3d. From the nature of man, who is a responsible free agent who originates his own acts. The Scriptures always attribute to divine grace the good actions, and to the evil heart the sinful ac- tions of men.
18. How may it be shown that the doctrine of unconditional decrees does not represent God as the author of sin ?
The whole difficulty lies in the awful fact that sin exists. If God foresaw it and yet created the agent, and placed him in the very circumstances under which he did foresee the sin would be committed, then he did predetermine it. If he did not foresee it, or, foreseeing it, could not prevent it, then he is not infinite in knowledge and in power, but is surprised and prevented by his creatures. The doctrine of unconditional decrees presents no special difficulty. It represents God as decreeing that the sin shall eventuate as the free act of the sinner, and not as by any form of coaction causing, nor by any form of temptation inducing him to sin.
19. What is the objection to this doctrine derived from the use of means ?
This is the most common form of objection in the mouths of ignorant and irreligious people. If an immutable decree makes all future events certain, "if ivhat is to be, ivill be" then it fol-
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THE DECREES OF GOD IN GENERAL.
lows that no means upon our part can avoid the result, nor can any means be necessary to secure it.
Hence as the use of means is commanded by God, and instinc- tively natural to man, since many events have been effected by their use, and many more in the future evidently depend upon them, it follows that God has not rendered certain any of those events which depend upon the use of means on the part of men.
20. What is the ground upon which the use of means is founded ?
This use is founded upon the command of God, and upon that fitness in the means to secure the end desired, which our instincts, our intelligence, and our experience disclose to us. But neither the fitness nor the efficiency of the means to secure the end, reside inherently and independently in the means themselves, but were originally established and are now sustained by God himself ; and in the working of all means God always presides and directs pro- videntially. This is necessarily involved in any Christian theory of Providence, although we can never explicate the relative action (concursus) of God on man, the infinite upon the finite.
21. How may it be shown that the doctrine of decrees does not afford a rational ground of discouragement in the use of means ?
This difficulty (stated above, question 19) rests entirely in a habit of isolating one part of God's eternal decree from the whole, (see question 7), and in confounding the Christian doctrine of decrees with the heathen doctrine of fate, (see question 14.) But when God decreed an event he made it certainly future, not as insolated from other events, or as independent of all means and agents, but as dependent upon means and upon agents freely using those means. The same decree which makes the event cer- tain, also determines the mode by which it shall be effected, and comprehends the means with the ends. This eternal, all com- prehensive act embraces all existence through all duration, and all space as one system, and at once provides for the whole in all its parts, and for all the parts in all their relations to one another and to the whole. An event, therefore, may
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be certain in respect to God's decree and foreknowledge, and at the same time truly contingent in the apprehension of man, and in its relation to the means upon which it depends.
22. What are the proper practical effects of this doctrine ?
Humility in view of the infinite greatness and sovereignty of God, and of the dependence of man. Confidence and implicit reliance upon the wisdom, righteousness, goodness and immuta- bility of God's purposes, and cheerful obedience to his com- mandments ; always remembering that God's precepts, as dis- tinctly revealed, and not his decrees, are the rule of our duty.
CHAPTER X.
PREDESTINATION.
1. What are the different senses in which the word predesti- nation is used by theologians ?
1st. As equivalent to the generic word decreee, as including all God's eternal purposes.
2d. As embracing only those purposes of God which specially respect his moral creatures.
3d. As designating only the counsel of God concerning fallen men, including the sovereign election of some and the most righte- ous reprobation of the rest.
4th. It is sometimes restricted in the range of its usage so far as to be applied only to the eternal election of God's people to everlasting life.
The sense marked as 3d, above, is the most proper usage. — See Acts iv.3 27, 28.
2. In what senses are the words TrpoytvcjaKo (to knoiv before- hand), and rrgoyvcjacg (foreknowledge), used in the New Testa- ment?