As to the _doctrines taught_ in this little volume, they are the same
inculcated in our Popular Theology twenty-one years ago, and in our
different works published since that time. And here it seems proper to
avail ourselves of this public opportunity to correct an error
committed by our esteemed friend, Dr. Schaff, of Mercersburg, in his
recent work on the American churches, in which he represents us as
denying the _reality,_ as well as the guilt of natural depravity. This
is entirely a mistake. The reality of Natural Depravity is a doctrine
so clearly taught in God's word, as well as by the history of the human
race, that we have never even been tempted to doubt it. In the eighth
edition of the Popular Theology, (p. 144,) which has recently left the
press, our views on this subject are thus summed up:-- "The Augsburg
Confession seems to combine, both these views, (_i.e._ both absence of
holiness and predisposition to sin,) and the great body of Lutheran
divines has regarded natural, or original, or innate depravity, as that
disorder in the mental and bodily constitution of man, which was
introduced by the fall of Adam, is transmitted by natural generation
from parent to child, and the result of which is, that all men who are
naturally engendered, evince in their action want of holiness and a
predisposition to sin. Without the admission of such a disorder in the
human system, _no satisfactory reason can be assigned for the
universality of actual transgression_ amongst men." "Our own views on
this disputed subject, maybe summed up in the following features: 1.
All mankind, in consequence of their descent from fallen Adam, _are born
with a depraved nature,_ that is, their bodily and mental system is _so
disordered, as_ in result of its operation _to evince a predisposition
to sin._ 2. This natural depravity _disqualifies its subjects for
heaven_. Because the action of depraved (disordered) faculties and
powers, would not, even in heaven itself, be conformed to the divine