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There must be many, even in the circle of Dr. Cumming’s admirers, who would be revolted by the doctrine we have just exposed, if their natural good sense and healthy feeling were not early stifled by dogmatic beliefs, and their reverence misled by pious phrases. But as it is, many a rational question, many a generous instinct, is repelled as the suggestion of a supernatural enemy, or as the ebullition of human pride and corruption. This state of inward contradiction can be put an end to only by the conviction that the free and diligent exertion of the intellect, instead of being a sin, is part of their responsibility–that Right and Reason are synonymous. The fundamental faith for man is, faith in the result of a brave, honest, and steady use of all his faculties:

“Let knowledge grow from more to more,
But more of reverence in us dwell;
That mind and soul according well
May make one music as before,
But vaster.”

Before taking leave of Dr. Cumming, let us express a hope that we have in no case exaggerated the unfavorable character of the inferences to be drawn from his pages. His creed often obliges him to hope the worst of men, and exert himself in proving that the worst is true; but thus far we are happier than he. We have no theory which requires us to attribute unworthy motives to Dr. Cumming, no opinions, religious or irreligious, which can make it a gratification to us to detect him in delinquencies. On the contrary, the better we are able to think of him as a man, while we are obliged to disapprove him as a theologian, the stronger will be the evidence for our conviction, that the tendency toward good in human nature has a force which no creed can utterly counteract, and which insures the ultimate triumph of that tendency over all dogmatic perversions.

FOOTNOTES:

{1} 1. “The Church before the Flood.” By the Rev. John Cumming, D.D. 2. “Occasional Discourses.” By the Rev. John Cumming, D.D. In two vols. 3. “Signs of the Times; or, Present, Past, and Future.” By the Rev. John Cumming, D.D. 4. “The Finger of God.” By the Rev. John Cumming, D.D. 5. “Is Christianity from God? or, a Manual of Christian Evidence, for Scripture-Readers, City Missionaries, Sunday-School Teachers, etc.” By the Rev. John Cumming, D.D. 6. “Apocalyptic Sketches; or, Lectures on the Book of Revelation.” First Series. By the Rev. John Cumming, D.D. 7. “Apocalyptic Sketches.” Second Series. By the Rev. John Cumming, D.D. 8 “Prophetic Studies; or, Lectures on the Book of Daniel.” By the Rev. John Cumming, D.D.

{2} “Lect. on Daniel,” p. 6.

{3} “Man of Ev.” p. 81.

{4} “Signs of the Times,” p. 38.

{5} “Apoc. Sketches,” p. 243.

{6} “Man. of Christ. Ev.” p. 184.