§ 15. Inability. Tlie third great point included in the Scriptural doctrine of origi- nal sin, is the inability of fallen man in his natural state, of himself to do anything spiritually good. This is necessarily included in the idea of spiritual death. On this subject it is proposed: (1.) To state the doctrine as presented in the symbols of the Protestant chur^'hes. (2.) To explain the nature of the inability under which the sinner is said to labour. (3.) To exhibit the Scriptural proofs of the doctrine ; and (4.) To answer the objections usually urged against it.
The Doctrine as stated in Protestant Symbols.
There have been three general views as to the ability of fallen man, which have prevailed in the Church. The first, the Pelagian doctrine, which asserts the plenary ability of sinners to do all that God requires of them. The second is the Semi-Pelagian doctrine (taking the word Semi-Pelagian in its wide and popular sense), which admits the powers of man to have been weakened by the fall of the race, but denies that he lost all ability to perform what is siiiritiially good. And thirdly, the Augustinian or Protestant doctrine which teaches that such is the nature of inherent, heredi- tary depravity that men since the fall are utterly unable to turn themselves unto God, or to do anything truly good in his sight. With these thi-ee views of the ability of fallen men are connected corresponding views of grace, or the influence and o|)erations of the Holy Spii'it in man's regeneration and conversion. Pelagians deny the necessity of any supernatural influence of the Spiiit in the regeneration and sanctification of men. Semi-Pelagians admit the necessity of such divine influence to assist the enfeebled jiowers of man in the work of turning unto God, but claim that the sinner coopei'ates in that work and that upon his voluntary coijperation the issue depends. Augustinians and Protestants ascribe the whole work of regeneration to the Spirit of God, the soul being passive therein, the subject, and not the agent of the change : although active and cooperating in all the exercises of the divine life of which i' has been made the recipient.
The doctrine of the sinner's inability is thus stated in the sym- bols of the Lutheran Church. The "Auo-sburcr Confession"* says: "Humana voluntas habet aliquam libertatem ad efficiendam civilem justitiam et deligendas res rationi subjectas. Sed non habet
1 I. xviii. ; Hase, LUn-i Symbolici, pp. 14, 15. VOL. n. 17
258 PART n. ch. vin. — sin.
vim sine Spiritu Sancto efficiendae justitiee Dei, seu justitiae spiritu- alis, quia animalis homo non percepit ea quae sunt Spiritus Dei (1 Cor. ii. 14) ; sed haec fit in cordibus, cum per verbum Spiritus Sanc- tus concipitur. Haec totidem verbis dicit Augustinus ; ^ est, fate- raur, liberum arbitrium omnibus hominibus ; habens quidem judic- ium rationis, non per quod sit idoneum, quae ad Deum pertinent, sine Deo aut inchoare aut certe peragere : sed tantum in operibus vitso presentis, tam bonis, quam etiam malis."
"Formula Concordise:"^ " Etsi humana ratio seu naturalis intel- lectus hominis, obscuram aliquam notitiae illius scintillulam reliquam habet, quod sitDeus, et particulam aliquam legis tenet : tamen adeo ignorans, coeca, et perversa est ratio ilia, ut ingeniosissimi homines in hoc mundo evangehum de Filio Dei et promissiones divinas de seterna salute legant vel audiant, tamen ea propriis viribus percipere, intelligere, credere et vera esse, statuere nequeant. Quin potius quanto diligentius in ea re elaborant, ut spirituales res istas suae rationis acumine indagent et comprehendant, tanto minus intelii- gunt et credunt, et ea omnia pro stultitia et meris nugis et fabulis habent, priusquam a Spiritu Sancto illuminentur et doceantur." Again,^ '• Natura corrupta viribus suis coram Deo nihil aliud, nisi peccare possit."
" Sacrae literae hominis non renati cor duro lapidi, qui ad tactum non cedat, sed resistat, idem rudi trunco, interdum etiam feree in domitaa comparant, non quod homo post lapsum non amplius sit rationahs creatura, aut quod absque auditu et meditatione verbi divini ad Deum convertatur, aut quod in rebus externis et civilibus nihil boni aut mali intelligere possit, aut libere aliquid agere vel omittere queat."*
" Antequam homo per Spiritum Sanctum illuminatur, converti- tur, regeneratur et trahitur, ex sese, et propriis naturalibus suis viribus in rebus spiritualibus, et ad conversionem aut regeneration- em suam nihil inchoare, operari, aut cociperari potest, nee plus, quam laj)is, truncus, aut limus."^
The doctrine of the Reformed churches is to the same effect.® " Confessio Helvetica H. : " " Non sublatus est quidem homini in- tellectus, non erepta ei voluntas, et prorsus in lapidem vel truncum est commutatus : cieterum ilia ita sunt immutata et inminuta in homine, ut non possint amplius, quod potuerunt ante lapsum. In-
1 ffypomneslicon, seu Hypognoaticon, lib. iii. iv. 5; IVorks, edit. Benedictines, vol. x p 2209, a.
