As we have said before, the preaching of Joseph II centered (1) on opposition to Deism which was trying to
destroy revelation and providence and (2) on the sinfulness of the times. He calls his age a "sad time of
corruption and apostacy.
086
Basically, he says man has been relying
solely on the "Fallacious dictates of fallen and unremoved reason."
087
His father had never said reason was fallacious, but Joseph II is living in a time when reason has gone
to greater extremes. Deism has virtually reduced the gospel of Jesus Christ to a few lectures on morality";
"evangelican obedience", has been reduced to "a mere moral reformation."
088
In spite of his criticism of reason, he does make use of it.
-
Truth ... of every kind, is always worth maintaining; but our apostle doth not design ...
to excite us only to a contention for that which is to be discovered by the light of nature: much less doth he at
all intend, to engage our regard to such doctrines and institutions in religion, as are propos'd to our belief
and practice by mere human authority . . .. We are always obliged to defend the discoveries which the light of
nature, through fallen, affords US with regard to the existence and attributes of God ...
089
Likewise, one must use common sense in the study of the Bible:
-
If a bare assent to the letter of scripture were sufficient, without regard had the sense of it, the belief
of transubstantiation itself, and the blasphemies of the Anthropomorphites, would be no bars to religious fellowship.
090
Speaking on Judges 8: 34, 35 he says that the Israelites
should have appreciated the aid which God gave to them in the process of Gideon's victory over the Midianites
"natural justice and humanity, as well as religion, would have taught them, to have shown a suitable regard to the
instruments, he was pleased to employ in their favor."
091
His father had said that revelation goes beyond reason and that "there is nothing prescribed to us in
religion but what is very reasonable and just . . . ."
092
Joseph II likewise says that revelation goes beyond reason
093
but adds that what human reason would think right.
094
Specifically, divine revelation is the "rule of faith."
095
While I am writing this thesis in 1953. America is experiencing a communist "scare." A great number of citizens
are having to formally swear that they are not now and never have been communists. This same jitteriness happened with
Joseph II. I don't think it was accomplished, but he once said that everyone should make "a public and explicit confession,
as proper occasion offers, of every doctrine which
we believe to be contained in the word of God"!
096
As Joseph Stennett II's publications are few, a systematic outline of his theology is sketchy.
God is the creator and upholder of the world; He is a God of order.
097
That could be Deistic, except that God also is gracious
098
and He is active in the world through the agency of providence. The great wind storm
we have mentioned before was a dispensation of providence.
099
Stennett says that, with some reservations, there is a providence that governs all things.
100
Yet sometimes the reasons for the ways of providence are hidden from view of men.
101
Also, there are limits on what we can expect from providence.
-
We are not insured indeed of the riches and honours of this world, of established health of body,
or a long continuance here. The covenant nowhere engages for our freedom from the temptations of Satan, o
r the cruelties of unreasonable men;
102
His father, also, had recognized that providence was not absolute and said that God's justice to individuals would
be vindicated in the future life.
Joseph II is very concerned because some people do not believe in "the proper priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ"
and His atonement for sin.
103
He also defends the Doctrine of the Trinity, saying that the "three glorious persons have the same nature,
attributes, works, and worship" ascribed to them in Scripture.
104
As to Joseph II's idea of man, he says that man has original sin,
105
the power of reasoning which can at times be depraved and he also has natural freedom of choice.
106
Man's relationship to God should be experiential,
107
and his religion should be expressed in life.
108
His father never stated an absolute doctrine of election, making salvation largely dependent on belief and living.
Joseph II, however, states a full doctrine of election:
-
We assert, with the apostle Paul, that the saints are 'chosen in Christ Jesus, before the foundation of
the world;' that they are 'predestined' by divine grace, to be partakers of the blessings of salvation ....
109
As in the writings of his father, so with Joseph II,
there is a section which shows how religion supported the rise of capitalism:
-
Our holy religion commends diligence in business, and an honest industry in endeavouring to increase our worldly
substance; it allows it to be a laudable ambition, for us to desire some good degree of interest in regard of our fellow
creatures . . ..
110
Joseph Stennett II, on some points of theology, is a reactionary. His father had made use of "reason"
and had seen its limitations, but he had never criticized it adversely. As some of the Christian theologians practically
became philosophers, and as philosophy is founded on the human mind, Joseph II's reaction is that the human mind is
"fallen." Likewise, Joseph II preached a stronger doctrine of election than did his father. Joseph I urged a humble
search for truth; Joseph II is more interested in theological orthodoxy and, in materials available to me,
he has nothing to say about humility. These changes were somewhat conditioned by the widened gap between the
Deists and Christian revelation. Joseph II had witnessed both the battle against Deists and the rise of the
Evangelical Revival which had indirectly but effectually contributed to the downfall of Deism. He also believed that
religion consisted of Christian living as well as theoretical theology
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