Dr. George Duffield on the Doctrines of New-School Presbyterians [pp. 655-675]

668 1?r. ~eorge ~uffle~ on the [OcTo~~~
`Jirect,'`immediate' agency of' the Spirit in the work of
regeneration... saying,`we are far, however, from denying
that in regeneration the Holy Spirit operates in connection
with the truUt.' * How in connection? Whether by mere
juxtaposition, or as`over, above, and' beyond the truth'favourite phrases with some-or, plainly and frankly, by means
of the truth? To answer this question would not be so embarrassing as it is to the Old-school Presbyterian, if he did not
believe the agency of the Spirit to be other than through, i. e.,
6y means of the truth." Pp. 600, 601. He then proceeds to
contrast New-school Presbyterians with them in this respect.
The embarrassment here attributed to Old-school Presbyterians
is the merest fiction of our New-school brethren. It exists
only in their own imaginations. The former have no difficulty
in recognizing an influence of the Spirit with and through the
truth, which must yet be inefficaci~us upon a soul not quickened
and renewed, and made willing in the day of God's power, by
a divine inworking "over, and above, and beyond" the truth, as
already explained-such as the above exhibition of New-school
Presbyterian theology disowns.
But again, says Dr. Duffield, "The agency of the Spirit is
not physical, not literally creative, but in perfect consistency
with man's free moral agency, as a rational, accountable creature, held rightfully under obligations of obedience to the law
of God. It is such as in its nature may be and often is
resisted." This shows, 1. That in the writer's view a liljerally
creative is the same as a "physical" work of God in the' soul,
-in his meaning of that word, and therefore to be`denied.
2.That, in his view, such a creative work is inconsistent with
moral agency and obligations of obedience to God's law, and
therefore to be denied. 3. That in his view the agency of the
Spirit in regeneration is such as may be and often is effectually
resisted. Hence, 4. a logical result of this is, that regeneration must really be the work of that human will whose prerogative it is to render unavailing or efficacious the whole agency
of the Holy Spirit in the case. This harmonizes with the theory that regeneration is the act of the sinner's will forming a
new governing purpose, the cardinal doctrine in Dr. Taylor's
* Dr. Rice.