An Appeal To The People In Behalf Of Their Rights As Authorized Interpreters Of The Bible - free ebook by Catharine Esther Beecher

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An Appeal To The People In Behalf Of Their Rights As Authorized Interpreters Of The Bible

Catharine Esther Beecher

111 chapters

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111 chapters

Chapter I. Introduction.

Chapter I. Introduction.

There is an obvious crisis approaching, in the religious world, on questions of the highest moment. In past time such periods of change have been preceded by a slow and silent preparation, in which multitudes have been led into the same course of thought and feeling. Then, as the crisis approached, some efficient leader lifted the last stone which sustained the protecting dyke, and rode on the summit of the in-rushing tide to notoriety and influence. Thus it was in the day of Luther, in the day

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The Augustinian Theory.

The Augustinian Theory.

The Creator has proved his power to make minds with such “a holy nature” that they will have no propensity to sin, by creating the minds of angels and of Adam on this pattern. Adam having this holy nature, with no propensity to sin, did sin, and, as a penalty, or in consequence, all his posterity commence existence without this holy nature, and with such a depraved nature that every moral act is sin and only sin until God regenerates each mind. This favor is bestowed only on a certain “elect” nu

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In what does the depraved nature transmitted from Adam consist?

In what does the depraved nature transmitted from Adam consist?

It is something which God can at any time remedy, at least to some extent, by regeneration. It is something which makes every moral act of every human being sin and only sin until regeneration takes place. It is something which man created himself, either in Adam, or by Adam, or before Adam. It is something which man never can or never will rectify, so that he is entirely dependent on God for the remedy. It is something which most theologians describe as “a bias,” or “a tendency,” or “a propensi

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Ability and Inability.

Ability and Inability.

The next question connected with the Augustine theory is in regard to man's power or ability to obey God. The old school Calvinists hold that man has no power of any kind to obey any of God's laws acceptably until his depraved nature is regenerated by God, and also that he has no power to do any thing that has any tendency to secure regeneration. Every act and feeling is sin and only sin from birth to regeneration. The new school Calvinists hold that man has full power to obey all that God requi

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What is Regeneration?

What is Regeneration?

The next question is, in what does that great change consist which is called regeneration, and which is indispensable to salvation from eternal woe? The old school Calvinists say it is a new nature created by God which naturally acts right, in place of a depraved nature which naturally acts wrong and only wrong. With this new nature man has power to obey God acceptably, and without it he has no power of any kind. The new school Calvinists say that regeneration is a change of the depraved nature

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What must we do to be saved?

What must we do to be saved?

The next question for a race thus mournfully ruined is, “What must we do to be saved?” In reply, the old school Calvinist says, you can do nothing at all. Whoever is saved will be regenerated by God, without reference to any unregenerate doings. It is all decided not by man in any way, but by the “decrees” and “election” of God. The new school Calvinist says, You can do all that God requires, so as to be perfect in every thought, word and deed, from the beginning of moral action to the close of

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True virtue, or right moral action.

True virtue, or right moral action.

The next question is, what is true virtue, or right moral action? By moral action is meant the act of mind in choosing , in distinction from intellectual and other acts of mind. The Calvinists, both old and new school, teach that true virtue, or right moral action in man, is choosing to obey God's laws after regeneration takes place. Previous to regeneration, every choice is sin and has no moral goodness or rectitude. Thus truth, honesty, justice, self-denial for the good of others, obedience to

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The Catholic Method.

The Catholic Method.

The first mode of meeting this difficulty is called that of mystery and sovereignty . It is simply saying that there is no explanation to be given. It is a mystery that God as a sovereign does not choose to explain, and it must be submitted to in uncomplaining silence. This is the Catholic mode which has been perpetuated by many Protestants. It is the same method as is adopted in defending the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation . All who do not resort to the Catholic mode of mystery and sov

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Mode of Augustine and of President Edwards.

Mode of Augustine and of President Edwards.

Augustine, the father of this dreadful system, maintained that all men had a common nature in Adam, which was ruined by his act, after God had made this common nature perfect. That is to say, every human soul existed as a part of Adam, and thus his act was the act of each and of all. This act vitiated the common nature of all, and thus Adam and each of his posterity caused the depravity of their common nature. And thus, though God had the power to create each mind as perfect as he created Adam's

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The Princeton Mode.

The Princeton Mode.

The theologians of Princeton set forth the following as the mode in which man caused his own depraved nature: God created Adam with a perfectly holy nature. Adam sinned and ruined his own nature. God had previously “made a covenant with Adam, not only for himself, but for all his posterity, or in other words, Adam having been placed on trial, not only for himself, but also for his race, his act was in virtue of this relation regarded (by God) as our act . God withdrew from us as he did from him;

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The Constitutional Transmission Mode.

The Constitutional Transmission Mode.

The next way in which man is made to be the author of his own nature is called the constitutional transmission mode . It is as follows: God made Adam with a perfectly holy mind, and then Adam sinned and ruined his own nature. In consequence of this act, God established such a constitution of things that Adam transmitted his depraved nature to all his posterity, just as bodily diseases are transmitted from parents to children. In this way man is said to be the author of his own depraved nature, m

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Condition of infants.

Condition of infants.

The most difficult point of all, is the probable condition of infants after death. On the Augustinian theory they all have been ruined in nature by Adam's sin, and when they die, go with this depraved nature to their final state. Augustine acquired the name of “ durus pater ” (cruel father) because he was consistent with his theory and taught that these little ones, if unbaptized, were doomed to endless torments. But as humanity and common sense have gained ground this hideous tenet has passed a

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The difficulties not removed but rather increased by these methods.

The difficulties not removed but rather increased by these methods.

But the difficulties involved in the Augustine theory do not lie in the mode by which it came to pass that all men begin existence with depraved natures, but in the fact , that God, having power to create all minds as perfect as Adam's, and also the power to regenerate all, has chosen not to do so, and thus has preferred the consequent sin and misery to the happiness resulting from making perfect minds. This grand difficulty stands entirely unrelieved by the above methods. Nay more, they all ser

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Illustration of the Augustinian Theory.

Illustration of the Augustinian Theory.

