The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation (Volume 3); The Positive Development of the Doctrine - Softcover

Inhaltsangabe

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1902. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... legal principle of retaliation in the intercourse of men with one another, and demands from His disciples, as proof of their belonging to the Kingdom of God, that on all conceivable occasions they should surrender their private rights. This section of the Sermon on the Mount is lacking, indeed, in the lucidity of expression and connectedness to be desired; nevertheless, it is quite impossible to doubt that it does not intend the subversion of the institution of private rights altogether. What is forbidden, rather, is that in our intercourse with fellow-members of the Kingdom of God, we should insist on our private rights unconditionally, on the principle that services must be reciprocal; and the command is given to surrender one's rights in particular cases for the sake of moral fellowship. That is to say, recourse to law between members of the Kingdom of God is thereby modified; but the validity of law for their life is not abrogated altogether. Its validity is of necessity presupposed; for the independence of moral action and of personal virtue in general is unthinkable apart from legal independence. The exhortation addressed to slaves, that they should patiently submit to being without rights (1 Pet. ii. 18-20; Col . iii. 22-25), is to be regarded as an exception dictated by circumstances, for the existence of slavery in the Christian world is a standing menace to public and personal morality. § 39. We have found that the institution of the State is a means to the Kingdom of God, and that it is not to be applied, contrariwise, as a standard of Divine authority by which to gauge the possibility of realising His Kingdom. In this consideration, therefore, there lies no obstacle to our deriving reconciliation from the love of God, as well as from His justice...

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