A Treatise of Paradise, Chapter 52
CHAP. LII.
What was the cauſe, why Adam and his poſteritie were baniſhed out of Paradiſe? wherein two auncient errours are refuted as touching originall ſinne.
TVrrianus in his Epiſtle to the Biſhop of Towres alledgeth as an ancient opinion of diuers Doctors, that originall ſinne was that, which the ſoule had cōmitted before it was infuſed into the body: which opinion ſeemeth firſt to hauehave beene taken from Origenes, who held that the ſoules of men being firſt created altogether in heauen, were caſt downe thence, into this vale of miſery, and ioyned vntounto theſe materiall, and groſſe ſubſtances of our bodies, in puniſhment of their ſinne committed in heauen, before their vnion to their bodies.
But this is euidently convinced as falſe, out of many places of Scripture: for if originall ſinne was contracted in heauen, how was it contracted by Adam in Paradiſe, and if we did all contract it by one, how did wee all contract it in our ſelues, by our ſelues, according to that of Paul, Rom. 5. chap. verſ. 12. By one man ſinne entred into the world, and death by ſinne, ſo death went ouer all men, foraſmuch as all men hauehave ſinned. verſ. 16. Neither is the gift ſo, as that, which entred in by one, that ſinned; for the fault came of one offence vntounto condemnation, but the gift is of many offences to iuſtification. verſ. 18, & 19. As by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation; ſo by the iuſtifying of one, the benefit abounded toward all men, to the iuſtification of life. Where wee may manifeſtly ſee contrapoſed, death, and life; iuſtice, and iniuſtice; condemnation, and iuſtification; theſe as proceeding from the obedience of Chriſt; thoſe as flowing from the diſobedience of Adam.
The ſecond opinion in this point, is, that our originall ſinne doth not conſiſt in any qualitie, or accident inherent in the ſubſtance of our bodies, or ſoules, or in any priuation of any excellencie, or good qualitie, which wee ought to hauehave retained in our ſoules, but euen in the ſubſtance of our corporall, and ſpirituall nature: the reaſon is, for whatſoeuer is not conformable to the law of God is ſinne; but all our nature is corrupt, and auerſe from the law of God, therefore the whole nature of man both body and ſoule being thus corrupt, and become abominable in the ſight of God, is ſinne.
But thus it would follow, as S. Auſtin well vrgeth againſt the Manich…es, (who held ſome things to be euill, euen of their owne nature) it would follow (I ſay) that God were the author of ſinne, ſeeing he is the author of nature. Therefore as S. Auſtine ſaith of the Angell, ſo I of man: Diabolus natura est Angelus, ſed quod natura eſt, Dei opus est: quod verò diabolus est, vitio ſuo eſt, vtendo male naturae ſuae bono: opera verò eius mala, quae vitia dicuntur, actus ſunt, non res. The Deuill by nature is an Angel, and this is Gods worke: but that hee is a Deuill, commeth of his owne ſinne, by the euill vſe of his good nature: ſo that his euill workes which are called vices, are the actions of his nature, not nature it ſelfe or his Angelicall ſubſtance.
After the ſame manner, God of his infinite goodnes created man good in ſubſtance, in nature excellent, in his powers perfect, and in eſſence of all inferiour creatures the moſt eminent: but he by his will abuſing Gods gifts, depraued his powers, and depriued his nature of theſe ſupernaturall gifts, which were made connaturall vntounto his firſt creation: not that either his nature became formally ſinne; or that his ſinne was tranſformed in ſubſtance, and nature: leaſt that he, who is the author of nature, ſhould alſo be iudged the author of ſinne: but that man freely ſubiecting himſelfe, vntounto the breach of Gods commandement, voluntarily depriued himſelfe of thoſe ſupernaturall graces, which according to the former decree of God, were due vntounto his happy eſtate of innocencie. Inſomuch that all the goodnes, beauty, and graces, which before were connaturall vntounto him, were beſtowed by God: and all the euill which was preternaturall vntounto him, and accidentary vntounto his nature, was deriued from himſelfe, according to that of the Prophet Hoſea chap. 13. verſ. 9. Thy perdition is of thy ſelfe, but in me is thy helpe.
Hence it is moſt euident, that our nature depraued with ſinne, muſt needs be diſtinguiſhed from that ſinne, which depraueth nature, as the man infected with any maladie, or ſickneſſe, is diſtinguiſhed from the qualitie, or maladie infecting the man.