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texts。 It should be the work of theologians to harmonize them and
show their general spirit and meaning； rather than to draw
conclusions from any particular class of subjects。 Any system of
deductions from texts of Scripture which are offset by texts of
equal authority but apparently different meaning； is necessarily
one…sided and imperfect； and therefore narrow。 That is exactly the
difficulty under which Calvin labored。 He seems； to a large class
of Christians of great ability and conscientiousness； to be narrow
and one…sided； and is therefore no authority to them； not； be it
understood； in reference to the great fundamental doctrines of
Christianity； but in his views of Predestination and the subjects
interlinked with it。 And it was the great error of attaching so
much importance to mere metaphysical divinity that led to such a
revulsion from his peculiar system in after times。 It was the
great wisdom of the English reformers； like Cranmer； to leave all
those metaphysical questions open； as matters of comparatively
little consequence； and fall back on unquestioned doctrines of
primitive faith； that have given so great vitality to the English
Church； and made it so broad and catholic。 The Puritans as a body；
more intellectual than the mass of the Episcopalians； were led away
by the imposing and entangling dialectics of the scholastic Calvin；
and came unfortunately to attach as much importance to such
subjects as free…will and predestinationquestions most
complicatedas they did to 〃the weightier matters of the law；〃 and
when pushed by the logic of opponents to the decretum horribile；〃
have been compelled to fall back on the Catholic doctrine of
mysteries； as something which could never be explained or
comprehended； but which it is a Christian duty to accept as a
mystery。 The Scriptures certainly speak of mysteries； like
regeneration； but it is one thing to marvel how a man can be born
again by the Spirit of God；a fact we see every day；and quite
another thing to make a mystery to be accepted as a matter of faith
of that which the Bible has nowhere distinctly affirmed； and which
is against all ideas of natural justice； and arrived at by a subtle
process of dialectical reasoning。
But it was natural for so great an intellectual giant as Calvin to
make his startling deductions from the great truths he meditated
upon with so much seriousness and earnestness。 Only a very lofty
nature would have revelled as he did； and as Augustine did before
him and Pascal after him； in those great subjects which pertain to
God and his dispensations。 All his meditations and formulated
doctrines radiate from the great and sublime idea of the majesty of
God and the comparative insignificance of man。 And here he was not
so far apart from the great sages of antiquity； before salvation
was revealed by Christ。 〃Canst thou by searching find out God？〃
〃What is man that Thou art mindful of him？〃
And here I would remark that theologians and philosophers have ever
been divided into two great schools；those who have had a tendency
to exalt the dignity of man； and those who would absorb man in the
greatness of the Deity。 These two schools have advocated doctrines
which； logically carried out to their ultimate sequences； would
produce a Grecian humanitarianism on the one hand； and a sort of
Bramanism on the other；the one making man the arbiter of his own
destiny； independently of divine agency； and the other making the
Deity the only power of the universe。 With one school； God as the
only controlling agency is a fiction； and man himself is infinite
in faculties； the other holds that God is everything and man is
nothing。 The distinction between these two schools； both of which
have had great defenders； is fundamental；such as that between
Augustine and Pelagius； between Bernard and Abelard； and between
Calvin and Lainez。 Among those who have inclined to the doctrine
of the majesty of God and the littleness of man were the primitive
monks and the Indian theosophists； and the orthodox scholastics of
the Middle Ages；all of whom were comparatively indifferent to
material pleasure and physical progress； and sought the salvation
of the soul and the favor of God beyond all temporal blessings。 Of
the other class have been the Greek philosophers and the
rationalizing schoolmen and the modern lights of science。
Now Calvin was imbued with the lofty spirit of the Fathers of the
Church and the more religious and contemplative of the schoolmen
and the saints of the Middle Ages； when he attached but little
dignity to man unaided by divine grace； and was absorbed with the
idea of the sovereignty of God； in whose hands man is like clay in
the hands of the potter。 This view of God pervaded the whole
spirit of his theology； making it both lofty and yet one…sided。 To
him the chief end of man was to glorify God； not to develop his own
intellectual faculties； and still less to seek the pleasures and
excitements of the world。 Man was a sinner before an infinite God；
and he could rise above the polluting influence of sin only by the
special favor of God and his divinely communicated grace。 Man was
so great a sinner that he deserved an eternal punishment； only to
be rescued as a brand plucked from the fire； as one of the elect
before the world was made。 The vast majority of men were left to
the uncovenanted mercies of Christ；the redeemer； not of the race；
but of those who believed。
To Calvin therefore； as to the Puritans； the belief in a personal
God was everything； not a compulsory belief in the general
existence of a deity who； united with Nature； reveals himself to
our consciousness； not the God of the pantheist； visible in all the
wonders of Nature； not the God of the rationalist； who retires from
the universe which he has made； leaving it to the operation of
certain unchanging and universal laws： but the God whom Abraham and
Moses and the prophets saw and recognized； and who by his special
providence rules the destinies of men。 The most intellectual of
the reformers abhorred the deification of the reason； and clung to
that exalted supernaturalism which was the life and hope of blessed
saints and martyrs in bygone ages； and which in 〃their contests
with mail…clad infidelity was like the pebble which the shepherd of
Israel hurled against the disdainful boaster who defied the power
of Israel's God。〃 And he was thus brought into close sympathy with
the realism of the Fathers； who felt that all that is valuable in
theology must radiate from the recognition of Almighty power in the
renovation of society； and displayed； not according to our human
notions of law and progress and free…will； but supernaturally and
mysteriously； according to his sovereign will； which is above law；
since God is the author of law。 He simply erred in enforcing a
certain class of truths which must follow from the majesty of the
one great First Cause； lofty as these truths are； to the exclusion
of another class of truths of great importance； which gives to his
system incompleteness and one…sidedness。 Thus he was led to
undervalue the power of truth itself in its contest with error。 He
was led into a seeming recognition of two wills in God；that which
wills the salvation of all men； and that which wills the salvation
of the elect alone。 He is accused of a leaning to fatalism； which
he heartily denied； but which seems to follow from his logical
conclusions。 He entered into an arena of metaphysical controversy
which can never be settled。 The doctrines of free…will and
necessity can never be reconciled by mortal reason。 Consciousness
reveals the freedom of the will as well as the slavery to sin。 Men
are conscious of both； they waste their time in attempting to
reconcile two apparently opposing facts；like our pious fathers at
their New England fire…sides； who were compelled to shelter
themselves behind mystery。
The tendency of Calvin's system； it is maintained by many； is to
ascribe to God attributes which according to natural justice would
be injustice and cruelty； such as no father would exercise on his
own children； however guilty。 Even good men will not accept in
their hearts doctrines which tend to make God less compassionate
than man。 There are not two kinds of justice。 The intellect is
appalled when it is affirmed that one man JUSTLY suffers the
penalty of another man's sin；although the world is full of
instances of men suffering from the carelessness or wickedness of
others； as in a wicked war or an unnecessary railway disaster。 The
Scripture law of retribution； as brought out in the Bible and
sustained by consciousness； is the penalty a man pays for personal
and voluntary transgression。 Nor will consciousness accept the
doctrine that the sin of a mortalespecially under strong
temptation and with all the bias of a sinful natureis infinite。
Nothing which a created m