Meaning of the term — Natural and Revealed — Its Divisions — Its End — Who is a Theologian? — The need of the Holy Spirit,

Religion, true and false. Characteristics of the true — Proofs for the Christian Religion,

On the Use of Reason in Theology — What is Reason? — Relation of Reason to Revelation — Reason before the Fall — Reason since the Fall — Reason not normative — Reason a Handmaid to Theology — Reason useful in its Sphere — Mixed and Pure Articles,

The terms Sacred Scriptures and Inspiration. Scriptures, the written Word of God — Their two-fold origin — Meaning of Inspiration — Extent of Inspiration — Inspiration distinct from Revelation,

The Attributes of the Sacred Scriptures,

1. Authority of the Scriptures. (a) Causative Authority of the Sacred Scriptures. Proofs not needed for Believers — Only real Proof, the work of the Holy Spirit — Internal Criteria of Inspiration — External Criteria of Inspiration. (b) Normative or Canonical Authority of the Sacred Scriptures. The Scriptures the only Rule of Faith — The Scriptures derive no authority from the Church — The Scriptures the only Judge of Controversies — Who are to interpret the Scriptures? — Original languages alone authoritative,

2. The Perfection or Sufficiency of the Scriptures. The consequence of Inspiration — The abuse and use of Tradition,

3. The Perspicuity of the Scriptures. Meaning of Perspicuity — Extent of Perspicuity — Perspicuity absolute and ordinate — Piety essential to an Interpreter — The Literal and Spiritual Sense — Obscure Things in Perspicuous Words — Analogy of the Faith — The Mystical Sense,

4. The Efficacy of the Scriptures. The topic is discussed under the head of “The Means of Grace,”

Of the Canon and the Apocrypha. The Old and New Testaments — The Apocryphal Books — Marks of Canonicity — External and Internal — Testimony of the Ancient Church — The Antilegomena of the New Testament,

What are Articles of Faith? — How related to each other? — Pure and remixed — Fundamental and non-fundamental — Earlier and Later Symbols — Relation of the Symbols to the Scriptures — Necessity of the Symbols,

Division of the Subject,

Preliminary statement — The natural and supernatural Knowledge of God — Innate Natural Knowledge of God — Acquired Natural Knowledge of God — Imperfection of such knowledge — Value of such knowledge — Supernatural Knowledge of God,

1. The Certainty of the Existence of God,

2. The Nature of God — His name — Cannot be defined — Approximate definitions,

3. The Attributes of God — Not Accidents — They are one with the Divine Essence — Threefold Method of recognizing them — Classification of Divine Attributes. I. Negative Attributes. Unity — Simplicity — Immutability — Infinity — Immensity — Eternity. II. Positive Attributes. Life-Knowledge — Wisdom — Holiness — Justice — Truth — Power — Goodness,

The Doctrine is a Mystery — Purely a Matter of Revelation — It is a Fundamental Doctrine — The Church does not claim to understand it — Why described in Philosophical Terms — Gradual Development of the Doctrine — Definition of the Trinitarian Terminology. 1. Numerical Unity of the Divine Essence. 2. Diversity and Plurality; not (a) Essential; nor (b) Accidental; but (c) Hypostatical. Specific Hypostatical Distinctions — Personal Properties. I God the Father. II. God the Son — The Eternal Generation. III. God the Holy Ghost — Procession. Scriptural Proof of the Doctrine of the Trinity,

1. Creation a Divine work. 2. The World created from Nothing. 3. Matter not Eternal. 4. Order and Manner of Creation — Dichotomy or Trichotomy? — Creationism or Traducianism? 5. Design of Creation. 6. Excellence of Creation. 7. Time of Creation,

The Doctrine taught both by Reason and Revelation — Comprehends Foreknowledge, Predetermination, and Administration — Basis of the Divine Foreknowledge. I. Preservation, or Continuous Creation — Influence of Second Causes — May Providence be deceived? II. Concurrence, or Divine Co-operation. Does God concur with sin? III. Government, or Divine Control — Does not neutralize Human Freedom — Providence embraces all Things — Providence, general and special, extraordinary and ordinary,