The following illustrates the case, though but very imperfectly, inasmuch as any finite temporal evils are as nothing compared to the eternal torments to which are assigned all of our race, whose ruined nature is not regenerated before death. A father places a poison in the way of his wife, forbids her to taste it, but knows she will do so and that the consequence will be that all his children will be born blind. Then he places the children thus deprived of sight, in a dreadful morass filled wit

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Creed of the Catholic Church.

Creed of the Catholic Church.

The catechism of the Council of Trent says: “ The pastor, therefore, will not omit to remind the faithful that the guilt and punishment of original sin were not confined to Adam, but justly descended from him, their source and cause, to all posterity. Hence a sentence of condemnation was pronounced against the human race immediately after the fall of Adam. ”...

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John Calvin.

John Calvin.

The celebrated John Calvin, one of the greatest Protestant theologians at the period of the Reformation, wrote a complete system based on the Augustinian theory. This system has been perpetuated in all the various sects which from him are named Calvinistic . The following extract gives his views on this subject: John Calvin. “ It is a hereditary depravity and corruption of our nature, diffused through all parts of the soul, which, in the first place, exposes us to the wrath of God, and then prod

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Westminster Assembly.

Westminster Assembly.

The Westminster Assembly represented the Calvinistic sects of Great Britain near the period of the Reformation. The confession of faith and catechisms prepared by them have ever since been received as a true statement of the system of religious doctrine, as held by the Presbyterian, Congregational, and Calvinistic Baptist denominations in Great Britain and America. The following presents the Augustinian theory, as contained in their creed: “ A corrupted nature was conveyed from our first parents

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The Episcopalians.

The Episcopalians.

The following from the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England presents the same doctrine, as held by the Episcopalians of Great Britain and America: “ Original sin is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered in the offspring of Adam; whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil—and this infection of nature doth remain in the regenerated. ” “ The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such,

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The Methodists.

The Methodists.

In the Methodist Quarterly Review for July, 1857, the editor, in speaking of the works of Arminius, says, p. 345, “Our denomination, whose creed agrees so completely with the teachings of this learned, accomplished and holy man , is bound to maintain the freshness of his precious memory.”...

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Arminius.

Arminius.

In the same article are the following extracts from the works of Arminius, which, on so good authority, may be received as the views of the Methodist churches on this topic: “ The will of man, with respect to true good, is not only wounded, bruised, crooked and attenuated, but is likewise captivated, destroyed and lost, and has no powers whatever , except such as are excited by grace. “ Adam, by sinning, corrupted himself and all his posterity, and so made them obnoxious to God's wrath. ” “ Infa

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Various Protestant doctrines.

Various Protestant doctrines.

The following extracts from the creeds of various European bodies of Protestant Christians show the same doctrine. The Synod of Dort was a great council of Protestant divines at the period of the Reformation. It contained representatives from most of the large bodies of Protestants in Europe. The following gives their views on this subject: Synod of Dort. “ Therefore all men are conceived in sin and born the children of wrath, disqualified for all saving good, propense to evil, dead in sins, the

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Augustine's Mode.

Augustine's Mode.

Thus Augustine supposed that he escaped the charge of making God the author of sin by teaching that God created all the souls of the race in Adam, so that Adam's sin ruined the nature of himself and his posterity all at one stroke, while it made it right and just to send all unbaptized infants to eternal misery. The next extract is introduced to verify the statement made as to the Princeton mode of making man the author of his own depraved nature. This mode is the one adopted by most theologians

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Princeton Mode.

Princeton Mode.

“ The great fact in the apostle's mind was, that God regards and treats all men, from the first moment of their existence, as out of fellowship with himself, as having forfeited his favor. Instead of entering into communion with them the moment they begin to exist (as he did with Adam), and forming them by his Spirit in his own moral image, he regards them as out of his favor, and withholds the influences of the Spirit. Why is this? Why does God thus deal with the human race? Here is a form of d

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Constitutional Transmission Mode.

Constitutional Transmission Mode.

Dr. Dwight's system of theology is regarded as the fairest exhibition of the theological opinions of the majority of the New England Congregational clergy. While the Catholic mode, as taught by Dr. Woods so many years at Andover, is probably adopted by many, the views of Dr. Dwight, and his successor, Dr. Taylor, on the point under consideration, are taught now both at the Andover and New Haven seminaries, and probably are adopted by the great majority of the clergy in the Congregational and New

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Catholic Mode.

Catholic Mode.

The Catholic mode is that of mystery and sovereignty , and is based on the assumption that the mind of man, being utterly depraved, has no capacity to judge of what is right and wrong. According to this, the most abominable and horrible crimes are to be considered virtues if God should commit them, or should teach us that they are so. Among the most distinguished of the Catholic theologians is the learned Abelard, who teaches thus: “ Would it not be deemed the summit of injustice among men, if a

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The Princeton Mode against the Catholic Mode.

The Princeton Mode against the Catholic Mode.

“ Is it more congenial with the unsophisticated moral feelings of men that God, out of his mere sovereignty , should determine that because one man sinned all men should sin, that because one man forfeited his favor all men should incur his curse, or because one man sinned all should be born with a contaminated moral nature, than that, in virtue of a most benevolent constitution by which one was made the representative of the race, the punishment of the one should come upon all? ” That is to say

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The Transmission Mode against the Imputation Mode.

The Transmission Mode against the Imputation Mode.

“ The common doctrine has been, that Adam's posterity, unless saved by Christ, are damned on account of Adam's sin, and that this is just, because his sin is imputed or transferred to them. By imputation his sin becomes their sin . “ When the justice of such a transfer is demanded, it is said that the constitution which God has established makes the transfer just. “ To this it may be replied, that the same way it may be proved just to damn a man without any sin at all , either personal or impute

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Dr. Woods in behalf of the Catholic Mode against the Constitutional Transmission Mode.

Dr. Woods in behalf of the Catholic Mode against the Constitutional Transmission Mode.

“ And is there not just as much reason to urge this objection against the theory just named? Its advocates hold that God [pg 033] brings the whole human race into existence without holiness, and with such propensities and in such circumstances as will certainly lead them into sin; and that he brings them into this fearful condition in consequence of the sin of their first father, without any fault of their own. Now, as far as the divine justice or goodness is concerned, what great difference is

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Julian to Augustine.

Julian to Augustine.

The following is from the celebrated Dr. Watts, whose sacred lyrics endear his name to the Christian world:...

