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History of Protestantism in the Netherlands - James Aitken Wylie

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own fault, and lose faith wholly and for ever."[5]<br />

It is <strong>the</strong> first reced<strong>in</strong>g wave with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Protestant Church which we are now<br />

contemplat<strong>in</strong>g, and it is both <strong>in</strong>structive and<br />

curious to mark that <strong>the</strong> ebb from <strong>the</strong> Reformation<br />

began at what had been <strong>the</strong> start<strong>in</strong>g-po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Reform movement. We have remarked, at an early<br />

stage <strong>of</strong> our history, that <strong>the</strong> question touch<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />

Will <strong>of</strong> man is <strong>the</strong> deepest <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ology. Has <strong>the</strong> Fall<br />

left to man <strong>the</strong> power <strong>of</strong> will<strong>in</strong>g and do<strong>in</strong>g what is<br />

spiritually good? or has it deprived him <strong>of</strong> that<br />

power, and <strong>in</strong>flicted upon his will a moral<br />

<strong>in</strong>ability? If we answer <strong>the</strong> first question<br />

affirmatively, and ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> that man still reta<strong>in</strong>s<br />

<strong>the</strong> power <strong>of</strong> will<strong>in</strong>g and do<strong>in</strong>g what is spiritually<br />

good, we advance a proposition from which, it<br />

might be argued, a whole system <strong>of</strong> Roman<br />

<strong>the</strong>ology can be worked out. And if we answer <strong>the</strong><br />

second question affirmatively, we lay a foundation<br />

from which, it might be contended on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

hand, a whole system <strong>of</strong> Protestant <strong>the</strong>ology can be<br />

educed. Pursu<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> one l<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> reason<strong>in</strong>g, if man<br />

still has <strong>the</strong> power <strong>of</strong> will<strong>in</strong>g and do<strong>in</strong>g actions<br />

561

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