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Thomas Bradwardinelepers were sent to the priests by Jesus, namely, in order to showthe healing and not in order to obtain it. "14Bradwardine maintains that sins are not remitted throughabsolution by the priest, "but only God" takes away sin. ls In fact,accordingto Bradwardine, God has already performedthe work byinfusing grace.However, Bradwardine leaves room for works as a part ofsatisfaction. He does this by distinguishing between the remissionofthe guilt o/sin and removal ofthe punishment a/sin. First ofall,through repentance Hguilt is completely taken away; but accordingto the sin committed the punishment remains to be completed."IhGod's infused grace produces these works and God accepts themand grants merit. '7 Yet Bradwardine holds that good works do notobtain remission, but good works inevitably follow true repentance.He writes, "A contrite heart is a sign that sins are dismissed,just as exterior satisfaction [good works] is a sign of a contriteheart."Ill It is important to keep in mind that the whole ofthis work,"infusion of grace, justification and forgiveness. is founded onGod's predestination" before any previous merits. II)It is disappointing then that in the end 8radwardine defendsthe Church's doctrine ofpenanceand works ofpenance as satisfactionof the temporal punishment for sin. He even allows thattemporal "punishments can be remitted for present and future byindulgences which are drawn from the superfluous wealth ofgoodworks of the Church"20 and that absolution by the priest is necessary.Oberman explains this conclusion - apparently a contradictionwith his teaching on penance - as the influence ofthe spirit of14. Oberman, Archbishop BradwardillC. p. 168.15. Bradwardine. Cause. I. 43. 404, quoted in Oberman, ArchbishopBradwardine, p. 168.16. Oberman, Archbishop Bradwardine, p. 165.17. Oberman, Archbishop Bradwardine, p. 169.18. Bradwardine, Cause, I. 43. 414, quoted in Oberman, ArchbishopBradwardine, p. 171, my translation.19. Oberman, Archbishop Bradwardine, p. 170.20. Oberman, Archbishop Bradwardine, p. 174.November, 2001 19
the age, namely, that having set forth a number of positions, thetheologian would often bow to the teaching ofthe Church. 21Bradwardine's Doctrine of SinIt is incontrovertible that Bradwardine strove.to maintain.thedoctrines championed by Augustine against the Pelagians. And,though the emphasis in Bradwardine's theology was necessarilydifferent from Augustine's due to development of the lie and thevarious approaches ofthe "Modern Pelagians," to a large degreeBradwardine was a faithful disciple ofAugustine. This is not true,however, in one crucial doctrine, namely, sin. In this areaBradwardine had a serious weakness.Bradwardine's weakness begins with his failure torecognizethe serious consequences of origi~al sin. With Augustine, he seesall that exists as being good, in that it was created by God and has.form· and existence. Evil is the privation ofthe good. Sin is, then,.not in the act itself, but in the motive. Forproofofthis, Bradwardineargues that, for example, homicide is not a sin as such, for then itwould be wrong to execute a murderer. But this leads Bradwardineto conclude that a violation ofGod's law done in ignoranc~ is notsin because the motives were not evil. That, Augustine did not say.In fact, Augustine insisted that sins ofignorance are a working outofthe horrible depravity of man because of Adam's fall.Bradwardine does not give evidence that he has a gr.asp ofthehorrible effect of Adam's fall. He speaks of the result ofthe fallusually in terms of the punishment that God put on man. That iscorrect, as such, but it is wholly inadequate. Oberman notes thatthe difference between Bradwardine and Augustine is thatBradwardine does not have a view ofsin as a profound debt and aturning away from God. Oberman adds, '"It is obvious that whereBradwardine emphasizes too little the seriousness ofsin, this mustalso have consequences for the understanding of God's overwhelminglove in His grace.''1221. Oberman, Archbishop Bradwardine. pp. 176-177.22. Oberman, Archbishop Bradwardine, pp. J ~4.20 PRTJ·
Page 1 and 2: ProtestantReformedTheologicalJourna
Page 3 and 4: EDITOR'S NOTESProf. Russell J. Dyks
Page 5 and 6: For there are many, even l unruly,
Page 7 and 8: happen to hold unwittingly to some
Page 9 and 10: tion oftheir false teachings. II Pe
Page 11 and 12: est, they are very weak, at worst,
Page 13 and 14: truth~' (see I Tim. 4: 1 - 4). Ever
Page 15 and 16: Thomas Bradwardine:Forgotten Mediev
Page 17 and 18: ated grace and uncreated grace. Unc
Page 19: Bradwardine faces the question ofth
Page 23 and 24: did not identify Thomas Bradwardine
Page 25 and 26: The first is that Bradwardine was a
Page 27 and 28: to Bradwardine as oneof"two pre-emi
Page 29 and 30: Gospels, Acts, and Revelation. Sir
Page 31 and 32: power of the papacy in Bradwardine'
Page 33 and 34: The Serious Callof the Gospel -Is t
Page 35 and 36: elieve th~s proclamation with uprig
Page 37 and 38: to bring good news with their "fig
Page 39 and 40: nation, we read of Melchisedek, the
Page 41 and 42: official activity ofa monarch's her
Page 43 and 44: 8): "Calling is ofthose elect and r
Page 45 and 46: ut all his posterity unable to obey
Page 47 and 48: alone, and He saves whom He will. E
Page 49 and 50: have moved away from the notion oft
Page 51 and 52: every member ofthe visible, institu
Page 53 and 54: fulfilling this calling is their pa
Page 55 and 56: contingent. Further, Calvin did not
Page 57 and 58: ofacceptance in terms of merit, ins
Page 59 and 60: covenant ofgrace and works, or it i
Page 61 and 62: Spiritual, Suffers Them to DefileTh
Page 63 and 64: the gospel is preached" (p. 212).In
Page 65 and 66: "They do not hold that JesusChrist
Page 67 and 68: II Corinthians 3:6 that "the letter
Page 69 and 70: is to oppose and to repulsethat sec
Page 71 and 72:
Rightly Divided: Readings inBiblica
Page 73 and 74:
is necessary speaks volumesabout th
Page 75 and 76:
Guilt, Grace and Gratitude,Lectures
Page 77 and 78:
76ted under the new? If it wererigh
Page 79 and 80:
er to keep himself holy; forthe Sab
Page 81 and 82:
there is room for both positionsin
Page 83 and 84:
Dr. Gannett's eschatologyalso effec
Page 85 and 86:
that, but man has a corrupt nature(
Page 87 and 88:
the love of God is "universal"(p. 5
Page 89 and 90:
ever, throughout the book thereis n
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