Required reading
Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge (Vol 2) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Chapter 8 (Sin) by reading up to the heading '7. Protestant doctrine of sin'.
My summary
This week Hodge continues teaching us about sin, in particular the Roman Catholic understanding of original sin.
Hodge discusses the teachings of:
(i) the Latin Church;
(ii) the Semi-Pelagians;
(iii) Anselm;
(iv) Abelard;
(v) Aquinas;
(vi) the Scotists;
(vii) the Council of Trent.
Then Hodge gives us his understanding of the true doctrine of the church of Rome: 'In this view, many, if not the majority of modern theologians concur. Winer (in his "Comparative Darstellung,") Guericke (in his " Symbolik "), Koellner (in his " Symbolik "), Baur (in his ' Answer to Moehler"), and Dr. Shedd, in his " History of Christian Doctrine," all represent the Church of Rome as teaching that original sin is merely negative, the want of original righteousness, and as denying that there is anything subjective in the state of human nature as men are born into the world, which has the proper nature of sin.'
What grabbed me
I think that this is one of the most dangerous points of Roman Catholic teaching on original sin: 'The fifth canon asserts that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ conferred in baptism, the guilt of original sin is remitted, and everything is removed which has the true and proper nature of sin. It is admitted that concupiscence (vel fomes) remains in the baptized, against which believers are to contend, but it is declared that this concupiscence, although sometimes (as is admitted) called sin by the Apostle, is not truly and properly sin in the regenerated.'
Baptism does not confer grace.
Next week's reading
Continue Chapter 8 (Sin) by reading up to the heading '9. Immediate imputation'.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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