Truths Which, On Carefully Studying the Sacred Writings, I Think I Find Revealed There.
By Adam Clarke
Though no man is required to believe a doctrine that contradicts reason, he may safely credit (in anything that concerns the nature of God) what is above his reason, and even this may be a reason why he should believe it. I cannot comprehend the divine nature; therefore, I adore it: if I could comprehend, I could not adore, forasmuch as the nature or being which can be comprehended by my mind must be less than that by which it is comprehended, and therefore unworthy of its homage. The more knowledge increases, the more we shall see that reason and learning, sanctified by piety toward God, are the best interpreters of the sacred oracles,
Truths Revealed in the Scriptures
- That there is one uncreated, unoriginated, infinite, and eternal Being; the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things.
- That there is in this Infinite Essence a plurality of what are commonly called persons, not separately subsisting, but essentially belonging to the God- head; which persons are commonly termed Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; or God, the Logos, and the Holy Spirit: and these are generally named the Trinity, which term, though not found in the New Testament, seems sufficiently proper.
- That the sacred Scriptures, or holy books which form the Old and New Testaments, contain a full revelation of the will of God in reference to man; and are alone sufficient for everything relative to the faith and practice of a Christian; and that they were given by the inspiration of God.
- That man was created in righteousness and true holiness, without any moral imperfection or any kind of propensity to sin; but free to stand or fall.
- That he fell from this state, became morally corrupt in his nature, and has transmitted his moral defilement to all his posterity.
- That to counteract the evil principle, and bring man into a salvable state, God, from his infinite love, formed the purpose of redeeming man from his lost estate by Christ Jesus; and that in the interim he has sent his Holy Spirit to enlighten, strive with, and convince men of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
- That in due time the divine Logos, called afterward Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour, etc., became incarnate, and sojourned among men, teaching the purest truths, and working the most stupendous and beneficent miracles.
- That this divine person, foretold by the prophets and described by evangelists and apostles, is really and properly God; and has assigned to him by the inspired writers every attribute essential to the Deity; being one with Him who is called God, Jehovah, etc.
- That he is also perfect man in consequence of his incarnation; and that in that man or manhood dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily; so that his nature is twofold—divine and human, or God manifested in the flesh.
- That as he took upon him man’s nature, so he died for the whole human race, without respect of persons; equally for all, and for every man.
- That on the third day after his crucifixion and burial he rose from the dead; and after showing himself many days to his disciples and others, he ascended to heaven, where, as God manifest in the flesh, he continues and shall continue to be the Mediator of the human race, till the consummation of all things.
- That there is no salvation but through him; and that throughout the Scriptures his passion and death are considered as sacrificial—pardon and salvation being obtained by the shedding of his blood.
- That no human being since the fall either has or can have merit or worthiness of or by him- self, and therefore has nothing to claim from God but in the way of his mercy through Christ; there- fore pardon, and every other blessing promised in the Gospel, were purchased by his sacrificial death, and are given to men, not on account of anything they have done or suffered, or can do or suffer, but for his sake, that is through his merit alone.
- That these blessings are received by faith, and not of works or of sufferings.
- That the power to believe, or the grace of faith, is the free gift of God, without which none can believe; but that the act of faith, or actual believing, is the act of the soul under the influence of that power. But this power to believe, like all other gifts of God, may be slighted, not used, or misused ; in consequence of which is that declaration, ‘‘He that believeth shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
- That justification, or the pardon of sin, is an instantaneous act of God’s ~infinite mercy in behalf of a penitent soul trusting- only in the merits of Jesus Christ; that this act is absolute in respect of all past sin, all being forgiven where any is forgiven.
- That the souls of all believers may be purified from all sin in this life; and that a man may live under the continual influence of the grace of Christ, without sinning against God, all evil tempers and sinful propensities being destroyed, and his heart filled with pure love both to God and man.
- That unless a believer live and walk in the spirit of obedience he will fall from the grace of God, and forfeit all his Christian privileges and rights; in which state of backsliding he may persevere, and, if so, perish everlastingly.
- That the whole period of human life is a state of probation, in every part of which a sinner may repent and turn to God, and in every part of it a believer may give way to sin and fall from grace; and that this possibility of rising, and liability to falling, are essential to a state of trial or probation.
- That all the promises and threatenings of the word of God are conditional, as they regard man in reference to his being here and hereafter; and that only on this ground can the sacred writings be consistently interpreted or rightly understood.
- That man is a free agent, never being impelled by any necessitating influence either to do evil or good, but has it continually in his power to choose the life or death that is set before him; therefore he is an accountable being, and righteously answerable for his own actions.
- That his free will is a necessary constituent of his rational soul, without which man would be a mere machine, either the sport of blind chance, or the passive subject of an irresistible necessity; and, therefore, not justly accountable for his conduct.
- That every human being has his freedom of will, with a sufficiency of light and power to direct its operations; and that this powerful light is not inherent in any man’s nature, but is graciously be- stowed by Him who is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
- That as Christ has made, by his once offering himself upon the cross, a sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world ; and that as his gracious Spirit strives with and enlightens all men, thus putting them in a salvable state; therefore every human soul will be saved, except through his own fault.
- That Jesus Christ has instituted, and commanded to be perpetuated in his Church, two sacraments: baptism (sprinkling, washing with, or immersion in water) in the name of the holy and ever blessed Trinity, as a sign of the cleansing and regenerating influences of the Holy Ghost in token of death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness; and the eucharist, or Lord’s supper, as commemorating the sacrificial death of Christ. That by the first, once administered, every person may be initiated into the visible Church; and by the second, frequently administered, all believers may be kept in mind of the foundation on which their salvation is built, and receive grace to enable them to adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things.
- That the soul is immaterial and immortal, and can subsist independently of the body.
- That there will be a general resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust; that the souls of both shall be reunited to their respective bodies; and that both will be immortal and live eternally.
- That there will be a day of judgment, after which all shall be punished or rewarded according to the deeds done in the body; the wicked being sent to hell, and the righteous taken into heaven.
- That these states of reward and punishment shall have no end, forasmuch as the time of probation or trial is forever terminated, and the succeeding state must necessarily be fixed and unalterable.
- That the origin of human salvation is found in the infinite love of God to mankind; and that on this principle the unconditional reprobation of any soul is absolutely impossible.
Adam Clarke
Doctor Adam Clarke was a talented speaker and caught the attention of John Wesley – the founder of Methodism along with his brother, Charles – on a trip to Ireland. He rose through the ranks and held the most senior position in the Methodist church thrice. He was a gifted linguist and scholar, even working on translating the Rosetta Stone!
Methodist, theologian, biblical scholar
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