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 · 80 of 128

1. Christ the only Mediator.

§ 1. Christ the only .

According to the Scriptures the of the eternal Son of God was not a necessary event arising out of the nature of God. It was not the culminating point in the development of humanity. It was an act of voluntary humiliation. God gave his Son for the of man. He came into the world to save his people from their sins; to seek and save those who are lost. He took part in flesh and blood in order, by death, to destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and to deliver those who through fear of death (i.e., through apprehension of the wrath of God), were all their lifetime subject to bondage. He died the just for the unjust that He might bring us near to God. Such is the constant representation of the Scriptures. The doctrine of the modern speculative theology, that the would have occurred though man had not sinned, is, therefore, contrary to the plainest teachings of the Bible. Assuming, however, that fallen men were to be , then the was a necessity. There was no other way by which that end could be accomplished. This is clearly taught in the Scriptures. The name of Christ is the only name whereby men can be saved. If could have been attained in any other way, Christ, says the Apostle, is dead in vain. (Galatians ii. 21.) If the law (any institution or device) could have given life, should have been by the law. (Galatians iii. 21.)

As the design of the of the Son of God was to us unto God, and as of parties at variance is a work of mediation, Christ is called our . As is sometimes effected by mere , or negotiation, the person who thus effectually may be called a . But where involves the necessity of satisfaction for sin as committed against God, then he only is a who makes an for sin. As this was done, and could be done by Christ alone, it follows that He only is the between God and man. He is our peace-maker, who reconciles Jews and unto God in one body by the cross. (Ephesians ii. 16.) To us, therefore, there is one between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy ii. 5.)

The Romish Church regards priests, and , and angels, and especially the Virgin Mary, as , not only in the sense of , but as peace-makers without whose intervention with God cannot be attained. This arises from two erroneous principles involved in the theology of the Church of Rome. The first concerns the office of the priesthood. Romanists teach that the benefits of can be obtained only thrpugh the intervention of the priests. Those benefits flow through the . The to be available must be administered by men canonically ordained. The priests offer sacrifices and grant absolution. They are as truly , although in a subordinate station, as Christ himself. No man can come to God except through them. And this is the main idea in mediation in the Scriptural sense of the word.

The other principle is involved in the doctrine of merit as held by Romanists. According to them, good works done after have real merit in the sight of God. It is possible for the people of God not only to acquire a degree of merit sufficient for their own salvation, but more than suffices for themselves. This, on the principle of the communion of , may be made available for others. The , therefore, are appealed to, to plead their own merits before the throne of God as the ground of the pardon or deliverance of those for whom they . This according to the Scriptures is the peculiar work of Christ as our ; assigning it to the , therefore, constitutes them . As the Christian minister is not a priest, and as no man has any merit in the sight of God, much less a superabundance thereof, the whole foundation of this Romish doctrine is done away. Christ is our only , not merely because the Scriptures so teach, but also because He only can and does accomplish what is necessary for our to God; and He only has the personal qualifications for the work.