EMORY UNIVERSITY
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
A Question-Book oi Bible Doctrines and Baptist Church
Polity, With Scripture References.
BY
The Rev. J. T. BROWN, A. M., S. T. B.
NASHVILLE, TENN.
National Baptist Publishing Board.
1903.
Copyrighted 1903,
by
J. T. BROWN.
to
reverends matthew w. gilbert, d. d.,
of south carolina,
and
martin hurd,
oe texas,
THIS LITTLE BOOK
is most affectionately and gratefully
DEDICATED.
rev. m. hurd, though not a college man, has so much of
that inspired common sense and native negro
eloquence steeped in divine love, that he is
a power as a pastor and a leading
light in the councils of his
church and "in every good
work" which she
undertakes.
rev. M. w. gilbert, the finished scholar, rare pulpiteer
of national reputation, is my best earthly friend,
True and tried, who in loving and helpful com¬
panionship rejoiced with me in the sunshine
of prosperity and was equally present,
with cheering sympathy and ster¬
ling assistance, in the dark
night of adversity.
to
these two clean, christian gentlemen,
representatives
of the two classes of The great baptist ministry,
this volume is dedicated,
that wherever it is read, all men may know that
true and disinterested friendship
is not a thing of the past;
and that the christian ministry furnishes
the purest and sweetest love fruit
that grows on the vine of
human association.
(iii)
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF REV.
J. T. BROWN, D. D.
BY REY. M. W. GILBERT, D. D.
Jacob Tileston Brown, our author, and
the subject of this sketch, was born of slave
parents, Prince and Mary Brown, at Hil¬
ton Head, Beaufort County, S. C., on July
7th 1863, being the only son of four chil¬
dren. At an early age he attended schools
on Hilton Head taught by northern teach¬
ers soon after the war. Major Martin R.
DeLaney was a special friend of his father,
and as a guest in his father's home observed
the boy's budding genius and advised his
father to send him off to school at all haz¬
ards. At the age of eleven he professed a
saving faith in Christ, and was baptized on
Hilton Head in the Broad River by the Rev.
A. Murcheson, a famous Negro Baptist min¬
ister.
Young Brown was early impressed with
the desire and conviction of a call to preach
and has been active in church work ever
since his conversion. His father with the
CD
2 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
aid of a northern lady placed him in the
Hampton Institute at Hampton, Ya.,
where he distinguished himself as a student.
It was at Hampton that he met and en¬
joyed the friendship of Principal Booker T.
Washington of the famous Tuskegee Insti¬
tute. Having graduated from Hampton in
1878, he began to teach school in Great
Bridge, Norfolk Co., Ya., on the edge of the
well-known Dismal Swamp, when a mere
boy not yet sixteen years old. This self-
reliant position developed in him the latent
quality of genius. Mr. Brown was the
personal friend of Augustus M. Hodges, who
has distinguished himself in Negro literature.
"Little Jake Brown," as he was called in
Hampton, because of his having been the
smallest and youngest pupil in that insti¬
tution, returned to his home in South Caro¬
lina after his brief experience as a teacher in
Virginia. He taught several years at Hil¬
ton Head and Bluffton, S. C., having had
at the former place a cultured white lady as
his assistant. As a teacher he took first
rank in the county, and by means of this
service he assisted his parents in securing a
fine farm. Having then been impressed
THEOLOGICAL KBRNBLS.
3
with the necessity of a higher education, he
went to Lincoln University, Chester Co.,
Pa., through the influence of the late Sam¬
uel J. Bampfield, the son-in-law of the Hon.
Robert Smalls, who also has been a staunch
friend of Dr. Brown. Entering Lincoln in
Sept., 1884, he graduated with honors in
1888, having won "three gold medals—two
for original composition and oratory in his
Freshman and Junior years, and one for
excellence in the Sciences.
While studying at Lincoln Mr. Brown be¬
came a member of the First Baptist Church
(white) of Oxford, Pa., and was by that
church licensed to preach. His pastor, the
Rev. W. H. Barrows, was a great help to
him and his congregation a source of unfail¬
ing comfort. A beautiful and sacred tie was
formed between this congregation and our
subject, whom they delighted to hear preach,
though a colored man. It was their desire
to ordain him, but he preferred to receive
his ordination at the hand of the brethren
among whom his life was to be spent.
Mr. Brown also pursued a theological
course at Lincoln, graduating with the de¬
gree of S. T. B., three years after his gradu-
4
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
ation from the college department. During*
his theological course, he was tutor for the
Freshman Class in college, an honor but
once before conferred upon a theological
student. It was a deserving tribute both to
Mr. Brown's exact and superior scholar¬
ship and to the fairness and breadth of the
management of Lincoln, in view of the fact
that all through his career in college and
seminary Mr. Brown was an outspoken
and consistent Baptist, though in a Presby¬
terian school. The Latin salutatory
oration delivered by him on graduating
from college called forth the most extrava¬
gant terms of praise from college men pre¬
sent from all parts of the country and even
high praise from the press. On his gradua¬
ting from the theological course, on April
21st, 1891, he delivered a masterly valedic¬
tory on the subject, "Ideals," which has be¬
come the traditional valedictory model at
Lincoln University. Repairing soon there¬
after to Savannah, Ga., he there married
Miss Sadie A. Cashin of that citjr who had
been for years a teacher in the city school.
One child, a girl was the result of this union.
Mr. Brown's first work was as pastor of
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 5
the First Baptist Church at Fernandina,
Fla., and professor in the Florida Institute,
at Live Oak, Fla., then under the presidency
of Rev. Dr. M. W. Gilbert. He served in
that capacity until the school was fired
into by certain base citizens of Live Oak,
and the president decided to inaugurate a
movement to erect a school of the same
kind in Jacksonville. Mr. Brown was first
assistant here in the Florida Baptist Acad¬
emy and served until President Gilbert
resigned, when he was elected president
and served two years, graduating the first
class amid much enthusiasm. The good
work was deepened and intensified during
his administration.
In 1896 he accepted a call from the Dex¬
ter Avenue Baptist Church of Montgomery,
Ala. Subsequently he became the pastor
of the People's Baptist Church of the same
city, which he served until he was called to
the chair of Theology and Languages in
Guadalupe College, Seguin, Tex., where
for two years he served with conspicuous
success. Having always been interested in
the education of his ministerial brethren, he
has decided to enter upon a new work and
6
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
reach the pastors who have not had a
chance to become prepared for their work
and who are unable to leave their homes to
attend a school. To help these men and to
reach and inspire the licensed preachers,
Dr. Brown is now conducting Ministers' In¬
stitutes in which he helps them to systema¬
tize and correlate the facts and principles of
the Bible. It is a sort of walking or rotary
school of primary English theology.
The ministry of Texas is elated over this
idea, and the best and brainiest men of the
denomination endorsed the work and are
heartily supporting it. Rev. L. L. Camp¬
bell, D. D., the moderator of the St. John
Association, which is doubtless the most
aggressive association in the state, recom¬
mended that the Institution idea as oper¬
ated by Dr. Brown be adopted as one
method of quickly helping the burden-bear¬
ing pastor and of inspiring the despondent
licensed preacher. This annual address
was adopted with the above recommenda¬
tions.
Dr. Brown during his entire ministerial
career has given special attention to the
subject of Systematic Theology and New
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 7
Testament Greek. He was the first to give
form and literary and theological value "to
the Sunday School Lessons of our National
Baptist Publishing House, contributing the
first expositions when the fight was hottest
amid the fierce light of adverse criticism.
Dr. Brown is now the capable clerk of the
St. John Association of Texas. As a
speaker, he uses chaste language and
is deliberate and clear in its enunciation.
As a preacher he is thoughtful, easily in¬
structive, and at times remarkably elo¬
quent. As a writer he is always clear,
avoiding all tendencies to grandiloquence.
One of his most memorable efforts was his
doctrinal sermon before the National Bap¬
tist Convention years ago in its session at
Savannah, Ga.; and another was his re¬
sponse to the Governor of the State of
Texas, Hon. Jos. D. Sayers, on the occasion
of the Centennial Jubilee of the Negro Bap¬
tists of the state. Both of these efforts
stamped Dr. Brown as one of the ablest col¬
ored men in this country. He has been
much in demand as a platform speaker on
great occasions, men always putting him
forward as a creditable and safe counsellor
and champion of his people.
8
THEOLOGICAL KBRNBLS.
Dr. Brown is also a favorite on com¬
mencement occasions. He lias delivered an¬
nual and baccalaureate addresses at Tuske-
gee Institute, Dr. Council's scliool, and the
Normal Scliool at Montgomery, Ala. Upon
three or four occasions he has sat on plat¬
forms with governors of states, notably in
Alabama and Texas.
Dr. Brown is the possessor of a magnifi¬
cent library of the choicest books, which is
an indication of his studious habits. He is
by nature and habit a student. He has
contributed occasional articles for such
journals as the New York Independent.
Born of slave parents, and having
worked hard to educate himself at Lincoln,
and being yet a young man, Dr. Brown is a
standing illustration of the possibilities of
young men who through self-denial, perse-
verence, and undaunted courage, are will¬
ing to consecrate themselves to high ideals
and noble ends.
Charleston, S. C., Oct. 7, 1901.
AUTHOR'S PREFACE.
The author has written this little book
because he believes it is needed. There are
many books containing all that is in this
volume, but none in this way. Truth is com¬
mon property; expression is private prop¬
erty. After ten years of endeavor to
teach the children of the Sunday school and
the ministers of the gospel, I am of the can¬
did opinion that what is needed is a book
of this kind. This one may not hit the
mark, but it will furnish suggestions for
abler minds who will hit the mark.
The Negro's religion needs more than
emotion—the transient ebullitions of feel¬
ings. It needs the firm earth of reason on
which to stand—the solid foundation of
systematic truth on which to organize and
build both individual and race-character.
This little book is born of the desire to fur¬
nish the needed material.
I have chosen the catechetical form be¬
cause of its intrinsic worth. Historically,
it has no equal in the imparting of informa-
(9)
10 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
tion and in testing one's knowledge. The
child is a great questioner. It is nature's
own method of obtaining the truth of a
matter. The unconscious summary of facts
and concentration of mind power demanded
by the interrogatory method is to be found
in no other form of teaching. It forces
upon the mind the necessity of review.
Socrates said that he who could re¬
ceive and give an answer to a question, un¬
derstood all about that question; and he
could not receive and give an answer to a
question if he understood nothing about
that question, however great his preten¬
sions or reputation. So much did he es¬
teem and use the method that it bears his
name: 1 'The Socratic Method." He turned
the tide of Athenian thought by wandering
in the markets, asking men questions.
It was the distinctive method of what
is known as the Apostolic or early church.
The catechumens were drilled in a mass and
series of questions involving the essentiali¬
ties of their beliefs. Under the ponderous
hammers of interrogations the answers flew
forth in clear sparks of truth, emitting such
warmth and shedding such light upon re-
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 11
ligious questions, that to-day''the Fathers"
rule us theologically, 4'from their urns."
It is still the method of the lawyer, when
truth and falsehood seem identical from ap¬
pearance, being clothed in similiar garbs,
the skillful lawyer establishes truth and un¬
masks falsehood by a single question. A
whole theory of defence or prosecution has
been blown into smithereens by a question,
the answer to which necessarily exposed
the lurking fallacy. There are lawyers to¬
day whose fame and illustrious success rest
not upon their "power of speech to stir
men's blood," but simply upon their logical
insight and their ability to question unwill¬
ing or dishonest witnesses.
Notice two men in heated controversy
and you will see that they will fling ques¬
tions at each other like stones.
It is the final test of knowledge. In the
examinations for teachers of our schools; in
testing the ability of applicants for en¬
trance to our colleges, and for positions in
our civil service department, the test takes
the form of questions.
Finally, it was the method of Jesus Christ,
the world's greatest religious teacher, when
Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians com-
12 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
bined to destroy him, he defended himself
and silenced them by asking them a ques¬
tion. It may not be in all cases an infalli¬
ble test of knowledge, but the wisdom of
the world has yet found no better.
These are some of the reasons that have
induced me to put some essential and
fundamental Bible doctrines in the form of
questions and answers—that the reader
may be led to think and find the gist of
truth as he goes. We lay no great claim to
originality of thought. It were a hard
matter at this age of the world's wisdom
to find any new truths. If any originality
exists in the book it is in the method and ex¬
pression. All that I have read, or heard,
which I believe, I have felt free to use as my
own. When I have used the language of
others I have given the author's name or
used quotation marks.
Generally, I have followed the intellec¬
tual lead of Dr. Augustus Hopkins Strong,
the great Baptist theologian, for whom I
have the most profound intellectual and
moral regard, and Dr. Hodge, the giant
theologian of Princeton University. I have
endeavored to verify their and my own con-
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 13
victions by the original texts of the Bible.
In the preparation of the manuscript for
the press, I am indebted to Miss Lucy M.
White of Luling, Texas, and Miss Delia M.
Aycock of Rockdale, Texas, for faithful serv¬
ice as copyists and careful technical gram¬
matical corrections. I have written with
my ministerial brethren and that faithful
and unpaid army of Sunday school super¬
intendents and teachers in my "minds eye,"
—that host of preachers who have not had
time to pursue a full and regular systematic
course in Theology, but who are standing in
their chosen places and doing with all their
might what their hands find to do.
I hope the systematically educated
preachers will read the book as a review
and encourage their less fortunate brethren
to read it, if they find it worthy as a means
of instruction.
Like all things else I am not expecting to
have these Kernels eaten if they have no nu¬
trition in them. In this age, men and
things must stand or fall upon their merit.
If there is merit it will find a place.
J. Tileston Brown,
Manor, Texas, Sept. 7, 1901.
Go, little book, thy author casts thee on the wave;
O'er all the thinking land, add lustre to His name}
Spread truth and light abroad; seek thou no fame;
With error form no truce; from wrong, seek thou to save.
Author.
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
Biography of author 1
author's preface 9
BOOK. I.—goo.
introductory chapter 17
DIVISION I —God, The Creator.
Chapter. I. the existence of god 22
" II. god'9 revelation of himself 25
" III. god's attributes 30
" IV. the triune personality 37
" V. the purposes of god 46
" VI. the creation. . 52
DIVISION II.—God, The Sustainer.
Chapter VII. preservation 62
" VIII. providence 64
" IX. miracles 68
" X. angels, good and bad 74
DIVISION III.
Chapter XI. god the saviour 79
" XII. the person of christ 88
" XIII. tthe states of christ 94
"(a) humiliation.
(b) exaltation.
" XIV. the offices of christ 101
(a) his prophetic office.
(b) his priestly office.
(c) his kingly office.
'' XV. union with christ . . 114
" XVI. the spiritual change 118
" XVII. justification 132
DIVISION IV.
Chapter XVIII. god, the sanctifier. .' 138
" XIX. office 141
" XX. perseverance 146
BOOK. II.—MAN.
DIVISION V.
Chapter XXI. man, a cre:ature 151
" XXII. his bodily nature 157
(IS)
16 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
PAGB
DIVISION VI.—Man a Child.
Chapter XXIII. his natural resemblance to god. .. 160
«,k ajvlli, mo i'/h
XXIV. his moral resemblance to god. J-«->
XXV. man, a sinner .
XXVI. sin: its history
XXV. man, a sinner ^
otw 1*r«t wiotfyrv
" XXVII. the nature of sin
.176
" XXVIII. the meaning oe term *86'
" XXIX. evidence op saintship.
189
" XXX. human helps to saints 195
BOOK III.—the church.
Chapter XXXI. the church 202
its organization.
its nature.
" XXXII. the church, its government 210
" XXXIII. " " " officers 218
" XXXIV. " " " discipline 227
"XXXV. relation of churches - 230
DIVISION VII.
Chapter XXXVI. the church: its spirituality... .236
DIVISION VIII.
Chapter XXXVII. the church: its voluntariness. .242
DIVISION IX.
Chapter XXXVIII. the church: its administration...247
BOO PC I\/.—the future life-
DIVISION X.
Chapter XXXIX. the intermediate state 257
DIVISION XI.—The Resurrection.
Chapter XL. The second coming of christ 266
" XL,I. the resurrection—bodies 269
DIVISION XII.—The General Judgment.
Chapter XLII. judgment: the nature 278
■' XLIII. judgment: the object 280
" XL,IV. judgment: the judge 286
" XL/V. " its subjects 288
" XI/VI. " the ground 289
DIVISION XIII.—The Final State of Man.
Chapter XI/VTI. the final state of the righteous. .291
" XL,VIII. the final state of the wicked. ..294
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS*
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.
RELIGION AND THEOLOGY.
RELIGION.
1. What is Religion?
Religion is the relation of man to God or
"the life of God in the soul of man."
2. How many religions are there?
There is but one religion, as there is but
one God and one human nature.
3. What is meant by different kinds
of religion?
By the different kinds of religion is meant
the various false views of the relation of
man to God, formed by sinful men or by
honest, but unenlightened seekers after
God. There are germs of truth in all reli¬
gions, but they are not germs of variant reli¬
gions, but some portions of the one religion
historically embedded in these systems of
errors.
2 (17)
18 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
4. Into what two great classes may all
religions be divided?
The Historic Religions may be divided
into Natural and Revealed.
5. What is meant by Natural Religion?
By Natural Religion is meant all the vari¬
ous forms of idolatry or false religions
which have flourished in the rich soil of
man's sinful nature.
6. What is meant by Revealed Religion?
By Revealed Religion is meant that form
of religion which has come directly from
God, such as Judaism and Christianity.
7. What is the Mohammedan Religion?
The Mohammedan Religion is a mixture
of some of the important truths of the
revealed religion with vicious heathen errors
of thought and life.
8. What is the aim of Religion?
Religion aims to shape man's private
and public life according to the standard of
divine holiness, giving character and direc¬
tion to his government, science, arts and
civilization. "It is the deepest current of the
world's history."
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 19
9. Does the Holy Bible attempt to prove
the existence of God?
The Holy Bible nowhere attempts to
prove or demonstrate the existence of God,
but takes it for granted on every one of its
divinely inspired pages.
10. What is the proper province of
reason in " the search for God?
The proper province of reason is to
explain and confirm by argument drawn
from the study of mind and matter, the in¬
tuitive impressions and revealed declara¬
tions of the existence and character of God.
THEOLOGY.
1. What is Theology?
Theology is the science of God and the
connection that exists between God and-the
universe.
2. Into what two general classes is
Theology commonly divided?
Theology is generally divided into Natural
and Revealed Theology.
3. What is Natural Theology?
Natural Theology is that knowledge of
God and the relation between him and the
20 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
universe, obtainable by the unaided powers
of the human mind and without any
assistance from supernatural or special
revelations. (Rom. 1:19)
4. What is Revealed Theology?
Revealed Theology is that knowledge of
God and his relation to the universe
obtained from supernatural sources.
5. Into what four great classes is
Revealed Theology divided?
Revealed Theology is commonly divided
into Biblical, Historical, Systematic and
Practical.
6. What is Biblical Theology?
Biblical Theology deals with the unfold¬
ing of the elements of truth as found in the
Bible alone, and limits its doctrinal deduc¬
tions to the Apostolic age.
7. What is Historical Theology?
Historical Theology is the faithful record
of the progressive unfolding of the truth
of the Scriptures as manifested in the faith
and life of the church in all times and places.
8. What is Systematic Theology?
Systematic Theology is this body or
system of inferences concerning God and his
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 21
relations to the universe drawn from the
Bible and every legitimate source. It is
more or less correct as the writer has ability
to infer.
9. What is Practical Theology?
Practical Theology is that body or
system of truth viewed as an efficient means
of converting, sanctifying and glorifying
men. It is systematic theology successfully
operating upon the hearts and minds of
men.
CHAPTER I.
DIVISION I.
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.
1. Is there a God?
There is a God: dumb Nature points to
him; man's soul feels him; the Holy Bible
declares him. Only the fool hath said in
his heart there is no God, because his laws
demand an obedience which he is unwilling
to give.
2. Can the existence of God be satis¬
factorily proved by human reason alone?
The existence of God cannot be satisfac¬
torily proved by human reason alone; since
all right reasoning assumes the existence of
God.
3. What is God?
God is the one personal Spirit, infinite,
perfect, the Creator, sustainer and end of
all things.
(22)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 23
4. What is the truth upon which all
others rest?
The truth that there is a God is funda¬
mental to all other truths.
5. What is this knowledge called in
scientific language?
It is called "A first truth."
6. What is the scientific meaning of
"A first truth'1'
Thus applied, "A first truth" is that
knowledge of God, derived through or by
means of observation and contemplation,
but not from them; as cause, since it must
be assumed in order to make any reliable
observation and contemplation of mind or
matter possible.
7. What are the three marks of all
" first truths?"
They are universality, self-evidence, and
necessity.
8. When is a truth universal?
A truth is universal when all men every¬
where believe in it and manifest it in their
words, acts and plans.
9. When is a truth self-evident?
24
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
A truth is self-evident when it can be sim¬
plified into or explained by mothers.
10. When is a truth necessary?
A truth is necessary when the mind, by a
constitutional law, is compelled to assent
to it under normal conditions.
11. Is the knowledge of the existence
of God universal?
It is; because the great majority of man¬
kind recognize some spiritual being upon
whom they feel dependent and to whom
they render some sort of worship.
12. Is the knowledge of the existence of
God self-evident?
It is; because those who declare "there
is no God," indirectly and unconsciously
acknowledge the existence of God in their
words and acts.
Illustration: Ingersoll habitually says,
"God bless you," and Voltaire prayed in a
thunderstorm.
13. Is the knowledge of the existence of
God necessary?
It is, because no tribe of men, however
low in savager}-, has been found without
some form of worship when carefully and
thoroughly examined.
CHAPTER II.
DIVISION I.
GOD'S REVELATION OF HIMSELF.
1. What is a Revelation?
A revelation is an unveiling or uncovering
to view of that which had been concealed
or obscured.
2. In what has God revealed himself to
us?
In the Scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments, commonly called the Bible.
3. What leads us to believe the Bible is
God's own revelation of himself?
Because it uniformly condemns everything
that man's corrupt nature loves, and bears
upon its face a majestic holiness, light and
life which marks it as divine. (Ps. 19:7.)
4. What other considerations lead the
thoughtful mind to accept the Bible as
God's own message to his child?
(25)
26 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
It is the only book in the world that
speaks with the voice of authority concern¬
ing the unhistoric past—as Creation and its
methods and the unknowable future—as
the judgment, heaven and hell.
5. What is God's object in writing- the
Bible?
That man might know the relationship
between God and himself and how to
return to the holy and happy state which
he had forfeited through sin. (John 20:31.)
6. Are there any considerations from
which man might expect a divine revelation
or Bible?
The soul-blindness of man and the loving-
kindness of God made a strong presumption
in favor of a revelation.
7. How did God write the Bible?
The Bible was written by men who were
divinely inspired as to the truth and their
expression of the truth.
8. Was the Bible written at one time?
No, the Bible was written by different men
at different times and revealed a progress in
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 27
its revelation that is beautiful and divinely
wise.
9. Why is it called Bible?
The word Bible means "The Book." This
name implies the fact of its superiority
over every other book.
10. How were the men who wrote the
Bible prevented from committing errors in
doctrine.''
The Holy Spirit inspired their minds
showing them the truth, just as it is, and
aided their judgment in expression of the
truth so that errors were impossible. (2
Peter 1:21.)
11. In what lies the chief value of the
Bible as a revelation?
The Bible's chief value is in the plan and
means of salvation for sinful ma n, furnished
through the life, death, resurrection and
teachings of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
12. What is the Bible, strictly speaking,
a book, or a library of books?
The Bible, strictly speaking, is God's
library to the world, written by different
men at different times and under various
28 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
circumstances, containing the sum of all che
instructions necessary for man to become
reconciled to God, his Heavenly Father and
Creator.
13. How does the Bible compare with
other books in its moral and spiritual re¬
quirements for man?
The Bible presents the purest and loftiest
moral standard known to the world, with
the revelation of the means of attaining it
and the exhibition of one who lived up to
its ideal, showing its practicality and pos¬
sibility^.
14. What has been the attitude of the
world towards the Bible?
Its history is one of blood and glory; it
has had more friends and enemies than any
book that was ever written.
15. What of the Bible as a literary pro¬
duction?
As a literary production the Bible is a
model in every respect, containing the pur¬
est reasoning, the most faithful records of
individuals, peoples and nations, and the
most sublime and lofty poetry.
16. What effect has the Bible had upon
the literature of the world?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 29
The sublimest conceptions of poetry, the
deepest soundings of philosophy and the
most beautiful expressions of art have been
produced under the influence of, or, in de¬
fense of Bible doctrine.
17. To what is this influence attributed?
It is directly attributed to the Divine au¬
thority which produced the Bible.
18. What comparison may be instituted
between Christ and the Bible?
What Jesus Christ is to the life of man, the
Bible is to the thoughts of man; the best
thoughts are to be found in the Bible and
the best life in Jesus.
19. What relation does the Bible sustain
to the future world?
The Bible is the only book that speaks
with authority of the future life as a neces¬
sary part of the immortality decreed man in
his creation.
20. What is the practical value of the
Bible?
It teaches man how he is to think of God
and what God requires of him.
CHAPTER III.
GOD'S ATTRIBUTES.
1. What is an Attribute?
An attribute is a necessary relation.
2. What are the Attributes of God?
The Attributes of God are those fundamen¬
tal and necessary qualities of his nature,
which form the ground for the various man¬
ifestations to his creatures.
3. How do we determine the Attributes
of God?
We determine the attributes of God by
two methods, called respectively, the Ra¬
tional and the Biblical Methods.
4. What is the Rational Method?
The Rational Method is that necessity of
our thinking which denies to God all human
imperfections, invests him in an infinite de¬
gree, with all human perfections and as-
(30)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 31
cribes to him all of those attributes neces¬
sary to explain the* universe in which we
live.
5. What is the Biblical Method?
The selecting and ascribing to God of
those Attributes revealed to us in the Bible,
especially in the person of Jesus Christ in
whose face the glory of God shines with a
celestial splendor and making him pre-emi¬
nently the " Light of the World."
6. Into what two general classes may
the Attributes of God be divided?
The Attributes, for convenience of concep¬
tion, maybe divided into Absolute and Rela
tive.
7. What are Absolute Attributes?
By Absolute Attributes we mean those
which respect and affect the inner being of
God and his relations to himself indepen¬
dently of his relation to the universe.
8. What are Relative Attributes?
By Relative Attributes we mean those
which respect or reveal the outward rela¬
tions of God to the universe which he has
made.
32 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
9. Which are Absolute Attributes?
The Absolute Attributes are spirituality,
infinity, self-existence, immutability, unity,
truth, love, and holiness.
10. What do we mean by the Spiritual¬
ity of God?
By the Spirituality of God, we mean that
God is not matter nor has he any necessary
connection with matter, but that he is of
that substance called Spirit, which manifests
itself directly to us in self-consciousness.
11. What does the Spirituality of God
imply?
The Spirituality of God implies his per¬
sonality.
12. What constitutes personality?
Personality is distinct mental character
with the power of self-consciousness and
self-determination.
13. What is self-consciousness?
Self-consciousness is that power of the
soul by which it knows itself as the subject
of its own acts and states.
14. What is self-determination?
Self-determination is that power of the
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 33
soul by which the being orders his conduct
in view of motives operating from within
himself.
15. What is meant by God's in£nity?
By God's infinity is meant his ability to
do all his holy will regardless of any and
all things or beings.
16. What is meant by God's self-exist¬
ence?
By this term we mean that God is the
cause of his own existence. This is contra¬
dictory of all the laws of reasons, and as a
conception must be a mystery to men and
angels, but it is nevertheless true. (Ex. 3:
14; Ex. 6:3.)
IT. What is meant by God's immutabil¬
ity?
By this term we mean that it is absolutely
impossible for God to change or be changed
in his nature and plans. (Mai. 3:6; Jas. 1:
17.)
18. What is meant by God's unity?
By this term we mean that there is but
one Spirit infinite and perfect, whose nature
34 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
is not and cannot be divided. (Deut. 6:4;
Isa. 45:22.)
19. What is meant by God's truth?
By this term we mean that necessary con¬
formity that eternally exists between God's
being and his knowledge.
20. What is meant by God's love?
By this term we mean that disposition of
God's character by virtue of which he con¬
tinually delights to impart his own nature.
21. What is meant by Holiness?
By this term we mean the " Perfect
agreement between the divine willing and
the divine being," in respect to their moral
purity.
22. Which are the Relative Attributes?
The Relative Attributes of God are, eter¬
nity, immensity omnipotence, veracity, om¬
nipresence omniscience, mercy and justice.
23. What is meant by God's eternity?
By the term eternity we mean that God
is without beginning or end, unlimited by
time and yet the cause of time.
