The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-03-14
THEOLOGY OF THE NEW SCHOOL OF
PRESBYTERIANISM.
THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST.
BY Rev. C. R. Vaughan, d. D..

England and Scotand-the doctrine even of the
Roman Catholic Church. although OVERLAND with
many dangerous corruptons-n short, the doctrine
of all the Churches of Christ, the followers
of Socnus and after time, the Remonstrants of
Holland, who, Dr. Hodge states gave way to
the Socinian objections to a certain extent"
Grotus advanced the notion in form, that the sat
isfaction of Christ was rendered to the government
tai justice of God" Though similar in expression
to the New School notion, DR.. Hodge pronounces it
far above the notion of Beham and his colleagues"
The common doctrine of the Churches of Christ
touching the Sufferings of Christ is that they
penal and eXpatory of sin. Our Lord declared in
pointed terms that not jot title should pass
from the Law until all were fulfilled" The claims
of the Law are thus proclaimed to be supreme in
consideration before the mind and purpose of Cod
These claims of the Law had been extended by the
Fall and Sin of man, from the Precept to the Pen
atty embracing both in the same indeXibe demand.
That demand was inheXble simply because it was
just The Administrator of the Law was himself
1nteXibly just; he bound by the attributes of
his own nature to execute justice. Hence the full
hllment of the Law which Lord had declared
must and should be fulfilled demanded the eXecu-
ton of the Penalty, not less than the Precept For
man, in his unaded strength, to undertake
TINS tulhllment was to insure his destruction. But
God interfered in the exercise of his own infinite
and sovereign grace. He sent his Son to redeem
the world by his suferngs and obedience HE
bore our sins in his body on the tree" he
made his soul as well his body an Offering for
SIM he was made a curse for us" The we'll
nigh universal consensus of the Church of Christ
is that he bore the Penalty we'll obeyed the
Precept of the Law as a proptiatory sacrifice, to
meet all the claims of justice by the fulflment of
the Law His Sufferings thus expounded in
the Scriptures to be Penal and Expiatory-Ex-
piatory of Sin-Proptiatory the Majesty of
God
Now what is the construction put upon the Suf-
ferings of Christ by the Unitarian denomination?
Dr. Dewey-a conspicuous leader in that body
uses orthodox terms; he speaks of atonement sat-
1staction Precipitation, depravty regeneration and
Justification Yet in using these terms in which
evangelical Christians accustomed to express
their views, he means something entirely different
Dr. Dewey was pupil of the celebrated Moses Stu
art, of Andover but his old teacher is thoroughly
dlsgusted with his saying one thing when means
another 1T merits the scorn of every upright
and honest man." That the sufferings of Christ
were in no sense penal is a principle received in
common by the New School and Unitarian divines
says Mr.. Cheeseman Our Lord says: zone
Jot or ttte shall in no wise pass from the law
I'LL all be fulfilled" DR.. Beman says "The whole
legal system has been suspended at least for the
present. IN order to make way for the operation of
one of a different character" Paul declares
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law
being made curse for us" DR.. Beman declares
THE penal demand never be extinguished"
The penalty of the law strictly speaking was not
inflicted at ALL" DR.. Beman says again: Justice
in it's common appropriate sense was not satisfied
by the atonement Of Jesus Christ" He says again
The law or justice that is disributive Justice as
expressed in the law has received no satisfaction
at all" Quoted by DR.. Hodge i'm Essays o. AL
Dr. Beman fully agrees with DR.. Prfestly the Uni
tartan that there could be mercy or grace in
Acquiring the guilty when justice had already been
satisfied by substitute" That is to say when
the guardian and executor of wards estate pays
out of his own pocket the bond Of helpless debtor
OF the estate, and then makes present of the can
celled bond to the relieved debtor the act does not
cease to be an act Of grace because Justice was
done to the estate before the act of grace was done
TO the debtor The gospel proceeds on the same
principle; justice is done to the law and govern