The doctrine of the Atonement can be regarded simply as a fact without any reference to the philosophy of it, i.e., the mode or cause of this fact. Jesus Christ came into this world to save men from sin and its inevitable penalties, by his teachings, sufferings and death. This fact may be received without any attempt to explain the why or the how it came to pass, or how it is made efficacious, which are the philosophy of this fact.
In regard to this philosophy, various theories have been incorporated into creeds and theological systems.
The most common theory at the present time, in this country, is, that the sufferings and the death of Christ avail to sustain the justice and the laws of God as effectually as would the infliction of eternal misery on all who are regenerated. That is to say, if by repentance and reformation, without an atonement, men should escape all the penalties for past sin, the result would be that [pg 374] God's justice would be impeached and his laws be nullified, just as human lawgivers become unjust and their laws are made void when all penalties are remitted. This difficulty, it is supposed, on the common theory, was met by the sufferings and the death of Jesus Christ, as a vicarious substitute in behalf of those saved. That is to say, this atoning sacrifice operates to preserve the justice of God and the efficiency of laws, as effectually as would the eternal punishment, from which all regenerated persons are thus rescued.
This mode of explaining the why and the how may be relinquished and another mode adopted, or no theory at all may be deemed needful, while belief may remain in the great fact, that Jesus Christ wrought out the salvation of those who are saved, by his advent, sufferings and death, and that they could be saved by no other mode.
It is very important to recognize this distinction between the fact and the philosophical theories invented to explain the fact; because it is frequently the case that the denial of a theory is regarded as a denial of the great fact, when such is not the case. All may agree in the fact when very diverse theories are held to explain it.
Whether our Creator actually has come in human form into this world, and exhibited an example of self-sacrifice and suffering for the general good, is what we may infer as probable by the light of nature, but which we can fully prove only by revelation.
Note D.
Whether the Creator ever communes with the human spirit except through the material organizations, is one on which reason and experience furnish no intimations.
No record is to be found of any communications from the Creator to mankind that were not made either by visible forms or intelligible sounds, or by visions and dreams in sleep. All the revelations recorded in the Bible were by some one of these methods.