Abraham Tucker's View--Ingenious and Reverent--Variety of
Endowment--Maximum of Happiness--Imparting and Receiving New
Ideas--Compensations--Infinite Justice.
When I was a lad I met with an old book entitled "Equality," by Abraham
Tucker. The main idea of the book, so far as I can recollect, was, that
as God is infinitely just, He must treat all His creatures with absolute
equality. As such a thing is evidently not in force now, the idea was
that the future life will exactly rectify all the inequalities of the
present, so that upon the whole there will be perfect equality. It was
an ingenious and reverent theory; but on turning it over in my mind just
now, I find some formidable objections to it.
For one thing, the inequalities that prevail now, when not painful, give
us no serious discontent. In fact, except in extreme cases, we rather
approve and enjoy them. No doubt we have a love of variety; but apart
from that, we rather delight to have superiors and inferiors. It is
pleasant to have some one to whom we can look up, as better endowed than
ourselves; and it is pleasant to have others who can look up to us. And
our best and most ethical judgment approves of this feeling. In
particular, there is no feeling so ennobling as reverence; but there
would be no proper place for reverence if we were equal. It would not,
therefore, be easy to think that an ideal state of society
demands equality.
Again: Analogy points decisively the same way. If we look above us we
find that there are among the angels, thrones, dominions, principalities
and powers. If we look below us, we find a striking variety among the
animals. In either case, there is not equality; and so far as we know,
no compensations to produce equality. It would be hard to believe that
there ever will be such compensations in the case of the human race.
Moreover: The theory of equality in the long run would seem to require
that some deteriorate, which is extremely unlikely, in view of the fact
that the normal law of God's universe is advancement.
Then, further: We cannot conceive of equality of endowment as producing
the maximum of happiness. It is a great joy to impart a new idea; and it
is a great joy to receive one. But if all were equal, there could be no
joy, either of imparting or receiving; which is contrary to our idea of
the highest perfection and blessedness.
Again: It is reasonable to believe that in the future world there will
be variety of service, calling for different endowment and capacity to
perform it; and if such different equipment is required, we may be sure
that it is provided. If that is so, equality cannot be the ideal
condition.
Still more: As time is so short, and eternity so long, the least
compensation in eternity would infinitely over-balance the greatest
inequality in time. From that point of view we could not look for
equality, even in the most distant age.
Add to these various considerations the Scriptural intimation that "one
star differeth from another star in glory," with all that is intended to
be illustrated by that statement; and the idea of equality seems to
have no place.
On such grounds as these we believe that there will be forever a variety
of endowment and capacity; and that such variety is in full agreement
with God's infinite justice.