Part 53 (1/2)
”Then you say there are more seeds than are required?”
”How could I, when I do not know what they are required for? How can I tell that it is not necessary for the life of the tree that it should produce them all, and necessary too for the ground to receive so much life-rent from the tree!”
”But you must admit that some things are lost!”
”Yes, surely!” answered Donal. ”Why else should he come and look till he find?”
No such answer had the theologian expected; she was not immediate with her rejoinder.
”But some of them are lost after all!” she said.
”Doubtless; there are sheep that will keep running away. But he goes after them again.”
”He will not do that for ever!”
”He will.”
”I do not believe it.”
”Then you do not believe that G.o.d is infinite!”
”I do.”
”How can you? Is he not the Lord G.o.d merciful and gracious?”
”I am glad you know that.”
”But if his mercy and his graciousness are not infinite, then he is not infinite!”
”There are other attributes in which he is infinite.”
”But he is not infinite in all his attributes? He is partly infinite, and partly finite!--infinite in knowledge and power, but in love, in forgiveness, in all those things which are the most beautiful, the most divine, the most Christ-like, he is finite, measurable, bounded, small!”
”I care nothing for such finite reasoning. I take the word of inspiration, and go by that!”
”Let me hear then,” said Donal, with an uplifting of his heart in prayer; for it seemed no light thing for Arctura which of them should show the better reason.
Now it had so fallen that the ladies were talking about the doctrine called Adoption when first they saw Donal; whence this doctrine was the first to occur to the champion of orthodoxy as a weapon wherewith to foil the enemy.
”The most precious doctrine, if one may say so, in the whole Bible, is that of Adoption. G.o.d by the mouth of his apostle Paul tells us that G.o.d adopts some for his children, and leaves the rest. If because of this you say he is not infinite in mercy, when the Bible says he is, you are guilty of blasphemy.”
In a tone calm to solemnity, Donal answered--
”G.o.d's mercy is infinite; and the doctrine of Adoption is one of the falsest of false doctrines. In bitter lack of the spirit whereby we cry Abba, Father, the so-called Church invented it; and it remains, a hideous mask wherewith false and ignorant teachers scare G.o.d's children from their Father's arms.”
”I hate sentiment--most of all in religion!” said Miss Carmichael with contempt.
”You shall have none,” returned Donal. ”Tell me what is meant by Adoption.”
”The taking of children,” answered Miss Carmichael, already spying a rock ahead, ”and treating them as your own.”