Robert Lewis Dabney (1820 - 1898) was a staunch Calvinist and professor at Union Seminary, Virginia. He produced many works, his magnum opus being his Systematic Theology, which is a compendium of lectures given by him over the years. It is published in hardcover by The Banner Of Truth Trust, and is highly recommended, as it not only contains great gems of truth, but is also, unlike other Systematic Theologies, more topical in its arrangement and presentation.

"He who believes in the divinity of Jesus Christ is a Christian; he who does not, (whatever his profession), is a mere Deist. Without the Divinity, the Bible is the drama of Hamlet, with the part of Hamlet omitted." Systematic Theology, Divinity Of Christ

"The general strain of the language of the Old and New Testaments produces an overwhelming impression, that they mean to represent the Messiah as divine... If the Apostles did not intend to teach this doctrine they have certainly had the remarkable ill-luck of producing the very impression which they should have avoided, especially in a Book intended to subvert idolatry." Systematic Theology, Divinity Of Christ

"These theophanies not only disclose a personal distinction in the Godhead, but show the pre-existence and divinity of Christ." Systematic Theology, Divinity Of Christ

"The attempts to evade the force of the title ONLY BEGOTTEN seem peculiarly impotent." Systematic Theology, Divinity Of Christ

"When we see the incommunicable attributes of God given to Jesus Christ, they compose a more irresistible proof that He is very God. This is especially strong when those qualities which God reserves to Himself alone, are ascribed to Jesus Christ... these ascriptions of divine attributes to Christ leave no evasion." Systematic Theology, Divinity Of Christ

"Satan may perhaps have power to move an atmospheric storm, before which man and his mightiest works would be as stubble. But Satan is as unable to create a fly out of nothing, as is man." Systematic Theology, Divinity Of Christ

"The peculiar worship of God is given to Christ... In connection, weigh these passages, as showing how unlikely the Scripture would be to permit such worship, (or Christ Himself), if He were not proper God. Remember that the great object of Scripture is to reclaim the world from idolatry." Systematic Theology, Divinity Of Christ

"The property of the Father is to be unbegotten; of the Son, generation; and of the Spirit, procession. Hence, three characteristic relations - in the Father, paternity; in the Son, filiation, and in the Holy Ghost, spiration." Systematic Theology, Personal Distinctions In The Trinity

"The divine nature was never born of the virgin, but only the humanity." Systematic Theology, Personal Distinctions In The Trinity

"The personal subsistence of the Son is derivative, though eternal, and constitutes His nature the same with the Father's." Systematic Theology, Personal Distinctions In The Trinity

"Under the Covenant of Grace, the Divine Spirit condescends economically to commit the dispensation of His saving influences to the Son as our King, and to come at His bidding, according to the agreement, to subdue, sanctify, and save us." Systematic Theology, Divinity Of The Holy Ghost And Of The Son

"To a fallible creature, every precept and duty implies a possible error and transgression, just as a right branch in a highway implies a left... The gospel promises that the saint's glorified state shall be everlasting and infallible. This can only be accomplished by his having the guidance of infinite perfections. But since we are assured that the Lamb is their light, we see at once, that his light is none other than that of omniscience." Systematic Theology, Divinity Of The Holy Ghost And Of The Son

"Unless sustained by inward omnipotence, He [Christ] could never have endured the wrath of the Almighty for the sins of the world; it would have sunk Him into perdition." Systematic Theology, Divinity Of The Holy Ghost And Of The Son

"His [Christ's] petitioners and their wants are so numerous, that unless He were endowed with sleepless attention, and omnipotence which can never tire, an infinite understanding, omnipresence, and exhaustless kindness, He could not wisely and graciously attend to so many and multifarious calls. Here we see how worthless are Popish intercessors, who are only creatures." Systematic Theology, Divinity Of The Holy Ghost And Of The Son

"There is no comfort unless we have an infallible dependence." Systematic Theology, Divinity Of The Holy Ghost And Of The Son

"God, in revealing Himself to the natural reason, only reveals His being and properties or attributes - His substance remains as invisible as ever." Systematic Theology, The Trinity

"The Protestant world will be soon educated to set inordinate store by that of which God makes least account -- formal union; at the expense of that which he regards as of supreme value -- doctrinal fidelity... It is obviously the tidal wave of modern sentiment, the zeit geist of our day, as truly as it was of the days of Leo the Great; and it is as vital to the life of Christianity now as it was then, that it be exposed and resisted." Discussions: Evangelical And Theological, Vol 2

