be unjust for the Divine Being to leave his plan _unfinished_, after it
is begun, the _whole_ plan must be predicated on justice, and not on
grace. It is true, he has not said this, in so many words, but his
reasoning implies it. For he says this scheme of gracious ability
"annihilates the whole doctrine of grace." Because God, if he held man
accountable, was bound to give him this ability, as a matter of justice;
hence it is not an ability by grace, but an ability by justice. The
whole of this reasoning, and much more, goes upon the principle, that
the _completion_ of a plan of grace, after it is begun, cannot be
claimed on the scale of justice, without making the whole a plan of
justice. But is this true? Is not a father, after he has been
instrumental of bringing a son into the world, bound _in justice_ to
provide for and educate him? And yet does not the son owe a debt of
gratitude to that father, when he has done all this? If a physician
should cut off the limb of a poor man, to save his life, is he not bound
_in justice_, after he has commenced the operation, to take up the
arteries and save the man from dying, by the operation. And if he should
not do it, would he not be called a wanton and cruel wretch? And yet in
both these cases the persons may be unworthy. The son may show much
obliquity of moral principle, and yet the father should bear with him,
and discipline him. The man on whom the physician operated may be poor
and perverse. Here then are cases in which _justice demands that un
merited favour begun should be continued_, or else what was favour in
the commencement, and what would be favour in the whole, would
nevertheless by its incompleteness, be most manifest injustice. Such is
the state of the question in respect to the Divine administration. The
whole race of man had become obnoxious to the Divine displeasure, in
their representative and federal head, by reason of _his_ sin. This is
expressly stated: "By the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to
condemnation." "In Adam all die." In this situation we may suppose that
the strict justice of the law required punishment in the very character
in which the offence was committed. Adam personally and consciously
sinned; and so, according to justice, he must suffer. The prospective
generations of men, existing seminally in him, as they had not
consciously and personally sinned, could, in justice, only experience
the effects of the curse in the same character in which they sinned,
viz. passively and seminally, unless provision could be made, by which,
in their personal existence, they might free themselves from the effects
of sin. Now God, in the plenitude of his wisdom and grace, saw fit to
make provision for a new probation for man, on the basis of a covenant
of grace, the different parts of which are all to be viewed together, in
order to judge of their character. In this covenant Adam had a _new
trial;_ and when the promise was made to him he stood in the same
relation to his posterity as he did when he sinned, and the curse was
out against him. If, by the latter, the prospective generations of men
were justly cut off from possible existence; by the former this
existence was mercifully secured to them. If by the corruption of the
race, through sin, the possibility of salvation was cut off, on all
known principles of administrative justice; by the provisions of grace
the possibility of salvation was secured to the whole race; and this
possibility implies every necessary provision to render grace available
and efficient, in accordance with moral responsibility. If "God, who
spared not his own Son, but freely gave him up for us all," had not
"with him also freely given us all things" necessary for our salvation,
would not the Divine procedure have been characterized both by folly and
injustice? If his plan of grace had only gone so far as to have given us
a conscious being, without giving us the means of making that existence
happy, would it not have been wanton cruelty? And yet, taking the whole
together, who does not see that it is a most stupendous system of grace,
from the foundation to the top-stone? Let us not then be guilty of such
manifest folly, as to take a part of the Divine administration, and make
up a judgment upon that, as viewed independently of the rest, and then
transfer this abstract character to the whole. As in chemical
combinations, though one of the ingredients taken alone might be
deleterious, yet the compound may be nutritious or salutary, so in the
new covenant, if we separate legal exactions and penalties from gracious
provisions, the operations of the former may be unjust and cruel, yet
the whole, united as God hath combined them, may be an administration of
unparalleled grace. It is in this heavenly combination that "mercy and
truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other."
