Foreknowledge by Joel Hayes - Library of Theology

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301 and throw them to the beasts of the field." There is a possibility, then, that actions which by our standards we would condemn, may, under the circumstances and with the motive which prompted them be really virtuous in the actors. Let us take an instance. It is prophesied concerning the man of sin, that "he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." By Protestants this is thought to apply to the Pope. True, he does not absolutely claim to be God; he only claims to be God's representative on earth. He does, however, claim to have the authority and power to forgive sins, and, according to our view and perhaps that of the inspired apostle, this is the same thing as to show himself that he is God; for "who can forgive sins but God only?" (Mark 2:7) But let us suppose that some man, educated in the Roman Catholic doctrine and surrounded by influences that absolutely control his belief, so that he cannot but believe that the Pope is properly the vicar of the Lord Jesus Christ, having power on earth to forgive sins, should by some turn of Providence by elected Pope. Such a man could not but think it his duty to exercise the functions of his office. In doing so, like all other Popes, he would be sitting in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God; yet would he be entitled to blame? If, indeed, he exercised the functions of his office in all fairness and candor, dispensing forgiveness for the good of mankind and the glory of God (in his view), would he not be entitled to praise? Now, this is a possible case. There are, doubtless, many people who honestly believe in the Roman Catholic doctrine. There might, therefore, in the providence of God, not very probably perhaps, but possibly, arise a Pope who could fulfill this part of St. Paul's prophecy as an act of virtue. Notice that we do not offer this supposed case as a fulfillment of the whole prophecy; for the apostle says these things were to be done by a "man of sin," a "son of perdition." We simply suppose this case to illustrate how a predicted action commonly regarded as sinful, might by a possibility be an act of virtue. Perhaps the case of Rahab is a case more to the point. Rahab, besides sheltering the enemies of her country, told a falsehood concerning them. But her motive for these actions was her faith in the God of Israel, and by that faith she was justified. Now, sheltering the spies was doubtless right even in the abstract; but what about the falsehood? Was that a Christ-like act? She was justified; that is, her act was an act of virtue, else it would not have received the commendation of the Lord of glory: but was it not so simply because her motive was right? Some, indeed, may think that the end in her case sanctified the means, and that therefore even her falsehood under the circumstances was absolutely right; but there are others who think that under a more perfect enlightenment and with perhaps a higher degree of faith, she would have reckoned the God in whom she trusted as one able to protect both her and the spies without the necessity of her doing evil that good might come. CHAPTER IX: ACTIONS MORALLY CERTAIN TO BE SINFUL, BUT POSSIBLY VIRTUOUS We now continue the examination of the prophecies. The little horn mentioned in Daniel 7 and thought by some to be a prophecy concerning Antichrist will first claim our attention. "The ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another [the little horn] shall rise after them" (verse 24). The little horn, then, was to be a king; yet if the "time and times and the dividing of a time" during which he was to continue, represent one thousand two hundred and sixty years, as is commonly thought (cf. Revelation 12:6, and Revelation 12:14), it was rather to be a succession of kings. Moreover, the prophecy could not have been fulfilled in any person then living, for the reign of this king or this succession of kings was to begin in a far distant period. God must have known, therefore, before the birth of the little horn, and consequently before 301 Watson's Dictionary, under the head of "Moral Obligation." 146
any free volition was made by him, that some king or set of kings would "speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws." But it must be remembered that "the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men" (Daniel 4:17). "Promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one and setteth up another" (Psalm 75:6-7). This he does, not only by controlling the operations of nature and holding in his hands the issues of life and death, but also, as has been seen, by controlling men's voluntary actions. The Lord, therefore, was to choose from among the vast multitude of men who should in future ages constitute the world of mankind, the one to promote to the place of the little horn and set up over his kingdom. Now, supposing that this prophecy could not be fulfilled as an act of virtue, that it must, therefore, by the result of some sinful volition to be made in the future, and that God does not foreknow any free volition, yet, as a matter of moral certainty, he knew that some men would make the volition or set of volitions from which the actions predicted could under his controlling hand result, and among such men he was to make his choice and set up his king. How exceedingly little such a moral certainty lacks of perfect certainty has been shown in Part III., Chapter VI. Among the millions of earth's inhabitants, supposing the probability of each man's possessing the proper character to be 1/100, the lack of certainty of the possession of that character by at 302 least 1/125 of the people was so small as to be almost, if not quite, inconceivable. It would have been by the barest of bare possibilities, therefore, that no free volition would be made which the Lord could cause to result in the fulfillment of this prophecy. But we are not compelled to believe that this prophecy could not be fulfilled as an act of virtue. It is supposed by Protestants that it has been fulfilled by the Pope of Rome. The Pope does not, it is true, claim to speak words against the Most High, nor to wear out the saints of the Most High, yet in the opinion of Protestants he does do so. But is it not possible for some Pope, with