Chapter I: Front Matter

Orthodoxy:

Its Truths And Errors

By

James Freeman Clarke

“Soleo enim in allena castra transire, non tanquam transfuga, sed tanquam
explorator.”—SENECA, _Epistolæ_, 2.

“Fiat lux. Cupio refelli, ubi aberrarim; nihil majus, nihil aliud quam
veritatem efflagito.”—THOMAS BURNET, _Arch. Phil._

Fourteenth Edition.

Boston:

American Unitarian Association.

1880.

CONTENTS

Preface.
Chapter I. Introduction.
§ 1. Object and Character of this Book.
§ 2. Progress requires that we should look back as well as forward.
§ 3. Orthodoxy as Right Belief.
§ 4. Orthodoxy as the Doctrine of the Majority. Objections.
§ 5. Orthodoxy as the Oldest Doctrine. Objections.
§ 6. Orthodoxy as the Doctrine held by all.
§ 7. Orthodoxy, as a Formula, not to be found.
§ 8. Orthodoxy as Convictions underlying Opinions.
§ 9. Substantial Truth and Formal Error in all great Doctrinal Systems.
§ 10. Importance of this Distinction.
§ 11. The Orthodox and Liberal Parties in New England.
Chapter II. The Principle And Idea Of Orthodoxy Stated And Examined.
§ 1. The Principle of Orthodoxy defined.
§ 2. Logical Genesis of the Principle of Orthodoxy.
§ 3. Orthodoxy assumed to be the Belief of the Majority.
§ 4. Heterodoxy thus becomes sinful.
§ 5. The Doctrine of Essentials and Non-essentials leads to Rome.
§ 6. Fallacy in this Orthodox Argument.
§ 7. The three Tendencies in the Church.
§ 8. The Party of Works.
§ 9. The Party of Emotion in Christianity.
§ 10. The Faith Party in Religion.
§ 11. Truth in the Orthodox Idea.
§ 12. Error in the Orthodox Principle.
§ 13. Faith, Knowledge, Belief, Opinion.
Chapter III. The Orthodox Idea Of Natural And Revealed Religion; Or,
Naturalism And Supernaturalism.
§ 1. Meaning of Natural and Supernatural.
§ 2. The Creation Supernatural.
§ 3. The Question stated.
§ 4. Argument of the Supernaturalist from successive Geologic
Creations.
§ 5. Supernatural Argument from Human Freedom.
§ 6. Supernatural Events not necessarily Violations of Law.
§ 7. Life and History contain Supernatural Events.
§ 8. The Error of Orthodox Supernaturalism.
§ 9. No Conflict between Naturalism and Supernaturalism.
§ 10. Further Errors of Orthodox Supernaturalism—Gulf between
Christianity and all other Religions.
§ 11. Christianity considered unnatural, as well as supernatural by
being made hostile to the Nature of Man.
Chapter IV. Truths And Errors As Regards Miracles.
§ 1. The Subject stated. Four Questions concerning Miracles.
§ 2. The Definition of a Miracle.
§ 3. The different Explanations of the Miracles of the Bible.
§ 4. Criticism on these Different Views of Miracles.
§ 5. Miracles no Proof of Christianity.
§ 6. But Orthodoxy is right in maintaining their Reality as Historic
Facts.
§ 7. Analogy with other Similar Events recorded in History.
§ 8. Miracle of the Resurrection. Sceptical Objections.
§ 9. Final Result of this Examination.
Chapter V. Orthodox Idea Of The Inspiration And Authority Of The Bible.
§ 1. Subject of this Chapter. Three Views concerning the Bible.
§ 2. The Difficulty. Antiquity of the World, and Age of Mankind.
§ 3. Basis of the Orthodox Theory of Inspiration.
§ 4. Inspiration in general, or Natural Inspiration.
§ 5. Christian or Supernatural Inspiration.
§ 6. Inspiration of the Scriptures, especially of the New Testament
Scriptures.
§ 7. Authority of the Scriptures.
§ 8. The Christian Prepossession.
§ 9. Conclusion.
Chapter VI. Orthodox Idea Of Sin, As Depravity And As Guilt.
§ 1. The Question stated.
