A Treatise of Original Sin, Part 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
The firſt Text to prove Original Sinne, improved and vindicated.
SECT. I.
EPHES. 2. 3.
And were by nature the children of wrath, as well as others.
THE true Doctrine of Original Corruption is of ſo great concernment, that Auſtin thought, De Peccato Orig. contra Pelag. & Celeſt. 2. cap. 24. the Summe of Religion to conſiſt in knowing of this, as the effect of the firſt Adam, and alſo of Chriſt the ſecond Adam with all his glorious benefits. Though therefore Coeleſtius of old thought it to be but Recquaeſtionis, not fides, Ibidem cap. 4. And others of late have wholly rejected it, as Auſtin's figment, yet certainly the true way of Humiliation for ſinne, or Juſtification by Chriſt, cannot be firmly eſtabliſhed, unleſs the true Doctrine of this be laid as a Foundation-ſtone in the building.
Now becauſe original ſinne is uſed ambiguouſly by Divines, ſometimes for Adam's firſt ſinne imputed unto us, (for, Omnes homines fuerunt ille unus homo) he was the common Perſon repreſenting all mankind, as is in time to be ſhewed; And this for diſtinction ſake, is called, Originale originans, or Originale imputatum; And ſometimes it's taken paſſively for the effect of that firſt ſinne of Adam, viz. The total and univerſal pollution of all mankind inherently through ſinne, which is called Originale originatum, or inherens.
I ſhall treat of it in this later acception, as being of great practical improvement many wayes.
SECT. II.
ANd becauſe in Theological Debates two Queſtions are neceſſary, The An ſit, and the Quid ſit, Whether there be ſuch a thing, and, What it is; and in both theſe the truth of God meeteth with many adverſaries.
I ſhall firſt inſiſt on the Quod ſit, That there is ſuch a natural and curſed pollution upon every one that is born in an ordinary way. The firſt Text I ſhall faſten this Truth upon, is this I have mentioned, which deſervedly, both by Ancient and Modern Writers is thought to have a pregnant and evident demonſtration, That there is ſuch a natural contagion upon all.
To underſtand this the better, take notice of the Coherence briefly. The Apoſtles ſcope is, to incite the Epheſians to Thankfulneſs, by the conſideration of that great love and infinit mercy vouchſafed to them by God; and becauſe the Sunne is moſt welcome out of a dark gloomy cloud, one contrary doth more illuſtrate another. He compareth their preſent ſtate of Grace, with their priſtine condition of miſery and wretchedneſs, which is ſummarily expreſſed, That they were dead in ſinnes and treſpaſſes, a farre more dreadfull eſtate, than if they had been dead and rotting in their graves. This internal corruption is amplified from a twofold external cauſe,
1. The courſe aud cuſtom of the world.
2. The power and efficacy of the Devil, the Prince of the power of the Air working in them.
Now leſt this ſhould be thought true only of the Epheſians, becauſe Gentiles, he brings in himſelf alſo, and the Jews equal with them both in actual ſinnes.
1. We all had our converſation in times paſt in luſts of the fleſh, &c.
2. For original ſinne, both Jew and Gentile were all plunged in the ſame original gulf of miſery: And this Propoſition is aſſerted in the words read.
SECT. III.
IN which words are conſiderable, the Subject, and the Predicate, with the Manner of its attribution.
The Subject is [We] that is, we all, as in the beginning of this verſe: For ſeeing the Jews were Abraham's children, in which they ſo much boaſted, and therefore are called Jews by nature, Gal. 2. 15. and the natural branches, Rom. 11. 21. They might eaſily think, others indeed were by nature ſinfull, yet for themſelves, they would think that glorious diſcent they had from Abraham might be a priviledge to them, but here it is true, though Jews by nature, yet ſinners by nature, as the Gentiles were.
2. There is the Predicate, Children of wrath, foreign, which is an Hebraiſm, and ſignifieth one wholly expoſed to wrath, as if wrath were the mother, and gave them their whole being. Thus the children of Belial, and the ſons of death are often in Scripture. By wrath is meant Gods wrath; Now becauſe Gods wrath is juſt, and doth alwayes preſuppoſe ſinne; Hence is inevitably deducted, That we are alſo by Nature full of ſinne: So that though wrath be immediatly the miſery here ſpoken of, yet ſin is ſuppoſed as the neceſſary antecedent.
3. There is the Manner how, foreign, by nature; We have it by our birth, it's not by imitation, and action, or cuſtom, but by Nature. This word doth clearly paſs a ſentence of condemnation upon every one, while in the ſwadling-cloaths, though as yet guilty of no actual tranſgreſſion.
But becauſe the ſtrength of our Argument for Original ſinne lieth on this word, and the Adverſaries to it, eſpecially the Socinians, would weaken this Teſtimony: Let us remove their exceptions.
SECT. IV.
