The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-05-04

To the Editor: In SUNDAYS issue Of
the Old Reliable'' is an editorial on
the mystery OF accidents, III which YOU
would challenge Fate as a Snphist, and
& disturber of the peace.
To quote:
"kismet' say some, and they are ia
talists because they believe that what
ever happens has been tIXeu 20 ha,-
pen, never taking into account the
careless and needless things that arr
done which invite death. and which
oftentimes bring 4 death that could
easily have been averted by the use Of
a little common sense"
That's just it. Did anybody ever
fail to use common sense who had it?
Did q bird ever fail TO fly hat had
wings, ana dlI amy KIND u Ind evri
fly that had no wings?
Cause and effect is a law. and not a
rule, for it has no exception.
Take the ease of Frank Mareis re-
ported by the Savannah Morning
News. and whom YOU seem TO think
had the omTnon sense. but failed to
use il. 90 to the curbing where he
struck and received his death blow
Then trace him backward by the mo-
tor cycle, automobile, trolley car. car"
riage, railroad engine ana 1Inu wnl.,
he had the common sense and failed
To use il. After that. find out every
cause and every effect which accom-
panied him for the seventy years of
his life TO the he drew the
first breath in his world of acct
dents. Find h loophole through
which he might have escaped this viO-
lent death. anG publish it in the News
and Observer for the benefit Of the ig-
nOrant fata1ist.
Don't appeal to any ifs, for if is
"kismet" itself.
Find the facts and set them before
the jury.
This uhnla C,hiaor u-nC tiraSJ,nl
over more han three una years
ago by two of the brainic5t men who
ever wrote on theology-John Calvin
and James Arrnin' :. Calv
neceSsarian, ArrniniuS a C~Ontingenta-
rian. Calvin taught preuestluauol,
Arninius dealt in rhetorician. They
both left theories and creeds behind
them which are, today, as far apart as
the East and the West. The n put
il down as It is. the other as he would
have it. one appealed TO mans in
t~ellect, the other TO his senses.
Now, let the man who thinks he ca'
do, as he pleaSeS, has q free-Witl and
can avoid 'kiSmet" By the use OF COM
mon sense, read the following mag
mary dialogue between these TWO men
n find the milk in the c~ocoanut.
Calvin: Dc you believe in the fore
knowledge Of God?
Arrnilius: Bringing in the idcality
of time, or the insight that time i
'N 80 %,Ah 49, "'''
and. is, therefore,, nothing in itself, or
is relative to the persons range or
limitations leaves the problem OF fore
knowledge empty IS q speculative
question.
Calvin: You may be right 50 far as
God is concerned. but we, poor NOR
tails n are so limited. will always
have to separate yesterday from to-
morrow by today. To he self-con-
SciousncSS Of God. time may be only
q rec ton. and therefore,. nothing IT.
itself, but that view establishes his
DresCience as q fact to our limitations
W. cannot conceive OF an eternal pres
emit; and as mans range OF limitations
Is infinitely small compared with
Gods. time becomes q fact in our self
consciousness; therefore. the past and
future Of man is no more than an eter-
nal present with God. The con"tn-
sion, then. forces itself that Gods
knowledge extends 10 mans future.
Arminius: IT is argued by some that
coos prescience does not extend to.
or inClude contingencies: and it would
puzzle the greatest philosopher tina
ever was. to give any tolera HI" ar-
count. how any knowledge whatsoever
can certainly and i~nfallably foresee an
event through uncertain and cont1n-
gent CaUSES.
Calvin: Your first answer to my
query as to Gods foreknowledee elm
mates time. and, therefore. destroys
contingent causes. An eternal present
can never tolerate contingencies; as
NhateVe~ is usual with man is ImTne-
olate With God. Now. as it is 1nposs!-
olF To eliminate time from mans self
t~"nSclousness I would ask. II you
thlnk man knows anything of the fu-
ture.
Arminius: ] shonld answer no.
AVN: When yoir got out of BED
inns morning, YOU did not know as
AhuCl as NnIf Ennu- 0f tho nraSGnf mo-