proper sense be said to have power, yet the same is not true of mind. If
any one thinks it is, then the supreme Mind itself has not power. In
other words, as both matter and mind are inert, and cannot act only as
acted upon, there is no such thing as _power_ in the universe! and thus
we again land in atheism. But if _mind_ has power, as all theists must
grant, then the _human_ mind may have power. If any one can prove that
it is impossible, in the nature of things, for the Supreme Being to
create and sustain subordinate agents, with a spontaneous power of
thought and moral action, to a limited extent, in that case we must give
up our theory. But it is presumed no one can prove this, or will even
attempt to prove it. We say, God has created such agents, and that they
act, in their responsible volitions, uncontrolled by the Creator, either
directly or by second causes. We are expressly told, indeed, that God
made man "in his own image;" his _moral_ image doubtless. Man, then, in
his own subordinate sphere, has the power of originating thought, the
power of spontaneous moral action: this, _this only_, is the ground of
his responsibility. Will it be said that this puts man entirely out of
the control of his Creator? I answer, By no means. It only puts him out
of the control of such direct influences as would destroy his moral
liberty. Does the power of moral action, independent of the magistracy
and the laws, destroy all the control of the civil government over
malefactors? How much less in the other case? God can prevent all the
mischief that a vicious agent might attempt, without throwing any
restraint upon his responsible volitions. It is thus that he "makes the
wrath of man praise him, and the remainder of wrath he restrains."
Let it be understood, then, from this time forward, by all, as indeed it
has been understood heretofore by those who have carefully examined the
subject, that when the Calvinists talk about "free will," and "human
liberty," they mean something _essentially different_ from what we mean
by these terms; and, as it is believed, something essentially different
from the _popular_ meaning of these terms. They believe in human
liberty, they say, and the power of choice, and we are bound to believe
them; but we are also bound not to suffer ourselves to be deceived by
terms. _Theirs_ is a liberty and power of a moral agent to will _as he
does_, and _not otherwise_. _Ours_ is an unrestricted liberty, and a
spontaneous power in all responsible volitions, to _choose as we do_, or
_otherwise_.
Thus far I have examined the mind in its power of choosing good or evil,
according to its original constitution. How far this power has been
affected by sin, on the one hand, or by grace, on the other, is a
question that will claim attention in my next.
NUMBER X.
MORAL AGENCY AS AFFECTED BY THE FALL, AND THE SUBSEQUENT PROVISIONS OF
GRACE.
MY last number was an attempt to prove that God created man with a
spontaneous power of moral action; and that this was the only ground of
his moral responsibility. It is now proposed to inquire how far this
power has been affected by the fall, and the subsequent provisions of
grace. The doctrine of the Methodist Church on these points is very
clearly expressed by the 7th and 8th articles of religion in her book of
Discipline.
1. "Original sin standeth not in the _following_ of Adam, (as the
Pelagians vainly talk,) but it is the corruption of the nature of every
man that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man
is very far gone from original righteousness, and of his own nature
inclined to evil, and that continually."
2. "The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot
turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and works, to
faith and calling upon God: wherefore we have no power to do good works
pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ
preventing us, (going before to assist us,) that we may have a good
will, and working with us when we have that good will."
It is not pretended here that any intellectual faculties are lost by
sin, or restored by grace; but that the faculties that are essential to
mind have become corrupted, darkened, debilitated, so as to render man
utterly incapable of a right choice without prevenient and cooperating
grace. As muscular or nervous power in a limb, or an external sense, may
be weakened or destroyed by physical disease, so the moral power of the
mind or an inward sense may be weakened or destroyed by moral disease.
And it is in perfect accordance with analogy, with universal language,
and with the representations of Scripture, to consider the mind as
susceptible, in its essential nature, of this moral deterioration. If
any one should say he cannot understand what this moral defect is, I
would answer by asking him if he can tell me what the essence of mind
is? And if he chooses to object to this kind of depravity, because he
cannot understand it, in its essence, he should turn materialist at
once; and then, as he will find equal difficulty to tell what the
essence of matter is, and in what its weakness and disorder essentially
consist, he must turn universal skeptic.--The simple statement is, _the
soul has become essentially disordered by sin;_ and as no one can prove
the assertion to be unphilosophical or contrary to experience, so I
think it may be shown from Scripture that this is the real state of
fallen human nature. And it may also be shown that this disorder is such
as to mar man's free agency. There is a sense, indeed, in which all
voluntary preference may be considered as implying free agency. But
voluntary preference does not necessarily imply _such a free agency_ as
involves moral responsibility. The mind may be free to act in one
direction, and yet it may so entirely have lost its moral equilibrium as
to be utterly incapable, of its own nature, to act in an opposite
direction, and therefore not, in the full and responsible sense, a free
agent. It is not enough, therefore, to say, "Free agency (of a
responsible kind) consists in the possession of understanding,
conscience, and will;" (see Christian Spectator for September, 1830;)
unless by _will_ is meant the spontaneous power already alluded to. The
understanding may be darkened, the conscience may be seared or polluted,
the will, that is, the power of willing, may, to all good purposes, be
inthralled; and this is what we affirm to be the true state and
condition of unaided human nature.
