An unregenerate man often does heartily desire to avoid the penalty of God's law, and consequently, through fear of the con- sequences of his sin, may be said to desire to eradicate the preva- lent principle of sin from his heart. He may even, as a matter of taste and judgment, desire to obey the law of God in certain particulars wherein that law does not directly oppose his domi- nant dispositions. But no unregenerate man can love holiness for its own sake, and earnestly desire to fulfill the whole law of God in the spirit as well as the letter ; for if he did so, the law in his case would be fulfilled.
15. What are the Pelagian and the Arminian theories as to the ability of the sinner to obey the commands of God ?
The Pelagian doctrine is that it is the essence of liberty that the sinner is as free to cease from sin as to continue it. That man consequently is as able now to obey God's law perfectly as Adam was before he fell, and hence that regeneration is the sin- ner's act of simply ceasing to do evil, and commencing to do well.
The Arminian view is that man, by nature and of himself, is utterly unable to change his own depraved heart, or to obey the law of God, or savingly to receive the gospel, yet that God, for Christ's sake, gives to every man sufficient grace, if improved, to enable him to do all that he is responsible for doing. With- out grace no man has ability to obey, with grace every man has ability either to obey or disobey. — Apol. Conf. Remonstr., p. 162., b.
16. What distinction is intended by the theological terms natural and moral ability ?
NATURAL AND MORAL ABILITY. 267
By natural ability was intended the possession, on the part of every responsible moral agent, whether holy or unholy, of all the natural faculties, as reason, conscience, free will, requisite to en- able him to obey God's law. If any of these were absent, the agent would not be responsible. — Edwards on the Will, Part I., sec. 4.
By moral ability was intended that inherent moral condition of these faculties, that righteous disposition of heart requisite to the performance of duty.
Although these terms have been often used by orthodox writers in a sense which to them expressed the truth, yet they have often been abused, and are not desirable. It is evidently an abuse of the word to say that sinners are naturally able, but morally un- able to obey the law ; for that can be no ability which leaves the sinner, as the Scriptures declare, utterly unable either to think, feel or act aright. Besides the word natural, in the phrase " natural ability," is used in an unusual sense, as opposite to moral, while in the usual sense of that word it is declared in Scripture that man is by nature, i. e., naturally, a child of wrath*
17. State the common doctrine of the church as to the inability of the sinner to obey the law of God, or to accept the gospel, and state how far it is natural and how far moral $
All men possess those faculties of their nature essential to constitute them rational, and moral, and free agents, and there- fore all that is necessary to render them responsible for their obe- dience to G-od's law. But the moral state of these faculties is such, because of the perverted dispositions of their hearts, that they are utterly unable either to will or to do what the law requires. This inability is "natural" since it is innate and consti- tutional. It is " moral" since it does not consist either in disease, or in any physical defect in the soul, nor merely in the inordinate action of the bodily affections, but in the corrupt character of the governing dispositions of the heart. This inability is total, and, as far as human strength goes, irremediable.— Confession of Faith, Chap. IX., sec. 3. Article X. of Church of England, and Article XVIII. of Augsburg Conf.
18. Prove the fact of this inability from Scripture.
Jer. xiii.,23; John vi. 44, 65; xv., 5; Eom. ix., 16; 1 Cor. ii., 14,
268 ABILITY.
19. How may the fact of this inability be proved from our consciousness and experience ?
Consciousness teaches us that while the dispositions and de- sires determine the volitions, no volition can change the character of the governing dispositions and desires of our hearts themselves. Our experience teaches us that while many men have, for outside considerations of self-interest, desired to serve God, and there- fore have endeavored to change their inherent evil dispositions, they have always entirely failed in such effort. A specific evil habit may be abandoned, but the disposition to sin remains, and always breaks forth with renewed violence under some other form.
20. How maiy it be proved from what the Scriptures say concerning human depravity, and the necessity of a divine influ- ence in order to salvation ?