Orthodoxy: Its Truths And Errors Part 26

CHAPTER XI. CALLING, ELECTION, AND REPROBATION.

-- 1. Orthodox Doctrine.

The a.s.sembly's Catechism, with its usual frankness, states this doctrine thus:-(chap. 3).

I. "G.o.d, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever cometh to pa.s.s, yet so that neither is G.o.d the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.

II. "Although G.o.d knows whatsoever may or can come to pa.s.s upon all supposed conditions, yet hath he not decreed anything because he foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pa.s.s upon such conditions.

III. "By the decree of G.o.d, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death.

IV. "These angels and men, thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number is so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.

V. "Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, G.o.d, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions or causes moving him thereunto, and all to the praise of his glorious grace.

VI. "As G.o.d hath appointed the elect unto glory, so hath he, by the eternal and most free purpose of his will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ; are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by his Spirit working in due season; are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.

VII. "The rest of mankind G.o.d was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will, whereby he extendeth or withholdeth mercy as he pleaseth, for the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures, to pa.s.s by, and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin, to the praise of his glorious justice."

This statement is contained in the creed of more than three thousand churches in the United States. So far as it is believed by those who profess it, it conveys the idea of a G.o.d who is pure will-a G.o.d, in short, who does as he pleases, saving some of his creatures and d.a.m.ning others, without reason or justice. He does not reward virtue nor punish sin, but scatters the joys of heaven and the torments of h.e.l.l out of a mere caprice, as an Eastern despot gives a man a purse of gold, or inflicts the bastinado, without reason, simply to gratify his sense of power. The essential character of such a Being is arbitrary will, and this creed of Calvinism places an infinite caprice on the throne of the universe, instead of the Being whom the Gospels call "Our Father."

Let us see how far this view of G.o.d is mitigated by modern explanations.

The Old School Presbyterianism, or Princeton Orthodoxy, accepts it in its entireness. They simply deny the consequences supposed to be drawn from it. They deny that it makes G.o.d the author of sin, or that sinful dispositions are created by G.o.d. They deny that this doctrine interferes with freedom of will in man. But they are obliged to admit that, according to their creed, G.o.d decrees things which he forbids; for, "inasmuch as many things occur contrary to his commands, while yet he foreordains all things, it must be that in these cases he purposes one thing and commands another."(22) In other words, G.o.d sends his prophets, and apostles, and Son, to command men to do justly and love mercy, when he has already determined that they shall commit sin. This school rejects the Arminian doctrine that G.o.d's decree is founded on his foreknowledge, and a.s.serts that his foreknowledge is based on his decree.

The Old School in New England do not go quite so far as Princeton. They say, decidedly, that G.o.d foreordains sin only by permitting it. Still, they reject, as stoutly as their sterner _confreres_, the Arminian view, and insist that G.o.d's decrees are not based on his foreknowledge.(23)

According to Dr. Duffield, of Detroit, the New School Presbyterians escape the pinch of this conflict by taking refuge in their ignorance. They are not "Ultra-Calvinists," and they are not "Arminians," and especially they "do not wish to be wise above what is written."(24) Dr. D. a.s.serts that the Old School makes the decree in election to be wholly arbitrary, while the New School believes that it has a reason, though one wholly unknown.

But the Hopkinsians(25) say that "the sovereignty of G.o.d belongs to him as the Supreme Disposer, and consists in his perfect right and perfect ability to do us he pleases." Of course, having made the will of G.o.d wholly arbitrary, they proceed to deny that it is arbitrary, or that wilfulness in G.o.d can possibly be wilful. But all this is using "words of wind for the Almighty," and "accepting his person."

Methodism, on the contrary, denies that G.o.d foreordains whatsoever comes to pa.s.s, holding foreordination to be a causative act.(26) It also denies that man is guilty for inherited sin, or is any way responsible for his depraved nature. He only becomes responsible when he begins to act freely.

He may suffer for inherited evil, but cannot justly be punished for it.