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Dr. Watts.

Dr. Watts.

“ This natural propagation of sinful inclinations from a common parent, by a law of creation, seems difficult to be reconciled with the goodness and justice of God. It seems exceeding hard to suppose that such a righteous and holy God, the Creator, who is also a being of such infinite goodness, should, by a powerful law and order of creation, which is now called nature, appoint young, intelligent creatures to come into being in such unhappy and degenerate circumstances, liable to such intense pa

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Dr. Whelpley.

Dr. Whelpley.

“ The idea that all the numerous millions of Adam's posterity deserve the ineffable and endless torments of hell for a single act of his, before any one of them existed, is repugnant to that reason that God has given us, and is subversive of all possible conceptions of justice. I hesitate not to say, that no scheme of religion ever propagated amongst men contains a more monstrous, a more horrible tenet. The atrocity of this doctrine is beyond comparison. The visions of the Koran, the fictions of

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John Adams.

John Adams.

“ If one man, or being, out of pure generosity, and without any expectation of return, is about to confer any favor or emolument [pg 037] upon another, he has a right and is at liberty to choose in what manner and by what means to confer it. He may confer the favor by his own hand or by the hand of a servant; and the obligation to gratitude is equally strong upon the benefited being. The mode of bestowing does not diminish the kindness, provided the commodity or good is brought to us equally per

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Dr. Channing.

Dr. Channing.

He says of such views: “ They take from us our Father in heaven, and substitute a stern and unjust Lord. Our filial love and reverence rise up against them. We say, touch any thing but the perfections of God. Cast no stain on that spotless purity and loveliness. We can endure any errors but those which subvert or unsettle the conviction of God's paternal goodness. Urge not upon us a system [pg 038] which makes existence a curse, and wraps the universe in gloom. If I and my beloved friends and my

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John Foster.

John Foster.

“ I acknowledge my inability (I would say it reverently) to admit this belief together with a belief in the divine goodness—the belief that ‘ God is love, ’ that his tender mercies are over all his works. Goodness, benevolence, charity, as ascribed in supreme perfection to him, can not mean a quality foreign to all human conceptions of goodness. It must be something analogous in principle to what himself has defined and required as goodness in his moral creatures, that, in adoring the divine goo

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Dr. Edward Beecher.

Dr. Edward Beecher.

“ If any one would know the full worth of the privilege of living under, worshiping, loving and adoring a God of honor, righteousness and love, let him, after years of joyful Christian experience and soul-satisfying communion with God, at last come to a point where his lovely character, for a time, vanishes from his eyes, and nothing can be rationally seen but a God selfish, dishonorable, unfeeling. No such person can ever believe that God is such; but he may be so situated as to be unable ratio

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Chapter IX. The Principles of Common Sense Defined.

Chapter IX. The Principles of Common Sense Defined.

It is claimed, then, that there are certain truths, the belief of which exists in every rational human mind. This belief, in some cases, as all must allow, results from the constitution of mind given by the Creator, and not from any instruction or knowledge gained by other modes. Of this class is the belief of every mind in its own existence, and also the belief in the existence of other things beside ourselves. There are other truths universally believed by every rational mind, where there may

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Every change has a producing cause.

Every change has a producing cause.

Occasional causes are those circumstances which are indispensable to the action of producing causes. Thus, fire applied to powder is the producing cause of an explosion, while the placing of the two together is the occasional cause of it. The idea of a producing cause is one which probably is gained when we first discover that our own will moves our own limbs and other things around us. When we will to move a thing, and find the intended change follows our volition to move it, then we can not he

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Things are and will continue according to our past experience till there is evidence of a change.

Things are and will continue according to our past experience till there is evidence of a change.

All the business of life rests on a belief of this truth. Our confidence that the sun will rise, the seasons return, the ocean and rivers flow, the mountains remain; and in thousands of other things that regulate our plans and conduct, all depends on this implanted belief that things will continue according to our past experience till there is evidence of a change. A man who acted as if he disbelieved this principle would be regarded as having “lost his reason.” When, therefore, we have gained t

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Chapter XI. The People's Mental Philosophy.

Chapter XI. The People's Mental Philosophy.

Now, the only possible way in which any person can discover the nature of another mind is by a knowledge of his own. We first learn by experience the qualities of our own mind, how it acts and how it is acted upon, and then, by a process of reasoning, we learn that there are other minds around us, and that they have similar qualities. The study of mental philosophy, then, is directing attention to the nature of our own mind, and thus discovering the nature of other minds. It differs from all oth

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Intellectual Powers.

Intellectual Powers.

The power to gain ideas by the five senses is called sensation or perception . The power to have ideas without the use of the senses is called conception . Per is the Latin word for by , and con is the word for without . So we have per ceptions by the senses, and con ceptions without the senses. Imagination or fancy , is the power to make new combinations of our conceptions. Memory is the power of recalling past ideas, and of recognizing them as having existed before. Judgment is the power of co

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The Susceptibilities, or Feelings.

The Susceptibilities, or Feelings.

The powers of feeling various kinds of pleasure and pain, happiness and misery, enjoyment and discomfort, are called the susceptibilities , the emotions and the feelings . When any thing is found to be the cause of pleasurable feelings, there follows a desire to secure it, and it is called good . When any thing causes pain, a desire follows to avoid it, and it is called evil . These desires to secure good and avoid evil are called motives (or movers), because they move the mind to action in orde

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The Will.

The Will.

The power of choosing, or willing, is called the will . It is also called the power of volition . When several desires coexist, some of which must necessarily be denied in order to gratify others, we ordinarily choose that object which excites the strongest desire, as measured by our consciousness. But it is often the case that we feel the strongest desire for that which is not best for us. Thus, when sick we have tempting fruit and nauseous medicine before us, with power to choose either. Our i

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Reason, or Common Sense.

Reason, or Common Sense.

Of the thoughts which continually pass through the mind, we find that some are attended with a feeling of the real existence of the objects of our thoughts, and others are not so attended. For example, we may think of a man with a certain form carrying a dagger and going to commit murder, and with this, a feeling that no such thing is really existing. Again, we may have this same idea attended with the conviction that it is a reality. This feeling of the reality of the objects of our thoughts is

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Mode of regulating our thoughts.

