The In Its Relations To Law And Moral Government is a book written by Albert Barnes in 1859. The book explores the concept of atonement and its relationship to law and moral government. Barnes delves into the theological and philosophical implications of the atonement, examining its impact on justice, mercy, and forgiveness. He also discusses the different theories of atonement, including the satisfaction theory and the moral influence theory. Throughout the book, Barnes draws on biblical texts and theological traditions to provide a comprehensive analysis of the atonement and its significance for Christian theology. This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of Christian thought and the development of theological ideas.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
Albert Barnes was an American theologian. He graduated from Hamilton College, Clinton, New York, in 1820, and from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1823.
Barnes was ordained as a Presbyterian minister by the presbytery of Elizabethtown, New Jersey, in 1825, and was the pastor successively of the Presbyterian Church in Morristown, New Jersey (1825–1830), and of the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia (1830–1868).
"The Atonement" by Albert Barnes is an excellent defense of the probability and necessity of the atonement. With arguments, which are most of the time solid, Albert Barnes makes his case. He often starts from general revelation (nature, conscience,...), from things even the skeptic agrees on and then goes on to give valid reasons which point to the atonement.
Although this book is a good apologetical work, there are a few downsides to it: 1. it is wordy and the author often repeats the same arguments. 2. The author argues that only Christ's human nature suffered on the cross, while His divine nature did not suffer. I believe that this borders on gnosticism and the Bible seems to imply that the whole Person of Jesus suffered and died on the cross.