Now, therefore, "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and _just_ to
forgive us our sins," for on this ground he can be "_just_ and the
justifier of them that believe." Although justice is thus involved in
the system, and to leave out part of the system would be manifest
injustice, yet the whole is the "blessed Gospel;" "the Gospel of the
grace of God." It is objected, I know, that the idea that, but for the
provisions of the Gospel, man would not have propagated his species, is
fanciful and unauthorized by Scripture. The Scriptures, I grant, do not
strike off into speculations about what God might have done, or would
have done, if he had not done as he has. This is foreign from their
design; and I am perfectly willing to let the whole stand as the
Scriptures present it. But when our opponents set the example of raising
an objection to what we think the true system, by passing judgment on a
part, viewed abstractly, we must meet them. On their own ground, then, I
would say, the idea that man would have been allowed to propagate his
species, without any provisions of grace, is altogether fanciful and
unauthorized by Scripture. Will it be said, that it seems more
reasonable, and in accordance with the course of nature, to suppose that
he would? I answer, It seems to me more reasonable, and in accordance
with the course of justice, to suppose that he would not. Whoever
maintains that the personal existence of Adam's posterity was not
implied and included in the provisions of grace, in the new covenant,
must take into his theory one of the following appendages;--he must
either believe that the whole race could justly be consigned to personal
and unavoidable wo, for the sin of Adam, or that all could be justly
condemned for the sin of their own nature, entailed upon them without
their agency, and therefore equally unavoidable; or he must believe that
each would have a personal trial on the ground of the covenant of works,
as Adam had. If there is another alternative, it must be some system of
probation which God has never intimated, and man, in all his inventions
has never devised. Whoever is prepared to adopt either of the two former
propositions is prepared to go all lengths in the doctrine of
predestination and reprobation charged upon Calvinism in the sermon that
gave rise to this controversy, and, of course, will find his system
subject to all the objections there urged against it. If any one chooses
to adopt the third alternative, and consider all the posterity of Adam
as standing or falling solely on the ground of the covenant of works,
such a one need not be answered in a discussion purporting to be a
"_Calvinistic_ controversy." He is a Socinian, and must be answered in
another place. All that need be done here, is to show the embarrassments
of _Calvinism proper_, the utter futility of all its changes to relieve
itself from these embarrassments, unless it plunge into Pelagianism and
Socinianism, or rest itself upon the Arminian foundation of gracious
ability. It is on this latter ground we choose to rest, because here,
and here alone, we find the doctrines of natural depravity, human
ability and responsibility, and salvation by grace, blending in
beautiful harmony.
Having noticed some of the erroneous assumptions on which the doctrinal
objections to our theory are based, the objections themselves, I think,
may all be disposed of in a summary way. We see, on our plan, that, 1.
Adam did not render himself incapable of sinning, by the fall, but
rather rendered himself and his posterity incapable of any other moral
exercise but what was sinful; and it was on this account that a gracious
ability is necessary, in order to a second probation. 2. Sin, since the
fall, has not been the result of supernatural grace, but the natural
fruit of the fall; and supernatural grace is all that has counteracted
sin. 3. "Man needed the grace of God," _both_ "because he was wicked,"
_and_ "because he was weak."--4. "The moral difference between one man
and another is--to be ascribed to God." How any one could think a
contrary opinion chargeable upon us, is to me surprising. It is more
properly Calvinism that is chargeable with this sentiment. Calvinism
says, Regeneration is a right choice. It says, also, that power to sin
implies power to be holy; and of course we become holy by the same power
as that by which we sin. And it farther says, that the power is of
nature and not of grace. Now let the reader put all these together, and
see if it does not follow most conclusively, that "the moral difference
between one man and another is not to be ascribed to God." But, on the
contrary, _we_ say the sinful nature of man is changed in regeneration
by the power of the Holy Ghost. 5. "The posterity of Adam" _did_ "need a
Saviour to atone for actual sin." For actual sin is the result, not of
gracious power, as this author supposes, but of a sinful nature
voluntarily retained and indulged. If our opponents charge us with the
sentiment, that grace is the cause of the actual sin of Adam's
posterity, because we hold that grace was the cause of their personal
existence, we grant that, in that sense, grace was a cause without which
the posterity of Adam would not have sinned. But if this makes God the
author of sin, by the same rule we could prove that God is the author of
sin, because he created moral agents--and if there is any difficulty
here, it presses on them as heavily as on us. But in any other sense,
grace is not the cause of sin. 6. "This opinion is," as we have seen,
perfectly "with the doctrine of grace." 7. "There is" _constant_ "guilt
in the present rebellion of the infernal regions." 8. "This grace is a
greater" _blessing_ "to our race than the fall of Adam" was a
"calamity;" for "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound."
