lem is the relation of the divine to the human in the work of redemption, how far the initiative lies with God and man respectively, or how far they cooperate, and what, indeed, is meant by co-operation in such a case. It liiis driven Augu-.- tine and Pelagius, Calvin and Arminius, into opposite camps. All that can be done here is to inciuire how far the roots of the doctrinal views identified with the names of these great teacher* can be traced in the Bible. The passages which have been already cited tend on the whole to illustrate one side of this great controversy — that, namely, which grounds salvation on the free loving will and purpose of God. But, no doubt, many others may be, and have been, adduced which set forth no less distinctly the human side of salvation with its responsibilities and activities. This is especially the case with those which contain ex- hortations to repentance and faith From the time of the Prophets Mtrdvom was a condition of being saved. If men were commanded to repent, the implication was that it is in their power to do so. In some cases, it is true, we cannot argue from an injunction to the possibility of fulfilling it, but in this we cannot dispute that it is, in some sense, possible for man to repent, without taking away all meaning and reality from God's design of saving them. Such references to repentance are found in Ps 95"- (cf. He 4™ ), Ac 2™ S"'', Rev 2'- "■ ^ 3' etc., cf. Mt 21*^. Similarly with faith : ixeravofTre and TTiirreteTf are usually conjoined, and belief must be as personal as repentance. It is intended to be, not the result of momentary impression, but a spontaneous moral act. In Ro 1' faith is spoken 01 as 'obedience,' a moral attitude which men aM expected to assume. Exhortations to faith are found in Mk 1" 5^, Jn 6^ \V* 12*> 14'-" 20", A3 16". Repentance and faith are tlie chief elemenca in conversion. In Jer 31" Ephraim cries, 'Turn thou me, and I sliall be turned,' wliere the latter clause ought to be 'I shall return,' or * that I may turn,' implying the element of personal activity (see art. Conversion, vol. i. p. 478*, footnote) ; and the image of the closed door in Rev 3^" indicates that it must be opened from within to Him that knocketh. Allusions to conversion are found in Ac 3"" 14" 26™, cf. 2 Co 3". While, on the one hand, the work of God begins with the calling, (tX^o-is, Ro S^, whence Christians are known as K\r)Toi, Ro 1', the hearing must be a willing hearing, not like that of Jerusalem (Mt 23'') or of the Jews (Jn 5*), but like that of the disciples (Jn 17"- '). The same element of human activity is implied in exliortations to perseverance (Ac 14^^ 1 Co 16'^ 1 Th 3-), to xcatchfulness (Mt 24*", Mk 13^, 1 Co 16'^ 1 P 58, Rev 3*^16"), to struggle and endeavour (I Co 9'"-=', 2 Ti 2" 4'), to labours on behalf of the brethren (Ro 14" 15-- ", Gal 6'), and, in general, to the exercise of all the ^^rtues, as well as to the perfoi-mance of all the duties, of the Christian life. In every case language is used which, if it stood alone, would be taken as indicat- ing that tliese things lie fully within the power of men to observe and do. Repentance, faith, etc.. are regarded as works of men as well as gifts of God. Victory in that new life to which they are summoned can be achieved only by the zealous application of every energy of the soul. The promises which are held out to the faithful, and the threatenings which are denounced against the disobedient, all show the responsibility under which we act, tlie momentous results of choice.
But though later anal}sis, and the theories which figure in doctrinal history, have brought to light and emphasized this duality in the scriptural re- presentations of human experience in salvation, though some thinkers and teachers have been willing to sacrifice the one side to the other.
GRACIOUS
GRAFF
257
abolishing Imman liberty in order to exalt divine grace, or i^Tiorin^ divine grace in order to safe- guard human liberty, — it is noteworthy that the bililicaj writers l)etray little consciousness of the antagonism. St. I'aul is clear and emphatic in his declarations as to grace — it is ab.sohite, gratui- tous— ' by grace ye are saved ' ; but he is no less ready and willing to make his appeal to human liberty (Ro 2»-">, Ph 3"-'') : ' Work out your own salvation,' he cries, 'with fear and trembling, for it is tJoil which worketh in vou both to will and to "(irk for his good pleasure"^ (Ph 2'- '" RV), where noth elements appear together as indefeasible porticms of the same Christian exi)erience. If OT closed with an antinomy of wrath and mercy, law and grace, side bv side, equally real, but so far from being mutually destructive that in the experience of the devout they were equally necessary and illustrated one another, so N'l" closes with its own unsolved antinomy, — human individuality, free, resjionsible, but sinful and degraded, owing its salvation to the love of Him who is rich in mercy, who first loved us, who ilespite human weakness and wickedness makes that mercy ellectual, and the evil that is over- come redound to the praise of the glory of His grace.