24. What is meant by God's immen¬
sity?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 35
By the term immensity we mean that God
does not occupy space, is not limited by
any of the conditions of space, yet is the
cause of space.
25. What is meant by God's omnipres¬
ence?
By God's omnipresence we mean that God
in his total essence is in every place at the
same time by his own free act.
26. What is meant by God's omniscience?
By this term we mean God's perfect knowl¬
edge of all things past, present or future.
27. What is meant by God's omnipQ-
tence?
By this term we mean God's ability to
do all his holy will, either with or without
the co-operation of his creatures.
28. What is meant by God's veracity?
By this term we mean that God always
has done and always will do exactly what
he has said.
29. What is meant by God's mercy?
By this term we mean that disposition of
God which induces him to seek the welfare
36
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
and happiness of those whose lives have
been and are at war with his law and life.
30. What is meant by God's justice?
By this term we mean that uprightness of
God's character whereby he deals fairly with
his creatures according to the laws of their
natures and of divine revelations.
CHAPTER IY.
THE TRIUNE PERSONALITY OF GOD.
1. What Biblical idea is taught by the
term Trinity?
The term Trinity expresses the Bible
teaching, that the Father is God, the Son is
God, the Holv Ghost is God, and these three
are but one God.
2. Is the word Trinity in the Bible?
The word ''Trinity" is not in the Bible; it
is used to meet the demands of Science.
3. Is the doctrine taught, by the word
Trinity in the Bible?
There is no doubt of this doctrine's pres¬
ence in the Scriptures of both the Old and
New Testament.
4,. Whois supposed to have invented the
term Trinity?
The honor of the invention of this term is
(37)
38 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
attributed to Tertullian, an early writer in
the defense of the teachings of the religion
of Jesus Christ who lived.
5. Can the doctrine of the Trinity be
comprehended and explained by the human
mind?
This great doctrine not only is contrary to
our conception of numbers, but defies all
satisfactory efforts to- reduce it to the laws
and forms of mere human reason.
6. Is there any special value attached
to it as a doctrine?
Every other conception of God presents a
false God to man's mind and conscience,
the whole plan of redemption rests upon it
the baptism of believers into his church is
ordered in the name of each person of the
Trinity; Creation, Calvary and the Last
Judgment are all to be read in the light of
this mysterious doctrine.
7. What is the history of religion on
this matter?
It is an indisputable fact, that wherever
the doctrine of the Trinity has been aban¬
doned, the other Gospel truths have followed
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 39
in quick succession, and sin and death have
reigned, where grace seemed to abound. (1
John 2:23; John 17:3.)
8. What do we probably mean by the
term " three in one?"
By this term we mean that the Divine es¬
sence, as a whole, exists eternally as Father,
Son and Holy Ghost, each person being the
whole essence, yet by certain peculiar and
uncommunicable qualities remaining a dis¬
tinct and separate person.
9. Of what nature is this distinction in
the Godhead?
This distinction is in the nature of per¬
sons, necessitating the use of the pronouns,
I, thou, and he, for its expression.
10. Does the doctrine teach a plurality
of substance?
The doctrine teaches not a plurality, but
that there is only one substance, one intel¬
ligence, one emotion and one will, and that
three co-existing and eternal persons par¬
take of and manifest that one substance,
each in an infinite and perfect degree and
with complete harmony of purpose and
acts.
40 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
11. In what order are these three per¬
sons set forth in the Scriptures?
The Scriptural order presents the Fathe*
as.first, the Son as second, the Spirit as
third.
12. Does this representation of the
Father as £rst, the Son as second, the Holy
Spirit as third, imply any inferiority in na¬
ture or general excellence?
It is simply a term of that order, which is
inseparable from the Divine mind, and car¬
ries no implication or suggestion of inferi¬
ority whatever.
13. Is this order ever reversed?
Sometimes the Son is named before the
Father. (2 Cor. 13:14; Gal. 1:1). Some¬
times the Spirit is named before the Son.
(Rev. 1:4, 15.)
14. What is the Scriptural evidence that
the Father is God?
This is evident from the fact that he is thus
named every where in the Bible. (1 Cor. 8:
6 and 5:24; Gal. 1:3.)
15. What is the Scriptural evidence that
the Son is God?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 41
The fact that the Scriptures ascribe to
the Son the same names, attributes, works
and worship which they ascribe to the
Father, and that in the same degree.
16. What are some of the divine names
ascribed to the Son that prove him equal
to the Father?
He is called:
God—(John 1:1.)
The Great God.—(Titus 2:13.)
The Mighty God.—(Isa. 9:6.)
The True God—(I John 5:20.)
The Only Wise God. —(Jude 25.)
Jehovah-—(Jer. 23:6; Ps. 83:18.)
17. What are some of the attributes
ascribed to Christ that prove him to be
God.
1. Eternity.—(Micah 5:2.)
2. Unchangeableness.—(Heb. 13:8.)
3. Omniscience.—(John 21:17)
4. Omnipotence—(Rev. 1:8.)
5. Omnipresence.—(Matt. 28:20.)
6. Supremacy.—(Rom. 9:5.)
18. What are some of the works ascribed
42 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
to Christ that prove him to he the true
God?
He is revealed as,
1. Creating and preserving all things.
(Col. 1.16, 17.)
2. Securing eternal redemption for man.
(Heb. 9:12.)
3. Working miracles bj his own power.
(Mark 5:41.)
4. Forgiving sins.—(Mark 2:5.)
5. Raising of the dead at the last day.
(John 5:28, 29.)
6. Final judgment of the world. (Rom.
14:10.)
19. What is the nature of the worship
ascribed to Christ that proves him to be the
Supreme God?
1. The same adoration given the Father.
(John 5:23.)
2. The same faith in him as in the Father.
(John 14:1.)
3. Baptized in the same name as the
Father. (Matt. 28:19.)
20. How then does Christ consistently
say, 1 lMy Father is greater than I.''
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 43
He referred to his office as Mediator, be¬
ing a servant in this relation. (Isa. 42:1.)
21. Does Christ1 s being- a servant detract
from his nature or minimize his dignity?
Not in the least; but on the contrary,
it was the tmchangeableness of his nature
and the eternal dignity of his person that
made him acceptable as a servant. (Rev. 5:
1:5.)
22. What is the Scriptural evidence that
the Spirit is God?
This is proved by the same facts
which prove the Son to be God. (1) He is
called God. (Acts 5: 3—4.) (2) Divine attri¬
butes are ascribed to him. (Heb. 9:14 ; 1
Cor. 2:10; Luke 2:26; Ps. 139:7.) (3) Di¬
vine works are done by him. (Ps. 33:6;
fob 26:13; Luke 1:35; 2 Peter 1:21 ; John
16:13; Roman 15:16.) Divine worship is
paid him as to Father and Son. (Matt. 28:19;
2 Cor. 13:14.)
23. Is the Doctrine of the Trinity a dis¬
covery of the human mind?
This doctrine lay beyond the reach of
man's discovery as it now is beyond his
comprehension. The river of uninspired lit-
44 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
erature, coming from its most ancient
source, makes no deposit of this mystery on
the banks of human experience and investi¬
gation.
24. To what are we therefore indebted
for this fundamental and important truth?
The doctrine of the Trinity is purely
a matter of divine revelation and its com¬
prehension chiefly a matter of faith.
25. What does Jeremy Taylor say about
the subject?
His words are worthy of being writ¬
ten in gold over every Christian's door and
in letters of fire in his heart. They are
as follows: "He who goes about to speak
of the Trinity, and does it by words and
names of men's invention, talking of essence
and existencies, hypostases and personali¬
ties, priority in co-equality, and unity in
pluralities, may amuse himself and build a
tabernacle in his head, and talk something
he knows not what; but the renewed man,
that feels the power of the Father, to whom
the Son is become wisdom, sanctification
and redemption, in whose heart the love of
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 45
the Spirit of God is shed abroad—this man,
though he understand nothing of what is
unintelligible, yet he alone truly under¬
stands the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.
CHAPTER V.
THE PURPOSES OF GOD.
1. What are the purposes of God?
The purposes of God are his absolute
eternal and unchangeable plans, compre¬
hending all his works of every sort or kind,
from the beginning of Creation to eternity.
2. What relation do means sustain to
the purposes of God?
The purposes of God include all the means
necessary to their execution.
3. Into what two classes are the purposes
of God commonly divided?
The purposes of God are commonly di¬
vided into positive and permissive pur¬
poses.
4. What do you understand by posi¬
tive purposes?
(46)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 47
Bj the positive purposes we mean those
purposes with which righteousness is di¬
rectly connected and in which God takes the
initiative.
5. What do we understand by permissive
purposes?
By permissive purposes we mean those
purposes or parts of the general plan of God,
which only indirectly contribute to right¬
eousness and in which other moral agents
than God take the initiative, or are the
originators.
6. By what other name are the purposes
of God sometimes called?
The purposes of God .are also called ''De¬
crees."
7. Out of what necessity does the purpose
of God originate?
The purpose of God is a necessity of the
eternal wisdom and perfections of God's
character.
8. To what do the purposes of God pri¬
marily refer?
The purposes of God primarily refer to
his own acts and Creation, Providence
and Redemption.
48
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
9. To what do the purposes of God
secondarily refer?
The purposes of God secondarily refer
to the act of free creatures which result
from his acts.
10. Are the purposes of God directed to
men?
The purposes of God are not directed
to man; hence they neither bind his con¬
science nor coerce his will.
11. Do the purposes of God con£ict with
the free will of men?
The purposes of God though inevitable
in their certainty; in no way interferes with
the freedom of man's actions.
12. What are the purposes concerning
moral creatures called?
The purposes concerning moral beings
are called foreordination or predestina¬
tion.
13. Is sin included in the purposes of
God?
Sin and holiness are both included in the
eternal purposes of God.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 49
14. Is not God therefore the author of
sin?
God is not the author of sin, because he
is not the originator of it. Man is the
originator of sin in the exercise ofhis God-
given prerogative of free moral agency.
15. In what proper sense then does the
eternal purpose of God include sin?
Simply in the permission of it, or,
in the suffering of man to exercise that
moral agency which constitutes his crown
and glory.
16. How do we know that man is free
and not bound by the purposes of God?
We know that man is free by the
knowledge which he has of his own acts
and states derived from reflection and from
the voice of conscience in his soul.
17. How has this universal experience of
the race been expressed by a Philosopher
and Poet?
" So near is reason to our dust,
So nigh is God to man;
When duty whispers, 'I/O, thou must,'
The soul replies, ' I can.' "
4
50
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
18. Of what practical value is the doc¬
trine of the eternal purposes of God?
It inspires humility and faith in the
sovereign will of God, makes us do little
things with great motives, and begets
within us a proper fear of and reverence for
the laws of God and hastens the sinner to
become reconciled to his God who is able
and certain to fulfill his gracious promises
of deliverance.
19. What care should be exercised in
preaching' the doctrine of the eternal pur¬
poses of God?
We should not present' the purposes
of God as binding upon the will of man,
nor yet represent the free will of man as be¬
ing beyond the reach and sweep of God's
purposes.
20. Where do we find the doctrine* of
the purposes of God most'clearly taught?
In the Bible, which is God's revelations
of himself to man and a statement of
the duties of man to God, we find his pur¬
poses set forth most explicitly in precepts,
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 51
the history of his dealings with his people
and his Church and above all in the unique
life, death and teachings of Jesus Christ his
Son and our Saviour.
CHAPTER YI.
CREATION.
1. What is the work of Creation?
The work of creation is God's free act
of making all things by the mere word
of his power, and without any previously
existing material.
2. Where alone do we get this informa¬
tion?
The Bible alone reveals the fact of
absolute creation, all philosophy and reason
being necessarily dumb on this point.
3. When did God perform the creative
act?
The creation was—"in the beginning"
of time, the definite period being unknown.
(Gen. 1:1.)
4. What did God do to effect creation?
By the word of his power he called
forth and set in operation the original prin-
(52)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 53
ciples and causes of all things that are and
do now appear. (Rom. 4:17; Heb. 11:3.)
5. Was God under any compulsion or
necessity to create the world?
God's creation of the world was entirely
free and in no sense a necessity either
of his nature or to his perfection.
6. How long was God in creating the
world?
God Created the world in six days.
7. Could God have created the world in
less than six days?
God could have created the world in
one instant of time had it best accorded
with his end in creating it.
8. Were the three persons in the Godhead
concerned in the creation of the world?
The entire Godhead was concerned
and participated in it in their respective
offices, the Father as Originator, the Son as
Mediator, the Spirit as Realizer. (Gen.
1:26; 1 Cor. 8:6; John 1:1-3; Hebrew 1:2;
Gen. 1:2; Job.26:13; Ps. 104:30.)
9. What was God's end or object in
creating the world?
54 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
God created all things for his own glory.
10. Is it not sel£sh in God to create this
immense and varied world for "his own
glory?"
* It is not, since the glory of God is
the highest and best end that can be
embraced or sought by any of his creatures.
11. What are the special excellencies of
character displayed by God in creation?
The special attributes displayed in
creation are God's power, goodness and
wisdom.
12. What does God mean by declaring
his work "very good?"
By this declaration God meant that
everything was calculated to accom¬
plish the end for which it was created.
13. On what day did God create man?
God created man the last thing on the
sixth day.
14. Why was man the last thing cre¬
ated?
Man being the purpose towards which
the whole animal creation tends was prob¬
ably for this reason created last.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 55
15. How was man created as to his
substance?
As to substance man is matter and
mind, being the image of God and of the
dust of the ground. (Gen. 1:27; 2:7.)
16. What is meant by man's being
made in the "image of God?"
By the term ''image of God" we mean
man's possession of natural and moral
likeness to God.
17. What do we mean by his natural
likeness to God.
By natural likeness we mean :
(1) Man's ability to know himself as he
is related to the universe, himself and God.
(2.) His ability to order his own acts
in view of the relations he bears to the
universe, himself and God, keeping in his eye
the moral result to himself.
18.' What is this natural likeness called
in philosophical language?
In philosophical language natural
likeness is called personality and implies
intellect, emotion, and will.
19. What is meant by moral likeness?
56
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
By moral likeness or holiness we mean
that original disposition or tendency
in man which, led him to seek God as the
purest and highest end of his being and
endeavor.
20. What summary of this great fact
can you make?
The natural likeness is the posses¬
sion of certain powers peculiar to God and
man; the moral likeness was a direction to
God: the first is natural ability, the second
was moral ability.
21. Under what condition was man cre¬
ated and placed on earth?
He was created under the moral law,
demanding absolute obedience in spirit,
thought and act.
22. What was the condition that made
man responsible for his own conduct?
Man's responsibility grows out of the
fact that he is his own free moral agent.
23. What do we mean by a free moral
agent?
We mean a being who has a nature
that renders him capable of discrimi¬
nation between right and wrong and also of
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 57
deciding in view of reason or motives, what
his course of action shall be.
24. How was the £rst woman formed?
The first woman was formed out of a
rib taken from the side of man by the
finger of God. (Gen. 2:21, 22.)
25. Why was she probably formed in
this way.
To show the oneness of the origin and
aim and to prefigure the relation between
Christ and the church. (Eph. 5:31,32.)
26. What relation did the £rst man and
woman sustain to each other?
The sacred relation of husband and
wife.
27. Why was marriage instituted before
the fall?
To teach that it is a relation that
grows out of nature and necessary for the
successful execution of God's decree concern¬
ing him.
28. What is the oldest human institu¬
tion?
Marriage is the oldest of human insti-.
tutions; being established before the
Sabbath, it has upon it the touch of eter¬
nity.
58
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
29. Was the woman similar in nature
to the man?
Her creation was the direct result of
man's loneliness, there being no creature
of a nature similar to his with whom he
could associate and propagate. (Gen. 2:18:
20.)
30. What is the nature of the soul of
man and woman as to duration ?
The soul of man and woman is immortal
from the following considerations: (a) The
enormous price Christ paid for the soul
(Ps. 49:8 ; 1 Cor. 6:20 ; 7:23). (b) The
promise of eternal life and threatening of
eternal death (Mark 16:16 ; Matt. 25:46.)
(c) Christ's announcements that men can¬
not kill the soul as the body (Matt. 10:28).
(d) Christ and his saints in the hour of
death commit their souls into the keeping of
God (Ps. 31:5 ; Luke 23:46; Acts 7:59).
31. Upon what did man's continuance
in holiness depend?
It depended upon perfect obedience to
God's law in his heart and his life.
32. How was the test case made for
God?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 59
A test was made tinder the positive com¬
mand of God not to eat of the tree of knowl¬
edge of good and evil on penalty of immedi¬
ate dea th.
33. Did the man keep the command or
not?
He disobeyed God and ate the forbidden
fruit.
34. To what kind of death was he then
liable ?
He whs immediately liable to temporal,
spiritual and eternal death.
35. Did he die temporally ?
He did not, but his bod}r received a death
wound from which it can never recover.
(Rom. 5:12.
36. Did he die spiritually?
He immediately lost his original holiness
and the favor of God which formed the
spiritual life previously possessed. (Gen. 3:-
8-10-24.
37. What is meant by eternal death ?
The eternal death is the utter separation
of man from God for all time and eternity.
(Matt. 25:46.
38. Why was natural death not imme¬
diately visited upon man?
60 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
For the sake doubtless of his posterity,
which was still in his loins. (Job 33:24.)
39. Was the eating of the tree too small
a thing for so great a penalty?
It was not, for all the elements of charac¬
ter are found in the command of God and
the heart of man, and not in the tree or its
fruits.
40. Does the fact that the fruit was a
small thing increase or decrease the offense
of man?
The fact that the request was slight made
it easier to do ; the fact that man chose to
insult and trample upon the claims of God
in anything that involved no personal loss
to God, but which held so much disaster to
man, magnifies the stupidity and increases
the depravity of the offense.
41. What was the mental state of Adam
out of which sin developed?
The negative mental state was one of
doubt or distrust of the character and word
of God.
42. What was the positive mental state
out of which Adam's sin developed?
The positive mental state was one of be-
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 61
lief or faith in the character and word of
Satan, the arch enemy of God.
43. What did this virtually mean to
God and Adam?
It really meant that Adam had volunta¬
rily transferred his allegiance from God to
the Devil.
44. Did the "Fall of Man" only effect
man}s relation to God?
No; it affected his relation to the inferior
creatures which he had been commissioned
to rule and use for God's glory and his own
good. (Gen. 1:18 and 2:19, 20.)
45. Where did God place man to under¬
go this test ?
God placed him in Eden in circumstances
from which neither pleasure nor necessity
was absent, so that obedience was made
easy from without as well as from within.
DIVISION II.
CHAPTER VII.
GOD THE SUSTAINER.
PRESERVATION.
1. What is meant by Preservation?
By preservation is meant that contin*
uous exercise of God's energy, whereby he
upholds his creatures in their being and
in possession of their inherent and acquired
properties and powers.
2. Is the Doctrine of Preservation clearly
taught in the Scriptures?
There is * no doctrine more clearly
taught in the Holy Bible, for "In him we
live, and move, and have our being;" " and
by him all things consist." (Acts 17-28;
Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3.)
3. Is preservation a continuous creation,
as some claim?
(62)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 63
Preservation is not a continuous crea¬
tion, for preservation presupposes creation,
since that which is preserved must already
have existence.
4. Is preservation simply Gods uphold¬
ing things in their latent capacity?
Preservation is God's upholding things,
both in respect to their latent and active
properties.
5. Is the doctrine ofpreservation rooted
in reason?
Reason admits that since neither the
phenomenon of mind or matter is re¬
sponsible for its own existence, they cannot
be the cause of their preservation.
6. What is the beauty and benefit of the
doctrine ofpreservation?
The doctrine of preservation teaches
man the proper relation of dependence to
God as the sustainer of himself and all
things in the universe. (Ps. 36:7).
CHAPTER VIII.
PROVIDENCE.
1. What is the Bible doctrine of Provi¬
dence?
Providence as taught in the Scriptures
is that continuous and controlling exercise
of power which God exercises over •every¬
thing great and small, whereby he success¬
fully causes them to accomplish the end for
which they were originally intended.—Gen.
1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25; 8:22; Acts 17:26;
Isa. 55:11.
2. What is the difference between Pre¬
servation and Providence?
Preservation is the maintenance by God
in their normal state and exercise the things
which he has created. While Providence is
that special control over things to the end
that they all shall ever remain in perfect
harmony of being and action moving to¬
wards and actually accomplishing that
whereto thev were sent.
(64)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 65
3. Does this providence of God extend
over the natural world?
The natural world is as completely under
the providence of God as any other part of
the universe. (Ps. 104:14; 135:5-7; 147:8-
18; 148:7-8; Job 9:5-9.)
4. Does this providence extend to the
brute creation also?
Even the brute creation^is not without
the immediate control of his providence.
(Ps. 104:21-29; 147:9; Matt. 6:26; 10:29.)
5. Does this providence extend to the
general affairs of men?
This providence extends to the general
affairs of man without a doubt. (1 Chron.
16:31; Ps. 47:7; 66:7; Prov. 21:1; Job
12:23; Dan. 4:25.)
6. Does this providence extend to the
lives and circumstances of individuals?
Even the minutest events of each life is
under the control of this wonderful and
awful providence. (1 Sam. 2:6; Prov. 16:9;
Luke 1:53; James 4:13-15.)
7. Do events that seem due to "fate" or
"chance" come under his providence also?
Even those events, which also seem due
to "chance" and "fate" are under the con-
66
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
trol of God's providence. (Ex. 21:13; Ps.
75:6-7; Job 5:6; Prov. 16:33.)
8. Do the free acts of men also come
within the scope of this providence?
Mysterious as it seems, so absolute is the
control of God in his moral universe that
even the free acts of men are under this
providential control. (Ex. 12:26; 1 Sam.
24:9-15; Ps. 33:14-15; Prov. 16:1; Phil.
2:12-13.)
9. Do the signal acts of men come under
the control of God''s providence?
Even the sinful acts of men are under the
guidance of this overruling and holy pro¬
vidence. (2 Sam. 16:10-14; 24: 1; Ps. 76:10;
Rom. 11:32; Acts 4:27-28).
10. Do the good acts of men come under
this same providence?
The good acts of men are likewise under
the control of God's providence. (Phil. 4-
13; 2 Cor. 12:9-10; Eph. 2:10; Gal. 5 22-
25.)
11. Since the sinful acts of men are also
under the providence of God, does not that
fact make God the responsible author of sin?
It does not, since the sinful acts of men
are under God's providence only in a sense
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 67
of permission and not of origination, the
latter of which is the cause of sin. (Gen.
45:5; 50:20; Ex. 7:13; 14:17; Isa. 66:4;
2 Thess. 2:11; Acts 2:23; 3:18.)
12. Do the Scriptures teach us how God's
providence acts in the world?
The nature or how of God's providen¬
tial government is one of the unsealed pages
of his book of decrees, evidently left for
revelation in the future world if at all to
be revealed.
13. Do the Scriptures reconcile the origin
and permission of moral evil in the universe?
The Scriptures nowhere attempts to re¬
concile the origin and permission of moral
evil in the universe, and the mind of man
has never yet found even a partially satis¬
factory solution.
14. What is the proper attitude for man
to assume towards this inscrutable mystery?
The best thing for man to do is to let the
impenetrable mystery impress him with his
own mental limitations and seeking not to
be wise beyond that which is written, en¬
gage himself with a prompt acceptance of
the gracious means which God has pro¬
vided for the removal of sin from his soul.
CHAPTER IX.
MIRACLES.
1. What is a miracle?
A miracle is an event produced by the im¬
mediate exercise of divine power, for the
purpose of enforcing some religious truth,
and which, though quite evident to the
senses, can not be explained by the laws of
nature.
2. Are miracles possible in the light of
reason?
Miracles are possible in the light of rea¬
son, for reason knows that nature is not
an exhaustion of all the possibilities of
God.
3. Is this possibility illustrated by man's
relation to nature?
The illustration is found in man's con¬
tinuous overcoming the forces of nature
and operating plans which nature would or
could never operate if left to itself.
(68)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 69
Illustration: Every boy who tosses a
stone performs a miracle, since lie over¬
comes the laws of gravitation and inertia
in so doing. The same is true in lifting
the hand from the side.
4. What do we mean by the term nature
as used in this connection?
By the term nature, we mean "every¬
thing" that is not God or made in the
image of God.
5. Where is the point of analogy making
miracles rationally possible?
Just as maiji, "the image of God," can act
upon nature, to which he is superior, so
God can in an infinite and perfect degree,
act upon him and nature to which he is
infinitely superior. (Job 11:7; Isa. 55:8, 9.)
6. Upon what ground alone can the pos¬
sibility of miracles be ruled out of the uni¬
verse?
The impossibility of miracles is only ten¬
able on the ground that there is no per¬
sonal God; atheism is compelled to reject
miracles since natural laws are its ulti-
mates.
T. What do miracles signify in the light
of divine revelation?
70
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
Miracles are among the greatest evi¬
dence of God's love and at once a sad com¬
mentary upon the awful hardness of man's
sinful heart.
8. Why were miracles probable?
God's eternal love and unchanging de¬
cree to save man and restore order in the
moral universe, would constrain him to the
use of every necessary means to the end,
though it be miracles.
9. What is one great design of miracles?
One great design of miracles is to con¬
vince the moral universe thal^either God's
grace must redeem or his law damn the sin¬
ner.
10. Where do we find the miracles of
Scriptures grouped?
The miracles of the Bible are grouped
and ranged around the great facts of Sal¬
vation, when the truths being revealed
were difficult of comprehension, owing to
the natural blindness of the sinful heart.
11. Do miracles contradict or violate
law?
Miracles which seem to violate natural
laws are simply the intervention of divine
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 71
power by means of higher, but yet, harmo¬
nious physical laws, and all in obedience to
the still higher law of grace with God's
love, which covers the earth,as with a gar¬
ment; for the law was given by Moses, but
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
12. What is the great practical effect of
miracles?
Miracles direct attention to new truths,
as they are revealed, and cease when the
truths have been accepted or understood.
13. What are the periods of miracles?
The periods of miracles have been:
1.—The time of Moses.
2.—The prophetical era.
3.—The time of Christ's incarnation.
14. What is peculiar about these eras
and divine revelations?
It is peculiarly true that miracles abound¬
ed when great truths were being made
known to man.
15. What age of the world was almost
without miracles?
The 2500 years from Adam to Moses are
almost without any recorded miracles.
72 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
16. When may we characterize the age
of miracles as positively and powerfully be¬
ginning?
When Moses, the first great national lead¬
er of God's chosen people, made a national
movement, then the truth which he assert¬
ed was accompanied by the display of mir¬
acles, as much for the good of his own peo¬
ple as for the fear of the enemy.
17. What was the great central truth
proclaimed by Moses in the court of Pha¬
raoh?
The unheard of and audacious declaration
that Jehovah, the self-existent and absolute
God, had a claim upon every thing and every
person on earth and when he asserted that
claim instant obedience should be rendered.
18. Why were the miracles wrought in
the hands of Moses?
The miracles were wrought as practical
and accompanying evidence of power to
make good the thing Moses had said.
19. How doesH. W. Beecher express this
same truth?
He says: "Miracles are midwives of
great moral truths ; candles lit before the
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 73
dawn, but put out after the sun has ris¬
en."
20. What is the greatest miracle known
to the Universe?
The Cross of Calvary with its impaled
Christ is a miracle of grace so sublime, vast
and tender that angel's pure eyes cannot
gaze into its depths though they long to
fathom it out.
CHAPTER X.
ANGELS, GOOD AND BAD.
1. Wha t are angels ?
"Angels seem to be a class of finite beings
greater in intelligence and power than man
in his present state, some of whom posi¬
tively serve God's purpose by holiness and
voluntary execution of his will, some nega¬
tively by giving examples to the universe
of defeated and published rebellion, and by
illustrating God's distinguishing grace in
man's salvation."—A. H. Strong■, D. D.
2. What do we know of the nature of
these angels?
The Scriptures teach us that they are—
(a) Created things. (Ps. 14-8:2-5; Col.
1:16.)
(b) Without material body. (Heb. 1:14-;
Eph. 6:12.)
(c) Personal beings. (2 Sam, 14<:20;
Luke 4:34; 2 Tim. 2:26; Rev. 22:9.)
(d) Superhuman in attributes though
limited. (Matt. 24-:36; 1 Peter 1:12; Ps.
103:20; 2 Peter 2:11; Ps. 72:18.)
(74)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 75
(e) Separate from man and older than
man. (1 Cor. 6:3; Heb. 2:16; 12:22-23.)
The two orders of beings are Herein distin*
guished older. (Gen .3:1.)
3. What do we kno was to their moral
character ?
As to their moral character we learn the
following:
(a) They were created holy like man and
like him placed on probation. (Gen. 1: 31;
1 Tim. 5:21.)
(b) Some kept their holy estate. (Ps.
