Page "Charles Hodge" Paragraph 11

He was conservative by nature, and his life was spent in defending the Reformed theology as set forth in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger and Westminster Shorter Catechisms.

He was fond of saying that Princeton had never originated a new idea ; but this meant no more than that Princeton was the advocate of historical Calvinism in opposition to the modified and provincial Calvinism of a later day.

And it is true that Hodge must be classed among the great defenders of the faith, rather than among the great constructive minds of the Church.

He had no ambition to be epoch-making by marking the era of a new departure.

But he earned a higher title to fame in that he was the champion of his Church's faith during a long and active life, her trusted leader in time of trial, and for more than half a century the most conspicuous teacher of her ministry.

Hodges ' understanding of the Christian faith and of historical Protestantism is given in his Systematic Theology.