negative. It suggests that the sinfulness of man is a lack rather than a positive characteristic. But the term is very useful in driving home the fact of the inability of man to do, understand, or even desire the good. Let us now look at this threefold inability of man. The Belgic Confession is very scriptural when it declares natural man’s “incapacity to perform what is truly good.” The Canons of Dort are likewise scriptural when they confess that “all men are . . . incapable of