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Albert Taylor Bledsoe. A Theodicy, or, Vindication of the Divine Glory
A Theodicy, or, Vindication of the Divine Glory
Table of Contents
Part I
The Existence Of Moral Evil, Or Sin, Consistent With The Holiness Of God
Chapter I
The Scheme Of Necessity Denies That Man Is Responsible For The Existence Of Sin
Section I
The attempts of Calvin and Luther to reconcile the scheme of necessity with the responsibility of man
Section II
The manner in which Hobbes, Collins, and others, endeavour to reconcile necessity with free and accountable agency
Section III
The sentiments of Descartes, Spinoza, and Malebranche, concerning the relation between liberty and necessity
Section IV
The views of Locke, Tucker, Hartley, Priestley, Helvetius, and Diderot, with respect to the relation between liberty and necessity
Section V
The manner in which Leibnitz endeavours to reconcile liberty and necessity
Section VI
The attempt of Edwards to establish free and accountable agency on the basis of necessity—The views of the younger Edwards, Day, Chalmers, Dick, D'Aubigne, Hill, Shaw, and M'Cosh, concerning the agreement of liberty and necessity
Section VII
The sentiments of Hume, Brown, Comte, and Mill, in relation to the antagonism between liberty and necessity
Section VIII
The views of Kant and Sir William Hamilton in relation to the antagonism between liberty and necessity
Section IX
The notion of Lord Kames and Sir James Mackintosh on the same subject
Section X
The conclusion of Mœhler, Tholuck, and others, that all speculation on such a subject must be vain and fruitless
Section XI
The true conclusion from the foregoing review of opinions and arguments
Chapter II
The Scheme Of Necessity Makes God The Author Of Sin
Section I
The attempts of Calvin and other reformers to show that the system of necessity does not make God the author of sin
Section II
The attempt of Leibnitz to show that the scheme of necessity does not make God the author of sin
Section III
The maxims adopted and employed by Edwards to show that the scheme of necessity does not make God the author of sin
Section IV
The attempts of Dr. Emmons and Dr. Chalmers to reconcile the scheme of necessity with the purity of God
Chapter III
Scheme Of Necessity Denies The Reality Of Moral Distinctions
Section I
The views of Spinoza in relation to the reality of moral distinctions
Section II
The attempt of Edwards to reconcile the scheme of necessity with the reality of moral distinctions
Section III
Of the proposition that “The essence of the virtue and vice of dispositions of the heart and acts of the will, lies not in their cause, but in their nature.”97
Section IV
The scheme of necessity seems to be inconsistent with the reality of moral distinctions, not because we confound natural and moral necessity, but because it is really inconsistent therewith
Chapter IV
The Moral World Not Constituted According To The Scheme Of Necessity
Section I
The scheme of necessity is based on a false psychology
Section II
The scheme of necessity is directed against a false issue
Section III
The scheme of necessity is supported by false logic
Section IV
The scheme of necessity is fortified by false conceptions
Section V
The scheme of necessity is recommended by false analogies
Section VI
The scheme of necessity is rendered plausible by a false phraseology
Section VII
The scheme of necessity originates in a false method, and terminates in a false religion
Chapter V
The Relation Between The Human Will And The Divine Agency
Section I
General view of the relation between the divine and the human power
Section II
The Pelagian platform, or view of the relation between the divine and the human power
Section III
The Augustinian Platform, or view of the relation between the divine agency and the human
Section IV
The views of those who, in later times, have symbolized with Augustine
Section V
The danger of mistaking distorted for exalted views of the divine sovereignty
Chapter VI
The Existence Of Moral Evil, Or Sin, Reconciled With The Holiness Of God
Section I
The hypothesis of the soul's preëxistence
Section II
The hypothesis of the Manicheans
Section III
The hypothesis of optimism
Section IV
The argument of the atheist—The reply of Leibnitz and other theists—The insufficiency of this reply
Section V
The sophism of the atheist exploded, and a perfect agreement shown to subsist between the existence of sin and the holiness of God
Section VI
The true and only foundation of optimism
Section VII
The glory of God seen in the creation of a world, which he foresaw would fall under the dominion of sin
Section VIII
The little, captious spirit of Voltaire, and other atheizing minute philosophers
Chapter VII
Objections Considered
Section I
It may be objected that the foregoing scheme is “new theology.”
Section II
It may be imagined that the views herein set forth limit the omnipotence of God
Section III
The foregoing scheme, it may be said, presents a gloomy view of the universe
Section IV
It may be alleged, that in refusing to subject the volitions of men to the power and control of God, we undermine the sentiments of humility and submission
Section V
The foregoing treatise may be deemed inconsistent with gratitude to God
Section VI
It may be contended, that it is unfair to urge the preceding difficulties against the scheme of necessity; inasmuch as the same, or as great, difficulties attach to the system of those by whom they are urged
Part II
The Existence Of Natural Evil, Or Suffering, Consistent With The Goodness Of God
Chapter I
God Desires And Seeks The Salvation of All Men
Section I
The reason why theologians have concluded that God designs the salvation of only a part of mankind
Section II
The attempt of Howe to reconcile the eternal ruin of a portion of mankind with the sincerity of God in his endeavours to save them
Section III
The views of Luther and Calvin respecting the sincerity of God in his endeavours to save those who will finally perish
Chapter II
Natural Evil, Or Suffering, And Especially The Suffering Of Infants Reconciled With The Goodness Of God
Section I
All suffering not a punishment for sin
Section II
The imputation of sin not consistent with the goodness of God
Section III
The imputation of sin not consistent with human, much less with the divine goodness
Section IV
The true ends, or final causes, of natural evil
Section V
The importance of harmonizing reason and revelation
Chapter III
The Sufferings Of Christ Reconciled With The Goodness Of God
Section I
The sufferings of Christ not unnecessary
Section II
The sufferings of Christ a bright manifestation of the goodness of God
Section III
The objections of Dr. Channing, and other Unitarians, against the doctrine of the atonement
Chapter IV
The Eternal Punishment Of The Wicked Reconciled With The Goodness Of God
Section I
The false grounds upon which the doctrine of the eternity of future punishment has been placed
Section II
The unsound principles from which, if true, the fallacy of the eternity of future punishments may be clearly inferred
Section III
The eternity of future punishments an expression of the divine goodness
Chapter V
The Dispensation Of The Divine Favours Reconciled With The Goodness Of God
Section I
The unequal distribution of favours, which obtains in the economy of natural providence, consistent with the goodness of God
Section II
The Scripture doctrine of election consistent with the impartiality of the divine goodness
Section III
The Calvinistic scheme of election inconsistent with the impartiality and glory of the divine goodness
Section IV
The true ground and reason of election to eternal life shows it to be consistent with the infinite goodness of God
Conclusion
A Summary View Of The Principles And Advantages Of The Foregoing System
Chapter I
Summary Of The First Part Of The Foregoing System
Section I
The scheme of necessity denies that man is the responsible author of sin
Section II
The scheme of necessity makes God the author of sin
Section III
The scheme of necessity denies the reality of moral distinctions
Section IV
The moral world not constituted according to the scheme of necessity
Section V
The relation between the human agency and the divine
Section VI
The existence of moral evil consistent with the infinite purity of God
Chapter II
Summary Of The Second Part Of The Foregoing System
Section I
God desires the salvation of all men
Section II
The sufferings of the innocent, and especially of infants, consistent with the goodness of God
Section III
The sufferings of Christ consistent with the divine goodness
Section IV
The eternity of future punishment consistent with the goodness of God
Section V
The true doctrine of election and predestination consistent with the goodness of God
Section VI
The question submitted
