Christian Classics
‹ Systematic Theology - Volume II
Contents
TitlePrefatoryPart II. Anthropology1. Scriptural Doctrine.2. Anti-Scriptural Theories.3. Antiquity of Man.1. Scripture Doctrine2. Trichotomy.3. Realism.4. Another form of the Realistic Theory.1. Theory of Preëxistence.2. Traducianism.3. Creationism.4. Concluding Remarks.Chapter IV. Unity of the Human Race.1. Meaning of the Word, or the Idea of Species.2. Evidence of Identity of Species.3. Application of these Criteria to Man.4. Philological and Moral Evidence1. The Scriptural Doctrine.2. Man Created in the Image of God.3. Original Righteousness.4. Dominion over the Creatures.5. The Doctrine of the Romish Church.6. Pelagian and Rationalistic Doctrine.Chapter VI. Covenant of Works.1. God entered into Covenant with Adam.2. The Promise.3. Condition of the Covenant.4. The Penalty.5. The Parties to the Covenant of Works.6. Perpetuity of the Covenant of WorksChapter VII. The Fall.1. The Nature of the Question to be Considered.2. Philosophical Theories of the Nature of Sin.3. The Doctrine of the Early Church.4. Pelagian Theory.5. Augustinian Doctrine.6. Doctrine of the Church of Rome.7. Protestant Doctrine of Sin.8. The Effects of Adam’s Sin upon his Posterity.9. Immediate Imputation.10. Mediate Imputation.11. Preëxistence.12. Realistic Theory.13. Original Sin. · Part 113. Original Sin. · Part 213. Original Sin. · Part 314. The Seat of Original Sin.15. Inability.Chapter IX. Free Agency.1. Different Theories of the Will.2. Definition of Terms.3. Certainty Consistent with Liberty.1. God has such a Plan.2. Supralapsarianism.3. Infralapsarianism.4. Hypothetical Redemption.5. The Lutheran Doctrine as to the Plan of Salvation.6. The Remonstrant Doctrine.7. Wesleyan Arminianism.8. The Augustinian Scheme.9. Objections to the Augustinian Scheme.1. The Plan of Salvation is a Covenant.2. Different Views of the Nature of this Covenant.3. Parties to the Covenant.4. Covenant of Redemption.5. The Covenant of Grace.6. The Identity of the Covenant of Grace under all Dispensations.7. Different Dispensations.1. Preliminary Remarks.2. The Scriptural Facts concerning the Person of Christ.3. The Hypostatical Union.4. Consequences of the Hypostatical Union.5. Erroneous and Heretical Doctrines on the Person of Christ.6. Doctrine of the Reformed Churches.7. Lutheran Doctrine.8. Later Forms of the Doctrine.9. Modern Forms of the Doctrine.1. Christ the only Mediator.2. Qualifications for the Work.3. The Threefold Office of Christ.1. Nature of the Prophetic Office.2. How Christ executes the Office of a Prophet.1. Christ is truly, not figuratively, a Priest.2. Christ our only Priest.3. Definition of Terms1. Statement of the Doctrine.2. The Intrinsic Worth of Christ’s Satisfaction.3. Doctrine of the Scotists and Remonstrants.4. Satisfaction rendered to Justice.5. The Work of Christ Satisfies the Demands of the Law.6. Proof of the Doctrine. · Part 16. Proof of the Doctrine. · Part 26. Proof of the Doctrine. · Part 37. Objections.1. State of the Question.2. Proof of the Augustinian Doctrine.Chapter IX. Theories of the Atonement.1. The Orthodox View.2. Doctrine of some of the Fathers.3. The Moral Theory.4. The Governmental Theory.5. The Mystical Theory.6. Concluding Remarks.1. Christ our Intercessor.2. Its Nature.3. Its Objects.4. Intercession of Saints.1. The Church God’s Kingdom.2. Christ is truly a King.3. Nature of Christ’s Kingdom.4. The Kingdom of Glory.1. Includes his Incarnation.2. He was made under the Law.3. His Sufferings and Death.4. He endured the Wrath of God.5. His Death and Burial.1. Resurrection of Christ.2. Ascension of Christ.3. Sitting at the Right Hand of God.4. Christ’s coming to judge the World.1. Scriptural Usage of the Word.3. Common Grace.4. Efficacious Grace.5. Proof of the Doctrine.6. Objections.7. History of the Doctrine of Grace.

