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.
4. That the sinner receives aid by Divine grace to enable him to repent; and that he could not repent, without this, appears evident from the Scriptural representation of the ground of man’s responsibility. “If I had not come,” says the Saviour, “ye had not had sin.” “This is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light.” “He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the only begotten Son of God.” “Because I have called, and ye have refused, &c, I also will laugh at your calamity.” These and many other passages seem to imply that the sinner is rejected on the ground of his neglecting offered grace. But if this is the ground of his condemnation, it is not for the abuse of natural power. I see no way for a plausible attempt even to get rid of this argument, unless it should be attempted to raise a question respecting the nature of this grace. It may be said that “these passages only relate to gracious provisions, such as the atonement, the Scriptures of truth, &c, and have no reference whatever to a gracious influence upon the mind. The mind had sufficient strength to believe, repent, &c, but something must be presented to believe in; and some provision must be made to make repentance available.” In reply I would say, First, Even this shows that man could not have been saved from sin without grace, and hence on this ground this theory would be involved in the very difficulty which it attempts to throw upon our view of the subject, viz., that grace is necessary to make men guilty, because none can be guilty in a case where their course is unavoidable. But, leaving this for another place, I would say farther, in reply to the above, that the Scriptures do not represent this grace as confined to external provisions, but on the contrary speak of it as operating upon and influencing the mind, and that, too, in the very way for which we contend. Look at a few Scriptural expressions, promiscuously selected, and see how clearly they sustain our position. In the first place, to give the argument full force, let us notice the Scripture account of man’s natural condition. He is “in darkness,” “asleep,” “dead,” “without strength,” “sick,” “deaf,” “blind,” “lame,” “bound,” “helpless;” and all this in consequence of sin. Indeed, this is the very definition of his sinful character and condition. If such language does not describe utter inability of the sinner to serve God, then no language can do it. Now let us see what grace does. Its very design is to “awake the sleeper;” to unstop deaf ears, and “open blind eyes;” to “lighten every man;” to “strengthen with might by the Spirit in the inner man.” “Christ strengthens” the sinner, that he may “do all things.” It is on the ground that “God worketh in him to will and to do,” that man is exhorted to “work out his salvation with fear and trembling.” “Thou strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.” But leaving farther quotations of this kind, let the reader fix his attention on the stress which the Scriptures lay upon the striving of the Spirit. All the efficacy of the word is ascribed to the Spirit; and hence the apostle declares that he “preached the Gospel, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven;” that it “came, not in word, but in power.” Indeed, “the letter (of the word) killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.” Hence the frequent cautions not to “grieve” or “quench the Spirit.” Now what, I ask, can all these scriptures mean? Is there any plausibility in the idea, that by such expressions nothing is meant but the general provisions of grace in the Gospel economy? That no direct, gracious influence of the Spirit upon the heart is intended? In fact, the new idea of conversion by motives and moral suasion seems to be a device to meet this very difficulty. The old Calvinists charge the advocates of the New Divinity with holding that all the Spirit does in operating upon the heart, is not by operating upon it directly, but indirectly through the truth: which has given rise to the saying, “If I were as eloquent as the Holy Ghost, I could convert souls as well as he.” And if they do hold this, it is no wonder, for indeed it is the legitimate consequence of the doctrine of natural ability. They doubtless arrive at it thus:—According to the Scriptures, man’s responsibility turns on his rejecting or improving the grace of God. That grace cannot be an internal gracious influence upon man’s moral nature, because that would conflict with the notion of responsibility, on the ground of natural power. These scriptures therefore can mean nothing more than that a gracious atonement is provided, and a record of Divine truth made, and now, in the use of his natural power, the sinner is required to judge of and embrace this truth, which if he does, he in this sense improves the grace of God, and is converted; but if he does it not, he grieves the Spirit, and is condemned. Thus in the one case, if he is converted, it is in the use of his natural power, “choosing in the view of motives;” and in the other case, if he is not converted, it is in the use of his natural power, refusing in view of motives. Is not this correct reasoning? And ought not the New-Haven divines to be commended for carrying out the system to its legitimate results? And ought not all to follow them in this, who hold to natural ability? And yet no wonder that they hesitate here, for cold and spiritless indeed must be that system of religious experience that resolves the conversion of the soul into a mere natural operation of choosing, through the influence of moral suasion.
Leaving this system, therefore, to labour under its fatal embarrassments, it may be seen, I think, that the system here vindicated corresponds with the Scriptures and is consistent with itself; for it makes man’s responsibility turn upon grace improved or misimproved, and it makes that grace an internal quickening influence, and a strengthening energy upon the heart; and these different features of the theory, when placed together, all seem at once to be compatible with each other.
