The Theology of Holiness

The Theology of Holiness

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Title: The Theology of Holiness
Author: Dougan Clark
Release Date: October, 2004 [EBook #6657] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on January 10, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-Latin-1
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[Illustration: DOUGAN CLARK, M.D.]

THE
THEOLOGY OF HOLINESS.
BY
DOUGAN CLARK, M. D.
PROFESSOR OF SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY AND CHURCH HISTORY IN EARLHAM COLLEGE, RICHMOND, INDIANA.

TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AND MOTHER, DOUGAN AND ASENATH CLARK, BOTH FOR MANY YEARS APPROVED MINISTERS IN THE FRIENDS' CHURCH, AND BOTH LONG SINCE DEPARTED TO BE WITH CHRIST, THIS BOOK IS LOVINGLY Dedicated.

CONTENTS.
I. ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION A NECESSITY II. ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION OBTAINABLE III. ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION IN PATRIARCHAL TIMES IV. ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION IN TYPE V. ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION IN PROPHECY VI. ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION AS TAUGHT BY JESUS CHRIST VII. ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION AS TAUGHT BY PAUL VIII. ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION AS TAUGHT BY PETER IX. ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION AS TAUGHT BY JOHN X. ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION AS TAUGHT BY JAMES AND JUDE XI. SANCTIFIED BY GOD THE FATHER XII. SANCTIFIED BY GOD THE SON XIII. SANCTIFIED BY GOD THE HOLY GHOST XIV. SANCTIFIED BY THE TRUTH XV. SANCTIFIED BY FAITH XVI. CONCLUSION

CHAPTER I.
ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION A NECESSITY.

Science is a systematic presentation of truth. Theology is the most important of all sciences. It is the science that treats of God and of man in his relation to God. It is a systematic presentation of revealed truth. As the basis of Astronomy is the universe of worlds revealed by the telescope, and as the basis of Geology is the crust of the earth, so the basis of Theology is the Divine revelation found in the Holy Scriptures. The Theology of Entire Sanctification, therefore, is a systematic presentation of the doctrine of entire sanctification as derived from the written word of God. Such a presentation we hope--with the help of the Holy Spirit, which we here and now earnestly invoke--to attempt to give in this book. May God bless the endeavor, and overrule our human weakness, to the glory of His Name. Amen.
It is a lamentable fact that there is a large class of Christians to whom the subject of entire sanctification is a matter of indifference. They hope, with or without sufficient reason, that their sins are forgiven. They propose to live moral and useful lives, and trust, again with or without sufficient reason, that they will go to heaven when they die. The subject of holiness does not interest them. They suppose themselves to be doing well enough without it.
There are others claiming to be Christians, to whom the subject is even positively distasteful. It is an offence to them. They do not want to hear it preached. They regard those who claim it as cranks. They look upon holiness meetings as being hotbeds of delusion and spiritual pride. They turn away from the whole subject not only with indifference, but with disdain.
There are still others, and these God's children, as we may charitably believe, who do not even regard holiness as a desirable thing. They assert that it is needful and salutary to retain some sin in the heart as long as we live, in order to keep us humble. It is true that they are never able to tell how much sin it takes to have this beneficial effect, but a certain amount they are bent on having.
Another class takes the opposite view. They regard holiness as very desirable, and a very lovely thing to gaze upon and think upon, but they also regard it as quite impossible of attainment. They hope to grow towards it all the days of their lives, and to get it at the moment of death. Not sooner than the dying hour, do they believe any human being can be made holy. Not till death is separating the soul from the body