A Model of Divinity, Chapter 21
CHAPTER XXI. Of the propagation of Sinne.
Queſtion.
HItherto of the tranſgreſſion; What is the propagation of it?
Anſwere.
All that poſteritie that was to proceed from Adam by ordinary propagation, as it ſhould hauehave had happineſſe, if he had ſtood, ſo is it made obnoxious to all his miſeries, he falling. By a rule in nature he begets children, and by a rule in divinitie he begets them ſinfull, and yet both naturall. It was in mans nature to doe well for himſelfe, and others: and ſo by conſequent, to doe evill, and convey the ſame to all his heires; for as naturall ſpirits runne along in the bloud, and are apt for generation: ſo originall righteouſneſſe, as a more divine ſpirit, runnes along with the whole frame, to frame it in others: now that being loſt, a worſe ſpirit of evill hauing taken vp the roome of the firſt, formes men according to a ſinfull image. Gen. 5.3. Adam is ſaid to beget in his owne likeneſſe and image. Rom. 5.12.14.
Q. By what right is ſinne propagated?
A. By all kinds of right; firſt by the law of Nations; for Adam was a Prince of all his poſteritie, who covenanted with God for vsus, and for himſelfe, for the performance of obedience, and therefore he breaking, wee brake. He was alſo as our Legate, & did lie as our Lidger, or deputie with God; and therefore wee may be ſaid to doe whatſoeuer he did. He went as a common ſuretie for vsus all, and on him was all our credite repoſed, and he was betruſted of God with the eſtate of vsus all. It is therefore a nationall equitie, that wee comming all into one bond and obligation, ſhould all fare alike. Secondly, we hauehave it by the law of inheritance, he was our father, and we were his ſonnes, hee the roote, and we the branches, and therefore were to participate with him in all his eſtate. Doe we not ſee how children are left in good, or bad caſe by their parents, and of meere relation they become their lawful heires and ſucceſſors? Thirdly, by the law of divine Iuſtice, the perfection whereof cannot pardon the leaſt ſinne without ſatisfaction to eueryevery farthing, as alſo by the infiniteneſſe of it that extends it ſelfe to eueryevery guiltie perſon, and by reaſon of the violation of the law, and diſhonour of the law-giuer, deales moſt ſtrictly and preciſely with eueryevery ſinner. One man may kindle ſuch a fire, as all the world cannot quench. One plague ſore may infect a whole kingdome; and here we ſee, how the infection of Adams evill, is growne much worſe then a perſonall act. Satans ſubtiltie hath ever bin to begin withan head of evill, knowing that the multitude (as we ſay of Bees) will follow their maſter. Corah kindled a fire of rebellion, two hundreth and fiftie Captaines readily bring ſtickes to it, & all Iſrael are content to warme their hands by it: onelyonly here the Incendiaries periſh: God diſtinguiſhing betwixt the heads of a faction, and the traine: but in this all are alike, though we were all a ſleepe in Adams loynes; becauſe the law was equally giuen for all our benefits, and our proſperitie ſtood in the firſt well husbanding of the happie eſtate God yeelded vsus in Paradiſe. If any obiect. Ezek. 18.20. the ſonne ſhall not die for the fathers ſinne. The anſwere is, when he is not guiltie of it, either by propagation, or tranſgreſſion, he himſelfe according to his birth liuing and dying in it. Heb. 7.9.10. It is ſayd Leui payed tythes in Abrahams loynes: ſo we in Adam were bound by law to ſtand to his reconing.
Q. After what manner is ſinne propagated?
A. Neither from the body to the ſoule, as comming from our vncleane parents; As if the ſoule being purely created, ſhould fall into the body, as a man in pure white rayment doth fall into a puddle of dirt and mire; for the body is not the firſt ſubiect of ſinne, but the ſoule, and therefore cannot be the head and fountaine of propagation. Neither is it from the ſoule to the body, as begotten of our vncleane parents; for then ſhould it be as mortall as the body and ſpirits of it, as alſo croſſe God in his ſpeciall relation of the father of ſpirits. Heb. 12.9. He is a father of both. Pſal. 139.14. Iob 10.10.11.12. But of the one by the parents, of the other, immediately by himſelf. It therefore followes by iuſt conſequent, that it proceeds from the vnion of both into one man; for, though our parents, as bruit beaſts beget not ſoules, yet they beget a more perfect creature, in that they are the procreant cauſes of man, vnited of his eſſentiall cauſes. Gen. 4.1. I hauehave gotten a man from the Lord. Iehovah, Adam, and Eue were all about the compoſition of Cain, his Soule was inſpired pure and holy: yet as ſoone as the vitall ſpirits laid hold of it, It was in the compound a ſonne of Adam. The thing may well be explained by this ſimilitude. A skilfull Artificer makes a clocke, of all his eſſentiall parts moſt accurately; onelyonly he leaues the putting of all parts together, to his vnskilfull Apprentiſe, who ſo iumbles together the ſeverall ioynts, that all fall a iarring, and can keepe no time at all, eueryevery wheele running backward way: ſo God moſt artificially ſtill perfects both body and ſoule: but our accurſed parents put all out of frame, and ſet eueryevery part in a contrary courſe to Gods will. Pſal. 51.5. Warmed in ſinne, is vnderſtood of the preparation of the body, as an inſtrument of evill, which is not ſo actually, till the ſoule come.
Q. What followes from hence?
A. A iuſt imputation of the firſt tranſgreſſion, as alſo of the fault, guilt, and puniſhment, and that both in ſinne and death. Rom. 5.12. 1 Cor. 15.21.
Q. How is originall ſinne propagated?
A. By our next parents, and ſo aſcending to Adam himſelfe. It is impoſſible to bring a cleane thing out of filthineſſe. Gen. 5.3. Iob 14.4.
Q. How is actuall ſinne conveyed?
A. In the maſſe and lumpe; other wiſe in kind eueryevery mans actuall ſinne is his owne. Ezek 18.20.
Q. How death?
A. Seed and food are the principles of our life, in procreation and preſervation: the firſt we hauehave from our parents, which is deadly, as poyſoned with ſinne: the other comes from our ſelues, being ignorant of what ſhould bee good for our bodies; but beſide the firſt death, there is a conveyance of the ſecond, we being borne the children of wrath; for Gods diſpleaſure was kindled as well againſt Adams poſteritie, as Adam himſelfe. Eph. 2.3.
Q. How is Eue made partaker of Adams puniſhment?
A. Beſides her proper puniſhments, as an inſtrument of evill, ſhee participates with Adam in all we hauehave ſaid; for God made them both equally, for an happie eſtate, onelyonly the wife was to inioy it by meanes of her husband; firſt, as ſhee was taken out of him. Secondly, as they were to hold together for better and worſe, in regard of their marriage. Thirdly, as ſhe was a companion with him in the ſame ſinne: they did both eate, ſinne, and ſee it at the ſame time. Geneſis 3.6.7.
Q. Was propagation then from them both?
A. Yes, immediately from them both, as their children were begotten by the mutuall knowledge of the one the other. Gen. 4.1. and 5.3. Hence Chriſt was not borne ſinnefull, becauſe of the holy Ghoſts ſeparation, not onelyonly of the ſeed of Mary, but likewiſe of Mary from Ioſeph. Mary her ſelfe could not be without ſinne, becauſe propagated; this is onelyonly the priviledge of her ſonne, who of vnholy ſeed by the ſecret operation of the Spirit, and ſeparation of a part from the whole, tooke that which was moſt pure and holy.