Mode of regulating our thoughts.

The mind is continually under the influence of some desire. It constantly has some plan to accomplish, some cause to search out, or some gratification to secure. The present wish or desire of the mind imparts an interest to whatever conception seems calculated to forward this object. Thus, if the mathematician has a problem to solve, and this is the leading desire of the mind, among the various conceptions that arise, those are the most interesting which are fitted to his object, and such immedi

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Chapter XIV. Nature of Mind.—The Moral Sense, or Moral Susceptibilities.

Chapter XIV. Nature of Mind.—The Moral Sense, or Moral Susceptibilities.

The young child first notices that certain actions of its own are regarded with smiles and tones of love and approval, while other acts occasion frowns and tones of displeasure. Next, it perceives that whatever gives pleasure to itself is called good and right , while whatever causes unpleasant feelings is called bad and wrong . Moreover, it notices that there is a right and wrong way to hold its spoon, to use its playthings, to put on its clothes, and to do multitudes of other things. It thus p

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Rational Free Agency.

Rational Free Agency.

In contrast with the above, we have already described the mind of man as possessing the power to choose either that which excites the strongest desire or [pg 074] that which the intellect decides to be best for all concerned . When there is nothing to excite desires, there is no power at all to choose; so that motives are as indispensable to the action of the will as physical causes are to the movement of matter. The more strongly desire is excited the more the power of choice is increased. This

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Subordinate and General Purposes.

Subordinate and General Purposes.

There is a constant succession of selections to be made between different modes of securing happiness. A lesser good is given up for a greater, or some good relinquished altogether to avoid some consequent pain. Often, also, some evil is sought as the means of securing some future good, or of avoiding some greater evil. Thus men endure want, fatigue and famine to purchase wealth. Thus the nauseous draught will be swallowed to avoid the pains of sickness; and thus the pleasures of domestic affect

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On a Ruling Purpose or Chief End.

On a Ruling Purpose or Chief End.

The most important of all the voluntary phenomena is the fact that, while there can be a multitude of these quiet and hidden generic purposes in the mind, it is also possible to form one which shall be the dominant or controlling one, to which all the others, both generic and specific, shall become subordinate. In common parlance this would be called the ruling passion . It is also called the ruling purpose , or controlling principle . This consists in the permanent choice of some one mode of se

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How the Thoughts, Desires and Emotions are controlled by the Will.

How the Thoughts, Desires and Emotions are controlled by the Will.

We will now consider some of the modes by which the will controls the thoughts, desires and emotions. We have seen, in previous pages, the influence which desire and emotion exert in making both our perceptions and conceptions more vivid. Whatever purpose or aim in life becomes an object of strong desire, is always distinctly and vividly conceived, while all less interesting objects are more faint and indistinct. We have also seen that whenever any conception arises it always brings connected ob

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Chapter XVI. Constitutional Varieties of the Human Mind.

Chapter XVI. Constitutional Varieties of the Human Mind.

Finally, in regard to the power of volition, as has been before indicated, there are some that possess a strong will that is decisive and effective in regulating all specific volitions, while others possess various and humbler measures of this power. According to the science of Phrenology, some of these peculiarities of mind are indicated by the size and shape of different portions of the brain, and externally indicated on the skull. That these differences are constitutional, and not the result

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Chapter XVII. Nature of Mind.—Habit.

Chapter XVII. Nature of Mind.—Habit.

As examples of moral habits may be mentioned those which are formed by the oft-repeated exercise of self-government, justice, veracity, obedience, and industry. The will, as has been shown, gains a facility in controlling specific volitions and in yielding obedience to the laws of right action by constant use, as really as do all the other mental powers. The happiness of man, in the present state of existence, depends not so much upon the circumstances in which he is placed, or the capacities wi

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Chapter XVIII. The Nature of Mind Our Guide to the Natural Attributes of God.

Chapter XVIII. The Nature of Mind Our Guide to the Natural Attributes of God.

Thus we are necessarily led to conceive of the Creator as possessing the intellectual powers described in previous pages. He perceives, conceives, imagines, judges and remembers just as we do. So also all our varied susceptibilities to pleasure and pain exist in the Eternal Mind. The desire of good and the fear of evil which are the motive power in the human mind, exist also in the divine. Thus by the light of nature we settle the question that the existence of susceptibilities to pain and evil

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Intellectual Powers.

Intellectual Powers.

First, then, in reference to the earliest exercise of mind in sensation . The eye might have been so made that light would inflict pain, and the ear so that sound would cause only discomfort. And so of all the other senses. But the condition of a well-formed, healthy infant is a most striking illustration of the adaptation of the senses to receive enjoyment. Who could gaze on the countenance of such a little one, as its various senses are called into exercise without such a conviction? The delig

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The Susceptibilities.

The Susceptibilities.

In regard to the second general class of mental powers— the susceptibilities —the first particular to be noticed is the ceaseless and all-pervading desire to gain happiness and escape pain . This is the mainspring of all voluntary activity; for no act of volition will take place till some good is presented to gain, or some evil to shun. At the same time, as has been shown, the desire to escape evil is more potent and effective than the desire for good. Thousands of minds that rest in passive lis

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Chapter XX. Additional Proof of the Moral Attributes of God.

Chapter XX. Additional Proof of the Moral Attributes of God.

Next comes the discipline of the school and the neighborhood, when the child is placed among his peers to be taught new rules of justice, benevolence, and self-sacrifice for the general good. Next come the relations of the body politic, for which labors are demanded and pain is to be endured according to the grand law of sacrifice, by which the individual is to subordinate his own interests and wishes to the greater general good, so that the interests of the majority shall always control those o

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Chapter XXI. Nature of Mind as Perfect in Construction.

Chapter XXI. Nature of Mind as Perfect in Construction.

The question then must be this, is the mind of man, as a race , the best in construction, that is possible in the nature of things? Is our mind made as good as it can be , so that no change is possible that would make it better? In replying to this question, we must regard the matter in two relations. We have noticed, in the chapter on the Constitutional Varieties of the Human Mind, that while there are powers and attributes of mind which are common to all, there is an endless variety of charact

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Right Actions and Rewardable Actions.

Right Actions and Rewardable Actions.

