The Sacred Philosophy of the Holy Scripture, Article 2 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. That by the ſinne of Adam, the whole race of mankinde is corrupted, and made liable to everlaſting death both of bodie and ſoule.
ANother error of Pelagius was, that Adam by his ſin did hurt himſelfe alone; but that his poſteritie were no way tainted thereby with any originall ſinne, nor brought in danger of eternall death: which as it is contrary to the autority of the holy Scripture; ſo do they thereby put an abſolute neceſſitie on the juſtice of God, to admit thoſe infants, that never commited any actuall ſin, into eternall happines: whereby, as the merciemercy of God; ſo alſo the death of Chriſt, as far as he ſhould be a Saviour to them, is utterly in vaine: for what need they merciemercy or Mediatour, who for their owne worthineſſe muſt enter into everlaſting life? yet this poyſon the Socinians of late have lick't up as a reſtorative; which hereſie with other of theirs you may reade in Wentſel a Budowees pag. 232. & 233. But as Adam had received originall righteouſneſſe, ſo by his ſinne did he loſe what he had received, and that not for himſelfe alone; but alſo for his poſteritie: for hee being that common perſon in whom the whole race of mankinde was, whatſoever gifts or graces God gave unto him, hee gave them as a king, to him and his for ever, if hee as a faithfull liege-man ſhould performe thoſe ſervices that were belonging to that ſtate wherein he was infeoffed: but if h…e performed not that ſervice whereto hee was bound, then muſt he alſo forfeit that eſtate for him and his for ever. And becauſe contraries are knowne each by other, as a crooked line by a ſtraight; it may eaſilie appeare what that originall ſinne is, whereto all the ſonnes of Adam were made lyable by his offence: for if Adam were created in originall righteouſneſſe; ſo that hee had power both to know, and to doe that which was pleaſing to God, and a freedome of his will to continue or not to continue in that ſtate (and without any of thoſe conditions he could not be perfect) then muſt it needs follow that by that ſin of his, both he, and his poſterity are deprived both of that knowledge of the will of God, of the knowedge of the creature alſo; and of all abilitie to doe or will any thing (as of our ſelves) that maybe pleaſing in his ſight: for as that originall righteouſneſſe had with it not onelyonly an innocencie, harmeleſneſſe, or freedome from ſinne, but likewiſe a poſitive ſtrength to doe that which was good; ſo likewiſe that originall ſinne brought with it a corruption of the underſtanding, a frowardneſſe of the will, a heavineſſe or unableneſſe to all good; and more than that, a concupiſcence or ill deſire leading the minde captive unto ſinne: for contrarie cauſes muſt have contrarie effects; ſo, as God had created that firſt righteouſneſſe in the heart of man: ſo when man did willingly forſake his ſervice, and of himſelfe betooke himſelfe to the ſervice of his enemie the devill (for to whomſoever a man doth yeeld himſelfe to obey, his ſervant he is to whom hee doth obey) the devill not onelyonly willingly entertained this new come gueſt, whoſe ſervice he ſo much longed for; but alſo gave him his livery and infected his heart with contrarie conditions, that he might never after be fit for the entertainment of his former Lord. For of contraries about the ſame ſubject, one muſt of neceſſitie be therein, as light or darkeneſſe in the ayer; health or ſickneſſe in the bodie, ſight or blindneſſe in the eye: ſo that in ſtead of the former vertues, wherby the Spirit of grace did guide mans heart to God, he is now not only utterly diſabled to doe that whereto his conſcience tels him he is bound, but alſo become a thrall of Satan, to be guided and governed according to his will. And this wretched and ſinfull eſtate, with the guiltineſſe or obligation unto the puniſhment thereof, which is the death both of bodie and ſoule, is that originall ſinne wherein every one of Adams children is conceived and borne; and for which he is ſubject unto death: for ſo was the ſentence, that in what day hee ſinned he ſhould die the death. And though Adam inſtantly did not finde himſelfe to die; yet by the …uſt ſentence of the Law and juſtice of God did he finde himſelfe ſpiritually dead, that is, deſtitute of the grace of God, and that ſtrength which he had to doe his will, and therefore ſubject to this neceſſitie, that he muſt die at laſt, and ſo in an eſtate contrarie to that in which he was created: neither ought it to ſeeme ſtrange, or unjuſt, that God ſhould puniſh this ſinne of Adam in his poſteritie alſo: for as it was perſonall in reſpect of himſelfe, to make himſelfe liable to the wrath of God; ſo his naturall gifts being loſt and corrupted, the contrarie qualities brought in in ſtead thereof, became a naturall contagion to all his poſteritie. There is heere ſome little queſtion, whether this ignorance, frowardneſſe, heavineſſe, and concupiſcence before ſpoken of be the effects of originall ſinne, the wounds of nature (as the ſchooles call them) or the ſinne it ſelfe. But as their contraries were in originall juſtice, as the parts, or as the poperties, or as the effects thereof; ſo muſt theſe be in originall ſinne, to mee they ſeeme to bee that ſpirituall death that was threatned to Adam, and ſo the preſent puniſhment of that ſinne; and in them that are not renewed to the life of grace, the aſſurance of that further puniſhment that ſhall come upon the ſoule hereafter. Let us not ſtay in needleſſe queſtions, but looke to the proofes of our concluſion: for by the knowledge of originall righteouſneſſe it will appeare what theſe things are.