Thus I have endeavoured to _explain_, _prove_, and _defend_ the doctrine
of gracious ability, a doctrine always maintained in the orthodox
Church, until the refinements of Calvinism made it necessary to call it
in question; and a doctrine on which, viewed in its different bearings,
the orthodox Arminian system must stand or fall. I have been the more
minute and extended in my remarks from this consideration; and also from
the consideration that while this doctrine has of late been most
violently assailed by all classes of Calvinists, very little has been
published in its defence. If the reader has had patience to follow the
subject through, he is now perhaps prepared to judge whether our holy
volitions are the result of a gracious ability or of natural power.
Should I find time to pursue this subject farther, it would be in place
now to examine the doctrine of regeneration; in which examination the
nature of inherent depravity, and of that choice which is conditional to
the new birth, would be more fully noticed. "This will I do if God
permit."
NUMBER XIII.
REGENERATION.
An important error in any one cardinal doctrine of the Gospel will make
a glaring deformity in the entire system. Hence when one of these
doctrines is marred or perverted, a corresponding change must be made in
most or all of the others to keep up the appearance of consistency.
These remarks apply with special emphasis to the doctrine of
regeneration. As this is a focal point, in which many other leading
doctrines centre, this doctrine must of necessity give a character to
the whole Gospel plan. This might be inferred _a priori_ from the
knowledge of the relation of _this_ to the other parts of the Christian
system, and it is practically illustrated in the history of the Church.
There are those who believe, that by the various terms used in Scripture
to express the change commonly called regeneration or the new birth,
nothing is intended but some outward ceremony, or some change of opinion
in matters of speculative belief or the like. Some say it is baptism, or
a public profession of faith; others that it is a mere speculative
renunciation of heathen idolatry, and an acknowledgment of the Christian
faith; others that it is merely a reformed life; and a few maintain that
it is the change that we shall undergo by death, or by the resurrection
of the body. These persons, and all in fact who make the new birth
something short of a radical change of heart, are obliged, for
consistency's sake, to accommodate the other doctrines to their views of
regeneration. Hence they very generally deny constitutional or derived
depravity, the inflexibility and rigorous exactions of the Divine law,
the destructive character of sin, the atonement, the supernatural agency
of the Spirit upon the human heart, justification by faith, and the
like. Thus a radical error on one point actually leads to _another
gospel_--if gospel it may be called.
It does not come within the scope of my present design to enter into a
refutation of the foregoing errors. But from the disastrous results of
these errors we may infer the importance of guarding carefully and of
understanding clearly the Scripture doctrine of the new birth. Even
where the error is not so radical, as in the instances above alluded to,
the evil may be considerable, and in some cases fatal.
The Arminians and Calvinists agree in this doctrine, in so far as that
they both make it a radical change of moral nature, by the supernatural
agency of the Holy Ghost. But they differ in respect to the _order_ in
which the several parts of the change take place--in respect to the
manner and degree of the agency of the Holy Spirit, and also in respect
to the part which human agency has in the accomplishment of this change.
And in some, if not all of these points, Calvinists differ as much from
each other as they do from us.
It is my present purpose to point out some of the more prominent
Calvinistic modes of stating and explaining this doctrine, with the
difficulties attending them: after which I shall endeavour to present
and defend what we believe to be the Scripture doctrine of regeneration.
_First Theory_.--The notion that the mind is entirely passive in this
change, that is, that nothing is done by the subject of it, which is
preparative or conditional, or in any way co-operative in its
accomplishment, has been a prevailing sentiment in the various
modifications of the old Calvinistic school. It is not indeed pretended
that the mind is inactive, either before or at the time this renovation
is effected by the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, it is said that the
sinner is resisting with all the power of the mind, and with all the
obstinacy of the most inveterate enmity, up to the very moment, and in
the very act of conversion. So that the sinner is regenerated, not only
_without_ his _co-operation_, but also in _spite_ of his _utmost
resistance_. Hence it is maintained, that, but for the _irresistible_
influence of the Holy Ghost upon the heart, no sinner would be
converted.
1. One of the leading objections to this view of conversion is, that it
is inseparably connected with the doctrine of particular and
unconditional election. The two reciprocally imply each other, and must
therefore, stand or fall together. But this doctrine of particular and
unconditional election has been sufficiently refuted, it is hoped, in
the sermon that gave rise to this controversy; if so, then the doctrine
of passivity and irresistible grace is not true.
