What is the condition of the child? Are all mankind, previous to conversion, in a state of total depravity? The Article does not teach that; its history shows the opinion of the English Church.

When the Puritans were dominant and the Calvinistic school prevailed in the Church, in 1643, the first fifteen of the Thirty-nine Articles were revised by the Assembly of Divines, in order to make them coincide with the doctrines of Calvinism. As revised the clause of the Article now under consideration read, "whereby man is wholly deprived of original righteousness." When the Calvinists passed out of power the words "wholly deprived of" gave place to "very far gone from." This is not so sweeping a declaration and indicates that the Church of England regards natural depravity as somewhat less than total. Man, apart from the grace of God, is helpless and hopeless, but he never was wholly deprived of that grace, or he would differ nothing from a lost spirit. He is so far depraved in all his powers as to be incapable of returning to God. The phrase "very far gone from original righteousness" indicates the view held of the nature of depravity; that it is not a poisonous moral virus infused into man's nature, but, first, a deprivation, a separation from God and the loss of all the privileges which that implies, and, secondly, a consequent depravation of all his faculties and powers. The withdrawal of the Divine Spirit from free operation in the soul of man, and the entrance of the Satanic spirit, dominating the thoughts, affections, and passions of the human heart, will account for all the disorder and evil connected with human life and destiny.

By the redemptive work of Jesus Christ there has been a partial restoration. The Holy Spirit's influence and power has been procured for man by the atonement and

reconciliation made by Christ. The Holy Spirit by the grace of God implants in the nature of man that "germ of spiritual life which might coexist with the primal bias to evil." This grace of God is not an effect of baptism; it does not wait for any action of man. It is the birthright of every human soul by virtue of the atonement of Christ, as an unconditional benefit. "The date of redemptive power and grace to each individual of the race," says Dr. Hibbard, "is coincident with the date of existence." "Thou didst make me trust when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb; thou art my God since my mother bare me" (Psa. 22. 9, 10, R. V.). "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. . . . Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God!" (Psa. 139. 13, 16, 17.)

...

The purposes of God toward man are seen in the gospel of Christ; it is commensurate with human needs. It comes with lifting power at every point where man suffered by the fall. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3. 8). The efficacy of Christ's blood is greater than the stain of sin, either original or actual; and can restore the body and the soul of man to more than their original glory and honor. The lost image is restored. Men are born again. They "put off the old man, which is corrupt," and "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. 4. 22, 24). This new man "is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Col. 3.

1 Religion of Childhood, p. 109.

10). The perverted powers are set right and they move in their proper channels. Man is in harmony with God, the soul is restored to happiness, and the heart becomes again the "temple of the Holy Ghost."

When the individual is saved society must be changed. When Christ and his gospel prevail the Spirit of Christ will dwell in the hearts of men, will establish his law, drive away the ills that now torment the world, and bless it with universal peace. Jealousies and ambitions of kings and rulers shall be unknown; swords shall be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, and men shall learn war no more. The ensign of the cross shall be unfurled in all nations as the emblem of peace and brotherhood, and it shall be the standard of the world.

ARTICLE VIII

OF FREE WILL

The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and works, to faith, and calling upon God; wherefore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will.

I. THE ORIGIN

The latter portion, be

This Article has two sources. ginning with the word "wherefore," was originally taken from the writings of Saint Augustine, and formed number IX of the Forty-two Articles of 1553. The first part was added in 1562, transferred almost verbatim from the Würtemberg Confession. The phrase "working in us" was changed in 1571 to "working with us," a slight but significant change, indicating the opinion of the English divines that man is not so utterly depraved but that he is able by grace to coöperate with God. It was adopted by Wesley without further change.

II. THE AIM

The connection of this Article with the preceding one is clear. It antagonizes the doctrines of the Pelagians and the Semi-Pelagians,1 and also the errors of the sects which revived their doctrines at the time of the Reformation. They taught that the help of God was not necessary to form the beginning of repentance or amendment of

. See Article VII.

life; that all are capable also of exercising faith in Christ but cannot persevere without divine aid. The Article denies the power of man unaided to turn to God and serve him, and asserts the need of the grace of God to begin, continue, and end the work of salvation.

III. THE EXPOSITION

Will is the seat of the volitional and responsible power. Man, made in the image and likeness of God, possesses volition as one of his most distinguishing characteristics; it indicates his place in creation as "but a little lower than the angels." Upon this fact of possession rests the weight of moral obligation, for responsibility must as its basis have freedom. Choice makes man capable of virtue or vice, and subject to praise or blame. "Volition," says Dr. Adam Clarke, "is essential to the being of a soul, and to all rational and intellectual beings. This is the most essential discrimination between matter and spirit. Matter can have no choice, spirit has."

The title of the Article is not exact; in it free will is neither defined nor asserted, although the impairment of the will is implied. The Article, in asserting the incapacity of unaided man for good since the fall, by implication teaches the complete power of the will before man sinned.

The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and works, to faith, and calling upon God.

Man possessed an untrammeled will before the fall. However much this will was warped by the fall, it is clear that he never lost the power of choice. The Scriptures teach this plainly: "Choose you this day whom ye will serve" (Josh. 24. 15). Forced service is slavery; service

Theology, p. 360.