§ 2. The four Moments or Characters of Evil. The Fall, Natural
Depravity, Total Depravity, Inability.
§ 3. Orthodox and Liberal View of Man, as morally diseased or
otherwise.
§ 4. Sin as Disease.
§ 5. Doctrine of the Fall in Adam, and Natural Depravity. Their Truth
and Error.
§ 6. Examination of Romans, 5:12-21.
§ 7. Orthodox View of Total Depravity and Inability.
§ 8. Proof Texts.
§ 9. Truth in the Doctrine of Total Depravity.
§ 10. Ability and Inability.
§ 11. Orthodox Doctrine of Inability.
§ 12. Some further Features of Orthodox Theology concerning Human
Sinfulness.
Chapter VII. Conversion And Regeneration.
§ 1. Orthodoxy recognizes only two Conditions in which Man can be
found.
§ 2. Crisis and Development.
§ 3. Nature of the Change.
§ 4. Its Reality and Importance.
§ 5. Is it the Work of God, or of the Man himself? Orthodox Difficulty.
§ 6. Solved by the Distinction between Conversion and Regeneration.
§ 7. Men may be divided, religiously, into three Classes, not two.
§ 8. Difference between Conversion and Regeneration.
§ 9. Unsatisfactory Attitude of the Orthodox Church.
§ 10. The Essential Thing for Man is to repent and be converted; that
is, to make it his Purpose to obey God in all Things.
§ 11. Regeneration is God’s Work in the Soul. Examination of the
Classical Passage, or conversation of Jesus with Nicodemus.
§ 12. Evidences of Regeneration.
Chapter VIII. The Orthodox Idea Of The Son Of God.
§ 1. Orthodox Doctrine stated.
§ 2. This Doctrine gradually developed.
§ 3. Unitarian Objections.
§ 4. Substantial Truth in this Doctrine.
§ 5. Formal Error of the Orthodox Statement.
§ 6. Errors of Arianism and Naturalism.
Chapter IX. Justification By Faith.
§ 1. This Doctrine of Paul not obsolete.
§ 2. Its Meaning and Importance.
§ 3. Need of Justification for the Conscience.
§ 4. Reaction of Sin on the Soul.
§ 5. Different Methods of obtaining Forgiveness.
§ 6. Method in Christianity.
§ 7. Result.
§ 8. Its History in the Church.
§ 9. Orthodox Errors, at the present Time, in Regard to Justification
by Faith.
§ 10. Errors of Liberal Christians.
Chapter X. Orthodox Idea Of The Atonement.
§ 1. Confusion in the Orthodox Statement.
§ 2. Great Importance attributed to this Doctrine.
§ 3. Stress laid on the Death of Jesus in the Scripture.
§ 4. Difficulty in interpreting these Scripture Passages.
§ 5. Theological Theories based on the Figurative Language of the New
Testament.
§ 6. The three principal Views of the Atonement—warlike, legal, and
governmental.
§ 7. Impression made by Christ’s Death on the Minds of his Disciples.
First Theory on the Subject in the Epistle to the Hebrews.
§ 8. Value of Suffering as a Means of Education.
§ 9. The Human Conscience suggests the Need of some Satisfaction in
order to our Forgiveness.
§ 10. How the Death of Jesus brings Men to God.
§ 11. This Law of Vicarious Suffering universal.
§ 12. This Law illustrated from History—in the Death of Socrates, Joan
of Arc, Savonarola, and Abraham Lincoln.
§ 13. Dr. Bushnell’s View of the Atonement.
§ 14. Results of this Discussion.
Chapter XI. Calling, Election, And Reprobation.
§ 1. Orthodox Doctrine.
§ 2. Scripture Basis for this Doctrine.
§ 3. Relation of the Divine Decree to Human Freedom.
§ 4. History of the Doctrine of Election and Predestination.
§ 5. Election is to Work and Opportunity here, not to Heaven hereafter.
How Jacob was elected, and how the Jews were a Chosen People.
§ 6. How other Nations were elected and called.
§ 7. How different Denominations are elected.
