Im (anspruchsvollen) Aufsatz “Calvin and Common Grace” skizziert Herman Bavinck mit Klarheit, weshalb im Katholizismus Natur und Gnade einander entgegen stehen:
Because the Church is the God-appointed depository of all these blessings, the relation between grace and nature coincides with that between the Church and the world. The world, the state, natural life, marriage and culture are not sinful in themselves; only they are of a lower order, of a secular nature, and, unless consecrated by the Church, easily become an occasion for sinning.
Die Kirche ist somit einziger Vermittler zwischen der niederen (Natur) und der höheren Ebene (Gnade). Die Folge: Eine alles durchdringende Hierarchie und zwei verschiedene Massstäbe.
It makes concessions to the weak and worships the saints; a lax morality and a severe asceticism, an active and a contemplative mode of life, rationalism and supernaturalism, unbelief and superstition equally find a place within its walls.
