is derived from the scriptural doctrine of the necessity of regeneration by the operations of the Holy Spirit. It is a maxim in philosophy, that no more causes should be admitted than are both true and sufficient to account for the effects. And it is equally clear, that if supernatural influence is necessary to repentance and other holy exercises, then man has not the ability to repent without such aid. It is manifestly a contradiction to assert that man is able to commence the work of holiness by his own exertions; and yet that he cannot do this without divine aid. Every text, therefore, which ascribes regeneration to God, is a proof of man's inability to regenerate himself. Indeed the very idea of a man's regenerating his own heart is absurd; it is tantamount to a man's creating himself, or begetting himself. Besides, the scriptures positively declare man's inability to turn to God without divine aid. "No man," says the Lord Jesus, can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him." "Without me ye can do nothing." "Christ is exalted a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and the remission of sins." "Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." "So then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy." "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves;" but see Cor. iii. 5. Our sufficiency is of the Lord. Everything is ascribed to the grace of God, and man, in scripture, is continually represented as "dead in trespasses and sins," as "blind," "not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."

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It will be objected, with much confidence, that if man has no ability to repent he cannot be blamed for not repenting. But this is only true if he desires to repent and is unable to do it. This, however, is not the case of the impenitent sinner. He does not wish to repent-if he did, there is no hindrance in his way. But his soul is at enmity with God, and this opposition is so deep and total that he has neither the will nor the power to convert himself to the love of God. But will his wickedness, therefore, excuse him, because it is so great that it has left no desire nor ability to change his mind? Certainly the judgment of mankind is sufficiently ascertained on this point, and is entirely different from this. The wretch who is so abandoned to vice, that he never feels a wish for reformation, is not on this account free from blame; so far from it, that The more

THE GREATER THE INABILITY, THE GREATER THE GUILT.

entirely a murderer has been under the influence of malice, the more detestable his crime. The object of all judicial investigation is to ascertain, first, the fact, and then the motive; and the more deliberate, unmixed, and invincible the malevolence appears to have been, the more unhesitating is the determination of every juror, or judge, to find him guilty. It is the common sense of all men, that the more incorrigible and irreclaimable a transgressor, the more deserving is he of severe punishment. It cannot, therefore, be a fact, that men generally think, that where there is any kind of ina

bility there is no blame. The very reverse is true. And it will be found to be the universal conviction of men in all ages and countries, that a totally depraved character creates an inability to do good; and that the greater this inability the more criminal is the person who is the subject of it.

Another objection is, that if impenitent men are informed that they can do nothing, they will sit still and make no manner of exertion, but will wait until God's time, as it is certain all their efforts will be in vain, until God works in them to will and to do. To which we reply, that unregenerate men are ever disposed to pervert the truth of God, so as to apologise for their own negligence; but this must not hinder us from embracing it and preaching it; though this should teach us to exercise peculiar caution when there is danger of mistake or perversion. Again, it answers no good end to set such persons to strive in their own strength, and sometimes fatally misleads them; for either they become discouraged, not finding their strength to answer to the doctrine of the preacher, or they are led to think that the exertions which they make are acts of faith and repentance; and thus, without feeling their dependence on God, are induced to rely on their own strength. Now, the true system is to exhort sinners to be found in the use of God's appointed means; that is, to be diligent in attendance on the word and at the throne of grace. They should also be exhorted to repent and to perform all other commanded duties, but at the same time distinctly informed that they need the grace of God to enable them rightly to perform these acts; and their efforts should be made in humble dependence on divine assistance. While they are reading, or hearing, or meditating, or praying, God may by his Holy Spirit work faith in their hearts, and while they are using the means of repentance, the grace of repentance may be bestowed upon them. We should not exhort men to perform any duty otherwise than as God has commanded it to be done; but we may exhort an unregenerate sinner to read and pray, for in attending on these means he is making the effort to believe and to repent; and while engaged in the use of these external means, God may give a believing and penitent heart. Besides, we do not know when men cease to be unregenerate. They are often renewed before they are aware that they have experienced a saving change; and if we omit to exhort them to pray, &c., under the apprehension that they cannot perform the duty aright, we may be hindering the access of some of God's dear children to his presence. And in regard to those who pray with an unregenerate heart, we are persuaded that they do not, by making the attempt to pray, sin so egregiously as by omitting the duty altogether. If the principle on which some act in their treatment of the awakened, were carried out to its legitimate consequences, they should be told neither to plough nor sow; no, nor perform the common duties of justice and morality, because they sin in all these as certainly as in their

prayers.