§ 8. How Individuals are elected.
§ 9. How Jesus was elected to be the Christ.
§ 10. Other Illustrations of Individual Calling and Election.
Chapter XII. Immortality And The Resurrection.
§ 1. Orthodox Doctrine.
§ 2. The Doctrine of Immortality as taught by Reason, the Instinctive
Consciousness, and Scripture.
§ 3. The Three Principal Views of Death—the Pagan, Jewish, and
Christian.
§ 4. Eternal Life, as taught in the New Testament, not endless Future
Existence, but present Spiritual Life.
§ 5. Resurrection, and its real Meaning, as a Rising up, and not a
Rising again.
§ 6. Resurrection of the Body, as taught in the New Testament, not a
Rising again of the same Body, but the Ascent into a higher Body.
Chapter XIII. Christ’s Coming, Usually Called The “Second Coming,” And
Christ The Judge Of The World.
§ 1. The Coming of Christ is not wholly future, not wholly outward, not
local, nor material.
§ 2. No Second Coming of Christ is mentioned in Scripture.
§ 3. Were the Apostles mistaken in expecting a speedy Coming of Christ?
§ 4. Examination of the Account of Christ’s Coming given by Jesus in
Matthew (chapters 24-26).
§ 5. Coming of Christ in Human History at different Times.
§ 6. Relation of the Parable of the Virgins, and of the Talents, to
Christ’s Coming.
§ 7. Relation of the Account of the Judgment by the Messiah, in Matt.
ch. 25, to his Coming.
§ 8. How Christ is, and how he is not, to judge the World.
§ 9. When Christ’s Judgment takes Place.
§ 10. Paul’s View of the Judgment by Christ.
§ 11. Final Result.
Chapter XIV. Eternal Punishment, Annihilation, Universal Restoration.
§ 1. Different Views concerning the Condition of the Impenitent
hereafter.
§ 2. The Doctrine of Everlasting Punishment, as held by the Orthodox at
the Present Time.
§ 3. Apparent Contradictions, both in Scripture and Reason, in Regard
to this Doctrine.
§ 4. Everlasting Punishment limits the Sovereignty of God.
§ 5. Everlasting Punishment contradicts the Fatherly Love of God.
§ 6. Attempts to modify and soften the Doctrine of Everlasting
Punishment.
§ 7. The meaning of Eternal Punishment in Scripture.
§ 8. How Judgment by Christ is connected with Punishment.
§ 9. The Doctrine of Annihilation.
§ 10. The Doctrine of Universal Restoration.
Chapter XV. The Christian Church.
§ 1. The Question stated.
§ 2. Orthodox Doctrine of the Church—Roman Catholic and High Church.
§ 3. The Protestant Orthodox Idea of the Church.
§ 4. Christ’s Idea of a Church, or the Kingdom of Heaven.
§ 5. Church of the Leaven, or the Invisible Church.
§ 6. The Church of the Mustard-seed.
§ 7. Primitive and Apostolic Church, or Church as it was.
§ 8. The Actual Church, or the Church as it is.
§ 9. The Church Ideal, or Church as it ought to be.
§ 10. The Church Possible, or Church as it can be.
Chapter XVI. The Trinity.
§ 1. Definition of the Church Doctrine.
§ 2. History of the Doctrine.
§ 3. Errors in the Church Doctrine of the Trinity.
§ 4. The Trinity of Manifestations founded in the Truth of Things.
§ 5. It is in Harmony with Scripture.
§ 6. Practical value of the Trinity, when rightly understood.
Appendix. Critical Notices.
§ 1. On the Defence of Nescience in Theology, by Herbert Spencer and
Henry L. Mansel.
§ 2. On the Defence of Verbal Inspiration by Gaussen.
§ 3. Defence of the Doctrine that Sin is a Nature, by Professor Shedd.
§ 4. Defence of Everlasting Punishment, by Dr. Nehemiah Adams and Dr.
J. P. Thompson.
§ 5. Defence of the Trinity, by Frederick D. Huntington, D. D.
Footnotes