The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

presence mystify them? Dr. Shedd, perhaps wisely, has spared them this.
There are, indeed, great departments of the history of doctrine on which he
does not enter. He gives us, for example, nothing direct on the doctrines of
the Church, of Baptism and of the Lord's Supper; yet these involve many
of the most vital questions of the hour. On the other hand, he has gone, we
think, beyond the bound, in devoting a whole book to the history of
Apologetics, and another to an account of Symbols. He has done it so
well, however, that we not only forgive him, but thank him for it.
One very interesting feature of the book is its presentation of many of
the Calvinistic doctrines in their coincidence with the Lutheran; as, for
instance, in the paragraphs on the "Lutheran-Calvinistic Theory of
Original Sin," "The Lutheran-Calvinistic Theory of Regeneration;" and on
other points. Dr. Shedd seems to fear that "the chief criticism that may be
made upon the work is, that it betokens subjective qualities unduly for an
historical production." On the contrary, we think, that so far as is
consistent with fidelity to conviction, his book is remarkably free from the
offensive obtrusion of merely personal opinions. There is not a page in it
whose tone is unworthy of the refined candor of a Christian gentleman.
We are struck, indeed, as we have said, with what we regard as mistakes in
reference to the Lutheran Church, but the statements of Dr. Shedd are
made in a tone which relieves them of all asperity; and he knows so much
more about our Church than most writers of English who have attempted
to describe it, that we feel that his mistakes are involuntary. They are fewer
than might have been anticipated. Dr. Shedd speaks of the Augsburg
Confession as "the symbol which was to consolidate the new evangelical
Church into one external unity, in opposition to that of Rome." "But the
doctrines of sin and redemption had been misstated by the Papal mind at
Trent; and hence the principal part of the new and original work of the
Lutheran divines was connected with these." This collocation might
mislead the reader, who forgets that the Augsburg Confession was
prepared fifteen years before the first convention of the Council of Trent.
Dr. Shedd speaks of the