The preceding furnishes the ground for the distinctions always recognized between voluntary action which is right as best for all concerned, and those actions which are deemed praiseworthy , rewardable , and meritorious . Whenever the dictates of reason and our strongest desire are coincident, so that choosing what is right and best involves no struggle; then the ideas of merit and of desert of reward, praise, and commendation are wanting. We say such acts are right, but there is no merit in the

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Right in Tendency and Right in Motive.

Right in Tendency and Right in Motive.

Mankind in all ages and in all languages speak of certain acts as right or wrong in reference to their tendency or their effect on human happiness, and without reference to the intention of the author. Thus they affirm that the stealing and selling of men is wrong, whatever may be the motives of the slave trader. Again, they speak of acts as right or wrong in reference to the motive or intention of the author. Thus they say a man who sacrificed his wealth and reputation, rather than to violate h

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Right General Purpose.

Right General Purpose.

Again, it has been shown that a man may form a general purpose to act right in obeying all the laws of God as discoverable by reason or revelation. This general purpose may be a quiet, abiding principle, so as to regulate the thoughts and emotions, and may control [pg 138] most of the specific choices of a whole succeeding life. The main purpose , or chief end of such a man is to bring all his thoughts, words, and actions into perfect agreement with the rules of rectitude. In reference to this a

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Definitions.

Definitions.

A right moral act , as it respects its tendencies , is one in which the thing chosen is for the best good of all concerned. A right moral act , as to motive , is one in which the intention of the actor is to conform to the rules of rectitude. A meritorious or praiseworthy act is one in which there is some sacrifice of feeling, either immediate or remote, in order to conform to law. A virtuous act is one in which that which is chosen is right, both in tendency and in motive . A virtuous character

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Is True Virtue Possible before Regeneration?

Is True Virtue Possible before Regeneration?

In the discussions which are to follow, it will be found that almost every point debated involves, as a foundation question, “what is true virtue?” And the grand question at issue between the system of common sense and the teachings of all theologians who uphold the Augustine theory, is this: is true virtue possible to an unregenerate mind ? Theology says no, common sense says yes. Theology teaches that previous to regeneration every voluntary act of every human mind is “sin, and only sin.” Comm

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Perfectness in Construction and Perfectness in Action and Character.

Perfectness in Construction and Perfectness in Action and Character.

In a previous chapter we have seen [p. 103 ] that our idea of perfectness in moral character and action always has reference to power . In a system where evil is actually existing, we regard a contrivance or an action as perfect when there is no power in God or man to make it better, even when evil is involved. A being is perfect in character and in action when his purpose is to do the best possible for all concerned, and when this purpose is carried out to the full extent of his power. We have

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Common Sense Theory of the Origin of Evil.

Common Sense Theory of the Origin of Evil.

What then is the cause or origin of evil as taught by reason and experience? It is the eternal nature of things existing independently of the will of the Creator or of any other being. What is the cause of the existence of this created system? It is the will of the Creator. What is the cause or reason why God willed that this system should be as it is, with all the evil that exists? It is because it is the best system possible in the nature of things. What is the cause or reason that any given e

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Several Classes of Moral Actions.

Several Classes of Moral Actions.

There are several classes of moral actions. The first class includes those which in all cases destroy the best good of man. Of these are wanton cruelty to helpless creatures, and ingratitude in returning needless evil for good. In regard to such the mind, by its very constitutional impulses, revolts from them and feels them to be wrong without any process of reasoning. So also all those actions that in all cases cause enjoyment without evil, are instinctively felt to be right without any reflect

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Sin and Holiness.

Sin and Holiness.

The preceding, then, warrants the definition of sin as “ the transgression of law ,” whether known or unknown. The question of the rectitude of penalties added to the natural consequences of violated laws, is confined to those sins which are attended by a knowledge of law and ability to understand and obey. These distinctions and definitions are important because a large class of theologians maintain that sin is the voluntary transgression of known law, and make this definition the foundation of

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Chapter XXIV. Love to God And Love to Man.

Chapter XXIV. Love to God And Love to Man.

Thus we have gained these definitions: Involuntary love toward God and toward men consists in agreeable emotions in view of admirable qualities. Voluntary love toward God and toward men consists in good willing , or the voluntary effort to please and make happy. To “love our neighbor as ourselves ” must refer solely to voluntary love, for we have no regard to our own agreeable qualities in the love of self. Self-love is simply the desire and will to please and gratify self. This then is the kind

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Chapter XXV. Increased Civilization Increases Moral Difficulties.

Chapter XXV. Increased Civilization Increases Moral Difficulties.

This view of the subject still further illustrates the nature of that inability which exists in all finite minds in discovering and obeying the laws of God. There are only two conceivable modes by which we can learn these laws; one is by the experience of finite beings; the other is by revelation from the Creator. To learn what is right and wrong by experience involves not only the certainty, but the necessity, as it respects the absolute right, of wrong-doing; for no one, however right the moti

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Chapter XXVI. Humility and Meekness.

Chapter XXVI. Humility and Meekness.

In carrying out this principle, there must be discretion exercised as to time and manner of performing the duty; and there are some limitations to be recognized, which are matters of expediency . For example, a man must seek the best time to expose what is wrong, and he must seek to do it in a manner that will secure the good aimed at with the least possible evil. And if it can be done better by the agency of another, the aid of that other should be invoked. So in regard to limitations, what is

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Chapter XXVII. The Standard of Right and Wrong Decided by The Risks of Eternity.

Chapter XXVII. The Standard of Right and Wrong Decided by The Risks of Eternity.

Now suppose that, in these circumstances, some of the wanderers are taught that there were no such dangers, that the paths were all safe and certain, and that every one of them would sooner or later arrive safely at home. Others are taught that there probably is some danger and some doubt as to the amount of risks, yet as no one knows much about the matter, on any alternative, it is very wise to be careful and prudent. Another class are taught that all these terrific dangers do exist; nay more,

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Chapter XXVIII. The Destiny of Man in the Future Life.

Chapter XXVIII. The Destiny of Man in the Future Life.

This being so, we have the same reason to believe that the soul of man exists after death as we have for believing that our friends are living when they leave us on a journey, and we have no evidence of their death. We can not see them, hear them, or feel them, and yet we believe they are living, we know not exactly where, because we have no evidence of their death. And so, after the dissolution of the body, though all evidence of sense as to the existence of their immaterial part ceases, we bel

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Chapter XXIX. What Must We Do To Be Saved?

