The Cairo bulletin., 1908-03-30
"EREEpoM OF CHOICE"
Gods Sovereignty and Mans Free
Agency Hard to Reeoncle-Man
Not Free Agent.


Lutheran church yesterday morning.
Our text. (Romans SGD, Hath no.
1.-The potter power over the clay, OF tn
Isame lump to make one vessel unto
honor. and other vessel unto dishon
err" is one that is often used TO prove
that God intended certain individuals
ITO be eternally lost others TO be saved
Indeed for those who are inclined
towards this mtehod of eXegesis. es-
necially old time ultra Calyinists this
entire chapter is regarded as author
ity for this theory.
The author evidently had in mind
Ian incident recorded in jeremiah,
Chapter IS, when he referred 10 the
hotter and clay The word which
came to Jeremiah from the Lord, say
ing. Arise and go down to the pot
ter's house. and there | will cause
thee to hear my words. Then | went
down to the peters house and be
| hold he wrought a work on the
wheels, l. e.. or frames, or seats.
And the vessel that he made OF clay
was marred in the hands OF the pot
| ter, so he made ii again another yes,
lsel. as 1t seemed good to the potter
to make ii.
Gods sovereignty" and mans free
agency" are hard TO reconcile, except
as we regard the Diety as being that
manifests himself through immutable
law, never outside, when il seems 9th.
Ierwise. careful investigation will show
that the lower laws have merged
into, or been set aside by higher
laws
The origin of evil has never been
ascertained. nor has it been satisfac.
torily accounted fer: however evil is
a real thing. an entity The Parsees,
for one who is inclined to investigate
have a very clever explanation of
good" and "eyil, especially if one
admits their assumption in starting
but their theory does not agree with
the Bible.verson, accepted by the
church. Evil did not come by chance
nothing does, and IL undoubtedly
serves a purpose. Possibly, by com
paring-contrast good and evil,
the desirabilty OF the former, and the
hideousness of the latter are more
plainly discerned.
The universally of law is recog-
nized in Gods revelation, written and
unwritten, and in theology as we'll as
in science for the one Supreme pow
er is the author of both. We must
be sure that the law used as a model
/ is Divine, and the civil codes to be
just and equitable-must have their
/ foundation in these Deiic principles.
Man. by many thinkers. is regarded
as an absolutely free moral agent, y
good and evil before him, to he
chosen as he deems wise. but is he en-
tirely free? Are there not bounds be-
yond which he cannot pass? And is it
not undeniable that violated law Di
vine and civil, must be atoned for?
True, then, he is not free, except with
in certain. well-defined limits, to do as
he pleases. Whatsoever a man sow
eth, that shall he also reap" Is a law
recognized and laid down by the new
Testament. Moral and civil trans
gression bequeaths its penalty--an in
exorable Nemesis, from whom there
is no escape.
10 he
the universe has established penalty
as the logical outsome of law-viola
ton, be it remembered that punish
ment must be remedial. rather than
vindictive, for revenge, on the part of
God, in order to be effective and re-
constructive
Consequently, We are endowed with
"choice." Take one path of the two
before us-the paths of good and evil
and we, as result become happy
ourselves and blessing to our fel
lows; choosing the other path-evil-
we become deformed morally AMI
spiritually, blunted mentally. putril
mass of corruption unhappy personal
ly and a menace to society, curse to
our fellows.
Remember, if REORGANIZATION and
predestination." as ordinarily defined,
are true, if the individual is a mere
chess-man in the hands OF an arbitrary
and capricious Force, then he is not
responsible being; he does good be
cause he is forced tc, evil. because H.
cannot resist. He is entirely ire
sponsible, and it becomes a crime T.
punish such offenders.
What power has the potter over the
clay? True, he can, if he so elects.
because the clay is inert. inorganic.
make out of one piece a goodly. useful
vessel. and can mar the other, caus
,fng it to be imperfect; not as useful
and net so valuable commercially.
But, will the potter-whose time II
valuable-thus, because OF mere whim
or caprice, spend his working hours
If he be a good workman and sane.
mol
The lesson. then, from the man
working with the plastic clay, forming
1t into vessel of utility and value on
the wheels, is this; if by carelessness