stance of the soul as though grace were itself a creature in. jected by the power of God into the soul!! And yet, else where, this same writer contradicts himself; as indeed it is not uncommon to find such contradictions, when faith and common sense, in some moments of inadvertence, make war upon and triumph over a vain philosophy. He says that this new creation "is not a destruction of the substance of the soul; but that there is the same physical being and the same faculties in all men and nothing is changed in its substance as far as it respects the nature of man: 'tis necessary therefore that this new creation consist in gracious qualities and habits which beautify and dispose the soul to act righteously and holily." 991 The inconsistency and contradictions in the language of this writer, can only be accounted for on the supposition just stated, viz: his faith and common sense occasionally getting the better of, and breaking through the mysticism of a false philosophy. It is plain that he considered Regeneration to be something done in or upon the soul by the Spirit of God, and that by the mere exercise of His physical power, which, though he could not say it changed the substance of the soul, nevertheless being introduced into the soul anterior to, and irrespective of its voluntary exercises, becomes the immediate cause of holiness or spiritual actions, as really as the creation of the substance of the soul precedes, in the order of nature and of time, and proves the cause of those actions which it performs. This is unquestionably a physical Regeneration, i. e. a change produced on or in the soul-we care not whether by addition or substraction, injection or extraction-something done to the soul back of its thoughts and feelings or voluntary exercises, and which, as Witsius intimates, may fecundate it and fit it for doing those things which are pleasing to God, though for a little while it may lie' hid. 1 Charnock's works, fol. ed. vok ii. pp. 51, 41. Dr. Hopkins expresses himself much to the same effect. "The divine operation in Regeneration," says he, "of which the new heart is the effect, is immediate; or it is not wrought by any means as the cause of it; but by the immediate power and energy of the Holy Spirit. It is called a creation; and the divine agency in it is as much without any medium as in creating something from nothing."" An attempt has been recently made to vindicate Charnock, Owen, Turretine and others from the charge alleged against the old Calvinistic divines by Dr. Cox, that they believed and taught the doctrine of a physical Regeneration." But it is as we humbly conceive altogther a vain attempt. They do indeed speak of Regeneration as a moral change, and describe it oft times with great accuracy, when speaking of the moral exercises. Here their faith and piety triumphed over their philosophy:-but whatever may have been their declarations and illustrations, as long as they did assert and teach that Regeneration is a literal creation-something done in or upon the soul by an immediate exercise of physical power on the part of God, thus and there producing an effect, which is anterior to any holy exercises, and becomes itself the direct cause of such exercises, we cannot possibly see how they are to be exculpated from the charge. Their language frequently involves the idea of physical Regeneration, or they have expressed themselves most awkwardly, and without any definite meaning. Speaking of the first moment of conversion, Turretine represents the man as perfectly passive, as is the ewer into) which water is poured. And he compares the regeneration of a sinner, not to natural birth but conception, observing that, "as in natural generation the children themselves cannot beget themselves, nor confer any thing to their own nativity, but are merely passive: so in superna. 1 Hophin's System of Divinity, voli. p. 536. 2 See Bib. Rep. vol. ii. tural regeneration, no one can regenerate himself." The idea of an infusion or injection of gracious qualities into the soul, his language evidently implies when he teaches, that the orthodox make the man that is to be regenerated, merely a passive subject of the regenerating spirit and of the new qualities, which by Him are infused, though afterwards, these new qualities being already injected, the man demeans himself as the preactive instrument of his own actions.2 Dr. Owen writing on the subject of regeneration, makes the following remarks: "This (i: e. the new creature,) is produced in the souls of men by a creating act of the power of God, or it is not a creature: and it is superinduced into the essential faculties of our souls, or it is not a new creature; for whatever is in the soul of power, disposition, ability or inclination unto God, or for any moral actions, by nature, it belongs unto the old creation, it is no new creature, and it must be somewhat that hath a being and subsistence of its own in the soul, or it can be neither new nor a creature. 