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A careful and strict enquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that freedom of…
A careful and strict enquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that freedom of will, which is supposed to be essential to moral agency, virtue and vice, reward and punishment, praise and blame. By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the church in Stockbridge. ; [One line from Romans]A careful and strict enquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that freedom of will, which is supposed to be essential to moral agency, vertue and vice, reward and punishment, praise and blame. By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the church in Stockbridge. ; [One line from Romans]
printed by S. Kneeland, 1754
Part 2 › Section 11: The Evidence of GOD's certain Foreknowledge of the Volitions of moral Agents.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And if we closely consider the Matter, there will appear Reason to convince us, that he could not with any absolute Certainty foresee even these. As to the First, namely Things done by the immediate and extraordinary Interposition of God's Power, these can't be foreseen, unless it can be foreseen when there shall be Occasion for such extraordinary ⟨p. 111⟩Interposition. And that can't be foreseen, unless the State of the moral World can be foreseen. For whenever God thus interposes, it is with Regard to the State of the moral World, requiring such Divine Interposition. Thus God could not certainly foresee the universal Deluge, the Calling of Abraham, the Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Plagues on Egypt, and Israel's Redemption out of it, the expelling the seven Nations of Canaan, and the bringing Israel into that Land; for these all are represented as connected with Things belonging to the State of the moral World. Nor can God foreknow the most proper and convenient Time of the Day of Judgment, and general Conflagration; for that chiefly depends on the Course & State of Things in the moral World.
Nor, Secondly, can we on this Supposition reasonably think, that God can certainly foresee what Things shall come to pass, in the Course of Things, in the natural and material World, even those which in an ordinary State of Things might be calculated by a good Astronomer. For the moral World is the End of the natural World; and the Course of Things in the former, is undoubtedly subordinate to God's Designs with Respect to the latter. Therefore he has seen Cause, from Regard to the State of Things in the moral World, extraordinarily to interpose, to interrupt and lay an Arrest on the Course of Things in the natural World; and even in the greater Wheels of it's Motion; even so as to stop the Sun in it's Course. And unless he can foresee the Volitions of Men, and so know something of the future State of the moral World, He can't know but that he may still have as great Occasion to interpose in this Manner, as ever He had: nor can He foresee how, or when, He shall have Occasion thus to interpose.