Thus Methodism avoids the rude injustice of the Calvinistic system. And yet, as Schleiermacher has shown,(27) if it accepts total depravity, it must also consistently accept the Calvinistic doctrine of election. For if man is totally depraved, he cannot take a single step towards his own salvation. G.o.d must, in every case, take the initiative, and begin the conversion of each man who is converted. Therefore, if we ask why one man is converted, and another not, the only answer possible is this-that G.o.d chose to convert one, and not the other. Schleiermacher accepts and defends the doctrine of election, but by connecting it with that of universal restoration, which reduces it to the statement that G.o.d saves all, but in a certain order, which order is determined by himself, without regard to any foresight of merit or demerit in man.

-- 2. Scripture Basis for this Doctrine.

The princ.i.p.al pa.s.sages relied upon for the doctrine of absolute decrees are found in Rom. 8:30, and 9:8-24. In these pa.s.sages, Paul is, no doubt, speaking of an unconditional election. In the first, he declares that the gift of Christianity to those who received it was no accident. G.o.d had known them long ago as individuals, known them before they were born, known the character they were to have. He had foreordained them to become Christians, to be made into the likeness of Christ. He had called them to be Christians by his providence; he had forgiven them their sins; he had glorified them, filling them with the glory of the new life of faith and love. In the other pa.s.sage, Paul shows the Jews that G.o.d selects races and families, not according to any merit of theirs, but for reasons of his own, to do his work. Ishmael as well as Isaac was a child of Abraham, but Isaac was selected. Esau as well as Jacob was a child of Isaac, but Jacob was selected. It is no merit of the man which causes him to be chosen, no fault which causes him to be rejected, but that one is made for the work, and the other not. One is influenced to obey and serve; one is allowed to resist G.o.d's will; and yet both of them-he who obeys and he who resists-serve the divine purpose. The Jewish Christians, therefore, may believe that their nation, in resisting Christ, is blindly serving the providential designs of G.o.d, and making way for the Gentiles to come in; and then, the Gentiles, in turn, will help _them_ to come in, "and so all Israel shall be saved." But in neither of these pa.s.sages is any reference to final salvation or d.a.m.nation. All that is spoken of is the predestined and divinely arranged order, the providential method, in which gifts are bestowed and opportunities offered. In fact, in Rom. 11:28, election is formally opposed to the gospel. As regards the GOSPEL, or the reception of Christianity, the Jews are _enemies_; that is, are left out of the circle of G.o.d's gifts, in order that the Gentiles may come in. But as regards the ELECTION, they are still the chosen people, inheriting all the qualities, powers, position, which their fathers had before them, since G.o.d never takes back his gifts.(28) So also in Ephesians 1:5, 11, Paul says that we, Christians, have been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, and predestined to be adopted as children, and obtained an inheritance in Christianity. But neither here is anything intended concerning final salvation. It all refers to their having received the gift of Christian faith, in the plan of G.o.d, by a wise providence of his, and not by accident. So also, in Timothy (2 Tim. 1:9), Paul says that G.o.d hath saved us out of the world, and called us to be Christians, not because of any merit of ours, but simply according to a gracious purpose which he always had, that the Gentiles should come into his kingdom with the Jews. In none of these pa.s.sages is any final doom or destiny hereafter intended: _all of them_ refer to the gift of Christianity in this world. The apostle softens the exultation of the Gentiles, and consoles the sorrow of the Jewish Christians, by telling them that the acceptance of the Gentiles and rejection of the majority of the Jews is part of a great plan of Providence, which will finally redound to the good of both.

-- 3. Relation of the Divine Decree to Human Freedom.

In order that G.o.d shall be the Ruler of the world, and its providence, he must know the course of events, and determine them. In order that man shall be responsible, and a moral being, he must be free to choose, at every moment, between right and wrong, good and evil. In part of his nature and life, man is a creature of destiny; in part, he is the creator of destiny. Every man's character is the result of three factors-organization, education, and freedom. The character he has now has come to him, partly from the organization with which he was born, partly from the influences by which he has been educated, and partly from what he has done or omitted to do at every moment of his life. Now, the two first of these factors are out of his power. A man born in Africa, or descended from Chinese parents, cannot, by any choice or effort, become what a man born of French or German parents may become. A man born among the Turks or Arabs, and educated by the circ.u.mstances surrounding him there, _must_ be a wholly different man from one born in New England. Man's freedom, therefore, may be likened to the power of the helmsman to direct a vessel.

