The Yazoo Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1842-10-14

tiers Il know not the humoer) proposing 20 OHn8 j
hsfoSe the public some Of the difficulties Of Ar
minianioms and &c the same time present sons 7
arguneuts Ia iav.sr Of the CalbGnistlc doctrines
~ performing the TASK thus voluntarily imposed :
on myselL (althOugh ] must call things by their I
right names.) wish il distinctly understood by
those whose opinions and costumes shall attack;
AZ beinR pregnant with errGT, and in violation Of
the commands and revelations ri the Divine Law,
that disclaim any personal alusicn 81 an un-
friendly character-bnt intend meF.sly an eAaml'
nation OF the doctrines Of my Armin, an iTiehos'
and to try them-by the only true standarlS known
TO the Christian aOOfld, viz The Bible.
These letters would never have been made D ub'
lie, but Tor some discOOTses OF doctTinal chartc.
ter lately delivered in this place by the two deao-
limitations who preach here, Of 90 opposite md
contradictory character, that ! was struck with
astonlshment, that any denomination of Christians
who TOOK the Bible as the revealed will Of God,
should draw conclusions 90 entirely different; in
fact, SO positively opposed the one 70 the other
With these preliminary remarks, shall proceed
with my subject, and shall present your readers in
this letter with some of the aJ
| DIFFICULTIES OF ARMIN[ANISM7 I'M
CONNEXION WITH THE DOCTRINE
OF DIVINE FOREKNOWLEDGE.
The FOrekDowledgeDf Sud seems never to have
been favorite in the body Of divinity current a.
mOng Arminians. Wesley COMPOUNDED it with
, Omnscience. In his sermon on predestinaiion,
he says: "lf zoe speak properly, there is no such
thing as forek uOwledge or atter-knowledge in
God - and one of his modern disciple adds doubt
fully, eli we may apply the term fOreknowledge
q TO the Deity" We are disposed, however, TO
think that Peter spoke quite as property either,
when he said, with the eleven,' q Him being de-
livered by the determinate counsel and foreknOw
ledge of God, ye have taken, and with wicked
g hands have crucined and slain" The founder Of
I Methodism had sufficient dscernment to perceive
that the fact of the Divine Mind comprehending
= all time and all eternity at glance, and as pre-
. at view, does not in the least relieve the
difficulties which beset the subiec Of fOreknow-
; ledge. Hence, in writing to DR.. Robertson, in
e answer TO the inquiry, how is Gods foreknow-
n ledge consistent with our freedom'? he candidly
replies, 81 cannot ten'
} This concession on the part Of Wesley, Of the
l. impossibiliy of reconcing the infallible fore
knowledge of the Deity with human liberty,
would not deserve particular notice, were il not
G. that il IS a common cOntrivance Of his follower
TO decry and denounce Calvanism on this Identical
ground. sit is impossible" they say, tsto recon-
cie the doctrine of DEGREES with manSs freedom -
OF and they are exceedingly abundant in pointing
out the dreadful consequences which flow from
nc this alleged fact; and in showing that all Presby
EFF :erans should at once foFsake the faith Of thei
Fathers, and come over to the ATnlinian Camp
But il we were TO admit their allegations agains
system TO be true to the full extent
ton returns" What advantage hath tho Armi
ne Man! or, what profit is there in Methodsm |!
him, declared that he " cannot telii how your OW
nm doctrine Of foreknOwedge can be reeonciled wit
our freedom! First cast out this beam from you
IN own eyes, and then you see clearly to extract th
M. mote from ours. Honestly show us that you hol
and teach only doctrines which can be maintaine
: consistently with human liberty, and then we wi
Inc believe you sincere when you attempt to preac
down Calvanism as destructive to the doctrine
mans freedom and accountability.
re- 1t is not at all surprising that Wesley, with
me his 'ogic,' found it impossible to harmQnize h
for ATminian notions Of human freedom with III
in divine fOreknowedge. That is task which 4
,or man nor angel will ever be able to perform.
- If event be certainly foTeknOwn, it mu
Ou have certain future existence; of which certa
Gu- existence there must be reason or ground
De For every free agent has the liberty Of actT
re- or not or performing different action from Il
eff one which he eventually Performs if there exstI
axe no reason why the took place and not the OF
nm er, all knowledge of the action before il occurs
=. necessarily excluded. II would be to suppo
49, knowledge without the least foundation for Oh
we knowledge, in the object. God cannot know tn
me- something exists, where there is nothing. OK
cannot see that an effect yet future, will certain
be produced, if he does not know any cause OF ]
existence. If it be alleged that there is no 9th
)Td ground reason of the future existence of Il
ion necessary be supposed, in order to inf
llble loreknowledgC, than the Tree agency OF q
Ihs creature, it is the as to say that It is inta
b by bly, known that a creature will choose TO pref
- one course of action before another, because he
at liberty to choose either; or in other words th
sary he will Certainly in given case, choose to act
mil particular TnanneT because he Is at perfect
beny to choose to act in the directly Oppcs
out manner-which is absurd. 1t there be such
cted thing Arminian liberty, it is obvious, thereto
that there can be no such attribute of the Divi
i' Mind as lnfallible and universal foreknOwleds
n as If, on the other hand, admit, with the Scr
9 to lures the doctrine o. lOiekno"5eoge, SeS. 5
pres Thus much for the "Great Master" That
the doctrine Of the divine presence is not in very
-, order among the disciples OF the same school,
ga inferRble from the fact, shat their Articles
Book Of Discipline entirely silent upon
and. subject; nor is it anywhere noticed in volu
:, of near 200 pages, protesting TO be an exhibit
thah Of the faith OF Christians. Il is said, indeed q
and the book mentions the divine wisdom, which
aud cludes foreknowledge; but if men whO-"sps
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" max
one distinction between these projections Of God,
give 70 each its separate place and prominence
their system, it would be both safe and mod
not TO attempt to improve upon their divinity.
5 the But whatever may have been the intention
ould the omissions one thing Is certain such s the
with which the advocates of ArminianiSm pur
the doctrine OF pFedestnation, that they are
lven- sistiby led to limit, and deny, this essen
attribute. The celebrated Dr. Clark has FecC
mended to his brethren new and easy doctI
the Of foreknOwedges According TO his TepreseI
Il M ton the Deity makesa distinction in the univC
will nov md those of which he will ohooss
1hich ignorant. Among the latter, DR.. CLARK places
as its Tree actions o. .nsse ~: ngssa sgene
ignorance is ahigh perfection Of aninfnite Bel
without which il is impossible, according 20
OPIc Dr., 30 govern the moral iuaaDerse! But, with
.ons entering into discussion Of the merits Of
lay TO Dr. CLARK feI. that the commonly received u
Maj. Of iorsknOwsdge are inconsistent with the De
fhg n. - bs ss, aRe a w,
artily weight against the former, Hence the neaei
Of deyising some mode Of escaping the dtficn
which press upon the SdmlssiQn.pt f0Teknowl,
pitaI with the rejection of pfedestinatiOn.