89:7.) The council referred to is one of an¬
gels. (Mark 8:38.) Holy angels imply un¬
holy ones.
(c) Some fell from the first estate of
holiness. (John 8:44; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6.)
(d) The good angels are confirmed in
holiness. (Matt. 6:10; 18:10; 2 Cor. 11:14.)
(e) The evil angels are confirmed in evil.
(Matt. 13:19; 1 John 5:18, 19; Matt. 6:13.)
Rescue us from the evil one.
4. What do we learn as to angels and
men from the Scriptures ?
We learn that all free moral agents are
put on probation as to their remaining in
76
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
or rejecting a state of holiness, and that
temptation does not necessarily involve the
tempted in sin.
5. What do the Scriptures teach as to
their number?
We learn that the angels are great in
number. (Deut. 33:2; Dan. 7:10; Rev. 5:11.)
(a) From a company, but not a race.
(Matt. 22:30; Luke 20:36.)
(b) Of different abilities and rank in
office. (Col. 1:16; 1 Thess. 4:16; Jude 9.)
(c) Organized. (1 Kings 22 :19 ; Matt.
25:41; Rev. 2:13.)
6. What do we learn from Scripture as
to the occupation of angels?
We learn that both classes of angels are
engaged continually, the good—
(a) Are worshipping God in his pres¬
ence. (Ps. 29:12; Matt. 18:10.)
(b) Reioicing in God's works. (Tob
38:7; Luke 15:10.)
(c) Executing God's will. (Ps. 103:20;
Ps. 104:4.)
(d) Guiding the affairs of nations. (Dan.
10:12, 13, 21; 11:1; 12:1.)
(e) Caring for particular churches. (1
Cor. 11:10; Col. 21:8; 1 Tim. 5:21.)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 77
(f) Protecting and helping individual be¬
lievers. (1 Kings 19:5; Ps. 91:11; Dan.
6:22; Matt. 4:11; Luke 16:22.)
(g) Punishing God's enemies. (2 Kings
19:35; Acts 12:23.)
7. What do we learn from the Scripture
as to the occupation of evil angels?
We learn that every fiber of their beings,
with all of their powers, is in constant op¬
position to the will of God. (Matt. 13:39.)
8. Who is the chief of this organized op¬
position to God's will?
The devil or Satan, which means respec¬
tively "the adversary" and ''the slanderer,"
is the chief of the host whose aim and ef¬
forts are to depose God from the throne
which he occupies.
9. Whom does Satan slander and to
whom?
He slanders God to man and man to
God. (Gen. 3:1-4; Job 1:9-11; 2:4,5). He
is a characteristic backbiter.
10. How do evil angels affect the lives of
men?
They exercise a mysterious influence over
the material worldr disposing of things as
78 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
means to their ends; but they chiefly affect
men by the presentation of trying tempta¬
tions with vice dressed in its gayest colors
and holding out its most seductive charms.
(Job 1:12, 1G, 19, and 2:7; Luke 13:10-16;
1 Thess. 2:18; Rev. 20:2; Matt. 4:3; John
13:27; Acts 5:3; 1 Peter 5:8.)
11. Are evil angels without limit in their
power?
Evil angels are limited in the time and
extent of their powers and have no compul¬
sory power over man whatever. (1 Cor.
10:13: Jude 6.)
12. Of what practical value is the doc¬
trine of angels?
It gives us a due sense and appreciation
of the grace of God that saves us when so
many creatures of superior natures and en¬
dowments are chanting his praises in his
presence forever.
DIVISION III.
CHAPTER YI.
GOD THE SAVIOR.
PREPARATION.
1. What preparations were made in the
world for the coming" of Jesus Christ as
the Savior of the world?
The preparations in the providence of God
were twofold: negative and positive.
2. What were thenegative preparations?
They were the world-wide despair of sal¬
vation from sin which, had settled upon the
heart of the heathen world and which found
expression in the writing of the most pro¬
found leaders of human thought every¬
where.
3. In what state of mind did this uni¬
versal despair leave the heathen world re¬
specting a Savior?
It left them eager and willing to receive a
Savior who would meet the needs of their
souls.
(79)
80 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
4- With this probable world condition
in his mind, how did one of the prophets
speak of Christ?
He spoke of the coming Savior, or the
Jews' promised Messiah, as "the desire of
all nations."
5. How was this description proved to
have been correct when Christ came in the
flesh?
It was confined by the promptness with
which the wise men of the east, who had
"seen his star in the east," came to wor¬
ship him, bringing their costliest gifts as of¬
ferings in recognition of his kingship.
6. From what source did11 the wise men"
probably receive their information?
It is highly probable that the Jewish na¬
tion, having been captive for seventy years
in the country of Babylonia, imparted the
nature and promises of their religion to the
people of the east; besides, the signal history
of Daniel in the city and empire of Babylon
must have been a matter of record accessi¬
ble to the learned men of that country; and
the frequent wars waged between the east
and the Jews, long before the coming of
Jesus, must have informed them of the na-
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 81
ture of the Jews' God and the special prom¬
ise of a Messiah. The history of Naaman,
the leper, is a remarkable illustration of the
benefits which these heathens received from
this contact with Jewish life and religion.
7. What was God's special and expressed
purpose m revealing himself to the Jews?
God's purpose of self-revelation to the
Jews was not to save them alone, as they
wrongly believed, but that they might also
reveal him to the nations of the earth, for
his expressed declaration to Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob was that "in them should
all nations of the earth be blessed."
8. What general provision of the law-
showed that God had his hand of mercy ex¬
tended to the heathen who should adopt
the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?
The statement that "one law shall be to
him that is home-born, and unto the
stranger that sojourneth among you;" re¬
specting the general meaning of the Pass¬
over, shows clearly God's merciful interests
towards the heathens. (Bx. 12:48,49.)
9. What special provision in the Ten
Commandments showed the genuineness of
this offer?
82 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
In the fourth commandment special at¬
tention is called to "the stranger that is
within thy gate." (Ex. 20:10.)
10. What were the positive preparations
for the coming of Christ?
The positive preparation for the coming
of Christ is the separation and training of the
Jewish people into an earnest belief in his
coming, based on special revelations and
miraculous manifestations.
11. What was the nature of this train¬
ing?
It consisted in the revelation of great
fundamental truths essential to the system
of grace under which Christ came.
12. What are these fundamental and
preparatory truths?
They are commonly said to be monothe¬
ism, the moral inability of man, and the
promise of a Savior.
13. What do we mean by monotheism?
By monotheism we mean the doctrine
that there is but one God.
14. What do we mean by "The Moral
Inability of Man?"
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 83
We mean the utter inability of man to de¬
liver himself from the penalty of sin and
pursue a life of holiness.
15. How has Philosophy expressed this
conscious moral inability?
This inability is expressed in the follow¬
ing words: "I see the right and approve it,
but I do the wrong."
16. What do we mean by the promise of
a Savior.
We mean those specific, definite and posi¬
tive promises made by God to the Jews,
wherein he covenanted to send them a Sav¬
ior, who should give them moral ability
and make sure their salvation from sin and
its miseries.
17. How were these great truths taught
and impressed upon the Jewish minds?
The nature of God and his claims upon
man were revealed by the laws of Moses;
the moral helplessness of man was impressed
by the hecatombs of catties slain and the
streams of blood that flowed from altars
and dripped from the fingers of the priests;
while the sure connection between sin and
penalty and between obedience and life was
84,
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
emphasized by the words of prophecy and
the calamities which overtook the Jews
when they disobeyed, and the blessings
which followed them when they obeyed.
18. What do these preparations for the
coming of Christ show?
It shows clearly that the coming of
Christ was not an accident, but a thing
done by intention. (Gal. 4:4.)
19. Fronfthis standpoint of preparation,
what may the Jews' relation to the earth he
called?
The Jews may be called the missionary
nation of the world.
20. How did God indirectly cause the
Jews to fulfil their missions?
By scattering the Jews through the
world, God used them to prepare the na¬
tions with the elements of the true religion.
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.
1. When was Jesus Christ born?
For some inscrutable reason the exact
time of Christ's birth is lost in the darkness
of antiquity.
2. What is the approximate time of
Christ's birth?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
85
The approximate time is about B. C. 4 or
4004? years after the advent of man upon
earth.
3. Of what nation was Jesus Christ?
Jesus Christ was, on his human side, a
pure Jew.
4. Who was Christ's legal father?
Joseph, the husband of Mary, Christ's
mother, was the legal father of Jesus Christ.
5. Who was his real father?
Christ's real father was God, the Father,
the first person in the Trinity.
6. Is there anything mysterious about
the birth of Christ?
While the fact of life is always a mystery
as to its method, the fact of the conception
of Jesus Christ is one of those delicate and
inscrutable events, the explanation of which
simply tempts the feet of reason into for¬
bidden paths and invites imagination into
the realms of vanity.
7. Who was the mother of Jesus Christ?
Mary, a virgin maiden of Judea, was the
mother of Jesus.
8. What strange facts are connected with
the birth of Jesus?
86 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
At the time of Mary's conception, she
was engaged to be married to Joseph.
9. What did Mary suffer in becoming the
mother of Jesus?
Among the unbelieving Jews of her day
her reputation was seriously compromised.
10. How did God honor Christ in his
birth?
The event was made dignified and em¬
phatic to the Jews by a delegation of an¬
gels who informed the shepherds in eloquent
words and a burst of heavenly music. (Luke
2:8-14.)
11. How was the event made dignified
and emphatic to the Gentile world?
The event was made dignified and em¬
phatic to the Gentile world, by the appear¬
ing of a star, whose location and actions
have ever since been a mj^stery to the scien¬
tific world. (Matt. 2:1, 2.)
12. How did God prepare Mary's mind
for the wonderful thing to be wrought in
her and the odium to be attatched to her
name?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 87
He specially informed and prepared
Mary's mmd for all these things by instruc¬
tions and consoling thoughts sent to her
by the angel Gabriel. (Luke 1:26.)
CHAPTER XII.
THE PERSON OF CHRIST.
1. What is meant by the person of
Jesus Christ?
By this term we mean that teaching of
the Bible which represents Jesus Christ as
having the true nature of God and also the
true nature of man, united in one divine per¬
son, mysteriously possessing a single con¬
sciousness and will.
2. Did Jesus Christ possess a divine na¬
ture while incarnate?
The Bible is clearer on no point than
that Jesus Christ was possessed of divine
nature and all of its essential attributes,
being truly God.
3. Did Jesus Christ possess a human na¬
ture indeed and in truth?
The Bible emphasizes the fact that Jesus
Christ is a real man, being in every respect
human in his nature.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 89
4. How are these two natures related to
each other?
These two natures continue united in his
one divine person, ever remaining" true di¬
vinity and true humanity, unmixed; and, as
to essence, unchanged.
5. What do these two natures consti¬
tute?
These two natures constitute one person
to whom the acts of both natures are re¬
ferred and of which they are predicable.
6. Is this a new person formed hy the
act of conception and the mystery attend¬
ing the incarnation?
This is not a new person formed by the
union of the two natures, but is the eternal
and unchangeable Person of the Word,
which in time assumed unto itself a nascent
human nature and ever afterwards unites
the human and the divine natures in the
eternally divine person.
7. Did Christ assume the person of a
man?
He assumed the nature of a 'man,, but not
the person of man.
90 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
8. Was this failure to assume a human
personality a defect in the person and work
of Christ?
The failure to assume a human personal¬
ity was no defect, but rather an advantage,
since in the union with divinity, humanity
was far more noble and excellent than in a
human personality.
9. Was it necessary for Christ to as¬
sume a human personality?
It was not necessary for Christ to assume
a human personality, since man's dangers
grew out of his human nature, which was
fully assumed into the divine person.
10. Is there any peculiar honor and glory
attached to the human nature of Christ?
The personal and indissoluble union
of human nature with the second person of
the Godhead is an honor that seems re¬
served for the sons of men alone.
11. What evidence have we that Christ
had a true and real body?
That he had a true and real body appears
from the following facts:
(a) He was called man and Son of man.
(Ps. 80:17.)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 91
(b) The soil of Mary. (Mark 6:3.)
(c) He calls himself Son of man. (Matt.
16:13; 25:31.)
(d) He was conceived and born. (Matt.
1:20-25.)
(e). He was hungry, thirsty and weary.
(John 4:6,'7; 12:2.)
(f) Was crucified, dead and buried. (John
19:18, 38-42; 20:1-18;)
12. What were the respective relations of
the three persons of the Godhead to the hu¬
man body of Christ?
The Father prepared it, the Holy Ghost
formed it by his overshadowing "power
upon the virgin, and the Son assumed it.
(Heb. 10:15; Luke 1:35; Heb. 2:14-16.)
13. Why was Christ horn of a woman,
a virgin?
He was born of a woman that he might
be one of us in relation, and of a virgin,
that his nature might be sinless as in crea¬
tion before Adam and Eve sinned. (Heb.
2:17; 7:26.)
14. Of what advantage is the holiness of
Christ's human nature to us?
92
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
The holiness of Christ's human nature is
imputed to us as a part of his righteous¬
ness and is the promise of our future sanc-
tification. (1 Cor. 1:30; Col. 2:9-10.)
15. What results to the person from the
union of the two natures?
The properties of each nature are im¬
parted to the whole person.
16. How is this impartation of qualities
recognized in the Scriptures?
It is recognized by constantly ascribing
to, or affirming of the person that which
properly belongs only to one of the natures.
17. Can illustrations of this be found in
the Scriptures?
Yes, it is said that Christ purchased the
church with his own blood, while it was
only his human nature that suffered (Acts
20:28); only the human nature ascended
into heaven, yet God is said to have gone
up with a shout. (Ps. 47:5.)
18. Upon what is the infinite value of
Christ's atonement based?
The infinite value of Christ's atonement
is based upon his having a real body and a
reasonable soul, in which God-man, the two
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 93
natures are so united that what each does
has the value of both.
19. What is the practical value of this
doctrine?
It is extremely comforting to know that
the Savior of men has been and even now is
in possession of the same human nature in
which he came to redeem us.
20. What is the history of this doctrine?
No one teaching of the Bible has been
more fiercely assailed by the enemies of
Jesus and none is more clearly proved from
the teaching of the Scripture in consequence
of this fierce contention.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE STATES OF CHRIST.
A. HUMILIATION.
1. Into what two states is the life ot
Christ commonly divided?
The incarnate life of Christ is commonly
divided into the state of humiliation and
of exaltation.
2. What is the state of humiliation?
The state of humiliation is that act of the
Divine Logos by which he voluntarily sur¬
rendered the independent exercise of his di¬
vine attributes, in order to take on himself
the nature of man and suffer the conse¬
quential humiliations. (Phil. 2:5-9.)
3. What is the state of exaltation?
The state of exaltation is the triumphant
resumption by the Logos, of his independ¬
ent exercise of divine powers and attri¬
butes, together with the elevation of hu¬
man nature, by its union with his person,
into a glorj- and honor otherwise impossi¬
ble for it to have attained.
(94)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 95
4. How was he humiliated by being
born of a woman?
He was humiliated by his submission to
the human mode of conception and the de¬
riving his human soul from a sinful germ
already existing.
5. How was he humiliated by being
"made under the law?"
He was humiliated by submitting to lim¬
itations of growth, necessary to human na¬
ture, and all the preparatory period neces¬
sary to man, but which is foreign to him as
God.
6. How was he humiliated by " waxing
strong in the Spirit?"
He was humiliated as the second person
in the Trinity, when he surrendered his own
divinely independent knowledge and power
and submitted to the lead and control of
the Holy Spirit, "being formed and fash¬
ioned as a servant."
7. How was he humiliated by the touch
of the Arst Adam's nature?
He was humiliated by subjecting his soul
to the temptations, insults, suffering and
96 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
death which were the natural inheritance of
Adam's corrupt nature.
8. How did Christ maintain his human
nature free from the taint of human cor¬
ruption?
He maintained his human nature free from
any corruption by having God for his
Father, "being conceived by the Holy
Ghost," though born of the Virgin Mary.
(Luke 1:35.)
9. What did Christ leave in heaven that
added to his humility?
He laid aside the livery of royalty and the
crown of glory that he might be made in
all points like as we are, yet without sin.
(Phil. 2:6-8; John 15:1-5.)
10. What was the low outward condi¬
tion in which Christ was born?
The low condition was his being born of
a poor woman, in the obscure town of
Bethlehem, and laid in a manger because
there was no room for them in the inn.
(Luke 2: 4, 5 and 7.)
11. Why was it necessary for Christ to
stoop so low?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 97
The distance which Christ had to stoop
is a measure of the depth of the pit and
miry clay in which man had plunged him¬
self by sin. (Ps. 40:2.)
12. How ought Christ's humility affect
the world?
The world should speedily accept and on
bended knees seek to appreciate the love and
grace of Jesus Christ, who though he was
rich became poor, that we through his pov¬
erty might be made rich.
13. Under what law did Christ come to
redeem us?
While he kept the ceremonial law and
honored all divine institutions to which
man was related, yet, it appears that it
was the moral law under which he was our
surety. (Gal. 3:10; 4:4, 5.)
14. What was the crowning act of his
h umiliation?
The crowning act of Christ's humiliation
was his undergoing the wrath of God the
Father. (Ps. 116:3; Mark 15:34; Matt.
26:38.)
15. How could Christ, a perfect and sin¬
less being, undergo the wrath of God?
98 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
He underwent the wrath of God, not for
himself, but for his elects, whose sins were
imputed to him. (Isa. 53:6.)
16. How was Christ's human nature
able to hear the awful effects of God's
wrath on account of man's sins?
His human nature was only able to bear
the wrath of God because of its union with
his Divine person; his human nature was
supported by the Divine person. (Isa. 50:7;
Luke 23:46.)
IT. How was Christ humbled in what
passed upon his body after his death?
He was humbled by being buried and con¬
tinuing under death for a time. (Ps. 16:10.
1 Cor. 15:4.)
18. Why was Christ providentially hur¬
ried in a new sepulchre?
That none might say it was another and
not he who rose from the dead. (Acts 4:10.)
19. What is the meaning of the phrase,
"He descended into hell?"
No more is probably meant than his de¬
scent into the grave, under the power of
death as its prisoner. (Ps. 16:10.)
20. Why did Christ continue three days
under the power of death?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 99
To show that he was dead, beyond all
possibility of doubt. (1 Cor. 15:3.)
B. EXALTATION.
1. To which nature of Christ does his
exaltation refer.
The exaltation of Christ evidently refers
to his human nature, since it was impossible
to exalt him in his divine nature, being
very God, both before and after his incar¬
nation. (John 17:5.)
2. Why is Christ's human nature thus
exalted?
As a fitting and promised reward for his
triumphant humiliation. (Phil. 2:8,9.)
3. What was the first step in Christ's
exaltation?
The first step in his exaltation was his
resurrection in which he is set before the
world as the perfected, purified and glori¬
fied man.
4. What relation does his resurrected
body sustain to sin and death ?
His resurrected body presents human
nature, as conqueror of sin and king of
death. (Matt. 28:18.)
5. What honor does his ascension place
upon maris nature?
100 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
His ascension presents Christ to the uni¬
verse as God reinvested with the glory
which he had laid down, and jet, with hu¬
man nature mysteriously united in his di¬
vine person in a way in which it never was
before and never could have been unless he
had voluntarily assumed it. (Mark 16:19;
Acts 7:55; Rev. 1:18.)
6. What is the extent of the dominion
which Christ received in consequence of his
exaltation?
He received in his new relation a domin¬
ion that is universal and eternal. (Eph. 1:
19-23.)
7. In what other respect will Christ's
exaltation appear?
Christ's exaltation will further appear in
his coming to judge the world at the last
dav. (Acts 17:31; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:11-
130
8. How will Christ come to judge the
world?
He will come to judge the world in the
most splendid and glorious manner imagi¬
nable. (Matt. 24:30; Mark 8:38.)
CHAPTER XIV.
THE OFFICES OF CHRIST,
1. What are the three offices commonly
applied to Christ?
The three offices commonly applied to
Christ are Prophet, Priest and King,
2. What do these three offices in their
entirety constitute Christ?
These three offices together present Christ
in what is commonly called his mediatorial
office. (1 Tim. 2:5.)
A. HIS PROPHETIC OFFICE.
3. What is meant by his being a Prophet?
The office of Prophet consists in Christ's
being the qualified and authorized revealer
of God to man.
4. How many ways does Christ reveal
God?
In two ways; immediately and mediately.
5. When and how does he reveal God
i in media tely?
(101)
102 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
He reveals God the Father immediately
when he was on earth with his disciples, in
teaching them, and will ever continue to re-
Teal him in the light and splendor of the
eternal heaven.
6. When and how does Christ reveal God
the Father mediately?
Christ mediately reveals his Father:
1st, through the Holy Spirit;
2nd, through the commissioned teachers
of his church. (Eph. 4:11.)
7. How else does he reveal the Father?
He reveals him, externally, through his
words and works, addressed to the mind.
(John 10:38.)
8. How else does he reveal him?
He reveals him, internally, through the
Spiritual illumination of the heart. (1 John
2:20; 5:20.)
9. What is the first stage of Christ's pro¬
phetic office?
The first stage of Christ's prophetic office
was the period of time from the advent of
man upon the earth to the advent of Christ
upon the earth. Christ is the revealer of
whatever knowledge of God the world has.
(John 1:9.)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 103
10. What is the second stage of Christ's
prophetic office?
This second stage embraces the time cov¬
ered bj Christ's earthly ministry, during
which time he showed himself the world's
greatest religious teacher. (John 7:46; 14:
6.)
11. What is the third stage in Christ's
prophetic office?
The third stage embraces his teaching the
church through the Holy Spirit in the
hearts and minds of specially chosen men,
until his second advent. (John 16:12-14;
Acts 1:1.)
12. What is the fourth stage in Christ's
prophetic office?
The fourth stage in his prophetic office
embraces his final revelation of the Father
to his saints in glory. (John 16:25; 17:24-
26; Isa. 64:4; 1 Cor. 13:12.)
13. In what three relations does Christ
train his disciples?
He trains them in their relation to the
law^ the gospel and afflictions.
14. What does he teach them in their re¬
lation to the law?
104 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
He teaches them the exceeding sinfulness
of sin and their utter inability either to keep
the law or to atone for the sins resulting
from the broken law. (Gen. 2:17; Eph. 2:
12; Rom. 7:9.)
15. What does he teach them in their re¬
lation to the gospel?
He teaches them that he is the door into
everlasting life and the way to heaven. (Ps.
116:13; John 10:9; 14:6.)
16. What does he teach them about
their relation to afflictions?
He teaches them that afflictions are but
instruments in his hands for the purification
of their soul and therefore are to be borne
cheerfully and uncomplainingly. (Heb. 12:
6-13; 2 Cor. 4:17.)
B. HIS PRIESTLY OFFICE.
1. What is meant hy Christ being a
Priest?
By Christ being a Priest we mean his
"once offering up himself a sacrifice to sat¬
isfy Divine Justice, and to reconcile us to
God," and in making continual interces¬
sions for us.
2. What is the Bible idea of a Priest?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 105
A priest is a public person called to his
office of God, representing the guilty party
whose reconciliation he seeks to bring
about by offering to an offended God, sacri¬
fice upon an altar.
3. What are the two parts of Christ's
priestly office?
The two parts of his priestly office are
his satisfaction on earth and his interces¬
sion in heaven. (Heb. 13:12; 1 John 2:1.)
4. Why was it fitting that his satisfac¬
tion he made on the earth?
Because the earth being the place where
the law of God was violated, it was proper
and fit that the atonement or satisfaction
be made there. (John 17:4.)
5. What sacrifice did Christ offer to sat¬
isfy divine justice?
The sacrifice which he offered was none
other or nothing less than himself. (Heb.
9:26.)
6. What was essential to every accept¬
able sacrifice?
Every acceptable sacrifice must have been
perfected by the shedding of blood. (Heb.
9:22.)
106 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
7. Which of Christ's two natures was
offered up as a sacrifice?
The human nature in its entirety as com¬
posed of soul and body was offered up as
the acceptable sacrifice. (Heb. 10:10; Isa.
53:10.)
8. What was required to sanctify and
make the sacrifice acceptable to God?
Every sacrifice must have been offered
upon an altar which sanctified the gift.
(Matt. 23:19.)
9. What was the acceptable altar on
which the sacrifice of his human nature was
offered?
The altar that sanctified the sacrifice was
his divine nature. (Heb. 9:14; 1 Peter 1:19;
1 John 1:7.)
10. Was Christ a sacrifice only on the
Cross of Calvary?
He was a sacrifice laid on the altar, from
the moment of his incarnation to his trium.
phant resurrection. (Heb. 10:5; Isa. 53:3.
John 19:30; Isa. 53:9.)
11. What double relation did Christ oc¬
cupy in this atonement?
He was both the priest and the sacrifice.
(Heb. 5:5.)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 107
12. Where did Christ excel the sacrifices
offered by human priests?
The human priests were compelled to offer
their sacrifices daily, but as our Great High
Priest he offered up himself, once for all.
(Heb. 9:28.)
13. How do we know that Christ has
fully satisfied divine justice?
Because he said on Calvary's Cross, "It
is finished."
14. What relation does Christ's interces¬
sion have in the covenant of redemption?
His offering himself is the making of the
covenant of his redemption; his intercession
is his administration of the same covenant.
(Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:16, 17.)
15. For whom does Christ intercede in
heaven?
He only intercedes for his elect or those
who have chosen him as their advocate.
(John 17:9; 1 John 2:1.
16. In what sense is Christ a priest for¬
ever?
He is not a sacrificing, but an interced¬
ing priest forever. (Ps. 110:4; Heb. 10:14.)
17. How did Christ excel the priests after
the order of Aaron?
108 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
He excelled the human priests in his per¬
son, manner of installment, and perfection
of his sacrifice.
18. How did he excel them in his person?
They were mere men, he the true God;
they were sinful; he holy, undefiled and sepa¬
rate from sinners. (ljohn 5:20; Heb. 7:26.)
19. How does he excel them in his man¬
ner of installment?
Human priests were made without ail
oath; but he with an oath. (Heb. 7:21.)
20. How does he excel them in the per¬
fection of his sacrifice?
The blood of animals which human priests
offered could not remove sins; but his blood
was the effectual cause of the removal not
only of sin, but the stain of sin. (Heb. 10:
4, 12; Isa. 1:18.)
C. THE KINGLY OFFICE:
1. What is meant by Christ1 s being a
King?
By Christ's being a king we mean the
sovereign power he exercises in the universe
"in subduing us to himself, in ruling and de¬
fending us, and in restraining and conquer¬
ing all his and our enemies."
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 109
2. Under how many aspects do we con¬
ceive of his kingdom?
The kingdom of Christ is commonly con¬
ceived as his essential and his mediatorial
kingdom.
3. What is his essential kingdom?
By his essential kingdom we mean the
universe at large as governed by Christ, in
his absolute, eternal and unchangeable right
as God. (Ps. 103:19.)
4. What is his mediatorial kingdom?
By his mediatorial kingdom we mean his
sovereign power and authority in and over
the church; given as a reward for his obedi¬
ence and suffering. (Eph. 1:22.)
5. How has Christ's mediatorial king¬
dom been distinguished?
His mediatorial kingdom has been distin¬
guished as a kingdomof Power, Grace and
Glory.
6. What is meant by the term kingdom
of power?
His kingdom of power includes the entire
universe, in his providential and judicial
administration, the end of which is the sub¬
jection of his enemies. (Heb. 10:12, 13; 1
Cor. 15:25.)
110 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
7. What is meant by the term kingdom
of grace?
His kingdom of grace includes his entire
church on earth obeying his declared laws
and practicing his ordinances.
8. What is meant by his kingdom of
glory?
His kingdom of glory includes his church
triumphant, in heaven, receiving from him
forever, the revelation of his Father in the
security of holy characters.
9. Why was it necessary for Christ to be
king over the entire universe?
The universe being one physical and
moral system it was necessary for Christ to
rule it as King that he might control and
overrule all things for the good of them
that love him. (Rom. 8:28; Luke 22:29;
John 14:2.)
10. How does Christ rale his subjects?
He declares the laws of his kingdom unto
them, rewards those who keep them and
disciplines those who disobey them. (Ps.
147:19; Heb. 12:6; Ps. 19:11.)
11. What is the discipline of Christ's
kingdom?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. Ill
The discipline of his kingdom is an all
wise Fatherly chastisement which aims to
correct our habits and purify the fountains
of our lives. (Ps. 89:30-35.)
12. Of what doctrine of grace may the
divine discipline be said to form a part?
The Fatherly discipline common to his
kingdom forms a part of the doctrine of
sanctification, since its aim and effect is to
promote holiness in the soul of the believer.
13. What other kingly service does he
render his subjects?
He defends them against all their enemies:
viz, the world, the flesh, the Devil and death.