ANd firſt, Gretius rejects this Interpretation of Original, ſinne, as nothing to the Apoſtles meaning, and therefore ſaith the word foreign, is as much as foreign, truly and indeed, oppoſite to what is in opinion, and eſteem, comparing this place with Gal. 4. 8. Which by nature are no gods. In this, following Pelagius his Expoſition of old, as if he would take his errour by imitation, as Pelagius ſaid, we did ſinne from Adam. This interpretation of Pelagius taking prorſus for the ſame with nature. Auſtin refuſeth for the novelty of it, Lib. 6. contra Julia, cap. 4. and indeed nothing now is more ordinary, then ſuch an Expoſition with the Adverſaries to original ſinne, as Caſtellio and others.
But this Expoſition is not oppoſite, it's only ſubordinate, we will grant, that the word will bear this ſenſe, That we are truly and wholly the children of wrath; but this is not all, we are ſo, becauſe we have this miſery by nature, and the parallel inſtanced in, will abundantly convince it, for therefore they were not truly, and indeed Gods, becauſe they were not ſo by nature. So that the Text makes againſt him, and not for him.
Beſides the word foreign being uſed about twelve times in the New Teſtament, doth alwayes ſignifie that which is nature, or according to natural inclination, or what we have by natural birth; For nature, ſo 1 Cor. 11. 14. Doth not nature teach you? And Jam. 3. 7. Rom. 1. 26. For natural principles and inclinations, ſo the Gentiles, Rom. 2. 14. are ſaid foreign, To do the things of the Law, or by natural deſcent, Rom. 2. 27. Vncircumciſion is ſaid to be foreign, ſo Rom. 11 21, 24. The natural branches are called the Jews deſcending of Abraham, and thereby enjoying Church-priviledges, and Gal. 2. 15. Jews by Nature; Inſomuch that it is a manifeſt falſhood to ſay, the word never ſignifieth that which we have by birth. And indeed, as is well obſerved by Zanchy, The phraſe, Children by Nature muſt neceſſarily imply by deſcent, as the ſonne of a man ſuppoſeth deſcent from him: Adam was a man, but not the ſon of a man, he had it not originally from another, whereas we are by nature children of wrath, and ſo have it from our parents. Hence it is foreign, not foreign, which doth relate to our nativity, and in the original it is more emphatical than in our Tranſlations, for there it is, not by nature children of wrath, but foreign, Children by nature of wrath; So that children by nature is oppoſite to children by Cuſtom, Imitation, Adoption, or any other way. Thus the firſt exception is removed.
Object. In the next place, The Socinian puts in his Caveat, after this manner, That muſt be underſtood by the phraſe [Children of wrath by nature] which the Epheſians were now by the grace of God freed from; for the Apoſtle ſpeaks in the time paſt, You were by nature children of wrath, but now are quickned by the grace of God, therefore the Epheſians were now freed from that eſtate: But according to the Doctrine of thoſe who maintain Original ſinne, that abideth in every man, though regenerated, and is not aboliſhed but by death.
Anſw. But this ſtone is eaſily removed: For although original ſinne abide in the godly, yet the guilt of it is not imputed; So that though by nature we were obnoxious to the wrath of God through its guilt, yet when grace cometh, this guilt is taken away, ſo that though it be in us, yet it is not imputed to us.
Object. Laſtly, They object, It muſt be underſtood of actual ſins, for the Apoſtle ſpoke of ſuch before, and to be a ſonne of a thing denoteth the quality inherent in a man, as given to ſuch a way; ſo in the former verſe the Children of diſobedience, that is, thoſe who voluntarily give themſelves to ſuch rebellion.
Anſw. But to this it is anſwered, That in the former expreſſion is not the word foreign: So that the Apoſtle doth here lay the Ax to the root of the Tree; and becauſe the Jews might be thought by the priviledges they enjoyed as ſoon as born to excell the Gentiles; Therefore he demonſtrateth the Fountain and Well-head of their iniquity, though ſecret and under-ground, as ſprings are uſually very difficultly diſcovered.
Beſides, We will readily grant, That this expreſſion doth denote an habitual inclination to all actual evil, and that the Apoſtle mentioneth it as the curſe and bitter root of all the actual impieties that are committed in the world; ſo that there is a reference to actual ſins, but in the cauſe of them, which is this original pollution.
And thus much for vindication of this noble Text, we have endeavoured to throw out all that earth, which the Philiſtims had caſt into this fountain, what elſe may be objected, will in time be taken notice of. And from hence obſerve,
That all men by nature are born full of ſinne, and ſo expoſed to Gods infinite wrath and vengeance. Every Infant coming into the world is deſtitute of the Image of God, and in a more dreadfull condition than the young ones of the bruitiſh creatures, that are not expoſed to eternal torments; ſo that although there may be joy that a man-child is born, yet much humiliation, becauſe a child of wrath is born.
I ſhall not ſo much inſiſt on the Predicate, as the Subject, with the Manner how.
This original ſinne is a natural ſinne, not indeed as we had our nature at firſt pure out of Gods hands, therefore here is no Manicheiſm affirmed, as Pelagians of old did calumniate, but as vitiated and defiled through Adam's tranſgreſſion.