993 Of Dr. Owen we have an exalted opinion, and acknowledge ourselves much indebted to his writings, especially in having early imbibed from them a taste for the study of the Scriptures, in preference to tomes of theology in matters of 1 Sed de primo momento, quo primum convertitnr, et novam vitam per regenerationem accipsit, in quo mere passive se habere ad modum subjecti recipientis, non veri principii agentis contendimus. Et ut in generatione naturali, liberi ipsi seipsos gignere non possunt, nec quicquam conferre ad sui nativitatem, sed mere passive se habent: ita in regeneratione supernaturali nemo seipsum regenerare potest. Turret. Inst. Vol. ii. pp. 592, 595. 2 Hominem vero regenerandum facient subjectionem mere passivum Spiritus regenerantis, et novarum qualitatum, quæ ab ipso infunduntur Quamvis postea infusis jam novis qualitatibus, se habeat ut instrumentum activum liberum suorum actionum. Turret. Inst. vol. ii. p. 592. 3 Owen on the Spirit, vol. i. p. 349, 350. faith. But we cannot defer even to him, where his language is wrapped up in the folds of a false philosophy, or conveys no definite idea to the mind. In the passage above quoted, he clearly and zealously insists upon the phrase new creature, being literally understood. Dr. Witherspoon on the other hand in his valuable practical treatise on Regeneration, at the very commencement, pronounces the scriptural phrases "being born again," "the new creature," "his workmanship," &c. to be metaphorical, thus evidently denying there is a literal or real creation. "It He does indeed speakof an "inward and essential change," but it is very evident, that he does not by these terms denote any other change than may be traced in the voluntary exercises: for he considers that it may be as appropriately designated by repentance as by regeneration. appears," says he, "that regeneration, repentance, conversion, call it what you please, is a very great change," and that change he describes in detail, in the actual developements of character which take place, i. e. in those feelings and actions, which constitute the character. He does not pretend to prove, or assert, the existence of a principle of life, or any thing else back of the voluntary exercises themselves, as the cause, or origin, of that holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. But this Dr. Owen does, as the above quotation proves, and to intimate that the expressions, "new creature," "being born again," and "His workmanship," are metaphorical, the latter denounces in the severest terms, saying that it "is but a way to turn the whole into a fable, or at least to render the gospel the most obscure, and improper way of teaching the truth of things, that ever was made use of in the world." Thus widely and radically did those two excel 1. Witherspoon's works, vol. i. p. 102. lent men differ in their philosophical views of Regeneration, while nevertheless, they both were agreed as to the scriptural facts in the case. But we have not yet done with the views of Dr. Owen, and the proofs, that the language of some old Calvinistic writers implies an assumption, that the agency of the Spirit in Regeneration, consisted in producing, creating something in the soul, which something, is itself the cause of holy and vital acts and exercises. "Allow," says he, "a new spiritual principle, an infused habit of grace, or gracious abilities to be required in and unto Regeneration, or to be the product of the work of the Spirit therein, that which is born of the Spirit being Spirit, and this part of the nature of this work, is sufficiently cleared. " "This u φυσις, this divine nature, is not the nature of God, whereof in our own persons we are not subjectively partakers. And yet a nature it is which is a principle of operation." "The principle itself infused into us, created in us, is called the new man." "It is called the new man, because it is the effect and product of God's creating power, and that in a way of a new creation.” "This is the constant course and tenor of the scripture, to distinguish between the grace of regeneration, which it declares. to be an immediate supernatural work of God in us, and upon us, and all that obedience, holiness, righteousness, virtue, or whatever is good in us, which is the consequent, product and effect of IT." "As it is in our natural lives, with respect unto God's providence, so it is in our spiritual lives, with respect unto His grace. He hath in the works of nature endowed us with a vital principle, or an act of the quickening soul upon the body, which is quickened thereby. By virtue hercof we are enabled unto all vital acts, whether natural 1. Owen on the Spirit, vol. i. pp. 349, 351, 352, 353. |