OBERLIN THEOLOGY. The system of doc trines taught at Oberlin College in its first period IT Charles G. Finney (q.v.) and his colleagues. Finney had early come by his own thought to embrace the general system of theology taught by the leading Congregationalists of his time, and known as New School Calvinism. Although it is difficult to establish any direct eosins-Mimi of Finney with New Haven, it is true that the most striking similarity exists between his views and those of N. \V. Taylor, even in details. The i, Ca iv•••111 Modi fied by the doctrines of the freedom of the will and of benevolence as the constitutive principle of virtue. Sin is conceived as strietly personal to the sinner, and therefore all imputation, whether of Adam's sin nr of Christ's righteous ness. is denied. Original sin beeomes native tendency to evil resulting in actual sin in the ease of every man. Regeneration is the act of the Holy persuading the soul to the choice of the good, which choice is conversion. Great emphasis is laid upsm the divine moral govern ment, and the theory of the atonement taught is the governmental. After Finney arrived in (Merlin (1835) the theory of the simplicity of Moral action (Which hind been taught by Em mons) was revived and made the basis of a somewhat new view of samtitiation. A volition, it was said. is indivisible in its nature, and st he either right or wrong. In any moment, IN having but one act of choice at that moment, the soul is, therefore, either entirely holy or entirely sinful. The ability of man to obey the law of God is oomph-le, for his obligation cannot exceed his ability. Therefilre at any mimient nian may perfeetly and wholly obey the law, and is therefore at that minus-tit perfectly sanc tified. If he will only eontinne thus to (+nose
the right uninterruptedly (which he is able to do in consequence of the freed of his will), he will maintain a sinless Since he can do this, he ought to do it. Hence sinless perfection is both obligatory upon the Christian and pos sible. To attain this, the aid of the IToly Spirit was to be sought in prayer. This theory. in connection with the great practical earnestness of the Oberlin colony and their conviction of their call to effect large things in the extension of Christ's kingdom, led to efforts and professions in the attainment of holiness which were in time hirgely modified, but which were at first the occasion of great suspicion and opposition. A still greater occasion of antagonism was the stand taken by s Merlin in favor of the negro, and the introduction of the coeducation of women with men in the institution. The peen liarities of Oberlin were greatly exaggerated; hut what peculiarities there were have largely passed away with the progress of time. Consult Finney. Nystematie Theology (Oberlin, 1847: new ed. 1878).
OBERMiILLNER. Tibi!r-intiPni;r. noLF (1833-98). An Austrian painter, horn at Wets. Ile studied in Munich, Italy, Frame, and Hol land. and settled in 1860 in Vienna. Ilis splendid views from the high Alps in Bavaria. Tyrol, and Switzerland include the "Goldberg Glacier in P,anris Valley" (1874, Vienna Museum) : "Mont Plane," and "The Nassfeld near Gastein" (Linz .After sketches and drawings by Julius Payer he painted a series of twelve "Scenes ;11 the North Pole" (1875), and in the :Museum of Nat. urn! History, Vienna, he executed five paintings of Alpine scenery.