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Orthodoxy: Its Truths and Errors

by James Freeman Clarke

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  1. 1Preface
  2. 2Chapter I | Introduction
  3. 3§ 2 — Progress Requires That We Should Look Back as Well as Forward
  4. 4§ 3 — Orthodoxy as Right Belief
  5. 5§ 4 — Orthodoxy as the Doctrine of the Majority. Objections
  6. 6§ 5 — Orthodoxy as the Oldest Doctrine. Objections
  7. 7§ 6 — Orthodoxy as the Doctrine Held by All
  8. 8§ 7 — Orthodoxy, as a Formula, Not to Be Found
  9. 9§ 8 — Orthodoxy as Convictions Underlying Opinions
  10. 10§ 9 — Substantial Truth and Formal Error in All Great Doctrinal Sys…
  11. 11§ 10 — Importance of This Distinction
  12. 12§ 11 — The Orthodox and Liberal Parties in New England
  13. 13Chapter II | The Principle and Idea of Orthodoxy Stated and Examined
  14. 14§ 2 — Logical Genesis of the Principle of Orthodoxy
  15. 15§ 3 — Orthodoxy Assumed to Be the Belief of the Majority
  16. 16§ 4 — Heterodoxy Thus Becomes Sinful
  17. 17§ 5 — The Doctrine of Essentials and Non-essentials Leads to Rome
  18. 18§ 6 — Fallacy in This Orthodox Argument
  19. 19§ 7 — The Three Tendencies in the Church
  20. 20§ 8 — The Party of Works
  21. 21§ 9 — The Party of Emotion in Christianity
  22. 22§ 10 — The Faith Party in Religion
  23. 23§ 11 — Truth in the Orthodox Idea
  24. 24§ 12 — Error in the Orthodox Principle
  25. 25§ 13 — Faith, Knowledge, Belief, Opinion
  26. 26Chapter III | The Orthodox Idea of Natural and Revealed Religion; o…
  27. 27§ 2 — The Creation Supernatural
  28. 28§ 3 — The Question Stated
  29. 29§ 4 — Argument of the Supernaturalist From Successive Geologic Crea…
  30. 30§ 5 — Supernatural Argument From Human Freedom
  31. 31§ 6 — Supernatural Events Not Necessarily Violations of Law
  32. 32§ 7 — Life and History Contain Supernatural Events
  33. 33§ 8 — The Error of Orthodox Supernaturalism
  34. 34§ 9 — No Conflict Between Naturalism and Supernaturalism
  35. 35§ 10 — Further Errors of Orthodox Supernaturalism — Gulf Between Ch…
  36. 36§ 11 — Christianity Considered Unnatural, as Well as Supernatural b…
  37. 37Chapter IV | Truths and Errors as Regards Miracles
  38. 38§ 2 — The Definition of a Miracle
  39. 39§ 3 — The Different Explanations of the Miracles of the Bible
  40. 40§ 4 — Criticism on These Different Views of Miracles
  41. 41§ 5 — Miracles No Proof of Christianity
  42. 42§ 6 — But Orthodoxy Is Right in Maintaining Their Reality as Histor…
  43. 43§ 7 — Analogy With Other Similar Events Recorded in History
  44. 44§ 8 — Miracle of the Resurrection. Sceptical Objections
  45. 45§ 9 — Final Result of This Examination
  46. 46Chapter V | Orthodox Idea of the Inspiration and Authority of the B…
  47. 47§ 2 — The Difficulty. Antiquity of the World, and Age of Mankind
  48. 48§ 3 — Basis of the Orthodox Theory of Inspiration
  49. 49§ 4 — Inspiration in General, or Natural Inspiration
  50. 50§ 5 — Christian or Supernatural Inspiration
  51. 51§ 6 — Inspiration of the Scriptures, Especially of the New Testamen…
  52. 52§ 7 — Authority of the Scriptures
  53. 53§ 8 — The Christian Prepossession
  54. 54§ 9 — Conclusion
  55. 55Chapter VI | Orthodox Idea of Sin, as Depravity and as Guilt
  56. 56§ 2 — The Four Moments or Characters of Evil. The Fall, Natural Dep…
