "Materiality"--See Mormon
Doctrine of Deity, p. 254 et. seq. Note--1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Genesis
chs. i and ii. Key to Theology ch. vi, Ed. 1891.
Book of Moses. (P. G. P.) ch. i:4, 5, 8, 28-42, also ch. ii and ch.
iii:1-15; and note 7 and 8.
Book of Abraham (P. G. P.) ch. iii:24-26. Also ch. iv and v.
Doc. and Cov. Sec. xxix:30-35. "The Gospel" (3rd Edition), pp. 274-284.
Book of Moses ch. i:27-40. Also ch. ii:1. Note--
[Footnote A: This is to be but a glimpse of a very great subject,
which some day may be expanded by the author of this Year Book into a
treatise on the "Mormon Doctrine of Creation."]
NOTES.
_1. Matter:_ That of which the sensible universe and all existent
bodies are composed; anything which has extension, occupies space,
or is perceptible by the senses; body, substance. Matter is usually
divided by philosophical writers into three kinds or classes; solid,
liquid, and aeriform. Solid substances are those whose parts firmly
cohere and resist impression, as wood or stone. Liquids have free
motion among their parts, and easily yield to impression, as water and
wine. Aeriform substances are elastic fluids, called vapors and gases,
as air and oxygen gas. (Webster's International Dictionary.)
_2. Matter in Itself:_ "What matter is, in itself and by itself, is
quite hopeless of answer and concerns only metaphysicians. The "Ding
an sich" * * * is forever outside the province of science. If all men
stopped to quarrel over the inner inwardness of things, progress, of
course, would cease. Science is naive; she takes things as they come,
and rests content with some such practical definition as will serve to
differentiate matter from all other forms of non-matter. This may be
done strictly provisionally in this place, by defining matter as that
which occupies space and possesses weight. Using these two properties
it is readily possible to sift out matter from all the heterogeneous
phenomena that present themselves to the senses, and that, in this
place, is what we want. Thus, wood, water, copper, oil and air are
forms of matter for they evidently possess weight and fill space. But
light, heat, electricity and magnetism we cannot consider to fill so
many quarts or weigh so many pounds. [Light, heat, electricity--are
properties of matter.] They are, therefore, forms of non-matter. In
like manner, things such as grace, mercy, justice and truth, while they
are existing entities as much as matter, are unquestionably non-matter"
[Grace, mercy, etc., are qualities of spirit, which itself is doubtless
matter, but of finer quality than that which is recognized by the
senses.] ("The New Knowledge," R. K. Duncan, p. 2.)
_3. Indestructibility of Matter:_ "The gradual accumulation of
experiences, has tended slowly to reverse this conviction [i. e. that
matter may be annihilated]; until now, the doctrine that matter is
indestructible has become a commonplace. All the apparent proofs that
something can come out of nothing, a wider knowledge has one by one
cancelled. The comet that is suddenly discovered in the heavens and
nightly waxes larger, is proved not to be a newly-created body, but
a body that was until lately beyond the range of vision. The cloud
which in the course of a few minutes forms in the sky, consists not of
substance that has just begun to be, but of substance that previously
existed in a more diffused and transparent form. And similarly with
a crystal or precipitate in relation to the fluid depositing it.
Conversely, the seeming annihilations of matter turn out, on close
observation, to be only changes of state. It is found that the
evaporated water, though it has become invisible, may be brought by
condensation to its original shape. The discharged fowling-piece gives
evidence that though the gunpowder has disappeared, there have appeared
in place of it certain gases, which in assuming a larger volume, have
caused the explosion." "First Principles," (Herbert Spencer), p. 177,
Appleton Edition, 1896.
_4. Uncreatability of Matter:_ "Conceive the space before you to
be cleared of all bodies save one. Now imagine the remaining one not
to be removed from its place, but to lapse into nothing while standing
in that place. You fail. The space which was solid you cannot conceive
becoming empty, save by transfer of that which made it solid. * * *
However small the bulk to which we conceive a piece of matter reduced,
it is impossible to conceive it reduced into nothing. While we can
represent to ourselves the parts of the matter as approximated, we
cannot represent to ourselves the quantity of matter as made less. To
do this would be to imagine some of the constituent parts compressed
into nothing; which is no more possible than to imagine compression
of the whole into nothing. Our inability to conceive matter becoming
non-existent, is immediately consequent on the nature of thought.
Thought consists in the establishment of relations. There can be no
relation established, and therefore no thought framed, when one of the
related terms is absent from consciousness. Hence it is impossible to
think of something becoming nothing, for the same reason that it is
impossible to think of nothing becoming something--the reason, namely,
that nothing cannot become an object of consciousness. The annihilation
of matter is unthinkable for the same reason that the creation of
matter is unthinkable."--First Principles, p. 181.
_5. Conservation of Mass:_ "This law, known as the law of the
conservation of mass, states that no particle of matter, however small,
may be created or destroyed. All the king's horses and all the king's
men cannot destroy a pin's head. We may smash that pin's head, dissolve
it in acid, burn it in the electric furnace, employ, in a word, every
annihilating agency, and yet that pin's head persists in being. Again,
it is as uncreatable as it is indestructible. In other words, we
cannot create something out of nothing. The material must be furnished
for every existent article. The sum of matter in the universe is 'X'
pounds,--and, while it may be carried through a myriad forms, when all
is said and done, it is just-'X' pounds." (The New Knowledge, R. K.
Duncan, p. 3, 1905.)
_6. Extension of Matter Through Infinite Space:_ "Through all
eternity the infinite universe has been, and is, subject to the law of
substance. * * * The extent of the universe is infinite and unbounded;
it is empty in no part, but everywhere filled with substance. The
duration of the world (i. e. universe) is equally infinite and
unbounded; it has no beginning and no end: it is eternity. Substance
is everywhere and always in uninterrupted movement and transformation:
nowhere is there perfect repose and rigidity; yet the infinite quantity
of matter and of eternally changing force remains constant." (The
Riddle of the Universe, Erast Haeckel, p. 242.)
Compare the foregoing note with the Book of Moses (P. G. P., chap, i;
also chap, vii:30,31; also Book of Abraham chap, iii:1-19.)
_7. The Prophet Joseph Smith's Views of Creation:_ "There is no
such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more
fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes. We cannot see
it; but when our bodies are purified, we shall see that it is all
matter. (Doc. & Cov. Sec. cxxxi.) * * * You ask the learned doctors
why they say the world was made out of nothing, and they will answer,
"Don't the Bible say He created the world?" And they infer from that
word 'create' that it must be made out of nothing. Now the word create
came from the word baurau, which does not mean to create out of
nothing; it means to organize, the same as man would organize material
and build a ship. Hence we infer that God had materials to organize
the world out of--chaos--chaotic matter, which is element and in which
dwells all the glory. Elements had an existence from the time He [God]
had. The pure principles of elements can never be destroyed, they may
be organized and reorganized, but not destroyed. They had no beginning,
and can have no end." (Mill. Star, vol. 23, p. 248.)
"The world and earth are not synonymous terms. The world is the human
family. The earth was organized or formed out of other planets which
were broken up and remodeled and made into the one on which we live.
The elements are eternal. * * * In the translation 'without form and
void' [Gen. i:2] it should read, 'empty and desolate.' The word
'created' should be 'formed,' or 'organized.'" (Richards & Little's
"Compendium," p. 287--"Gems,")
"Professor Luther T. Townsend of Boston University in a new book
entitled Adam and Eve, in which he discusses the question as to whether
the first chapters of Genesis are history or myth, dealing with the
second verse of the first chapter of Genesis--'And the earth was
without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep--'
he claims that the literal rendering of it is this: 'And the earth
had become (past perfect tense) 'tohu' a wreck and 'lohu' without
inhabitant. This desolate and tenantless condition agrees perfectly
with what science reports of the general epoch; and there can be little
doubt on scientific grounds," continues Prof. Townsend, "that during
the break up of the ice age a darkness denser than that of the densest
London fogs was upon the face of the floods." (Press Comment, Prof.
Townsend's book.)
This sustains the position of the Prophet Joseph stated above.
_8. New Theory of Earth Structure:_--"In recent years theories
of mountain formation have changed like everything else scientific.
* * * The new theories hark back to the original formation of the
earth. The conception of a hot drop of a world swinging in space,
gradually cooling and forming a shell as smooth as a billiard ball, has
been partly abandoned. The nebular hypothesis has been modified, the
so-called meteoritic hypothesis has been found inadequate; and the more
plausible planetesimal theory of Professors Chamberlin and Salisbury
has been put forth.
"The latest theory argues the formation of the world by gradual
accretions from planetary bodies. It assumes the origin of our solar
system in a common spiral nebula--the nebula being in a thin solid or
liquid state, as suggested by the spectrum analysis of it. The knots or
portions of the nebula showing the most concentration, are the nuclei
of future planets, and the thinner haze the portions from which the
knots are formed. All these knots move about the central mass (the sun)
in elliptical orbits of considerable eccentricity. The planetesimals
are gathered in, and through accretions from such a world as ours, by
the crossing of the elliptical orbits in the course of their inevitable
shiftings." ("The High Alps," by John C. Van Dyke, Scribner's Magazine,
June, 1908.)
_9. Worlds Organized on Pre-Arranged Plan:_ "The organization
of the spiritual and heavenly worlds, and of spiritual and heavenly
beings, was agreeable to the most perfect order and harmony: their
limits and bounds were fixed irrevocably, and involuntarily subscribed
to in their heavenly estate by themselves, and were by our first
parents subscribed to upon the earth. Hence the importance of embracing
and subscribing to principles of eternal truth by all men upon the
earth that expect eternal life." (Joseph Smith, Conference at Nauvoo,
Oct. 8, 1843, Millennial Star, vol. XXII, p. 231.)
_10. Our Revelations Local:_ That is, our revelations in the
Scriptures--all four books--pertain to our earth, and its heavens;
to those intelligencies, spirits, men, angels, arch-angels, God, and
Gods, pertaining to that order of existences to which we belong. I
call attention to the fact for the reason that I believe the principle
indicated is very important, not only in the discussion in hand, but
it has an important bearing upon the whole phraseology and meaning of
our scriptures. When God's word says, for instance, "In the beginning
God created the heaven and the earth," etc.; and "thus the heavens and
the earth were finished and all the hosts of them," he has reference
not to any absolute "beginning" or absolute "finishing," but only
the "beginning" and "finishing" as pertaining to our earth and the
order of creation with which it is connected; and the "hosts" that
pertain to our order of existence, not absolutely to all existences.
The revelations we have received of God, let it be said again, are
local, they relate to us and our order of existence; they may not at
all, except in the most casual and general way, refer to that order of
worlds connected with and governed by the Pleiades, or of Orion, much
less to the further removed constellations and their systems of worlds.
We learn from the Pearl of Great Price that when the Lord gave those
revelations to Moses by which the prophet was enabled to write the
creation story of our earth, the local character of those revelations
was expressly stated: "Worlds without number," said the Lord to Moses,
"have I created--but only an account of this earth and the inhabitants
thereof give I unto you--Behold, I reveal unto you concerning this
heaven, and this earth; write the words which I speak. * * * In the
beginning I created the heavens and the earth on which thou standest."
The subject is too important for treatment in a mere note, but in
passing I desired to call attention to the important bearing it has
upon the subject in hand, as also upon our whole system of thought and
exposition of the scriptures.
LESSON VI.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
(A Discourse)
EXTENT AND GRANDEUR OF THE UNIVERSE.[A]
[Footnote A: In lieu of the usual detached notes, in lesson viii and
ix, I present an unbroken discussion of the Fall of Adam and the
Purpose of Man's Earth Life, which I think will be more satisfactory
than any collection of detached notes that I could present to the
students upon this very important subject. The students will be under
the necessity of selecting from the discussion such ideas and data as
wrill apply to the part of the subject assigned to him.
Suggestion to the class teacher: Make your assignment today for Lesson
XIII, a discussion and see note on Lesson six.]
NOTES.
_1. Suggestion on the Lesson Treatment:_ No analysis is given
to this lesson. It is designed to give those to whom the subject
is assigned--and one, two, or even more may be assigned to the
subject--an opportunity to make their own sub-divisions and work out
their own treatment in their own way. It should be said in passing,
however, that it is to be hoped that the treatment will have some
relationship to previous lessons in part I of the present Year Book.
It could receive such a treatment, for instance, as would lead to the
justification of the doctrine set forth in lesson V on the fact of our
scripture revelations being local; that is, revelations that pertain to
our earth and its heavens as set forth in the Book of Moses, chapters
i and ii. Also it could be made to contribute to the reasonableness of
the existence of Great and Presiding intelligencies in various parts
of the universe, of their controlling and directing their worlds and
world-systems in harmony with the great and eternal laws by which
the universe is evidently governed. This much to suggest merely that
there is a relationship between this subject and the lessons that have
preceded it.
_2. Sources of Information:_ Almost any school text book on
astronomy will give information on the extent and grandeur of the
universe. Especially would I recommend Newcomb's "Popular Astronomy,"
Harper & Brothers, Publishers, New York; Gillet & Rolf's Astronomy;
and "Other Worlds than Ours," by Richard A. Proctor, in which the
plurality of worlds studied under the light of recent scientific
researches, could be consulted to advantage. "A history of the Warfare
of Science with Theology in Christendom," by Andrew D. White, vol. I,
chap. 3, could be consulted to advantage; not so much with reference
to a description of the extent or grandeur of the universe, as for the
light he throws upon the struggle that took place in the development
of the ideas which led to the modern conception of the structure of
the universe and the laws that governed therein. For a description
of the extent and grandeur of the universe, as also for an account
of the resistence to scientific ideas in relation thereto, Draper's
"Intellectual Development of Europe," Volume II, chapter viii, could
be consulted, and the same authors "Conflict Between Religion and
Science." Some valuable quotations on the same subject are to be found
in "New Witness For God," Chapters xxviii, xxix.
_3. Suggestions Upon the Structure of Discourses and Lectures:_
In the Seventy's Year Book No. 1, there were six lessons in which
suggestions were made on the matter of the formation of lectures,
or discourses. The six lessons, however, were really but one. The
suggestions then given went no further than to admonish the student to
give definite form to his discourse, urging that there should be
1. An Introduction.
2. A Discussion.
3. A Conclusion.
We again call attention to the necessity of adhering to this definite
plan, if the discourse is to be instructive or intellectually
entertaining.
_4. Clearness:_ The most important concern of a speaker is to make
himself understood. If he fails in this he fails in everything. This
is true of every speaker. It is doubly true of one who has a message
from God to deliver to the world. Clearness then in the expression of
ideas is the first quality to be considered. The first essential to
clearness in the expression of his ideas is for the speaker himself to
have definite knowledge of his subject. Clearness of expression must be
preceded by definite knowledge and clear thinking. The chief cause of
obscurity in expression is a lack of systematic, clear-cut thinking.
Men speak as they train themselves to think. If men will only train
themselves to do systematic thinking, speech, or expression of thought,
will largely take care of itself. Men generally may not be conscious of
it, but it is true nevertheless that the mind is constantly thinking.