Chapter XXIX. What Must We Do To Be Saved?

Mind itself is the only producing cause of its own volitions. Excited desires, and those objects which excite desire, are the occasional causes of choice. The question is, in what sense can any being be the cause of virtuous actions, or virtuous character, in another mind? Here we must recur to the fact that the Creator, as the author of all minds, and of all the things that excite desire, is the cause, in one sense, of all the volitions and of all the characters of all finite minds. It is in th

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Chapter XXX. How Far Reason and Experience are Sufficient Without Revelation.

Chapter XXX. How Far Reason and Experience are Sufficient Without Revelation.

We will now notice how far the system of Boodh corresponds with that of common sense. This religion 13 is one in which there is no intervention of any supreme God, or any self-existent being, or any Creator; on the contrary, all souls and all the universe exist from eternity. All souls from eternity have gone on transmigrating from one body to another, rising or falling in the scale of existence according to their merit or demerit. Boodh is a general name for a divinity or god. There have been i

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Chapter XXXI. Augustinian Creeds and Theologians Teach the Common-Sense System.

Chapter XXXI. Augustinian Creeds and Theologians Teach the Common-Sense System.

“ If respect to the Divine Being is of any importance, then speculative points are of importance, for the only way we can know what he is, is by speculation . ” Dr. Woods, for near half a century a leading theological teacher of New England, says: “ All our particular conceptions of God may be found to take their rise from the conceptions we form of created intelligences . ” Dr. Emmons, a distinguished New England divine, says of man: “ In the very frame and constitution of his nature he still b

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Chapter XXXII. Augustinian Creeds and Theologians Contradict the Common-Sense System, and Thus, Also, Contradict Themselves.

Chapter XXXII. Augustinian Creeds and Theologians Contradict the Common-Sense System, and Thus, Also, Contradict Themselves.

Common sense claims that the indispensable requisites to secure right voluntary action are, knowledge , training and motives , for which we are dependent on God, on man, and on self, conjointly. In opposition, Augustinianism claims that knowledge, training and motives are of no avail to secure true virtue, until the damage done by Adam's sin to the nature of every human mind, is more or less rectified, and that for this we are entirely dependent on the Spirit of God. Common sense claims that man

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Interpretation of the Apostolic Age.

Interpretation of the Apostolic Age.

The first interpretation is that of the Apostolic age and onward to the time of Augustine. It is briefly this: Adam is a type of Christ, and as by Adam's sin natural death came on all who are his natural children , (for they all, like Adam, have sinned and suffer death as the consequence,) so by one man, Christ, spiritual life comes to all who are Christ's spiritual children . This simply teaches that Adam as the head of a sinning race, who suffer death in consequence of his sin and their own, i

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Augustinian Interpretation.

Augustinian Interpretation.

The Augustinian interpretation is this: The sin of Adam caused a depraved nature and consequent spiritual death to all his descendants. So also the obedience and death of Christ have purchased or caused a holy nature and spiritual life to all who are regenerated....

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Princeton Interpretation.

Princeton Interpretation.

It has been shown that the Princeton theologians teach, that though all men did not sin in Adam, or sin at all, before they were born, yet God imputes Adam's sin to them, and regards and treats them as if they had committed it. Their interpretation of this passage then is briefly this: As by, or on account of, Adam's sin a condemning sentence came on all men, so by Christ's obedience a sentence of acquittal ( i.e. , justification) came on all who are regenerated. According to these divines, vers

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Chapter XXXIV. A Reliable Revelation From The Creator Impossible If It Contains The Augustinian Theory.

Chapter XXXIV. A Reliable Revelation From The Creator Impossible If It Contains The Augustinian Theory.

The conviction of the wisdom and power of the Author of this vast and wonderful frame around us is such that, whatever changes may occur in its established order, must be felt to be by his permission. To illustrate this, suppose a man appeared, claiming to be a teacher sent from God. In proof of this, he commands a mountain to be uptorn and thrown into the sea. Now, if this phenomenon should follow his command, it would be impossible for any who witnessed it, to refrain from believing that the A

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Chapter XXXV. Tendencies of the Two Opposing Systems.

Chapter XXXV. Tendencies of the Two Opposing Systems.

The character of the Creator, as “the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, slow unto anger, of great kindness;” “who doth not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men;” who “like as a father pitieth his children;” who is “a father of the fatherless and a judge of the widow;” “a God without iniquity, just and right;” “a judge of the fatherless and the poor;” who “shall judge the world with righteousness;” “a righteous God, who trieth the heart and the reins;” who “will regard the pra

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Tendencies of the Two Systems in Regard to the Cultivation of the Reasoning Powers and Moral Sense.

Tendencies of the Two Systems in Regard to the Cultivation of the Reasoning Powers and Moral Sense.

The common-sense system, resting on the assumption that happiness-making, according to the laws of God , is the chief end of man, naturally leads to the development of the intellect and reason in order to discover these laws, and to the devotion of all our powers to happiness-making, according to these laws. This being so, every thing that tends to make enjoyment and diminish evil without violating law, is valued as good and right. All noble, generous, self-sacrificing and honorable sentiments a

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Tendencies of the Common-Sense System.

Tendencies of the Common-Sense System.

In contrast to these tendencies of the Augustinian system, in regard to individual religious experience, we notice those of the common-sense system. According to the latter, the first birth brings man into existence as an undeveloped being, with perfect and wonderful capacities of knowledge, enjoyment and self-control. The first period of existence is necessarily a period of experimenting , in which mind is dependent on others for most of the knowledge indispensable to right action, and also for

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Chapter XXXVIII. Tendencies of the Two Systems in Reference to the Character of God.

Chapter XXXVIII. Tendencies of the Two Systems in Reference to the Character of God.

It has been shown [ Chapter 28 ] that by the light of reason and experience alone, we infer that our race are exposed to dreadful risk and danger of evils, which to some will prove interminable. If, then, it can be made to appear that our Creator has submitted to great humiliation and suffering to rescue us, and that his chief desire is that his creatures should obey his beneficent laws, the strongest conceivable motives would be secured to lead to glad obedience to the rules of virtue. And havi

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Chapter XXXIX. Tendencies of the Two Systems as to Church Organizations.