2. Another very serious difficulty which this theory of conversion has
to contend with is, that the Scriptures, in numerous passages, declare
that the Spirit of God may be _resisted, grieved, quenched_, and utterly
disregarded; and that the grace of God may be abused, or received in
vain. The passages to establish these propositions are so frequent that
I need not stop to point them out. But if this be so, then the grace of
God and the Spirit of grace are not irresistible.
3. It may be yet farther objected to this doctrine of the mind's
passivity in conversion, that it is a virtual denial of all gracious
influence upon the heart before regeneration. It has been shown in
previous numbers that man was not able to comply with the conditions of
salvation without grace--and that the gracious influences of the Divine
Spirit are given to every sinner previous to regeneration. But there
would be no necessity for this, and no consistency in it, if there are
no conditions and no co-operation on the part of the sinner in the
process of the new birth. Hence the advocates of this doctrine very
consistently maintain that the first act of grace upon the heart of the
sinner is that which regenerates him. Since then this theory conflicts
with the Bible doctrine of a gracious influence anterior to conversion,
it cannot be admitted.
4. This theory of regeneration removes all conditions on the part of the
sinner to the removal of the power and guilt of sin. It teaches that if
the sinner should do any thing acceptable to God, _as a condition_ to
his conversion, it would imply he did not need converting; that such an
idea, in fact, would be inconsistent with the doctrine of depravity, and
irreconcilable with the idea of salvation _by grace_. And this is the
ground on which the old Calvinists have so repeatedly charged us with
the denial of the doctrines of grace, and with holding that we may be
justified by our works.
There is something very singular in these notions respecting the
necessity of _unconditional_ regeneration, in order that it may be by
grace. These same Calvinists tell us that the sinner _can_ repent, and
ought to repent, and that the Scriptures require it at his hand. What!
is the sinner able and obliged to do that which would destroy the whole
economy of grace! which would blot out the Gospel and nullify the
atonement itself? Ought he to do that which would prove him a practical
Pelagian and an operative workmonger? Is he indeed, according to
Calvinists themselves, required in Scripture to do that which would
prove Calvinism false, and a conditional regeneration true? So it would
seem. Put together these two dogmas of Calvinism. 1. _The sinner is
able, and ought to repent._ 2. _The idea that the sinner does any thing
toward his regeneration destroys the doctrine of depravity and of
salvation by grace._ I say put these two together, and you have almost
all the contradictions of Calvinism converged to a focus--and what is
most fatal to the system, you have the authority of Calvinism itself to
prove that every intelligent probationer on the earth not only has the
ability, but is authoritatively required to give practical demonstration
that the system is false!! What is this but to say, "You _can_, and you
_cannot;_"--if you _do_ not, you will be justly condemned--if you _do_,
you will ruin the Gospel system, and yourself with it? Where such
glaring paradoxes appear, there must be something materially wrong in,
at least, some parts of the system.
5. But the inconsistency of this theory is not its only, and certainly
not its most injurious characteristic. In the same proportion as men are
made to believe that there are no conditions on their part to their
regeneration, they will be likely to fall into one of the two extremes
of carelessness or despair, either of which, persisted in, would be
ruinous. I cannot doubt but that, in this way, tens of thousands have
been ruined. We should infer that such would be the result of the
doctrine, from only understanding its character; and I am fully
satisfied that, in my own personal acquaintance, I have met with
hundreds who have been lulled in the cradle of Antinomianism on the one
hand, or paralyzed with despair on the other, by this same doctrine of
passive, unconditional conversion. Calvinists, it is true, tell us this
is the abuse of the doctrine; but it appears to me to be the legitimate
fruit. What else could we expect? A man might as well attempt to
dethrone the Mediator, as to do any thing toward his own conversion.
Teach this, and carelessness ensues, Antinomian feelings will follow--or
if you arouse the mind by the curse of the law, and by the fearful doom
that awaits the unregenerate, what can he do? Nothing! Hell rises from
beneath to meet him, but he can do _nothing_. He looks until he is
excited to phrensy, from which he very probably passes over to raving
madness, or settles down into a state of gloomy despair.