It seems to be an essential of its nature to do so. One cannot stop
thinking even if he would, so long as he is awake and conscious. What
we call the mind will think about something, but we usually allow it to
drift aimlessly in its thought. It is earned away hither and thither
by every passing object, noise, or word that suggests an idea; or else
we allow it to be driven to and fro in the realm of our imagination
by every passing fancy. No effort is made to control it. We think of
everything in general and nothing in particular. What is needed in
our intellectual development is mind-control. Obedience of the mental
faculties to the will. The mind should be compelled to work out lines
of thought upon any subject that is given to it to reflect upon, until
it has arranged in orderly fashion all the present knowledge and ideas
possessed on the given subject. And thinking, be it remembered, is but
arranging knowledge in orderly fashion in relation to our ideas, with
the view of arriving at definite conclusions. Elsewhere in illustration
of these views, I have said: 'Er. no. I have been a visitor in families
where parents have undertaken to put the children of the households
on their good behaviour. I have seen the father and mother undertake
instanter to make the children polite to each other, considerate to
parents, gentle in word and deed; and I have seen the children look up
in astonishment and then go on in the same boisterous and quarrelsome
way to which they were accustomed. The father and mother on this
dress parade occasion could not make their children understand what
had not previously been made a habit to them. The children could not
understand for the simple reason that perhaps never before, or only
once or twice before, with long intervals between, were they corrected
in their manners. Parents in order to have their children appear well
must give them daily training until politeness and good behaviour
become habitual to them. And only in this way can they become ladies
and gentlemen--gentle in speech towards father and mother, gentle in
conduct towards brother and sister, respectful to strangers and well
behaved in all the relations of child life. In order to produce this
the training must be continuous. Not harsh or rough but exacting,
nevertheless. So it is with the powers of the mind. A man who has
never trained his mental powers in logical methods of thought cannot
hope to stand before an audience and succeed as a public teacher. To
bring together beautiful and logical thoughts that will be instructive
to those who listen and satisfactory to himself--this power can only
be acquired by thorough and constant mental discipline. It is only to
be acquired by earnest effort, by hard work. But remember, to be a
Seventy means just that--work, mental activity, leading to intellectual
development, and to the attainment of spiritual power.
_5. The Cultivation of Thought-Power:_ Thought upon a subject in
any broad sense embraces substantial knowledge of all the facts, and
all the reasoning that may be based upon the facts. Education in the
proper sense is the cultivation of the power of thought, with the added
power of expressing those thoughts in some forceful manner. "How then,"
asks Mr. Pittinger, whom we so frequently quoted in lessons of this
class in Year Book No. l, "How, then, shall thought-power be increased?
There is no royal road. Every one of the faculties by which knowledge
is accumulated and arranged or digested into new forms grows stronger
by being employed upon its own appropriate objects." Mental activity
is the means by which the material of knowledge is gathered, and all
faculties strengthened for future gathering. Each fact gained adds to
the treasury of thought. A broad and liberal education is of exceeding
advantage. This may or may not be of the schools. Indeed, they too
often substitute a knowledge of words for a knowledge of things. That
fault is very serious * * * * * for the only way by which even language
can be effectively taught, is by giving terms to objects, the nature
of which has been previously learned. But many persons need to speak
who cannot obtain an education in the usual sense of the word--that
is, college or seminary training. Must they keep their lips forever
closed on that account? By no means. A thousand examples, some of
them the most eminent speakers the world has produced, encourage them
to hope. Let such persons learn all they can. Wide, well-selected,
and systematic reading will do wonders in supplying the necessary
thought-material. Every book of history, biography, travels, popular
science, which is carefully read, and its contents fixed in the mind,
will be available for the purposes of public speech. Here a word of
advice may be offered, which, if heeded, will be worth many months
of technical education at the best colleges in the land; it is this:
Have always at hand some work that in its own sphere possesses real
and permanent merit, and read it daily until completed. If notes are
made of its contents, and the book itself kept on hand for reference,
so much the better. If some friend can be found who will hear you
relate in your own words what you have read, this also will be of
great value. Many persons, especially in our own country, [America]
spend time enough in reading the minute details of the daily papers to
make them thoroughly acquainted in ten years with forty volumes of the
most useful books in the world. Think of it! This number may include
nearly all the literary masterpieces. Which mode of spending the time
will produce the best results? One newspaper read daily would amount
to more than three hundred in a year, and allowing each paper to be
equal to ten ordinary book pages, the result would be three thousand
pages annually, or six volumes of five hundred pages each. In ten years
this would reach sixty volumes! This number, comprising the world's
best books in history, poetry, science, and general literature, might
be read slowly, with meditation and diligent note-taking by the most
busy man who was willing to employ his leisure in that way. * * * * *
Neither will the speaker have to wait until any definite quantity of
reading has been accomplished before it becomes serviceable to him. All
that he learns will be immediately available, and, with proper effort,
the facility of speech and the material for speaking will keep pace
with each other."
PART II.
Antediluvian Dispensations.
LESSON VII.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
THE ADAMIC DISPENSATION--I.
ANALYSIS.
I. Dispensation--Definition of.
II. Advent of Adam upon the Earth.
III. The Commandments Given.
1. Be Fruitful.
2. Partake not Forbidden Fruit.
REFERENCES.
Note 1.
Gen. ii:26, 27, c. f. ch. ii:4-9. Book of Moses ch. ii:26,27, cf. ch.
iii:4-8. Book of Abraham ch. iv:26-31; also v:7-9 and 14-18. Key to
Theology ch. vi, Mormon Doctrine of Deity ch. vii. Note 2.
Gen. i:28; Book of Moses ch. ii:28. Book of Abraham iv:28. Note 3.
Gen. ii:15-17. Book of Moses ch. iii:15-17; ch. v:8, 9, 11-13.
Mormon Doctrine of Deity ch. vii.
Note 4.
NOTES.
_1. Dispensation:_ A dispensation, without reference to any
specific application or limitations of the term, is the act of dealing
out or distributing, such as the dispensation of justice by courts, the
dispensation of blessings or afflictions by the hand of Providence.
Theologically a dispensation is defined as one of the several systems
of bodies of law in which at different periods God has revealed His
mind and will to man, such as the Patriarchal Dispensation, the Mosaic
Dispensation, or the Christian Dispensation. The word is also sometimes
applied to the periods of time during which the said laws obtain. That
is, the period from Adam to Noah is usually called the Patriarchal
Dispensation. From Noah to the calling of Abraham, the Noachian
Dispensation; and from Abraham to the calling of Moses, the Abrahamic
Dispensation. But the word dispensation as connected with the Gospel of
Jesus Christ means the opening of the heavens to men; the giving out or
dispensing to them the word of God; the revealing to men in whole or
in part the principles and ordinances of the Gospel; the conferring of
divine authority upon certain chosen ones, by which they are empowered
to act in the name, that is, in the authority of God, and for Him. That
is a dispensation as relating to the Gospel.
_2. The Advent of Adam on Earth:_ The earth, "warmed and dried by
the cheering rays of the now resplendent sun, is prepared for the first
seeds of vegetation. A royal planter now descends from yonder world
of older date, and bearing in his hand the choice seeds of the older
Paradise, he plants them in the virgin soil of our new born earth. They
grow and flourish there, and, bearing seed, replant themselves, and
thus clothed the naked earth with scenes of beauty and the air with
fragrant incense. Ripening fruits and herbs at length abound. When lo!
from yonder world is transferred every species of animal life. Male
and female, they come, with blessings on their heads, and a voice is
heard again, "Be fruitful and multiply." Earth, its mineral, vegetable
and animal wealth, its Paradise prepared, down comes from yonder world
on high a son of God, with his beloved spouse. And thus a colony from
heaven * * * * * is transplanted on our soil. The blessings of their
Father are upon them, and the first great law of heaven and earth is
again repeated, "Be fruitful and multiply." Hence, the nations which
have swarmed our earth. In after years, when Paradise was lost by sin;
when man was driven from the face of his heavenly Father, to toil,
and droop, and die; when heaven was veiled from view, and, with few
exceptions, man was no longer counted worthy to retain the knowledge
of his heavenly origin; then darkness veiled the past and future from
the heathen mind; man neither knew himself, from whence he came, nor
whither he was bound. At length a Moses came, who knew his God, and
would fain have led mankind to know Him too, and see Him face to face.
But they could not receive His heavenly laws or bide His presence. Thus
the holy man was forced again to veil the past in mystery, and in the
beginning of his history assign to man an earthly origin. Man, moulded
from the earth as a brick! Woman, manufactured from a rib! Thus,
parents still would fain conceal from budding manhood the mysteries of
procreation, or the sources of life's everflowing river, by relating
some childish tale of new-born life, engendered in the hollow trunk of
some old tree, or springing with spontaneous growth like mushrooms from
out the heaps of rubbish. O man! when wilt thou cease to be a child in
knowledge?"--Parley P. Pratt's "Key to the Science of Theology" chap.
VI.
_3. "Be Fruitful":_ It has already been shown (Lesson II) that the
purpose of God in the earth-life of man was to bring to him an increase
of joy, by enlargement of capacity to enjoy, by adding upon him new
powers of self expression; by adding an earth-body to a heavenly-born
spirit; "for man is spirit:" but "spirit" in order to receive "a
fulness of joy" must be inseparably connected with element (Doc. &
Cov. Sec. xciii. 32-35, also note 2 Lesson II); hence the earth-life
of Intelligences; hence the advent of Adam and his wife Eve upon our
earth; hence the commandment "Be Fruitful;" hence the importance of
man obtaining his body (Lesson II note 2); hence the resurrection from
the dead, which brings to pass the eternal union of spirit and body
(element), to be sanctified as a "soul;" for "the spirit and the body
is the soul [the whole] of man." (Doc. & Cov. Sec. xxxviii:15). These
principles enlarge the view of the importance of the earth-life of
man, and give the idea of sanctity to the commandment, "Be Fruitful."
Undoubtedly the most important thing in life is life itself, since
there flows from life all other things,--experiences, joys, sorrows,
sympathies, achievements, righteousness, honor, power--it is the root,
the base of all. To protect and preserve life, whence spring all
things else, God has issued his decree, "Thou shalt not kill"--the
Everlasting's cannon, fixed alike against self-slaughter and the
killing of others; and on the crime of murder is placed the heaviest of
all penalties--"whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be
shed;" (Gen. ix; 6); "No murderer hath eternal abiding in him" (I John
iii; 15.)
And on the other hand, for the promotion of life, what encouragement
has God not given? First, this commandment, "Be fruitful and multiply
and replenish [refill] the earth;" second, in making sex desire and
love of offspring the strongest of passions, refining both, however,
by the sentiment of love, and confining by his law the exercise of
these life-functions to the limits of wedlock relations. "Lo, children
are no heritage of the Lord; and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the
youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; they shall
not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate"
(Psalms 127:3-5). And when the Lord would give his highest blessing
to Abraham, his friend, for his supreme act of obedience, he could but
say: "In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply
thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the
sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in
thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou
hast obeyed my voice." (Genesis, xxii, 17-18.) And to Jacob the Lord
also said: "Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I
will make of thee a multitude of people."--(Gen. xlviii, 4.)
In nature, too, this law of life is written, until our philosophers
who treat on life in its various forms, declare that the very "object
of nature is function"--i. e. life. (Lester F. Ward, Outlines of
Sociology, 1904, ch. V.) So superabundant is the fertility of all
forms of life, animal and vegetable, that if it were not limited by
destructive forces of life, the earth would soon be overwhelmed. "Every
being," says Mr. Darwin, "which during its natural lifetime produces
several eggs or seeds, must suffer destruction during some period of
its life, and during some season or occasional year, otherwise, on the
principle of geometrical increase, its numbers would quickly become so
inordinately great that no country could support the product. * * * *
* There is no exception to the rule that every organic being naturally
increases at so high a rate, that, if not destroyed, the earth would
soon be covered by the progeny of a single pair. Even slow-breeding
man has doubled in twenty-five years, and at this rate, in less than
a thousand years, there would literally not be standing-room for his
progeny. * * * * * In a state of nature almost every full-grown plant
annually produces seed, and amongst animals there are very few which
do not annually pair. Hence we may confidently assert, that all plants
and animals are tending to increase at a geometrical ratio,--that
all would rapidly stock every station in which they could any how
exist---and that this geometrical tendency to increase must be checked
by destruction at some period of life."--("The Origin of Species," p.
50, 51, 52.)
What is the significance of this rich endowment with the power of
reproduction in all forms of life, animal and vegetable, until it
assumes the appearance of actual redundancy? Is it not nature's
testimony to the fact of the desirability of life? And hence she
has equipped the various species with power to perpetuate life, not
withstanding the destructive forces with which life in its great
variety of forms has to contend. Is life--especially human life--worth
living? Undoubtedly, since nature has so abundantly provided the means
for its perpetuation, and God has given the commandment, "Be fruitful
and replenish the earth."
_4. The Symbols of Life and Death: "The Tree of Life._--so called
from its symbolic character as a sign and seal of immortal life. Its
prominent position in the midst of the garden where it must have been
an object of daily observation and interest, was admirably fitted to
keep them [Adam and Eve] habitually in mind of God and futurity."
_"Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil._--so called because it
was a test of obedience by which our first parents were to be tried,
whether they would be good or bad, obey God or break his commandments.'
_"Thou Shalt not Eat of it. * * * Thou Shalt Surely Die._--no reason
assigned for the prohibition, but death was to be the punishment of
disobedience. A positive command like this was not only the simplest
and easiest, but the only trial to which their fidelity could be
exposed." (Commentary Critical and Explanatory of the Old and New
Testament, Jamieson-Fossett-Brown.)
In the above symbols, together with the commandment and penalty to
follow disobedience, we have assembled the great mysteries of this
world--Life, Death, Good, Evil, the fact of man's Agency--power
to order his own course, to obey or disobey; continued life for
obedience, which is but conformation to the law of life; and death
for disobedience, or departure from the conditions on which life is
predicated. The Tree of Life was the symbol of eternal life, for later
when man had partaken of the fruit of the Tree of Death--the Tree
of the Knowledge of Good and Evil--God is represented as saying, in
effect, since the man has become as one of us to know good and evil,
lest he put forth his hand now and partake also of the tree of life
and eat and live forever, let us send him forth from the garden and
guard the tree of life by cherubims with flaming sword. And so it was
ordered.--(Genesis iii:22-25) See also Alma ch. xii:22-27; also Alma
ch. xii, 1-10.
Death was symbolized in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil--in
the day thou eatest of it, thou shalt surely die--hence the Tree of
Death. Death we learn from other scriptures than Genesis, is both
temporal and spiritual. What is here called temporal death is physical
death, separation of spirit and body, the dust returning to the earth
whence it came; but the spirit, being as we have seen a thing immortal,
survives in conscious life and goes to the world of spirits. "Dust thou
art, and to dust thou shalt return," was not written of the spirit of
man. The spiritual death is the breaking of the union of the soul with
God, separation, alienation from God. (See Alma, chapters 12, 13, 42.)
Man's disobedience to God would break this union of the soul with God,
and hence spiritual death. But while partaking of the fruit of the
Tree of Knowledge would bring death, both spiritual and temporal, yet
it would bring also the knowledge that would make men as Gods, to know
good and evil; and to this end, doubtless, was planned the whole scheme
of man's earth-life. This to be developed in lessons that follow.
LESSON VIII.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
THE ADAMIC DISPENSATION--II.
