Moral and Natural Inability

Moral and Natural Inability – The distinction between moral and natural inability came to Fuller, Ryland, and Sutcliff largely through the writings of Jonathan Edwards, especially his volume on Freedom of the Will, which Fuller first read c. 1777. This distinction would form one of the central theses in Fuller’s Gospel of Christ Worthy of All Acceptation. As Fuller writes, “Natural ability, may in the stile of scripture be called, the power of the hand, and moral ability, the power of the heart. The former is not of itself sufficient for the performance of good. If a man have ever so much power of this sort to do good, yet if he have no disposition that way, it is to no purpose” (186). Thus, though man does not have the capacity to will himself into a spiritual state apart from divine intervention, he nevertheless has a capacity to choose (a duty), but because of the hardness of his heart, chooses to reject Christ, and is thus morally responsible.