He preached on the subject on Tuesday night, and said things which, to
me, seemed unwarranted. He said men can do nothing good, till they are
regenerated.

Is that your idea? said I.

Of course. Are they not _dead_? And what can dead men do?

I suppose they can do as God bids them, "Arise from the dead." You spoke
of the result of Adam's sin, but you said nothing of the effect of the
second Adam's doings. Now I believe that we are put in as good a
position by Christ, for serving God and obtaining heaven, as we should
have been if Adam had not sinned. I believe men have good thoughts, good
feelings, and do good things, before they are regenerated; and that they
are regenerated in consequence of their good thoughts, good purposes,
and good deeds. "They consider their ways," and turn to God. They cease
to do evil, and learn to do well, and so get washed. They purify their
hearts in obeying the truth. They cleanse their hands and purify their
hearts. They come out from the ungodly, and leave their ungodly ways,
and then God receives them. They hear God's word or read it; and faith
comes by hearing and reading; and faith works by love, and makes them
new creatures.

Besides, you know we could not help what Adam did, and you talked as if
Adam's sin made it impossible for us to do anything else but sin, thus
throwing the blame of the sins of all the unregenerate on Adam; and that
is neither Scriptural nor wise. There are two tendencies in unregenerate
people, one to good, and one to evil, and it is their duty to resist the
one and obey the other, and thus to seek for regeneration. That is as I
understand the Bible. And I always try to make people believe and feel,
that if they do not get regenerated, and keep God's commandments, it is
their own fault, and neither Adam's nor God's.

We talked nearly an hour, but I fancy Mr. W. did not seem to understand
either me or the Bible. It is strange that people can't take God's word
as it stands, and content themselves with speaking as the oracles of God
speak. If we can't do anything but sin till we are regenerated, who is
to blame for our sin, but He who neglects to regenerate us? What
horrible notions are mistaken by some for Gospel? "Send out, O God, thy
light and truth; let them lead me and guide me."

--Poor Mr. Woodhouse is full of trouble. He thinks me wrong, but does
not see how to put me right.

--What a curious creature Mr. Batty is. How in the world did he come to
be