5. Express passages of Scripture teach the doctrine here maintained.
I need not now repeat the passages already referred to, in which the state of the depraved heart is described, and which show, if any human language can show it, that man is naturally “without strength.” But my object is to call the attention of the reader to some very direct and express passages, to show that it is grace, and grace alone, that enables the soul to do the will of God. “I can do all things,” saith the apostle, “through Christ who strengtheneth me.” Query: would not the apostle have thought it presumption to have said, I can do all things without strength from Christ? Has he ever intimated such a sentiment in all his writings? Does he not rather say, “We are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God?” This is the apostle’s general language, and it is in perfect accordance with the declaration of his Master, “Without me ye can do nothing.” “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” “No man can come to me, except the Father draw him.” “Likewise the Spirit Helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what to pray for as we ought.” “My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” “The God of all grace—stablish, strengthen, settle you.” “For this cause I bow my knees to the Father, &c, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might, by his Spirit, in the inner man,” “according to the power that worketh in us.” It is useless to quote farther. If these passages do not show that our strength to do good is of grace, then it appears to me the Holy Spirit must fail of an ability to communicate that idea through human language. Will it be said that some of these passages refer to the regenerate, and therefore are not in point to meet the case of the unregenerate? I would ask, in reply, whether regenerating grace takes away our natural ability? Certainly if the regenerate can neither think nor do any thing acceptable without grace, much more do the unregenerate need this grace to enable them to make a right choice. And yet in the face of these most explicit scriptures, we are repeatedly told that man has natural power to make himself a new heart!
To the foregoing considerations, I might add, if any farther proof of our doctrine were necessary, and if this paper had not been extended so far already, the universal experience of all Christians. This appears, from their language, to be the experience of Bible saints, under both the Jewish and Christian dispensations. And what Christian now living, but feels now, and felt when he first embraced the Saviour, that the strength to do this was from God—directly from God, through grace. Hear his prayers—he pleads his weakness —he asks for strength. And what does he mean by that prayer? Does he ask for some external accommodation and aid? No; he wants strength, by the Spirit, in the inner man. And this is the prayer of all Christians, whether they advocate this notion of natural ability or not. The sayings and writings also of these very advocates of natural ability, so powerful is this feeling of dependence, are often in perfect coincidence, with the doctrine we defend. A most striking instance of this is found in Dr. Wood’s pamphlet (page 97) in opposition to Dr. Taylor, as follows:—“The common theory (of Calvinistic orthodoxy) leads us to entertain low thoughts of ourselves, especially in a moral view; and to feel that we are not of ourselves sufficient for any thing spiritually good, and that, for whatever holiness we now possess, or may hereafter attain, we are dependent on Divine grace.” What stronger gracious ability do Arminians hold to, than this? “Not of ourselves sufficient for any thing spiritually good.” And is this the common theory of Calvinism? Then Calvinism here, as in other points, is divided against itself. Indeed one would be induced to think, were it not for the context, either that Dr. Wood differed from his brothers generally, on this point, or was off his guard at this moment. But he tells us, in this very paragraph, that he “does not differ at all from the generality of ministers, in New-England, respecting the natural powers and faculties of man, as a moral and accountable being.” But he fears the “unqualified language” which Dr. T. “employs respecting the natural state, the free will, and the power of man.” On reading this last passage, I confess I am at a loss to know what to say or believe of this Calvinistic opinion of natural power. Dr. Taylor’s “unqualified language” respecting “the power of man,” I take to be a frank statement of Dr. Wood’s opinion, and that of other Calvinists. Dr. T. says man has natural power sufficient to make a right choice. Does not Dr. Wood say this? He says he does not differ from “the generality;” and it is notorious that this is the doctrine of the generality of those ministers. Dr. Tyler, of Portland, one of Dr. Wood’s coadjutors in opposing Dr. Taylor, says, in a sermon[5] on free salvation, “There is no reprobation taught in the Scriptures, which destroys human liberty, or which impairs the sinner’s natural power. Every man is a free moral agent. Life and death are set before him, and he is capable of choosing between them.” What language can be more “unqualified” than this? It teaches us that man has natural power, which renders him capable to make a right choice. It is true, Dr. Taylor, and “those who believe with him,” carry out this doctrine into its legitimate and practical bearings. On the ground of this power, they exhort sinners “to make themselves new hearts.” One of them, as reported to me by a preacher, went so far as to say, in a public address, that sinners ought to be ashamed to ask the aid of the Holy Spirit to convert them, since they had power to convert themselves. And what objection can any, who hold to natural power to choose life, urge against this? If, as Dr. Tyler teaches, in his “Examination of Dr. Taylor’s Theological Views,” a right choice implies regeneration; and if every man is naturally capable of a right choice, as taught by this same Dr. Tyler, and the “generality” of his brethren, then it follows conclusively, and I see not how any sophistry can cover up the inference, these sinners have natural power to convert themselves. Instead therefore of hypocritically pleading their own weakness, before a throne of grace, and asking for mercy and grace to help them in their time of need, they ought to be crimsoned with shame, for their folly and hypocrisy, turn away from their impertinent suit, throw themselves upon the resources of nature, and regenerate their own hearts. If however these gentlemen believe it impossible for sinners to do this, then, taking their whole theory together, this power is no power, and community, up to this hour, has been deluded by unmeaning words—words which only serve to conceal the deformity of a theological system, which, when thoroughly examined, is found after all, to teach that the poor reprobate has no adequate power by nature, and receives no available aid from grace to choose salvation, and must therefore, from the imperious necessity of his nature and condition, go down to interminable death.
[ NUMBER XI. ]
SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED.