Dogmatic Theology Vol 2 - Shedd - VI - Chapter 2 Man's Primitive State

Required reading

Dogmatic Theology Vol 2 by William G.T. Shedd (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 2 'Man's primitive state'.

My summary

Today we read a chapter about the original holy state of Adam.

Firstly Shedd teaches us that this holiness has the two sides of:

(i) perception and knowledge;

(ii) inclination and feeling.

Shedd defends the fact that this original holiness is a created holiness.

Shedd also demonstrates how the creatability of holiness assumes the correction of the definition of free agency as a spontaneous self-determination of the will. Most of the chapter is given to this matter.

What grabbed me

I liked the description of man's holiness as more than innocence: 'Holiness is more than innocence. It is not sufficient to say that man was created in a state of innocence. This would be true, if he had been destitute of a moral disposition either right or wrong. Man was made not only negatively innocent, but positively holy. Man's regenerate condition is a restoration of his primitive state ; and his righteousness as regenerate is described as kata theon Eph. 4 : 21 ; and as '' true holiness," Eph. 4 : 24. This is positive character, not mere innocency.'

In Christ, we are more than viewed as innocent. We are positively righteous!

Next week's reading

Commence Chapter 3 'The Human Will' by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'The distinction between the will's inclination, and its volition, is of the highest importance in both psychology and theology' (page 131 of my edition).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.