To say that we all “sinned _in_ Adam,” thousands of years before we were born, and are punished by a ruined nature, so far as we can conceive of such an absurd proposition, what is this penalty better than inflicting endless tortures on myriads of new‐born infants for their first ignorant and unconscious sin? To say that _man_, or _Adam_ is the author of all this ineffable wrong, because it is done by “a constitutional transmission” from parent to child, of which God is the author, when he had full power to make each child perfect in nature, what is this but adding to cruelty and injustice a mean subterfuge in order to cast the blame on Adam and his race? The mind turns from a God so represented, with horror and dismay, and it is only by concealing this system, by representations that are _perfectly contradictory_, that the baleful impression is lessened. The view of God’s character thus presented by the Augustinian theory, not only lessens the power of motive which the common‐sense view of the Creator’s character affords, but brings a powerful positive influence to turn the human mind from that love and obedience toward God which is so indispensable to peace and happiness. CHAPTER XXXIX. TENDENCIES OF THE TWO SYSTEMS AS TO CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS. It has been shown that the common‐sense theory teaches that all mankind must, in order to eternal happiness, be trained by human agencies to choose what is _best_, guided by the laws of God, as learned by experience or by revelation. Under the guidance of this general principle, _associated_ bodies would result, whose aim would be discussion and instruction to discover and perpetuate a _knowledge_ of the rules of rectitude, and to secure all those _motives_ which experience has proved to be most effective in securing obedience to these rules. In other words, the chief end of such associations would be to find out what is _best_ and thus right, and also the _best_ modes of securing right action. The experience of mankind has shown that the most effective way to extend and perpetuate any religion is to have a body of men supported who shall give their chief energies and time to this object. Social gatherings at regular periods have also been found effective to this end. In short, were a system of religion established, founded _exclusively_ and _consistently_ on experience and common sense, it would include sabbaths of interrupted worldly affairs, social gatherings to promote worshipful obedience to the Creator and a body of men educated and sustained for the express purpose of discovering, instructing in and perpetuating the intellectual, social, moral and religious interests of humanity. Such a ministry would be not dogmatic teachers, but leaders in discussions and investigations.