Systematic Theology (Volume 3 of 3)Strong, Augustus Hopkins
Religion
Systematic Theology (Volume 3 of 3)
Strong, Augustus Hopkins
Baptists -- Doctrines; Theology, Doctrinal
(_a_) It erroneously regards motives as wholly external to the mind that
is influenced by them. This is to conceive of them as mechanically
constraining the will, and is indistinguishable from necessitarianism. On
the contrary, motives are compounded of external presentations and
internal dispositions. It is the soul’s affections which render certain
suggestions attractive and others repugnant to us. In brief, the heart
makes the motive.
(_b_) Only as truth is loved, therefore, can it be a motive to holiness.
But we have seen that the aversion of the sinner to God is such that the
truth is hated instead of loved, and a thing that is hated, is hated more
intensely, the more distinctly it is seen. Hence no mere power of the
truth can be regarded as the efficient cause of regeneration. The contrary
view implies that it is not the truth which the sinner hates, but rather
some element of error which is mingled with it.
Lyman Beecher and Charles G. Finney held this view. The influence
of the Holy Spirit differs from that of the preacher only in
degree,—both use only moral suasion; both do nothing more than to
present the truth; both work upon the soul from without. “Were I
as eloquent as the Holy Ghost, I could convert sinners as well as
he,” said a popular preacher of this school (see Bennet Tyler,
Letters on New Haven Theology, 164‐171). On this view, it would be
absurd to pray to God to regenerate, for that is more than he can
do,—regeneration is simply the effect of truth.
Miley, in Meth. Quar., July, 1881:434‐462, holds that “the will
cannot rationally act without motive, but that it has always power
to suspend action, or defer it, for the purpose of rational
examination of the motive or end, and to consider the opposite
motive or end. Putting the old end or motive out of view will
temporarily break its power, and the new truth considered will
furnish motive for right action. Thus, by using our faculty of
suspending choice, and of fixing attention, we can realize the
permanent eligibility of the good and choose it against the evil.
This is, however, not the realization of a new spiritual life in
regeneration, but the election of its attainment. Power to do this
suspending is of grace [grace, however, given equally to all].
Without this power, life would be a spontaneous and irresponsible
development of evil.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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