The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-03-11
Presbyterian Reunion. NO. ".

is longer than il is convenient for us to copy In
full. especially upon the inside page. We pro-
pose therefore to give sketch with extracts.
1t is taken up with review of Rev. Mr..
Barnes theology, particularly as represented
in his later writings. DR.. Van Dyke sets out
by saying
mo man has been more thoroughly ldenti'
fed with the history of the New School body
than the Rev. Albert Barnes. His sermon en-
titled The Way of Life, and his Com
mentary on the Epistle to the Romans, In
which he repudiates some Of the doctrines
which Old School men consider essential to the
integrity of our standards, were among the
first onsets in the great contest which resulted
in the division of the Church. de is among
the few men whose theological writings have
been honored with the endorsement OF the
New School Publication Committee.
He then refers to the lectures Mr.. B. dev-
cred last year, under the appointment of the
Faculty and Directors of Union Theological
Seminary New York, in which he uses this
language:
Science is changed What was formerly
regarded as science is no longer such. And the
|
con, occupy substantially the same place in
science which the works of Abelard and Duns
Scotus-may l not add Turretin ?-do in the
ology. The chemistry of the middle ages, the
chemistry of Bagdad, was different thing
from the chemistry of Lavoisier, &C., &c. ="
P. 246.
Upon this, DIS Van Dyke remarks:
| "How snugly that little suggestion, may |
| - Ill T,r.ot,, ol;dac into ,,Iaoa ha.
tween two small dashes But why add Tur-
retin? The works of this eminent theologian
the most eminent of the successors of Cal
vim in the school Of Geneva-are regarded as a
standard, if not as textbook, in all our Old
School Theological Seminaries. There is no
resemblance whatever between the writings of
this grand old champion of the Reformation and
the metaphysical lucubrations of Abelard and
Duns Scotus, who lived at least three centuries
before the Reformation began Why, then,
does Mr. Barnes desire Turretin to occupy, in
the estimation of the Presbyterian ministry,
the same place to which science has banished
the chemistry of Bagdad, and to which Pro-
testantism has assigned the Popish subtleties
of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries? The
only reason we can suggest is this-Turretin is
staunch defender of those three doctrines of
Imputation, Inability, and definite Atone
ment-of that historic and Calvinistc sense of
our standards which MIR. Barnes rejects. "
Next we have some well expressed criticisms
upon the very loose and strange sentiments
Mr.. Barnes advances upon the fundamental
question of Inspiration" after which, his
reviewer says:
"We turn from the chapter on inspiration
to the discussion Of the Christian religion, as
adapted to the wants of man. In this rich
field surely our bosom will be filled with the
sheaves of wisdom. Here Christian expert
ence will become living epistle, known and
read of all men; and the witness of the
Spirit will reveal its heavenly treasures. Here
this representative man of the other branch
will indicate their acceptance of the standards
in their historic and Calvinistic sense, by de-
monstrating the meaning and the truth of the
following statement: Our full persuasion of
the infallible truth and divine authority ofthe
word of God, is from the inward work of the
Holy Spirit, bearing witness by. and with the
word in our hearts Confession of Faith,
chap i, sec. 5.
but Just here we meet with the saddest
disappointment Mr. Barnes does not recog-
nize, in the discussion before us, any such old
| fashioned notion as that contained in the above
citation from the Confession of Faith
| He does not undertake to demonstrate the
adaptation of our holy religion to the wants of
| men, by showing how Gods truth, under the
| influence of his Spirit, has enlightened their
spiritual ignorance, corrected their false iudg-
| ments of themselves, humbled them under a
sense of SIM and Guickened them into new
and divine life; but he endeavors to show that
the things of the Spirit of God revealed in the
Bible are generally acceptable to the carnal
| IL. %lctt ha Cor nfr1ra fha uhnla
in accordance with what unregenerate human
nature wants.. e., using the word in its
American acceptation, desires, and demands.
| We are very sure we do not misrepresent MIR.
Barnes on this point. His central idea in this
chapter is but the repetition of the principle
which underies all his peculiar views in theol-
ogy, and which was brought out very clearly
some years ago in his book on slavery. He
thus re-states this principle in the book before
us:-'The first point relates to human nature
to man-considered with reference to the
necessity of religion. 1t may be assumed
that system of religion, claiming to be from
God, in order that it may be received by man,
must be IN accordance ioith the moral nature OF
man, and Nth has innate convictions of Dhdt
is true, and tohdt as right p. 30 I"
'The same is repeated in various forms in
several other passages Let our readers notice
the force of the well-weghed expressions in
the above citation. A system of religion
claiming to be from God in order to be re.
ceived by man, must be in accordance with
mans innate convictions Of truth and right,
1. e., with the convictions which are born IN
him, and which belong to his carnal and unre-
generate nature Mr. Barnes does not say
that system of religion protesting to come
from God must possess or be accompanied by
divine power. to rectify and correct the moral
nature of man, to enighten and purify what
he calls mans innate convictions; but, he says,
such religion must be an accordance with this
human standard God, in any revelation he
may be pleased to make, must teach what man
knows and believes already, or at least, he
must not teach any thing contrary to what is
born in US; otherwise the revelation cannot be
received This, says Mr.. Barnes, is the first
point. This may be assumed. This is the
cardinal doctrine with which according to his
teaching, the young men of Union Theological
Seminary are to bring themselves up to their
age, and keep themselves abreast or ahead
of the world. This is the chosen ground on
| Panthesm OF the times This is the needle
gun and the rihed ordnance with which they
are to enter the great contest which he
tells us is still undecided, whether all that is
supernatural and miraculous in the Scriptures
is to be given up to the demands of science,
in order that religion may. commend itself to
the faith of mankind whether science can
eliminate miracles as it has done sorcery, and
magic, and necromancy from the world, &C.,
PIP. 100, 100. He affirms that in this, and in
all other contests with the prevalent unbelief
of the nineteenth century, the principle above
stated is point to which the in6del may hold
US. IF the pretended revelation is not Of this
character, he has an argument against it which
we cannot well answer, p. 3l2. Thus on the
very mountains of Gilboa, the sword and
shield of the mighty are viley cast away
The infdel sets up his moral nature as the
,,,oo,o h., ,Gb;ob III "a ,ratanded ravalat;on, ;s