The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-04-04

called The Gospel of Christ" One of the objects
to be sought in this scheme of saving sinners was,
of course, to break up that moral evil which the
sentence of the Law had lodged in the soul-that
unwasting fountain of evil action called Native
Depravity" or Original Sin 1t follows
avodable necessity that the salvation provided will
be fnexorably qualified by the nature of this evil
to be overcome. If the mischief is what the Old
Theology diagnoses it to be, nothing less than a
radical regeneration by the power of the Holy
Ghost will answer the purpose. But if the dag
noss of the New School of Presbyterian Theology
is correct then indeed there is special need for
the interpostion of the Holy Spirit and the only
thing needed to correct the spiritual death in the
soul is the force of argument and persuasion-the
moral suasion" of magnetic sympathy-and
change of the purposes-and direction of the
energies of the individual man.
Now, what the views of the leaders in this
New School of Theology? DR.. Lyman Beecher as
serts: Neither holy depraved nature
possible without understanding, conscience and
choice. To say of accountable creature, that
he is depraved by nature is only to say, that
dered capable by HIS maker of obedience he dis
obeys from the commencement of his account
ability" Mr.. Barnes, in his Notes on Romans V.
IA, remarks THE passage here states great and
important principle, that will not be held gull
ty, unless there is law which binds them, of
which they apprized, and which they volun-
tariy transgress" Mr.. Cheeseman comments as
follows: Mr.. Barnes, after rejecting every other
explanation of Romans V. 10, BY mans dis
obedience many were made sinners, and almost
conceding all Presbyterian could wish native
depravity, finally throws off the mask, and to the
end of his remarks that verse defends the
Unitarian explanation" The general view of the
New School seems to be, according to Mr.. Cheese
man. that "depravity proceeds, not from a bal
nature, but from "a social liability" "This pre-
cisely the faith of Unitarians.' such strikngly
evident condolences in opinion between Mr. Barnes
and the Untarians, led of their writers in the
Christian Examiner to say in his review of Mr..
Barnes Notes: while our orthodox brethren pub
lish and circulate and receive with favor such
books these, we most cordially extend to them
the right hand of fellowship Says Mr.. Cheese
man in this statement: And indeed 1 can perceive
no substantial difference between Mr.. Barnes and
his liberal friends subject of native deprav-
ty. This I admit would not o necessity prove his
views erroneous, but it would prove that they
not Presbyterian"
Mr.. Finney testifes that "AH depravity is volun-
tary consisting in voluntary transgressfon Oh,
the darkness and confusion and utter nonsense of
that view of depravity, which exhibits it
ing lying hack and the cause of all actual trans
gressions."
If the New School diagnosis of the human heart
is correct, certainly the gospel doctrine the
essity of the exertion of Divine power and that,
too, in some of it's higher acts of power to expel
the spiritual death which the sentence of the Law
has inflicted, is altogether unnecessary and as such
false The soul has plenary natural ability to
correct it's own faults Mr. Barnes Notes on 2
Cor g. assert that He requires a service strictly
according to ability and to be measured by
that He demands more than our powers are
fitted to produce. than we are able to rem
der. Our obligations in all cases limited by
ability"
Regeneration is therefore only a change in OBJ
jects pursuits in governing purposes. Regen-
Grafton by the power of the Holy Ghost as it has
been held by the Evangelical Churches is an alb
surdity. Dr. Dufield maintains that "the sinner
is not utterly unable by his own unassisted powers
either to repent to the saving of the soul and that
it might truly be said that he cannot rise up
and walk by his unassisted powers" Mr.. Fin
ney maintains that eff the sinner ever has new