  57. 57§ 3 — Orthodox and Liberal View of Man, as Morally Diseased or Othe…
  58. 58§ 4 — Sin as Disease
  59. 59§ 5 — Doctrine of the Fall in Adam, and Natural Depravity. Their Tr…
  60. 60§ 6 — Examination of Romans, 5:12-21
  61. 61§ 7 — Orthodox View of Total Depravity and Inability
  62. 62§ 8 — Proof Texts
  63. 63§ 9 — Truth in the Doctrine of Total Depravity
  64. 64§ 10 — Ability and Inability
  65. 65§ 11 — Orthodox Doctrine of Inability
  66. 66§ 12 — Some Further Features of Orthodox Theology Concerning Human…
  67. 67Chapter VII | Conversion and Regeneration
  68. 68§ 2 — Crisis and Development
  69. 69§ 3 — Nature of the Change
  70. 70§ 4 — Its Reality and Importance
  71. 71§ 5 — Is It the Work of God, or of the Man Himself? Orthodox Diffic…
  72. 72§ 6 — Solved by the Distinction Between Conversion and Regeneration
  73. 73§ 7 — Men May Be Divided, Religiously, Into Three Classes, Not Two
  74. 74§ 8 — Difference Between Conversion and Regeneration
  75. 75§ 9 — Unsatisfactory Attitude of the Orthodox Church
  76. 76§ 10 — The Essential Thing for Man Is to Repent and Be Converted; T…
  77. 77§ 11 — Regeneration Is God’s Work in the Soul. Examination of the C…
  78. 78§ 12 — Evidences of Regeneration
  79. 79Chapter VIII | The Orthodox Idea of the Son of God
  80. 80§ 2 — This Doctrine Gradually Developed
  81. 81§ 3 — Unitarian Objections
  82. 82§ 4 — Substantial Truth in This Doctrine
  83. 83§ 5 — Formal Error of the Orthodox Statement
  84. 84§ 6 — Errors of Arianism and Naturalism
  85. 85Chapter IX | Justification by Faith
  86. 86§ 2 — Its Meaning and Importance
  87. 87§ 3 — Need of Justification for the Conscience
  88. 88§ 4 — Reaction of Sin on the Soul
  89. 89§ 5 — Different Methods of Obtaining Forgiveness
  90. 90§ 6 — Method in Christianity
  91. 91§ 7 — Result
  92. 92§ 8 — Its History in the Church
  93. 93§ 9 — Orthodox Errors, at the Present Time, in Regard to Justificat…
  94. 94§ 10 — Errors of Liberal Christians
  95. 95Chapter X | Orthodox Idea of the Atonement
  96. 96§ 2 — Great Importance Attributed to This Doctrine
  97. 97§ 3 — Stress Laid on the Death of Jesus in the Scripture
  98. 98§ 4 — Difficulty in Interpreting These Scripture Passages
  99. 99§ 5 — Theological Theories Based on the Figurative Language of the…
  100. 100§ 6 — The Three Principal Views of the Atonement — Warlike, Legal,…
  101. 101§ 7 — Impression Made by Christ’s Death on the Minds of His Discipl…
  102. 102§ 8 — Value of Suffering as a Means of Education
  103. 103§ 9 — The Human Conscience Suggests the Need of Some Satisfaction i…
  104. 104§ 10 — How the Death of Jesus Brings Men to God
  105. 105§ 11 — This Law of Vicarious Suffering Universal
  106. 106§ 12 — This Law Illustrated From History — In the Death of Socrates…
  107. 107§ 13 — Dr. Bushnell’s View of the Atonement
  108. 108§ 14 — Results of This Discussion
  109. 109Chapter XI | Calling, Election, and Reprobation
  110. 110§ 2 — Scripture Basis for This Doctrine
  111. 111§ 3 — Relation of the Divine Decree to Human Freedom
  112. 112§ 4 — History of the Doctrine of Election and Predestination
  113. 113§ 5 — Election Is to Work and Opportunity Here, Not to Heaven Herea…
  114. 114§ 6 — How Other Nations Were Elected and Called
  115. 115§ 7 — How Different Denominations Are Elected
  116. 116§ 8 — How Individuals Are Elected
  117. 117§ 9 — How Jesus Was Elected to Be the Christ
