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primary motive force of history.
Thomas Carlyle, the 19th-cen–
tury Scottish essayist and histori–
an, contended it was the actions of
a few outstand ing figures such as
Alexander the Great, Caesar,
Genghi s Kh an and Napoleon
that-above all other factors–
shaped the course of history. "The
history of the world," he wrote,
" is but the biography of great
men."
The cminent English historian
Arnold Toynbee- based on h is
a n alysis of 26 civ ili zat ions
throughout history-drew a dif–
fe r ent conclusion. Th at the
growth and continuance of civi li–
zations is the direct result of their
responding successfully to c hal–
lenges, under the leade rship of
creative minorities. Once a civili–
zation fails to respond successful–
ly, it d isintegrates.r Unlike S peng–
ler, however, Toynbee did not
regard the death of a civilization
as inevitable.
Others have pursued various reli–
gious or metaphysical interpreta–
tions of history, such as Augustine
in his magnum opus
The City of
God
(A. D. 426). In it he conceives
history as the drama of the redemp–
tion of man.
Sorne historians, however, find
no overall pattern at al! , stressing
the overriding role of the unex–
pected and the accidental in his–
tory.
Most historians today draw upon
elements of each school of thought
in analyzing and explaining history.
Rather than attempting to discern
sorne type of grand design, they
limit themselves to exploring the
numerous and varied causative fac-
36
ISSUS-333 B.C .
tors and inftuences on the cou rse of
history.
One Major Factor Overlooked
Most modern historians have over–
looked one major factor in the rise
and fall of nations and empires. In
their reconstruction and interpreta–
tion of history, the vast majori ty
have rejected the notion that the
course of history has been direct ly
influenced and guided by
providen–
tial
intervention.
Yet, when the evidence is exam–
ined, the concl usion that history in
its broad outl ines is providentiall y
governed is inescapably apparent.
Many of the actual
makers
of his–
tory-great s tatesmen and military
leaders at the helms of nations and
armies-have come to that very
conclusion.
Winston Churchill clearly per–
ceived God's hand in history. In an
address before the U.S . Congress
December 26, 1941, the British
prime minister asserted that "he
must indeed have a blind soul who
cannot see that sorne great purpose
and design is being worked out
here below...." On another occa–
sion in Bri tain sorne 10 months lat–
e r, the war-time leader further
expounded his belief in divin e
inte rvention, observing: " 1 sorne–
times have a feeljng of interfer–
ence.. . . 1 have a feeling sorne–
times that sorne Guiding Hand has
in terfered."
Benjamín Frankfin held a simi–
lar conviction. Speaking a t the
Consti tutional Convention in Phil–
adelphia in June, 1787, Franklin
asserted: "The longer 1 live the
more convincing proofs 1 see that
God governs in the affairs of
men.
And if a sparrow cannot fall
to the ground without his notice
[a reference to Matt. 10:29], is it
probable that an empi re can rise
without his aid?"
Changlng the Course of Hlstory
Historical evidence to support such
a conclusion is abundan t. Strange,
inexpl icable and miraculous cir–
cumstances at certain crucial junc–
tures in the stories of nations and
empires seem to point unmistak–
ably to the guiding hand of God.
Sorne examples that may surprise
you:
• In his quest for domination of
the sea, King Philip II of Spain
sent h is " invi'ncible" 124-ship
Armada against England in July,
1588. After a bout a week of
fighting against the Eng lish, who
were led by Sir Francis Drake, the
Armada crossed the English Chan–
nel and anchored at Calais. On the
night of July 28, Drake sent blaz–
ing fire ships adrift among the
anchored Spanish fteet, causing the
Spaniards to cut cable and put out
to sea in confusion.
The Armada fled nor thwa rd,
pursued hotly by Drake. The hard–
est fighting of the entire naval cam–
paign followed , and the Spanish
lost heavily. But befare Drake
could deliver the knockout punch,
the English ran out of ammunition!
As the Spanish attempted to escape
and return home to Spain by way of
the North Sea, however , unprece–
dented gale- force winds arose and
drove many of the ships to thei r
doom on the rocky shores of Ire–
land and Scotland.
For many days, fragments of
Spanish vessels were cast by every
The PLAIN TRUTH