When were they created? I. The Nature of Angels. Design of their Creation — Attributes of the Angels. II. The Moral Condition of the Angels. Their Original Condition. A. The Good Angels. Their Powers enlarged — Their Employments. B. The Evil Angels. Consequences of their fall — Demoniacal Possession,

General Statement,

State of Integrity Defined. Meaning of the Image of God — Original Righteousness — Other Features of the Image of God,

State of Corruption Defined. Of Sin in General — Cause of Sin — Immediate Consequence of Sin,

Man’s First Sin and his consequent Depravity. How did Adam sin? — All men sinned in Adam — Imputation, Arguments of Pelagians answered — What is Natural Depravity? — Natural Depravity Inherent — Natural Depravity Hereditary — Is Original Sin an Accident? — Termination of Original Sin,

Actual Sins. Classified — Sin against the Holy Ghost,

The Freedom of the Will. Human Ability — No Free Will in Spiritual Things — Extent of Freedom — Synergism Unscriptural — Civil Righteousness — Threefold Condition of the Will,

Of the Benevolence of God towards Fallen Man. 1. The Universal Benevolence of God. Gratuitous — Impartial — Sincere — Efficacious — Conditioned. 2. The Special Benevolence of God. Consequent — Particular — Predestination or Election — Divine Decrees not absolute or arbitrary — Election with respect to faith — Election and Foreknowledge — Divine Decrees not conditioned, but categorical — Election is immutable and irrevocable — Reprobation — Defined and Illustrated

Of the Personal Union. I. Of the Two Natures in Christ, Truly Divine and truly Human — Attributes of Christ’s Humanity. II. Mode of the Personal Union. Negatively stated — Positively stated,

Of the Communion of Natures, the Personal Designations, and the Communicatio Idiomatum — Communion of Natures defined — No Intermixture of Natures, but I. Interchange of Designations. II. Communication of Properties. 1. Idiomatic. 2. Majestatic. 3. Apotelesmatic — Meaning of Perichoresis — Concrete of Nature and Person — Communication — Patristic Designations — Lutheran and Reformed views — Diversity among the Lutheran Dogmaticians,

The Threefold Office of Christ — His Mediatorial Work in its threefold aspect,

The Prophetic Office of Christ. Defined — The Immediate and Mediate,

The Sacerdotal Office of Christ. Defined. I. Satisfaction. Why was Satisfaction needed? — Antithesis of the Socinians — Satisfaction Infinite — Christ’s Active and Passive Obedience — Vicarious Satisfaction — Completeness of the Satisfaction — Its Real Object — Its Personal Object. II. Intercession. General and Special Redemption,

The Regal Office of Christ. I. The Kingdom of Power. II. The Kingdom of Grace. III. The Kingdom of Glory — The Delivery of the Kingdom,

I. The State of Humiliation. Conception — Nativity — Circumcision — Education — Earthly Intercourse — Passion — Death — Burial — Incarnation not humiliation — “The Form of God.” II. The State of Exaltation. Descent into Hell — Resurrection — Ascension — Sitting at the Right Hand of God. Diverse views of the Dogmaticians,

1. Of Faith. Its Constituent Elements — Explicit and Implicit — Confidence, the Chief Part — Special Faith — Faith of Infants — Living and Dead Faith Contrasted — Nature of Justifying Faith — Efficient Cause of Faith — Instrumental Cause of Faith — Grades of Faith-Assurance of Faith,

2. Of Justification. The immediate Effect of Faith — Justification a Divine Forensic Act, embracing I. The Forgiveness of Sins. II. The Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ. The Ground of Justification — The Means of Justification — Osiander’s Error — Justification a Free Gift of God — Good Works and Justification — The Exclusive Particles — The Effects of Justification,