ANALYSIS.
I. The Fall--
1. The Temptation and Fall of Adam.
II. Sectarian View of the Fall of Adam.
III. Book of Mormon View of the Fall.
REFERENCES.
Genesis ch. iii. Book of Moses (P. G. P.) ch. iv. II Nephi ii:14-20.
Alma xii:22-27. Also Alma xlii:1-11.
II Nephi; ii Alma xiii and xlii; and the treaties which takes the place
of notes.
NOTES.[A]
The Fall of Adam--The Purpose of Man's Earth-Life.
[Footnote A: In Lessons VIII and IX, in place of detached notes a brief
treatise is given upon The Fall of Adam; and the Purpose of Man's
Creation; recounting the various views entertained upon that subject by
the great divisions of Christendom, as also the views set forth in the
revelations of God. This treatment is rendered necessary by the nature
of the subject.]
In the second book of Nephi occurs the following direct, explicit
statement: "Adam fell that man might be, and men are that they might
have joy."
This assertion concerns two of the mightiest problems of theology:
1st, The reason for Adam's fall;
2nd, The purpose of man's earth-existence.
_Silence of the Creeds._
No where in the creeds of men--the creeds of men! those great
crystallizations of Christian truths as men have conceived those truths
to he; those embodied deductions of the teachings of Holy Scripture--no
where in them, I repeat, are these two great theological questions
disposed of on scriptural authority.
_Presbyterian View._
The Westminster Confession of Faith, which embodies the accepted
doctrine of one of the largest bodies of Protestant Christendom,
ascribes the purpose of all the creative acts of God to be "The
manifestation of the glory of his eternal power, wisdom and
goodness."[A] And in an authoritative explanation of this part of the
creed it is said, "The design of God in creation was the manifestation
of his own glory." And again, "Our confession very explicitly takes the
position that the chief end of God in his eternal purposes and in their
temporal execution in creation and providence is the manifestation of
his own glory. * * * * * The scriptures explicitly assert that this is
the chief end of God in creation. * * * * The manifestation of his own
glory is intrinsically the highest and worthiest end that God could
propose to Himself."[B]
[Footnote A: Westminster Confession, chap, iv--Of Creation--Section 1.]
[Footnote B: In proof of this last declaration the expounder cites Col.
i:16; Prov. xvi:4; Rev. iv:11; Rom. xi:36. See Commentary on the
Confession of Faith with questions for theological students and Bible
classes by the Rev. A. A. Hodge D. D. chapter iv. The reading of the
passages quoted will convince any one that the statement of the creed
is but poorly or not at all sustained by them.]
The only business I have here with this declaration of the purpose of
God in creation--including the creation of man, of course--is simply
to call attention to the fact that it no where has the direct warrant
of scripture.
_Episcopalian View._
The great Protestant body of Christians known as the "Episcopal Church"
whose chief doctrines are embodied in "The Book of Common Prayer," is
silent upon the two subjects in question, viz. "why" Adam fell; the
"object" of man's existence. Their "Articles of Faith," it is true,
speak of the "fall" of Adam, and its effect upon the human race, but
nowhere do they attempt to say "why" it was that Adam fell; or give a
"reason" for man's existence. Their creeds proclaim their faith in God,
"the Maker and Preserver of all things, both visible and invisible;"
but no where declare the purpose of that creation, and consequently
have no word as to the "object" of man's existence.
_Roman Catholic View._
The exposition of the Catholic creed on the same point, as set forth in
the Douay Catechism is as follows:
"Ques. What signify the words creation of heaven and earth?
"Ans. They signify that God made heaven and earth and all creatures in
them of nothing, by his word only.
"Ques. 'What moved God to make them?
"Ans. His own goodness, so that he may communicate himself to angels
and to man for whom he made all other creatures."
Speaking of the creation of the angels, the same work continues:
"Ques. For what end did God create them? [the angels].
"Ans. To be partakers of his glory and to be our guardians."
Referring again to man's creation the following occurs:
"Ques. Do we owe much to God for creation?
"Ans. Very much, because he made us in such a perfect state, creating
us for himself, and all things else for us."[A]
[Footnote A: Douay Catechism chapter iii.]
From all which it may be summarized that the purposes of God in the
creation of man and angels, according to Catholic theology, is--
First, that God might communicate himself to them;
Second, that they might be partakers of his glory.
Third, that he created them for himself, and all things else for them.
While this may be in part the truth, and so far excellent, it has no
higher warrant of authority than human deduction, based on conjecture,
not scripture; and it certainly falls far short of giving to man that
"pride of place" in existence to which his higher nature and his
dignity as a son of God entitles him.
_Mormon View._
"Adam fell that man might be."
I think it cannot be doubted when the whole story of man's fall is
taken into account, that in some way--however hidden it may be under
allegory--his fall was closely associated with the propagation of the
race. Before the fall we are told that Adam and Eve "were both naked,
the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."[A] But after the fall "The
eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked, and
they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons,"[B] and also
hid from the presence of the Lord.
[Footnote A: Gen. ii:25.]
[Footnote B: Ibid iii:7. also Lehi: "And now, behold, If Adam had not
transgressed, he would not have fallen; but he would have remained
in the Garden of Eden. And all things which were created, must have
remained in the same state [in] which they were, after they were
created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they
would have had no children; wherefore, they would have remained in a
state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no
good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in
the wisdom of him who knoweth all things." (II Nephi ii:22-24. See
also Book of Moses chap v. 11.)]
In an incidental way Paul gives us to understand that Adam in the
matter of the first transgression was not deceived, but that the woman
was.[A] It therefore follows that Adam must have sinned knowingly,
and perhaps deliberately; making choice of obedience between two laws
pressing upon him. With his spouse, Eve, he had received a commandment
from God to be fruitful, to perpetuate his race in the earth. He had
also been told not to partake of a certain fruit of the Garden of
Eden; but according to the story of Genesis, as also according to the
assertion of Paul, Eve, who with Adam received the commandment to
multiply in the earth, was deceived, and by the persuasion of Lucifer
induced to partake of the forbidden fruit. She, therefore, was in
transgression, and subject to the penalty of that law which from the
scriptures we learn included banishment from Eden, banishment from the
presence of God, and also the death of the body. This meant, if Eve
were permitted to stand alone in her transgression, that she must be
alone also in suffering the penalty. In that event she would have been
separated from Adam, which necessarily would have prevented obedience
to the commandment given to them conjointly to multiply in the earth.
In the presence of this situation it is therefore to be believed that
Adam not deceived either by the cunning of Lucifer or the blandishments
of the woman, deliberately, and with full knowledge of his act and
its consequences, and in order to carry out the purpose of God, in
the creation of man, shared alike the woman's transgression and its
effects, and this in order that the first great commandment he had
received from God, viz.--"Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the
earth and subdue it"--might not fail of fulfillment. Thus "Adam fell
that man might be."
[Footnote A: Tim. ii:14.]
The effect of this doctrine upon the ideas of men concerning the great
Patriarch of our race will be revolutionary. It seems to be the fashion
of those who assume to teach the Christian religion to denounce Adam
in unmeasured terms: as if the fall of man had surprised, if indeed it
did not altogether thwart, the original plan of God, respecting the
existence of man in the earth. The creeds of the churches generally
fail to consider the 'fall' as part of God's purpose regarding this
world; and, in its way, as essential to the accomplishment of that
purpose as the "redemption" through Jesus Christ. Certainly there would
have been no occasion for the "redemption" had there been no "fall;"
and hence no occasion for the display of all that wealth of grace and
mercy and justice and love--all that richness of experience involved
in the gospel of Jesus Christ, had there been no "fall." It cannot
be but that it was part of God's purpose to display these qualities
in their true relation, for the benefit and blessing and experience
and enlargement of man; and since there would have been no occasion
for displaying them but for the "fall," it logically follows that the
"fall," no less than the "redemption," must have been part of God's
original plan respecting the earth-probation of man. The "fall,"
undoubtedly was a fact as much present to the foreknowledge of God as
was the "redemption;" and the act which encompassed it must be regarded
as more praise-worthy than blame-worthy, since it was essential to the
accomplishment of the divine purpose. Yet, as I say, those who assume
to teach Christianity roundly denounce Adam for his transgression. "The
Catholic Church teaches," says Joseph Faa' Di Bruno, D. D., "that Adam
by his sin has not only caused harm to himself, but to the whole human
race; that by it he lost the supernatural justice and holiness which he
received gratuitously from God, and lost it, not only for himself, but
also for all of us; and that he, having stained himself with the sin of
disobedience, has transmitted not only death and other bodily pains and
infirmities to the whole human race, but also sin, which is the death
of the soul."[A]
[Footnote A: Catholic Belief, p. 6.]
And again:
"Unhappily, Adam by his sin of disobedience, which was also a sin of
pride, disbelief, and ambition, forfeited, or, more properly speaking,
rejected that original justice; and we, as members of the human
family, of which he was the head, are also implicated in that guilt of
self-spoliation, or rejection and deprivation of those supernatural
gifts; not indeed on account of our having willed it with our personal
will, but by having willed it with the will of our first parent, to
whom we are linked by nature as members to their head."[A]
[Footnote A: Catholic Belief, p. 330.]
Still again, and this from the Catholic Catechism:
"Q. How did we lose original justice?
"A. By Adam's disobedience to God in eating the forbidden fruit.
"Q. How do you prove that?
"A. Out of Rom. v:12. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and by
sin death; and so unto all men death did pass, in whom all have sinned.'
"Q. Had man ever died if he had never sinned?
"A. He would not, but would live in a state of justice and at length
would be translated alive to the fellowship of the angels."[A]
[Footnote A: Douay Catechism, p. 13.]
From a Protestant source I quote the following:
"In the fall of man we may observe, 1. The greatest infidelity. 2.
Prodigious pride. 3. Horrid ingratitude. 4. Visible contempt of God's
majesty and justice. 5. Unaccountable folly. 6. A cruelty to himself
and to all his posterity. Infidels, however, have treated the account
of the fall and its effects, with contempt, and considered the whole
as absurd; but their objections to the manner have been ably answered
by a variety of authors; and as to the effects, one would hardly think
any body could deny. For, that man is a fallen creature, is evident,
if we consider his misery, as an inhabitant of the natural world; the
disorders of the globe we inhabit, and the dreadful scourges with which
it is visited; the deplorable and shocking circumstances of our birth;
the painful and dangerous travail of women; our natural uncleanliness,
helplessness, ignorance, and nakedness, the gross darkness in which we
naturally are, both with respect to God and a future state; the general
rebellion of the brute creation against us; the various poisons that
lurk in the animal, vegetable, and mineral world, ready to destroy
us; the heavy curse of toil and sweat to which we are liable; the
innumerable calamities of life, and the pangs of death."[A]
[Footnote A: Buck's Theological Dictionary, p. 335.]
In its article on man the dictionary just quoted also says:
"God, it is said, made man upright, (Eccl. vii:29), without any
imperfection, corruption, or principle of corruption in his body or
soul; with light in his understanding, holiness in his will, and purity
in his affection. This constituted his original righteousness, which
was universal, both with respect to the subject of it, the whole man,
and the object of it, the whole law. Being thus in a state of holiness,
he was necessarily in a state of happiness. He was a very glorious
creature, the favorite of heaven, the lord of the world, possessing
perfect tranquility in his own breast, and immortal. Yet he was not
without law: for the law of nature, which was impressed on his heart,
God superadded a positive law, not to eat of the forbidden fruit (Gen.
ii:17) under the penalty of death natural, spiritual, and eternal. Had
he obeyed this law, he might have had reason to expect that he would
not only have had the continuance of the natural and spiritual life,
but have been transported to the upper paradise. Man's righteousness,
however, though universal, was not immutable, as the event has proved.
How long he lived in a state of innocence cannot easily be ascertained,
yet most suppose it was but a short time. The [Transcriber's note:
break in the text here appears to be a printer's error in the original]
tion, or rejection and deprivation of those supernatural gifts;
not indeed positive law which God gave him he broke, by eating the
forbidden fruit. The consequence of this evil act was, that man lost
the chief good; his nature was corrupted; his powers depraved, his
body subject to corruption, his soul exposed to misery, his posterity
all involved in ruin, subject to eternal condemnation, and for ever
incapable to restore themselves to the favor of God, to obey his
commands perfectly, and to satisfy his justice."[A]
[Footnote A: Buck's Theological Dictionary, p. 182.]
Another Protestant authority says:
"The tree of knowledge of good and evil revealed to those who ate its
fruit secrets of which they had better have remained ignorant; for the
purity of man's happiness consisted in doing and loving good without
even knowing evil."[A]
[Footnote A: Old Testament History William Smith, L. L.D., chap. ii.]
From these several passages as also indeed from the whole tenor of
Christian writings upon this subject, the fall of Adam is quite
generally deplored and upon him is laid a very heavy burden of
responsibility. It was he, they complain, who
"Brought death into the world, and all our woe."
One great division of Christendom in its creed, it is true, in dealing
with the fall, concedes that "God was pleased according to his wise and
holy counsel, to permit [the fall] having purposed to order it to his
own glory."[A]
[Footnote A: Westminster Confession chapter vi, section 1.]
And in an authoritative explanation of this section they say, "That
this sin [the fall] was permissively embraced in the sovereign purpose
of God." And still further in explanation: "Its purpose being God's
general plan, and one eminently wise and righteous, to introduce
all the new created subjects of moral government into a state of
probation for a time in which he makes their permanent character and
destiny depend upon their own action." Still, this sin described as
being permissively embraced in the sovereign purpose of the Deity,
God designed "to order it to his own glory;" but it no where appears
according to this confession of faith that the results of the fall are
to be of any benefit to man. The only thing consulted in the theory of
this creed seems to be the manifestation of the glory of God--a thing
which represents God as a most selfish being--but just how the glory
of God can be manifested by the "fall" which, according to this creed,
results in the eternal damnation of the overwhelming majority of his
"creatures," is not quite apparent.
Those who made this Westminster Confession, as also the large following
which accept it, concede that their theory involves them at least in
two difficulties which they confess it is impossible for them to meet.
These are, respectively:
First, "How could sinful desires or volitions originate in the soul of
moral agents created holy like Adam and Eve;" and, second, "how can sin
be permissively embraced in the eternal purpose of God and not involve
him as responsible for the sin?" "If it be asked," say they "why
God, who abhors sin, and who benevolently desires the excellence and
happiness of his creatures, should sovereignly determine to permit such
a fountain of pollution, degradation, and misery to be opened, we can
only say, with profound reverence, 'Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight.'"[A]
[Footnote A: Commentary on the Confession of Faith, A. D. Hodge, pp.
105-108.]
These difficulties, however, are the creed's and those who accept it,
not ours, and do not further concern our discussion at this point.
Infidels--under which general term (and I do not use it offensively)
I mean all those who do not accept the Christian creeds, nor believe
the Bible to be a revelation--infidels, I say, quite generally deride
the fall of man as represented both in the creeds of Christendom and
in the Bible. They regard the tremendous consequences attendant upon
eating the forbidden fruit as altogether out of proportion with the act
itself, and universally hold that a moral economy which would either
design or permit such a calamity as the fall is generally supposed to
be, as altogether unworthy of an all-merciful and just Deity. Thomas
Paine referring to it says:
"Putting aside everything that might excite laughter by its absurdity,
or detestation by its profaneness, and confining ourselves merely to
an examination of the parts, it is impossible to conceive a story more
derogatory to the Almighty, more inconsistent with his wisdom, more
contradictory to his power than this story is."