It is thought that inculcating the doctrine of the inability of sinners, has a tendency to lead them to procrastinate attention to their salvation, upon the plea that it is useless for them to strive until God's grace shall be granted; and it has been admitted, that this abuse may be made of the doctrine; but is there no danger of abuse on the other side? When men in love with sin are taught that they possess all necessary ability to turn to God, and that they can repent at any moment by a proper use of their own powers, will they not be led to postpone attention to the concerns of the soul, under the persuasion that it is a work which they can perform at any time, even on a death-bed? Will they not run the risk of being suddenly cut off, when they are informed that in a moment, or in a very short time, they can give their hearts to Christ? In fact, this is precisely the practical system of every careless sinner. He knows that he is going astray at present; but then he flatters himself that after enjoying his sinful pleasures awhile longer he will give them all up and become truly pious; and this common delusion is carried so far, that the secret thought of many is, that if on a death-bed they should only be favoured with the exercise of reason for a short time, they can easily make their peace with God, and prepare for another world. Therefore, faithful ministers have felt it to be their duty to endeavour to dissipate this delusion, and to convince men that their hopes of future repentance are fallacious; and they have found nothing more effectual to remove this dangerous self-confidence than to insist on the utter helplessness and total inability of the sinner to convert his own soul. But now the strain of preaching which is heard from many, coincides most perfectly with the erroneous persuasion which ignorance of their depravity leads natural men to cherish. We are persuaded, therefore, that much evil will result from this new method of preaching respecting man's ability. The evil will be twofold: first, multitudes will be confirmed in their false persuasion of their ability to become truly religious whenever they please; and will, in this persuasion, go on presumptuously in their indulgence of sin, with the purpose to repent at some future day; the second evil will be, that multitudes, under superficial conviction, being told that they have the power to turn to God, will, upon entirely insuffi cient grounds, take up the opinion that they have complied with the terms of salvation, because they are conscious they have exerted such power as they possess, and thus false hopes will be cherished which may never be removed. We are of opinion, therefore, that what is cried up as "new light," in regard to the proper method of dealing with sinners, is really a dangerous practical error; or, if what is inculcated can, by any explanation, be reconciled with truth, yet this method of exhibiting it is calculated to mislead, and has all the pernicious effects of error.

The truth is, that no unregenerate man can change his own heart, and yet he is accountable for all its evil, and culpable for all

the inability under which he labours. Man is a moral agent, and free in his sinful actions; that is, they are voluntary. He does what he pleases, and he wills what he pleases; but when his heart is fully set in him to do evil, there is no principle from which a saving change can take place. He must be renewed by the Spirit of God. He must be created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works.

ESSAY XIII.

THE NEW DIVINITY TRIED.

*

In the autumn of the year 1831 it appears that the Rev. Mr. Finney delivered a sermon on making a new heart, founded on Ezek. xviii. 13. The Rev. Mr. Rand being one of his auditors, took notes of the discourse, which he published, attended with a series of strictures, in a periodical work of which he was the editor. As these notes, in the judgment of Mr. Finney's friends, presented an imperfect view of his sermon, one of their number obtained the outline used by the preacher himself, and sent the requisite corrections to Mr. Rand, who availed himself of the aid thus afforded. The notes and strictures were afterwards published in a pamphlet form, under the title, "The New Divinity Tried." It is the review of this pamphlet by an anonymous writer, of which we propose to give a short notice.

We are not prepared to justify the course pursued by Mr. Rand, in thus bringing Mr. Finney before the public without his knowledge or consent. The considerations which evince the general impropriety of such a step are obvious, and are forcibly stated in the Review. That there may be cases in which the evil produced by a popular preacher constantly presenting erroneous views in his discourses, is so serious, that the usual etiquette of literary proceedings should be sacrificed in order to counteract its influence, we do not doubt. Nor do we question that Mr. Rand felt the present to be such a case. As the publication has not only been made, but noticed by the friends and advocates of Mr. Finney, there can be no impropriety in our calling the attention of our readers, for a few moments, to the contents of this Review. It is an elaborate production, distinguished both by acuteness and research, and pervaded by a tone of moderation. These are its favourable characteristics. On the other hand, it is lamentably deficient in open, manly discussion. Instead of a clear and bold statement of the distinguishing principles of the New Divinity, and a frank avowal of dissent from the Old Divinity of New England, there is an anx

*This article was published in 1832, in review of a pamphlet entitled "The New Divinity Tried; or An Examination of the Rev. Mr. Rand's Strictures on a sermon delivered by the Rev. C. J. Finney on making a new Heart."