PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Systematic Theology — Volume 3
Hodge, Charles, 1797–1878 · 407,138 words · 462 reading sections
SANCTIFICATION.
§ 1. Its Nature. Sanctification in the Westminster Catechism is said to be " the work of God's "free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness." Agreeably to this definition, justification differs from sanctifi- cat…
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power of the truth, nor to that of the rational subject in whom the effect is produced. It is due to the power of God over and above the power of the second causes concerned. The effects of grace, or fruits of the Spirit, are above the sphere of the natural they belong to the supernatural. The mere power of truth, ar- …
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soul, without the demonstration of the Spirit. The sacred writ- ers, therefore, constantly pray for this divine influence, " extrin- secus accidens," to attend the means of grace and to render them effectual, as well for sanctification as for regeneration and conver- sion. Every such prayer, every thanksgiving for grac…
1,477 wordsSECTION 124Part 124
Admitting sanctification to be a supernatural work, the ques- tion still remains, What does it consist in ? What is the nature of the effect produced ? The truth which lies at the foundation of all the Scriptural representations of this subject is, that regen- eration, the quickening, of which believers are the subject…
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repeatedly and in detail. In the seventh chapter of the Epistle to the Romans we have an account of this conflict elaborately de- scribed by the Apostle as drawn from his own experience. And the same thing occurs in Galatians v. 16, 17. This I say then, " Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the fles…
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therefore, perfectly pertinent to the Apostle's object that he should detail his own experience that sanctification could not be effected by the law. 2. But in the second place, he uses the first person singular throughout. He says, " I had not known sin," " I died," " The commandment which was ordained to life, I fou…
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By the flesh, in the doctrinal portions of Scripture, is never, un- less the word be limited by the context, meant merely our sen- suous nature, but our fallen nature, i. e., our nature as it is in itself, apart from the Spirit of God. As our Lord says (John iii. 6), " That which is born of the flesh is flesh ; and tha…
462 wordsSECTION 128VOL. III. 15
226 part ni. Ch. xviii. — sanctification. those recognized and assumed to be regenerate, requiring them, on the one hand, to resist their evil passions and propensities, to lay aside all malice, and wrath, and pride, and jealousy ; and on the other, to cultivate all the graces of the Spirit, faith, love, hope, long-su…
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has pledged Himself to carry out, He becomes bound by his promise to accomplish the full salvation from sin of every one who believes. The Effect of Union with Christ. 2. The soul by this act of faith becomes united to Christ. We are in Him by faith. The consequences of this union are, (a.) Participation in his merits…
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whole is the temple of God ; but so is every believer. (1 Cor. iii. 16 ; vi. 19.) The Church is the bride of Christ, but every believer is the object of that tender, peculiar love expressed in the use of that metaphor. The last verse of Paul Gerhardt's hymn, " Ein Lammlein geht und tragt die Schuld," every true Christi…
870 wordsSECTION 131§4.J GOOD WORKS. 231
much the more as ye see the day approaching." (Heb. x. 24, 25.) 6. The Spirit renders the ordinances of God, the word, sacra- ments, and prayer, effectual means of promoting the sanctifi- cation of his people, and of securing their ultimate salvation. These, however, must be more fully considered in the sequel. The K…
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pei Spiritum Sanctum veteris Adami mortificatio et renovatio in spiritu mentis eorum inchoata sit : tamen vetus Adam in ipsa na- tura, omnibusque illius interioribus et exterioribus viribus adhuc semper inhaeret." Calvin 1 says, " Seligat ex tota sua vita sanc- tus Dei servus, quod in ejus cursu maxime eximium se putab…
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also devote his time, his talents, his whole fortune to the service of his country. Thus also, according to Romanists, men may not only do all that the law of God requires of men as men, but they may also through love, far exceed its demands. This Mohler rep- resents a& a great superiority of Romish ethics over the Pro…
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lation to the motive which prompts it, it may be good or bad. If done to be seen of men, it is offensive in the sight of God. If done from natural benevolence, it is an act of ordinary morality. If done to a disciple in the name of a disciple, it is an act of Christian virtue. The works of the children of God, therefor…
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is not under the law but under grace ; and being accepted for what Christ did, it is of little consequence what he does. Luther denounced this perversion of the Gospel, which overlooked en- tirely the distinction between the law as a covenant of works demanding perfect obedience as the condition of justification, and t…
