Dogmatic Theology Vol 2 - Shedd - IX - Chapter 4 Man's probation and apostasy

Required reading

Dogmatic Theology Vol 2 by William G.T. Shedd (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 4 'Man's probation and apostasy'.

My summary

Today we read a chapter on Adam's probation and apostasy.

Shedd discusses:

(i) Adam's initial created holiness;

(ii) Adam's probation and its object;

(iii) the covenant of works;

(iv) the tree of knowledge;

(v) the first sin and its origin in Adam's will;

(vi) the threat of death and its realisation;

(vii) sin as habit and accident.

What grabbed me

I liked the comparison of Eden and heaven: 'Consequently, the paradisiacal state, though a holy and happy state, was not equal to the heavenly state. It had not the safety and security of the latter. Eden differed from* heaven, as holiness differs from indefectibility of holiness ; as a mutable perfection differs from an immutable. The perfection of holy Adam was relative, not absolute. It differed from that of God, who by reason of his omnipotence and infinity cannot fall from holiness, James 1 : 13 ; from that of the elect angels, who were kept from falling by a special measure of grace that was not granted to the fallen angels, whose perseverance like that of Adam was left to themselves ; and from that of redeemed men, who like the elect angels are preserved by special grace.'

Heaven is better by far!

Next week's reading

Commence Chapter 5 'Original sin' by reading up to the paragraph '2. The second part of the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell," consists in "the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of the whole nature"' (page 192 in my edition).

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