(Luke 1:71; 1 John 4:4; Ilosea 13:14.)
14. Who is the worst enemy our king
has to fight for us?
Although it may seem strange, the worst
enemy our king has to fight is our own
sinful natures, so made by the remains of
corruption in them. (Gal. 5:7; 2 Cor. 12:
7-10.)
15. How do we call our enemies Chrises
enemies when we are sinful and he is holy?
Because we are united to him by faith, he
being the head of the church and we the
112 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
members, our friends and foes must be the
same. (1 Cor. 12:12; Zech. 2:8.)
16. How does Christ conquer his and
his people's enemies?
He so limits their power or takes it away
that they cannot hurt any of his subjects
in their spiritual life and state. (Luke 10:
19.)
17. What hope have we that we can ex¬
pect necessary aid froth our King in keeping
the spiritual law?
Our king having in our human nature
overcome the world, the flesh and the Devil,
if we keep close to him-, there is no doubt
we can overcome them even as he has
overcome them. (John 16:23; Rom. 12:21;
1 John 5:4-5.)
18. In what sense is Christ's kingdom
spiritual?
We conclude that his kingdom is spiritual
in the following points:
(a) The King is spiritual. (John 18:36.)
(b) His throne is spiritual. (Acts 2:33.)
(c) His sceptre is spiritual. (Ps. 110:2.)
(d) His subjects are spiritual. (Phil. 3.
20.)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 113
(e) His mode of government is spiritual.
(Zech. 4:6, 7.)
(f) His laws are spiritual. (John 4:25.)
(g) The reward and penalties are spirit¬
ual. (1 Cor. 5:4-11.)
19. How do we know we have Christ
as our prophet or our priest?
We cannot have him as our prophet or
priest unless we also accept him as our
king.
20. Who is Christ's representative and
agent, ruling his kingdom?
The Hoij Spirit is the divinely efficient
and ever active administrator of the king¬
dom of Christ. (Matt. 28:20; Acts 2:1-4:
John 16:7, 13.)
CHAPTER XV.
UNION WITH CHRIST.
1. What is the worth of this doctrine?
It has been called the central truth of all
theology and of all religion.
2. What is meant by union with Christ?
Union with Christ is a mysterious union
of the soul and life of the believer with
the soul and life of God, in which the be¬
liever retains his identity and personality,
yet is controlled by the power and charac¬
ter of God. There is no union of its kind
to be found in human life or in nature.
3. What is the federal nature of this
union ?
The federal aspect of this union is
Christ's assuming human nature, and
thereby having man's sin imputed to him
and his righteousness imputed to man
through faith.
4. How does the Scripture figuratively
represent this union?
(114)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 115
The Scripture presents this union under
the following figures:
(a) The union of a building and its
foundation. (Eph. 2:20-22; Col. 2:7.)
Christ is the foundation; the church a tem¬
ple in which each believer is a stone.
(b) The union between husband and
wife. (Rom. 7:4; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:31-
32.) Christ is presented as the husband
and the church as the wife.
(c) The union between the vine and the
branches. (John 15:1-10.) God's spiritual
life is in Christ, his spiritual vine, to give
vitality to his spiritual branches, as natural
life is given through the natural vine.
(d) The union between the members
and the head of the body. (1 Cor. 6:15;
12:12.)
(e) The union of the race with Adam.
(Rom. 5:12, 21.) As the whole human race
fell with Adam so it may rise with Christ
to walk in newness of life.
5. How else do the Scriptures represent
this union?
The Scriptures directly teach the follow¬
ing about it:
116 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
(a) The believer is declared to be in
Christ. (John 14:20; Rom. 6:11; 2 Cor.
5:17; Eph. 1:4.)
(b) Christ is declared to be in the be¬
liever. (John 14:20; Rom. 8:9.)
(c) The Father and the Son dwell in the
believer. (John 14:23; 1 John 4:16.)
(d) The believer's life comes from par¬
taking of Christ. (John 6:53, 56, 57; 1 Cor.
10:16, 17.)
(e) All believers are one in Christ. (John
17:21-23.)
(f) The believer is made a partaker of
the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4.)
(g) The believer is made one spirit with
the Lord. (1 Cor. 6:17; Rom. 8:26.)
6. What is the real nature of this union?
It is an organic union in which every be¬
liever becomes in possession of Christ's
pure humanity, and hence acceptable mem¬
bers of Christ. (Eph. 5:29, 30.)
7. Who exercises the controlling" princi¬
ple in this union ?
In this union the believer submits to
Christ's life which thenceforth and forever
becomes the dominant principle in his life.
(Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:3, 4.)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 117
8. Who is responsible for this union?
This union is wholly spiritual in its na¬
ture, being originated by the Holy Spirit,
and maintained by his presence and power.
(Rom. 8:9, 10.)
9. What of the perpetuity of the union?
This union is to last forever, since the
atonement of Christ is its foundation and
the ground of its hope. (Matt. 28:30;
John 10:28; Rom. 8:35, 39.)
10. What does this union necessitate on
the part of the believer?
On the part of the believer this union
implies and necessitates a new exercise of
his soul, which is called repentance and
faith.
11. What benefits are procured by the
soul as a result of this union ?
As a result of this union the soul receives
a transforming power, resulting eventually
in sanctification, and the body a corre¬
sponding consecration, resulting in its tri¬
umphant and glorious resurrection. (John
1:16; 1 Cor. 15:45-49; 1 Thess. 5:23; Phil.
3:20, 21.)
CHAPTER XYI.
THE SPIRITUAL CHANGE.
i.
1. What do we mean by a spiritual
change?
By the term spiritual change we mean
that complete change on the part of a man
which affects his disposition and acts and
manifests itself in a changed attitude to¬
wards God and sin.
2. Under how many views is this change
manifested ?
This spiritual change is presented in the
Bible under two views or aspects, viz: Re¬
generation and conversion.
3. Why is it presented under two as¬
pects? ■
It is so presented because in this spirit¬
ual change there are two persons engaged,
God and the sinner.
4. Whose part in the spiritual change
does the term regeneration signify?
(118)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 119
Regeneration represents and explains the
part that God performs in the process ac¬
companying this spiritual change. (John
1:13; 3:5.)"
5. What part in the spiritual change
does the term conversion signify?
Conversion represents and explains the
part that man performs in the process ac¬
companying the spiritual change.
6. What is regeneration ?
" Regeneration is that act of God by
which the governing disposition of the soul
is made holy, and by which through the
truth as a means, the first holy exercise of
this disposition is secured."—Strong.
7. What relation does regeneration sus¬
tain to the salvation of man ?
Regeneration or the "new birth" is in¬
dispensable to the salvation of men, into
which no one can enter who is not born
anew. (John 3:7; Gal. 6:15.)
8. What principle in man does regenera¬
tion change?
The principle of death, which reigns in
every son of Adam, is driven out of the
soul by the incoming of the principle of life.
(John 5:21; Eph. 2:1; John 1:4; 10:10.)
120 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
9. What do we mean by the term "gov¬
erning- disposition" ?
By the term "governing disposition''
we mean that settled inward preference of
the soul, from which state, as a fountain,
the life necessarily and naturally flows.
The Bible term for it is w heart."
10. What effect does regeneration have
upon the moral relations ?
It is a radical change in the moral nature
of the soul, giving new light upon duty,
imparting a love of holiness and renewing
the will in the power of choosing and per¬
forming what it is taught to perceive as
duty. (Eph. 2:5; 4:23, 24; Col. 1:13.)
11. By what means is regeneration ef¬
fected?
It is effected by the immediate act of God
upon the soul of man with the truth as the
means. (Heb. 4:12; Jas. 1:18.)
12. What is the nature of this regenera¬
tion as it relates to time?
As the regenerative act is symbolized by
the figure of a birth and viewed as distinc¬
tive,by God's act, it is instantaneous. (John
5:24; Matt. 6:24.)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 121
13. Do we know of its character and
nature fully?
As a distinct act of God, wrought in the
secret chambers of the soul, it is inscruta¬
ble, being known mainly by its after effects
in the life of the regenerated. (John 3:8:
Phil. 2:12, 13.)
14. Is regeneration proper, in any sense,
dependent upon the will of man?
The Bible everywhere, in the most unmis¬
takable and emphatic term, presents and
represents regeneration as all act of God,
supremely and entirely independent of and
beyond the will of man, being below the
regions of human consciousness. (John
1:13; 3:5; Eph. 2:10; 1 Peter 1:3.)
15. What relation does the regenerating
act establish between God and man ?
The regenerating act establishes a real
union between the soul of Christ and the
soul of man; Christ's life coming into the
life of man and expelling the death which
reigned therein. (Rom. 8:2; 2 Cor. 5:17;
Eph. 2:10.)
16. Is regeneration necessary upon any
reasonable basis ?
122 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
Regeneration is absolutely necessary,
since holiness, or conformity to the funda¬
mental moral attribute of God, is indispen¬
sable to secure divine favor, attain peace of
conscience, and to prepare the soul for as¬
sociation and employment in the holy
world beyond the grave.
17. Does the known condition of human¬
ity argue in favor of this necessity?
The moral depravity of the race of man
as evidenced in their writings, lives, altars
and sacrifices for sin, together with its uni¬
versal confession of helplessness to deliver
itself from sin and the effects of sin is an
indisputable evidence of the necessity of re¬
generation, as the hope of salvation from
the dominion of sin.
18. Can the soul by a process of natural
growth attain unto this internal change
produced by regeneration?
Man cannot attain unto this change by
a natural growth, since the entire motion
and direction of his soul is towards selfish¬
ness. (2 Tim. 3:7.)
19. What is the efficient cause of regen¬
eration ?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 123
The Holy Spirit, the third person in the
Trinity, is the- immediate agency and effi¬
cient cause in regeneration. (John 3:5.)
20. Does the Holy Spirit in regeneration
act without any means?
The Holy Spirit does not act without
any means, for we are taught in the Bible
that "the word of the Spirit is the word of
God;" which word he uses as a means to
instruct, convince and influence the will in
the exercise of holiness, which was foreign
and impossible to it, previous to the regen¬
erating act—"Begotten of the word."
21. Is the change made in the soul itself
or in the truth.
This change is made in "the inward
man" and not in the truth, for the truth
cannot be made more true than it is or
ever was.
22. What relation, then, does this change
have to the truth ?
The change is wholly one of apprecia¬
tion, on account of which the soul is made
able to recognize the beauty, force and eter¬
nal importance of the truth of God as it
relates to his happiness in this and in the
124 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
life to come. An increase of light does not
enable a blind man to see, but the disease
in the eye must first be cured.
23. What is the special value and service
in regeneration ?
The truth as a means is specially valua¬
ble and indispensable in securing the activ¬
ity of man in the direction of holiness.
24<. Why is the truth used in securing
the activity of man in the direction of holi¬
ness ?
The truth is used because man is a ra¬
tional creature, and as such, only acts from
rational motives, to which the truth ap¬
peals with irresistible force in the hands of
the Holy Spirit.
25. Is man wholly passive in and dur¬
ing the regenerating process?
Man is not wholly passive during the re¬
generating act; he is passive, however, so
far as it concerns the change of his govern¬
ing disposition; but so far as it concerns
the voluntary and rational exercise of his
faculties, he is active and more truly active
than ever before.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 125
26. Upon what, then, c?oes the exercise
of man's faculties in the direction of holi¬
ness depend?
The exercise of man's faculties in the
direction of holiness depends upon his being
brought in contact with the truth under
the leading of the Holy Spirit.
27. How does this fact increase and
magnify the importance of the church in the
world?
It increases and magnifies the impor¬
tance of the church in that it reveals the
awful responsibility of the church as the
guardian and "ground and pillar of the
truth," the faithful preaching of which is
committed to her as "the light of the
world."
28. Where does this doctrine place in¬
fants in respect of church membership ?
If rational contact with the truth is nec¬
essary to the exercise of the soul in the
direction of holiness, then, infants not being
in the possession of this rational exercise of
faculty have no right to church member¬
ship.
29. Is regeneration a change in sub¬
stance of the. soul or body?
126 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
Regeneration is not a change in tlie sub¬
stance of either the body or soul.
30. What is then the essential change
produced in regeneration ?
The essential change in regeneration is in
the direction of the soul's activities. The
lever of the engine is reversed by the Holj
Spirit, and the soul, with its same faculties,
is sent in an opposite direction. Regenera¬
tion does not give anew heart, but rather
changes the old heart.
THE SPIRITUAL, CHANGE.
II.
1. What does the term conversion rep¬
resent in the spiritual change?
Conversion represents the part'that man
performs in the spiritual change as regener¬
ation represents the part that God performs
in the same spiritual change.
2. What do we mean hv the term con-
version ?
Conversion is that voluntary change in
the sinner's mind in which he turns, on> the
one hand from sin and on the other hand
to Christ.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 127
3. How many elements are there in this
act of conversion?
There are two elements in this act,
namely: a negative element called repent¬
ance and a positive element called faith.
(Rom. 6.11; Col. 3:3; Acts 3:26; 11:21.)
4. Does the Bible recognize the ability
of man to make this change in his mind and
life?
The Bible everywhere, both directly and
indirectly, recognizes the ability of man to
make this change in his mind and life, and
commands him to do it. (Ezekiel 18:31;
2 Corf 7:1; Phil. 2:12; Eph. 5:14; Joel 2;12-
14.)
5. What is repentance ?
Repentance is the first step in conversion
and means the change of the sinner's mind
respecting sin and the turning away from
it as the end and object of his life. (Acts
2:38.)
6. How many elements are included in
repentance?
There are three fundamental and neces¬
sary steps or elements in repentance, name¬
ly ; intellectual, emotional and voluntary.
128 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
7. What do we mean by the intellectual
element of repentance?
B j the intellectual element of repentance
we mean the soul's recognition of sin as
imparting to it a personal guilt and help¬
lessness. (Ps. 51:3, 7, 11; Rom. 3:20.)
8. What do we mean by the emotional
element of repentance ?
By the emotional element of repentance
we mean the soul's sorrow for sin as com¬
mitted against goodness and justice, and
therefore hateful to God and hateful in it¬
self. (Ps. 51:1, 2, 10, 14; 2 Cor. 7,9,10;
Luke 18:23.)
9. What do we mean by the voluntary
element of repentance?
By the voluntary element of repentance
we mean the soul's inward turning from
sin and disposition to seek pardon and
cleansing. (Ps. 51:5, 7, 10; Jer. 25:5; Rom.
2:4.)
10. How does true repentance manifest
itself?
True repentance manifests itself by con¬
fession of sin before God and by making
reparation for wrongs done to men. (Luke
19:8; 18:13.)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
129
11. What is the positive element in con¬
version ?
The positive element in conversion is
called faith, or more technically however
denominated saving faith.
12. What is saving faith ?
Saving faith is that assent of the mind
and consent of the heart that accepts
Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour from
sin and the effects of sin, and which trusts
in his person and works as the ground of
our salvation.
13. How many elements are there in
saving faith?
There are three fundamental steps or
elements in saving faith, viz: intellectual,
emotional and voluntary.
14. What do we mean by the intellec¬
tual element of saving faith ?
By the intellectual element of saving
faith we mean the soul's recognition of the
truth of divine revelation; its facts as real
history, and its doctrines as eternally true
and necessary. (John 2:23, 24; Jas. 2:19.)
15. What do we mean by the emotional
element of saving faith ?
130 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
By the emotional elements of saving
faith we mean the soul's assent to the fit¬
ness, beauty, and adaptability of the plan
of salvation to the moral and spiritual
needs of man. (Matt. 13:20, 21; Ps. 10:6
12, 13.)
16. What do we mean by the voluntary
elements of saving" faith?
By the voluntary elements of saving
faith we mean the soul's trustful surrender
of itself to Christ as its Savior and ruler
forever. (John 1:13; 8:4, 14; 8:12.)
17. What relation do these elements
sustain to each other?
They are so closely related that neither
can be absent in a perfect and saving faith;
each succeeding element includes the preced¬
ing one.
18. Ho w is faith related to salvation?
Faith is the hand that receives Christ
and in him salvation.
19. While faith is the human element in
the spirtual change, is it wholly independ¬
ent of grace?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 131
Faith is human in its exercises, but divine
in its origin. Faith is not of ourselves: "it
is the gift of God." (Eph. 2:8.)
20. How is faith made ours in our utter
moral helplessness?
We come in possession of faith by God's
putting his Spirit within us. This Spirit
teaches us all things and leads us into faith.
He is called the Spirit of Faith. (2 Cor.
4:13.)
CHAPTER XVII.
JUSTIFICATION.
1. What do we mean by the term JustiA-
cation?
By Justification we mean that judicial
act of God wherein, on account of the sin¬
ner's union with Christ by faith, he remits
the penalty of his sins and receives him into
divine favor as though he had not sinned.
2. Does the act of justi£cation affect
the sinner internally or externally?
The act of justification directly consid¬
ered is external to the sinner and only af¬
fects his reputation so far as his standing
in the court of heaven is concerned.
3. Has the act of justiAcation no indi¬
rect relation to the sinners character?
The act of justification, being conditioned
upon the act of regeneration has, therefore,
an indirect bearing upon the sinner's char¬
acter.
(132)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 133
4. What is the essential difference be¬
tween regeneration and justification?
The essential difference is, that, regenera¬
tion changes the character of the sinner,
while justification changes the reputation.
5. How can God, as Judge, consistent
with his righteousness declare to he right¬
eous and receive into perfect favor, one
who has done no work of righteousness,
nor satisfied the demands of offended
justice?
God, as Judge, can declare the sinner
righteous, because of Christ's perfect satis¬
faction of the law, which satisfaction he
credits to the sinner's account, receiving
fhe sinners guilt to his own account; and
because the sinner receives this benefit and
makes this transfer through faith in Christ
alone. (Rom. 1:17; 3:24-30; Gal. 3:11; Kph.
1:7; Heb. 11:17; 3:24-30; Gal. 3:11; Eph.
1:7; Heb. 11:4. 7; Gen. 15:6; Isa. 7:9; Hab.
2:4.)
6. What is the Scriptural use of the
special words translated "justify" and
(justification'' ?
The Scriptural meaning of these special
words as gathered from the Septuagint
134 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
and the New Testament is to pronounce
just or free from all liability to punish¬
ment, not to make just.
7. What are the elements of Justihca-
tion?
The elements of justification are the re¬
mission of the penalty of sin and the res¬
toration to the divine favor.
8. What do we mean by the remission
of the penalty of sin?
By this term we mean the act of God,
viewed as a judge in which he declares the
sinner to be no longer liable to the penalty
of the law. It is God's official act as dis¬
tinguished from his personal act which
may be more properly termed forgiveness.
9. What do we mean by 11 the restora¬
tion to the divine favor?"
\
By this term we mean God's treatment
of the believer as though he were personally
righteous, best owing upon him all the re¬
wards promised the obedient. (Luke 15:
22-24; John 3:16; Rev. 19:8.)
10. Upon what ground is the sinnner en¬
titled to God's favor?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 135
The sinner's restoration to God's favor
rests wholly upon the obedience and right¬
eousness of Christ, who is "the end of the
law for righteousness to every one that be-
lieveth." (Rom. 10:4.)
11. How does the sinner come in con¬
nection with this obedience and righteous¬
ness of Christ?
The sinner comes in connection with this
obedience and righteousness through faith
in Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:1.)
12. How do we know that this justifica¬
tion does not refer to the moral character
of the believer?
We know it because the Bible asserts
that there is not a just man on earth that
doeth good and sinneth not; and because
the experience of the Christian heart in all
ages bears the most conclusive evidence to
the remains of depravity and sin in the
soul.
13. To what then must this justifica¬
tion refer?
This justification must then refer to the
sinners changed relations to God's Law o£
Holiness.
136 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
14. How can God consider as just, one
in whose soul and life sin still remains?
He can consider him just because Christ
has completely satisfied the law, for the be¬
liever's past, present, and future sins.—
Past and present sins. (Rom. 4:7.) Future
sins. (Rom. 4:8; 1 John 2:1.)
15. How does the sinner receive the
blessing of perfect obedience while sin re¬
mains in his life and soul?
He receives the blessings of perfect obe¬
dience, though a sinner, because while sin is
in his present life, the dominant principle of
his life and love of his heart proceeds from
and terminates on Christ, increasing more
and more unto the perfect day.
16. Finally, how may the believers' re¬
lation to justification and sanctification be
expressed?
This relation may be aptly expressed by
Luther's formula: We in Christ—justifica¬
tion. Christ in us—sanctification.
17. What relation does justification
sustain to faith?
The sinner's justification is obtained
through faith as a means, not as a cause,
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 137
for a man is not justified by the works of
the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.
(Gal. 2:16.)
CHAPTER XVIII.
GOD THE SANCTIFIER.
1. Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the Third Person 112
the Trinity.
2. Around which Person in the Trinity
has the war of Theology waged?
The Divinity and Person of Christ is
the great battle field on which Theological
Science has pitched and waged her fiercest
battles.
3. What is th-e result of the wars waged
about the doctrine of Christ's divinity?
After the shocks and smoke of battle,
Jesus emerges from the contest with his Di¬
vinity not only "unhurt amid the wreck of
matter and the crash of worlds," but so
lustrous and convincingly bright that the
mouths of all gainsayers have been well
nigh closed.
4. Is the Holy Spirit a person or an in¬
fluence?
038)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 139
The Holy Spirit is not a simple energy or
influence but an intelligent person.
5. How is this fact proved from the
Scripture?
The fact is clearly proved from the fol¬
lowing facts:
(a) Names peculiar to persons are ap¬
plied to him, such as Comforter, Instructor,
Patron, Advocate, etc.
(b) His name is used in such association
with other persons as necessarily implies
his own.
(1) With Christian. (Acts 15:28)
(2) "With Christ. (John 16:4.)
(3) The Father and Son. (Matt. 28:19;
2 Cor. 13:14; Jude 1:20; 1 Peter 1:1, 2.)
(c) Performs acts peculiar to persons,—
searcher, knows, speaks, testifies, reveals,
convinces, commands, strives, helps, guides,
creates, recreats, sanctifies, intercedes:
These things are variously represented in
Scripture as being done by the Spirit,
hence he must a personality.
(d) He is affected as a persons;— being
resisted grieved, vexed, blasphemed insult¬
ed. Only persons can be insulted.
140- THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
(e) He manifested himself invisible form,
distinct from the Father and Son.
When Christ was baptized—(Matt. 3:16,
17). When Christ was baptized—(Luke
3:21, 22).
6. Is the Holy Spirit divine?
The Holy Spirit is certainly divine from
the following Biblical representations:
(1) The names of God are applied to
the Spirit, Holy Ghost called God. (Act-
5:3, 4).
(2) Divine attributes are applied to Spir¬
it.
Omnipresence (Ps. 139:7; 1 Cor. 12:13).
Omniscience (1 Cor. 2:11, 11).
Omnipotence (Luke 1:35; Rom. 8:11).
(3) Divine works are credited to him.
Creation (Gen. 1:2; Job. 26:13; Ps. 104:30).
Working Miracles (Matt. 12:28; 1 Cor.
12:9-11).
Regeneration (John 3:5, 6).
Resurrection (Rom. 8:11).
CHAPTER XIX.
OFFICE.
r. What is the peculiar office of the
Holy Spirit in the plan of Salvation?
The peculiar office of the Holy Spirit in
the plan of Salvation is its application to
souls of believers, as that of the Father is
the ordaining and the Son the purchasing
of it. (Titus 3:5, 6.)
8. How does the purchase of redemp¬
tion differ from the application o f it?
The purchase of redemption is a work
that is done outside of us; but the applica¬
tion of it is done inside of us. (Isa. 63:4, 5;
Rom. 8:16; John 3:5.)
9. Does the Holy Spirit apply redemp¬
tion to any but those from whom ,Christ
has purchased it?
The Holy Spirit applies redemption to
none but those for whom it was purchased
by Christ the Good Shepherd, who laid
down his life for the sheep; for them alone
(141)
142 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
lie prayed in his last hours. John 10:15, 16;
John 17:9, 10.)
10. What means does the Spirit use in
the application of redemption?
The Spirit of God uses the Word of God
in the application of redemption in regener¬
ation and in sanctification. (1 Peter 1:23;
IThess. 1:5, 6; Eph. 6:17; Rom. 10:17;
John 17:20; 1 Peter 2:2; Luke 4:4; John
17:17.)
11. In what peculiar form does the
Spirit use the word of God in applying
redemptionr
The Spirit especially uses the Word of
God in the form of Preaching, for it pleased
God by the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe. (Rom. 10:7; 1 Cor. 1:17,
18, 21.)
12. What are the essential and peculiar
works performed by the Holy Spirit in the
soul of the believer?
The essential and peculiar works of the
Holy Spirit are Salification and Persever¬
ance.
13. What relation does Sanctification
sustain to Perseverance?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 143
Sanctification and perservance are differ¬
ent sides or aspects of the same work, the
former being the divine and the latter the
human side and aspect.
14. What is Sancti£cation as commonly
used in the Bible?
Sanctification is 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." (West¬
minster Catechism.)
15. Why is Sancti£cation made neces¬
sary?
Sanctification is made necessary, because
although at regeneration the governing dis¬
position of the soul is made holy, it is not
rid of all the remains of sin, for the flesh
lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit
against the flesh; for these are contrary the
one to the other; so that ye may not do
the things that ye would. (Rom. 7:13-25.)
16. What is the part the Spirit performs
in this awful soul conflict?
The Spirit gradually and certainly, by the
use of God's work and the imparting of
144 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
strength to the Christian, enables him to
conquer the fleshly tendencies and permit the
spiritual nature to reign in the beauty of
holiness. (Rom. 8:1-3.)
17. Where does the Spirit reside to ef¬
fect this'change?
The Spirit dwells in the heart of the be¬
liever from the day of his regeneration,
working this progress in holiness. (John 14:
17,18; 15:3-5; Rom. 8:9, 10; 1 Cor. 6:19.)
18. What is the instrumental cause of
Sanctification?
The instrumental cause of Sanctification
is faith which, having triumphed in one
contest with sin, takes courage, exclaiming:
I can do all things through Jesus Christ
which strengthens me. (Acts 15:9; Rom.
1:17.)
19. How does the Holy Spirit conquer
sin in us?
He conquers sin by gradually bringing
us nearer to Christ and letting morre of
Christ in us. As the coming in of light
drives darkness out, so the coming in our
souls of Christ, who is the light of the
world, drives out sin which is "a great
darkness."
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 145
20. What is a correct measure of our
sancti£ca ti on ?
The only correct measure of our sanctifi-
cation is our actual working faith; the
more we believe in Christ the more we will
do for him. (Matt. 9:29; Luke 17:5, 6.)
21. When is Sancti£cation completed?
The Scriptures seem to teach that the
sanctification of the soul is completed at
death and that of the body at the resurrec¬
tion. (Heb. 12:14, 23; 1 John 3:2; Rev. 14-:
5; Phil. 3:21; 1 Cor. 15:51-54.)
CHAPTER XX.
PERSEVERANCE.
1. What is the doctrine of Perseverance
of the Saints?
By the doctrine of Perseverance, we mean
that any person who has once been regen¬
erated will continue in the state of grace
and the practice of holiness throughout
his earthly life. (Matt. 7: 18, 20. ljohn
3:4-9.)
2. What relation does this doctrine sus¬
tain to sanctification?
It is the inseparable proof and fruit of
sanctification, being the human side of the
divine progress of grace in the soul. (James
2:17-26.)
3. Upon what does the doctrine of Per¬
severance lay the emphasis?
The doctrine of PerseYerance lays the
emphasis t>n the human element in salva¬
tion.
(146)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 147
4. Does the Bible emphasize this side of
the question?
Indeed, the Bible makes the sinner the
sealer of his own doom by the attitude he
takes to ward the gospel of Jesus.
5. Are there any Scripture phrases ex¬
pressing this predominance of thought?
They are too numerous for mention, but
a few notables ones are: "Choose ye this
day;" "Come unto me all ye that labor;"
"Every one that thirsteth;" "Him that com-
ethunto me;" "Whosoever will may come;"
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts," etc. .
6. Does this emphasis of the human will
imply the doctrine of salvation by work?
It by no means, implies salvation by
works, but simply insists upon co-operation
with divine works, as man's only means
into an evidence of salvation. (John 3:17,
19; John 8:47; John 15:5.")
7. Does this doctrine diminish the glory
of God in Salvation?
In its proper Bible relation it subtracts
nothing from the person or works of Christ,
but properly magnifies the personality and
148 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
co-operation of man. (Gen. 1:27; Ps.
8:4-6.)
8. What element in man's nature does it
recognize?
It recognizes and magnifies the free
agency of man wherein he is "likest God."
9. What consideration makes Persever¬
ance a persistent fact always visible in the
believer's life?
