, 1880-02-07
TOTAL DEPRAVITY.
Another Wow OF the Subject by
Another Layrsnn.

10 RAs Editor oJ The Chicago Tribune.
CHICAGO. Jan. 2o.-Someboly has said,
"Always presume yourself ignorant IF n
MANS understanding tit yott understand his
iEnorance,"-a good maxim Of candor, it
would seem. Do tho writer's OH "TOtat De-
pravlty" In THE TiuuuSE "unt1crstanl tho
Ignorance Of those who believe tint doc-
triucn? or aro they "Iniornnt Of their ,.n-
,ierstanding"? Which? One hns spoken Of
"the pncrile n,,ll pesstmistic belief in tho to-
tai tiepruyfty and inate spiritual lnaninity
Of the human lhenrt."-C. N. Ettinger, june
70, 1870. Another wishes 10 nsk DR.. ffatitelA
"wllether he 1,as ever found an individual
devoid of MI good qualities, and, II lie has
not, what reason ho can give for believing
| that all persons arc so created? wish also
to nsk him how lie can vfndcatc the justice
of God II He Furnishes Ills children for not
| doing TINT which By Nature they arc totally
| disqualified for doing ?"-" Laymnn," jan.
| IL.
Now, are these believers IN "total depsav-
ity" 80 Observation-Disclosures of divinity md
theological professors-as not to ,know. of
what the, world cnlls "good qualities" in
s,,eh qualities Implied in ti,at GeiieSY Arc
they s9 Ignorant Or Is somebody "ignorant
! uf their uhlers landinE"?
/ believe in '.total dcpravity," as I under
| stand 1t. But do not accept such carica-
! lures OF the doctrine, and a1i almost afrait!
to ,,se the terms iii these days u l,aate niAc
superficial thinking, les. 10 one Will stop long
Gl,uuEh Or read Wit. catdor enough to It'll
But let me Try 10 get out my idea: Tho hui
mAn soul IL lnnde up.Np OF intellect, scHst-
bility, and Will. Are these constituent parts
No, BY no means. Depravity. Affects priulnrily
only the will Of man. Moral qualities inhcre
Only il tl,e VIII. AZ holiness ls r'Kht actien
and sin lii wr0tlg action, both holiness md sfll
totaly deprived Intellect wonl.l Be BE- All Insane
intellect, withnnt responsibility. 4 man
with such on INTELLECT, fnr Its permanent con-
t3n weSs ;Svs1' ssaree sess,v s Sr W fs, e. nA
fortune, but not itself moral ieprnvfty or sfn.
It might result frpnl ,sin.-t tiat IL, previous
nets Or states OF tho WILL and rs such result
M"! ss; r9;ye r5eSl9S stn1 ST. Put p Inc no nsts [ fiji @
Ing Of itself rirtnous. There mnst bc ~ yo'-
feeling TO make either sln nr virtue. 1t IL of
affirm depraylty. ! d not deny lint the s.
tellect mid tug sensibllity tymay be sy!npatllete-
ally affected by. tic state Ut the wil',-;the 9nc
may bc cl0uttel and the other 'lcAdeaca Or
the viii, Of, il, co!ilnoi. parlu'icr. no
simply The liked aiitltu,ieof lIlswlli; III otier
words. the moral intent Or mural ,clitt for
! WHICH, 1tt liftSs ~ lHub l1ul4tIAAL IhlCAl.h44
constitutes lIls. character. T!u purpose that
nilderlIes all Ills cuntnct and controls him Il
his heart. II thnt purpose or Intention Is
good the heaIt + goo.L tle 1n1,, ~ y ,. g'n,l; I;
II that Is bau' the heart Is bad; tho man Is
How shall We know whether the purpose
Is good Or bad? Dy, comparing t with tic
sta!.lard.--ule moral Inv imposed upon nntl.
good; II 1t dues not, It Is bad. What, tl.el,,
Is this law? How readest tlion the Wrlnee
stntts "ThoM sl't ]Sve the the Lnra thy o
things, So other purpose lnegts tlle laW.
Every licart that does nut regard Gn!t Ihore
al beings or things Is depraysd. The i'eart
been one instant Of. tllne stnco his moral
powers awake Into being. TINT he lll.S loyCtl
!iod With all his heart, why y y nol tFne tias
ltis heart l. Totally depr.yed": IL ~ a., l,.s
otN.t1ient to t;ad, md II never otco nhedient
to tod, why las ho mt been "tota'ly" DIS
obcdlent? II le l'aS never once brcfl
+ aE lie f}yn }yynso Il te Ct ps"f a bvSs Hw oSrs w1s
Meilt, why has l,e nut been totally" tlEsloyMl:
Now, l bHlleyc thut human beings generally,
: wien they hegln to act morally, prefer tu
hleass tese}yes M Ttler t, @ M ;,,uIa ' sat
ynss!ol,. ThiS Is t. eoiNn,nn confession of
Christians with regnrsl to their previous llfe.
AM! / think the ctn!scioltsslsss of ntlgrs. IL
: tify tit that tiiis Is tho susto Of their viii.
Why lie human will uniformly: takes this
attitude sowarL Gnd, there Is = difference 9f
Opiuion among thcologians. S0ne sly, It II
Others say tlltIt each llu1Ilan wil by Its own
sovereignty takes this position far Itself
when 1t cocs to moral actlol,~ TINT the lIri-
1tago from tic fallen ttrst mnn IN nniy MI DC.
gAsinn Of tho sllI,-a temptation which might
In IatltHt1. hit Tx mt.