Chapter XLV. The People Rejecting the Augustinian System.—Position of Theologians.
It is the object of what follows to present the evidence that the people are rejecting the Augustinian system, while they are retaining the system of common sense, as that alone which is taught in the Bible.
Preliminary to this, a brief statement of the prominent points of these systems, where their antagonism is most practical and apparent, will be allowed.
The Augustinian system teaches that on account of Adam's sin, man is born with a nature so totally depraved, that he never performs any truly virtuous acts till this nature is regenerated; that the true church of God on earth consists only of those who are thus regenerated; and that a visible church consists of an organization of persons who profess to possess a nature that has been re-created, so that they perform truly virtuous acts, as the unregenerated never do.
In opposition to this, the common-sense system teaches that man is born with a perfect nature, so that he can and does act virtuously without any change in this nature; also that the true church of God on earth [pg 299] consists of all those whose chief end and earnest purpose is to discover and to obey all his laws; and a visible church consists of any who associate by some outward organization to aid each other in attempts to discover and to obey the laws of God.
The evidence that the people are rejecting the former, and assuming the latter view as that which is taught in the Bible, will now be presented under these heads:
The present position of theologians;
The state of the church;
The position of the pastors of churches;