William Cunningham on John Davenant

[Reformed Covenanter]

[John] Davenant, whom, notwithstanding his unsound views as to the extent of the atonement, we consider one of the greatest divines the Church of England has ever produced.

William Cunningham, ‘The Practical Application of Calvinism’, British and Foreign Evangelical Review, 10, no. 38 (October 1861), p. 832. (See also, The Reformers and the Theology of the Reformation, p. 541.)

 

[timfost]

Davenant is very interesting to read and I've profited from him greatly. Even though I don't agree with everything he writes concerning the atonement, I also find much of it more palatable than people like John Preston. Further, it's a whole different breed compared to Amyraldianism.

I believe even Owen had a high respect for Davenant. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Cunningham also makes the following observation on Davenant with respect to reprobation:

... a work of Davenant’s, entitled, "Dissertationes Duse prima de Morte Christi, altera de Praedestinatione et Reprobatione,” and that, while the first of these is a very able defence of the doctrine of universal redemption, as it has been usually held by men who professed Calvinistic views upon other points, the second is a most thorough and masterly exposition and defence of the views ordinarily held by Calvinists in regard to election and reprobation. Indeed, we do not believe that there exists a better or more satisfactory vindication of the Calvinistic doctrine of predestination, in both its branches of election and reprobation, than the second of these two Dissertations. (The Reformers and the Theology of the Reformation, p. 205.)

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Also, in Discussions on Church Principles, Cunningham states that Davenant and Bishop Downame's books on justification represented "the best and fullest scholastic discussions of this subject which Britain has produced." (p. 25)