v. arch. [f. FORE- pref. + APPOINT.] trans. To appoint beforehand.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., II. 148. Whosoeuer … hope to knowe more of Christ than god hath foreapointed them by his secret decree.
1637–50. Row, The History of the Kirk of Scotland (1842), 485. To dissolve the meeting of the Councill that day, albeit it was fore-appoynted for answering the subjects petitions.
1726–31. Tindal, Rapin’s Hist. Eng. (1743), II. XVII. 126. And therefore we do command you, that you at certain Days and Places, which you, or the greater part of you, shall thereunto fore-appoint, diligently proceed upon the Premisses in form aforesaid, &c.
1836. J. Gilbert, Chr. Atonem., iii. (1852), 62. So steadily had this purpose been entertained, and so clearly this event foreappointed that the prophets of the Old Testament, long antecedently to its accomplishment, had announced the consequent ‘sufferings of Christ, and the glory which should follow.’
1886. J. Payne, Decameron, I. 30. They came to the place fore-appointed of them, which was situate on a little hill.
Hence Fore-appointed ppl. a.; Fore-appointing vbl. sb. and ppl. a. Also Fore-appointment, previous appointment, preordination.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 643/1. The ende of predestination or foreappointement, is Christ, the Sonne of God the Father.
1580. Sidney, Arcadia (1622), 413. It was a direct vision of her fore-appointed end, took a certain resolution to embrace death.
1589. Greene, Tullie’s Loue, Wks. (Grosart), VII. 189. The aspectes of the fore-appointing stars.
1654. Trapp, Comm. Job xvi. 11. The foreappointed affliction. Ibid. (1656), Comm. Gal. iv. 9. [God’s] gracious fore-knowing and fore-appointing of us to eternal life, is the ground and foundation of our illumination and conversion, our love to him a reflex of his love to us.
1677. Hale, Contempl., II. Lord’s Prayer, 105. There is not an Action or Event in the World, but it fall out by the determinate Counsel and Fore-appointment of God.
1833. Keble, Serm., vii. (1848), 166. The fore-appointed safeguard of the integrity of our Lord’s holy Sacraments.
