case. The believer
acts in harmony with the reason, the unbeliever is guilty of sin;
and no reason can be given for sin.

The view thus advocated has been held as a denial of the Spirit's
work. If by the Spirit's work is understood a faith-necessitating
and will-overpowering work, then certainly the Spirit's work is thus
denied. But this is to cut before the point. There are, for
instance, different views of inspiration, as the inspiration of
direction, superintendency, elevation, and suggestion. Suppose I
were asked what theory of inspiration I held regarding any portion
of the Bible, and I answered that I had none, but took the
Scriptures as God's message to men, would it be fair argument to
assert that I denied inspiration? Manifestly not. But neither is it
fair to raise the cry that the Spirit's work is denied because a
particular theory regarding that work is denied, the theory, namely,
which makes it to be physical or mechanical.

Incorrect views of the Spirit's work have been entertained by
theologians in consequence of erroneous conceptions regarding the
degeneracy of human nature. Augustine held that man can do nothing
which will at all contribute to His spiritual recovery. He is like a
lump of clay, or a statue without life or activity. In consequence
of these views, he held that grace in its operation on the heart was
irresistible,--sometimes through the word, at other times without
it. Dr. Knapp says, "God does not act in such a way as to infringe
upon the free will of man, or to interfere with the use of his
powers" (Phil. ii. 12, 13). Consequently, God does not act on men
immediately, producing ideas in their souls without the preaching or
reading of the scriptures, or influencing their will in any other
way than by the understanding. Did God act in any other way than
through the understanding, he would operate miraculously and
irresistibly, and the practice of virtue under such an influence
would have no intrinsic worth; it would be compelled, and
consequently incapable of reward (_Theo_., p. 408). He says again,
"The doctrine of the Protestant church has always been that God does
not act immediately on the heart in conversion, or, in other words,
that He does not produce ideas in the understanding, and effects in
the will, by His absolute Divine power without the employment of
external means. This would be such an immediate conversion and
illumination as fanatics contend for, who regard their own
im