says that it is "a plan so complete that no sparrow falls beyond it,
that no act falls fruitless, that there shall never be one lost good,
that no living soul made in God's image can ever drift beyond His love
and care." Is not this a flat contradiction of the author's orthodox
creed? We believe that all he claims is absolutely true. But is he
candid? Why has not the church the courage to expunge the old fatalism
from her creed, and present to the world a statement that she really
believes? I am persuaded that such candor is the desideratum of the
world to-day.

To a thoughtful mind, the most evangelical preachers are at times
unintelligible, and even contradictory, on such themes. Take this
extract from a sermon by Mr. Moody, published some time ago. He says
"Christ will return to the earth, for he has bought it with his own
blood, and is going to have it. He has redeemed it; and the Father is
going to give it to him."

Now, what does Mr. Moody mean when he says that Christ has bought the
earth, and that He is going to have it? Of course, it must be the
population of the earth that he means; otherwise, the words would have
no sense. Then, did Christ purchase the whole population? If He did,
there would be great equity in Him claiming the whole. But Mr. Moody
would be one of the last men to admit that Christ will claim the whole
of mankind. On the contrary, he professes to believe that the greater
portion of mankind is lost beyond all recall!

Such is the confusion and contradiction in which men involve themselves,
who are otherwise the excellent of the earth. There is no
contradiction, however, but glorious harmony, in the idea that Christ
will claim the whole of mankind for His own, because he has bought them