necessarily, freely, or contingently

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Scott

Puritan Board Graduate
WCF 10.2 reads:
Although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly,a yet by the same providence he ordereth them to fall out, according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.

What do each of these meanin this context: necessarily, freely, and contingently?

Thanks
 
Material actions result necessarily from the second cause, without volition. Moral actions result freely, in accord with the constitution of human nature. The question with regard to contingency is whether it is designed to refer to a distinct result, in which case it would be speaking of sinful actions, that they are the result of an existing condition; otherwise, it might be taken as a middle point between necessity and freedom, in which case it refers to actions which are accidental from the perspective of the second cause. 10.2 should be 5.2.
 
Thanks for the reply. Do these examples work?

> Necessarily - a clock's mechanism or a chemical reaction
> Freely - Human choice
> Contingently - Dice (God has foreordained and controls the result, even though it appears random from human perspective)

Does anything other than human choice fall into the category of "freely?"
 
Thanks for the reply. Do these examples work?

> Necessarily - a clock's mechanism or a chemical reaction
> Freely - Human choice
> Contingently - Dice (God has foreordained and controls the result, even though it appears random from human perspective)

Does anything other than human choice fall into the category of "freely?"

I don't think so. The Scripture proofs only offer the case of one who kills his neighbour -- that it was God delivering him into his hand, and yet his own choice to light on his neighbour.
 
I don't think so. The Scripture proofs only offer the case of one who kills his neighbour -- that it was God delivering him into his hand, and yet his own choice to light on his neighbour.
Do you think the examples work?
 
Certainly. They're fairly parallel with the examples offered in the Scripture proofs.
 
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