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calumniantur nos adversarii, quod nostri non doceant bona opera, cum ea non solum requirant, sed etiam ostendant, quomodo fieri possint." 1 Antinomianism. Antinomianism has never had any hold in the churches of the Reformation. There is no logical connection between the neglect of moral duties, and the system which t…
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of God, in spite of their theories and their creeds, do not trust for their salvation, either in whole or in part, to what they are or to what they do ; but simply and exclusively to what Christ is and has done for them. In proof of this, appeal may be made to the written or recorded experience of all the great lights …
995 wordsSECTION 138§ 7.J PERFECTIONISM. 245
would be no injustice were the thief saved on the cross as highly exalted as the Apostle Paul. But the general drift of Scrip- ture is in favour of the doctrine that a man shall reap what he sows ; that God will reward every one according to, although not on account of his works. § 7. Perfectionism. Protestant Doctrin…
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come short of the glory of God ; that no flesh living is just in the sight of God ; and that every one mnst lay his hand upon his mouth, and his mouth in the dust in the sight of the infinitely holy God, who accuses his angels of folly, refer to all men with- out exception ; to Jews and Gentiles ; to the renewed and un…
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block in the way of the advocates of perfection from Pelagius to the present day. It was urged by Augustine in his argument against the doctrine of his great opponent that men could be en- tirely free from sin in the present life. The answer given to the argument from this source has been substantially the same as that…
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this obedience was rendered in the exercise of their ability, as- sisted by the grace of God. By grace, Pelagius says that we are to understand, (1.) The goodness of God in so constituting our nature that we can com- pletely obey the law in virtue of our free agency. (2.) The revelation, precepts, and example of Chris…
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falls short of this ideal is as little responsible, and as little de- serving of punishment, as an epic poet who should fall short of the Iliad of Homer." The Romish theory is consistent. In baptism all sin is washed away. By the infusion of grace full ability is given to do all that is required of us. Nothing can be …
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(1.) Voluntary transgression of known law. In this sense all who are born of God are free from sin. (2.) It means all unholy tem- pers, self-will, pride, anger, sinful thoughts. From these the per- fect are free. (3.) But mistakes and infirmities are not sins. u These are," indeed, "deviations from the perfect law, and…
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3. There is no moral character in anything but generic volitions, or those purposes which terminate on an ultimate end. There is no moral character in feeling, and much less in states of mind not determined by the will. When a man's purpose is to promote the happiness of the universe he is perfectly holy ; when it is a…
692 wordsSECTION 145THE LAW.
§ 1. Preliminary Principles. The Personality of Grod involved in the Idea of Law ; and, there ■ fore, all Morality is founded on Religion. The principal meanings of the word law are, (1.) An estab- lished order in the sequence of events. A law, in this sense, is a mere fact. That the planets are distant from the sun …
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of the divine being in man. Man is the image of God, and there- fore in his nature is like God, perfect or complete in himself ; and conformity to the divine image is for him the goal and command. (Matt. v. 45.) Religion, on the other hand, is the bond between man and God, or what binds men to God, so that we should kn…
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The other principle is that, no matter what our intention may be, we sin against Christ when we make such use of our liberty, in matters of indifference, as causes others to offend. In the first of these cases the sin was not in being circumcised, but in making circumcision a condition of our justification. In the seco…
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always and everywhere. An obligation arising out of circum- stances must vary with circumstances. (4.) When it is oblig- atory to abstain from the use of things indifferent, is a matter of private judgment. No man has the right to decide that ques- tion for other men. No bishop, priest, or church court has the right to…
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by all men, so there are moral truths so simple that they are uni- versally recognized. As beyond these narrow limits there is diversity of knowledge, so there must be diversity of judgment. But this is not inconsistent with the Scriptural doctrine that even the most degraded heathen are a law unto themselves, and show…
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founded on the permanent relations of men, and therefore, were in- tended to be of perpetual obligation, which many have repudiated as peculiar to the old dispensation. Such are some of the laws relating to marriage, and to the infliction of capital punishment for the crime of murder. If it be asked, How are we to dete…
1,490 wordsSECTION 151Part 151