From the consideration that salva¬
tion is eternal, begining with conversion,
it must ever manifest its existence with in¬
creasing power and beauty as it nears the
eternal judgment.
10. What is the doctrine of Persever¬
ance briefly stated?
Brifley stated, the doctrine of Persever¬
ance means that God having undertaken
to save a sinner will continue to influence
him so that he will freely persevere until
his salvation is secured. (2 Tim. 1:2, Phil.
2:12.)
11. What is the great objection many
have to the doctrine of Perseverance?
Many contend that this certainty of sue*
cess would lead to license immorality.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 149
12. What is the answer to this objec¬
tion.
The objectors forget that it is essentially
a perseverance in holiness that is assured so
that the promise of success is but a spur to
the zeal of the Christian.
13. Do the many commands and warn¬
ings respecting apostasy or "falling from
graceimply the actual possibility of the
redeemed falling away from salvation and
being lost?
These warnings, instead of teaching the
total falling away of the believer, rather
provides against it by calling attention to
the difference between the professor and the
possessor and by emphasizing the fact that
only the life that consistently bears true
Christian fruit is entitled ever to have been
or to be called a life hid with God in
Christ. (1 John 2:19; John 10:27-30.)
14. Where do we class such men as
Judas and Simon the Sorcerer in their rela¬
tion to the Kingdom of God?
In spite of their nearness to Christ and
their unusual advantages, according to the
plain teaching of Scripture, they were
never inside of the real and spiritual King¬
dom of God. (Acts 8:21-23.)
150 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
15. Where do we class such men as
David and Peter, who though professing
believers, fell into such gross sin?
The sequel of David and Peter's life re-
veals them as real believers in the clear and
progressive gain in holiness preceded by
the most genuine repentance. They are the
most signal evidence of the doctrine of Per¬
severance.
BOOK II.
DIVISION V.
CHAPTER XXI.
MAN, A CREATURE.
HIS ADVENT AND SOUL-NATURE.
1. How did man come on this planet we
call the earth?
Lest there should be fatal reasonings
and conclusions, God has declared in the
plainest possible language that he created
man in his own image.
2. Is there any higher and better evi¬
dence as to maris advent on the earth pos¬
sible?
This direct testimony of God is the best
possible evidence upon the subject.
3. How many main facts does God re¬
late as to the creation of man?
He relates two chief points relative to his
creation of man.
4. What are the two main facts which he
relates during maris creation?
(151)
152 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
(a) He created liim in his own image.
(Gen.1:27).
(b) He formed him out of the dust of the
ground. (Gen. 2:7)
5. What incidental point in his creation
is emphasized by the time and method of its
introduction?
The sex-relation of man is especially; em¬
phasized in the narrative of Genesis by the
time and method of its introduction. (Gen.
1:27.)
6. What is meant by a man being
created in the image of God?
By the 1 'image of God," is meant the like¬
ness between God and man's soul, consist¬
ing of and especially manifested itself in
superior intelligence, self-consciousness, con¬
science, and the power of self-determina¬
tion in view of motives.
T. What is meant by the forming ofman
out of the dust of the ground?
By the ' 'forming of man out of the dust
of the ground," is meant the material from
and out of which man's body is made.
8. How many kinds of elementary sub¬
stances do we know?
There are two kinds of elementary sub-
tances, viz., mind and matter.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 153
9. How does man stand related to them
both?
(a) To mind lie stands superior to all
forms of mind on earth, in that, he alone
has the peculiar distinction of being made
1'in the image of God.''
(b) To matter he is so related by the most
wonderfully devised body from within,
and by means of which he is capable of the
most varied and complex motions of all
the animals.
10. For what does his peculiar mental
and bodily creation At him?
This peculiar construction fits him to ex¬
ercise dominion over every created thing
upon the earth and to worship his Creator
"in the beauty of holiness."
11. Does God's account of man's crea¬
tion as given in Genesist tell whether it was
immediately or mediately done?
The Bible account of creation does not
say whether man's creation was mediate
or immediate.
12. What is the verdict of science, es¬
pecially Bible Scientists?
The opinion seems to prevail that the
creation of man was immediate creation.
154 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
13. From what fact is this conclusion
gained?
It is the result of a close and compara¬
tive scientific study of the soul of man and
the lower animals from which he is claimed
by some to have developed.
14. What is the great difference between
man and the lower animals which compels
us to reject "the development theory" so
far.
The difference consist in the fact that
while the brute is conscious, man is also
self-conscious; while the brute has only per¬
cepts, man in addition has concepts; while
the brute has no conscious language, man
has a speech of his own creating; while the
brute has no conscious reasoning from
comparison, man is an habitual reasoner by
comparison with a firm belief in the cer¬
tainty of the relations; while the brute
from lack of general ideas experiences no
progress, progress is the law of man's be¬
ing; while the brute has no conscience and
religious nature, man has builded his altars
and lighted his fires of religion in every con¬
dition and age of his existence on the earth,
"religion being the chief concern of mortals
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 155
here below;" while the brute simply deter¬
mines, man self-determines while the brute
simply obeys motives, man chooses between
motives.
15. What is the character of the differ¬
ences described above?
It demonstrates that the differences be¬
tween the brute and man is not simply
one of degree but is a difference of kind.
16. How does this conclusion seem to
affect" the development theory?"
It leaves them substantially contending
that something can be developed out of a
thing which never was in it.
17. How does this position harmonize
with right reason and common sense, the
touchstone of all "true philosophy?"
Right, reason and common sense both de¬
clare it ridiculous even to suppose that any
law of development can bring out a thing
something different in its nature and kind.
18. What does the Bible say upon this
matter of expecting something out of a
thing that never was in it?
The law of development as announced in
the Bible is that the earth, both in the veg¬
etable and in the animal world, 4'brought
forth after his kind.
156 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
19. How does Christ the Creator ex¬
press the same truth?
Elaborative of the same principle, he said:
" A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit,
neither do men gather grapes of thorns, or
figs of thistles."
20. How does Paul clinch the same nail
of truth?
By declaring that God is not mocked and
therefore "whatsoever a man soweth that
shall he also reap."
21. How may we summarize the truth
herein adduced?
We may summarize the truth by stating
that man is a creature of God made direct¬
ly by him though in a way which is to us
mysterious.
CHAPTER XXII.
HIS BODILY NATURE.
1. Of what is maris body made?
His body is formed of the dust of the
ground and is so far, one with that of the
other material creation.
2. Have we any reason to adopt "the
theory" that at least as to maris body, he
is derived from the lower animals?
Comparative Anatomy has so far abso¬
lutely failed to prove the physical descent
of man from the lower animals.
3. Whose words may we adopt as rep¬
resenting so far the results of science and
correct inference?
The words of Hartman, who said, "that
man cannot have descended from any of the
fossil species which have here come to our
notice, nor yet from any of the species of
apes now extant."
4. What seems to be the probably cor¬
rect conclusion concerning the cr,?9±ion of
man as to the soul and body.
(157)
158 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
The probably correct theory that man is
an immediate creation, both as to his soul
and body.
5. What does comparative study of the
human body go far towards establishing?
The study of the various types of men on
earth go far towards establishing the
' 'unity of the race."
6. What do we mean by the "unity of
the race?"
By the "unity of the race," we mean that
the whole human family is derived from
one original pair.
7. What does the Bible teach as to the
unity of the human race?
The Bible teaches the unity of the race
by the creation story of Genesis; the univer¬
sality of sin; the common depravity of the
race;, and universal nature, invitation, and
adaptability of the gospel of Jesus.
8. What does the doctrine of the "Unity
of the race" imply?
The "unity of the race" implies the broth¬
erhood of man.
9. Of what awful catastrophe was the
unity of the race the basis?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 159
The "unity of the race" is at the basis of
the fall of the race.
10. Of what gladsome hope is the unity
of the race the basis.
The unity of the race is the foundation of
the hope of salvation through one Lord and
Savior in whose human nature complete
satisfaction was made for sin.
DIVISION VI.
CHAPTER XXIII.
MAN A CHILD.
HIS NATURAL RESEMBLANCE TO GOD.
/
1. How does man differ from the other
animals in his relation to God?
Man is not only a creature of God, but
he is also a child of God.
2. Wherein does it appear that man is a
child of God.
It appears in the declaration that God
made "him in his own image and likeness,"
a statement neither made nor intimated in
reference to any other creature.(Gen. 1:26.)
3. Wherein consists this likeness of man
to God?
The likeness of man to God consists in
his having a spiritual and immortal nature;
and in the faculties of intelligence, emotion,
and will, together with the moral nature
and a self-consciousness peculiar to him
alone of all the animal kingdom.
(160)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 161
4. What is the chief evidence that man is
a child of God?
The supreme evidence that man is a child
of God is to be found in the fact that man
resembles God. His soul has a spirtual can¬
vas on which God has seen fit to paint his
own features. Man is God's photograph.
5. How else do we know that man is
God'' s child?
We know that man is God's child bj the
aspirations to know and to be like God.
There is in us "an eternal power, not our¬
selves, that makes for righteousness."
6. How does this fact affect the relation
of man to God?
This fact invests the soul and life of man
with a dignity and value which is only
properly appreciated in proportion as wc
understand the character of God his Fa¬
ther.
7. Are there any places in the Scriptures
where man claims that God recognizes*
this relationship for child and Father?
Yes, the Scriptures leave no doubt thatf
man is not only a .creature but a child o
God. (See Luke 16:24-25; 3:38; Mai. 2:10.)
162 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
8. In what superlative way did God
own and honor the sonship of man?
He supremely owned the child-relation
or sonship of man by his only begotten
son, the eternal word "taking upon himself
the relation and calling himself "the son of
man."
9. How do we prove the immortality
of the soul from the doctrine of the Bible?
We prove the immortality of man's soul
from the following:
(a) The great price paid for the soul's re¬
demption. (1 Peter 1:18, 19.)
(b) The promise of eternal life and the
threatenings of eternal death. (Mark 16:16.)
(c) Christ said, they who kill the body
cannot kill the soul. (Matt. 10:28.)
(d) Christ and the believers dying commit:
their spirits into the hand of God. (Ps. 31:
5; Luke 23:46; Acts 7:59.)
CHAPTER XXIV.
HIS MORAL RESEMBLANCE TO GOD.
1. In what respect is man morally like
God, his Creator and Father?
He is like God in the ability to know him¬
self and his relations to the world and God,
and in the ability to direct his own ends in
view of motive.
2. In what other respect does this like¬
ness consist?
This moral likeness or image of God con¬
sisted also in the possession of such tenden¬
cies or dispositions as made God the su¬
preme delight and object of his soul.
3. How was man created in respect to
sin?
He was without the knowledge of sin, be¬
ing in possession of perfect knowledge oi
God, of his will, and works, so far as was
necessary to render him happy and fit for
universal obedience.
4. Had man the ability to continue in
this state of holy preference?
(163)
164 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
Man is essentially like God in his power
to choose his own course; hence he not only
had it in his power to continue in his holy
state, but he was placed amidst conditions
that tend to help him in the cultivation of
the state in which he was, rather than the se¬
lection of a state, foreign to his nature and
practice.
5. How did man's moral nature look
upon the moral law?
To the moral nature of man, the com¬
mandment was not grievous, but perfectly
harmonious in spirit and observance.
6. What is this harmony between the
soul of man and God's law called in Theol¬
ogy.
This beautiful moral harmony is known
in Theology as ''original righteousness."
7. Did this "original righteousness" con¬
stitute the essence of man's existence?
It did not; for if so, when man sinned, his
human nature would have ceased to exist.
8. How do we know that this likeness to
God was not utterly destroyed by the Fall?
We know it was not utterly destroyed,
because it is through this rational remain¬
ing likeness that grace works in us.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 165
9. Was man left to himself to cultivate
this "original righteousness" as best he
could unaided?
No; he had the presence and teaching of
his Heavenly Father and that apparently in
a form in which he could understand Him
easily. (Gen. 2:16; 3:8.)
10. How do we sum up the advantages
enjoyed by man over the other creatures?
While man is also a creature he enjoys
the supreme distinction of being created in
the image and likeness of God and therefore
placed in control or given dominion over
all the other created things. (Gen. 1:26-28.)
DIVISION VII.
CHAPTER XXV.
MAN A SINNER.
LAW.
1. What is law in general?
Law is a rule of action prescribed with
power to enforce it.
2. What are the necessary elements of
law?
Every law necessarily implies: (1) A law¬
giver, (2) subjects to it, (3) universal ap¬
plication, (4?) enforcing power.
3. What is meant by every law having a
lawgiver?
By this is meant that law necessarily
proceeds from volition and is the expres¬
sion of will.
4. What is meant by every law necessa¬
rily having subjects?
- By this is meant the fact that every law
must terminate upon a subject of some
kind, whether rational or irrational.
5. What is meant by universal applica¬
tion of law?
(166)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 167
By this is meant the fact that law is ad¬
dressed to classes and knows nothing of
exceptions. All are alike if the}" are in the
same class.
6. What is meant by the enforcing'
power of law?
By this is meant the fact that the will or
authority that issued the law has necessa¬
rily the power to enforce that law by the
bestowal of rewards on the inflections of
penalty; otherwise it would not be law,
but mere advice or suggestion.
7. What is the law of God in particular?
The law of God is a rule of actions pre¬
scribed by Him and enforced by his power.
8. Into what two forms is this law pre¬
sented?
This law is presented in Elemental Law
and positive enactments.
9. What are elemental laws ?
Elemental law is that principle of con¬
duct and growth embedded in the elements
and forces of God's rational and irrational
creation. (Ps. 19:1; Rom. 1:19-20.)
10. How does elementary law appear in
the irrational creature?
168 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
The fixed constitution of the irrational
universe is the lower form of elemental law,
or what is known as the "Nature of
things."
11. How does elemental law appear in
the rational creature?
The will of God as revealed in the na¬
tural conscience of man and all free moral
agents, is the higher form of elemental law.
12. What are positive enactments?
They are God's will revealed in published
form.
13. What do they include?
They include general moral precepts and
ceremonial precepts.
14. What are the general moral preceptsI
They are the elemental law summarized
in writing (Ex. 20:1-17; Matt. Chapter 5
and 8) for the special information and help
of man.
15. What are these ceremonial precepts?
They are specified illustrations of the ele¬
mental law, adapted to the ruder and less
spiritual age of man. All positive enact¬
ments are representations of the elemental
laws of God deeply fixed in the nature of
things.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
169
16. What relation does law sustain to
God's character?
While law is not an exhaustive revelation
of God's character, so far as it is an ex¬
pression of his will, it is also an expression
of his character.
17. What relation does law seek to
establish and maintain between God and
his universe?
Of the beneficent intention and reign of law,
perhaps no better answer can be framed
than the beautiful and famous words of
Hooker: " Of law there can be no less ac¬
knowledged than that her seat is in the
bosom of God; her voice the harmony of
the world; all things in heaven and earth
her homage; the very least as feeling her
care and the greatest is not exempted from
her power; bdth angels and men, and crea¬
tures of what condition soever, though
each in a different sort and manner, yet all
with uniform condition admiring her as the
mother of their peace and joy."'
18. How was this law £rst given to
man?
It was written upon the table of his
heart, the moment that God created him in
170 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
his own image; the fact that he was cre¬
ated in the image of God implies his hav¬
ing the moral law. (Gen.1:27.)
19. Did our first parents continue in
the estate in which they were created?
Our first parents being left to the freedom
of their own will, fell from the estate in
which they were created, by sinning
against God.
20. Did Adam die a temporal or natural
death that day he sinned?
No, btit he became a dead man in law,
and his body got its death wound and be¬
came mortal. (Rom. 5:12.)
CHAPTER XXVI.
SIN: ITS HISTORY.
1. What is sin?
Sin is any want of conformit}*- unto, or
transgression of the law of God."
2. What was the sin whereby our first
parents fell from the estate wherein they
were created?
The sin whereb}r our first parents fell
from the estate wherein they were created
was their eating the "forbidden fruit."
3. Why is this called forbidden fruit?
Because God forbade our first parents
eating it under pain of death. (Gen. 2:17.)
4. What was the purpose of God in for¬
bidding them to eat this fruit?
His purpose was to test their obedience
and manifest authority as Lord.
5. Had our £rst parents sinned before
eating the forbidden fruit?
(171)
172 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
Indeed, the3>- were guilt3r before eating in
listening and believing Satan in preference
to God.
6. How then is the eating of the forbid¬
den fruit called "the first sin"
It is so called because it is the first fin¬
ished sin, manifested itself in a definite
transgression of a specific command. (Jas.
1:15.)
T. Where was the -first sin committed?
This first sin was committed in Paradise,
or the Garden of Eden, the home of our
first parents.
8. How did the place affect the sin com¬
mitted/'
The place adds to the enormity of the sin,
being a type of heaven and supplying every
need that grew out of man's soul or body.
9. Who planned the downfall of our£rst
parents?
Satan planned and successfully effected
the fall of our first parents.
10. What was the method of his delu¬
sive attack?
Satan seem to have attacked them when
separated from each other; insinuated that
God was tyrannical to them in withhold-
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 173
ing the fruit; declared the eating of it
would enlarge their knowledge and powers,
and gradually led the woman to regard
God as an enemy, and himself as a friend
whose word should be taken before God's.
(Gen. 3:1-6.)
11. What objection do many make to
this test of obedience?
They say it was too slight a thing on
which to hang so great an issue as eternal
life.
12. Is this objection tenable in the
courts of reason?
It is not, for if the thing was slight and
trivial, involving no loss, it was all the
more easily performed by man, since the
"commandment was not grievous."
13. What forms of sin are contained in
this £rst sin as it appears to God?
As viewed by God and measured by his
law, man was guilty of unbelief, great in¬
gratitude, inordinate pride and ambition,
unnatural rebellion, and the most deliberate
and far-reaching murder.
14. How was man guilty of unbelief?
He was guilty of unbelief in accepting
the word of Satan, instead of the word of
174 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
God respecting the truth of the threatening.
(Gen. 2:17; 3:4.)
15. How was man guilty of ingratitude?
He was guilty of the most shameful in¬
gratitude in not properly estimating the
generous bounty of his Creator, who had
allowed him the use of every tree of the
garden but one. (Gen. 2:16.)
16. How was man guilty of pride and
ambition.
He was guilty of pride and ambition of
the most audacious kind in aspiring to in¬
finite knowledge and equality with God.
(Gen. 3:5-6.)
17. How was man guilty of rebellion?
He was guilty of rebellion because in the
decision he virtually chose Satan as his
God and ruler, instead of God; he allied
himself with the chief rebel of God's uni¬
verse. (Isa. 28:15.)
18. How was man guilty of murder?
He was guilty of his own death, and the
death of all posterity. (Rom. 5:12; Hos.,
13:9)
19. What special conditions made the
sin more heinous?
The sin was especially heinous, from the
fact that it was committed when man had
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 175
full light in his mind, a clear copy of the
moral law in his heart, a free unbiased
moving will and full warning of the danger
in eating this fruit. (Gen. 2:16-17.)
20. How was it possible for man to sin,
being thus hedged about?
Man sinned because he is free in his
moral acts: sin entered the world through
the door of man's free will, he alone having
the power of opening and closing it. (Rer.
3:20.)
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE NATURE OF SIN.
1. Into what moral condition did the
fall bring man?
The fall brought man into a hopeless con¬
dition of sin and misery.
2. Why is man's sin called "the fall?"
Because by this sin he has fallen or
rather jumped into the horrible pit and
miry clay of sin and 4'the pit wherein is no
water." (Ps. 40:2; Zech. 9:11.)
3. What is the consequence of Adam's
sin to posterity?
All mankind by their fall lost commun¬
ion with God, are under his wrath and
curse, and so made liable to all the miseries
of this life, to death itself, and to the pains
of hell forever.
4. Under what three aspects may this
consequence of Adam's sin to his posterity
he considered?
This consequence may be considered un-
(176)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 177
der the aspect of depravity, guilt and
penalty.
5. What is the meaning of depravity or
what in theology is commonly called total
depravity?
By "total depravity" we mean, that by
this one sin, man completely severed his
allegience to God, for which disobedience the
favor and communion of God was with¬
drawn and a war introduced into the soul
itself.
6. Did this loss include any of those con¬
stitutional faculties necessary to constitute
him a free moral agent?
While the sin of Adam totally corrupted
his own and his posterity's nature, it did
not destroy the faculties of his soul or de¬
prive him of the crown and glory of his free
moral agency. If it did, he would not have
been capable of suffering the severest pen¬
alty due for his sin.
7. What are these fundamental faculties
wherein consists man's free agency?
The faculties may be summarized under
these terms: reason, sensibility, will and
conscience.
8. What does the experience of mankind
178 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
prove respecting his responsibility since the
fall?
The experience of mankind everywhere
has been that he has power to know the
truth; he perceives and feel moral distinc¬
tions as referable to the race, and conscious
that his affection and acts are free. His
literature and his laws bear unmistakable
evidence of these facts.
9. Does the doctrine of "total depravity'1
teach that man can not do many things
which are true, good, just, and benevolent,
in the relations he sustains to his fellow-
men?
The doctrine of "total depravity" does
not teach this, for everywhere men recognize
this ability for human justice, as between
man and man; Jesus Christ recognized it in
the rich young ruler and admired it. (Mark
10:21.)
10. Does the doctrine of "total deprav¬
ity" teach that man is as bad as he can
be?
No; for he grows worse every day he lives
in sin. (Gen. 15:16; 2 Tim. 3:13.)
11. What, then, is the positive doctrine
of "total, depravity?"
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 179
(a) That it contains those things which
involve our relations as spiritual beings to
God. (1 Cor. 2:11-16, especial verse 14.)
(b) That the human soul is destitute of
love to God—the source and motive for all
acceptable obedience. (1 Cor, 13:1; John
5:42.)
(c) That man seeks continuously the
carnal instead of the spirtual as an end.
(2 Tim. 3:4.)
(d) That man is powerless but willing
servant of sin. (Rom. 5:6; 6:20.)
(e) That man is at bottom an enemy to
God. (Rom. 8:7; 7:21.)
(f) This depravity extends to every fac¬
ulty of the soul. 1. Mind. (Eph. 4:18.)
2. Affections. (Heb. 3:12.) 3. Con¬
science. (Titus 1:15.) 4. Will. (Rom.
7:15.)
(g) "That men have not that supreme
love of God which is the substance of the
first and great command."—H. B. Smith.
12. To what has this "total depravity1
resulted in the soul of man?
This "total depravity" of man's nature
leaves him an inability, in reference to the
things of the spirit, that is fatal, in that he
180 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
is unable to repent, believe and regenerate
his character.
13. What is meant by guilt?
By the term "guilt," we mean liability to
penalty, or man's obligation to satisfy the
broken law of God.
14. What does guilt imply?
Guilt implies the actual transgression of
God's laws.
15. Are all sins equally liable to punish¬
ment?
The Scripture represent different degrees
of guilt as belonging to different kinds of
sin. (Luke 12:47-48; Rom. 2:6; John 19:
11; Heb. 2:2-3; 10:28-29.)
16. By what is guilt measured in Scrip¬
tures?
Guilt seems to be measured somewhat
by the following conditions:
(a) Amount of light possessed. (Mark
10:15; Luke 12:47-48; 23:34; Acts 17:30.)
(b) Amount of energy displayed in the
act of sin. (Ps. 19:12-13; Isa. 5:18; Gal. 6:
1; 1 Tim. 5:24.)
(c) The unpardonable sin, or sins
against the Holy Ghost. (Matt. 12:31-32.
Mark 3:29; 1 John 5:16-17; Heb. 10:26.)
This sin seems to consist in a determined
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 181
and persistent resistance to all the light
and means of Grace, that God provided for
the salvation of man. Manifestated in a
long cause of heart—wickedness which de¬
fies and spurns the arms of love and mercy.
The words spoken against the Holy Ghost
seems to be the deliberately attributing to
Satan or Santanic influence, the marvelous
and gracious works of Christ.
17. What do we mean by the term "pen¬
altyr
By the term penalty we mean " that pain
or loss which is directly or indirectly in¬
flicted by the lawgiver in vindication of
his justice when outraged by the violation
of law."
18. What is the chief element of pen¬
alty?
The chief element of penalty is the holy
wrath and withdrawal of the divine favor
and communion from the sinner.
19. What is the penalty of sin?
The scriptural penalty of sin whether ex¬
pressed in words, type, or implied, is
always death.
20. What forms of death follows hard
upon sin as penalty?
182 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
The forms of death are physical, spiritual,
and eternal.
21. What is physical death?
Physical death is the separation of the
soul and body with all the attendant pains
and "ills that flesh is heir to." (Gen. 2:7;
3:19; Ps. 90:7-9-11; John 8:44: Rom. 5:12-
14-17; Rom. 4:24-25.)
22. What is spiritual death?
Spiritual death is that separation of the
soul from communion with God which is
attended by pangs of conscience, remorse,
loss of peace, and great sorrow of spirit;
this is the essential death which is the pen¬
alty of sin. (Matt. 8:22; Luke 15:32; John
5:24; 8:51; Rom. 8:13; Eph. 2:1; 1 Tim. 5:
6; James 5:20; Rev. 3:1.)
23. What is eternal death?
Eternal death is the completion of perfec¬
tion of spiritual death and extends through
endless duration, the special and unre¬
strained wrath of God pouring itself upon
the sinner in conditions made to facilitate
the just agonies which he shall suffer in
his reunited soul and body. (Acts 1:25 ;
Matt. 25:41; 2 Thess. 1:9; Matt. 10:28 ;
Heb. 10:31; Rev. 14:11.)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 183
24. Is penalty necessary to God in any
way?
The words of Kurtz best expresses this
truth: u So long as God is holy he must
maintain the order of the world and where
this is destroyed, restore it. This, however,
can happen in no other way than this:
the injury by which the sinner has destroyed
the order of the world falls back upon him¬
self, and this is penalty. Sin is the nega¬
tion of law; penalty is the negation of that
negation—that is, the re-establishment of
the law. Sin is the thrust of the sinner
against the law. Penalty is the adverse
thrust of the elastic, because living law,
which encounters the sinner.
25. Does the doctrine ofutotal deprav¬
ity" extend to infants?
The ruinofman by sin is so complete and
universal that it includes the unconscious
infant in the moral catastrophe and makes
salvation possible for them only through
Christ. (Job 14:4; Ps. 51:5; John 3:6; Rom.
5:14; Eph. 2:3; Matt. 19:14.)
26. From whence then do all actual
transgressions £ow?
All actual transgressions flow from origi-
184 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
tial sin or the corruption of human nature,
as impure streams flow from a corrupt
fountain. (Eph. 2:3; Jas. 3:11.)
27. What are the names of the three
great co-existing doctrines of human ability
to obey the law of God?
The three great doctrines are styled the
Pelagian, Semi-Pelagian and the Augustin-
ian doctrine of ability.
28. What is the Pelagian doctrine?
The Pelagian doctrine of ability, repre¬
sents man as being well; asserting that
moral character inheres only in volitions
and not in states of the soul: that ability
alone is the measure of responsibility; that
all men have full power to do his entire
duty; that the only help man needs is edu¬
cational.
29. What is the Semi-Pelagian doctrine?
The Semi-Pelagian doctrine of ability
represents man as being sick: asserting
that his will has been so enfeebled by the
fall that he cannot act in spiritual matters
without divine aid; this enfeebled will in
infants is the cause of sin, but not sin itself;
that man's duty is to use promptly the
grace offered by God and that he is not re-
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 185
sponsible for sin until he has rejected or
abused divine grace.
30. What is the Augustiniandoctrine of
ability?
The Augustinian doctrine of ability rep¬
resents man as being dead; asserting that
man is by nature such a moral wreck that
he cannot do anything spiritually good or
to any degree incline himself thereto; that
even under the influence of grace the hu¬
man will cannot make any holy movement
until that will has been permanently re¬
newed by grace; that after grace has re¬
newed the will it is always dependent
upon divine grace for the performance of
every good and holy work.
31. Which is the Bible view of maris
ability?
The Augustinian view of ability is evi¬
dently the doctrine taught by the Bible.
(Jer 13:23; John 6:44; 15:5; Rom. 9:16; 1
Cor. 2:14; Eph. 4:18; Col. 2:13; Rom. 6:20;
5:6; 2 Tim. 2:26; Matt. 12:33-36; John 3:3,
5, 6,7.)
DIVISION IX.
CHAPTER XXYIII.
MAN A SAINT.
THE MEANING OF TERM.
1. What is a Saint according to the New
Testament meaning?
According to the New Testament a saint
is simply a believer in Jesus Christ. (Acts
9:13; Rom. 12: 13; Eph. 4:12; 1 Tim. 5:10.)
2. What is a Saint according to the Ro¬
man Catholic meaning?