his education and surroundings, to do these things under mistaken notions but with proper motives? Is it not possible, in other words, that some good Pope could arise in whom the prophecy could be fulfilled as an act of virtue? We grant that it is only a possibility, a bare possibility at that, but it needs only the barest of bare possibilities to complete the perfect certainty of the prophecy's fulfillment. We have already seen that this prophecy has been supposed to refer to Antichrist, or the man of sin. The two prophecies, it is true, may have found their fulfillment in the same person or the same earthly power, but we have no evidence that such was the original design, or that it was originally known that such would be the case. That the little horn and the man of sin were to possess similar characteristics does not prove that they were necessarily to be the same person or power. Neither were the little horn and the dragon to be the same power; for one was to be a king, the other was that old Serpent called the Devil. That the kingdom of the little horn was to exist just as long as the woman was to be nourished from the face of the dragon proves nothing. We now return to President Edwards. How many instances of the moral conduct of the Kings of the North and South, particular instances of the wicked behavior of the Kings of Syria and Egypt, are foretold in the 11th chapter of Daniel? Their corruption, violence, robbery, treachery and lies. And particularly, how much is foretold of the horrid wickedness of Antiochus Epiphanes, called there a vile person, instead of Epiphanes, or illustrious. In that chapter, and also in chap. 8, verses 9, 14, 23, to the end are foretold his flattery, deceit and lies, his having his heart set to do mischief, and set against the holy covenant, his destroying and treading under foot the holy people, in a marvelous manner, his having indignation against the holy covenant, setting his heart against it, and conspiring against it, his 302 See p. 140. 147
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THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD 1 or, THE
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PREFACE I am not entirely pleased w
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Bayle, "is to cause it, if he can,
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imply no contradiction. Hence it is
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3 Theodicy, p. 198. FAILURE OF DR.
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harmonies of sound. Moral agency, i
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constituted the reason why he, for
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heaven," as well as the angels; yet
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One point more from Dr. Bledsoe. He
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power not to perform. As a free act
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of the soul." But to return. A free
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33 President Edwards. 34 35 consequ
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But experience may show a class of
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41 Will, Part II., Chapter II., P.
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"SECONDLY. If a power of Will deter
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"MOTIVE is usually considered as a
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62 it suits best to gratify the vil
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is especially evident when, as is v
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70 by the flavor, may be considered
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to gratify, the subjective motive.
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of choice. The former being a quali
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In the preceding paragraphs I have
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Mr. Webster also gives as one defin
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97 Will, Part I., Section II., p. 5
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105 Will, Part I, Section IV., p. 1
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But is this all? Is a mere thought
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in preference to both the sense of
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contend for in the case of man is t
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happen otherwise. This is not the t
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133 of such events he has and can h
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On page 9 of the Inquiry he says, "
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is indissoluble--that there cannot
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is evident from the fact that, the
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CHAPTER VII: OMNISCIENCE DOES NOT F
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It is easy to prove that whatever w
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its agent cannot refuse to act it.
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It would not conflict with any noti
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that they are certainly future, or
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destroys all the force of the exhor
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for the Master's use. And we admit,
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190 Institutes, Part II., Chapter V
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the Scripture says of God's immutab
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eginning of the condition of things
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are sojourners of the Dispersion in
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emotion, and constitute the princip
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In the first place, this doctrine i
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either prove God's necessitation of
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Page 117 and 118: Deut. 32:21, compared with Rom. 9:1
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