Elijah the Tishbite. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. VMackintosh, Charles Henry
Religion
Elijah the Tishbite. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. V
Mackintosh, Charles Henry
Theology
Now, we thoroughly believe that faith is the gift of God, and that it
is not according to man's will or by human power. And further, we
believe that not a single soul would ever come to Christ if not drawn,
yea, compelled by divine grace so to do; and therefore all who are
saved have to thank the free and sovereign grace of God for it; their
song is, and ever shall be, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but
unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth's sake."
And this we believe not as part of a certain system of doctrine, but
as the revealed truth of God. But, on the other hand, we believe, just
as fully, in the solemn truth of man's moral responsibility, inasmuch
as it is plainly taught in Scripture, though we do not find it amongst
what are called "the five points of the faith of God's elect." We
believe these five points, so far as they go; but they are very far
indeed from containing the faith of God's elect. There are wide fields
of divine revelation which this stunted and one-sided system does not
touch upon, or even hint at, in the most remote manner. Where do we
find the heavenly calling? Where, the glorious truth of the Church as
the body and bride of Christ? Where, the precious sanctifying hope of
the coming of Christ to receive His people to Himself? Where have we
the grand scope of prophecy opened to the vision of our souls, in that
which is so pompously styled "the faith of God's elect?" We look in
vain for a single trace of them in the entire system to which our
friend is attached.
Now, can we suppose for a moment that the blessed apostle Paul would
accept as "the faith of God's elect" a system which leaves out that
glorious mystery of the Church of which he was specially made the
minister? Suppose any one had shewn Paul "the five points" of
Calvinism, as a statement of the truth of God, what would he have
said? What! "The whole truth of God;" "the faith of God's elect;" "all
that is essential to be believed;" and yet not a syllable about the
real position of the Church--its calling, its standing, its hopes, its
privileges! And not a word about Israel's future! A complete ignoring,
or at best a thorough alienation, of the promises made to Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, and David! The whole body of prophetic teaching
subjected to a system of spiritualizing, falsely so called, whereby
Israel is robbed of its proper portion, and Christians dragged down to
an earthly level--and this presented to us with the loft pretension of
"The faith of God's elect!"
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