Chapter XXXIX. Tendencies of the Two Systems as to Church Organizations.

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 obedi

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Chapter XL. Tendencies of the Two Systems in Regard to Humility, Meekness and a Teachable Spirit.

Chapter XL. Tendencies of the Two Systems in Regard to Humility, Meekness and a Teachable Spirit.

Having thus decided that the church that agrees with himself is the true church, the man proceeds, not only to receive reverently the decisions of his church, but assumes that every other man is bound to do the same. The Catholic receives one set of interpretations from the church that he himself has infallibly decided to be the true church. The Protestant receives the creeds and confessions of the church he has infallibly decided to be the true church, whose regenerated ministers and members ar

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Chapter XLI. Tendencies of the Two Systems in Regard to Dogmatism, Persecution and Ecclesiastical Tyranny.

Chapter XLI. Tendencies of the Two Systems in Regard to Dogmatism, Persecution and Ecclesiastical Tyranny.

Isabella of Spain, by whose generosity this western world was discovered, was one of the most gentle, conscientious, benevolent and lovely characters that ever adorned a throne. She was trained to believe the church to be the representative of God on earth, and her father confessor, Torquemada, the originator of the Inquisition, was the guide of her conscience. By his commands the Inquisition reared its horrid dungeons. By his counsel the industrious, cultivated and chivalrous Moors, the most us

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Chapter XLII. Tendencies of the Two Systems as Shown in Controversy and Sects.

Chapter XLII. Tendencies of the Two Systems as Shown in Controversy and Sects.

The idea that every man is to receive the teachings of Christ, uncontrolled by church authority, as he understands them, and that he is a Christian just so far as he understands aright and obeys them, found no advocates for long centuries. Meantime the ecclesiastics, as the only infallible interpreters of God's word, and the only source by which to gain regenerating influences, abused the influence thus acquired, to build up the awful prelatic power that ruled Christendom for ages. At last, with

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Chapter XLIII. Practical Tendencies of the Two Systems.

Chapter XLIII. Practical Tendencies of the Two Systems.

But we always have the great principle of common sense to guide us, that whatever is for the best is right , leaving it for reason and experience to settle what is and what is not for the best. But in contrast the Augustinian system, in many ways, tends to becloud the mind in regard to practical questions of right and wrong. Thus the assumption that there are no principles in the human mind that enable us to judge of the character and conduct of God; that we have no means of learning what is the

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Chapter XLIV. Tendencies of the Two Systems in the Training of Children.

Chapter XLIV. Tendencies of the Two Systems in the Training of Children.

On the other hand, the Arminian view of the efficacy of rites and means of grace sanctioned by God as the mode of securing regeneration, has led to great stress on the use of those rites and forms. The Catholic and a portion of the Episcopal church, have taught that the rite of baptism was the appointed mode of remedying the depravity engendered from Adam. And so indispensable was it deemed to the salvation of infants, that not only laymen, but women were allowed to administer this rite at the a

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Present Position of Theologians.

Present Position of Theologians.

In attempting to portray the present state of the theological world, it is needful first to distinguish between a class which may distinctively be termed theologians and the much larger class which are pastors of the people. The two classes are so commingled that it would be impossible to draw any line so exact as to arrange all in these two classes; for sometimes the same person is both theologian and pastor. Still there is foundation for classification as distinct as ordinarily exists in regar

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Chapter XLVI. Present Position of the Church.

Chapter XLVI. Present Position of the Church.

While the members of these churches do not claim that all who do not come into their organizations are of the opposite class, they do, by their profession and admission to such churches, claim to be of the regenerated class, to whom the above terms of the Bible are to be applied, while the great majority of mankind, not in these organizations, are called by them “the world,” “the unregenerate,” “sinners,” “the wicked,” and by other similar terms. So long as the great body of the people were guid

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Chapter XLVII. State of the Pastors of Churches.

Chapter XLVII. State of the Pastors of Churches.

In this state of things, some of the most successful and intelligent pastors have decided, in such cases, to cut loose from their creeds and confessions, and to receive to the communion any young children whom their parents believe and feel to be thus prepared for it. The position assumed by the parochial clergy in the great revival of the past year, has been a remarkable index. The people of all sects and creeds came together to express their wish and intention to serve the Lord Christ by obedi

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Chapter XLVIII. The Position of Popular Education.

Chapter XLVIII. The Position of Popular Education.

It is also very noticable that in Great Britain the most influential patrons of popular education, and writers on the training of the young, have, though members of the established church, vigorously opposed the Augustinian system. Archbishop Whateley has written a most powerful argument, and one which none have attempted to answer, in favor of the common-sense view of church organization. He also has given all his influence to the establishment of schools for the people, in which every parent a

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Chapter XLIX. The Position of Woman as Chief Educator of Mind.

Chapter XLIX. The Position of Woman as Chief Educator of Mind.

The result is a generation of women well trained for high and independent thought and action. At the same time, it is probable that there never before was so large a proportion of the best educated women who were so decidedly conscientious and religious. It is granted by all, that it is to woman more than to man, that is committed the chief business of training the human mind at its most important stage of development. It is granted, also, that in order to success in culture, both physical and m

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Chapter L. Present Position of Young America.

Chapter L. Present Position of Young America.

Of this class of minds not a few are found in our theological seminaries. And here they encounter new difficulties. As the system of Augustinianism is developed as the basis of their professional training, they attempt to meet it with some discussion. In this they find little or no encouragement. Free discussion seems to be deemed inadmissible, and those who urge it find themselves in an uncomfortable minority, who are regarded rather as agitators than as manly and independent seekers after trut

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Chapter LI. Present Position of the Religious Press.

Chapter LI. Present Position of the Religious Press.

These being facts, it may properly be affirmed that the religious press in this country is barred from the full and free discussion of the great question of eternal life, “What must we do to be saved?” One of the most remarkable indications of this fact is the course pursued by the leading religious periodicals of each sect in noticing the work before referred to, Common Sense applied to Religion, or the Bible and the People . In that work, and in an article in the Independent, as well as by pri

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Chapter LII. The Present Position of the Secular Press.

Chapter LII. The Present Position of the Secular Press.