Charles Hodge · 61 of 128

7. Wesleyan Arminianism.

§ 7. Wesleyan .

The system received such modifications in the hands of Wesley and his associates and followers, that they give it the designation of Evangelical , and claim for it originality and completeness. It differs from the system of the Remonstrants, —

1. In admitting that man since the fall is in a state of absolute or entire pollution and . is not a mere physical deterioration of our nature, but entire moral .

2. In denying that men in this state of nature have any power to coöperate with the of God. The advocates of this system regard this doctrine of natural ability, or the ability of the natural man to coöperate with the of God as Semi-, and the doctrine that men have the power by nature perfectly to keep the commandments of God, as pure .

3. In asserting that the guilt brought upon all men by the sin of Adam is removed by the which has come upon all men by the of Christ.

4. That the ability of man even to coöperate with the Spirit of God, is due not to anything belonging to his natural state as fallen, but to the universal influence of the of Christ. Every infant, therefore, comes into the world free from condemnation on the ground of the of Christ and with a seed of divine , or a principle of a new life implanted in his heart. “That by the offence of one,” says Wesley, “judgment came upon all men (all born into the world) unto condemnation, is an undoubted truth, and affects every infant, as well as every adult person. But it is equally true, that by the of one, the free gift came upon all men (all born into the world — infants and adults) unto .” And Fletcher, says, “As Adam brought a general condemnation and a universal seed of death upon all infants, so Christ brings upon them a general and a universal seed of life.” “Every human being,” says Warren, “has a measure of (unless he has cast it away), and those who faithfully use this gracious gift, will be accepted of God in the day of judgment, whether Jew or Greek, Christian or . In virtue of the mediation of Jesus Christ, between God and our fallen race, all men since the promise Gen. iii. 15, are under an economy of , and the only difference between them as subjects of the moral government of God, is that while all have and light enough to attain salvation, some, over and above this, have more and others less.” Wesley says, “No man living is without some preventing , and every degree of is a degree of life. And in another place, “I assert that there is a measure of free will supernaturally restored to every man, together with that supernatural light which enlightens every man that cometh into the world.”

According to this view of the plan of God, he decreed or purposed, (1.) To permit the fall of man. (2.) To send his Son to make a full satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. (3.) On the ground of that satisfaction to remit the guilt of Adam’s first and of , and to impart such a measure of and light to all and every man as to enable all to attain eternal life. (4.) Those who duly improve that , and to the end, are ordained to be saved; God purposes from eternity, to save those who He foresees will thus in faith and holy living.

It is plain that the main point of difference between the later Lutheran, the , and the Wesleyan schemes, and that of Augustinians is, that according to the latter, God, and according to the former, man, determines who are to be saved. Augustine taught that out of the fallen family of men, all of whom might have been justly left to perish in their apostasy, God, out of his mere good mercy, elected some to everlasting life, sent his Son for their , and gives to them the Holy Spirit to secure their , faith, and holy living unto the end. “Cur autem non omnibus detur [donum fidei], fidelem movere non debet, qui credit ex uno omnes isse in condemnationem, sine dubio justissimam: ita ut nulla Dei esset justa reprehensio, etiamsi nullus inde liberaretur. Unde constat, magnam esse gratiam, quod plurimi liberantur.” It is God, therefore, and not man, who determines who are to be saved. Although this may be said to be the turning point between these great systems, which have divided the Church in all ages, yet that point of necessity involves all the other matters of difference; namely, the nature of ; the motive of God in providing ; the nature and design of the work of Christ and the nature of divine , or the work of the Holy Spirit. Thus, in a great measure, the whole system of theology, and of necessity the character of our religion, depend upon the views taken of this particular question. It is, therefore, a question of the highest practical importance, and not a matter of idle speculation.