MDMD(3)--Just a thought

[Paul Mackin]

Steven Maas (CUTR) wrote:
 
> So I was wondering, is, or was, there in fact a strain of Dutch Calvinist
> thought that would lead the Cape Dutch to imagine that once Time was about
> to end it no longer mattered what one did, that one's fate was decided and
> would not change no matter what?  This seems to go well beyond the
> Elect/Preterite dichotomy, where even the Elect are expected to follow
> certain codes of conduct.

>>>>Don't know about time-being-about-to-end having much todo with it, but predestination in some form is central to
Christianity in general. It's sort of needed to protect
God's omniscience. The predestination associated with
the Synod of Dort (Reformed Church of the Netherlands) is
called DOUBLE predestination. God has determined from all
eternity whom He will save and whom He will damn, regardless
of their faith, love, or merit, or lack thereof. (extreme form)

A milder form would be that God predestined to salvation those
whose future faith and merit He FOREKNEW. This leaves more room
for free will. Devine grace is, of course, the DOMINANT ingredient in 
Christian salvation.

It is always hard to fit the three ingredients together--God's
ominiscience, Man's free will, and Devine grace. God and Man
are OVERDEFINED, somewhat as were the boundaries between Pennsyvania, 
Maryland, and Delaware by the Charleses. (if I remember rightly) 


				P.