[ NUMBER XIV. ]
REGENERATION, CONTINUED.
An inconsistency in any received theory is constantly driving its supporters to some modification of their system. This is a redeeming principle in the human mind, and greatly encourages the hope that truth will finally triumph.
It has already been noticed that the doctrine of entire passivity, in regeneration, is so pressed with difficulties that it has sought relief in the opposite notion of self-conversion. But this latter hypothesis is, in turn, encumbered, if possible, with still greater embarrassments. The presumption therefore is, that the truth lies between them; and it will doubtless be found, by a fair and thorough investigation, that this is the fact. But here the question arises, Can Calvinists consistently occupy any such middle ground? In other words, retaining the other peculiarities of Calvinism, can our Calvinistic brethren assume any position between these two extremes which will avoid the difficulties of both? A brief examination, it is hoped, will decide this question.
Third Theory.—Dr. Tyler is a highly respectable clergyman of the Calvinistic faith, and is now at the head of the theological school in East Windsor, Conn., which was got up with the avowed purpose of counteracting the New-Haven theology. We should not therefore suspect him of leaning too much toward the New Divinity. He tells us that the only depravity is to be unwilling to serve God—that there is “no other obstacle in the way of the sinner’s salvation except what lies in his own will”—that “to be born again is simply to be made willing to do what God requires.” What is this but the New Divinity? The will is here made, most explicitly, the sole seat of depravity; and regeneration is an act of the will. But every act of the will is the sinner’s own act, and therefore the agent, by that act of the will which constitutes regeneration, converts himself. —Perhaps Dr. Tyler will say, the sinner in this case does not convert himself, because he is “made willing.” God makes him willing “in the day of his power.” It is remarkable what a favourite phrase this is with the Calvinists. It is borrowed from the third verse of the hundred and tenth Psalm, “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.” Now although the word “made” is not in the text; although there is not the slightest evidence that the text speaks of regeneration at all, but on the contrary, it is most evidently intended to describe the character and conduct of God’s people, viz. the regenerate; and although every scholar, at least, among the Calvinists, knows this as well as he knows his right hand from the left, yet we hear it repeated by the learned and the ignorant, at all times and places—“God’s people are made willing in the day of his power.” It is not only a gross perversion of a Scripture phrase, but its repetition, in this perverted sense, renders it wearisome and sickening. But, waiving this, it becomes us to ask whether there is any more rational or Scriptural ground for the idea itself than there is for this use of the text. What is meant by making the soul willing? I confess I cannot understand it. Is it meant that God forces the soul to be willing? This is a contradiction in terms. To say that God acts directly on the will, and thus changes its determination by superior force, is to destroy its freedom—is to produce a volition without motive or reason—which would, at any rate, be an anomalous action of the will. And what is still more fatal to the theory, it implies no act of the sinner whatever, but an irresistible act of the Divine power, which therefore necessarily throws the theory back upon the doctrine of passive conversion. There is no avoiding this conclusion, I think, on the ground that God changes the action of the will, by an exertion of power upon the will itself. If, to avoid this, it should be said that the will is not changed by a direct act of power, but influenced to a holy determination indirectly, through the medium of motives, presented by the Holy Spirit—then and in that case we should be thrown forward on to the self-conversion system. The sinner’s voluntary act, by which he regenerated himself, would be as truly and entirely his own as any other act of the will; therefore he would be self -regenerated. This also would be regeneration, not by the Holy Spirit, but by the truth; which is another feature of the New Divinity. This also would make all depravity consist in the will, or rather in its acts; which has been shown in the preceding number to be unscriptural as well as unphilosophical. This objection is valid, whether the depravity is supposed to be in the power of willing, or in the acts of the will. But since, in Dr. Tyler’s view, to will in one direction is depravity, and to will in another direction is regeneration, and since all that motives can do is, not to change the will itself, but only prompt it to new voluntary states, it follows conclusively that Dr. T. makes all holiness and all unholiness consist in volitions; and therefore the moral -exercise system is true; which is another feature of the New Divinity. Truly I may repeat, we do not need another theological seminary in Connecticut to teach this doctrine.
Finally, according to this theory of Dr. T., he and all those who reason like him, are chargeable, I think, with a palpable paralogism they reason in a circle. They say, in the express language of Dr. Tyler, “All men may be saved if they will”—“No man is hindered from coming to Christ who is willing to come”—that is, since to will and to be willing is to be regenerated, this language gravely teaches us, “All men may be saved, if they are regenerated”—“No man is hindered from coming to Christ (to be regenerated) who is regenerated!” And indeed this view of regeneration not only makes learned divines talk nonsense, but the Scriptures also. The invitation, “Whosoever will, let him come,” &c, must mean, “Whosoever is regenerate, let him come,” and so of other passages. Thus this theory of Dr. Tyler, and of the many who hold with him, is so closely hemmed in on both sides, that it must throw itself for support, either upon the doctrine of passivity, or self-conversion; at the same time that in other respects it involves itself in inconsistent and anti-scriptural dogmas.
But that we may leave no position unexamined, let us take another view of the subject. Suppose, instead of saying regeneration is simply a change of the will, it should be argued that a change of the will implies a change of the affections, and this therefore is included in regeneration. Then I would ask, whether this change of the affections is in the order of cause and effect, or in the order of time, prior or subsequent to the act of the will. If this change is prior to any action of the will in the case, then the sinner has no voluntary co-operation in the work; and this brings us up once more upon the doctrine of passive regeneration. The heart is changed before the subject of the change acts. If the action of the will precedes the change of the heart, then this change will be effected in one of two ways. Either this anterior volition does itself change the heart; or it is a mere preparatory condition, on occasion of which God changes the heart. In the former case the man himself would change his own heart, and this is self-conversion; and in the latter alternative we have a conditional regeneration wrought by the Holy Ghost, and this is the very doctrine for which we contend, in opposition to Calvinism. If it should be said, this change of the will and this change of the heart take place independent of each other, that would not help the matter, since in this view the change of heart would be passive and unconditional. Thus whichever way this system turns, its difficulties press upon it still, and it finds no relief. Indeed there can, as I conceive, be no intermediate Calvinistic theory of regeneration, and there can be but two other alternatives—either God must renew the heart, independent of all co-operation on the part of the subject of this change—and this is the old doctrine of unconditional Divine efficiency—or the first acceptable act of the will must be regeneration; and this is the new doctrine of self-conversion. Let the reader, let any one reflect closely on this subject, and I cannot doubt but he will say with me, There is no third alternative. The nature of the case will admit of none. The former theory may not contradict many of those scriptures that speak of Divine efficiency in the work of grace upon the heart, but it is utterly incompatible with those that urge the sinner to duty.—The latter theory corresponds well with the urgent injunctions to duty, so abundant in the Scriptures, but is wholly irreconcilable with those that speak of Divine efficiency. The true theory must answer to both; and must also correspond with all the other parts of the Christian system. Is there such a theory? Every honest inquirer after truth will embrace it doubtless, if it can be presented—for truth, wherever, and whenever, and by whomsoever discovered, is infinitely to be preferred to error, however long and fondly it may have been cherished. Such a theory I will now try to present—and although I may fail in making it very explicit, and in bringing forward all its defences, yet if the general outlines can be seen and be defended, it will, I trust, commend itself to the favourable notice of the reader.
Scripture Doctrine of Regeneration.—I approach this subject by laying down the two following fundamental principles:—
1. The work of regeneration is performed by the direct and efficient operations of the Holy Spirit upon the heart.