In their contentions against the story of Genesis, no less than iu
their war upon "the fall" and "original sin" in the men-made creeds
of Christendom, infidels have denounced God in most blasphemous terms
as the author of all the evil in this world by permitting, through
not preventing, the fall; and they have as soundly ridiculed and
abused Adam for the part he took in the affair. He has been held up by
them as weak and cowardly, because he referred his partaking of the
forbidden fruit to the fact that the woman gave to him and he did eat;
a circumstance into which they read an effort on the part of the man
to escape censure, perhaps punishment, and to cast the blame for his
transgression upon the woman. These scoffers proclaim their preference
for the variations of this story of a "fall of man" as found in the
mythologies of various peoples, say those of Greece or India.[A] But
all this aside. The truth is that nothing could be more courageous,
sympathetic, or nobly honorable than the course of this world's great
Patriarch in his relations to his wife Eve and the "fall." The woman
by deception is led into transgression, and stands under the penalty
of a broken law. Banishment from the presence of God, banishment from
the presence of her husband--death, await her. Thereupon the man, not
deceived, but knowingly (as we are assured by Paul), also transgresses.
Why? In one aspect of the case in order that he might share the woman's
banishment from the comfortable presence of God, and with her die--than
which ho higher proof of love could be given--no nobler act of chivalry
performed. But primarily he transgressed that "Man might be." He
transgressed a less important law that he might comply with one more
important, if one may so speak of any of God's laws. The facts are, as
we have already seen, that the conditions which confronted Adam in his
earth-life were afore time known to him; that of his own volition he
accepted them, and came to earth to meet them.
[Footnote A: See Ingersoll's Lectures, "Liberty of Man, Woman and
Child," where the great orator, contrasts the story of the Pall
given in the Bible with that of Brahma in the Hindoo mythology, and
extravagantly praises the latter to the disparagement of the former.]
LESSON IX.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
THE ADAMIC DISPENSATION--III.
ANALYSIS.
I. The Purpose of Man's Earth Life.
II. Epicurean Doctrine.
III. Book of Mormon Doctrine--Men Are That They Might Have Joy.
REFERENCES.
Book of Mormon--Nephi ii; Alma xiii and xlii, and the notes of this
lesson.
NOTES.
_The Purpose of Man's Earth-Life.--"Men are that they might have
joy."_
That is to say, the purpose of man's earth-life is in some way to be
made to contribute to his joy, which is but another way of saying that
man's earth-life is to eventuate in his advantage.
"Men are that they might have joy!" What is meant by that? Have we
here the reappearance of the old Epicurean doctrine, "pleasure is the
supreme good, and chief end of life?" No, verily! Nor any form of
ancient or modern Hedonism[A] whatsoever. For mark, in the first place,
the different words "joy" and "pleasure." They are not synonymous. The
first does not necessarily arise from the second. Joy may arise from
quite other sources than "pleasure," even from pain, when the endurance
of pain is to eventuate in the achievement of some good: such as the
travail of a mother in bringing forth her offspring; the weariness
and pain and danger of toil by a father, to secure comforts for loved
ones. Moreover, whatever apologists may say, it is very clear that
the "pleasure" of the Epicurean philosophy, hailed as "the supreme
good and chief end of life," was to arise from agreeable sensations,
or what ever gratified the senses, and hence was, in the last
analysis of it--in its roots and branches--in its theory and in its
practice--"sensualism." It was to result in physical ease and comfort,
and mental inactivity--other than a conscious, self-complacence--being
regarded as "the supreme good and chief end of life." I judge this
to be the net result of this philosophy since these are the very
conditions in which Epicureans describe even the gods to exist;[B] and
surely men could not hope for more "pleasure," or greater happiness
than that possessed by their gods. Cicero even charges that the
sensualism of Epicurus was so gross that he represents him as blaming
his brother, Timocrates, "because he would not allow that everything
which had any reference to a happy life was to be measured by the
belly; nor has he," continues Cicero, "said this once only, but often."
[Footnote A: "Hedonism: The doctrine of certain Greek philosophers;
in ethics, gross self-interest. Hedonism is the form of eudemonism
that regards pleasure (including avoidance of pain) as the only
conceivable object in life, and teaches that as between the
lower pleasures of sense and the higher enjoyments of reason or
satisfactory satisfied-respect, there is no difference except in the
degree, duration and hedonic value of the experience, there being,
in strictness, no such thing as ethical or moral value." Standard
Dictionary.]
[Footnote B: In Cicero's description of the Epicurean conception of
the gods he says: "That which is truly happy cannot be burdened with
any labor Itself, nor can it impose any labor on another, nor can it
be influenced by resentment or favor, because things which are liable
to such failings must be weak and frail. * * Their life [i. e. of the
gods] is most happy and the most abounding with all kinds of blessings
which can be conceived. They do nothing. They are embarrassed with no
business; nor do they perform any work. They rejoice in the possession
of their own wisdom and virtue. They are satisfied that they shall ever
enjoy the fulness of eternal pleasure. * * * Nothing can be happy that
is not at ease." (Tusculan Disputations, The Nature of the Gods).]
This is not the "joy," it is needless to say, contemplated in the
Book of Mormon. Nor is the "joy" there contemplated the "joy" of
mere innocence--mere innocence, which, say what you will of it, is
but a negative sort of virtue. A virtue that is colorless, never
quite sure of itself, always more or less uncertain, because untried.
Such a virtue--if mere absence of vice may be called virtue--would
be unproductive of that "joy" the attainment of which is set forth
in the Book of Mormon as the purpose of man's existence; for in the
context it is written, "They [Adam and Eve] would have remained in a
state of 'innocence,' having no joy, for they know no misery; doing no
good, for they knew no sin."[A] From which it appears that the "joy"
contemplated in our Book of Mormon passage is to arise from something
more than mere innocence, which is, impliedly, unproductive of "joy."
The "joy" contemplated in the Book of Mormon passage is to arise out
of man's rough and thorough knowledge of evil, of sin; through knowing
misery, sorrow, pain and suffering; through seeing good and evil
locked in awful conflict; through a consciousness of having chosen
in that conflict the better part, the good; and not only in having
chosen it, but in having wedded it by eternal compact; made it his by
right of conquest over evil. It is "joy" that will will arise from a
consciousness of having "fought the good fight," of having "kept the
faith." It will arise from a consciousness of moral, spiritual and
physical strength. Of strength gained in conflict. The strength that
comes from experience; from having sounded the depths of the soul;
from experiencing all the emotions of which mind is susceptible; from
testing all the qualities and strength of the intellect. A "joy"
that will come to man from a contemplation of the universe, and a
consciousness that he is an heir to all that is--a joint heir with
Jesus Christ and God; from knowing that he is an essential part of
all that is. It is a joy that will be born of the consciousness of
existence itself--that will revel in existence--in thoughts of and
realization of existence's limitless possibilities. A "joy" born of
the consciousness of the power of eternal increase. A "joy" arising
from association with the Intelligences of innumerable heavens--the
Gods of all eternities. A "joy" born of a consciousness of being, of
intelligence, of faith, knowledge, light, truth, mercy, justice, love,
glory, dominion, wisdom, power; all feelings, affections, emotions,
passions; all heights and all depths. "Men are that they might have
joy;" and that "joy" is based upon and contemplates all that is here
set down.
[Footnote A: II Nephi ii:23.]
Here, then, stands the truth so far as it may be gathered from God's
word and the nature of things: There is in man an eternal, uncreated,
self existing entity, call it "intelligence," "mind," "spirit,"
"soul"--what you will, so long as you recognize it, and regard its
nature as eternal. There came a time when in the progress of things,
(which is only another way of saying in the "nature of things") an
earth-career, or earth existence, because of the things it has to
teach, was necessary to the enlargement, to the advancement of these
"intelligences," these "spirits," "souls." Hence an earth is prepared;
and one sufficiently advanced and able, by the nature of him to bring
to pass the events, is chosen, through whom all earth-existence, with
all its train of events--its mingled miseries and comforts, its sorrows
and joys, its pains and pleasures, its good, and its evil--may be
brought to pass. He comes to earth with his appointed spouse. He comes
primarily to bring to pass man's earth-life. He comes to the earth
with the solemn injunction upon him. "Be fruitful and multiply, and
replenish the earth, and subdue it." But he comes with the knowledge
that this earth-existence of eternal "Intelligences" is to be lived
under circumstances that will contribute to their enlargement, to their
advancement. They are to experience joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure;
witness the effect of good and evil, and exercise their agency in the
choice of good or of evil. To accomplish this end, the local, or earth
harmony of things must be broken. Evil to be seen, and experienced,
must enter the world, which can only come to pass through the violation
of law. The law is given:--"Of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day thou eatest of it thou
shalt surely die." The woman, forgetful of the purpose of the earth
mission of herself and spouse is led by flattery and deceit into a
violation of that law, and becomes subject to its penalty. But the man,
not deceived, but discerning clearly the path of duty, and in order
that earth-existence may be provided for the great host of "spirits"
to come to earth under the conditions prescribed--he also transgresses
the law, not only that men might be, but that they might have that
being under the very circumstances deemed essential to the enlargement,
to the progress of eternal Intelligences. Adam did not sin because
deceived by another. He did not sin maliciously, or with evil intent;
or to gratify an inclination to rebellion against God, or to thwart
the Divine purposes, or to manifest his own pride. Had his act of sin
involved the taking of life rather than eating a forbidden fruit, it
would be regarded as a "sacrifice" rather than a "murder." This to
show the nature of Adam's transgression. It was a transgression of the
law--"for sin is the transgression of the law"[A]--that conditions
deemed necessary to the progress of eternal Intelligences might obtain.
Adam sinned that men might be, and not only "be," but have that
existence under conditions essential to progress. But Adam did sin.
He did break the law; and violation of law involves the violator in
its penalties, as surely as effect follows cause. Upon this principle
depends the dignity and majesty of law. Take this fact away from moral
government and your moral laws become mere nullities. Therefore,
notwithstanding Adam fell that men might be, and in his transgression
there was at bottom a really exalted motive--a motive that contemplated
nothing less than bringing to pass the highly necessary purposes of God
with respect to man's existence in the earth--yet his transgression of
law was followed by certain moral effects in the nature of men and in
the world. The harmony of things was broken; discord ruled; changed
relations between God and men took place; darkness, sin and death
stalked through the world, and conditions were brought to pass in the
midst of which the eternal Intelligences might gain those experiences
that such conditions had to teach.
[Footnote A: I John iii 4.]
Now as to the second part of the great truth--"men are that they might
have joy"--viewed also in the light of the "Intelligence" or "spirit"
in man being an eternal, uncreated, self-existing entity. Remembering
what I have already said in these pages as to the nature of this "joy"
which it is the purpose of earth existence to secure, remembering
from what it is to arise--from the highest possible development--the
highest conceivable enlargement of physical, intellectual, moral
and spiritual power--what other conceivable purpose for existence
in earth-life could there be for eternal Intelligences than this
attainment of "joy" springing from progress? Man's existence for the
manifestation alone of God's glory, as taught by the creeds of men,
is not equal to it. That view represents man as but a thing created,
and God as selfish and vain of glory. True, the Book of Mormon idea of
the purpose of man's existence, is accompanied by a manifestation of
God's glory; for with the progress of Intelligences there must be an
ever widening manifestation of the glory of God. It is written that
"the glory of God is Intelligence;" and it must follow, as clearly as
the day follows night, that with the enlargement, with the progress
of Intelligences, there must ever be a constantly increasing splendor
in the manifestation of the glory of God. But in the Book of Mormon
doctrine, the manifestation of that glory is incidental. The primary
purpose is not in that manifestation but the "joy" arising from the
progress of Intelligences. And yet that fact adds to the glory of God,
since it represents the Lord as seeking the enlargement and "joy" of
kindred Intelligences, rather than the mere selfish manifestation of
his own, personal glory. "This is my work and my glory," says the Lord,
in another "Mormon" scripture, "to bring to pass the immortality and
eternal life of man;"[A] and therein is God's "joy." A "joy" that grows
from the progress of others; from bringing to pass the immortality and
eternal life of "man." Not the immortality of the "spirit" of man, mark
you, for that immortality is already existent; but to bring to pass the
immortality of the spirit and body in their united condition, and which
together constitutes "man," "the soul"--the whole man; for "the spirit
and the body is the soul of man;" and the resurrection of the dead is
the redemption of the soul--the whole man. And the purpose for which
man is, is that he might have "joy;" that "joy" which, in the last
analysis of things, should be even as God's "joy," and God's glory,
namely, the bringing to pass the progress, enlargement and "joy" of
others.
[Footnote A: Pearl of Great Price i:39.]
LESSON X.[A]
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
THE ADAMIC DISPENSATION--IV.
ANALYSIS.
I. The Problem of Evil.
II. The Law of Opposite Existence.
REFERENCES.
II Nephi ii:5-30. See Treatise which takes the place of notes.
[Footnote A: As in the case of lesson viii and ix it is thought that
the brief treatis which is here given on "The Problem of Moral Evil"
will be more serviceable than detached notes, and hence it is given in
their stead. It might be well also to assign the subject of the lesson
to one of the more experienced of the elders for a discourse, giving
ample time for preparation.]
NOTES.
_1. The Problem of the Existence of Moral Evil:_ The existence of
evil in the world has ever been a vexed problem for both theologians
and philosophers, and has led to the wildest speculations imaginable.
It will be sufficient here, however, if I note the recognition by high
authority of the difficulties involved in the problem. Of those who
have felt and expressed these difficulties, I know of no one who has
done so in better terms than Henry L. Mansel in his celebrated Lectures
on "The Limits of Religious Thought" (1858), in the course of which he
says:
"The real riddle of existence--the problem which confounds all
philosophy, aye, and all religion too, so far as religion is a thing of
man's reason, is the fact that evil exists at all; not that it exists
for a longer or a short duration. Is not God infinitely wise and holy
and powerful now? and does not sin exist along with that infinite
holiness and wisdom and power? Is God to become more holy, more wise,
more powerful hereafter; and must evil be annihilated to make room for
his perfections to expand? Does the infinity of his eternal nature ebb
and flow with every increase or diminution in the sum of human guilt
and misery? Against the immovable barrier of the existence of evil,
the waves of philosophy have dashed themselves unceasingly since the
birthday of human thought, and have retired broken and powerless,
without displacing the minutest fragment of the stubborn rock, without
softening one feature of its dark and rugged surface."
This truly great writer then proceeds by plain implication to make it
clear that religion no more than philosophy has solved the problem of
the existence of evil:
"But this mystery, [i. e. the existence-of evil], vast and inscrutable
as it is, is but one aspect of a more general problem; it is but the
moral form of the ever-recurring secret of the Infinite. How the
Infinite and the Finite, in any form of antagonism or other relation,
can exist together; how infinite power can co-exist with finite
activity;'how infinite wisdom can co-exist with finite contingency; how
infinite goodness can co-exist with finite evil; how the Infinite can
exist in any manner without exhausting the universe of reality;--this
is the riddle which Infinite Wisdom alone can solve, the problem whose
very conception belongs only to that Universal Knowledge which fills
and embraces the Universe of Being."
In the presence of these reflections it cannot be doubted, then, that
the existence of moral evil is one of the world's serious difficulties;
and any solution which may be given of it that is really helpful,
will be a valuable contribution to the world's enlightenment, a real
revelation "a ray of light from the inner facts of things."
In the Book of Mormon there is such ray of light, a word that is
helpful.
The statement of the doctrine in question occurs in a discourse of
Lehi's on the subject of the Atonement. The aged prophet represents
happiness or misery as growing out of the acceptance or rejection of
the Atonement of the Christ, and adds that the misery consequent upon
its rejection is in opposition to the happiness which is affixed to
its acceptance: "For it must needs be," he continues, "that there is
an opposition in all things. If [it were] not so * * * righteousness
could not be brought to pass; neither wickedness; neither holiness
nor misery; neither good nor bad. Wherefore [that is, if this fact
of opposites did not exist], all things must needs be a compound in
one; wherefore, if it [the sum of things] should be one body, it must
needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor
incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.
Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught;
wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation.
Wherefore, this thing [i. e. the absence of opposite existences which
Lehi is supposing] must needs destroy the wisdom of God, and his
eternal purposes; and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of
God."
[Note: II Nephi ii.]
The inspired man, however, even goes beyond this, and makes existences
themselves depend upon this law of opposites:
"And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no
sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no
righteousness. And if there be no righteousness, there be no happiness.
And if there be no righteousness nor happiness, there be no punishment
nor misery. And if these things are not, there is no God. And if there
is no God, we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no
creation of things; neither to act nor to be acted upon, wherefore, all
things must have vanished away."
This may be regarded as a very bold setting forth of the doctrine of
antinomies, and yet I think the logic of it, and the inevitableness
of the conclusion unassailable. "The world presents us with a picture
of unity and distinction," says S. Baring-Gould, in his excellent
work "Origin and Development of Religious Beliefs" "Unity without
uniformity, and distinction without antagonism. * * * * * Everywhere,
around us and within us, we see that radical antimony. The whole
astronomic order resolves itself into attraction and repulsion--a
centripetal and a centrifugal force; the chemical order into the
antimony of positive and negative electricity, decomposing substances
and recomposing them. The whole visible universe presents the antimony
of light and darkness, movement and repose, force and matter, heat and
cold, the one and the multiple. The order of life is resumed in the
antimony of the individual and the species, the particular and the
general; the order of our sentiments in that of happiness and sorrow,
pleasure and pain; that of our conceptions in the antimony of the
ideal and the real; that of our will in the conditions of activity and
passivity.[A] The American Philosopher, Emerson, also has something
like this. He says: Polarity, or action and reaction, we meet in every
part of nature; in darkness and light; in heat and cold; in the ebb and
flow of waters; in male and female; in the inspiration and expiration
of plants and animals; in the systole and diastole of the heart; in the
undulations of fluids and of sound; in the centrifugal and centripetal
gravity; in electricity, galvanism and chemical affinity. Superinduce
magnetism at one end of the needle, the opposite magnetism takes place
at the other end. If the south attracts, the north repels. To empty
here, you must condense there.' An inevitable dualism bisects nature,
so that each thing is a half, and suggests another thing to make it
whole; as, spirit, matter; man, woman; subjective, objective; in, out;
upper, under; motion, rest; yea, nay. * * * * * Every sweet hath its
sour, every evil its good." (Emerson's "Compensation.")
[Footnote A: "Origin and Development of Religious Belief" Vol. II pp.
22, 23.]
In view of the utterances of the Book of Mormon already quoted I am
justified in saying that evil as well as good is among the eternal
things. Its existence did not begin with its appearance on our earth.
Evil existed even in heaven; for Lucifer and many other spirits sinned
there; rebelled against heaven's matchless King, waged war, and were
thrust out into the earth for their transgression.
Evil is not a created quality. It has always existed as the background
of good. It is as eternal as goodness; it is as eternal as law; it is
as eternal as the agency of intelligences. Sin, which is evil active,
is trangression of law; and so long as the agency of intelligences
and law have existed, the possibility of the trangression of law has
existed; and as the agency of intelligences and law have eternally
existed, so, too, evil has existed, eternally, either potentially or
active, and will always so exist.
Evil may not be referred to God for its origin. He is not its creator,
[A] it is one of those independent existences that is uncreate, and
stands in the category of qualities of eternal things. While not
prepared to accept the doctrine of some philosophers that "good and
evil are two sides of one thing." I am prepared to believe that evil is
a necessary antithesis to good, and essential to the realization of the
harmony of the universe. "The good cannot exist without the antithesis
of the evil--the foil on which it produces itself and becomes known."
As remarked by Orlando J. Smith, "Evil exists in the balance of natural
forces. * * * * * It is also the background of good, the incentive to
good, and the trial of good, without which good could not be. As the
virtue of courage could not exist without the evil of danger, and as
the virtue of sympathy could not exist without the evil of suffering,
so no other virtue could exist without its corresponding evil. In a
world without evil--if such a world be really conceivable, all men
would have perfect health, perfect intelligence, and perfect morals. No
one could gain or impart information, each one's cup of knowledge being
full. The temperature would stand forever at seventy degrees, both heat
and cold being evil. There could be no progress, since progress is
the overcoming of evil. A world without evil would be as toil without
exertion, as light without darkness, as a battle with no antagonist.
It would be a world without meaning." Or, as Lehi puts it, in still
stronger terms--after describing what conditions would be without
the existence of opposites--"Wherefore, all things must needs be a
compound in one; wherefore, if it [i. e. the sum of things] should be
one body, [i. e. of one character--so called good without evil] it must
needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor
incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.
Wherefore, it [the sum of things] must needs have been created for a
thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end
of its creation. Wherefore, this thing [the absence of opposites] must
needs destroy the wisdom of God, and his eternal purposes; and also,
the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God."[B]
[Footnote A: Lest some text-proofer should extort, upon the me and cite
the words of Isaiah--"I make peace and create evil"--the only text of
scripture ascribing the creation of evil to God--I will anticipate so
far as to say that it is quite generally agreed that no reference is
made in the words of Isaiah to "moral evil;" but to such evils as may
come as judgments upon people for their correction, such as famine or
tempest or war: such an "evil" as would stand in natural antithesis to
"peace," which word precedes, "I create evil," in the text--"I make
peace and create"--the opposite to peace, "The evil of afflictions and
punishments, but not the evil of sin" (Catholic Comment on Isaiah 45:
7). Meantime we have the clearest scriptural evidence that moral evil
is not a product of God's: "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am
tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth
he any man." That is to say, God has nothing to do with the creation
of moral evil; "But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his
own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth
sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James i:
13-15).]
[Footnote B: Nephi ii:13.]
As there can be no good without the antimony of evil, so there can be
no evil without its antimony, or antithesis--good. The existence of one
implies the existence of the other; and, conversely, the non-existence
of the latter would imply the non-existence of the former. It is from
this basis that Lehi reached the conclusion that either his doctrine
of antinomies, or the existence of opposites, is true, or else there
are no existences. That is to say--to use his own words--"If ye shall
say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall
say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And
if there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And
if there be no righteousness, there be no happiness. And if there be
no righteousness nor happiness, there be no punishment nor misery. And
if these things are not, there is no God, and if there is no God, we
are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of
things, neither to act nor to be acted upon: wherefore, all things must
have vanished away."[A]
[Footnote A: Nephi ii:13.]
But as things have not vanished away, as there are real existences, the
whole series of things for which he contends are verities. "For there is
a God," he declares, "and he hath created all things, both the heavens
and the earth, and all things that in them is; both things to act, and
things to be acted upon."
After arriving at this conclusion, Lehi, proceeding from the general to
the particular, deals with the introduction of this universal antimony
into our world as follows:
"To bring about his [God's] eternal purposes in the end of man, after
he had created our first parents, * * * * * it must needs be that there
was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree
of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter; "Wherefore, the
Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore man
could not act for himself, save it should be that he was enticed by
the one or the other.[B] And I, Lehi, according to the things which
I have read, must needs suppose, that an angel of God, according to
that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore he became a
devil, having sought that which was evil before God. And because he
had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable for ever he said unto
Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father
of all lies; wherefore he said, Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye
shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil. And after
Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit, they were driven out
of the garden of Eden, to till the earth. And they have brought forth
children; yea, even the family of all the earth. And the days of the
children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that
they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a
state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the
commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he
gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men
that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents. And
now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed, he would not have fallen;
but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which
were created, must have remained in the same state in which they were,
after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had
no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore, they would
have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no
misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things
have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.
[Footnote B: On such a proposition Dr. Jacob Cooper, of Rutgers
College, at the head of an article on "Theodicy," the justification
of the divine providence by the attempt to reconcile the existence of
evil with the goodness and sovereignty of God, says (August, 1903),
"There must be an alternative to any line of conduct, in order to
give it a moral quality. We have to deal with, not an imaginary, but
a real world; not with a state of things wholly different from those
by which character is developed. If there are to be such qualities as
righteousnesss, virtue, merit, as the result of good action, there
must be a condition by which these things are possible. And this can
only be where there is an alternative which may be embraced by a free
choice. If the work of man on earth is to build up character, if his
experience is disciplinary, by which he constantly becomes better
fitted for greater good and a wider sphere of action, then he must have
the responsibility of choosing for himself a course different from one
which appeals to the lower qualities in his nature."]
LESSON XI.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
THE ADAMIC DISPENSATION--V.
ANALYSIS.
I. The Family of Adam.
1. Descendants of Cain.
2. Descendants of Seth.
II. The Commandment to offer Sacrifice.
III. Explanation of the Sacrifice.
IV. A Gospel Dispensation Given to Adam.
REFERENCES.
Gen. iv:1, 2. Book of Moses ch. v:1-3. Josephus Antiquities Bk. I,
Sec. ii and iii. Book of Moses ch. vi:1-16 Notes 1, 2, 3, 4.
Book of Moses, ch. v:4, 5. Gen. iv:4-6.
Book of Moses, ch. v:6-8.
Book of Moses, ch. vi:48-69. Note 5.
NOTES.
_1. The Descendants of Adam:_ The account of the family of Adam
in the Book of Genesis is painfully brief and gives no idea of the
number of sons and daughters born to him. During the first one hundred
and thirty years it gives an account of but three sons; Cain, Abel,
and Seth. "And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight
hundred years, and he beget sons and daughters." (Gen. 5:3). Before the
account of the birth of Cain is given, however, the sacred historian
says: "And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother
of all living." (Gen. 3:20). In the Book of Moses (P. G. P.) there is
an account of sons and daughters being born to the pair sometime before
the birth of Cain, and even an account of their beginning to divide two
and two and to till the land and to tend flocks; "and they also begot
sons and daughters," all this previous to the birth of Cain. (Book of
Moses, ch. 5:2, 3). Even in the Genesis' account of Cain's birth there
seems to be something of an inference that sons and daughters had been
born to Adam and Eve preceding Cain's birth, because some special hope
seems to attach to the birth of Cain, Eve saying, when she bore him,
"I have gotten a man from the Lord;" and the Book of Moses adds this
conclusion to her words, "Wherefore he may not reject his (the Lord's)
words." But alas! how that mother's hopes were to be blighted, for
the record just quoted says, "But behold, Cain hearkened not." (Book
of Moses, ch. 5:16). And the final result of his rejection of God's
counsels are perhaps the saddest of all history.
_2. The Wickedness of Cain:_ The Book of Moses represents the
descendants of Adam as being early influenced by the flattery and evil
persuasions of Lucifer who had been cast out of heaven to the earth.
(Book of Moses, ch. 5:13.) Cain seemed especially subject to his
influence and "loved Satan" more than God. (Ibid 28). A league and
covenant was made in fact between the pair, and Satan even abdicated
his place of bad eminence as chief rebel against God in favor of Cain.
"And Satan swear unto Cain that he would do according to his commands.
And all these things were done in secret, and Cain said truly, I am
Mahan the master of this great secret, that I may murder and get
gain, wherefore Cain wras called Master Mahan and he gloried in his
wickedness." (Book of Moses, ch. 5:30, 31.) This throws some light
upon an obscure passage in Genesis (IV:7), "If thou doest well,' the
Lord is represented as saying to Cain on the latter's displeasure
at his offering to the Lord not being accepted, 'shalt thou not be
accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto
thee shall be his [Lucifer's] desire, and thou shalt rule over him."
The question is whose desire shall be unto Cain? And who shall Cain
rule over? The commentators usually assume that it is Abel who is to
have the desires unto Cain, and over whom Cain is to rule, a most
absurd conclusion, unless we can believe that God designed to place
righteous Abel under the dominion of the evil minded Cain which is
unthinkable. The truth of the matter is, that the record in Genesis is
evidently imperfect, and should be as we find it in the Book of Moses,
which represents that Satan's desires shall be towards Cain; He shall
rejoice in Cain because the latter is a wicked man; and to win him
completely to his kingdom Satan is even walling to abdicate his throne
and consent for Cain to rule over him. All of which indicates the
desperate wicked disposition of Cain before he reached the climax of
his crimes in the murder of his brother, Abel.
_3. Josephus on the Wickedness of Cain and His Descendants:_ "And
when Cain had travelled over many countries, (after God's sentence
upon him) he, with his wife, built a city named Nod, which is a place
so called, and there he settled his abode; where also he had children.
However, he did not accept of his punishment in order to amendment, but
to increase his wickedness; for he only aimed to procure everything
that was for his own bodily pleasure, though it obliged him to be
injurious to his neighbors. He augmented his household substance with
much wealth, by rapine and violence; he excited his acquaintance to
procure pleasure and spoils by robbery, and became a great leader of
men into wicked courses. He also introduced a change in that way of
simplicity wherein men lived before; and was the author of measures
and weights; and whereas they lived innocently and generously while
they knew nothing of such arts, he changed the world into cunning
craftiness. * * * * * Even while Adam was alive, it came to pass, that
the posterity of Cain became exceeding wicked, every one successively
dying, one after another, more wicked than the former. They were
intolerable in war, and vehement in robberies; and if any one were
slow to murder people, yet was he, bold in his profligate behavior, in
acting unjustly, and doing injuries for gain." (Josephus' "Antiquities"
Book I chap. II).
_4. Seth and His Descendants:_ Adam was more fortunate in his son
Seth and his posterity. It is written that "God revealed himself unto
Seth and he rebelled not, but offered an acceptable sacrifice like unto
his brother Abel. And to him also was born a son and he called his name
Enos, and then began these men to call upon the name of the Lord, and
the Lord blessed them. And a book of remembrance was kept, in which
was recorded, in the language of Adam, for it was given unto as many
as called upon God to write by the spirit of inspiration; and by them
their children were taught to read and write, having a language which
was pure and undefiled." (Book of Moses, ch. V. 3-6.)
Of the righteousness of Seth's posterity, Josephus himself says: "Now
this posterity of Seth continued to esteem God as the Lord of the
universe, and to have an entire regard to virtue for seven generations;
but in process of time they were perverted, and forsook the practices
of their forefathers; and did neither pay those honors to God which
were appointed them, nor had they any concern to do justice toward men;
but for what degree of zeal they had formerly shown for virtue, they
now showed by their actions a double degree of wickedness, whereby they
made God to be their enemy."
But notwithstanding the wickedness even among the descendants of Seth,
(Book of Moses, ch. VI:15) still there was a line of righteous men
preserved through whom the holy priesthood continued in the earth and
among them were preachers of righteousness. (Book of Moses, ch. VI:7).
_5. The offering of Sacrifices Commanded:_ No explanation is given
in Genesis as to the reason why sacrifice was to be offered. There is
simply a statement of fact that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground
an offering unto the Lord, but that Abel brought of the firstlings of
his flock and that the Lord had respect unto Abel's offering, but not
unto Cain's. It must be evident that this effort at honoring God was
taught by their father, but why they were so taught is not stated. In
the Book of Moses (P. G. P.), however, the matter is made very clear.
"And Adam and Eve, his wife, called upon the name of the Lord, and they
heard the voice of the Lord from the way toward the Garden of Eden,
speaking unto them, and they saw him not; for they were shut out from
his presence. And he gave unto them commandments, that they should
worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their
flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the
commandments of the Lord." (Book of Moses, ch. V:4, 5). There appears
as yet, however, no explanation for this offering of sacrifices. With
the fall of Adam there seems to have come a forgetfulness of the plan
of salvation devised in the counsels of the Eloheim before Adam's
earth-life began. And it needed the aforesaid commandment to Adam to
bring to pass the introduction of those symbols which were intended
to figure forth the Atonement of the Christ. And though Adam, in his
fallen state, had apparently lost his recollection of these things
ordained before the foundations of the world, yet he was obedient to
the commands of the Lord. "And after many days an angel of the Lord
appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the
Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.
And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the
sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace
and truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou dost in the name
of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of
the Son for evermore. And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam,
which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only
Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and for ever,
that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even
as many as will." (Book of Moses, ch. VI, 6-9).
_6. The Gospel Fully Revealed to Adam:_ It would seem also that
Adam about this time received even more full explanations respecting
his redemption than is given in the passage of the Book of Moses,
quoted in the foregoing note; for in the passage attributed to Enoch
sometime after the event above quoted, it is said: "And he [God]
called upon * * * Adam by his own voice, saying: I am God; I made
the world, and men before they were in the flesh. And he also said
unto him: If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and
believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even
in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace
and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given
under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men,
ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his
name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you. And our
father Adam spake unto the Lord, and said: Why is it that men must
repent and be baptized in water? And the Lord said unto Adam: Behold I
have forgiven thee thy transgression in the Garden of Eden. Hence came
the saying abroad among the people, That the Son of God hath atoned
for original guilt, wherein the sins of the parents cannot be answered
upon the heads of the children, for they are whole from the foundation
of the world. And the Lord spake unto Adam, saying: Inasmuch as thy
children are conceived in sin, even so when they begin to grow up, sin
conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may
know to prize the good. And it is given unto them to know good from
evil; wherefore they are agents unto themselves, and I have given unto
you another law and commandment. Wherefore teach it unto your children,
that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in no wise inherit
the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in
his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is His
name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus
Christ, a righteous judge, who shall come in the meridian of time.
Therefore, I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely
unto your children, saying: That by reason of transgression cometh the
fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the
world by water, and blood, and spirit, which I have made, and so became
of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom
of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even
the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all
sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal
life in the world to come, even immortal glory. * * * * And it came to
pass, when the Lord had spoken with Adam, our father, that Adam cried
unto the Lord, and he was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, and
was carried down into the water, and was laid under the water, and
was brought forth out of the water. And thus he was baptized, and the
Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was born of the Spirit,
and became quickened in the inner man. And he heard a voice out of
heaven, saying: Thou art baptized with fire, and with the Holy Ghost.
This is the record of the Father, and the Son, from henceforth and
forever; and thou art after the order of him who was without beginning
of days or end of years, from all eternity to all eternity. Behold,
thou art one in me, a Son of God; and thus may all become my sons.
Amen." (Book of Moses, chs. VI:51-59, 64-68).
Thus a dispensation of the Gospel was committed unto Adam, and the
means of his redemption was clearly made known unto him. He was not
left to perish in ignorance of God's purposes in respect of his earth
life, and whatever intellectual or spiritual darkness, had come over
him as a consequence of his fall and his banishment from Eden it was
now dispelled by this dispensation of the gospel given unto him,
granting to him a knowledge of that eternal life "which God that cannot
lie, promised before the world began." (Titus, i; 2.)
LESSON XII.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
THE ADAMIC DISPENSATION--VI.
ANALYSIS.
I. The Rejoicing of Adam and Eve on Receiving a Dispensation
of the Gospel.
II. The Place of Adam in the Divine Economy of the Gospel Dispensation.
REFERENCES.
Book of Moses, ch. v:10-12. Note 1.
Millennial Star, Vol. XVII, pp. 310-311. Also Vol. XVIII, pp. 164-5.
Mormon Doctrine of Deity, pp. 243-251. Doc. and Cov. Sec. cvii:53-56.
Notes 2, 3, 4.
NOTES.
_1. Joy in the Gospel:_ The rejoicing of Adam and Eve on receiving
a dispensation of the Gospel, which rejoicing went to the extent of
condoning the fact of their fall, (See Book of Moses, V:10, 12) could
arise from no other circumstance than that their former knowledge of
what was to be accomplished by the earth-life of man had been restored
to them. Which knowledge possessed by the pre-existent spirits of man
before the foundations of the earth were laid, caused "The Morning
Stars to sing together, and all the sons of God to shout for joy." (Job
38:7). Doubtless the contemplation of that "eternal life which God,
that cannot lie, promised before the world began" (Titus I:2) was
sufficient cause for their joy; and it brings home to us the truth,
that notwithstanding the presence of evil and sorrow in this world,
there has been no blundering in the creation of the earth and the
placing of men upon it under circumstances in the midst of which they
are called upon to work out their salvation. The purposes of God have
not been surprised, nor have they ran awry. On the contrary they are
moving forward in majestic procession to the attainment of their end.
God is in his world, reconciling it unto himself. Man is here in this
world in one of the departments of God's great university to learn of
good and evil; of joy and sorrow; to take upon his spirit a clothing
of flesh and bone,--elements through which, and only through which,
(See Doc. & Cov. Sec. xciii; 33, 34) he may have a larger, nobler and
higher life than was possible for him when existing only in spirit
form. And the coming in contact with evil and engaging in the struggle
with it, brief or more or less prolonged, is but an incident, a means
of education, and over evil he will ultimately triumph, and conform
his life to the law of God--the law of righteousness. And so, too,
will the race, those who succumb permanently to evil will be so few
in comparison with those who will triumph, that the calamity of their
misfortunes should not weigh against the larger good that shall come to
the race, or check the rejoicings of the first pair upon gaining the
full vision of God's meaning when he ordained man's earth-existence.
_2. The Priesthood of Adam:_ The Priesthood was first given to
Adam; he obtained the First Presidency, and held the keys of it from
generation to generation. He obtained it in the Creation, before the
world was formed, (Genesis i, 20, 26, 28). He had dominion given him
over every living creature. He is Michael, the Arch-Angel, spoken of
in the Scriptures. Then to Noah, who is Gabriel; he stands next in
authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he was called of God to this
office, and was the Father of all living in his day, and to him was
given the dominion. These men held keys first on Earth, and then in
Heaven. The Priesthood is an everlasting principle, and existed with
God from eternity, and will to eternity, without beginning of days
or end of years. The keys have to be brought from Heaven whenever
the Gospel is sent. When they are revealed from Heaven, it is by
Adam's authority. Daniel vii, speaks of the Ancient of Days; he means
the oldest man, our Father Adam, Michael; he will call his children
together and hold a council with them to prepare them for the coming
of the Son of Man. He (Adam) is the Father of the human family, and
presides over the spirits of all men, and all that have had the keys
must stand before him in this grand council. This may take place before
some of us leave this stage of action. The Son of Man stands before
him, and there is given him glory and dominion. Adam delivers up his
stewardship to Christ, that which was delivered to him as holding the
keys of the Universe, but retains his standing as head of the human
family. * * * * * The Father called all spirits before him at the
creation of man, and organized them. He (Adam) is the head, and was
told to multiply. The Keys were first given to him, and by him to
others. He will have to give an account of his stewardship, and they
to him. * * * * * how have we come at the Priesthood in the last days?
It came down, down in regular succession. Peter, James, and John had
it given to them, and they gave it to others. Christ is the Great High
Priest; Adam next. Paul speaks of the Church coming to an innumerable
company of angels--to God the Judge of all--the spirits of just men
made perfect; to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, etc. (Heb.
xii. 23.) I saw Adam in the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman. He called
together his children and blessed them with a patriarchal blessing.
The Lord appeared in their midst, and he (Adam) blessed them all, and
foretold what should befall them to the latest generation."--Joseph
Smith, Millennial Star, Vol. XVII, p. 310-311.
_3. Adam in the Land of Adam-ondi-Ahman:_ The vision alluded
to in the closing sentences of the preceding note was doubtless
the foundation of the following passage in the Book of Doctrine &
Covenants, "Three years previous to the death of Adam, he called Seth,
Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah, who were all
High Priests, with the residue of his posterity who were righteous,
into the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and there bestowed upon them his
last blessing. And the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and
blessed Adam, and called him Michael, the Prince, the Archangel. And
the Lord administered comfort unto Adam, and said unto him, I have set
thee to be at the head--a multitude of nations shall come of thee, and
thou art a Prince over them for ever. And Adam stood up in the midst
of the congregation, and notwithstanding he was bowed down with age,
being full of the Holy Ghost, predicted whatsoever should befall his
posterity unto the latest generation. These things were all written in
the book of Enoch, and are to be testified of in due time." (Doc. &
Cov. Sec. 107, vers. 53-57.)
LESSON XIII.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
VIEWS OF THE CHRISTIAN SECTS vs. THE DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS
CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS IN RELATION TO ADAM.
(A Discourse.)
NOTES.
_1. _A Suggestion to the Speaker:__ The discourse is to be
argumentative. The form in which the theme is stated necessarily makes
it so.
It is expected that the Sectarian views will be fairly presented and
considered, after which will come the presentation of the views that
arise from what God has revealed to his Church concerning the great
Patriarch of our race, and the superiority of those views over the
conceptions of the Christian Sects be made to appear.
Let the suggestions respecting speech structure in Lesson VI, and also
the same instruction in Year Book I, be remembered and reviewed in the
course of preparation.
_2. _Argumentative Speaking:__ "In expository and argumentative
composition the writer is compelled to think, and to think connectedly.
Structure is all-important in these forms of composition. A
successful narrative or description may be given without a strict
plan or organization, for much depends upon vivid words and happy
phrasing, well-turned sentences, and apt details. In exposition and
argument, however, a glib use of language, rounded sentences, and good
illustration will not save the writer from failure if his thought is
not exact and carefully developed." (Composition and Rhetoric, Herrick
and Damon.)
_Governing Principles in Argumentative Discourse:_ "The
argumentative Discourse is a composition in which the writer lays down
a proposition, and endeavors to persuade others that it is true. The
statements or reasons used for this purpose are called Arguments. * * *
In the conduct of * * * argumentative discourses, six formal divisions
were adopted by the ancients: (1) the Exordium or Introduction, (2) the
Division, (3) the Statement, (4) the Reasoning, (5) the Appeal to the
Feelings, and (6) the Peroration. It is by no means necessary, however,
that these six parts should enter into every discourse. To employ them
all would inevitably, in some cases, produce an appearance of stiffness
and pedantry. Yet, as any of them may be used, we proceed to define and
treat briefly of each. The object of the Exordium, or Introduction,
is to render the reader or hearer well-disposed, attentive, and open
to persuasion. To accomplish the first of these ends, the writer must
make a modest opening, and convey to his readers the impression that
he is candidly maintaining the position of the truth of which he is
himself assured. To awaken attention, he should hint at the importance,
novelty, or dignity of the subject. Finally, to make his readers open
to conviction, he should endeavor to remove any prejudices they may
have formed against the side of the question he intends to espouse.
The introduction of a discourse is its most difficult part. If it
is important in other compositions to make a good impression at the
outset, it is doubly so when we are endeavoring to persuade. The
following suggestions will be found generally applicable:
1. An introduction must be easy and natural. It must appear, as Cicero
says, "to have sprung up of its own accord from the matter under
consideration." To insure there qualities, it is recommended that
the introduction should not be composed until the other parts of the
discourse are written [prepared], or at least until its general scope
and bearing are digested. * * *
2. In the second place, modesty is essential in an introduction; it
must not promise too much, and thus raise expectations in the listener
which may be disappointed.
3. An introduction is not the place for vehemence and passion. The
minds of readers must be gradually prepared before the writer can
venture on strong and animated outbursts. * * *
4. Introductions, moreover, should not anticipate any material part
of the subject. If topics or arguments afterwards to be enlarged upon
are hinted at or partially discussed in the introduction, they lose,
when subsequently brought forward, the grace of novelty, and thereby a
'great portion of their effect.
5. Lastly, the introduction should be accommodated, both in length
and character, to the discourse that is to follow: in length, as
nothing can be more absurd than to erect an immense vestibule before
a diminutive building; and in character, as it is no less absurd to
overcharge with superb ornaments the portico of a plain dwelling-house,
or to make the entrance to a monument as gay as that to an arbor.
The "Division" is that part of a discourse in which the writer [or
speaker] makes known to his hearers the method to be pursued, and
the heads he intends to take, in treating his subject. There are
many cases in which the Division is unnecessary; some, in which its
introduction would even be improper: as, for instance, when only a
single argument is to be used. * * * The third division of a discourse
is the Statement, in which the facts connected with the subject are
laid open. This generally forms an important part of legal pleadings.
The statement should be put forth in a clear and forcible style. The
writer [speaker] must state his facts in such a way as to keep strictly
within the bounds of truth, and yet to present them under the colors
that are most favorable to his cause; to place in the most striking
light every circumstance that is to his advantage, and explain away,
as far as possible, such as make against him. The fourth division is
the Reasoning; and on this everything depends. It is here that the
arguments are found which are to induce conviction, and to prepare
for which is the object of the parts already discussed. The following
suggestions should be regarded:
1. "The speaker should select such arguments only as he feels to be
solid and convincing. He must not expect to impose on the world by
mere arts of language; but, placing himself in the situation of a
hearer, should think how he would be affected by the reasoning which he
proposes to use for the persuasion of others."
2. "When the arguments employed are strong and satisfactory, the more
they are distinguished and treated apart from each other, the better;
but, when they are weak or doubtful, it is expedient rather to throw
them together, than to present each in a clear and separate light."
3. "When we have a number of arguments of different degrees of
strength, it is best to begin and close with the stronger, placing the
weaker in the midde, where they will naturally attract least attention."
4 "Arguments should not be multiplied too much, or extended too far.
Besides burdening the memory, and lessening the effect of individual
points, such diffuseness renders a cause suspected."
5. "The fifth division is the Appeal to the Feelings. This should
be short and to the point. All appearance of art should be strictly
avoided. To move his hearers, the speaker must be moved himself. The
last division of a discourse is the peroration; in which the speaker
sums up all that has been said, and endeavors to leave a forcible
impression on the hearer's mind." (Course of Composition and Rhetoric,
Quackenbos, pp. 385-89.)