6. Another very decisive objection to this doctrine is, the frequent,
and I may say uniform language of Scripture. The Scriptures require us
to _seek--ask--knock--come to Christ--look unto God--repent--believe
--open the door_ of the heart--_receive Christ_, &c. No one can fail to
notice how these instructions are sprinkled over the whole volume of
revelation. And what is specially in point here, all these are spoken of
and urged upon us as conditions of blessings that shall follow--even the
blessings of salvation, of regeneration--and as conditions, too, without
which we cannot expect these blessings. Take one passage of many--"As
many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name." If any one doubts whether
"becoming the sons of God," as expressed in this text, means
regeneration, the next verse will settle it--"Which were born not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God," John i, 12, 13. The latter verse I may have occasion to remark
upon hereafter; it is quoted here to show that the new birth is
undoubtedly the subject here spoken of. And we are here expressly
taught, in language that will bear no other interpretation, that
_receiving_ Christ and _believing_ on his name are the conditions of
regeneration. If there were no other passage in the Bible to direct our
minds on this subject, this plain unequivocal text ought to be decisive.
But the truth is, this is the uniform language of Scripture. And are
there any passages against these, any that say we cannot come, cannot
believe, seek, &c? or any that say, this work of personal regeneration
is performed independent of conditions? I know of none which will not
fairly admit of a different construction. We are often met with this
passage--"It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of
God that showeth mercy." See Rom. ix, 16. But whoever interpreteth this
of personal and individual regeneration can hardly have examined the
passage carefully and candidly. But we are told again, it is God that
renews the heart; and if it is his work, it is not the work of the
sinner. I grant this; this is the very sentiment I mean to maintain; but
then there may be conditions--_there are conditions_--or else we should
not hear the psalmist _praying_ for this, in language that has been
preserved for the edification of all subsequent generations, "Create in
me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." This is a
practical comment on Christ's conditional salvation, "Ask and ye shall
receive."
Since then this doctrine of passive and unconditional regeneration
implies unconditional election--since it is in opposition to those
scriptures which teach that the Spirit and grace of God may be resisted
and received in vain--since it is a virtual denial of all gracious
influences upon the heart before regeneration--since it leads the
abettors of the theory into gross contradictions, by their endeavours to
reconcile the can and the _cannot_ of their system--since its practical
tendency is to make sinners careless, or drive them to despair--and
finally, since it contradicts that numerous class of scriptures, some of
which are very unequivocal, that predicate the blessings of regeneration
and justification upon certain preparatory and conditional acts of the
sinner--_therefore_ we conclude that this theory cannot be true.
_Second Theory_.--To avoid these difficulties, to make the sinner feel
his responsibility, and to bring him into action, a new theory of
regeneration is proposed. This constitutes a leading characteristic of
the New Divinity. It is the theory of _self-conversion_. Its advocates
maintain that there is no more mystery or supernatural agency in the
process of the change, called the new birth, than there is in any other
leading purpose or decision of the mind. It is true, they do not wholly
exclude the Holy Spirit from this work, but his agency is mediate and
indirect. He acts in some undefinable way, through the truth as an
instrument. The truth acts upon the mind, in the way of _moral suasion_,
and the sinner, in the view and by the influence of truth, resolves to
give himself up to God and to his service--and _this is regeneration_.
The preparation is of God--but the actual change is man's own work. The
God of providence reveals the truth and arranges the means for its
promulgation, the Spirit of grace applies it to the understanding, the
sinner looks at it, reflects upon it, and at length is persuaded to set
about the work, and regenerates himself!
That we may be the better prepared to meet this hypothesis, it should be
noticed that it is inseparable from the notion that all sin consists in
voluntary exercise, or in other words, in a series of sinful volitions.
Regeneration is a change from sin to holiness--and hence a regenerate
state is the opposite of a sinful state. If then a regenerate state is
nothing more than a series of holy volitions, an unregenerate state,
which is its opposite, is nothing more than a series of unholy
volitions. Thus it appears that this doctrine of regeneration by the act
of the will must stand or fall with the notion that all sin consists in
voluntary exercise. Any argument, therefore, brought against this latter
theory will bear with equal weight against this new idea of
regeneration. Bearing this in mind, we are prepared to object to this
doctrine,
1. That it is inconsistent with the doctrine of constitutional
depravity. This is granted by the supporters of the theory, and hence
constitutional depravity is no part of their system. All the arguments
therefore that have been adduced in favour of derived, inherent
depravity, or that can be urged in favour of this doctrine, will stand
directly opposed to this view of regeneration. The arguments in favour
of our views of depravity need not be repeated; and the reader is
referred to a previous number in which this point has been discussed.