, 1881-11-06

minds arc received us conclusive. }. $. BLACK.
JUDAS lSCARIOT. "
Ills EErK>l4sI. OF CHRIST NOT ForEo1:
DAMNED -FUK1s1SOW1.EDNE 1NCOMl'.iTI-
Hill; WITH IEal3eN FREEDOM.
''Jhc Foreknowledge Of God and Cosnatt
Themes in Theology and Philosophy is the
title of {, work of 4G4 pages. III which is Ills
cussed ut great length the incompatlblity
between absolute divine forckn"wlcdge ain
human freedom. 1t is frunl the pen Of tic
ltcy. l.. y. McCabe, D. D.. who for an entire
generation has been one OF the professors IN
tile Ohio Wesleyan University ut Delaware,
q. The great controversy over the question
discussed by Dr. 3fcCabe has been between
the two Ieadin. theological sclooIs-thc
Calvinislic apd the Arllinian-reprcsciltct
in The two powerful sects-:Ae prcshyterialls
and the ,Ictho.lists The former admit the i'm
possibility OF infailible forek1luwled@c Of con-
tingent events, and boldly .teny that there is
any such thing as contingency in the mimi
Ut (;oh; hence in their view I'LL events
are certain because all are fore-
ordained, and are, therefore, forclnuw1.
This involved the contradiction Of asserting
tlat choice infallibIy forcknown could yet
he free :,liu the author thereof responsible.
Or. Whcdon, who is accepted rs the leader
OF Arminian thought, concludes that choice
to be free-tlat is. the exercise of human
frecdom-niuSt necessarily be contingent.
Ur. McCabe reccdcs further from Calvin than
did .Armini,s, who, while he taught that God
from all eternity would bestow salvation OIL
those whom he foresaw would perseyere to
the end, further insisted that in the death Of
Jesus Christ all at0Nelnent was made for the
sins Of all mankind i'll general ami each i'll
dividual i'll particular. but they only who be-
licye in Him can be partakers of divine bene~
fits. In order for this belief to exist it is
necessary for the man to be regeneratea by
divine grace proceeding from the lioly Ghost,
as true faith Cannot proceed from the force and
operation Of free will, BECAUSE man III his
natural state Uf corruption is incapable
either Of thinking or dining any gnou thing.
The exercise Ut free will is, however admitted
lose true jus1ifying faith, fall from Il state of
grace, and die in their slns.''
DIR. NcCabe's position c1iipact!y stated IS:
That universal forekn0w!edgei is incoMpati-
bic with iit1ttfan freedom; that there can be
no tcnable SYSTEM uf theology or of moral
philosophy based upon that doctrine: but
that the whole Christian system may be COLI
sistent, GefenSible, and satisfactory by the
denial OF it., and that all tine doctrines and
plup!lesies nf Scripture are plainly reconci:-
"
Que Of the Ilost striking chapters in the
volume is the consideration OF the case of
Judas lscariot, lit which Dr. McCabe argues
th:lt the betrayal and treachery vi Judas
were i'll no way essential 10 tie great atullt
nent, nor was it foreknowleI.e until Christ
discovered its ncipicncy i'll the volit'onS Of
lis free villa mental opera ton OIL the part
Of Christ which might be termed "mititl-
reading :'-and that to Judas there IS no ref
eretce in tile rropesies OF tic Old Tcsta-
mtnt.
lii good faith Jesus Christ put Juflas Is
cariot into the Gospel ministry. liz chose him
because his character then promised 4 career
Ut usefulness. lie w:.s 4 persolt Ut Superior
simplicity and unwor1ui1iess. To state that
Christ did not see il, him i moral character
that would Dr likely to render him Il success
full herald Of Ills new Kingdom, is to charge
upon Him the doing Of evil that good might
culnr. To follow this view wouiii be jnStiti-
catiol:: for placing unholy men in the minis
ous, but shocking to all moral perceptions
and rcpn.-1,ant tt Ollr SENSE Of Justice, Wis
dom, and fair dealing.
But there was. i'll truth, no need of the he
s;iry for the completeness Of the :atonelncllt.
After the sin Ut Adam the death of Christ
was forcoitlainet to come to pass. The Old
Testament is full OF propheticai illusions to
it, and these arc frequently referred to in The
New Iestanent, bnt nowhere sI >, was as the BY
fnf nruphets.
Ks Isaac was the type OF Christ, 50 was
\ hraLnn ,he tyun of God. Gould nat the
IIeath If Christ rs all atonelnent fur human
Guilt be accomplished without the necessary
:o;i,u.rltiou Of Wicked mrua Neither Christ
,rrsotaIly nor the a10nrluc1,t needed he
:ruelties If the crOss. The a.o,,ips Of tie
crucifSion did nut illustrate, but they did
obscure ,he f;,tIlomiess wickcdness Of sin.
Iln,i Christ suffered Il protractcd mental all
ruisIl, until cunyulsiorls seized the expiatiny
cirl;u. ground his muscles, crushed lis
nerves. and deraneed his Du.fify functions.
mil lis heart actually broke, then how
uur|, darker would the nature of sin have
;ecn,ed to ,l,falien intellisences. and how
1luch :,,orc visible would have been tile hand
u God in offering up His Son!
'rhe death Of Christ was solemnly prcor-
laine,l and fixed, but the instruments by |
xho ''', e nrsor,iusd ~r,s s put chrst ~ was deli.
.rci n die fur the world, not by wicked
M, ~ INT ocrn,1lng to lIle forcappolnrmcnt |
~ f:od. az smt ro,i1rary 10 Gou1s ullrnoses anil
+. -, 49, ,,.inI., mon S,,.,nt.f,IIv AMI ,v;rt-nf