It will be farther seen that the above account of human nature does not
recognize the distinction of _natural_ and _moral_ ability. The fact is,
man's inability is both natural and moral; it is natural, because it is
constitutional; and it is moral, because it relates to the mind. To say
a fallen man has natural power to make a right choice, because he has
the faculties of his mind entire, is the same as to say that a paralytic
man has the natural power to walk, because he has his limbs entire. It
appears to me that the whole of this distinction, and the reasoning from
it, proceed on the ground of a most unphilosophical analysis of mind and
an unwarranted definition of terms. The simple question is, Has fallen
man, _on the whole_, the power to make a right choice, or has he not? We
say without grace he has not. And therefore fallen man is not, in the
responsible sense of that term, a free agent without grace.
This view of the subject is not novel in the Church. I readily
acknowledge that a doctrine is not therefore true, because it has been
held by many, and can be traced back to antiquity, unless it can be
proved to be Scriptural. The fact, however, that a doctrine has been
generally received in the Church, entitles it to respect and to a
careful examination, before it is discarded. Hence to those who have
only read modern Calvinistic authors on this subject, it may be a matter
of surprise to learn that not only the more ancient fathers, but even
St. Austin himself, the introducer of predestination into the Church,
and Calvin, and the synod of Dort, were all supporters of sentiments
substantially the same as are here vindicated--I say, those who have
only read modern Calvinistic authors will be surprised to learn this,
because these authors treat this doctrine as though it were so
unreasonable and absurd as scarcely to be tolerated in the view of
common sense. Though it may have an influence with some, in a paucity of
better reasons, to scout a doctrine from the Church by calling it
absurd, yet the candid will not readily give up an old doctrine for a
new, without good reason.
I had at first thought of quoting pretty freely from some of the
fathers, and especially from the early Calvinists, to show their views
on this point. But it may not be necessary, unless the statements here
made should be denied. Let therefore one or two quotations from Calvin
and from the synod of Dort, both of which I think Calvinists will
acknowledge as good Calvinistic authority, suffice. Calvin denies all
power to man, in his apostasy, to choose good, and says that,
"surrounded on every side with the most miserable necessity, he (man)
should nevertheless be instructed to aspire to the good of which he is
destitute, and to _the liberty of which he is deprived_." The synod of
Dort decided thus:--"We believe that God--formed man after his own
image, &c, _capable in all things to will_ agreeably to the will of
God." They then speak of the fall, and say, "We reject all that is
repugnant to this concerning the free will of man, since man is but a
_slave to sin_, and has nothing of himself, unless it is given him from
heaven." And speaking of the change by grace, they add, "The will thus
renewed is not only actuated and influenced by God, but _in consequence
of this influence becomes itself active_." And to show that Calvin did
not consider the voluntary acts of a depraved sinner as proof of free
will, he says, "Man _has not an equally free election of good and evil_,
and can only be said to have free will, because he does evil
voluntarily, and not by constraint;" and this he ironically calls
"egregious liberty indeed! if man be not compelled to serve sin, but yet
is such a willing slave that his will is held in bondage by the fettors
of sin." These quotations, I think, show satisfactorily that the early
Calvinists believed man to have lost his power to choose good by
apostasy, and can only regain it by grace. It is true, they generally
believed that whenever this grace was imparted to an extent to restore
to the mind the power of choosing good, it was regenerating grace. And
herein they differ from the Arminians, who believe that grace may and
does restore the power to choose good before regeneration. This,
however, does not affect the point now under examination, but involves a
collateral question, which will be examined in its proper place. One
thought more, and I pass to the arguments on the main questions in the
articles quoted above. These articles are taken from the 9th and 10th of
the articles of the Church of England. Our 8th is indeed identically the
same as the 10th of the Church of England; and the latter part of that
article, commencing, "Wherefore, &c," is taken substantially from St.