A saint according to the Romish view is
a Christian whose life on earth was full of
obedience; that his obedience produced
more "good works" than the individual
needed for himself; that this excessive
"good works" forms a kind of spiritual
fund deposited in the banks of heaven,
and placed at the disposal of the church to
be drawn upon for the help of the weak,
(186)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 187
and needy Christians on earth or suffering
in purgatory.
3. What is the Theological name for
these "good works?"
They are known in Theology as the
Works of Supererogation.
4. Has this doctrine any foundation in
Scripture?
None whatever; it is as foreign to the
Bible as the doctrine that man can save
himself.
5. What is the inner and fullest meaning
we are warranted in attributing to the
term "saint?"
The most discriminating idea contained
in this word is, that saints are those per¬
sons in the world who through faith in
Christ and the use of Bible means, are being
sanctified. It is the opposite of sinner.
6. Is it scriptural to say—"the Gospel
according to Saint Matthew?"
It is not; for the "saint" was placed before
the names of the apostles according to the
interpretation and influence of the Roman
church.
7. What is the vital error that nestles in
this word thus used?
188 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
It unconsciously teaches that, in some
waj, salvation is predicated upon human
works, which is fundamentally and disas¬
trously wrong. (Eph. 2:9.)
8. What school of Theologians incline to
the above use of this word and doctrine
which it contains?
The school of Theologians known as the
Arminians.
9. What school of Theologians are op¬
posed to this view of the word and doc-
trine?
The school known as Calvinists.
10. TJpon what one point do they differ?
They differ vitally and widely upon their
views of the relation of the human will to
sin.
CHAPTER XXIX.
EVIDENCE OF SAINTSHIP.
1. What is the proof of Saintship?
The only visible proof of a person's being
a saint, is the shining good works of which
Christ spoke. (Matt. 5:16.)
2. What is another name for good works?
Another name for good works is a con¬
sistent Christian life.
3. Is there any possibility oi a Christian
being a habitual and persistent producer oi
evil work?
Jesus Christ on the slopes of Mt. Hattin,
in what is the immortal classics of sermons,
declared upon this theme, that a good tree
can not bring forth evil fruit, neither can a
corrupt tree bring forth good fruit: every
good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a
corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
4. Ought this declaration be sufficient?
In the presence of the God-man, speaking,
(189)
190 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
every man ought to feel and say with Job,
"I am vile, what shall I answer thee"? I
will lay mine hand upon my mouth." (Job
40:4.)
5. Why is the fruit of a godly life called
"good works"?
They are called "good works" to distin¬
guish them from every kind of deeds wrought
by man, how ever noble they may be.
6. Wherein consists the goodness of these
works?
The goodness of these works consists in
their origin, motives, direction and method.
7. What is the peculiarity of the origin oi
these ugood works."
The origin of good works is peculiar, in
that these good works do not and can not
originate or begin in man's soul, but must
begin in the will of God, touching, instruct¬
ing and directing the movements of man's
soul. (Phil. 2:13.)
8. What is peculiar about the motive
of these good works?
The motive of these good works differ
from the motive of all human works, for all
human "good works" may be reduced to
some form of self interest; the motive of the
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 391
good works of the Christian is love of God
constraining love of man for man.
9. How do the motives of self interest
and race interest compare with that of
love.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are the motives of love higher than those
of interests; truly "love is the greatest thing
in the world" (Matt. 12:30,31; John 15:12;
1 Cor. 13:13.)
10. What is peculiar about the direction
of these "good works"?
These good works are peculiar in that
they are always directed towards some
other person; self is sunk out of sight as an
object and the pleasing of God primarily
and the helping of man secondarily becomes
the object of the Christian life.
11. How does this direction of good
works compare with other systems?
This direction of good work is peculiar to
the system of truth known as Christianity
and unique as the doctrine of Jesus Christ
alone.
12. What is peculiar about the method
of these "good works?"
The method of these good works is pecul-
192 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
iar in that they immediately lose their value
of goodness if the doer of them proclaims
them abroad or performs them in a spirit of
vainglory. (Matt. 6:1-4.)
13. How does this method of performing
good works compare with the human
method?
It is not found in the natural heart of man
and enters only by the hardest struggles,
for it is the glory of God to conceal a thing;
but the honor of kings is to search out a
matter. (Prov. 25:2.)
14. What is the ultimate purpose of
good works?
The ultimate or final purpose of God in
producing good works in man, is for his
own glory, because glorifying God is the
highest and best occupation in which man
andhis creation can be engaged. (Ps.73:25;
19:1-2.)
15. What is the immediate purpose of
11 good works1'?
The immediate purpose of God is the soul
purification of the Christian and the conver¬
sion of the world to the teachings, life and
promises of Christ.
16. What is the means of this end?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 193
The means to this end is the truth of God
as revealed in the Bible, or what is com¬
monly called the word of God. (Eph. 6:17;
1 Cor. 4:15; John 17:17.)
17. Who is the agent in this production
of "good works"?
God in the person of the Holy Spirit, is
the agent who plants the seed of holiness in
the heart of man and cultivates it intb the
perfect fruit of good works. (John 16:13,
14; Gal. 5:22,23.)
18. How does God control the disposi¬
tions, thoughts, words, life and motives
of the saint ?
His supreme control of man is brought
about by the Spirit's residing in the soul of
man, entering even the holy of holies of his
nature, thus ruling his life in general and
particular. (2 Cor. 6:16, 1 Cor. 3:16.)
19. Does the spirit enter man's soul by
force or craft?
The Holy Spirit awaits the opening of
the door of man's soul before he enters. For
Jesus says: "Behold,-I stand at the door,
and knock: if any man hear my voice, and
open the door, I will come in to him, and
194 THEOLOGICAL, KERNELS.
will sup with him, and lie with me." (Rev.
3:20.)
20. How can the Spirit abide in the
hearts of all and each of the believers?
The spirit can do this easily since he is
God and therefore everywhere at the same
time. (Ps. 139:7.)
CHAPTER XXX.
HUMAN HELPS TO SAINTS.
1. What is the h uman condi tion of Sain t-
ship?
The human condition of saintship is the
voluntary enlistment of man's will. (Rev.
22:17; John 7:37.)
2. What are some of the means for the
saints, development?
The means or the chief ones for the devel-
opement and duty of the saints, are preach¬
ing, secret, private, and public worship,
prayers, the Lord s Supper and Sabbath
observance.
3. What is preaching in the economy of
Salvation?
Preaching is divine; it is the method de¬
cided upon by God for the conversion of
the world and the edification of the saints.
( 1 Cor. 1:21; 2 Tim. 3:16; 4:2.)
4. What is it to worship God?
(195)
196 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
It is to make him the supreme object of our
esteem, desire and delight in secret devo¬
tions and in associated religious exercises.
(Ps. 71:19; 73:25; 142:5; 111:1.)
5. How are we required to worship
God?
We are required to worship God in our
hearts and in our lives. (John 4:24; Matt.
5:16.)
6. How are we to worship him inwardly
in our hearts?
We worship God inwardly by trusting,
hoping, delighting in him, thinking and
meditating upon him, devoting ourselves
to him, and by being filled with grief when
he is offended by ourselves or others.
(Isa. 26:4; Ps. 130:5; 37:4; Mai. 3:16; Ps.
63:6; Isa. 44:5; Ps. 38:18; 119:136.)
7. How are we to worship him in our
lives?
- We worship God outwardly by praying
to him, and praising him with our lips, by
being zealous for his glory, careful to please
him, and by walking humbly before him.
(Ps. 143:1; 145:21; 69:9; Col. 1:10; Mi-
cah 6:8.)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 197
<§. What is public worship of God?
Public worship consists in having the
word preach®*!; uniting in public prayer
and praise; partaking of the sacraments
and regular giving for the support of the
gospel. (Rom. 10:17; Luke 24:53; Acts 20:
7; 1 Cor. 16:2.)
9. What is private worship of God?
Private worship of God consists of secret
and family duties.
10. What is family worship?
Family worship is the daily joining of all
that are united in a domestic relation of
who are dwelling together in the same
house and family in singing God's praises,
reading his word, and praying to him.
(Acts 2:46-47; Deut. 6:7; Jer. 10:25.)
11. What example of family worship do
we £nd in the Scripture?
Notable we find the examples of Abra¬
ham, Joshua, Cornelius, and Jesus. (Gen.
18:19; Jos. 34:15; Acts. 10:2; Matt. 26:30;
Luke 9.18.)
12. What is secret worship?
Secret worship is that concealed and per-
198 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
sonal communion with God which grows
out of our sense of personal sin and need of
Christ as our Savior and Sanctifier; no
other form of worship can be substituted
for it.
13. What is prayer?
Prayer is an offering up of our desires to
God for things agreeable to his will, in the
name of Christ, with confession of our sins,
and thankful acknowledgment of his
mercies.
14. How do we know that prayers are
acceptable to God?
Because he commanded us to pray,
taught us how to pray, and promised to
answer our prayers. (Bph. 6:18; 1 Thess.
5:17; Matt. 6:9; John 14:13-14.)
15. How many kinds of prayers are
there?
There are three kinds of prayer, -viz.: se¬
cret, private, and public, as tliere are the
same kinds of worship.
16. What is secret prayer?
Secret prayer is the retirement of an in¬
dividual from all company, that he may
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 199
have free and familiar intercourse with
God. (Matt. 6:6.)
IT. What relation does prayer sustain
to personal piety?
The most illustrious Christian characters
in the Scriptures and the modern church
have been men who were celebrated for
their habit of secret prayer. For instance,
Elijah, David, Daniel, and Adoniram Jud-
son, the great Burman missionary. (Jas.
5:17; Ps. 55:17; Dan. 6:10.) It is said that
Judson's habit was to shut himself up in an
upper room and walk back and forth
pleading with God. His children beneath
becoming accustomed to his footsteps
when praying, would say : "Now papa is
praying."
18. What is private prayer?
Private prayer is a prayer among a few
Christians assembled for that purpose.
(Rom. 1:5.)
19. What is public prayer?
Public prayer is the solemn worshiping
of God by the church in public meetings, one
of the body acting as mouthpiece for the
assembly. (Acts 20:36.)
200 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
\
20. How is the Lords Supper a means oi
developing the saints in godliness?
Because when properly received, it is pre¬
ceded by searching self-examination, and
results in a clearer view of the atonment
of our Savior, especially of its relation
to the individual believer. (1 Cor. 11:28.)
21. How does Sabbath observance con-
tribute to the development of the saints?
It contributes to the saints, growth in
that it demands a holy resting during that
whole day from all work and recreations
that are proper on other days, and com¬
mands the entire time to be devoted to the
public and private worship of God and the
performance of such deeds of charity and
mercy as are befitting the principles which
the day represents.
22. What part does Sabbath observance
play in the development of the religious life
of the church and the world?
The physical, social, moral and spiritual
health of the world is more intimately con¬
nected with Sabbath observance than the
majority of mankind know of are willing
to admit. The history of civilized man
abundantly verifies this statement.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 201
23'. In what lies the privilege or happi¬
ness of communion with God on his own
day?
In having a foretaste in grace here of
what shall be more fully enjoyed in glory
hereafter. (1 Cor. 13:12.)
24. Could not God have made heaven,
earth, the sea and all that in them is, in less
time thjan the space of six days?
There is no doubt that he could have
made all things, in the same beauty, per¬
fection, and with the same "eternal fitness
of things" in which they do appear in an
instant of time, if he had so pleased.
25. Why, then, did he take up six days?
To fix the morality of six days for
earthly labor, and of the seventh day for
holy rest; and that by his own example,
which, in the world of morals, is greater
than precepts. "The Sabbath was made
for man and not man for the Sabbath."
BOOK III.
CHAPTER XXXI.
THE CHURCH, ITS ORGANIZATION,
ITS NATURE.
1. What is the Church?
The Church is that divine institution for
the salvation of man, which Jesus Christ
has founded on earth.—Kurtz. (Matt. 16:
18; Eph. 1:22.)
2. With what is the above de£nition
identical?
The above definition is identical with
that larger conception of Christ's Church
on earth, more commonly called "The
Kingdom or the Invisible Church, and in¬
cludes the entire body of the elect in heaven
and in earth and in all times and ages of
the world.
(202)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 203
3. What is the Visible Church?
The Visible Church is a congregation of
baptized believers in Christ, accepting his
teaching as their creed, his life as their mod¬
el and the spread of his gospel as their
dominant purpose.
4. Is there any difference between the
Kingdom and the Church?
There is a positive difference between the
Kingdom and the Church. The Church
began with the incarnate Christ, while the
Kingdom began with creation; the Church
is limited to believers in the historic Christ,
while the Kingdom includes all of God's
children; the Church belongs wholly to this
world, while the Kingdom extends to both
worlds; the Church is visible; the Kingdom
is invisible.
5. What are some of the peculiarities of
the Church which guarantee its success?
The Church is peculiar in that it is an or¬
ganization of which Christ is the personalj
head: in that it is composed of only such,
persons as have been regenerated; in that the
Holy Bible is its constitution; and in that
its purpose is the spread of that holiness of
character provided for in the gospel alone.
204 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
6. How many and what are the quali£-
cations of members of the Church?
The qualifications of church members
may be classified as moral and ceremonial.
7. What is the moral qualiBcation?
The moral qualification is all compre¬
hended in the term called "Regeneration,"
or the New Birth.
8. What is the moral qualihcation pro¬
duced in the heart, as a result of the New
Birth, and which is inseparably connected
with the New Testament Church member¬
ship?
The act of faith is everywhere expressed
and implied as absolutely necessary to
church membership. (Heb. 11:6.)
9. What always accompanies faith, be¬
fore it is of the kind admitting to entrance
in the Church?
It is and must be that kind of faith
which carries repentance towards God and
faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ.
10. Does the Bible anywhere teach in¬
fant or probationary church membership?
The Bible nowhere teaches either infant
or probationary church membership.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 205
11. What is always the main point upon
which accepting Christ and entering- the
church turns?
The pivotal point is always the exercises
of the free will, guided by intelligence and
reason. (Rev. 22:17.)
12. What is the real, visible, and de£nite
force known as the church?
The real, definite, visible and only defi¬
nite organization known in the New Testa¬
ment as a church, is now commonly called,
the local church.
13. Was this term ever used in an ag¬
gregated or collective way?
Sometimes it was used in an abstract
way, but its concrete representation is
always to be found in the local churches.
(Rev. 1:4; 2:1, etc.)
14. What is the ceremonial qualification
necessary to church membership?
The ceremonial qualification for church
membership is baptism,
15. What is Baptism?
Baptism is the immersion in water of a
believer in Christ upon profession of his
faith, in the name of the Father, Son, and
206 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
Holy Ghost, by one duly authorized so to
do by the church.
16. Is Baptism confined only to immer¬
sion in water?
From the meaning of the word, the
places where the act was performed, the
universal agreement that immersion is
baptism, the utter absence of anything else
in the New Testament, the meaning which
the act symbolizes, no other act is or can be
baptism.
17. How did sprinkling and pouring
come in vogue as substitutes for baptism?
They came in use in efforts to please the
sick and the great.
18. Who has a right to be baptized into
church membership?
He alone has the right to be baptized
who can give a credible evidence of his re¬
generation and faith.
19. What are some of the essential prin¬
ciples of Baptist churches taught by the
Scriptures?
These essential Baptist principles may be
reduced to seven, as follows:
(1) The Scripture is the only and suffi-
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 207
cient rule of doctrine, conduct and church
goverment.
(2) No one has a right to church member¬
ship who cannot give a credible evidence of
his regeneration and faith in Christ as his
personal Savior.
(3) No one is baptized who is not im¬
mersed, as immersion alone fulfills Christ's
command of Baptism and exemplifies the
meaning of the symbol.
(4?) The order of the ordinances are di¬
vinely appointed, as much so as the ordi¬
nances, Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
(5) Each member of the church in good
and regular standing has a right to a voice
in the goverment and discipline of the
church.
(6) Each church, though fellowshiping
in work, with other churches, is solely re¬
sponsible to Christ, the Great Head of the
Church.
(7) The conscience of every individual is
free and the church should be totatly sepa¬
rated from the state.
20. Are bodies churches which do not
recognize these principles?
208 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
Bodies which do not recognize these
principles are not churches after the New
Testament pattern nor the order set tip by
Christ, whatever else they may be called, or
regardless of the good they may do.
(Matt. 7:21-22.)
21. Who organized the Church?
John Baptist introduced the King and his
Kingdom, but Jesus Christ the King or¬
ganized his own church, as the visible and
henceforth separate Kingdom, no longer to
move in and under the shadow of the
world. (Matt: 16:18; Eph. 2:18-20.)
22. How many ordinances are given the
churches?
There are two ordinances, Baptism and
the Lord's Supper.
23. What is the ordinance of Baptism
designed to teach?
The ordinance of Baptism, as a symbol,
is designed to teach the death and resurrec¬
tion of the Lord and the believer's relation
thereto by personal faith.
24. What is the Lord's Supper designed
to teach?
The Lord's Supper is designed to teach,
by eating bread and drinking wine, that
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 209
the believer depends for his spiritual life
upon Jesus Christ as its source and sus¬
tenance.
25. What distinction does the church
enjoy as an organization?
As an organization its positive aim is the
sum of all human character—good,—holi¬
ness. It is directly organized, instructed
and administered by Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER XXXII.
THE CHURCH, ITS GOVERNMENT.
1. What form of government is the
Churchy so far as its source is concerned?
The Church in its source is an absolute
monarchy, Jesus Christ being its King,
and his will the only authoritative law of
the church's life and guide.
2. How does Christ direct that his will
shall he executed in the Church govern¬
ment?
Jesus Christ, the Great Head of the
Church, has, for the self-government of his
people, placed the management of the
church in the hands of the members, who
are responsible to Christ for their church
conduct.
3. What is the Biblical form of Church
government called?
The form of Church government author¬
ized in the Bible is called democratic or con¬
gregational.
(210)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 211
4. What is the proof that the Church is
democratic in its government?
The Church is democratic from the follow
ing Biblical facts and teachings.
(a) The unity of the church is to be pre¬
served by the church as a whole. (Rom.
12:16; 1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 13:11; Eph. 4:3;
Phil. 1:27.)
(b) The Bible demands the Church "as a
whole to maintain pure doctrine and prac¬
tice. (1 Tim. 3:15; Jude 3; Rev. 2 and 3.)
(c) The Bible commits to the Church as
a whole the observing and guarding of the
ordinances. (Matt. 28:19-20; Luke 24:33;
Acts 1:15; 1 Cor. 15:6.) The ordinances
are only to be administered by the church.
(d) The Bible clearly reveals the early
Church, as a whole, electing all • of her
officers. (Acts 1:23, 26; 6:3, $; 13:2, 3;
15:2, 4,22, 30.)
(e) The Bible presents the Church as a
whole, possessing the sole right to admit
and exclude members. The whole Church
alone sitting in sovereign capacity has the
power to exercises discipline. (Matt. 18:7;
1 Cor. 5:4, 5, 13; 2 Cor. 2:6, 7; 2 Thess.
3:6,14, 15.)
2X2 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
5. Upon what presumption does the
Church government of the New Testament
proceed?
It proceeds upon the assumption that
Christ lives and reigns in the heart of every
church member.
6. What is one end of the democratic
government of the church?
The great end of the democratic govern¬
ment is the self-control of the members of
the church.
7. Is the democratic government best
only for the "intelligent and pious" as is
often said?
No; there is no more delusive and God-
dishonoring statement than the above.
The democratic form of government is best
for all Christians, on the principle that "the
only cure for the abuse of liberty is liberty."
As the child only learns to walk by walk¬
ing, so the Christian only learns to walk in
the straight and narrow path of self-con¬
trol by making the effort to control him¬
self.
8. What is the historic relation that
exists between Baptist form of Church gov-
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 213
ernment and the Constitution of the United
States?
In his "Religious Denominations of the
United States,'.' Belcher says: "Jefferson
said that he considered Baptist church gov¬
ernment the only form of pure democracy
which existed in the world, and had con¬
cluded that it would be the best plan of
government for the American Colonies.
This was eight or ten years before Ameri¬
can Revolution."
9. What place does a hierarchy form in
the polity of the New Testament Church?
The hierarchy has no proper place in the
polity of the New Testament Church, for
the following reasons:
(1) There were no hierarchical organi¬
zation known as churches, such as those to
which we now refer. The only visible or¬
ganization was the local church, which had
local officers. The local church is the only
visible, organized unit of God's Kingdom
on earth.
(2) We find no officers in the New Testa¬
ment Church corresponding to the ones
now filled by the elaborate hierarchy sta-
214 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
tioned in the vast organizations known as
the Church.
(3) The texts tised to prove the higher
ranks of the bishops, etc., do not support
the claims.
10. How do we account for the strange
forms of Church government?
It can only be accounted for from the
fundamental love of organization placed in
human nature, which even ignores the
teachings of Christ to gratify itself.
11. What claims have church members
upon the church of which they are mem¬
bers?
Every member has a right to claim from
the church of which he is a member the
pure word of God, the sympathy of all of
its members, and the moral support of the
church as a whole in all of his efforts for the
purification of the home, society and the
world. (Matt. 5:16; 2 Tim. 4:2; 1 Cor. 1:
10; Phil. 1:27.)
12. Have the church members any duties
to the church of which they are members?
The church is to be supported by the
members, each one being obligated to it to
give himself, his talents, presence, means
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 215
and influence to the church, since by so do¬
ing the glory of God by the redemption of
man, his brother through the gospel of
Jesus Christ. (Matt. 5:13, 14; 2 Cor. 3:2;
Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 20:28,35.)
13. What is the best way to do this?
The best way to do this is by faithful
preaching of the word, a consistent stand -
ard of living among the members, and
constant and watchful sympathy in the
affairs of life, together with the Spirit of
progress filling every member of the organ¬
ization.
14. What are the two great erroneous
views of church government?
The two most influential errors in church
government are "the world church theory
or the Romanist view," and the national
church theory or the national church idea.
15. What is the chief contention of the
world-church theory?
They contend that all the local churches
in the world are subject to the supreme
authority of the Bishop of Rome, as the
successor of Peter, who, they say, was the
infallible official head of Christ Church on.
on earth.
216 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
16. What is the realty of this claim?
The claim has no foundation in facts or
certitude of doctrine, but is invalid from
the following very plain considerations:
(a) Christ gave no supreme authority
to Peter. (Matt. 16; 18, 19); simply refers
to Peter's personal position as the first
confessor of this great truth.
Cb) Other apostles were also declared to
be the foundation of the church. (Eph. 2;
20; Rev. 21;14.)
(c) Peter was not supreme in authority
because, on one occasion, the authority of
James was regarded as of equal weight
with that of Peter. (Acts 15;7-30.)
(d) On one occasion Peter was rebuked
by Paul. (Gal. 2;11.)
(e) Peter himself says he was only an
elder. (1 Peter 5:1)
(f) If Peter had supreme authority,
there is no evidence that he had power to
transmit it to another.
(g) There is no conclusive proof tha
Peter was ever in Rome, much less that he
was Bishop of Rome.
(h) The evidence is cumulative and con-
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 217
vincing that this world-church. S3rstem cor¬
rupts the church and dishonors Christ.
17. What is the chief contention of the
national-church theorists?
They contend that all of the churches in
any providence or nation ought to be
bound together in a national organization.
18. What is the reality of this claim?
It is entirely gratuitous as a doctrine.
(a) It has no suport in the Scripture.
(b) It is flatly contradicted by the inde¬
pendent relations which the New Testa¬
ment churches had with each other, as in
the council in Jerusalem. (Acts. 15.)
(c) It is essentially the Romanist posi¬
tion modified, and hence liable to all the
arguments against it which that system
invites.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
THE CHURCH, ITS OFFICERS.
1. How many officers are there in the
New Testament Church?
There are only two officers in the New
Testament Church, viz: the office of bishop,
presbyter or pastor, and the office of dea¬
con.
2. What is important that the Church
show here?
That the term 4'bishop, presbyter, and
pastor" refer to one and the same office.
3. Are there Scriptures from which this
synonymous use of terms may be estab¬
lished?
There is abundant Scripture for the erec¬
tion of this doctrine; such as (Acts 20:
28; Phil-l:l; 1 Tim. 3:1-8; Titus 1:5-7:
1 Peter 5:1-2.)
4. What is the result of this investiga¬
tion, made by competent and impartial
(218)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 219
students before the hierarchal idea had got
headway?
Jerome says: 4'Among the ancients the
bishops and elders were the same, for the
one name was of the duty, the other of the
rank; hence the same person was elder and
bishop. Conybeare and Howson confirm
this view. Plumptre says: "There cannot
be a shadow of doubt that the two titles
of Bishop and Presbyter were in the Apos¬
tolic age interchangeable."
5. , Was there more than one elder in a
single church in New Testament churches?
It appears from Acts 20:17; Phil. 1:1; and
Tit. 1:5) that in some verj- large churches
there was a plurality of elders; due to the
large membership and the arduous task of
instructing the Gentiles in a faith, the
which they had never heard before, and all
of whose teachings and tenets were directly
opposed to their philosophy and life.
6. Does it appear that this plurality was
uniform or co-ordinate in authority with
the church?
There is no reason for believing this plur-
alty was uniform, nor that it had any co¬
ordinate value with the church whatever.
220 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
7. As to the number of pastors of each
church, what seems to have been the rule?
From the fact that " the bishop " is uni
formily spoken of in the singular number,
and "the deacons" in the plural, the intima¬
tion seems to be given, that the rule was
to have one pastor over a church and more
than one deacon. (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:7; 1
Tim. 3:8, 10, 12; Rev. 2:18, 12, 18; 3:1, 7,
14.)
8. What are the duties of the pastor of a
church?
The duties of a pastor may be divided in
to three classes:
(1) To teach spiritual things in public
and in private. (Acts 20:20, 21, 35; IThess.
5:12; Heb. 13:7-17.)
(2) To administer the ordinances.
(Matt. 28:19, 20; 1 Cor. 1:16, 17.)
(3) To superintend the discipline of the
church and preside at her regular meetings.
(1 Tim. 5:17; 3:5;- 1 Cor. 12:28; 1 Peter 5:
2-3.)
9. What do these duties imply on his
part as to qualiAcations?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 221
They suggest the highest intellectual,
moral and spiritual gifts as a necessity for
the successful pastor. (2 Tim. 2:15, 16.)
10. Is there any department ofthe church
not under the immediate supervision of the
pastor?
There is no part of the church work over
which the pastor has not official oversight
and in which he should not be interested.
(Acts. 20:28; John 21:15-17.)
11. What is the instrument by which
the pastor should rule his church?
His instrument is the truth as presented
in the Bible; moral suasion induced by su¬
perior character; and deeper and more pro¬
found grasp of spiritual things are the in¬
struments by which the pastor or bishop
should rule his flock.
12. How is this gift of ruling empha¬
sized in the Scripture?
The Bible crowns him with double honor
while no such special distinction is ac¬
corded the simply, eloquent preacher. (1
Tim. 5:17.)
13. What is the prime moral qualifica¬
tion of ruling a church?
222 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
A pastor must show himself capable of
ruling well his own house or family before
he is capable of ruling the Lord's house or
family. (1 Tim. 3:5.)
14. In the administration of the ordi¬
nances, does the priestly function appear
in the pastor?
The priestly idea of the pastor has en¬
tirely disappeared from the New Testament
church, the pastor administering the ordi¬
nances at the command of the church, but
with no idea like that inseparably woven
into the Old Testament system of sacrifies.
(Heb. 10:12-14.)
B.
1. What are the duties of the deacon.
The deacon is to help the pastor and the
church.
(1) In relieving the pastor of temporal
work.
(2) He is to take the initiative in finan¬
cial movements of the church.
(3) He it to be in full sympathy with
the pastor and be a bridge of communica¬
tion between the pastor and people.
(4) He is to help the church in the min¬
istering of her mercies and charities to the
poor and sick.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 223
2. What is the nature of the office of dea¬
con?
The office of the deacon may be said to
be spiritual-temporal, with the emphasis
on the temporal. (Acts 6:3,4.)
3. How do we reach the conclusion that
the deacon's office is Spiritual?
We reach this conclusion from the specific
qualification required. (Acts 6:3; 1 Tim.
3:8-13.)
4. Is the deacon a teaching or a ruling
office?
The deacon is distinctively and posi¬
tively not a teaching, but a ruling officer.
5. How is this important distinction
sustained from the Bible?
This position is clear from the following:
(a) The apostles explicitly declared that
the office was created to relieve them [the
apostles] of the burden of finances, so they
could devote their full time to ''ministering
the word and to prayfer." (Acts 6:2-4.)
(b) Paul omits the teaching faculty in
describing the qualifications of the deacons.
(Tim. 3:1-13.) •
6. Is the deacon's office independent of
or subordinate to the pastor?
224 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
The deacon is an assistant officer to the
pastor and is necessarily subordinate to
him.
