In the face of these utterances no scheme of election which assumes the doctrine of everlasting puuislnnent as one of its fundamental postulates, can claim to rest on the authority of St. Paul.
Leaving, then, on one side the attempt to con- sider the effect of election in its relation to the elect in the narrower sense of the term, what are we to say of its influence in the ca.se of the wider circlet St. Paul's argument in relation to Israel (ir^"'') is sufficient to show that in his view, even in the wider sense, the fact of God's election carries with it an unalterable declaration of the divine purpose for good towards those to whom His call came. He believed also that the will of each man was in its natural state so utterly enslaved to evil that nothing but the divine power could set it free (Uo 7"'^). At the same time, the action of the divine will on the human was not to over- whelm it, but to restore its power of action. He exhorts men to work out their own salvation, just because it is God who is working in them both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Ph 2"). The love of Christ is indeed a constraining motive (2 Co 5"). Without faith in that love as its abiding source and spring the Christian life is imjios.Mible (Gal 2", cf. 1 Jn 4").* And surrender to that love is the last act for which a man could dream of claiming any credit to himself. It is the gift of God (Eph 2'). Yet the refusal to surrender IB not due to defect of grace. It is possible to receive the grace of God in vain (2 Co 6')-
Again, the presence of the divine grace does not supersede the necessity for con.stant watch- fulness (cf. Mk 13" etc.). Even the 'chosen ves-sel' (Ac 9'") contemplates the possibility of becoming himself a castaway (1 Co O-"). Branches have been cut out of the good olive tree before now — and what has been done once may be done again (Ro ll'"). While, however, his language does not leave us room to believe that he regarded himself, at Icastat this (lart of his career, as possessing any
• Cf- Council of Orange, a.d. 620, Canon xxv^ Donum Dei ut di/i/jere Ucitin. Jpteut diiigentvr tUdit qu\ non dilectus itUigit.
inalienable gift of 'final perseverance,' or ai absolved from the necessity for strenuous effort on his own part ' to make his own calling and election sure' (2 P V), it is clear that he had an unfaltering faith in the perseverance of God. He knows whom he has trusted (2Ti 1'-), and is con- vinced that He is able to keep what has been entrusted to Him. He can trust God to bring to perfection any good work in a man w hen He has once set His hand to it (Ph 1'). Even the human potter, whom the prophet watched at his work (Jer 18^), when the vessel that he made of clay was marred in his hand, made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
If anything like this is the truth about the doctrine of election, we need no longer shrink from the contemplation of it as if it were ' a portion of eternity too gicat for the eye of man.' The favoured few are not chosen, while the rest of their race are left to their doom in hopeless misery. The existence of the Church, however much it may, nay must, witness to a coming judgment, has in it a promise of hope, not a message of despair for the world. As Israel of old w.as chosen to keep alive in the hearts of men the hope of a coming Saviour of the world, so the Church is chosen to bear abroad into all the world the gospel of a universal redemption, forbidden to leave out one single soul from the vast circle of her intercessions and her giving of thanks, because she is called to live in the light of a revelation which bi<ls her believe and act in the belief that God will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Ti 2'-*). We can enter with full hearts into the spirit of the marvellous doxology with which .St. Paul concludes his study of the subject, and cry with him in exultant adora- tion, ' Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God 1 how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out. . . . For of him and through liim and to him are all things ; to whom be glory for ever.'
LlTBRATitRB.— The history of the various controversies con- nected with Election is given in outline in various treatises on the history of Christian Doctrine aa a whole, e.g. Hagcnbach, Shcdd, and O. P. Fisher. The Pelagian controversy is treated at lcnj,'th, in Latin, by O. T. Vossius, ItilS ; and, in German, by Wiggers, 1821, 1S33 ; Part I. tr. by U. Emerson, Andover, V.S., 1840. The Anli-Pelaf/ian Treatitieg of St. Anfjuxline have been edited tor the Oxford University Press by W. Uright, D.D. (18S0), and for 1). Nutt by Woods and Johnston (liS88) : cf. J. B. Mozley on The Awjuatinian Doctrine oj rredeatination (3rd ed. 1(>S3) ; Cassian's Vunj'crciicee, tr. by E. O. Gibson in Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, 1894. A full collection of document* connected with the Gottschalk controversy in 0th cent, in Mau^in. Paris, 1050, 2 vols. 4to ; cf. Archbp. Ussher, Works, vol. lii. The Scholastic Theories are discussed in chs. ix. and x. of J. B. Mozlev. Special treatises by St. Anselm, De cone. Prirse. et J'rtva. etc. (1100). and Thomas of Bradwardine, De caxuta Dei c. I'elarj. etc. 1325. For Refonnation and Post- Heformation controversies see esp. the various collections of Confessions and Iioctrinal Standards, esp. Winer, Conjetariona of Christeiiiirtm ; Niemeyer, Ci/,7. coi\fF. ecci. rejonn. in Latin ; cf. Melanchthon's Loci Cornmuneg, 1621 ; Luther, De eervo arbiirio, with Erasums* reply, 1525 ; Calvin, Christiaiux [Utiijioni$ Ijietitutio, 1536 ; Arminius, Dijtputat tones, xxiv. , 1U09. For the Jansenist controversy see Molina, Cone. tib. arb. etc. 1588, and Jansenius, * Angustinus,' 104O. The most important treatise of Ibth cent, is J. Edwards on Free Will, lo luih cent, note esp. Whately, Euays on some digicuUies in the vritintje qf St. I'aul, 1828 : O. S. Faber, The Primitive Doctrine of Klnfion, 1835 ; T. Erak'ne, The Doctrine o/ litectinn. 1837 ; T. Chnluiers, Five hert. on Predestination, 1837; W. Channiiig, The Moral Aryuiiiriit aiiainst t'ati-inijrm ; Mtiller, The t'hruitian Doctrine o/ .S'l/i, 183U ; M'Cosh, The Method of the Divine Government, 1850 ; Ooplnger, A Treatise on Predestination, Election, and Grace, 1880, including a full biblioijrophy, pp. ccxvi. The relevant sections in Mtirtcnsen's C7irut(wtH J}oijniutics and Cunningham's llislurical Thculo<j}i repap/ careful study ; cf. also .Saiiday- lleadlam on Uotnatu \x.-%i. J. (J, 1<\ AluitUAY.