The "Appeal" and the "Peroration," I suggest, should be combined and
called "the conclusion," and if in that conclusion there is to be
an "appeal" it should, in argumentative discourses, be made to the
reason rather than to the feelings, since argument is addressed to the
intellect rather than to the emotions.
One other suggestion I offer in the argumentative discourse--let
the statement of the theory you intend to overthrow be presented in
absolute fairness; so fair that those who are advocates of it could
have no possible grounds of complaint against you if they were present
and listening to your discourse. Assume that they are present, and
so proceed as if they were to answer you. Remember, that not only in
argumentative discourse, but also in expository discourse, and in all
things else, truth only will endure. Let truth, then, its unfolding,
its exposition, its establishment be the object of your endeavor.
_Clearness:_ In Lesson VI. I called attention to the importance
of clearness in thought expression, or speech. I now return to the
subject. The quality of clearness in the expression of thought
"consists of such a use and arrangement of words or clauses as at
once distinctly indicate the meaning of the writer" [or speaker]
(Quackenbos). "A writer [or speaker] should choose that word or phrase
which will convey his meaning with clearness. It is not enough to use
language that may be understood; he should use language that must be
understood." "Any writer who has read even a little will know what is
meant by the word 'intelligible.' It is not sufficient that there be a
meaning that may be hammered out of the sentence, but that the language
should be so clear that the meaning should be rendered without an
effort of the hearer; and not only some proposition of meaning, but the
very sense, no more and no less, which the speaker has intended to put
into his words." (Principles of Rhetoric, Hill, p. 82.)
Perhaps one of the most forceful writers of English wras Lord Macaulay;
remembered chiefly by his History of England, though his essays and
speeches in Parliament are well nigh of equal literary value. The one
quality of his literary style which stands out more prominently than
any other is the quality of clearness: "What he saw at all he saw
distinctly; what he believed he believed with his whole strength; he
wrote on subjects with which he had long been familiar; and he made
lucidity his primary object in composition. For him, in short, there
was no difficulty in securing clearness, except that which is inherent
in the nature of language. This difficulty he overcame with unusual
success, as all his critics admit." (Hill's Rhetoric, p. 83.)
One of the means by which Macaulay secured that clearness which
distinguishes all his writings is noted by a later historian. "I
learned from Macaulay," says Mr. Freeman, 'never to be afraid of using
the same word or name over and over again, if by that means anything
could be added to clearness or force. Macaulay never goes on, like some
writers, talking about 'the former' and 'the latter;' 'he,' 'she,'
'it,' 'they' through clause after clause, while his reader has to look
back to see which of several persons it is that is so darkly referred
to. From the point of view of clearness, it is always better to repeat
a noun than to substitute for it a pronoun which fails to suggest that
noun unmistakeably and at once. No fault is, however, more common than
the use of an obscure or equivocal pronoun.
_Examples:_ "I must go and help Alice with the heifer; she is not
very quiet yet, and I see her going out with her pail."
_Corrected:_ "I must go and help Alice with the heifer; the heifer
is not very quiet yet, and I see Alice going out with her pail."
_Example:_ "Steele's father, who is said to have been a lawyer,
died before he had reached his sixth year."
_Corrected:_ "Steele's father, who is said to have been a lawyer,
died before his son had reached his sixth year."
_Example:_ "There was also a number of cousins, who were about the
same age, and were always laughing, though it was never quite clear
what it was about."
_Corrected:_ * * * * "though it was never quite clear what their
laughing was about."
_Example:_ "Rasselas was the fourth son of the mighty emperor in
whose dominions the Fathers of Waters begins his course; whose bounty
pours down the streams of plenty, and scatters over half the world the
harvests of Egypt."
_Corrected:_ * * * "the rivers bounty pours down, etc." (Hill's
Rhetoric, p. 84-5.)
Let the student, then, remember this the first essential to
thought-expression in speech or writing is clearness. It is not enough
that one may be understood, one must be understood--less than this is
dire failure. To secure the quality of clearness in thought-expression
sacrifice anything, everything, seeming elegance, high sounding
phrases, harmonious sounding sentences, brave tautology even, but make
yourself understood.
LESSON XIV.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
THE DISPENSATION OF THE GOSPEL COMMITTED TO
ENOCH.
ANALYSIS.
I. Enoch's Place in the Line of the Patriarchs.
II. The Visions of Enoch.
III. The Founding of the City of Enoch--Translation.
IV. The Writings of Enoch.
REFERENCES.
Gen. v:18-24. Jude 14, 15; Hebrews xi:5. Notes 1, 2.
Book of Moses (P. G. P.) ch v:21-68. Ibid, ch vii.
See Article "Enoch," Smith's Bible Dictionary. Also Kitto same title.
Josephus' Antiquities, Bk. I, ch. iii.
Jude 14, 15. And see Article "Book of Enoch" in Seventy's Bible
Dictionary, and Smith and Kitto cited above, on same title. Notes 3, 4.
NOTES.
_1. Enoch:_ Enoch is said to be the seventh from Adam (Jude
14). This is counting both Cain and Abel among the patriarchs. From
the time of Seth until the birth and calling of Enoch there was an
uninterrupted line of righteous men holding the priesthood, but a
special dispensation of the Gospel seems, nevertheless, to have been
given unto Enoch. The information we have of this patriarch in the
Bible is extremely meagre, the references being found in Gen. v:
18-24, in the brief allusion to him in Jude 14, 15 and in Hebrew xi:
5. Apart from these references the only reliable information we have
of Enoch is to be found in the Book of Moses, (P. G. P.) chaps, vi,
vii. The occasion for giving the dispensation of the Gospel to Enoch
seems to have been the development of very great wickedness among the
Antediluvians and the Lord called unto Enoch out of heaven appointing
him to prophesy unto the people concerning the impending calamities to
fall upon them, and to cry repentance unto them. It is from the Book
of Moses, ch. vi that we learn how complete was the dispensation of
the Gospel committed unto Enoch; for therein is the cause of Adam's
fall, the means of redemption provided, as also an account of Adam's
acceptance of the Gospel is set forth in considerable detail. Among
the great events of the dispensation committed unto Enoch is, first,
the account given by prophecy of great battles between the people of
Canaan, who were the descendants of Cain, the murderer, and other
inhabitants of the earth, chiefly the people of Shum. Second, the fact
that the rest of the descendants of Adam hold aloof from association
with the descendants of Cain, who were cursed with blackness and their
land made a desert, (Book of Moses, ch. vii). Third, the separation of
the righteous following of Enoch from their enemies who fought against
God. Fourth, of God taking up his abode in the city of Enoch, Zion, the
home of the people of one heart and one mind, called also the city of
Holiness, ("for this is Zion, the pure in heart," Doc. & Cov. xcvii).
And finally, of the separation of the city of Enoch from the earth by
translation; from which circumstance there went forth the saying among
the inhabitants of the earth, "Zion is fled." Doubtless among all the
dispensations of the Gospel committed to man the dispensation given to
Enoch was one of the most glorious.
Of Enoch Josephus says: "Jared lived nine hundred and sixty-two years;
and then his son Enoch succeeded him, who was born when his father was
one hundred and sixty-two years old. Now he, when he had lived three
hundred and sixty-five years, departed, and went to God; whence it is
that they have not written down his death." (Josephus' Antiquities, p.
28.)
_2. Enoch's Place in History:_ "According to the Old Testament,
he [Enoch] walked with God; and, after 365 years, he was not, for God
took him (Gen. v. 24). The inspired writer of the Epistle to the Hebrew
says, 'By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death, and
was not found, because God had translated him (xi 5). Walking with
God implies the close fellowship with Jehovah which it is possible
for a human being to enjoy on earth. As a reward, therefore, of his
extraordinary sanctity, he was transported into heaven without the
experience of death. Elijah was in like manner translated; and thus
was the doctrine of immortality palpably taught under the ancient
dispensation. The traditions of the Jews have ascribed to Enoch many
fabulous qualities. They have invested him with various attributes
and excellencies for which the Bible furnishes no foundation.
Accordingly, he is represented as the inventor of letters, arithmetic,
and astronomy; as the first author, from whom several books emanated.
Visions and prophecies were commonly ascribed to him, which he is said
to have arranged in a book. This book was delivered to his son, and
preserved by Noah in the ark. After the flood it was made known to
the world, and handed down from one generation to another. Hence the
Arabians call him Edris." (Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature, Kitto,
p. 639.)
_3. Outline of the Book of Enoch:_ "I. its present shape the
book consists of a series of revelations supposed to have been given
to Enoch and Noah, which extend to the most varied aspects of nature
and life, and are designed to offer a comprehensive vindication of
the action of Providence. It is divided into five parts. The first
part, after a general introduction, contains an account of the fall
of the angels, and of the judgment to come upon them and upon the
giants, their offspring; and this is followed by the description of the
journey of Enoch through the earth and lower heaven in company with
an angel, who showed to him many of the great mysteries of nature,
the treasure-houses of the storms and winds, and fires of heaven, the
prison of the fallen and the land of the blessed. The second part is
styled 'A Vision of Wisdom,' and consists of three 'parables,' in
which Enoch relates the revelations of the higher secrets of heaven
and of the spiritual world which were given to him. The first parable
gives chiefly a picture of the future blessings and manifestation of
the righteous, with further details as to the heavenly bodies; the
second describes in splendid imagery the coming of Messiah and the
results which it should work among 'the elect' and the gainsayers; the
third draws out at further length the blessedness of 'the elect and
holy,' and the confusion and wretchedness of the sinful rulers of the
world. The third part is styled 'the Book of the Course of the Lights
of Heaven,' and deals with the motions of the sun and moon, and the
changes of the seasons; and with this the narrative of the journey
of Enoch closes. The fourth part is not distinguished by any special
name, but contains the record of a dream which was granted to Enoch
in his youth, in which he saw the history of the kingdoms of God and
of the world up to the final establishment of the throne of Messiah.
The fifth part contains the last addresses of Enoch to his children,
in which the teaching of the former chapters is made the groundwork of
earnest exhortation. The signs which attended the birth of Noah are
next noticed and another short writing of Enoch, forms the close to the
whole book." (Smith's Bible Dictionary, Hackett, p. 739.)
_4. Doctrinal outline of the Book of Enoch:_ "In doctrine the
book of Enoch exhibits a great advance of thought within the limits of
revelation in each of the great divisions of knowledge. The teaching
on nature is a curious attempt to reduce the scattered images of the
Old Testament to a physical system. The view of society and man, of
the temporary triumph and final discomfiture of the oppressors of
God's people, carries out into elaborate detail the pregnant images of
Daniel. The figure of the Messiah is invested with majestic dignity
as 'the Son of God,' 'whose name was named before the sun was made,'
and who existed 'aforetime in the presence of God.' And at the same
time his human attributes as 'the son of man,' 'the son of woman,'
'the elect one,' 'the righteous one,' 'the anointed,' are brought
into conspicuous notice. The mysteries of the spiritual world, the
connection of angels and men, the classes and ministries of the hosts
of heaven, the power of Satan, and the legions of darkness, the
doctrines of resurrection, retribution, and eternal punishment are
dwelt upon with growing earnestness as the horizon of speculation was
extended by intercourse with Greece. But the message of the book is
emphatically one of 'faith and truth,' and while the writer combines
and repeats the thoughts of Scripture, he adds no new element to the
teaching of the prophets. His errors spring from an undisciplined
attempt to explain their words, and from a proud exultation in
present success. For the great characteristic by which the book is
distinguished from the later apocalypse of Ezra (Esdras, 2nd Book) is
the tone of triumphant expectation by which it is pervaded. It seems
to repeat in every form the great principle that the world, natural,
moral, and spiritual, is under the immediate government of God. Hence
it follows that there is a terrible retribution reserved for sinners,
and a glorious kingdom prepared for the righteous, and Messiah is
regarded as the divine mediator of this double issue. Nor is it without
a striking fitness that a patriarch translated from earth, and admitted
to look upon the divine majesty, is chosen as 'the herald of wisdom,
righteousness, and judgment' to a people who, even in suffering, saw in
their tyrants only the victims of a coming vengeance." (Smith's Bible
Dictionary, Hackett Edition, p. 740.)
The two preceding notes, giving an outline of the Book of Enoch and its
doctrines, deal with a version of the writings of Enoch that doubtless
have been more or less corrupted; but even in mutilated form one may
discern the aim outline of a great and important work dealing with the
Gospel of Christ as known to the ancients. A history of the book--so
well known and frequently fed by many of the Christian fathers--and its
being brought to Europe and translated into the English language will
be found in both Kitto and Smith's works.
LESSON XV.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
THE DISPENSATION OF THE GOSPEL GIVEN TO NOAH.
ANALYSIS.
I. Noah Before the Flood:
1. Birth, Character, and place in History.
2. Conditions of Society in days of Noah.
3. The calling of Noah and the Nature of the Gospel committed to him.
II. The Flood.
III. Noah After the Flood.
1. Renewal of the Covenant--Its sign.
2. The Curse upon Canaan.
3. The Seven Precepts of Noah--His Death.
REFERENCES.
Gen. v:28-32. Book of Moses viii:8-13. Notes 1 and 2.
Gen. vi:1-13. Note 3. Book of Moses, ch. viii:13, 15, 17, 19, 23, 24.
See also viii:16, 19, and cf. Ibid, vi:43-68.
Gen. vii and viii. Josephus Antiquities. Smith's Dictionary of the
Bible, Art. Noah.
Gen. ix:8-17.
Gen. ix:18-29.
Note 3, 4.
NOTES.
_1. Why a Dispensation of the Gospel was Given to Noah:_ The
reason for giving a dispensation of the Gospel to Noah seems to have
been the same as that which led to the giving of a dispensation of it
to Enoch--viz., the increasing wickedness of the people. There had been
no break in the line of righteous men who held the priesthood; but
the increasing wickedness of the people, and the necessity of warning
them of impending calamities required the dispensation of the Gospel
given to Noah. In order to understand how complete the dispensation
of the Gospel given to them was, it is necessary that the student
compare Book of Moses ch. viii:19, with ch. vi:43-68, as suggested
in the references given in the analysis; since it is said that Noah
was commanded to "go forth and declare his Gospel unto the children of
men even as it was given unto Enoch" (ch. viii:19): and how fully the
Gospel was given unto Enoch can only be appreciated by a comparison of
the texts given above.
_2. The Character of Noah:_ "That the conduct of Noah corresponded
to the faith and hope of his father we have no reason to doubt. The
brevity of the history satisfies not human curiosity. He was born
six hundred years before the Deluge. We may reasonably suppose that
through that period he maintained the character given of him: 'Noah
found favour in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a just man, and perfect
in his generations. Noah walked with God.' (Gen. vi:8, 9.) These
words declare his piety, sincerity, and integrity, that he maintained
habitual communion with the Father of Mercies, by the exercises of
devotion, and that he was an inspired instrument of conveying the
will of God to mankind. The wickedness of the human race had long
called upon the wisdom and justice of God for some signal display of
his displeasure, as a measure of righteous government and as example
to future ages. For a long time, probably many centuries, the better
part of men, the descendants of Seth, had kept themselves from society
with the families of the Cainite race. The former class had become
designated as 'the sons of God,' faithful and obedient: the latter
were called by a term evidently designated to form an appellation of
the contrary import, daughters of men,' of impious and licentious men.