As the law given on Sinai and written on two tables of stone, is repeatedly called in the Scriptures " The Ten Words," or, as it is in the English version of Exodus xxxiv. 28, " The Ten Com- mandments, " there is no doubt that the contents of that law are to be divided into ten distinct precepts. (See Deut. iv. 13, and…
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numbered off as first, second, third, etc. The consequence is that different modes of division have been adopted. The Jews from an early period adopted the arrangement which is still recognized by them. They regard the words in Exodus xx. 2, as constitut- ing the first commandment, " I am the Lord thy God, which have b…
856 wordsSECTION 153§3.] PREFACE TO THE COMMANDMENTS. 275
If, therefore, the two commands, " Thou shalt have no other gods," and " Thou shalt not make any graven image," are distinct, there is no room for the question whether the command against coveting should be divided. There is, moreover, no pretext for such divis- ion, unless we follow the order given in Deuteronomy, whi…
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definite meaning from which we are not at liberty to depart. We may not substitute for the idea which the word in Scripture and in ordinary language is intended to express, any arbitrary philosophical notion of our own. God is the Being, who, because He is all that the word Jehovah implies, is the proper object of wors…
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rendering to any creature the homage or obedience due to God alone; or exercising towards any other person or object those feelings of love, confidence, and submission which belong of right only to God. It is, therefore, a violation of this commandment either to fail in the full and sincere recognition of God as God, …
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rendering to any creature the homage or obedience due to God alone; or exercising towards any other person or object those feelings of love, confidence, and submission which belong of right only to God. It is, therefore, a violation of this commandment either to fail in the full and sincere recognition of God as God, …
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men and philosophers so often endeavour to invalidate the argu- ments for the existence of God, and advance opinions inconsistent with Theism ; arguing, as they in many cases do, to prove either that there is no evidence of the existence of any power in the universe other than of physical force, or that no knowledge, c…
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many and lords many. In both cases either imaginary beings are the objects of worship, or imaginary powers and attributes are ascribed to them. In both cases, also, the homage rendered, the blessings sought, the prerogatives attributed to the objects of worship and the affections exercised toward them, involve the as- …
448 wordsSECTION 159PART ID. Ch. XIX. — the law.
Christ is God manifest in the flesh : therefore she was the Mother of God. The infant Saviour was a divine person. Christians do not hesitate to say that God purchased his Church with his own blood. According to the usage of Scripture, the person of Christ may be designated from one nature, when the predicate belongs t…
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loveth thy name, O Virgin Mary ; thy grace shall comfort his soul. As a tree irrigated by fountains of water, he shall bring forth the richest fruits of righteousness." In the second Psalm the prayer is directed to the Virgin : " Protect us with thy right hand, O Mother of God," etc. Ps. ix., "I will confess to Thee, O…
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known to the Apostles. This of course implies the rejection of the doctrine of tradition. That doctrine is, that a plenary revela- tion of all Christian doctrine was made by Christ to the Apostles and by them communicated to the Church, partly in their writings and partly by oral instructions. To prove that any doctrin…
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be there perpetually." (1 Kings ix. 3.) There can therefore be no doubt that the second commandment was intended only to for- bid the making or using the likeness of anything in heaven or earth as objects of worship.1 The Worship of Images forbidden. It is equally clear that the second commandment does forbid the use…
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Jehovah by the use of images is denounced and punished as an act of apostasy from God. When the Hebrews in the wilderness said to Aaron, " Make us gods which shall go before us," neither they nor Aaron intended to renounce Jehovah as their God ; but they desired a visible symbol of God, as the heathen had of their gods…
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highest duty is to Him. The greatest sin a man can commit is to refuse to render to God the admiration and obedience which are his due, or to transfer to the creature the allegiance and ser- vice which belong to Him. Hence no sin is so frequently or so severely denounced in the Scriptures. The most intimate relation w…
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their being made objects of worship; and Gregory the Great allowed their use only as means of instruction.1 In A. D. 726 the Emperor Leo III. issued an ordinance forbid- ding the use of images in churches as heathenish and heretical. To support his action a council was called, which met in Constan- tinople A. D. 754, …
