p. 171 | PREDESTINATION by Miles E. Cornell

The Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · November 27, 1879

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 54, No. 22

PREDESTINATION

By Miles E. Cornell

Of the many false doctrines held and taught among Protestants, none have been fraught with greater evil, in certain quarters, than that of predestination, the doctrine that all are unchangeably elected to be saved or lost,—that all who are finally lost were predestinated to that end.

In the Presbyterian confession of faith it is set forth as follows:—

“By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death.”

“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.”

“God’s decrees are the wise, free and holy acts of the counsel of his own will, whereby, from all eternity, he hath, for his own glory, unchangeably foreordained whatsoever comes to pass in time, especially concerning angels and men.”

Now there can be no doubt that many thousands, supposing that this doctrine was true and according to the Scriptures, have failed to make their own election sure. They remained indifferent, because they thought, if God had from all eternity foreordained their ultimate salvation, he had also foreordained the means for its accomplishment, and of course it could not be in danger of failure by any neglect on their part. Under this delusion they passively waited as under the decrees of fate, and so made no effort to secure that which they supposed had already been made sure from all eternity!

The principal text of Scripture relied upon to support this doctrine is found in Rom. 8: 29, 30: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” By a careful examination of this Scripture, and comparing it with Matt. 27: 52, 53 and 1 Cor. 15: 20, we find it has no reference to the righteous in general, but only to a particular class who were raised at the resurrection of Christ, for a particular object. They were raised, and ascended with Christ to take part with him in the work of the priesthood. See Ps. 68: 18; Eph. 4: 8; Rev. 5: 8-12.

The principal support of the doctrine is a perversion of Scripture; besides, it does not harmonize with the general tenor of the Bible, nor accord with reason. Every effort to prove or explain it has only resulted in making it appear more dark and doubtful. It is related of one of the advocates of the doctrine, that after he had spent several hours trying to explain it to the understanding of his pious slave, he said, “Now, Sambo, do you understand it?” But Sambo, scratching his head significantly, replied, “Massa, before you splained it I thought I understood it pretty well, but now, since you splained it, I don’t know nothing at all about it.”

Truth is plain, and easy of comprehension when once brought out. Like gold, the more it is scoured the brighter it shines. But of all errors the above seems most difficult and contradictory. It involves the greatest absurdity, and is a slander upon the character and attributes of Deity! No man can harmonize it with the scriptures on free agency.

We believe that God did from the beginning decree that all who would obey him should be saved, and that those who would not should be lost; but he left man perfectly free to make his own election.

1. God decreed to bring to pass what shall be for his own glory. An intelligent being would not act without purpose, or design. No serious or thoughtful man intends, or purposes deliberately, to dishonor and degrade himself. Much less would we expect such a purpose on the part of God; for he must consider that the greatest happiness of his creatures brings the greatest glory to himself.

2. But sin is not for God’s glory, therefore he never decreed it. Sin is ruinous to his creatures, and for this reason it is dishonoring to God. Sin is in conflict with the nature of God, and with all the requirements of his word. How, then, can we admit that he decreed the existence of sin? Can we suppose that contradictory purposes existed in his mind? No; we cannot believe that God predetermined his own glory, and at the same time the existence of sin and evil, when they are in direct conflict one with the other.

3. But sin exists. Therefore some things exist which God did not decree. God does not will everything which is willed, nor does he do everything which is done. Man has a will, and he is essentially free to exercise both will and action. The Scriptures give numerous examples in which man has gone directly contrary to God’s will and pleasure. Then it is a fact that God may choose one thing, and man may choose another, and develop his choice into action in opposition to the will of God.

In certain cases, God has overruled man’s wrong choice and action. He makes the wrath of man to praise him, and restrains the remainder of wrath; but he does not himself either purpose or bring about this wrath. How could a good and wise ruler purpose, or bring about, rebellion on the part of his subjects?

There are, doubtless, purposes in the mind of God which are unknown to us. He has purposes in relation to the inhabitants of the planet Jupiter, but he has not revealed them to us, for the good reason that they do not concern us. If God has any secret purposes concerning any people, they cannot be contrary to anything revealed to us in his written word. Then it is not true that God decrees, “whatsoever comes to pass;” but, on the contrary, it is a falsehood forged by Satan.

It remains a fact, therefore, that each individual must decide his own destiny, God having only predestinated and decreed that whoever would do his will should be saved, and that whoever would not should be lost. And in harmony with this general decree, man is exhorted to give all diligence to make his own election sure. 2 Pet. 1:10. If, therefore, any are lost, it is not because it was so decreed or willed by any but themselves; for God wills that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Jesus would have gathered many, but they would not. But Jesus could never will any to be saved contrary to the will and decrees of God. And as Christ the Son wills the salvation of all if they will also, it cannot be that God the Father has decreed that any should be lost. All may be saved. “Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” M. E. Cornell.