"Regeneration is a summary act, conversion a continuous process. CONVERSION BEGINS IN, AND PROCEEDS OUT OF, REGENERATION, as does the continuous growth of a plant out of the first sprouting or quickening of its dry seed. In conversion the renewed soul is an active agent: God's people are willing in the day of his power (Psalm 110:3). The converted man chooses and acts the new life of faith and obedience heartily and freely, as prompted by the Holy Ghost. In this sense, He works out his own salvation (Philippians 2:12). BUT MANIFESTLY IN REGENERATION, IN THE INITIAL REVOLUTION OF DISPOSITION, THE SOUL DOES NOT ACT, BUT IS A THING ACTED ON. In this first point there can be no cooperation of the man's will with the divine power. THE AGENCY IS WHOLLY GOD'S, AND NOT MAN'S, EVEN IN PART. The vital change must be affected by immediate direct divine power. God's touch here may be mysterious; BUT IT MUST BE REAL, for it is proved by the seen results. THE WORK MUST BE SOVEREIGN AND SUPERNATURAL. SOVEREIGN in this sense, that there is no will concerned in its effectuation except God's, because the sinner's will goes against it as invariably, as freely, until it is renewed; SUPERNATURAL, because there is nothing at all in sinful human nature to begin it, man's whole natural disposition being to prefer and remain in a godless state. As soon as this doctrine is stated, it really proves itself." The Five Points of Calvinism, part II

"The Scriptures in the most express and emphatic terms declare that it was no goodness in the elect which caused God to choose them; that His electing love found them lying in the same mass of corruption and wrath with the reprobate, every way deserving the same fate, and chose them out of it for reasons commending themselves to His own good pleasure, and in sovereign benevolence." Systematic Theology, Predestination

"The believer's faith, penitence, and perseverance in holiness could never be so foreseen by God, as to be the condition moving Him to determine to bestow salvation on him, because no child of Adam ever has any true faith, &c., except as fruits of God's grace bestowed in election... Man is too depraved ever to exercise these graces, except as moved thereto by God... The elect are declared to be chosen to the enjoyment of these graces, not on account of the exercise of them." Systematic Theology, Predestination

"The very faith, penitence and perseverance in holiness which Arminians represent as conditions moving God to elect man, the Scripture represents as gifts of God's grace inwrought by Him in the elect, as consequences of His election." Systematic Theology, Predestination

"Salvation is everywhere attributed to God, as His work. He calls. He justifies. He regenerates. He keeps us by faith unto salvation. He sanctifies. All the arguments drawn from God's attributes of wisdom, infinite knowledge, omnipotence, and immutability, in support of His eternal decree, show that His agency in saving the sinners who are saved, is a purposed one, and that this purpose is eternal." Systematic Theology, Predestination

"No intelligent mind which admits original sin, denies election. The two doctrines stand or fall together." Systematic Theology, Predestination

"All men's hearts are fully set in them to do evil, and would certainly continue impenitent did not God, out of His gracious purpose, efficaciously persuade some to come to Him." Systematic Theology, Predestination

"Providence determines sovereignly the metes and bounds of each man's outward privileges, of his life and opportunities. It determines whether he shall be born and live in a Pagan, or a Christian country, how long he shall enjoy means of grace, and of what efficacy, and when and where he shall die. Now in deciding these things sovereignly, the salvation or loss of the man's soul is practically decided, for without time, means, and opportunity, he will not be saved." Systematic Theology, Predestination

"No sinner is saved without special and Almighty grace; for his depravity is total, and his heart wholly averse from God; so that if God has not provided, in His eternal plan, resources of gracious power, adequate to subdue unto Himself, and to sustain in grace, every sinner He attempts to save, I see no probability that any will be saved at all. For, the proneness to apostasy is such in all, that if God did not take efficacious care of them, the best would backslide and fail of Heaven." Systematic Theology, Predestination

"God's decree has no succession; and to Him no successive order of parts; because it is a cotemporaneous unit, comprehended altogether, by one infinite intuition... As to the decree to create man, to permit his fall, to elect some to life; neither part preceded any other part with God." Systematic Theology, Predestination

"Our election is in Christ our Redeemer, which clearly shows that we are conceived as being fallen, and in need of a Redeemer, in this act. And, moreover, our election is an election to the exercise of saving graces to be wrought in us by Christ." Systematic Theology, Predestination

"Now as mercy and goodness imply an apprehension of guilt and misery in their object, so justice implies ill-desert. This shows that man is predestinated as fallen; and is not permitted to fall because predestinated." Systematic Theology, Predestination