In this state of the case, all the interests of the religious press are opposed to free investigation and discussion, and all the interests of the secular press are as powerfully interested to promote it. In appealing, therefore, from the theological world to “the people,” it is the editors of the secular press—the true “ Tribunes of the people” —who will render the verdict, and this verdict is awaited with very little doubt or apprehension in regard to its nature. The questions submitted for de

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What Theologians will do?

What Theologians will do?

In attempting to indicate the probable future course of theologians, it is important to notice the relative positions of persons trained to sustain a system of doctrines, and of those who seek for truth and duty without any such commitment. Most theologians grow up from infancy under a system of doctrines inculcated both from the pulpit and in the family. This enlists all the strong and inveterate influences of early education in its favor. Next, the collegiate pulpit instructions and associatio

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What the Pastors will do?

What the Pastors will do?

The pastors of the people are that class in which the division of conservatism and progress must most immediately and most distinctly appear. And the reason is, that the question to them is a practical one, more so than it can be to any other class of men. It is their business and calling to teach men what they must do to be saved, and every week they must appear before the public to give their opinions on this very question. In this situation, the conservative class will include all who have ta

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What the Church will do?

What the Church will do?

In regard to church organizations, it has been shown that there are two diverse principles on which these organizations may be perpetuated. The first is the Augustinian, in which the principle of union is a supposed change of the nature transmitted from Adam, enabling a man to perform truly virtuous acts, as none ever do who are not thus re-created. The second is that of common sense, in which the principle of union is the acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as Lord and Master, and the purpose to obe

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What Women will do?

What Women will do?

The great principle of Protestantism, in distinction from Catholicism, is, that every person is to be an independent interpreter of the Bible, responsible to no man or body of men; and that every person is to protest against all that conflicts with this right. This principle carried out consistently, makes theologians and pastors a class sustained by the people, not as dogmatic teachers of their own opinions, but as persons set apart for the purpose of gaining and of communicating to the people

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What Young America will do?

What Young America will do?

The higher the development of humanity, the more the capacities for enjoyment and suffering are increased, and the more civilization multiplies the means and modes of gratifying increasing desires, the stronger becomes the deep-felt anxiety in regard to the invisible future. Are all these capacities, so infinite in their tendencies, to expand for ever, only to be wrenched and crossed and baffled as they are in this life? What are our dangers? What are we to do to escape them? This is more and mo

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What the Religious Press will do?

What the Religious Press will do?

This question is the most perplexing of all, at least to those who have attentively marked the recent developments in the religious world. What is there that more clearly defies at once the moral sense, the common sense and the teachings of the Bible, than the system of slavery as it now exists in this country, and yet a majority of not only editors, but of the ministers of Christ, in some of our most intelligent and large denominations, openly refuse freedom of discourse on this subject; nay, m

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What the Secular Press will do?

What the Secular Press will do?

The answer to this question is much more clear than the preceding one, inasmuch as the secular press, to a great extent, is free from the embarrassments that restrain the religious press. It has become so manifest that the great body of the people are determined to enjoy perfect liberty of [pg 363] conscience, and to defend the right of free discussion in religion and morals, as well as in politics, that it is clearly for the interests of editors, not committed to sectarianism, to uphold these r

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Note.

Note.

Hereafter, the title of the first volume will be Common Sense Applied to Religion . This volume is the second portion. The final portion, not yet published, will be entitled The Bible Interpreted by Common Sense . The new school divines agree with the old school in teaching that previous to regeneration every moral act is sin and only sin , and that God has made no promises to unregenerate doings, which would obligate him to re-create the soul, in return for such performances. On the contrary, t

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Note A.

Note A.

There are three points on the subject of the future state, which need to be discussed separately. The first is, will there be an eventual separation of the human race, at some final consummation, so that from that point, through all eternity, there will be two separate communities, the good being perfect in character and happiness, and the bad reaping the natural results of their evil tempers and conduct for ever ? The second is, does our conduct in this life have an influence in deciding our de

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Note B.

Note B.

That some may become so good in this life as to insure an eternal upward progress, and that some may become so bad as to insure a perpetual downward progress, may be true, and yet, to others new opportunities may be given. It is by revelations from the Creator alone that these points can be effectually settled. It is shown in chapter 27, that every system of religion or morals must be decided by these questions. Therefore, these questions, and the authority of the Bible on these points, must bec

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Note C.

Note C.

In regard to this philosophy, various theories have been incorporated into creeds and theological systems. The most common theory at the present time, in this country, is, that the sufferings and the death of Christ avail to sustain the justice and the laws of God as effectually as would the infliction of eternal misery on all who are regenerated. That is to say, if by repentance and reformation, without an atonement, men should escape all the penalties for past sin, the result would be that God

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Note D.

Note D.

This mode of explaining the depravity of mind is to be found in the Conflict of Ages . On page 90 the following passage exhibits the author's idea, both of a perfectly constructed mind , and of a depraved mind : “So there is a life of the mind . It involves an original and designed correlation to God, and such a state of the affections, passions, emotions, intellect and will, that communion with God shall be natural , habitual, and the life of the soul. He who has been so far healed by divine gr

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Note E.

Note E.

The theory which this author adopts is, that the “normal” state of man's “ nature or moral constitution ” was created in man by God in a preëxistent state, and that man's “ depravity or pollution anterior to the action of the will” consists in “a habit of sinning,” generated in this preëxistent state. This habit of sinning was not a part of the perfectly-constructed nature made by God. Man himself introduced it into his own mind, thus rendering it so depraved that every moral act is sin, and onl

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Note F.

Note F.

“The moment you realize this goodness of Christ, his helpfulness to you, his lenient, forgiving, sympathizing spirit, then you know what faith in Christ means. If such a Saviour attracts you, and you strive all the more ardently, from love toward him and trust in him, then you are a Christian: not a religious man , but a Christian . “A man may worship through awe, or through a sense of duty, and I think there are hundreds of men in the churches who are only religious men , and not Christians . A

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Note G.

Note G.

In the first class, is one whom, above all others, the writer would prefer to meet in a discussion on this great question. It is one who is remembered in early life as the honest, serious, book-loving boy; next as the earnest Christian and faithful student, winning the highest honors of a collegiate course; next as a student of theology called to several of the highest city pulpits, even before finishing his preparatory course; next, even in youth, the president of a flourishing western college,

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