A DEFENSE
OF
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION
OR
A Criticism of Dr. James Mudge's "Growth in Holiness Toward Perfection"

DSteele

BY

DANIEL STEELE, D.D.

AUTHOR OF "LOVE ENTHRONED;" "MILESTONE PAPERS;" "HALF HOURS
WITH ST. PAUL;" COMMENTARIES ON LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND
JOSHUA; "BINNEY'S THEOLOGICAL COMPEND IMPROVED;"
AND "ANTINOMIANISM REVIVED; OR THE THEOLOGY
OF THE SO-CALLED PLYMOUTH BRETHREN
EXAMINED AND REFUTED"



NEW YORK: HUNT & EASTON
CINCINNATI; CRANSTON & CURTIS
1896

Copyright by HUNT & EATON, 1896.

[This text is in the public domain. Text scanning and formatting by Craig L. Adams.]



Stacks Image 381

"A man that is not a thorough friend to Christian perfection will easily puzzle others, and thereby weaken, if not destroy, any select society." — John Wesley's last recorded utterance on Christian perfection, made in the year of his death, 1791.




EDITOR'S NOTES: I feel very fortunate to have acquired a copy of this book many years ago, though it was in terrible condition. It was quite yellowed, and looked as if something was spilled on it long, long ago! And, I'm afraid, my efforts in scanning it destroyed its binding. That's why I speak of the book in the past tense. But, at least, the text is preserved.

Steele wrote this book to refute Dr. James Mudge's book Growth in Holiness Toward Perfection. Because of its importance to this book, I have included a copy of Mudge’s book at this site. The reader may wish to go back and forth between the books to gain an understanding of the debate. In the opening chapters, Mudge comes out swinging in his criticism of “second blessing” teaching. In the course of this debate, several interesting arguments are advanced about the disputed points. Steele’s book itself is rather brief and many of the chapters are quite brief. The only change I have made in this text is the occasional use of blockquotes for some of Steele's longer quotations. Readers can decide for themselves whether Steele is back-peddling here about the "Baptism in the Holy Spirit" language commonly used in the Holiness movement — and in his own previous books.

The chapters of this book may be viewed online, either by using the hyperlink Table of Contents below or by using the navigation bar on the right.

— Craig L. Adams

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