1. Becauſe nothing can bring forth naturally any other thing than ſuch as it ſelfe is. If Adam were in himſelfe corrupted, as hath beene ſhewed, Chap. 16. hee could not beget any other children but ſuch as were corrupted. And foraſmuch as all men in juſtice are accounted as one man, in reſpect of the common nature whereof they are all partakers; it is juſt with God to puniſh all men alike for their common corruption, from which no man can ſay his heart is cleane: for doth any man forbeare to kill an adder though he never yet ſtung any man or beaſt? I thinke not; but becauſe the whole nature of adders is venimous, therefore will he kill him.
2. It cannot ſtand with the juſtice of God to puniſh any one with death who is not lyable to that puniſhment for ſome offence. Now the ſinne of thoſe infants who from their birth are carried to their grave, not being any actuall ſinne to which any election or conſent of the minde could come; it is plaine that they are puniſhed for their originall ſin. And concerning them that have lived to take an account of their owne wayes, there needs no other proofe than the teſtimony of every mans conſcience whether they finde not the law of ſinne in themſelves warring againſt themſelves and leading them captive unto ſinne, contrarie to the law of their own minds. This is that burthen under which the Saints doe groan ſo, as that they hate themſelves therfore, and deſire to be delivered from this bodie of death Rom. 7.18. &c. And why of death? becauſe the wages of ſinne wrought in the body is death Rom. 6.23. yet not of the body onelyonly, but of the ſoule alſo; both in regard of this inbred contagion, that bitter root, and of that conſent which it gives to ſinne; that I ſay nothing of them who through cuſtome follow ſinne with greedineſſe.
3. Every creature naturally continues in that eſtate and followes thoſe things whereto it was created, except ſome great contrarietie befall to the hinderance thereof. But man was created to know and to love God, and to ſee his wiſdome in the creature, and to honour him therfore, and doing thus to be happie for ever thereby: yet nothing of this is done accordingly by any among all the ſons of Adam: therefore ſome great hindrance and contrarietie is come between. But nothing that good is could be an hindrance to this great good; nor yet any thing which is without the man himſelfe. Therefore mans ſinne alone which hath infected all, hath beene the onelyonly hinderance of all this good.
4. The holy Scripture ſhewes the truth of this in Iob 14.4. Who can bring a cleane thing out of uncleanneſſe? not one. And Pſal. 51.5. Behold I was ſhapen in iniquitie, and in ſinne hath my mother conceived mee. Rom. 5.12. By one man ſinne entred into the world, and death by ſinne, and ſo death paſſed upon all men; for that all have ſinned. Epheſ. 2.3. Wee re all by nature the children of wrath. And this is that taint of originall ſinne, which being bred in every mans bones will never out of the fleſh. And concerning actuall ſinne, you may reade thoſe Scriptures which are cited by S. Paul Rom. 3. They are all gone out of the way; they are altogether become filthie; there is none that doeth good, no not one, &c. from v. 9. to 18.