7. What is the true relation between
pastor and deacon ?
The ought to be the fullest sympathy, the
greatest respect, each for the other, in their
official relation, with the most constant
consultation and help in work, suplemented
the constant remembrance on the part of
the deacon that his pastor is his superior in
Spiritual knowledge and his official head to
who he can honorably refer for advice, with
assurance of sympathy and respect.
8. Should the deacons be of the wealthy-
class of the church alone?
This is a common error, arising from the
fact that the deacons are largely engaged
in the raising of money for the church, but,
never the less a grave error. The deacons
are to reach the hearts of the members in a
practical way, for* the discharge of the ex¬
pense incidental upon spreading Christ's
Kingdom.
9. How is this practical love best put in
operation?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 225
By having all classes of men represented
in the deacons office, as for as possible.
10. Is the diaconate a source of worry
to the church?
There is no one source in the church out
of which arises so much discord and serious
trouble. This seems to be the universal ex¬
periences. (1 Tim. 3:10.)
11. What suggestion respecting the dea~
conate seems to contain much wisdom?
The suggestion that deacons be elected
for a term of years, to be re-elected if the
office has been creditably filled.
12. What seems to be the chief cause oi
this 11 hard condition?"
The chief cause seems due to ignorance of
the limits of their offices.
13. How are both offices formally
filled?
Both offices are formally filled by ordina¬
tion.
14. What is ordination?
Ordination is a formal and public setting
apart of a person chosen to do certain work
in the church.
226 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
15. What must there always be behind
an ordination to give it validity?
There must be the vote of the local sover¬
eign church behind every ordination,
otherwise it has no force. The church
alone can ordain.
16. Why should the church in ordaining
consult her sister churches in what is called
a council?
Because otherwise the ordaining act
would only have authority with the church
ordaining; whereas, by getting the co-op¬
eration of other churches, the act becomes
representative in its character, so far as the
polity permits.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
THE CHURCH: ITS DISCIPLINE.
1. Where does the power to discipline
church members rest?
This power rest in and with the church.
(Matt. 18:17-20; 1 Cor. 5:3-5; 2 Thess. 3:6.)
2. How many kinds of offences do the
Scripture recognize?
The Scripture recognize two kind of of¬
fences, viz.: private and public.
3. What is a private offence?
A private offence is an injury which one
member does to another; such, perhaps, as
circulating a false rumor concerning him.
4. What is a public offence?
A public offence is a violation by a
church member of some of the rules of the
community—morality, such as drunkenness.
5. How does the Lord instruct the mem¬
ber who is injured by another to act?
(227)
228 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
The discipline is to be private in charac¬
ter, the injured member to make the first
effort at reconciliation by himself; then, if
successful, with two or three chosen mem¬
bers, finally to be brought to the church as
a last resort. (Matt. 18:15-17.)
6. What is the rule of discipline in cases
ofpublic offence?
The rule is summary expulsion without
opportunity for repentance, confession, or
trial. (1 Cor. 5:3-5, 13; 2 Thess. 3:6.)
T. What relation does the pastor sus¬
tain to the discipline of the church?
The pastor is simply the presiding officer,
seeing that the name of Christ is not dis¬
graced nor the membership allowed to
strive after less than the law, as declared
in the New Testament.
8. How may the pastor best secure ef¬
fective discipline?
The pastor may best effect discipline by
the use of the judicious members as com¬
mittees of investigation, etc., and he him¬
self never appear as personal prosecutor of
members.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 229
9. Where does the last power and right
of discipline rest?
The last authoritative court of jurisdic¬
tion in the matter of discipline is the local
church. (Matt. 18:17, 18.)
10. Upon what fact is this principle
based?
Upon the fact that the only organization
that is lead by the Spirit of truth and jus¬
tice is this local church.
CHAPTER XXXV.
RELATION OF CHURCHES.
1. What relation do the different
churches sustain one to the other?
The relation is purely voluntary and in
the nature of equals, co-operating in move¬
ments for their sanctification and the evan¬
gelization of the world.
2. Can any organization deprive a
church of any of its original powers?
No organization can deprive a church of
its original powers, since it cannot assume
its responsibility to Christ.
3. Wherein consist the dignity and
beauty of the independence of the local
church?
It consists in the supposition that each
church being directly connected with Christ,
is equally led by the Spirit of Christ.
4. What is the great lesson taught by
this beautiful and powerful doctrine?
(23 Q)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 231
This doctrine teaches each church to re¬
spect the rights bf every other church,
as nothing else can, and also reminds hu¬
man nature that God is no respecter of per¬
sons, but that he may choose the weak
things to confound the mighty and the fool¬
ish things of the world to confound the wise.
5. Does this independence of each
church make for or against the union of
churches in matters of common interests?
The fact that each church considers
every other church possessed of the Spirit
of God in equal measures with herself, leads
the church to respect the propositions of
sister churches and invites to co-operation
of efforts in matters of common interests.
6. What is built upon this common re¬
spect, growing out of equal participation in
the mind of Christ?
Upon this principle of common respect is
built the system of dismission by letter
from one church to another, the recogni¬
tion of pastors of other local churches, the
associational and conventional forms of
organic unity and the consequent co¬
operation, through boards for missionary
work, Home and Foreign.
232 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
7. What does co-operation in work as
equals imply?
Co-operation as equals imply consulta¬
tion of the parties working together.
8. What are the three points on which
consultation of sister churches seem most
needed?
There seems to be special need for consul¬
tation in the matters:
(1) Of serious internal discipline.
(2) Of controverted doctrine.
(3) Of ordination of ministers.
9. What does the duty of consultation
imply?
The duty of consultation implies and em¬
phasizes the duty of "taking advice."
10. Of what nature is the advice given
by a sister church or council of churches?
This advice in its nature is one of moral
suasion only.
11. How does this fact operate—to
weaken or strengthen the advice?
The fact that the advice is presented as
the mind of the Spirit operating through
the consciousness of the churches, leaving
-the church free to accept or reject it,magni-
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 233
fies the personal responsibility of the church
asking the advice and ought to make them
reflect much before they reject this advice,—
"which is an index to truth which only the
gravest reasons will justify the church in
ignoring or refusing to follow."
12. What is one great cause of unneces¬
sary splits and discords in the Baptist ranks?
One reason is the failure of churches in
some grave internal matters of discipline
to consult the sister churches.
13. What qualifies church independence ?
Church independence is qualified by
church inter-dependence.
14. Does not the seeking of advice from
the council of sister churches imply a sur¬
render of right upon the part of the local
church?
No; the fact that the local church reserves
the right of going behind the decision of
the council proves that she gives up none
of her original authority.
15. Is there any example in the New
Testament of one church seeking the advice
of another?
234 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
There is. In the 15th chapter of the Acts
of the Apostles, which is really the history
of the early church, we have the church at
Antioch seeking advice of the church at
Jerusalem concerning the question of cir¬
cumcision, sending messengers to Jerusalem.
Verses 2, 3, 4, 22, 25, 28, 31.
16. Did the church at Antioch accept
the adivce or "index of the truth" mapped
out by the Jerusalem church?
It did, as is recored in the 31st verse of
the fifteenth chapter of Acts.
IT. Can a church's refusal to accept
advice involve any form ofpunishment?
A church's refusal to accept matured ad¬
vice may involve such moral wrong as to
justify the withdrawal from it of the hand
of fellowship by the churches which gave
the advice.
18. To what is the relation of churches
to each other analogous?
The relation of local churches to each
other is perfectly analogous to that of indi¬
vidual Christians.
19. How many kinds of church councils
are there for the assistance of churches?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 235
There are two kinds of councils: The
mutual council and the ex parte council.
20. What is the meaning and difference
between these councils?
The mutual council is one in which both
parties to the difficnltj agree in the sub¬
mitting of the trouble to the council and
also are concerned in the selection of the
parties composing the council; the ex parte
council is a council called by one side to the
controversy, the other side for reasons just
or otherwise refusing to concur therewith.
DIVISION Vl-I.
CHAPTER XXXYI.
THE CHURCH: ITS SPIRITUALITY.
THE SPIRITUALITY OF GOD, HER HEAD.
1. What is the nature of God in his
communion with man?
Jesus Christ the head of the church said,
God is a spirit and they that worship him,
must worship him in spirit and in truth.
2. What else do we mean by the spirit¬
uality of the church?
We mean that the purpose of the church
is to bring about spiritual results in the
souls of belieYers.
3. What relation does spirit sustain to
the nature of man?
Man is essentially spirit; the church is
therefore organized and equipped to meet
and develop the higher and immortal na¬
ture of man. (Eccl. 12;7; Gen. 2:7.)
(236)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 237
4. What phases of man's spiritual na¬
ture is it to which the church appeals?
The church appeals to that phase of
man's nature known as its moral nature.
5. What is that faculty called that is the
special energy of the moral nature?
This faculty is called conscience.
6. Who only are truly moral?
Only a rational and sentient being can be
truly moral.
7. What is conscience?
"Conscience is man's consciousness of his
own moral relations, together with a pe¬
culiar feeling in view of them."
8. In what respects does the Bible differ
from and excel all other books?
The Bible excels and differs from all other
books in the nature of its message, being
addressed directly to the conscience of man
in view of the moral catastrophe produced
in his soul by sin.
.9. What does the church aim to accom¬
plish in the soul of each man?
The ultimate aim of the church, together
with its means, is to destroy the image of
238 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
sin and reconstruct the image of holiness in
the soul as it is in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 8:
29; 12:2.)
10. What does the church require as the
human condition of salvation?
The Bible, the constitution of the church,
requires of man faith as the one human
condition of salvation.
11. What is peculiar about saving faith
as an act?
Saving faith is peculiar in that, while it
is human in some respects, it is essentially
spiritual and heavenly, being influenced
and induced by the Holy Spirit, and the
truth of divine revelation. (Eph. 2:8.)
12. What relation does the truth of di¬
vine revelation sustain to the salvation of
man?
The relation is so intimate and necessary
that the Holy Spirit expresses it by the
phrase, "begotten of the word of God" and
being freed by the truth. (1 Cor. 4:15; 1
Peter 1:23.)
13. Is the truth a cause of salvation?
The truth is necessary to salvation, but
as an instrument, and not as a cause.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 239
14. Who causes the act of faith, using*
the truth as a means?
The Holj Spirit causes the change known
as regeneration, and the word of God or
the gospel is the instrument which he uses.
(John 3:5.)
15. What is the spiritual element that
exalts faith, yet roots it in right and beau¬
tiful reason?
It is the fact that the faith is not in any¬
thing that can be seen by the material eye,
yet, it can be seen by the eyes of reason and
hope, and when seen, it is found to be a per¬
son and not a system of truth in which the
the soul places its hope. (Matt. 11:28.)
16. How is the spirituality of faith, the
truth, and the church, all emphasized in the
nature of faith?
The act of faith, the truth and the church
are all emphasized, from the fact that the
church is built upon a great spiritual truth
whose acceptance is a matter of faith; the
truth of the atonement as it affects the sin¬
ner can only be known by faith; and faith
itself can only be known by the gift of the
Holv Ghost. (Matt. 16:18; 18:18; John
7:17; Matt. 7:21; 1 Cor. 12:3.)
240 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
17. How does suspending life upon faith
correspond with the principle of human
life?
The principle of human life being spirit¬
ual and God being spiritual, it is quite
proper, beautiful and consistent that the
act which re-establishes the communion
between two spiritual beings, should be es¬
sentially spiritual.
18. Is there any other organization in
the world established especially for the di¬
rection and cultivation of man's spiritual
nature?
The Church of Christ is the only organi¬
zation established for this purpose; all or¬
ganizations, such as Sunday Schools and
Missionary Societies, are not churches, but
derive their effectiveness from being the
church's method of work and from being
filled with the church's spirit.
19. Upon what does the church depend
for proof of a person's being really in the
Lord, the deed or the spirit in which the
deed is done?
The mission of the church and the end of
salvation is so positively spiritual that the
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 241
deed is entirely rejected unless done in the
proper spirit. (Matt. 6:1-4; 1 Cor. 13:1-3.)
20. What is the great difference between
the teaching of the church and other benev¬
olent institutions?
The comprehensive difference between the
church and all other organizations, lies in
the all-important and paramount emphasis
which the church puts upon the soul and
immortal verities, putting eternity before
time, the future before the present, and the
pleasing of God before the pleasing of self.
DIVISION vm.
CHAPTER XXXYII.
THE CHURCH: ITS VOLUNTARINESS.
COMPARED WITH FAMILY AND STATE.
1. In what respect does the church re-
semhle the family and the state?
The church resembles them, in that, like
the family and state, it is a divine institu-.
tion.
2. In what respect is the church radu
cally unlike the family and the state?
The church is unlike the state and the
family, in that, while membership and en¬
trance in them is without the consent of
the individual, in the church membership
and entrance is wholly and primarily a
matter of the individual will.
3. Of what sort of life is church member¬
ship an expression?
(242)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 243
Church membership is the expression of
that free life in Christ, induced by truth,
addressed to the intelligence of man, and in
the persuasive accents of the Holy Spirit.
4. Where does this theory of church na¬
ture place the infants?
It places infant membership outside of
the church.
5. Does not this seem hard-hearted?
It does not seem hard-hearted, because
the plan of Salvation given in the Bible is
addressed to rational, conscious man. If
God has a salvation adapted to unconscious
man or infants he has not revealed it to us.
6. Upon what does the Bible put a pre¬
mium in man's return to God?
In the return of man to God, the free de¬
cision of man is magnified as the ground of
reward for piety, and penalty for §in.
7. What is the largest word with which
the state has to do?
The most exclusive word with which the
state deals is Justice.
8. What relations are shadowed forth
or embodied by the term justice?
244 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
The term justice represents those rela¬
tions and obligations that grow out of and
flow from the law.
9. What is the largest word with which
the church has to do?
The largest or most inclusive word with
which the church deals is Grace.
10. What are the relations that exist be¬
tween the Law and Grace?
The law was given that grace might be
sought; and grace was given that the law
might be fulfilled.
11. Which is the deeper revelation of
the character of God?
The word grace is a far deeper and
sweeter revelation of the mind and charac¬
ter of God than the word justice.
12. What does Jesus Christ say in wit¬
ness of this fact?
He says, the law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
13. What does this intimate to us?
It teaches the relation to, but superiority
of grace over the law, in relation to the
sinner.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 245
14. Do we mean by the comparison that
justice is an inferior attribute of God?
We do not mean this, for there is no such
thing as an inferior attribute.
15. Is grace an attribute?
Grace is not an attribute, but rather a
voluntary exercise of mercy, in view of his
attributes and our relations to him.
16. What condition of man does the
state aim to bring about?
The state aims to bring about that con¬
dition of man when each man shall do unto
others as he would like to be done by.
(Rom. 13:1-5.)
17. What condition of man does the
church aim to bring about?
The church aims to bring about that con¬
dition of man when each man shall not
only do unto others as he would like to be
done by, but will also feel towards and
think of every man as he would like to be
felt and thought about. (Matt. 5:20-37,
44.)
18. Over the door of every courthouse
what word might be engraved?
246 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
Over the door of every courthouse, as
the instruments of the rights of man, might
be engraved the word, Justice.
19. Over the door of every church, what
word might be engraved?
Over the door of every church, as the in¬
struments of God's love, might be engraved
the word, Grace.
20. What is the cardinal difference be¬
tween these two, that revolves around the
word, "will"?
The difference is, that we enter the state
through another's will, while we only enter
the church through our own will. (Acts
3:41.)
4'He that is born a Christian is no Chris¬
tian."—Martin Luther.
21. What is the difference between the
state and church as to their duration?
As far as we are informed, our relation
to the state ceases with our relation to
time, while our relation to the church is
only an entrance upon an infinitely happy
and glorious career, which continues for¬
ever in heaven, the place where God reigns
and where his will is carried out perfectly.
Matt. 6:10.)
DIVISION IX.
CHAPTER XXXYIII.
THE CHURCH: ITS ADMINISTRA¬
TION.
THE HOLY SPIRIT AS ORGANIZER.
1. Who is the executive head of the
Church of Christ?
The Holy Spirit is the sole executive head
of the Church of Christ. (1 Cor. 12th Chap¬
ter entire.)
2. What time marks the beginning oi
the Holy Ghost's administration?
The day of Pentecost marks the begin¬
ning of the administration or reign of the
Holy Spirit in the Church of Christ. (Luke
24:49; Acts 2:1-4.)
3. What has the day been called by some
of the most profound Bible Students?
This day has been called by some "the.
birthday of the Spirit."
(247);
248 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
4. Do we mean by this term that the
Holy Spirit had never before been present
in the world?
We do not mean by this term that the
Holy Spirit had not been in the world as
an agent in creation. Providence and Re¬
demption, for that he had so acted, is
clearly taught in the Scriptures. (Gen. 1:
2; 6:3; Job. 26:13; Matt. 3:16.)
5. What, then, do we mean by the term
birthday oi the Spirit?
By this term we mean the official incar,
nation of the Spirit in the church as the
Mediator between men and Christ.
6. Whose place does the Spirit take in
his administration of the church?
In his office as Administrator of his
church, the Holy Spirit takes the place of
Christ, who simultaneously takes his own
exalted official place in heaven as our ad¬
vocate or attorney. (John 16:7; 13:14; 1
John 2:1.)
7. Is there any parallel between the his¬
tory and "birthday of Jesus Christ" and
the history and "birthday of the Holy
Spirit?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 249
There is an evident parallel, viz: Jesus
Christ, being God, was in the beginning
with God, "and bjhim were all things cre¬
ated," the Holy Spirit being the "eternal
Spirit," "moved upon the face of the wa¬
ters" in creation.
*
"The birthday of Jesus Christ" was the
beginning of his official relation as Media¬
tor between God and men; so "the birth¬
day of the Holy Spirit was the beginning
of his official relation as mediator be¬
tween Christ and men.
"The birthday of Jesus Christ" is a visible
incarnation of the Second Person of the
Trinity, while the "birthday of the Holy
Spirit" is the invisible incarnation of the
Third Person of the Trinity, the end of
Christ's incarnation being to save and the
end of the Spirit's being to sanctify.
8. Does the official residence of Christ in
heaven and the official residence of the
Spirit in the church mutually exclude the
one from the other place?
They do not mutually exclude each other
from their respective official spheres, for
Jesus declares he is both in heaven and has
250 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
come down from heaven. (John 3:13;)
David declares the presence of the Spirit to
be in heaven and in earth. (Ps. 139:7, 8.)
9. What mysterious comparison exists
between the manger of Bethlehem and the
upper room of Jerusalem ?
As the manger was the cradle of the
Son of God, so was the upper room the
cradle of the Spirit of God."
10. What is the Holy Spirit called as the
official sucessor of Jesus Christ in the visi¬
ble Church?
As such he is called the "Vicar of Christ."
11. For how long a time is the adminis¬
tration of the Church of Christ committed
unto the Holy Spirit?
This administration is committed unto
him until Christ shall come in glory to
judge the world and the church.
12. How far does this oversight of
Christ Church extend?
This oversight of the Spirit extends to the
plan of redemption as a whole in its world¬
wide and eternal sweep; and to the small-
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 251
est detail connected with the management
and perfection of the church. (1 Cor. 12.)
13. What is the standard according to
which the Spirit orders his aim and action
in his administration of the church?
The standard according to which the
Holy Spirit works is nothing less than the
will of God as revealed in Jesus Christ who
is " the light of the world " and the " head
of the church" to whom "the whole body is
fitly jointed together and compacted."
(Eph. 4:15, 16.)
14. Has the Holy Spirit any special £t-
ness for this work of administering the
Church of Christ?
He has every special fitness for being es¬
sentially and very God; he is able with
every divine perfection to know the mind of
God and apply in the mystery of regenera¬
tion the necessity of sanctification, even into
the end of glorification, the plan of redemp¬
tion, to the heart and life of the believer.
(John 3:5; 1 Cor. 12:7; Rom. 8:26; 15:16;
2 Cor. 3:18.)
15. What is the fundamental and fatal
error in the Romish Church?
252 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
The fundamental and awful error is theii
placing and accepting the Pope, as " the
vicar of Christ," making him infallible in
his official utterances of doctrine and hu¬
man conduct.
16. To whom is the Spirit really given
in the administration of the church?
The Holy Spirit is given to the whole
body of the regenerated believers, and to
every one according to his measure.
17. In what two ways does the Spirit
make known the will of God?
The Holy Spirit makes known the will of
God in the hearts of the believers and in the
Scriptures.
18. What does the Spirit incline the
believer to do, to know and to have in
him?
The Spirit inclines the believer to the
sanctifying of his heart and the searching
of the Scriptures as necessary to eternal
life, which is to know "God and Jesus
Christ whom he has »ent. (John 5:39; 7:
17; Acts 17:11; 2 Peter 3:18.)
19. What subordinate office did the
Holy Spirit institute to administer the
church?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 253
Subordinate to his own office, as invisi¬
ble Ruler of the Church he instituted the of¬
fice of bishop, elder, or pastor. (Acts 20.
28.)
20. What did the Spirit have to do with
filling this office under him in the adminis¬
tration of the church?
From (Acts 20:28) it is distinctly taught
that he selected the men to fill the offices,
and that both the office and the men filling
them were of divine appointment.
21. Did the Spirit have anything to do
with the qualification and fitness of the
men whom he appointed to fill these offices?
It is positively and clearly taught, that
he gave them their several gifts and quali¬
fications. (Eph. 4:8-12.)
22. What method has the Holy Spirit
instituted to administer the church?
The chief method which the Holy Spirit
has instituted for the administration of the
church is the call to regular worship and
service in the capacity of a church as a
whole. (Heb. 10:25.)
23. What are the three avenues of wor*
ship in church service?
254, THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
The three main avenues or channels of
worship are preaching, praying and sing¬
ing.
24. In what respect is preaching different
from public speaking?
Preaching is peculiar and different from
mere public speaking or oratory, in being
under the immediate guidance of the Holy
Spirit. (IPeter 1:12; 1 Thess. 1:5.)
25. What is the main truth of all preach¬
ing?
The main substance and essence of all
preaching should be Jesus Christ and him
crucified. (1 Cor. 2:2.)
26. What is the sole inspiration of all
preaching?
The sole inspiration of preaching is the
Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:4.)
27. What is the value of prayer in
church service?
The special value of prayer lies in the per¬
sonal communion into which every believer
•is brought with God, revealing his own un-
worthiness, inspiring proper thanksgiving
and presenting proper petitions, according
to God's Will.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 255
28. What relation does the Holy Spirit
sustain to prayer?
All the "effectual and fervent prayers"
are directed by the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 8:
26; Eph. 6:18.)
29. What relation does the Holy Spirit
sustain to singing?
All correct and truly melodious church
singing is in the heart and under the guid¬
ance of the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 5:19; Col.
3:16.)
30. What is the great aim of the Spirit
in his adminstration of the Church oi
Christ?
The great and masterful aim of the Holy
Spirit is to make all the world like him¬
self—Holy. (Matt. 28:19, 20; Mark 16;15;
Acts 1:8; John 16:8.)
31. Where does the Spirit stand with re¬
ference to Mission work?
With reference to Mission work the Spirit
is the originator and superintendent. In
nothing does a church give clearer proof of
being Spirit—filled, than in a genuine thirst
for and self-denying effort in "the Mission
field.'*
256 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
32. Whom does the Holy Spirit use in
the administration of the church?
He uses all who are renewed and in
whom he dwells, the Spirit of obedience be¬
ing planted in them in "the day of his
power."
33. Who is revealed by Jesus Christ in
his incarnation, death, resurrection and ex¬
altation?
In this earthly history of Jesus Christ,
commonly called " the state of his humilia¬
tion," he reveals the Father, or the First
Person in the Trinity. (John 3:6; Heb. :1
3; John 8:50; 2 Cor. 4:6.)
34. Who is revealed by the Spirit's resi¬
dence in and administration of the church ?
The Holy Spirit in this official capacity in
the world reveals Jesus Christ, or the
Second Person in the Trinity. (John 16:14?.)
35. Who reveals the Holy Spirit or the
Third Person in the Trinity?
The believers, or church, administered by
the Spirit, reveal the Spirit. (Gal. 5:22-25;
Eph. 5:9.)
BOOK IV.
DIVISION X.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
THE FUTURE LIFE.
THE INTERMEDIATE STATE—DEATH.
1. How many kinds of death are we
taught in the Scriptures and experience?
There are three kinds of death, viz, Phys¬
ical, Spiritual and the Second death.
2. What is Physical death?
Physical death is the separation of the
soul from the body.
3. What is Spiritual death?
Spiritual death is the separation of the
soul from God. (Isa.59:2; Rom. 7:24; Eph.
2:1.)
4. What is the Second death?
(257)
258 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
The second death is that final banish¬
ment from God, and the consequent misery
which befalls the reunited soul and body of
the wicked at the final judgment. (Rev. 2:
11; 20:14; 21:8.)
5. In the plan of redemption, how is the
physical death of the believer used?
In the plan of redemption the believer's
physical death is used as a discipline and
not as a penalty. (Ps. 116:15; Rom. 8:10;
14:8; 1 Cor. 3:22; 15:55; 1 Peter 4:6; Heb.
12:6.)
6. How is the physical death of the un¬
believer used in the dispensation of eternal
justice?
In the dispensation of eternal justice the
physical death of the unbeliever falls upon
him as the original and introductory pen¬
alty of sin. (James 1:15; Matt. 3:7; Rom.
2:5.)
7. What is meant by the term ilInter¬
mediate state?"
By that term we mean that state of the
human soul into which it enters immedi¬
ately after physical death and prior to the
resurrection.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 259
8. In what condition is the soul during
the intermediate state?
During this period of its existence, the
soul is without a body, though possessed
of the keenest consciousness, both of joy
and of suffering. (Matt. 22:32; 2 Cor. 5:1;
2 Tim. 4:6.)
9. Is the soul of man absolutely and in¬
dependently immortal?
No: God only is absolutely and inde¬
pendently immortal, all other forms of life
being dependent upon his will for existence
and continuance of life. (1 Tim. 6:16.)
10. Upon what, then, does the pledge of
man's immortality rest?
"Man's immortality has its pledge in
God's making man in his image, and in
God's will of love for communion with
men." (Gen. 1:26, 27; John 3:16.)
11. How are we sure that the soul shall
never be annihilated?
We are sure of the immortality of the
soul from God's promise of everlasting hap¬
piness to the righteous and his threatening
of everlasting misery to the wicked.
(Matt. 25:46.)
260 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
12. What are some of the positive dec¬
larations of the Scriptures with reference
to the souls of believers immediately after
death?
With reference to the souls of believers
after death, the following positive facts are
declared in the Scriptures.
(a) That when the believer's soul leaves
the body, it enters the presence of Christ.
(2 Cor. 5:1-8—Absent from the body and
to be at home with the Lord; 1/uke 23:
43—" Today shalt thou be with me in Par¬
adise;'' John 14:3—'' Where I am, there ye
may be a/so.")
(b) That when the believer's soul leaves
the body, it enters the presence of God the
Father. (Heb. 12:22, 23—Ye are come to
the city of the living God and to God the
Judge of all and to the spirits of just men
made perfect; Eccl. 12:7—The spirit re¬
turned unto God who gave it; Luke 23:
46—"Father, into thy hands I commend
my Spirit.")
(c) That when the believer's soul leaves
the body, it enters Paradise or heaven.
Luke 22:42, 43—The thief praying used the
word Kingdom; Christ answering, used the
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 261
word Paradise, showing conclusively, that
both words meant the same thing to him
and the thief. (Rev. 2:7.) The Paradise of
God is the highest conception of the local
home of God and "the redeemed of God."
The earthly Eden, the home of sinless
man under the law, all through the Scrip¬
tures, is a type of the heavenly Eden, into
which the saved shall enter under Grace.
(d) That when the believer's soul leaves
the body, it enters into a state of being far
better and much happier than the state it
left, however exemplary a believer he might
have been in this life. (Phil. 1:22, 23—
"Having a desire to depart, and to be with
Christ; " which is far better")
(e) That when the believer's soul leaves
the body, it is intensely alive and conscious.
(Matt. 22:32—"God is not the God of the
dead, but of the living;" Luke .16:22—
"Carried by the angels into Abraham's
bosom," was, to a Jew, the highest con¬
ception of conscious heavenly delights;
John 11:26; 1 Thess. 5:10; Rom. 8:10.)
(f) That when the believer's soul leaves
the body, it is at rest and happy. (Rev.
262 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
6:9-11; They should re&t, yet for a little
season, until their fellow servants also, and
their brethren, that should be killed as they
were, should be fulfilled; showing the state
of life described is during the existence of
the world and the evolution of the plan of
redemption. Rev. 14:13—Blessed are the
dead which die in the Lord; that, they may
rest from their labors.)
