ABSTRACT
It should be clear by that Edwards' theory of occasionalism is the single greatest flaw in his doctrine of sin. It is largely as a result of his endorsement of occasionalism that his contribution to the metaphysics of sin has been overlooked. Edwards uses occasionalism as a means to ensure the absolute sovereignty of God in creation and conservation. Edwards' reformulation of the theological structure of the doctrine is insightful and useful for the metaphysics of imputation that he goes on to develop. Edwards appears to have considered occasionalism crucial to the substance of his metaphysics. Wainwright believes that Edwards does not provide either a sufficient biblical warrant for his view, nor a metaphysical argument that is sound. However, Wainwright's understanding of the nature of Edwards' doctrine seems to be at fault regarding the perdurantist flavour to his notion of inherited guilt.
