Mozley: A Treatise on the Augustinian Doctrine of

36
Examination of the
CHAP. IT.
this If one set of
great question.
passages,
taken in their
natural meaning, conveys the doctrine of predestination,
another conveys the reverse. The Bible, in speaking of
mankind, and addressing them on their duties and respon
sibilities, certainly speaks as if all had the power to do
their duty or not, when laid before them nor would ; any
plain man receive any other impression from this language,
than that the moral being had freewill, and could determine
his own acts one way or another. So that, sometimes
speaking one way, and sometimes another, Scripture, as a
whole, makes no assertion, or has no determinate doctrine
on this subject.
To some persons, perhaps, such an estimate of the
general issue of Scripture language on this subject may
because it appears, at
seem derogatory to Holy Scripture ;
first sight, to be casting blame upon language, to say that
it is self-contradictory; the form of such an assertion
suggesting that the expression of something definite was
aimed at, but that the fell language short of its aim. But
it will not, upon consideration, be found that any such
consequence attaches to this estimate of Scripture language.
For though Scripture is certainly said not to be consistent,
and, therefore, not to give support to a determinate doctrine
of predestination, it is not said that the expression of any
determinate doctrine was designed. And, therefore, the
assertion made is not that Scripture has fallen short of an
object which it aimed at ; rather, it is quite consistent with
Scripture having most completely and successfully attained
its object.
Were the nature of all truth such as that it could be
expressed that is, put into statement or proposition, to
the effect that such is or is not the case, explicitness and
consistency would be always requisite for language ; because
real expression is necessarily explicit and consistent with
itself. All intelligible truths matters of fact, for example
are capable of expression ; and therefore, in the case of
such truths, explicit statement is necessary, and contradic
tion is ruinous. But it is not the case that all truth can
be expressed. Some truths of revealed religion cannot be