all things are foreseen all things are inevitably certain as to their occurrence. This is granting all any Augustinian need demand.
2. Another doctrine held by a largo part of the Christian world in all ages which of necessity precludes the doctrine of contingency, is that of the foreordination of future events. Those who believe that God foreordains whatever conies to pass must believe that the occurrence of all events is determined with unalterable certainty. It is not our object to prove any of these doctrines, but simply to argue from them as true. It may, however, be remarked that there is no difficulty attending the doctrine of foreordination which does not attach to that of foreknowledge. The latter supposes the certainty of free acts, and the former secures their certainty. If their being certain be consistent with liberty, their being rendered certain cannot be incompatible with it. All that foreordination does is to render it certain that free acts shall occur. The whole difficulty is in their being certain, and that must be admitted by every consistent theist. The point now in hand is, that those who believe that the Bible teaches the doctrine of foreordination are shut up to the conclusion that an event may be free and yet certain, and therefore that the theory of contingency which supposes that an act to be free must be uncertain, is unscriptural and false.
3. The doctrine of divine providence involves the same conclusion. That doctrine teaches that God governs all his creatures and all their actions. That is, that He so conducts the administration of his government as to accomplish all his purposes. Here again the diffi- culty is the same, and is no greater than before. Foreknowledge supposes certainty; foreordination determines it; and providence effects it. Tlie last does no more than the first of necessity pre- supposes. If certainty be compatible with freedom, providence which only secures certainty cannot be inconsistent with it. Who for any metaphysical difficulty — who, because he is not able to comprehend how God can effectually govern free agents without destroying their nature, would give iip the doctrine of providence ? Who would wish to see the reins of universal empire fall from the nands of infinite wisdom and love, to be seized by chance or fate ? Who would not rather be governed by a Father than by a tornado ? If God cannot effectually control the acts of free agents there can be no prophecy, no prayer, no thanksgiving, no promises, no security of salvation, no certainty whether in the end God or Satan is to be triumphant, whether heaven or hell is to be the consum- mation. Give us certainty — the secure conviction that a sparrow cannot fall, or a sinner move a finger, but as God permits and
802 PART II. Cii. IX. —FREE AGENCY.
ordains. We must liave either God or Satan to rule. And if God has a providence He mu.st he ahle to render the free acts of his creatures certain ; and tlierefore certainty must be consistent with liberty. Was it not certain that Clirist should, according to the Scriptures, be by wicked hands crucified and slain, and yet were not his murderers free in all they did? Let it be remembered that in all these doctrines of providence, foreordination, and fore- knowledge nothing is assumed beyond what Reid, one of the most able opponents of Leibnitz and Edwards, readily ailmits. He grants the prescience of future events ; he grants that prescience supposes certainty, and that is all that either foreordination or providence secures. If an act may be free, although certainly foreknown, it may be fi-ee although foreordained and secured by the great scheme of pi'ovidence.
4. The whole Christian world believes that God can convert men. They believe that He can effectually lead them to repent- ance and faith ; and that He can secure them in heaven from ever falling into sin. Tiiat is, they believe that He can render their free acts absolutely certain. When we say that this is the faith of the whole Christian world we do not mean that no individual Christian or Christian theologian lias ever denied this doctrine of grace ; but we do mean that the doctrine, to the extent above stated, is included in the Confessions of all the great historical churches of Christendom in all ages. It is just as much a part of the established faith of Christians as the divinity of our Redeemer. This being the fact, the doctrine that contingency is necessary to liberty cannot be reconciled with Christian doctrine. It has, indeed, been extensively held by Christians ; but our object is to show that it is in conflict with doctrines which they themselves as Christians must admit. If God can fulfil his promise to give men a Tiew heart ; if He can translate them from the kingdom of dark- ness into the kingdom of his dear Son ; if He can give them repentance unto life; if there be no impropriety in praying that He would preserve them from falling, and give them the secure possession of eternal life, then He can control tlieir free acts. He can, by his grace, without violating their freedom, make it abso- lutely certain that they will repent and believe, and persevere in holiness. If these things are so, then it is evident that any theory which makes contingency or uncertainty essential to liberty must be irreconcilable with some of the plainest and most precious doc- trines of the Scriptures.