Quotes from Finney's Heretical Systematic Theology

ORIGINAL SIN

"We deny that the human constitution is morally depraved, because it is impossible that sin should be a quality of the substance of the soul or body. It is, and must be, a quality of choice or intention, and not of substance. To represent the constitution as sinful, is to represent God, Who is the author of the constitution, as the author of sin. What ground is there for the assertion that Adam's nature became in itself sinful by the fall? This is groundless, not to say ridiculous, assumption, and an absurdity."

JUSTIFICATION BASED UPON SANCTIFICATION

"We see that, if a righteous man forsake his righteousness, and die in his sin, he must sink to hell. Whenever a Christian sins he comes under condemnation, and must repent and do his first works, or be lost."

REGENERATION

"Regeneration implies an entire present change of moral character, that is, a change from entire sinfulness to entire holiness."

OBEDIENCE

"That which the precept demands must be possible to the subject. That which demands a natural impossibility is not, and cannot be, moral law. To talk of inability to obey moral law is to talk nonsense."

ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION

"It is self-evident, that entire obedience to God's law is possible on the ground of natural ability. To deny this, is to deny that a man is able to do as well as he can. The very language of the law is such as to level its claims to the capacity of the subject, however great or small that capacity may be. 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all they soul, with all they mind, and with all they strength,' Here then it is plain, that all the law demands, is the exercise of whatever strength we have, in the service of God. Now, as entire sanctification consists in perfect obedience to the law of God, and as the law requires nothing more than the right use of whatever strength we have, it is, of course, forever settled, that a state of entire sanctification is attainable in this life, on the ground of natural ability."

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Related Resources
Moral Depravity Entered into Voluntarily! by Charrles Finney (for reference purposes only)
Moral Depravity Not Inborn! by Charles Finney

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