These women possessed beauty and blandishments, by which they won
the affections of unwary men, and intermarriages upon a great scale
took place. As is usual in such alliances, the worst part gained the
ascendency. The offspring become more depraved than the parents, and
a universal corruption of minds and morals took place. Many of them
became 'giants,' the mighty men of old, men of renown (nephilism)
apostates (as the word implies), heroes, warriors, plunderers, 'filling
the earth with violence.' God mercifully afforded a respite of one
hundred and twenty years (Gen. vi:3; I Pet. iii:20; 2 Pet. ii:5),
during which Noah sought to work salutary impressions upon their
minds, and to bring them to repentance. Thus he was 'a preacher of
righteousness,' exercising faith in the testimony of God, moved with
holy reverence, obeying the divine commands, and, by the contrast of
his conduct, condemning the world (Heb. xi:7); and probably he had
during a long previous period laboured in that benevolent and pious
work." (Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature, Kitto, vol. II, p. 425.)
_3. Conditions of Society in Days of Noah:_ "Very remarkable.
however, is the glimpse which we get [from the Bible] of the state of
society in the antediluvian world. The narrative it is true is brief,
and on many points obscure: a mystery hangs over it which we cannot
penetrate. But some few facts are clear. The wickedness of the world is
described as having reached a desperate pitch, owing, it would seem,
in a great measure to the fusion of two races which had hitherto been
distinct. And further the marked features of the wickedness of the
age were lust and brutal outrage. "They took them wives of all which
they chose:" and, "the earth was filled with violence." "The earth was
corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. * * And it
came to pass when men (the Adam) began to multiply on the face of the
ground and daughters were born unto them; then the sons of God (the
Elohim) saw the daughters of men (the Adam) that they were fair, and
they took to them wives of all that they chose. And Jehovah said. My
spirit shall not for ever rule (or be humbled) in men, seeing that they
are (or, in their error they are) but flesh, and their days shall be a
hundred and twenty years. The Nephilim [the giants] were in the earth
in those days; and also afterwards when the sons of God (the Elohim)
came in unto the daughters of men (Adam) and children were born to
them, these were the heroes which were of old, men of renown." (Smith's
Bible Dictionary, Art, Noah.)
_4. Of Several Bible Difficulties in the Noachian Dispensation:_
(1) The name "Noah" has presented a difficulty to Bible Expounders.
Noah's father, Lamech, assigns as a reason for giving him the name
Noah--"This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our
hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed." (Gen. v:29.)
This is usually made to refer to the general curse put upon the land
because of the fall of Adam (see Art. "Noah" Smith's Bible Dictionary);
but the Book of Moses (P. G. P.), explains that "there came a great
famine into the land, and the Lord cursed the earth with a sore curse,
and many of the inhabitants thereof died." (Book of Moses, viii:4.)
This was doubtless the cause of Lamech naming his son Noah, which
signifies "rest," in the hope that there would be a "rest," or relief
from the famine which had so long distressed them.
(2). The second difficulty is in respect of the passage "When men began
to multiply on the face of the earth; and daughters were born unto
them, the sons of God saw the daughters of men and they took them wives
of all which they chose." Who were these sons of God? Who were these
daughters of men? A variety of interpretations has been given, (a) The
"sons of Elohim" (sons of the Gods) were explained to mean sons of
princes, or men of high rank, who degraded themselves by contracting
marriages with the "daughters of men," i. e. with women of inferior
position. (b) A second interpretation, not less ancient, understands
by the sons of Elohim (sons of the Gods), angels. And a long list of
authorities may be cited for the belief that the angels consorted
with women of the earth and begot a race of Giants (see Smith's Bible
Dictionary Art. Noah, also Kitto same title.) A third interpretation,
however, suggests that the sons of Elohim (the Gods) refers to the
family and descendants of Seth, and by "the daughters of men," the
women of the family of Cain (Smith's Dictionary, Art. Noah). In the
Book of Moses, however, is found a complete explanation of the matter;
"And Noah and his sons hearkened unto the Lord, and gave heed, and they
were called the sons of God." (Book of Moses, ch. viii:13.) This does
away with the necessity of believing that angels became the consorts
of earthly beings, the daughters of men. Strangely enough the Book of
Moses, in the Pearl of Great Price, gives the reverse order of the
matter to that related in Genesis. In Genesis it is stated that 'The
sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; "and they
took them wives of all which they chose" (Gen. vi:1-2). In the Book of
Moses it is stated that "when these men [the sons of Noah] began to
multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
the sons of men saw that those daughters were fair, and they took
wives, even as they chose." (Book of Moses, viii:14.) The facts in the
case, however, seem to be that there was a willingness on both sides to
this amalgamation of races forbidden to each other. The grand daughters
of Noah seemed willing to consort with the descendants of Cain, "the
sons of men." (Book of Moses viii:14); and later the sons of Cain,
having in mind that they too, were descendants of Adam, through Cain
could retort--"We are the sons of God; have we not taken unto ourselves
the daughters of men?" The fact is, however, that the other descendants
of Adam were forbidden to inter-marry with the seed of Cain--"the sons
of men;" (cf. Book of Moses, ch. viii:13-15, 21; with Book of Abraham,
ch. i:21-27.) It is gratifying to know that the results of the latest
deductions of Biblical scholars favors the views presented in the Book
of Moses: "The interpretation, however, which is now most generally
received, is that which understands by 'the sons of the Elohim' the
family and descendants of Seth, and by 'the daughters of man (Adam),'
the women of the family of Cain. So the Clementine Recognitions
interpret "the sons of the Elohim." So Ephrem, and the "Christian
Adam-Book" of the East: so also Theodoret, Chrysostom, Cyril of
Alexandria, Jerome, Augustine, and others; and in later times Luther,
Melancthon, Calvin, and a whole host of recent commentators. They all
suppose that whereas the two lines of descent from Adam--the family of
Seth who preserved their faith in God, and the family of Cain who lived
only for this world--had hitherto kept distinct, now a mingling of the
two races took place which resulted in the thorough corruption of the
former, who falling away, plunged into the deepest abyss of wickedness,
and that it was this universal corruption which provoked the judgment
of the Flood." (Smith's Dictionary, Art. Noah.)
(3) The third difficulty is found in the passage: "And God saw that the
wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of
the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented
the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his
heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from
the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and
the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them." (Gen.
vi:5-7.)
If it "repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and
grieved him at his heart"--why then did he make him? For surely God's
fore-knowledge was such as to fore-know what man would become in
the earth. Then why be sorry that he had created him, since God's
foreknowledge must have taught him what kind of a being man would be?
The matter is set right in the Book of Moses revealed to Joseph Smith,
where it is said: "And it repented Noah, and his heart was pained that
the Lord had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at the heart.
And the Lord said: I will destroy man whom I have created, from the
face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping things, and the
fowls of the air; for it repenteth Noah that I have created them, and
that I have made them; and he hath called upon me; for they have sought
his life." (Book of Moses, ch. viii:25-26.)
_5. A Covenant of the Lord with Noah:_ Among the first acts of
Noah, who may be regarded as the "second father" of the human race, was
one of worship, for he built an altar unto the Lord and offered burnt
offerings unto him. Renewed communion in fact with God. And the Lord
covenanted with him in that day, that while the earth should remain,
seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day
and night should not cease. (Gen. viii:20-22.) And in token of this
perpetual covenant, "I do set my bow in cloud, said the Lord, and it
shall be for the token of the covenant between me and the earth. * * *
* And I will remember my covenant which is between me and you (Noah)
and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters shall no more
become a flood to destroy all flesh." (Gen. ix:13-15.) Of course it
must not be supposed that the Lord at this time created the rain-bow
for the sign of his covenant, for since ever there was sunshine and
rain and dark clouds, there have been rain-bows and will be. But the
Lord pointed to this beautiful phenomenon already existing, and made
it the sign of his covenant with man.
_6. The Seven Precepts of Noah:_ "It is an old tradition of the
Rabbinical Jews, on which they lay great stress, that at this juncture
Noah delivered to his children seven precepts, to be enjoined upon all
their descendants. These prohibit, 1, idolatry; 2, irreverence to the
Deity; 3. homicide; 4, unchastity; 5, fraud and plundering; the 6th
enjoins government and obedience; and the 7th forbids to eat any part
of an animal still living. Mr. Selden has largely illustrated these
precepts, and regards them as a concise tablet of the Law of Nature.
Though we have no positive evidences of their having been formally
enjoined by the great patriarch, we can have no great reason for
rejecting such an hypothesis." (Biblical Literature, Kitto, 427.)
At least one of these precepts is very emphatically set forth in
Genesis, given with the penalty of it; namely, the great law against
taking human life and the penalty which every where justifies the law
of man; namely, "who so sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be
shed, for in the image of God made he man." (Gen. ix:6.) Unhappily,
however, the law in executing this penalty does it in such manner that
the blood of condemned murderers is not shed, since in the majority of
countries the death penalty is executed by strangulation instead of by
the shedding of blood. The phrase, "for in the image of God made he
man" is significant, and is fatal to the claims of those theologians
who interpret the scriptural saying, that man wras created in the image
of God, to mean that man was created in God's "moral image," a most
absurd conclusion. As if there could be a moral image. But the phrase
here quoted carries this significance: Thou shalt not kill a man, for
he stands in the image of God. And thou shalt not mar that image of
God, thou shalt not bring death unto it. It is sacred. It must not be
marred by mortal hand.
_7. The Death of Noah:_--It is said that Noah lived after the
flood three hundred and fifty years, but the manner of his life
and where he spent it is not given. He must have been alive at the
confusion of tongues at Babel, but whether or not he was in the
valley of the Uphrates at that time may not be learned. There have
been those who seek to identify him with the Chinese character Fohi
whose tradition was that Fohi's advent among them was preceded by a
flood which wholly covered the earth, but all here is conjecture. (See
Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, Kitto's Biblical Literature, Art.
Noah.)
LESSON XVI.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
(A Discourse)
ENOCH AND THE ANTEDILUVIAN DISPENSATIONS OF THE GOSPEL.
NOTES.
_1. Suggestions to the Speaker:_ Naturally the subject of this
lesson will be something of a review of the period covered by the
preceding lessons on the Antediluvian dispensations with Enoch as the
central figure, but the matter of these lessons should not be too
closely followed. Let those to whom the assignment of this lesson is
given draw their own lines of treatment. As the subject is stated
in the lesson it would be treated as historical narrative, or as a
biography of Enoch. It could, however, be treated in an argumentative
form. Thus: The Justice of God Requires that the Gospel should be
Revealed to the Antediluvians; or, Was the Gospel Revealed to the
Antediluvians? If the historical or biographical form of treatment is
decided upon the speaker should bear in mind that his work in the main
would be narrative, and the first essentials of narrative, after the
truth of it, is movement and method. "A narrative," says A. S. Hill in
his Principles of Rhetoric, "should move from the beginning to the end,
and it should move with method. If the action haults the listener's
attention haults with it. If the action is confused or self-repeating
the hearers mind is soon fatigued. Movement and method, the life and
the logic of discourse, are then the essentials of a good narrative."
In another place our author says, "It is not enough that a narrative
should move, it should move forward, it should have method. * * * *
* The philosopher may contribute attached sayings (aphorisms) to the
general stock of wisdom. An essayist may be charming as he rambles in
pleasant fields of thought and gossip with his readers, but a narrator
fails as a narrator in so far as he does not go straight on from the
beginning to the end."
"A narrator," says another author, "must not spend undue time or space
upon any episode in his tale to the disadvantage of other parts.
Whatever his scale is, he should follow it. Otherwise he will give
emphasis to unimportant events, or slight important ones. The law
of climax applies especially to narration, because the interest of
the reader in the opening of a story is necessarily slight. When he
becomes involved in the plot of the tale, his interest will either
grow or disappear. As narrative becomes complex, as one event leads
to a number of results, the reader's attention should be engaged more
firmly. A weak ending is never so disappointing as in narration.
Finally, every narrative should have as a center some one definite
topic. (It is for this reason that we give Enoch as the center around
which events in the Antediluvian dispensations gathered.) "For example,
a history of the discovery of America, containing many hundreds of
pages, and relating numerous events, will have but one principal
subject--the early explorations upon this hemisphere,--to which all
the characters, actions, and events will be made subordinate. * * * *
* A good narrative then will move rapidly; action will follow action
in close succession. Only significant events will be dwelt upon; much
will be passed over with brief mention. Yet the connection of events
will be made plain; the reader will never lose the thread." No matter
how complex the narration becomes, it will have a simple subject as
the center, and will march on with increasing interest to the end."
(Composition and Rhetoric for Schools, Herrick and Damon, p. 428-9).
If the subject is treated in an argumentative form, then the speaker
should consider what has been already said on the subject of
argumentative discourse in Lesson XIII.
_3. Another Word on Clearness:_ In a former lesson (XIII) it was
pointed out that Clearness consists of such a use and arrangement of
words and clauses as at once distinctly indicate the meaning of the
speaker; and pointed out how the obscure or equivocal use of pronouns
was destructive of Clearness.
In this lesson attention is called to the omission of words in a
sentence necessary to its exact meaning--what the text books call
"improper ellipsis."
"Whenever the omission of a word renders the meaning of a sentence
unintelligible, the ellipsis becomes improper. A writer in "The
Guardian" uses this expression: "He is inspired with a true sense of
that function." The meaning is not intelligible till we put in the
words improperly left out: "He is inspired with a true sense of the
importance of that function." "Arbitrary power," says another, "I look
upon as a greater evil than anarchy itself, as much as a savage is a
happier state of life than a galley-slave." We can not properly call a
savage or a galley-slave a state of life, though we may with propriety
compare their conditions. The obscurity is removed by doing away with
the ellipsis: "as much as the state of a savage is happier than that of
a galley-slave." (Course of Composition and Rhetoric, Quackenbos, p.
285.)
_Clearness Depends upon Unity in Sentences:_ "To be clear, a
sentence must have unity; that is, it must not contain incongruous
material, and must be so expressed that it gives the reader the
impression of being one thought. When a sentence contains incongruous
statements, it is said to lack unity of thought. When a sentence fails
to present its meaning as one obvious whole, it is said to lack unity
of form. Each of the examples cited * * * below, violates unity of
thought, or unity of form, or both. Note how much clearer are the
corrected sentences.
1. Chaucer began to write at an early age, and as he was a page for
some court lady, he went to France when she did.
_Corrected:_ Chaucer began to write at an early age. Being at this
time the page of a court lady, he went in her train to France.
2. Once I saw a college President as he walked upon the stage, and he
held in his hand a whole basket of diplomas.
_Corrected:_ I once saw a college President walk upon the stage
holding a whole basket of diplomas in his hand.
3. A good paragraph must have unity of thought, and the different
sentences of which it is composed must be logically connected, and what
is most important in the paragraph must be made prominent, and what is
of small consequence merely hinted at.
_Corrected:_ A good paragraph must have unity of thought. A
paragraph is unified if the different sentences in it are logically
connected, and if what is most important is made prominent, what is of
small consequence, merely hinted at.