Many theological instructors teach their pupils successfully, by requiring them, besides the usual course of systematical reading, interrogative examinations, and critical study of the scriptures in the original languages, also to write disquisitions on a number of Questions in Theology. Hereby they are provided with a store of arguments, on the most difficult subjects, and furnished with the mature advices of their preceptors; to which they may recur in any period of after life. To aid in this important work, the following List of Questions has been subjoined to this first American edition of Ridgley; and every instructor, or pupil, will select or vary at his pleasure.
QUEST. 1.—How does it appear, that something has existed from eternity?
2. What evidence is there, that the existence of man is derived, and dependent?
3. How do you prove the existence of God?
4. What is Theology?
5. What is natural Theology?
6. What does it discover of the Divine character?
7. What arguments prove the genuineness, authenticity; and what, the inspiration of the Old and New Testaments?
8. How do you prove the Unity of God?
9. How do you prove the divinity and personality of the Son, and the Holy Ghost?
10. What are the Manichean, Arian, Sabellian, Socinian and Unitarian heresies, and how are they respectively confuted?
11. How do you prove that there are divine purposes, and that these are eternal and immutable?
12. Wherein does the certainty of events, taught in the scriptures, differ from the fatality of heathen philosophers and modern sceptics?
13. How do you prove that the world was created?
14. In what estate was man created?
15. What are the acts of God’s providence; or how is it employed about created things?
16. What is the difference between a law and a covenant?
17. How do you prove that God did enter into a Covenant with Adam, which included him and all his posterity?
18. What are we to understand by Adam’s freedom of will?
19. What is necessary to constitute a moral agent?
20. What is the difference between natural, and moral, power, and inability?
21. How is the doctrine of universal absolute decrees consistent with the moral agency of man?
22. How do you define sin?
24. How do you describe the sin against the Holy Ghost?
25. How do you prove the depravity of unrenewed men to be total?
26. What was implied by the death threatened in case of disobedience?
27. Wherein consists the punishment of the damned?
28. How do you prove the eternity of hell torments?
29. How do you define the Covenant of Grace?
30. Is there any ground for a distinction between the Covenant of Redemption and the Covenant of Grace?
31. Wherein do the Covenants of Works, and Grace agree, and differ?
32. Are the Law, and Gospel inconsistent with each other?
33. What is an atonement? And what the nature, and extent of the atonement of Christ?
34. Was the sacrifice of Christ Jesus absolutely necessary for our salvation?
35. Whence did the obedience, and sufferings of Christ derive their efficacy?
36. How was his death consistent, with the justice of God?
37. How do you describe the nature, mode of administration, extent, duration and glory of Christ’s kingly office?
38. What is to be understood by his descent into Hell?
39. What are we to understand by the application of Redemption?
40. How do you prove that the influence of the Holy Spirit is of free and sovereign grace?
41. What is regeneration, or effectual calling?
42. Whence arises the necessity of it?
43. What are the means of grace, and what their use?
44. What is the utmost the unregenerate do in the use of the means of grace?
45. To what are they to be exhorted?
46. Wherein consists the difference of the special call of the Spirit, and the more outward call of the gospel?
47. How do you describe the nature of gospel repentance, with the difference between this, and conviction of sin, or legal repentance?
48. How do you describe the nature, and necessity of justifying faith; and what species of causality has it in our justification?
49. What is included in, and what are the effects of justification?
50. How are full satisfaction and free pardon consistent?
51. What are we to understand by the imputation of Christ’s righteousness for justification?
52. What are the absurdities implied in supposing a justifying faith to consist in a sure confidence of the pardon of our sins?
53. Point out the nature, privileges and evidences of adoption.
54. How do you describe, and prove the possibility of attaining an assurance, of God’s love?
55. How do you describe the believer’s peace of conscience, and point out the difference between it, and the false hope of the hypocrite?
56. How do you prove the doctrine of the saint’s perseverance in a state of grace unto eternal life? And explain Ezek. xviii. 24. Heb. vi. 4-6, and the falls of David, Peter, and Judas?
57. Is sinless perfection attainable in this life?
58. What is the condition of the souls of believers immediately after death?
59. How do you prove that there shall be a general resurrection of the just and the unjust?
60. How do you prove there shall be a general judgment?
61. What are the consequences of the judgment to the righteous and the wicked?
62. How do you prove that the institution of the Sabbath, is of perpetual obligation?
63. How do you prove that public worship is to be celebrated on the Sabbath?
64. What is the nature of a Christian church?
What are its standing officers?
To whom does the right of ordination belong?
65. What is the nature and import of baptism?
How do you prove that other modes than immersion are lawful?
66. How do you prove the divine right of infant baptism?
67. What is the nature and use, and who are the proper partakers of the Lord’s supper?
68. What errors are implied in a prayer, the object of which is a change of divine purposes?
69. What is the nature, use and necessity of prayer?
70. How do you prove that family-prayer is a duty?
71. Wherein consist the unity and communion that should subsist in the church of Christ, and the benefits or advantages of it?
72. What are the rules and end of church discipline?
What is the nature and design of excommunication?
73. What are the qualifications necessary to a minister of Christ?
74. In what does the happiness of heaven consist?