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Wendelin's "Christian Theology": God's Nature and Properties Outline



Thesis I: The knowledge of God is defined.

Thesis II: God is described.

Explanation: 1. The description of God is confirmed. 2. The natural knowledge of God is added. 3. * How the name of GOD was taken by the Greeks from the Hebrew. 4. The arguments of the Photinians and Weigelians against the natural knowledge of God are resolved.

Thesis III: In how many ways is God known?

Thesis IV: How is God known in Himself?

Thesis V: With respect to nature, God is a Spirit.

Explanation: 1. It is proven, that God is a Spirit. 2. * Of what sort of genus is the Spirit of God. 3. The heresy of the Anthropomorphites is refuted.

Thesis VI: The divine properties are defined.

Explanation: 1. Scripture attributes properties to God. 2. There is a difference between the properties of GOD, and of men or Angels. 3. It is proven, that the divine properties are not really distinct from each other, nor from the divine essence. 4. An objection is resolved. In the same place, some difficulties are encountered.

Thesis VII: The properties of God are of a primary or secondary class.

Thesis VIII: Properties of the primary class are enumerated.

Thesis IX: The Independence of God.

Explanation: 1. The independence of God is proven. 2. Sufficiency is the same thing as independence. 3. * An objection is resolved.

Thesis X: Simplicity.

Explanation: 1. Various manners of composition are set forth, and all are removed from GOD. In the same place, it is proven that God is absolutely simple. 2. Arguments against the simplicity of God are resolved.

Thesis XI: Immutability.

Explanation: 1. It is proven that God is mutable in no manner. 2. * How many times is there a mutation of knowledge. 3. Arguments against the immutability of GOD are resolved.

Thesis XII: Immensity.

Explanation: 1. The manners in which God is everywhere present in this world are set forth. 2. It is proven that God is also beyond the world. 3. Arguments against the immensity of God are resolved. 4. Degrees of divine presence are set forth.

Thesis XIII: Eternity.

Explanation: 1. It is proven that God is eternal. In the same place, the eternity of GOD is defined. Again in the same place, it is proven that eternity is the very essence of God, and that there is not prior or posterior in Him. 2. Arguments against the eternity of God are resolved.

Thesis XIV: Divine properties of the secondary class.

Explanation: 1. The distinction of the divine attributes into incommunicable and communicable is explained. 2. * No properties of God are communicable to creatures.

Thesis XV: In how many ways should the principium of action in God be considered?

Thesis XVI: The principium of action in God is considered in theee ways.

Thesis XVII: The principium directing action is the divine intellect, which is the same as the wisdom and knowledge of GOD.

Explanation: 1. The divine mode of understanding is set forth. In the same place, it is proven that God knows all things at one glance, and in one act of understanding. 2. The omniscience of God is proven from Scripture. In the same place, the objects of divine knowledge in particular. In the same place, the knowledge of God is distinguished. 3. By what means does God know all things. 4. It is proven that the infallible prescience of God is able to consist with the contingency of things. In the same place, a contrary objection is resolved. 5. Three observations are subjoined. In the same place, with respect to divine prescience, all things are in a certain manner necessary: with respect to secondary and proximate causes, some things are necessary, some things contingent. In the same place, necessity is distinguished into antecedent and consequent, order between the prescience of future things and the divine will.

Thesis XVIII: The commanding principium, the will of GOD.

Explanation: 1. Scripture attributes will to God. 2. The distinguishing of the divine will into hidden and revealed is set forth. 3. The distinguishing into the will of sign and of good pleasure is set forth. 4. The other distinction into absolute and conditioned: into antecedent and consequent. 5. An objection against our opinion is resolved. In the same place, two instances are stricken out. 6. It is proven that no cause properly so called is given in general, nor in particular, either instrumental, or impulsive properly so called, or final. 7. Contrary arguments are resolved.

Thesis XIX: The various names of the divine will in the Scriptures.

Thesis XX: The Goodness of GOD.

Explanation: 1. Goodness is defined; and it is proven that God is good. 2. * That God is the highest good, for which search has been so long made. 3. In how many ways does God communicate His goodness?

Thesis XXI: Species of divine Goodness.

Thesis XXII: The Grace of GOD.

Thesis XXIII: The Love of GOD.

Explanation: 1. Scripture attributes love to God. 2. The love of God is distinguished.

Thesis XXIV: The Mercy of GOD.

Explanation: 1. Scripture attributes mercy to God. 2. The mercy of GOD is distinguished. 3. The Orthodox opinion concerning the mercy of God is vindicated from the cavils and calumnies of the Photinians and Lutherans.

Thesis XXV: The Patience of GOD.

Explanation: Scripture attributes patience to God.

Thesis XXVI: The Justice of GOD.

Explanation: 1. Scripture commends the justice of God. 2. The justice of God is distinguished. 3. The Orthodox opinion concerning the righteousness of God is vindicated from the cavils of certain ones.

Thesis XXVII: The executing principium, the power of God.

Explanation: 1. The object of divine power is set forth. 2. Objections against divine omnipotence are resolved.

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Dr. Dilday
Dr. Dilday
2022年10月07日
いいね!
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