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AN
ESSAY
IN WHICH
THE DOCTRINE
OF A
POSITIVE DIVINE EFFICIENCY
EXCITING THE WILL OF MEN TO SIN,
As held by some modern Writers,
IS
CANDIDLY DISCUSSED,
1. UNPHILOSOPHICAL.
AND SHEWN TO BE
2. INCONSISTENT WITH THE PLAIN AND
OBVIOUS SENSE OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, AND OF COURSE DEPARTURE FROM THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GOSPEL; AND 3. A NOVEL DOCTRINE, UTTERLY REPUGNANT
TO THE FAITH OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN ALL PAST AGES.
BY THOMAS ANDROS, A. M.
Pastor of the Church of Christ in Berkley, Mass.
Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.....ST. PAUL. relix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas..... VIRGIL.
BOSTON:
PRINTED FOR SAMUEL T. ARMSTRONG,
BY CROCKER & BREWSTER,
No. 50, Cornhill, July, 1820.
THE NEW YORK PUBLICLIBRARY 155409
ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS. 1899
The question stated, "Does God operate directly on the heart of
fallen man, and excite him by an inward positive influence, to
yield to the motives and allurements to sin, which, in the course
of divine providence, are presented to his view?"
13
SECTION II.
The standard by which this, and all other questions in theology
and morals, are to be ultimately decided, i. e. the obvious sense
of the word of God, as determined by the common laws of
exposition,
24
SECTION III.
Two positions, that may be adjudged as the main pillars of the
system of direct efficiency, considered: viz. 1. That motive in
no possible case can be the cause of volition. 2. That those
passages of Scripture which speak of a divine agency in hardening
the hearts of men, &c. are to be understood as perfectly par-
allel to, and as expressive of, a direct influence, as those which
ascribe the production of holy exercises to God,
SECTION IV.
$2
In which it is shewn, that the theory under examination is
contrary to analogy and sound philosophy, so far as any regard
is due to the most sober and cautious reasonings of this kind, 51