Colin Beers’s Reviews > A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life > Status Update

Theology Proper

Thomas Goodwin’s Christological Supralapsarianism: Election which Goodwin argued was one of the most debated words in the bible sets the tone of predestination of Gods people. Specifically the order of how God decreed whose would be his people and whom would not, elect, or reprobates. The Christological part is due to predestination being transient so before Christ we are still in a fallen state.

Theology Proper
Thomas Goodwin and Johannes Maccovius on justification from eternity:
Fighting the antinomian view of eternal justification for the elect before the foundation of the world, Goodwin and Maccovius become advocates together even while in disagreement. Their main focus of agreement was that justification is transient, although Maccovius believed in justification from the mother promise for all in Genesis

Theology Proper

William Perkins on Predestination: “His decree determines what shall be done… For there is nothing higher than his will.” The main argument in predestination was between supralapsarianism and infralapsarianism. God does decree all before the foundation of the world which does not make him the author of sin, and this was Perkins argument for Supralapsarianism.

Theology Proper

John Owen on the Communion with the Triune God:
“Trinitarian spirituality is the only true evangelical spirituality”
“We have communion with the Father in his love, and the Son in his grace, by the operation of the Holy Spirit”

Theology Proper

The Puritans on the Trinity: Francis Cheynell largely regarded in the early part of this chapter for the trinitarian argument of the trinity in the 17th century, while protecting monotheism the trinitarian belief, many accused them of a Tritheistic belief which is inaccurate. Another argument was intratrinitarian communion, or circumincession of each divine work being jointly executed by the trinity.

Prolegomena:
2. Puritan Hermeneutics and Exegesis: Puritans certainly knew their bibles, you could tell by their vast knowledge in their writings, but one of the main focuses was between the convent of works and grace leading them to a christological type hermeneutical principle as well as sensus literalis going hand in hand. This is divided into Allegorical, tropological, and anagogical ways of interpretation.

Prolegomena:
1. Natural and Supernatural theology: As one of the first parts of this book I quickly was shocked of the quick debate by puritan theologians on the prelapsarian period of natural theology. While not addressed by many of the puritans they never let such a thing go unmentioned. This also led into debate on Supernatural revelation and was discussed in both the pre and post-lapsarian period.