Predestination in Book III of John Miltons Paradise Lost...

Predestination in Book III of Paradise Lost Miltons purpose in Paradise Lost is nothing less than to assert eternal providence and justify the ways of God to men - a most daunting task. For Milton to succeed in his endeavour, he has to unravel a number of theologiccal thorns that have troubled christian philosophers for centuries. Since his epic poem is, essentially, a twelve book argument building to a logical conclusion - the justification of the ways of God to men - he will necessarily have to deal with these dogmatic problems, and, in doing so, reveal his own take on the Christian theology. What we receive in Paradise Lost, however, is Miltons final conclusion concerning these issues; to discover how he worked a†¦show more content†¦But what is implied by Miltons usage of the word? Gods defence in Book III can be broken into four parts: 1-Man was created free, ie. I made him just and right/Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall. This is covered in lines 97-111; 2-It is through free-will that man chose to fall, ie. ...they themselves decreed/Thir own revolt, not I. This is covered in lines 111-119; 3-Though fallen, man shall not lose their free-will, ie. I formd them free, and free they must remain; the notion of the non-mutability of God is also contained here. This is covered in lines 120-128; 4-Using free-will, and through God, man shall be saved, ie. Man therefore shall find grace [...] in Mercy and Justice both. This is covered in lines 129-134, and thus constitutes the final part of Gods full argument and defence. Central to the argument, though, both structurally and in terms importance, is the notion of predestination. The other aspects of the argument - mans free-will, and the means by which they shall be saved - are contained within that single word, for behind it lies the entirety of the argument that Milton lays out in Chapter IV of De Doctrina Christiana. Chapter IV of DeShow MoreRelated Adam in Miltons Paradise Lost Essay1603 Words   |  7 PagesAdam in Paradise Lost: Fates Ruler - and Subject A central problem in John Miltons Paradise Lost in the theological issue of free will versus fate, a traditionally much-debated question. Free will is the condition of having control or direction over fate or destiny; the individual shapes his life and future through his actions. The opposing view, complete lack of free will (made famous by John Calvin), is predestination, which expresses the idea that our futures have been foreseen long