Austin himself. Thus much for the Calvinistic authority of the doctrine
we defend. To which, if it were necessary, we might add quotations from
Beza, Dr. Owen, a decided Calvinist, and many of the ancient fathers.
Nay, the Remonstrants declared, in the presence of the synod of Dort,
that this was "the judgment of all antiquity."
Let us now notice some arguments in favour of this doctrine.
1. The doctrine above stated, and now to be defended, must be true, as
is believed, since only this view of man's condition will accord with
the Scripture account of depravity. If the Scriptures teach that man is
constitutionally depraved, that a blight and a torpor have come over his
moral nature, comparable to sleep, to disease, and to death, how can it
be otherwise than that this should affect his power to choose good? Had
man any too much moral power in the first instance to constitute him an
accountable moral agent? And if he had not, has he enough now that his
mind has become darkened, his judgment perverted, and his moral powers
corrupted and weakened? Or will it be denied that the moral energies of
his nature have been impaired by sin? If not, how has he been affected?
Let any one spend a thought on this question, and decide, if he can,
what definite vicious effect can be produced on man's moral nature which
will not necessarily imply a weakening and an embarrassment of his
original power to a right choice. Should it be said that his power is
somewhat weakened, but he has enough left to constitute him free to
choose good, this would imply that before the loss he had more than
enough! Besides, such an idea would rest on the principle that man's
moral nature was not _wholly_ vitiated. It is said, I know, that all the
embarrassment which man has to a right choice is a disinclination to
moral good. But if this disinclination to good be derived and
constitutional, it exists in the mind previous to any act of choice, and
is therefore the very thing we mean--it is this very thraldom of the
mind which utterly incapacitates it to choose good. If it be asked
whether disinclination can ever be so strong as to destroy the freedom
of the will to act in one particular direction? I answer, most
unhesitatingly, Yes; and if that disinclination is either created or
derived, and not the result of an antecedent choice, the possessor is
not morally obligated to act in opposition to it, unless he receive
foreign aid to help his infirmities, and to strengthen him for a
contrary choice.
It follows then, I think, that we must either give up constitutional
depravity, or discard the notion that we can make a right choice without
Divine aid. And here, if I mistake not, we shall find the precise point
on which modern Calvinism has verged over into the New Divinity theory
of depravity. Perceiving that to acknowledge any depravity of man's
moral constitution would either imply the necessity of supernatural aid
in order to a right choice, or else free man from responsibility, Dr.
Taylor and his associates have resolved all depravity into _choice_ or
_voluntary preference_. They deny that there is any thing in the nature
of man, antecedently to his act of willing, that possesses a moral
character. Their idea is perfectly consistent with the notion of natural
ability; and that the advocates of the New Divinity have embraced this
idea is evidently a proof that they think closely and are seeking after
consistency, let it lead them where it will. The only wonder is, that
all who cleave to the dogma of natural ability do not follow them. The
doctrine of natural ability, if it is any thing more than a name,
appears evidently to be a part of the old Pelagian system, and should
never be separated from its counterpart--the doctrine of self conversion
and the natural perfectability of the human character. But this clearly
implies that there is no serious derangement or radical viciousness of
the moral man. Here, then, is another instance in which Calvinists in
general revolt at the legitimate results of their own system.
But while the New Divinity advocates have fearlessly removed an
important objection to their doctrine, they have, by this very act, as
it is believed, however little they may have designed it, set themselves
in fearful array against the Scripture doctrine of depravity and
salvation by grace, and have opened a wide door for the introduction of
numerous and dangerous heresies. It is true, they will not own that they
have gone very far from the old system. They think the doctrine of
natural depravity is asserted when they say, "nature is _such_ that he
will sin, and only sin, in all the appropriate circumstances of his
being." (See Dr. Taylor's Sermon.) But what this "nature" is, we are at
a loss to determine; as also what the "_such_" is that is predicated of
this nature; nor has Dr. T. told us how he knows that all men will sin
and only sin, when in fact they have natural power to avoid it; or in
what other than "the appropriate circumstances of their being" those are
who become regenerate. In fact, while this theory claims to be orthodox,
and thus to assimilate itself with the old theory, it has only exchanged
one inconsistency for a half score. Its advocates, to be consistent,
must come out plain and open Pelagians, and then meet the Scripture
doctrine of depravity and salvation by grace as they can, or they must
go back to their old ground, and endure the manifest inconsistency they
are now endeavouring to avoid; or, what seems to me better than either,
come on to the Arminian ground, which shuns all these difficulties,
while it maintains constitutional depravity and salvation by grace from
the foundation to the top stone, including of course a gracious ability
to choose life and gain heaven.
