13.07.2015 Views

pdf - Protestant Reformed Churches in America

pdf - Protestant Reformed Churches in America

pdf - Protestant Reformed Churches in America

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

the age, namely, that hav<strong>in</strong>g set forth a number of positions, thetheologian would often bow to the teach<strong>in</strong>g ofthe Church. 21Bradward<strong>in</strong>e's Doctr<strong>in</strong>e of S<strong>in</strong>It is <strong>in</strong>controvertible that Bradward<strong>in</strong>e strove.to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>.thedoctr<strong>in</strong>es championed by August<strong>in</strong>e aga<strong>in</strong>st the Pelagians. And,though the emphasis <strong>in</strong> Bradward<strong>in</strong>e's theology was necessarilydifferent from August<strong>in</strong>e's due to development of the lie and thevarious approaches ofthe "Modern Pelagians," to a large degreeBradward<strong>in</strong>e was a faithful disciple ofAugust<strong>in</strong>e. This is not true,however, <strong>in</strong> one crucial doctr<strong>in</strong>e, namely, s<strong>in</strong>. In this areaBradward<strong>in</strong>e had a serious weakness.Bradward<strong>in</strong>e's weakness beg<strong>in</strong>s with his failure torecognizethe serious consequences of origi~al s<strong>in</strong>. With August<strong>in</strong>e, he seesall that exists as be<strong>in</strong>g good, <strong>in</strong> that it was created by God and has.form· and existence. Evil is the privation ofthe good. S<strong>in</strong> is, then,.not <strong>in</strong> the act itself, but <strong>in</strong> the motive. Forproofofthis, Bradward<strong>in</strong>eargues that, for example, homicide is not a s<strong>in</strong> as such, for then itwould be wrong to execute a murderer. But this leads Bradward<strong>in</strong>eto conclude that a violation ofGod's law done <strong>in</strong> ignoranc~ is nots<strong>in</strong> because the motives were not evil. That, August<strong>in</strong>e did not say.In fact, August<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>sisted that s<strong>in</strong>s ofignorance are a work<strong>in</strong>g outofthe horrible depravity of man because of Adam's fall.Bradward<strong>in</strong>e does not give evidence that he has a gr.asp ofthehorrible effect of Adam's fall. He speaks of the result ofthe fallusually <strong>in</strong> terms of the punishment that God put on man. That iscorrect, as such, but it is wholly <strong>in</strong>adequate. Oberman notes thatthe difference between Bradward<strong>in</strong>e and August<strong>in</strong>e is thatBradward<strong>in</strong>e does not have a view ofs<strong>in</strong> as a profound debt and aturn<strong>in</strong>g away from God. Oberman adds, '"It is obvious that whereBradward<strong>in</strong>e emphasizes too little the seriousness ofs<strong>in</strong>, this mustalso have consequences for the understand<strong>in</strong>g of God's overwhelm<strong>in</strong>glove <strong>in</strong> His grace.''1221. Oberman, Archbishop Bradward<strong>in</strong>e. pp. 176-177.22. Oberman, Archbishop Bradward<strong>in</strong>e, pp. J ~4.20 PRTJ·

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!