Scott
Puritan Board Graduate
This is an interesting article:
http://www.stlukesrec.org/dunlap2.html
There is alot in there worthy of discussion. What do you think about this statement:
[quote:c3fa992f23]
But for the theological descendents of Calvin (especially English Puritanism), it was a different story. Undue speculation on the eternal counsel of God in election led to a devaluation of the sacraments as objective means of grace altogether. Viewing sacraments as vehicles or instruments of grace was held to be suspect, even though the language was occasionally still employed. What was important to this whole new generation of "reformed" Christians was determining whether one was within the company of the eternally elect. Baptism could not tell you that. Communion could not tell you that. In fact, the only certain indications of one's "elect status" (according to some) were the subjective evidences of one's election: the sincerity of faith and its requisite fruition (i.e., good works). Moreover, these "evidences" were oftentimes judged against a qualitative standard too rigorous for all but those whose faith approached Olympian proportions. At best, the sacraments are consigned to the role of "acted parables," designed merely to excite faith. The focus of personal assurance is shifted from the objective signs of God's grace to the subjective evidences of one's conscience.6 Whereas Luther, when pained with oppressive doubts of his status in Christ, could rest assured in the objective fact of his baptism, a whole new generation of Protestants were being taught, at least implicitly, to distrust the objective outward signs as inherently deceptive in terms of personal assurance.
[/quote:c3fa992f23]
Related in footnote 7, which is about a topic of embarasment to fans of American Puritans:
[quote:c3fa992f23]
An illustration of the absurdity of the subjectivist model can be seen in the Half-Way Covenant theology of 18th century New England Puritanism. The second generation of New England Puritans did not happen to share the religious zeal of the first generation who had fled England. As a result many of the second generation were denied full communicant status in their churches. Yet their children were still admitted to baptism based on the fact that they themselves had been baptized. Thus they were considered to be in the covenant "half-way."
[/quote:c3fa992f23]
Scott
http://www.stlukesrec.org/dunlap2.html
There is alot in there worthy of discussion. What do you think about this statement:
[quote:c3fa992f23]
But for the theological descendents of Calvin (especially English Puritanism), it was a different story. Undue speculation on the eternal counsel of God in election led to a devaluation of the sacraments as objective means of grace altogether. Viewing sacraments as vehicles or instruments of grace was held to be suspect, even though the language was occasionally still employed. What was important to this whole new generation of "reformed" Christians was determining whether one was within the company of the eternally elect. Baptism could not tell you that. Communion could not tell you that. In fact, the only certain indications of one's "elect status" (according to some) were the subjective evidences of one's election: the sincerity of faith and its requisite fruition (i.e., good works). Moreover, these "evidences" were oftentimes judged against a qualitative standard too rigorous for all but those whose faith approached Olympian proportions. At best, the sacraments are consigned to the role of "acted parables," designed merely to excite faith. The focus of personal assurance is shifted from the objective signs of God's grace to the subjective evidences of one's conscience.6 Whereas Luther, when pained with oppressive doubts of his status in Christ, could rest assured in the objective fact of his baptism, a whole new generation of Protestants were being taught, at least implicitly, to distrust the objective outward signs as inherently deceptive in terms of personal assurance.
[/quote:c3fa992f23]
Related in footnote 7, which is about a topic of embarasment to fans of American Puritans:
[quote:c3fa992f23]
An illustration of the absurdity of the subjectivist model can be seen in the Half-Way Covenant theology of 18th century New England Puritanism. The second generation of New England Puritans did not happen to share the religious zeal of the first generation who had fled England. As a result many of the second generation were denied full communicant status in their churches. Yet their children were still admitted to baptism based on the fact that they themselves had been baptized. Thus they were considered to be in the covenant "half-way."
[/quote:c3fa992f23]
Scott