PREDESTINATION (Lat. praylcstinatio. from to determine beforehand, from pro-, before destinare, to determine). A logical term signifying the eternal decree of God whereby certain men are appointed unto salva tion. The opposite decree is called that of repro bation. The two ideas of an eternal God who works by plan in governing the world, and of such a sinful condition among men as demands the active interference of God by grace if any are to be saved. logically lead to the idea of pre destination. This connection of thought is found in Saint Paul, was elaborated by Augustine. and established in the Reformed theology by Calvin. The term, by its connection with the word des tiny. conveys an unfortunate implication, as if predestination had to do with fate. Theo logians have always, however, maintained that predestination did not destroy the freedom of the will. With Augustine, predestination is an affair of grace. and concerns chiefly what God will Himself do, the persuasive.; He will employ to elicit the good choice of the will. He made no attempt to exhibit the reasons why some are brought to faith and salvation and others not. It was a matter of the inscrutable wisdom and mercy of God. In this reticence he has been imitated by most of his followers. Negatively, the Reformed theology emphasized with great force the position that the predestination of God did not depend upon the divine foreknowledge of faith which would be exercised by the elected individual, for that faith, as the entrance into the kingdom of God and the condition of salva tion, is the result of the election. They did not,
however, exclude all foreknowledge of the indi vidual. The Arminians were sometimes thought to condition predestination upon foreknowledge of faith, but no creed states this (except certain creeds of the Greek Church). The main conten tion of Augustine, that salvation begins in the initiative of God. is generally accepted by evan gelical Christians; but the adjustment of this position to human freedom is a point in refer ence to which nitwit diversity prevails. In recent times the drift of opinion has been against efforts to make such an adjustment, and the current of discussion has carried theological interests into other departments of thought. Present tenden cies are to emphasize the known, the facts of consciousness, and avoid inferences of a preca rious nature as to the unknown. Consult: the treatises on systematic theology, particularly Hodge (New York, 1871-72) ; Mozley, A Treatise on the Augustinian Doctrine of Predestination (London. 1878) : Forbes, Predestination and Free Mill (Edinburgh. 1879). See ARMINIAN IsM ; AUBUsTINE, SAINT; CALVINISM; ELECTION; FREE WILL.