2 II. 9; Hase, p. 657. 8 I. 25; Jbid. p. 643. * II. 19; JbiJ. p. 661. 6 ,1. 24; Jbid. p. 662. ' IX.; Niemeyer, CuUtctio Cur^estionum, p. 479.
§ 16.] INABILlTy. 259
tellectus enim obscuratus est: voluntas vero ex libijra, f:ict:i est voluntas serva. Nam servit peccato, non nolens, sed volens. Etenim voluntas, non noluntas dicitur
" Quantum vero ad bonuni et ad virtutes, intellectus hominis,
non recte judicat de divinis ex semetipso Constat vero
mentem vel intellectum ducem esse voluntatis, cum autem coecus sit dux, claret quousque et voluntas pertingat. Proinde nullum est ad bonum liomini arbitrium liberuni, nondum renato ; vires nullae
ad perficiendum bonum ^Cceterum nemo negat in externis,
et ren-enitos et non regenitos babere liberum arbitrium
Damnamus in hac causa Manicliseos, qui negant homini bono, ex libero arbitrio fuisse initium mali. Damnamus etiam Polagianos, qui dicunt hominem malum sufficienter babere liberum arbitrium, ad faciendum praeceptuni bonum."
" Confessio Gallicana : " " Etsi enim nonnullam babet boni et mali discretionem : affirmamus tamen quicqiaid babet lucis mox fieri tenebras, cum de quterendo Deo agitur, adeo ut sua intelligentia et ratione nullo modo possit ad eum accedere ; item quamvis voluntate sit praeditus, qua ad hoc vel illud movetur, tamen quum ea sit pen- itus sub peccato captiva, nullam prorsus habet ad bonum appeten- dum libertatem, nisi quam ex gratia et Dei dono acceperit." ^
" Articuli XXXIX: " " Ea est hominis post lapsum Adse con- ditio, ut sese naturalibus suis viribus et bonis operibns ad fidem et invocationem Dei convertere ac pra3j)arare non possit. Quare absque gratia Dei quae per Christum est nos praeveniente, ut veli- mus et cooperante duni volumus, ad })ietatis opera facienda, quae Deo grata sunt ac accepta, nihil valemus."^
" Opera quoe fiunt ante gratiam Christi, et Spiritus ejus afflatum,
cum ex fide Christi non prodeant rainime Deo grata sunt
Immo, cum non sint facta ut Deus ilia fieri voluit et prajcepit, peccati rationem habere non dubitamus." *
" Canones Doidrechtanoe," ^ " Omnes homines in peccato con- cipiuntur, et filii irae nascuntur, inepti ad omne bonum salutare, propensi ad malum, in peccatis mortui, et peccati servi ; et absque Spiritus Sancti regenerantis gratia, ad Deum rt-dire, naturam depravatam corrigere, vel ad ejus correctionem se disponere nee vDlunt, nee possunt."
" Residuum quidera est post lapsum in homine lumen aliquod natura;, cujus beneficio ille notitias quasdam de Deo, de rebus nat-
1 Niemeyer, p. 481. 2 jx; Ibid. p. 32'
8 X. ; Ibid. p. G03. « xiji. . md. p. 604.
* III. iii. ; Md. p. 709.
260 PART n. Cn. VIIL — SIN.
uralibus, de discrimine honestorum et turpium retinet, et aliquod virtutis ac disciplinse extenise studium ostendit : sed tantum abest, ut hoc naturee lumine ad salutarem Doi cognitionem pervenire, et ad eum se convertcre possit, ut ne quidein eo in naturalibus ac civilibus recte utatur, quinimo qualecumque id demum sit, id totum variis modis contaminet atque in injustitiadetineat, quod duni facit, coram Deo inexcusabilis redditur." ^
"Westminster Confession."^ Original sin is declared in sections second and third to include the loss of original righteousness, and a corrupted nature ; *' whereby," in section fourth, it is declared, " we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil."
" Their (believers') ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly fi'om the Spirit of Christ." ^
Effectual calling "is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it."*
The Nature of the Sinner's Inability.