He cannot determine what sort of a vessel he shall be in, nor what sort of weather or currents shall come: all he can do at any moment is to steer it to the right or left. If, now, in steering, he guides himself by a compa.s.s turning to a fixed point, and by a chart giving the true position of continents and islands, then this power enables him, in spite of storms and calms, to take the vessel round the world, to the harbor he seeks. But if he has no chart and compa.s.s, but steers as he chooses from moment to moment, he goes nowhere. His vessel will then drift before the steady winds and constant currents. So is human freedom a great power when it guides itself by eternal truths and fixed laws. But if it does not, then it is not freedom, but only wilfulness, and it accomplishes nothing. Man's freedom is thus surrounded by divine providence. G.o.d determines the original organization of every human being; G.o.d determines the circ.u.mstances which educate him; and G.o.d has fixed the laws by which he must guide himself in order to become really free. He cannot therefore resist the divine will, except temporarily. He can postpone the _time_ when G.o.d's kingdom shall come, and his will be done; but that is all.

-- 4. History of the Doctrine of Election and Predestination.

Before Augustine, all the Greek and Latin Fathers of the Church taught the concurrence of free will and grace in human conversion. They taught that man must begin the work, and that G.o.d would aid him. G.o.d and man must work together.

Then came the controversy between Augustine and Pelagius. The latter, being at Rome, heard this sentence read from the writings of the former: "_Da quod jubes, et jube quod vis_"-Give what thou commandest, and command what thou willest. Pelagius objected to this formula. He said, "Since man ought to be without sin, he can be without sin." "There is," said he, "in man, a '_Can Do_,' a '_Will Do_,' and a '_Do_.' " The first is from G.o.d; in the others G.o.d and man unite.

Augustine objected that G.o.d worked in us both to will and to do. He had first taught that G.o.d sends motives which we can obey or resist; but he saw that if G.o.d works in us to will, he must also conquer our resistance, and work the power by which we consent.

But to this Pelagius replied, "Then there is no freedom in man."

Augustine answered, "G.o.d does not move us as we move a stone, but rationally; he makes us _will_ what is good, and does not force us against our will. He frees the will from its proclivity to evil, by 'preparing grace,' and determines it to good by 'effecting grace.' That some do not yield to this, is not because of their greater resistance, but because G.o.d does not choose to conquer their resistance."

This is the point where grace pa.s.ses into predestination.

The Old Church had maintained that G.o.d predestined to life those whom he _foresaw_ would repent and obey him. His foreknowledge did not cause this to happen, but he foreknew it because it would happen. It did not take place because he foresaw it, but he foresaw it because it would take place.

Election, according to the early Fathers, was nothing arbitrary. It depended on man to be saved or lost. So taught Justin Martyr, Origen, Basil, Hilary.

Basil said, "G.o.d hardened Pharaoh's heart by his judgments, which were sent to show how hard it was, because he saw he would not repent."

Origen adds, "Like a wise physician, G.o.d did not cure Pharaoh too soon, for fear of a relapse. He let him drink the cup of sin to the bottom in this life, so as to cure him more thoroughly hereafter."

Pelagius (and Augustine at first) took the same view. They said that G.o.d foresees and permits evil, and decrees the consequence of it.

Augustine said, "G.o.d has chosen some men in Christ, not because he foresaw they would be good, but because he determined to make them so." The reason of this choice, therefore, lay not in man, but in G.o.d's arbitrary will.

Pelagius said, "This is fatalism, under the name of grace, and is saying that G.o.d accepts the persons of men."

Augustine answered, "All men in Adam are in ruin. G.o.d saves some of them.

If he let _all_ die, we could not blame him: how much less for saving some!"

But why does he _not_ save all? The answer is,-

Because the elect see in the fate of the non-elect what they have escaped, and G.o.d's justice is revealed with his goodness.

None of the elect perish, though they may die unbaptized, and be ever so bad in their lives; but they will be all converted before they die.