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RESURRECTION.
505
superficially and inadequately acquainted ? Even in the ranks of the Christian clergy themselves there are to be found men, like Kevd. H. E. Sampson, the distinguished author of " The Progressive Christianity," who have realized the weakness of the orthodox interpretation of their creed, and have burnt midnight oil in a brave and manly endeavour to put it on a higher and rational basis. He has established the fact that re-incarnation is a fundamental part of the true doctrine of the church, and, although many errors have crept into the book for want of accurate knowledge of the divine philosophy, one cannot refuse to recognize the signal service he has rendered to Christendom at large.
As a matter of fact, Mr. Sampson does not bestow on the doctrine of fall' that consideration which its importance demands, and believes the origin of sin to Jie in a violation of the law of segregation of species. We regret we are unable to agree with him, also, when he tries to interpret religious dogmas from the standpoint of a historian. It is impossible to criticise his elaborate reasoning, at length, in the present work, but a few of the arguments against his theory may be briefly stated as follows:
(1) the fall of Adam, or the origin of sin, is a typical affair, not an historical event, in the physical world, and, therefore, cannot be explained on historical lines ;
(2) if the fall were due to unlawful intercourse, whether sanctioned by any matrimonial tie or not, botween the Sons of God and the daughters of men, the condition of humanity prior to the act of transgression
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