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fidelibus inutiliter honorari ; atque eorum opis impetrandse causa sanctorum memorias frustra frequentari ; omuino damnandos esse ; prout jampridem eos damnavit, et nunc etiam damnat ecclesia." J On relic-worship the Roman Catechism, says, " Cui fidem non faciant et honoris, qui Sanctis debetur, et patrocinii, quod nos…
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custom of depositing the remains of the saints under altars, and burning incense and lamps before their tombs.1 Remarks. 1. From all this it appears that the Romanists worship im- ages in the same way that the heathen of old did, and pagans of our own day still do. They " bow down to them and serve them." They pay th…
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ulous powers to these pretended relics as Romanists do, is to the last degree superstitious and degrading. It is true that a little more than a century ago belief in necromancy and witchcraft was almost universal even among Protestants. But there is the greatest possible difference between superstitious beliefs prevail…
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is to resist the impulse to " bow down to them and serve them," can doubt the wisdom of their exclusion from places of public worship. § 7. The Third Commandment. " Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain ; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." The literal meaning o…
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Adieu, Good-bye or God be with you, and God forbid, which may have had a pious origin, constantly used without any recognition of their true import, but even persons professing to fear God often allow themselves to use his name as a mere expression of surprise. God is everywhere present. He hears all we say. He is wort…
1,521 wordsSECTION 171Part 171
2. An oath is lawful when prescribed and administered by duly authorized officers of the State, or of the Church ; they are the " ministers of God," acting in his name and by his authority. There are many who do not regard it as proper that an oath should ever be taken, except when thus imposed by those in authority. T…
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should be made. The " veracitas in mente," includes the sincere purpose of doing what we promise, or of telling the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, to the best of our knowledge in the case in which we testify. This excludes all intention to deceive, all mental reservation, and all designed ambiguity of language…
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animus imponentis, as is universally admitted, must therefore determine the interpretation of an oath. It was the fact that the Jesuits inculcated the lawfulness of mental reservation, which more than anything else made them an abomination in the eyes of all Christendom. It was this which furnished the sharpest thong t…
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que cessat obligatio juramenti, licet improprie, per adimpletionem sive totalem solutionem rei juratae : et e contra dicitur cessare ab initio, quia juramentum fuit nullum, sive quia nullam ab initio obligationem produxit." Number nine opens a very wide door the last clause especially seems to teach that a promissory o…
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of the particulars included in the vows of the Nazarite. There was no special virtue in abstaining from wine, vinegar, grapes moist or dry, or in letting " the locks of the hair of his head grow." (Num. vi. 3-5.) The Romish -doctrine on this subject is connected with the distinction which Papists make between precepts …
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and that vows about trifles are irreverent, and should neither be made nor regarded, but should be repented of as sins. Even Thomas Aquinas says, " Vota quae sunt de rebus vanis et inu- tilibus, sunt magis deridenda, quam servanda." 1 Monastic Vows. At the time of the Reformation the doors of all the monas- teries in…
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5. Monastic life, instead of being subservient to holiness of heart, was in the vast majority of cases injurious to the monks themselves. The fearful language of Jerome is full of instruction : " O quo ties ego ipso in eremo constitutus in ilia vasta solitudine, quae exusta solis ardoribus, horridum monachis praestat h…
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The Sabbath was instituted from the Beginning, and is of Per- petual Obligation. 1. This may be inferred from the nature and design of the in- stitution. It is a generally recognized principle, that those com- mands of the Old Testament which were addressed to the Jews as Jews and were founded on their peculiar circum…
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shalt thou delight thyself in the Loed ; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father ; for the mouth of the Lobd hath spoken it." (Is. lviii. 13, 14.) Gesenius is very much puzzled at this. The prophets predicted that under the Messiah the true re…
972 wordsSECTION 180§8.] THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT. 827
tion of this day from all others was made so that " the return of this blessed and holy day should be to him a memorial, and par- ticipation of the divine rest." 1 And Knobel, one of the most pro- nounced of the rationalistic commentators, says, " That the author of Genesis makes the distinction of the seventh day coev…
960 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1872). Text from OCR of an original Internet Archive scan; OCR may contain recognition errors.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.