bited through those horrid superstitions, which form the constituent elements of Popery and Paganism. The tendency of this denial is towards the Atheism of the materialist, which excludes the power of God, not only from the sustentation and government, but also from the creation of the world. But, on the other hand, a denial of the instrumentality of the word in. the production of this great change, is one step towards that independency of Deism, which rejects the means of grace. Its advocates are unconsciously rushing into an alliance with those sons of pride who form an imaginary God, to whom they dictate the laws by which he shall govern his creatures.

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CHAPTER II.

THE STATE OF THE QUESTION.

I. Depravity is the source of that radical error,-THE ABILITY OF THE NATURAL MAN'S WILL,-from which the false and clashing sentiments quoted in the preceding chapter shoot up spontaneously. But this error appears to be fostered in the church, by the want of a due consideration of the difference between the present and primitive state of man; applying to his fallen state arguments which are applicable only to a state of innocence. It is this, which not only clothes error in its plausible garb, but also gives it such amazing success in the world. In his primitive state man was perfectly righteous and holy: "Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright." Eccles. vii. 29. He had a perfect knowledge of the divine will respecting himself; for the law of God was written upon his heart, Rom. ii. 15. He was able to obey all that the law required; for he was created in the image of God, Gen. i. 27. Thus he was fully capable of the knowledge, love, service, and enjoyment of God his Maker.

From this holy and blessed state he fell by transgression: "He hath sought out many inventions," Eccles. vii. 29. His fall brought him into a state of guilt and wretchedness from which he has no more power to deliver himself, than the homicide has power to call into life the victim of his unbridled passion. "For by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men; for that all have sinned," Rom. v. 12. How deplorable then is the present state of the human race! How great the delusion of those who so inconsiderately apply facts and reasoning to Lost man which can only be predicated of man in his primitive state! For although the fall did, indeed, change man's relation to his Maker, it did not and could not change either the character of God or the claims of his law, which always did and always must require men to "Love God with all their heart, and soul, and mind and strength, and their neighbour as themselves." A contrary supposition implies that God is mutable, and will permit the creature to abrogate his law.

II. But it is maintained by our opponents, that man, in his fallen state, possesses natural

ability of will to comply with the requirements of the divine law. Consequently, that regeneration can be nothing more than a "change of the governing purpose or preference of the mind, which is effected by the presentation of motives drawn from the word." The orthodox maintain, that, "although the natural power of understanding and willing remains always in it, (the mind,) nevertheless, the moral habit, or disposition of judging and willing rightly, has been so destroyed, that it can no longer be moved to the upright exercise of itself by the presentation (appulsum) of the object, as was the case in the natural order and instituted state of man, unless the faculty be first renewed."* Hence they hold, that a supernaturalt change must pass upon all the faculties of the soul, equivalent to a new creation, or resurrection from the dead: that such a change is neces

* Licet semper in ea [anima] remanserit potentia naturalis intelligendi et volendi; habitus tamen seu dispositio moralis bene judicandi et volendi ita intercederit; ut non possit amplius moveri ad rectum sui exercitum per appulsum objecti; ut fieri solebat in ordine naturali, et statu hominis institutio, nisi facultas ipsa prius renovetur. -Turretine, Tom. II., p. 574.

+ Not inconsistent with the natural faculties, but above their ability.

sary, because, in respect to the right performance, from right motives, of any duty towards God, or men, the depravity of soul in the na

tural man is TOTAL.

III. A few out of the many passages of scripture, that might be adduced to prove this total depravity of natural men, and the radical change which is effected in regeneration, by the Almighty power of the Holy Spirit, are here selected as the basis of the present discussion.

1. In respect to the understanding. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned," 1 Cor. ii. 14. "There is none that understandeth," Rom. iii. 11. "Having the understanding darkened," Eph. iv. 18. "They have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven images," Isaiah xlv. 20. "To do good they have no knowledge," Jer. iv. 22. "Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord," Eph. v. 8. "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened," Eph. i. 18. Then opened he their understanding," Luke xxiv. 45. «Whose heart the Lord opened," Acts xvi. 14. "Renewed in knowledge," Col.