  118. 118§ 10 — Other Illustrations of Individual Calling and Election
  119. 119Chapter XII | Immortality and the Resurrection
  120. 120§ 2 — The Doctrine of Immortality as Taught by Reason, the Instinct…
  121. 121§ 3 — The Three Principal Views of Death — The Pagan, Jewish, and C…
  122. 122§ 4 — Eternal Life, as Taught in the New Testament, Not Endless Fut…
  123. 123§ 5 — Resurrection, and Its Real Meaning, as a Rising Up, and Not a…
  124. 124§ 6 — Resurrection of the Body, as Taught in the New Testament, Not…
  125. 125Chapter XIII | Christ’s Coming, Usually Called the “Second Coming,”…
  126. 126§ 2 — No Second Coming of Christ Is Mentioned in Scripture
  127. 127§ 3 — Were the Apostles Mistaken in Expecting a Speedy Coming of Ch…
  128. 128§ 4 — Examination of the Account of Christ’s Coming Given by Jesus…
  129. 129§ 5 — Coming of Christ in Human History at Different Times
  130. 130§ 6 — Relation of the Parable of the Virgins, and of the Talents, t…
  131. 131§ 7 — Relation of the Account of the Judgment by the Messiah, in Ma…
  132. 132§ 8 — How Christ Is, and How He Is Not, to Judge the World
  133. 133§ 9 — When Christ’s Judgment Takes Place
  134. 134§ 10 — Paul’s View of the Judgment by Christ
  135. 135§ 11 — Final Result
  136. 136Chapter XIV | Eternal Punishment, Annihilation, Universal Restoration
  137. 137§ 2 — The Doctrine of Everlasting Punishment, as Held by the Orthod…
  138. 138§ 3 — Apparent Contradictions, Both in Scripture and Reason, in Reg…
  139. 139§ 4 — Everlasting Punishment Limits the Sovereignty of God
  140. 140§ 5 — Everlasting Punishment Contradicts the Fatherly Love of God
  141. 141§ 6 — Attempts to Modify and Soften the Doctrine of Everlasting Pun…
  142. 142§ 7 — The Meaning of Eternal Punishment in Scripture
  143. 143§ 8 — How Judgment by Christ Is Connected With Punishment
  144. 144§ 9 — The Doctrine of Annihilation
  145. 145§ 10 — The Doctrine of Universal Restoration
  146. 146Chapter XV | The Christian Church
  147. 147§ 2 — Orthodox Doctrine of the Church — Roman Catholic and High Church
  148. 148§ 3 — The Protestant Orthodox Idea of the Church
  149. 149§ 4 — Christ’s Idea of a Church, or the Kingdom of Heaven
  150. 150§ 5 — Church of the Leaven, or the Invisible Church
  151. 151§ 6 — The Church of the Mustard-seed
  152. 152§ 7 — Primitive and Apostolic Church, or Church as It Was
  153. 153§ 8 — The Actual Church, or the Church as It Is
  154. 154§ 9 — The Church Ideal, or Church as It Ought to Be
  155. 155§ 10 — The Church Possible, or Church as It Can Be
  156. 156Chapter XVI | The Trinity
  157. 157§ 2 — History of the Doctrine
  158. 158§ 3 — Errors in the Church Doctrine of the Trinity
  159. 159§ 4 — The Trinity of Manifestations Founded in the Truth of Things
  160. 160§ 5 — It Is in Harmony With Scripture
  161. 161§ 6 — Practical Value of the Trinity, When Rightly Understood
  162. 162Appendix. Critical Notices
  163. 163§ 1 — On the Defence of Nescience in Theology, by Herbert Spencer a…
  164. 164§ 2 — On the Defence of Verbal Inspiration by Gaussen
  165. 165§ 3 — Defence of the Doctrine That Sin Is a Nature, by Professor Shedd
  166. 166§ 4 — Defence of Everlasting Punishment, by Dr. Nehemiah Adams and…
  167. 167§ 5 — Defence of the Trinity, by Frederick D. Huntington, D. D.

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