2. Another argument in favour of the _necessity_ of Divine grace, in
order to a right choice, is the fact, that God actually gives grace to
those who finally perish, as well as to those who are saved. Of this
fact the Scriptures afford decisive proof. They speak in general terms.
Jesus Christ "is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into
the world." "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto
all men." They speak in special terms of the unregenerate--that they
_grieve_, _resist_, and _quench_ the _Spirit_ of _grace_, which
certainly they could not do if they had it not. But if they have the
operations of the Spirit, what are these operations? What is the Spirit
doing to the inner man? Will it be said he is bringing motives to bear
upon the mind? But what motives other than those found in the Gospel?
These the sinner has without the Spirit. If these motives can convert
sinners, any of us can convert our neighbours. "But," it is said, "the
Spirit makes the heart _feel_ these motives." Aye, truly he does, and
that not by operating upon the motives, but upon the _heart_, and this
is the very work we contend for. It is thus that the Spirit graciously
arouses and quickens the dead soul, and brings it to _feel_, and excites
it to _act_, in the great work of salvation.
Since, then, it must be granted that unregenerate sinners, and those who
are finally lost, have the operations of this Spirit of grace, let me
seriously inquire, For what purpose is this grace given? On the
Calvinistic ground it cannot be that they may have a chance for
salvation, and thus be without excuse; for this is secured without
grace. Since they have natural ability to come to Christ, the abuse of
that ability is sufficient to secure their just condemnation. So say the
Calvinists; and on this ground they maintain that the reprobates are
justly condemned. For what purpose, then, is this grace given? If we may
establish a general principle by an induction of particulars; if we may
judge of the design of the God of providence or grace, by noticing, in
any given case, the uniform results, then we can easily determine this
point. _God gives grace to the reprobates that their condemnation may be
the more aggravated_. The argument stands thus: God gives grace to the
reprobates for some important purpose. He does not give it that
salvation may be possible to them, for they are able to be saved without
it; he does not give it to make salvation certain, for this it does not
effect; nevertheless he gives them grace, the invariable effect of which
is to increase their condemnation. The only consistent inference;
therefore is, that he gives grace to the reprobates that they may have a
more aggravated condemnation. Here, then, we trace the Calvinistic
theory to one of these _logical consequences_ charged upon it in the
sermon, and which has been so strenuously denied by the reviewers--a
consequence which, revolting as it is, must nevertheless be charged upon
it still, unless its advocates can show why grace is given to the
reprobates when they have all necessary ability to repent and believe
without it.
3. On the ground of this doctrine, also, there would be some difficulty
in accounting for the necessity of giving grace, in all cases, even to
the elect. Why may not some of these repent without grace? Nay, why may
not some of the reprobates, in the plenitude of their natural ability,
repent and be converted, in despite of the decree of reprobation? Did
God foresee that they would not, and on that foresight predicate his
decree of reprobation? But that would be a _conditional_ reprobation,
and would therefore imply its counterpart--a conditional election. This
no class of Calvinists will admit. How happens it, then, that some of
these reprobates do not get converted, since they not only have natural
powers enough to make a right choice but have some grace beside? Is it
because God has fixed the barrier in something else, by which this
ability, grace, and all are rendered nugatory? But this would render
their condemnation unjust, Calvinists themselves being judges. They tell
us that the only just ground of condemnation is, that _the sinner will
not come to Christ_. Here, then, is the most extraordinary thing that
angels or men ever knew; for almost six thousand years there has been
upon our earth a succession of generations of sinners, and its the
present generation of them there are eight hundred millions. All of
these, throughout all their generations, have had no other obstruction
to salvation but what exists in their own will, and each and all have
had by nature all needful ability in the will to a right choice, and
have had a measure of grace super-added, and yet not a reprobate among
them all has ever made a right choice; and not one of the elect ever did
or ever will make such a choice until God, by an omnipotent act, "makes
his elect willing in the day of his power!!" This is a miracle to which
all the other miracles in the world are as nothing--a miracle which
Omnipotence alone can accomplish by a Divine constitution and an
all-controlling energy. Thus this doctrine destroys itself. It assumes
positions, with respect to free will, that cannot be maintained, only on
the supposition of an _efficient_ superior agency to direct the action
of that _free will_, in a course of sinful volition, in hundreds of
millions of cases, without a single variation, save where that variation
is the result of the same superior Power acting in the opposite
direction.