Dogmatic Theology Vol 3 - Shedd - XI - Anthropology commenced

Required reading

Dogmatic Theology Vol 3 by William G.T. Shedd (Available from Amazon or here)  - Commence Anthropology by reading up to the paragraph beginning: 'Vol II. p. 52. Owen, Arminianism, ch. vii.) thus speaks of the separation of punishment from culpability'.

My summary  

Today we begin Shedd's notes and quotes for his chapter on anthropology.

The subjects discussed include:

(i) pre-existence;

(ii) traducianism;

(iii) representative union of Adam.

What grabbed me

I liked this quote regarding the covenant of grace that Shedd attributed to Bunyan: 'In the covenant of saving grace faith is a means or instrument, not a condition. Properly speaking, a condition is something rendered by one party to the other ; for example, in the covenant of works perfect obedience was the condition of life, and this was to be supplied by man. But in the covenant of saving grace faith is not supplied by the believer, but is the gift of God ; by regeneration the believer is inclined and enabled to believe. Faith, therefore, is not a condition of the covenant of saving grace, but a means of its fulfilment. In the covenant of common grace, on the contrary, faith is a condition; for under this form of grace God demands faith from the sinner and does not give it to him. These remarks apply also to repentance, which in common grace is required of the sinner as something which he is to originate as a condition of salvation, but which in special grace is originated in him by the Holy Spirit, not as a condition to be performed on his part, but as a means or instrument employed by God to accomplish his unconditional promise to the elect, "I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts.'

The covenant of grace is unconditional for man as all the conditions are met by God!

Next week's reading

Continue Anthropology by reading up to the paragraph beginning: 'Vol II. p. 113. That the holy self-movement of the human will is both the Creator's product and the creature's activity is taught in 1 Chron. 29:14.'

Now it's your turn

Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.