1. Of the Divine Call. Necessity, Efficacy and Universality of the Call,

2. Of Illumination. Necessity of Illumination by the Holy Spirit — Its Influence upon Intellect and Will — Legal and Evangelical Illumination,

3. Of Regeneration and Conversion. The Terms defined and contrasted. I. Regeneration. Regeneration a Divine Act — Regeneration of Infants and Adults contrasted — Regeneration always Divinely efficacious — Regeneration amissible and recoverable. II. Conversion. Conversion a Divine Act — Elements of Repentance — Private Confession — Conversion ends in Faith — Prevenient and Co-operating Grace — The Divine Word the Instrument — The Human Will in Conversion — Converting Grace may be resisted,

4. Of the Mystical Union. Not Metaphorical but Real — Union, General and Special,

5. Of Renovation. Renovation contrasted with Regeneration — A gradual work,

Supplementary. Of Good Works. The Effect of Renovation — Can Unbelievers perform Good Works? — Must Believers perform Good Works? — The Works of the Unregenerate — Reward of Good Works,

Of the Efficacy of the Divine Word. The Supernatural Power of the Word — Mysticism and Enthusiasm,

Of the Law and the Gospel. I. The Law. The Ceremonial Law — The Moral Law — Fourfold Use. II. The Gospel. The Gospel in Embryo in the Old Testament — The Gospel and the Law Contrasted — Concurrance of the Law and the Gospel,

Of the Sacraments in general. What constitutes a Sacrament? — Only Two Sacraments — The two Factors — Requisites — The Act of Administration — “Ex Opere Operato” rejected — Relation of Word to Sacrament — Design of the Sacraments — Proper Use of the Sacraments — Old Testament Sacraments,

Of Baptism. The Holy Spirit in Baptism — Sacramental Union — Usages — Design — Affusion — Baptismal Formulae Explained — Exorcism — Baptism by Heretics — Infant Baptism — Infant Faith — Baptismal Grace Continuous — Necessity of Baptism,

Of the Lord’s Supper. I. The Nature of the Lord’s Supper. The Words of the Institution to be literally interpreted — The Mode of the Saviour’s Presence — Omnipresence of the Human Nature of Christ — Sacramental Manducation — Sacramental Union — Distinction between the Lutheran and Reformed Doctrine — No Consubstantiation — Distinction between the Lutheran and Romish Doctrine. II. The Form of the Lord’s Supper. Consecration and Distribution are Essential — Sacramental Union only during distribution — The Worthy Reception — Is it a Sacrifice? III. The Design of the Lord’s Supper. Commemorative — Nutritive — Imparts Saving Grace — Promotes Christian Fellowship,

Of the Church in a wider and a Narrower Sense. The Assembly of Believers — Church Militant and Triumphant — Church Catholic — Universal and Particular — In what Sense, Visible and Invisible — Church, True and False,

Of the Church Collective and Representative. Special and General Councils — Authority of the Councils,

I. The Ecclesiastical Estate. The Holy Ministry a Divinely-appointed Office — The Church give the Mediate Call — Ordination confirms this Call — The Power of the Keys — Is Ordination Necessary? — Duty of Obedience — Grades in the Ministry,

II. The Political Estate. The Civil Authority Divinely-appointed — Design of the Civil Authority — Relation of the Civil Authority to the Church,

III. The Domestic Estate. 1. The Marriage Relation — Divorce. 2. The Parental Relation. 3. The Relation of Master and Servant,

I. Of Death. The Consequence of the Fall — The Dissolution of Soul and Body — Death threefold — The Immortality of the Soul — No Intermediate State of Dormancy,

II. Of the Resurrection of the Dead. Attributes of the Resurrection Body,

III. Of the Final Judgment. The Signs of its Approach — Antichrist — Conversion of the Jews — Christ the Judge — Form of the Final Judgment,

V. Of Eternal Damnation and Eternal Life. 1. Eternal Death. 2. Eternal Life,