13. What are some of the positive declar¬
ations of the Scriptures with reference to
the souls of unbelievers immediately after
death?
With reference to the souls of unbelievers
after death the following positive facts are
declared in the Scriptures.
(a) That when the unbeliever's soul
leaves the body it is placed in prison under
constrain and guard. (1 Peter 3:19—"Spir¬
its in prison.") Restrain implies power of
action", and suffering implies conscious¬
ness."—Hovey. "There is no need of put¬
ting unconscious spirits under guard."—
Strong.
(b) That when the soul of the unbeliever
leaves the body, it is in the most intense
suffering. (Luke 16:23, 24:) He lifted up
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 263
his eyes in hell, being in torments. "Have
mercy on me," implies the keenness of his
agony and the reality of his suffering.
(c) That when the soul of the unbe¬
liever leaves the body it is under divine
punishment, for the sin of unbelief. (2 Peter
2:9—"To reserve the unrighteous under
punishment, unto the day of judgment.")
14. What two great religious errors are
completely refuted by the above Scriptural
declarations?
By these plans and positive teachings of
the Scriptures, the two great errors: (1) The
soul of the righteous and the wicked enjoy
a long sleep between death and the resur¬
rection and (2) that the suffering of the
immediate state is purgatory in character.
15. What is the one answer to these
two errors?
The conclusive answer is to show that
they have no warrant or foundation in the
Scripture.
16. By whom were these doctrines in¬
vented?
They were invented by the Papist, or
Roman Catholics, possibly with a view to
264 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
increase and magnify the influence and
power of their heirarchj over the minds
and life of their followers.
IT. Is the conscious joy and sorrow of
the intermediate state represented as com¬
plete or incomplete?
While the state of the soul, during the in¬
termediate period is represented as con¬
scious, it is also represented as being incom¬
plete. The cup of the soul's capacity, is
not full either of joy or sorrow. (Matt. 8:
29; 2 Cor. 5;3, 4; Rom. 8:23; 2 Peter 2:9;
Rev. 6:10.) The demon in Matt. 8:29,
though suffering the misery of his condition
by his question, gave knowledge of a
greater torment awaiting him at a set
tiipe. The crying of those under the altar
gave knowledge that their pleasures were
not yet complete, in that the full measure
of God's justice had not been vindicated
upon their slayers.
18. What delightful prospect awaits the
belieyer at the hour of death?
The delightful prospect of a final separa¬
tion of his soul from sin; that as sin en¬
tered his soul upon its union with the body,
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 265
it shall cease to know sin experimentally
upon the separation of soul and body.
(Phil. 1:21.)
19. Why must the souls of believers be
holy at their death?
Because otherwise the soul could not en¬
ter ''the holy city." (Rev. 21:27.)
20. What bene£ts do believers receive
at death respecting- their bodies?
Their bodies are united to Christ and
rest in the grave till the resurrection, so
that both soul and body are forever joined
to the divine person of Jesus Christ. (Isa.
- 57:2; Job. 19:26.)
DIVISION XI.
CHAPTER XL.
THE RESURRECTION.
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
1. When will the resurrection of the
bodies of all men take place?
The resurrection is to take place at the
Second coming of Christ.
2. Is the time of Christ Second coming
exactly known by any £nite creatures?
The time of Christ's Second coming is not
known to any finite creatures, not even
angels. (Mark 13:32.)
3. What is known concerning- this Second
coming?
Concerning this wonderful and awfully
sublimfe event, the fact, manner and aim of
it only are known. (Matt. 24:30; 25:31;
(266)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 267
Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:16; 2 Thess. 1:7, 10;
Heb. 9:28; Rev. 1:7.)
4. Is the revelation of the Second coming
complete as to detail?
The revelation as to this event, as of all
facts of the future world, are only partial.
5. What is the manner and aim of the
Second coming?
Briefly told, the Second coming is to be in
great visible and triumphant glory, for the
purpose of completing the salavation of his
people and perfecting the punishment of the
wicked. (2Peter 3:3-12.)
6. What ofBce will Christ hold in the £-
naljudgment, at his Second coming?
At the Second coming Jesus Christ will
hold the office of Judge of the Universe.
(Acts 17:31; 10:42.)
7. What is the great sign that shall pre¬
cede the Second coming of Christ?
The great premonitory sign is the period
of the millenium or the positive reign of
Grace. (Dan. 2:44, 45; Matt. 13:31, 32;
24:14; Rom. 11:25, 26; Rev. 20:4-6.)
8. What is to he the moral condition
268 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
of the world at the close of the Millennial
period?
At the close of this period the forces of
evil will be turned loose and suffered to
make a final effort to overthrow the forces
of Grace. (Matt. 24:29, 30; Luke 21:8-28.)
9. Is the judgment at the Second coming
to be private or public?
The judgment is to be public as well as
final. (Matt 25:31-46.)
10. What is the motive for the £nal
judgment?
The purpose or motive is to " assert eter¬
nal Providence and justify the ways of God
to man." (Phil. 2:9-11.)
CHAPTER XLI.
RESURRECTION—BODIES.
1. What does the Bible teach concerning
the body ofman?
The Bible teaches that man's body shall
be raised tip from the grave and share the
destiny of his soul, the grave being a rest¬
ing place for the body of the believers and
a prison house for the body of the unbe¬
lievers. (Dan. 12:2.)
2. Upon what assumption does the res¬
urrection of the body of all men rest?
The doctrine of a general resurrection
rests upon the philosophical assumption
that man's soul and body belong normally
together.
3. Upon what facts does the resurrection
of the body of the believers rest?
The resurrection of the believer's body
rests upon the fact that Christ's redemption
eytends to body as well as soul; that the
(269)
270 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
Holy Spirit has honored his frail body by
having made it his dwelling place; and upon
the fact that Christ's own body was liter¬
ally and physically raised -up from the dead.
(Rom. 8:23; 1 Cor. 6:13-20; Rom. 8:11;
Luke 24:39; John 20:27.)
4. How can we prove that there will
be a general resurrection of the dead?
This fact is proved, first> from the power
of God—that he can raise the dead body;
second, from the express statement of
Christ, that he will raise the dead (Matt.
22:29); third, from the fact God has raised
the body of Christ.
5. Of what special value is this Scripture
(Matt. 22:29) in the doctrine under consid¬
eration?
It is of special value, because it is Christ's
own argument and declaration against the
Sadducees, who did not believe in the resur¬
rection of the dead. (Matt. 22:23.)
6. Is the doctrine of the resurrection o/
the dead taught in the Old Testament?
This doctrine of the resurrection of the
dead or the " immortality of the body," is
taught in the Old Testament as well as in
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 271
the New; though not with the same dis¬
tinctness and frequency. (Job 14:12; 19:25-
27; Ps. 16:10; Heb. 11:17-19, 35:) Old Tes¬
tament instances of Resurrection by infer¬
ence: Son of Widow of Sarepta, 1 Kings
17:22; the Shunamite's son, 2 Kings 4:35;
the man's body cast in Elisha's sepulchre, 2
Kings 13:21; the Translation of Elijah, 2
Kings 2:11; the Translation of Enoch,
Gen. 5:24.
7. Will the very same body that dies be
raised up at the last day?
The Scriptures are emphatic and clear,
that the same body that dies will be
raised up at the last day. Below are a few
of the considerations:
(a) Death is called in Scriptures a sleep.
(b) The resurrection is called an
awakening out of that sleep. (Job 14:12.)
(c) It is this mortal that puts on im¬
mortality, etc. (1 Cor. 15:53.)
(d) It is our vile body that is fashioned
like unto his own glorious body. (Phil. 3:
21.)
(e) It is the same body of Christ that
was buried in Joseph's new tomb that
emerged therefrom in resurrection glory.
272 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
8. How is the equity of the divine pro¬
cedure vindicated by the raising" of the same
body that dies?
The equity of the divine procedure is
made clear in rewarding the same body
that served Christ with the glories of res¬
urrection and punishing the same body that
participated in the sins of life; in short, the
doctrine of "sowing and reaping" is applied
to the body as well as the soul.
9. What will happen to those believers'
bodies that are alive at the Second coming
of Christ?
They shall be changed in the twinkling of
an eye and be made to possess the proper¬
ties of the resurrection-body in some mys¬
terious way; perhaps, such as Christ's
body was changed into on the Mount of
Transfiguration. (1 Cor. 15:51.)
10. What will be the difference between
the resurrection of the godly, and that of
the wicked?
The godly shall be raised by the Spirit of
Christ; but the wicked shall be raised by
the power of Christ. The spirit of Christ is
the bond connecting the resurrection body
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 273
with Christ its Saviour, while the power of
Christ is the bond connecting the resurrec¬
tion body of the wicked with Christ as its
just Judge. (Isa. 26:19; 2 Thess. 1:9.)
11. What is the state in which the resur¬
rection body, shall come forth from the
grave?
The resurrection body shall be raised up
clothed in glory. (1 Cor. 15:43.)
12. What is the condition and state of
glory in which the resurrection body, shall
be raised?
The glory of this body is that it shall be,
incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and spir¬
itual. (1 Cor. 15:42-44.)
13. What is meant by the resurrection
body being incorruptible?
By this incorruptibility we mean that
this body will be possessed of an everlast¬
ing youth and vigor, no more liable to the
decays produced by age in this life. (Isa.
33:24.)
14. What is meant by the resurrection
body being glorious?
By this gloriousness we mean that this
body wilt be beautiful, comely, well propor-
274 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
tioned, full of splendor and brightness,
fashioned like unto Christ's glorious body
shining forth as the sun in the Kingdom of
God. (Matt. 13:43.)
15. What is meant by the resurrection
body being powerful?
By this power we mean that this body
will be incapable of weakness, weariness, or
fatigue but will be able, without necessary
intermission, to be employed in the heav¬
enly temple to sing and proclaim the
praises of God. (Rev. 4:8.)
16. What is meant by this resurrection
body being Spiritual?
By this spirituality we mean that the res¬
urrection body will be a material organism
possessed of such refined, spiritual qualities
that it will be a perfect vehicle of the Spir¬
it's desires, impulses and capacities for en¬
joyment and service. (1 Cor. 15:44; John
20:19, 20; Luke 24:36-40.)
17. Does the Bible teach that all the par¬
ticles which compose the body at death
will appear in the resurrection body?
The Bible does not teach, but rather denies
the presence in the resurrection body.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 275
of all the particles which compose the body
at death. (1 Cor. 15:36-38.)
18. What does the Bible teach concern-
the old and the new body?
The Bible teaches that there is a connec¬
tion between the old and the new body suf¬
ficient to indentify them, but does not ex¬
plain how this connection is maintained or
developed.
Illustrations of this change are as fol¬
lows:
(a) The grain of wheat sown in the
earth. (1 Cor. 15:37.) "On the one hand,
the wheat that springs up does not con¬
tain the precise particles, perhaps does not
contain any particles, that were in the seed.
On the other hand there has been a contin¬
uous physical connection between the seed
sown and the ripened grain at the harvest.
If the seed had been annihilated, and then
ripe grain created, we could not speak of
identity between the one and the other.
But, because there has been a constant flux
the old particles pressed out by new, and
these new in their turn succeeded by others
that take their places, we can say the
'wheat has come up."'
276 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
(b) The North River is the same to-day
that it was when Hendrick Hudson discov¬
ered it; yet not a particle of its current
nor a particle of the banks which that cur¬
rent touches now, is the same that it was
then. Two things make the present river
identical with the river of the past. The
first is that the same formative principle
is at work. The second is that ever since
Hendrick Hudson's time, there has been a
physical connection, old particles in contin¬
uous succession having been replaced by
new. So there are two things requisite to
make our future bodies one with the bodies
we now inhabit; first, that the same forma¬
tive principle be at work in them; second,
that there be some sort of physical connec¬
tion between the body that now is and the
body that shall be.—See A. 11. Strong's Sys¬
tematic Theology, 578, 579.
(c) The caterpillar's change during the
Winter to a butter£y in Spring. It goes
into its chrysalis a worm and comes out an
insect with wings, capable of flying, and a
transformation so great in the added power
and beauty, that it amounts almost to a
new creation. So the body goes into the
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 277
grave a dead and deformed thing, but comes
out in the resurrection a new thing with
added powers and beauties. These illustra¬
tions have the defects of all illustrations
which seek to throw light upon a condition
bej'ond human experience and dependent
wholly upon divine revelation.
19. Where do we get our positive kno wl¬
edge of the resurrection body?
For positive knowledge of the resurrection
body, the world is indebted to and depend¬
ent upon the Bible alone.
20. How will the souTs reunion to its
resurrection body affect its happiness?
The perfection of the soul's blessedness
will not be attained until it has been re¬
united to its resurrection body. (Rom. 8:23;
2 Cor. 5:4.; Phil. 3:11.)
DIVISION XII.
CHAPTER XLII.
THE GENERAL JUDGMENT: THE
NATURE.
1. What is the peculiar nature of the
general j udgment?
The general judgment is peculiar, in that
it is to be a great outward event, occurring
at a fixed time, and executed with great
pomp, visible display and splendor. (Matt.
25:31-46; Rev. 20:11-15.)
2. What great event will immediately
precede and he a preparation for the gen¬
eral or £naljudgment?
The resurrection will be the preceding and
preparatory event for the final judgment.
(John 5;28, 29.)
3. In what great respect will the general
judgment differ from the individual judg¬
ment?
(278)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 279
The general or final judgment will differ
from the individual judgment, in that it
will be a judgment passed upon the world,
as a whole. Men's deeds and the influence
which those deeds will have had upon the
moral order of the universe will be consid¬
ered and passed upon from this comprehen¬
sive and aggregated standpoint. (Matt. 7:
21-23; Luke 12:2, 3.)
4. When will the £nal judgment occur?
The final judgment will occur at the last
day. (John 6:39, 40.)
5. Why is it called the last day?
It is thus called, because after this awful
and final event, there will be no more suc¬
cession of day and night, but one perpetual
day of light and happiness to the righteous
and one perpetual night of darkness and
misery to the wicked. (Matt. 24:30; Rev.
21:23.)
6. Will mankind be expecting Christ
when he shall come to judge the world?
His coming will be a great surprise, for
he shall come "as a thief in the night.'1,
[2 Peter 3:10; Luke 17:26-31.)
CHAPTER XLIII.
JUDGMENT: THE OBJECT.
1. What is the great object of final judg¬
ment?
The object of the final judgment is to
make known to the Universe the character
of its moral inhabitants, assign each one
to his future eternal home and vindicate
the justice and goodness of God in the gov¬
ernment of the world. (Rom. 2:5,6; 1 Tim.
5:24, 25; Rev. 14:13.)
2. Why do the justice and goodness of
God require a vindication?
Because they are hid from the eyes of men
in this world: the different lots into which
men are born, the great success and pros¬
perity of the wicked, the adversity of the
righteous, the permission of evil in the
moral fabric of God's government, the
righteous consistency of a substitutionary
atonement, are facts too high and hard for
-the eye and reason of man and which God
(280)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 281
alone must demonstrate before the moral
universe to their complete satisfaction and
acknowledgment, ere he in their judgment
can be acquitted of partiality, malignity or
impotency. (Isa. 55:8-11; Rom. 2:11-16.)
3. How is this impartial and righteous
judgment to be effected?
This just judgment and exceeding good¬
ness is to be determined from the knowl¬
edge to be formed in the mind of God and
in the mind and character of the creatures
to be judged. (Rev. 20:12, 13; Luke 16:25. )
4. What thought is represented by the
dead being 1 judged out" of those things
which were written in the books?
This is a human and legal method of in¬
forming the world of the exactness and
completeness of the record of our lives kept
by God. It is a metaphorical or figurative
presentation of the use to which God's om¬
niscience, will be put in that day of final
reckoning with the sons of men.
5. 'Who will be the witnesses for or
against men in the last day?
In this last and final trial, every man's
memor}', conscience and character will be
282 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
the witnesses as to whether he was a law-
abiding or a lawbreaking citizen of this
divine government. (Rev. 12:13; Luke 16:
25.)
6. How is it dimly foreshadowed in
Luke 16:25?
In the scenes above referred to, when the
rich man appealed for mercy, in his extreme
torments, no arguments or facts were made
or revealed but those that had been ad¬
dressed to him in his life on earth; the awful
force of the responsibility of living was pre¬
sented in God's word to him: 4'Son remem¬
ber;" all the facts of law, motives, grace and
even life were locked up in his memory as a
swift witness against the justice or even
reasonableness of his appeal for judicial
elemency. (Luke 16:19-31.)
7. Will this final judgment comprehend
the small acts of our lives?
As atoms, the smallest particles of mat¬
ter, enter into larger ones and form the stu¬
pendous material universe; as single drops
of water collected in our basins form "the
mighty ocean;" so the single thought, soli¬
tary word, and apparantly unrelated acts
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 283
of human life, taken collectedly and aggre¬
gate! y, form that positive and eternal some¬
thing called character; hence every idle
word that men shall speak shall be ac¬
counted for in the judgment. (Matt. 12:36;
Luke 12:2, 8, 9; John 3:18; 2 Cor. 5:10;
Ecc. 11:9; 12:13-14.)
8. By whom will all mankind he sum¬
moned to the bar of God?
Mankind, great and small, will be
brought to the bar of God by angels com¬
missioned for that purpose. (Matt. 13:41;
Mark 13:27.)
9. Will the righteous and the wicked
stand together to be judged?
They will not; for the righteous shall be
on the right hand and the wicked on the
left hand side of the judge. (Matt. 25:33.)
10. What are the books to be opened out
of which men are to be judged?
The four books out of which men are to
judged are as follows:
(1) The book of God's Remembrance.
(Mai. 3:16.)
(2) The book of Conscience. (Rom. 2:
15.)
284 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
(3) The book of Law. (Gal. 3:10.)
(4) The book of Life. (Rev. 20:12; 21:
27.)
11. Out of which book will the heathen
be judged?
They will be judged out of the book of
Conscience. (Rom. 1:32; 2:12, 14, 15.)
12. Out of which book will the unbe*
lievers who heard the gospel be judged?
They will be judged out of the book of
the Law, which means the revealed and
written law, including the promise of sal¬
vation through Christ. (Rom. 2:12; John
3:17-19.)
13. Out of which book will the Chris¬
tians be judged?
They will be judged out of the book of
Life. (Luke 10:20; Rev. 20:15.)
14. Who will be judged Arst, the right¬
eous or the wicked?
The righteous will be judged first, evi¬
dently. (Matt. 25:34?, 41.)
15. Why will the righteous be judged
Arst?
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS, 285
because the righteous having been them¬
selves judged, are to sit with Christ in judg¬
ment upon wicked men and fallen angels.
(1 Cor. 6:2-4.)
CHAPTER XLIV.
JUDGMENT: THE JUDGE.
1. Who is to he the Judge in the £nal
judgment?
Jesus Christ, the Second Person in the
Trinity, is to be the Judge on this occa¬
sion. (John 5:22, 27; Acts 17;31.)
2. Why is the judgment of the. world
committed to Christ as Mediator?
Because it is a part of his exaltation con¬
ferred upon him, in view of his humiliation.
(Phil. 2:8-10.)
3. Why is it specially appropriate and
£t that Jesus Christ, the God man, should
judge the world?
Because the mysterious blending- of his
human and his divine nature in his divine
person renders him peculiarly fit to interpret
the law as it relates to man and to insist
upon the unchanging and eternal claims
(286)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 287
of the same law as it relates to God; in
fact, being the end of the law for righteous¬
ness and the offerer of grace, he is best able
to sympathize with man, if he can bring any
extenuating circumstances. If man can
bring no such excuse, Jesus the Savior, hav¬
ing suffered like a lamb, is the most fit per¬
son as Judge to pour out upon him the
wrath of the Lamb, from the nature of a
lion. (John 5:22, 29; Acts 17:31; Rev.6:
16, 17.)
4. Where will the Judge have his throne ?
He will have his throne in the air, as a
mark of its universality and sign of its au¬
thority. (1 Thess. 4:17.)
5. Will there be any appeal from the
sentence of this Judge?
There is no appeal, for both the sentence
of the righteous and the wicked contain the
word "eternal." (Matt. 25:46.)
CHAPTER XLV.
JUDGMENT: ITS SUBJECTS.
1. Upon whom will the Judge pronounce
sentence in the last clay?
The Judge will tr j and sentence all men
who have ever lived and all fallen angels re¬
served for judgment until this time. (1. Cor.
15: 51, 52; 1 Thess. 4:17; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude
6; Matt. 13:41, 42; 25:31, 32.)
2. In what condition will the souls of
men be at the £naljudgment?
The souls of men will have been reunited
to their resurrection-bodies and in this con¬
dition will receive their final sentence and
depart in and with these bodies to their re¬
spective abodes of eternal happiness or
misery. (1 Cor. 15:51, 52; 1 Thess. 4:17;
Ban. 12:2.)
(288)
CHAPTER XLYI.
JUDGMENT: THE GROUND.
1. Upon what grounds will the £nal
judgment rest?
The final judgment will rest upon God's
own revelation of duty to man.
2. Wherein has God revealed maris duty
and how to prepare for this Anal judgment?
God has clearly and fully revealed his
claim upon man and his duty to serve
him: £rst, in the Law; second, in the Gos¬
pel.
3. In what special forms and places has
he written the law?
He has written the natural law in his
conscience and the special law or revealed
law in the Bible. (John 12:48; Rom, 2:12.)
4. How will the gospel be a ground upon
which the Anal judgment will rest?
(289)
290 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
It will be the main stay of the saved, as
furnishing the means of keeping the Law
through Jesus Christ; and the foundation
and ground of the condemned in that he re¬
jected his only and eternal surety against
this day. (John 1:14; Rom. 10:14.)
5. Who will depart last from the judg¬
ment scene?
The scriptural intimations are that the
righteous shall be the last to leave the
scene, as the victorious in battle are last to
leave the field of victory. (Matt. 25:46.)
DIVISION XIII.
CHAPTER XLYII.
THE FINAL STATE OF THE
RIGHTEOUS.
1. In what respect does the Bible excel
all other books?
The Bible excels all other books in the
positive declarations which it makes con¬
cerning the state of man in the future
world.
2. What is the state into which the right¬
eous enter in the future world?
The state into which the righteous enter
is described by the Bible as one of, (a)
Eternal life—Matt. 25:46; (b) Glory—
2 Cor. 4:17; (c) Rest—Heb. 4:9; (d)
Knowledge—1 Cor. 13: 18-10; Holiness—
Rev. 2:27; (f) Service—Rev. 22:3; (g)
Worship—Rev. 19:1; (h) Society—Heb.
12:23; (i) Communion with God—Rev.
2:3.)
(291)
292 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
3. To what extent is this blessedness ex¬
perienced?
The teachings seem to be that the bless¬
edness of the future life will be enjoyed to
the fullest capacity of the soul. (Ps. 17:15.)
4. Will the degree of blessedness and
honor be distributed or experienced regard¬
less of law?
Indeed, not: the blessedness and honor of
heaven will be experienced and distributed
in proportion to the capacity and faithful¬
ness of the souls that enter heaven. (Luke
19:17-19; 1 Cor, 3:14, 15.)
5. XJpon what, then, does the degree of
our blessedness in heaven depend?
Upon the faithful exercise and wise im¬
provements of our gifts on earth. (Matt.
7:21-23; Luke 19:12-27.)
6. Is the Bible idea of heaven one of a
place as well as of a state?
The Bible idea of heaven contains the
positive teaching of a state of blessedness
and honor in a place; for, (a) it is called a
city—Rev. 20:9; 21:2, 16-27; (b) it is
called a house—John 14:2; (c) it has a
throne—Rev. 4:2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10; (d)
Christ's human body is there—Acts 7:56;
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 293
2:32, 33, 34; Ps. 110:1, 5; (e) Christ
called it a place—John 14:2, 3; (f) He
said the righteous should come there—
John 14:1-4; (g) the dead saints are
there now—Rev. 19:4, 10, 14; Acts 7:59; 2
Cor. 5:8).
T. Is this earth to be the heaven of the
Saints?
We answer:
First—That the earth is to be purified by
fire, and perhaps prepared to be the abode
of the saints, although this last is not ren¬
dered certain by the Scriptures. (Rom. 8:
19-23; 2 Peter 3:12, 13; Rev. 21:1,)
Secondly—That this fitting up of the
earth for man's abode, even if it were de¬
clared in Scriptures, would not render it cer¬
tain that the saints are to be confined to
these narrow limits. (John 14:2.)
It seems rather to be intimated that the
effects of Christ's work will be to bring the
redeemed into union and intercourse with
other orders of intelligence, from the com¬
munion with whom they are now shut out
by sin. (Eph. 1:20, 21; Col. 1:20.)—See
Dr. A. H. Strong's Systematic Theology,
pages 585, 586.
CHAPTER XLYIII.
THE FINAL STATE OF THE WICKED.
1. What is the state into which the
wicked enter in the future world?
The state into which the wicked enter in
is described by the Bible as one of, (a)
Eternal fire—Matt. 25:41; Mark 9:43, 46;
(b) The pit of the abyss—Rev. 9:2, 11;
(c) The lake that burnetii with fire and
brimstone—Rev. 21:28; (d) Outer darkness
—Matt. 8:12; (e) Torment—Rev. 14:10,
11; (f) Eternal punishment—Matt. 25:46;
(g) Wrath of God and of the Lamb—Rom.
2:5; Rev. 6:16; (h) Second death—Rev. 21:
8; (i) Eternal destruction—2 Thess. 1:9;
(j) Eternal Sin—Mark 3:29; (k) Wailing
and gnashing of teeth—Matt. 8:12.
2. Is the Bible idea of hell one of a place
as well as of a state?
The Bible idea of hell contains positive
teaching of a place from the following con-
(294)
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 295
siderations:. Ca) It is called a pit.—Rev. 9:
2, 11. (b) It is called a lake.—Rev. 21;8.
(c) It is called a place.—Acts 1:25. But
two states and places are spoken of in the
Scriptures, as there are but two classes of
men. Judas must have gone to the place
other than heaven, as he is said to have
fallen "by transgression."
3. What is the essential purishwent o/
hell?
The essential punishment of hell is the ut¬
ter absence from God and Holy Spirits, and
condition of perfected misery, with an ever
accusing and condemning conscience and
with no hope or desire of a change of char¬
acter, but a growth in sin and development
of evil within, accelerated and enhanced by
outward conditions adapted to the em¬
phasis and increase of the soul's misery by
the loss of all good and all desires for good:
"I know of the future judgment,
How dreadful soe'er it be,
That to sit alone with iny concience
Will be judgment enough for me."
"The wicked have the seed of hell in their
own hearts."—Calvin.
Their own works brought the punish¬
ments on them; the fire was not prepared
296 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
for them, but for Satan; yet since they cast
themselves into it, 'Impute it, to yourselves
that you are there.'—Chrysostom.
"Which way I fly is hell; Myself am hell."
—Satan in Miltons Paradise Lost.
4. Is the doctrine of the eternal punish¬
ment too severe tor the sin of a finite crea¬
ture?
No: for sin is not measured by man's es¬
timate of it, but by God's. Sin is not meas¬
ured by the character of the offender so
much as by the character and dignity of
the one offended or sinned against. (Ex. 20:
3.) The word to be emphasized is me.
5. What proportion will the wicked bear
to the righteous?
"We have reason to believe that the lost
will bear to the saved no greater propor¬
tion than the inmates of a prison do to the
mass of a community."—Dr.Hodge.
"Hell is only a spot in the universe of
God. The Kingdom of Satan is insignifi¬
cant, in contrast with the Kingdom of
Christ."—Dr. Shedd. (Ps. 103:21; Matt.
6;13; Rev. 14:1; 21:16; 24:25; Rev. 7:9, 10.)
The lost is never spoken of in this way,
magnifying their number.
THEOLOGICAL KERNELS. 297
The habitual veracity of Bible writers
would have so stated if it Were a fact.
6. What is the prime reason God pun¬
ishes sin?
The prime reason for punishing sin is to
vindicate God's holinesss as expressed in
the laws against which sin is a conscious
trangression and lack of conformity.
7. What is the fundamental aim of sin?
The fundamental aim of sin is to de¬
throne God from the universe and usurp his
place and authority.
8. What does this fact necessitate on the
part of God?
It both necessitates and justifies the pun¬
ishment of sin on the part of God, as long
as sin exists.
9. What two great doctrines, taken
together, complete the theme of the gospel
preacher?
These two great doctrines are: First—
Eternal Punishment, the necessary result of
sin. Second— Eternal Life, the gift of Jesus
Christ. (Matt. 25:46; Rom. 6:23; 11:22.)
298 THEOLOGICAL KERNELS.
10. What is the danger of entirely omit¬
ting " the eternal punishment of God" in
preaching?
It spits upon the holiness of God, de¬
grades the atonement of Christ and causes
men to curse God and die.
FINIS.