A Treatise of Original Sin, Part 2 · Chapter 12 – Chapter 13
CHAP. XII.
A further Conſideration of the Image of God, which Man was created in; Shewing what particular Graces Adam's Soul was adorn'd with.
SECT. I.
WE are diſcovering the Nature of that Image God created us in at firſt, that ſo we may ſee how great our loſſe is.
The laſt particular was, The naturality and ſupernaturality of it in divers reſpects: And this is the more to be obſerved, becauſe while the Orthodox oppoſe the Socinians, who affirm, Nothing but a natural and ſimple innocency in Adam, without any infuſed or concreated habits of holineſſe, or any thing ſupernatural in him; You would think they joyn with the Papiſts, who dogmatize, That all the holineſſe Adam had was ſupernatural. Again, while the ſame Orthodox oppoſe Papiſts, becauſe of this opinion, one would think they joyned with the Socinians, who ſay, Adam had nothing in him, but what was natural, whereas the truth conſiſts between theſe; and therefore original righteouſneſſe was ſupernatural to Adam; if you reſpect the principle from whence it did flow, it was immediately from God, not from principles of nature, and this oppoſeth the Socinian; yet if you do conſider Adam the ſubject of this righteouſneſſe, and the end for which he was created, ſo it was a perfection due to him, and in that reſpect called natural, otherwiſe had not God inveſted mans nature with this and concreated this perfection with him, the nobleſt of viſible creatures had been dealt worſt with.
SECT. II.
YEt in the ſecond place, Though this Image of God was natural to Adam, yet we muſt not ſay, that he had nothing ſupernatural, that there was nothing by way of ſuperadded grace to him. Even as in Adam, although we deny, that he was created in pure naturals, yet we ſay, that Adam in ſome reſpect may be ſaid in Paradiſe to live an animal life, as well as he was created immortal; Adam was made free from death, he had not any proxim or immediate cauſe of death, yet he was not made immortal, as the glorified Saints in Heaven ſhall be, for their bodies are made then ſpiritual, not animal, as the Apoſtle diſtinguiſheth, whereas Adam's body was in this ſenſe animal, that it did need meat and drink, as alſo it was for generation, to procreate and propagate a poſterity, which argued the animality of Adams body, but not the mortality of it, as the Socinians ſay, unleſs we mean ſuch an immortality as our bodies ſhall have in Heaven. Thus though Adam was created immortal upon ſuppoſition of his obedience, yet that doth not exclude wholly an animal life, or natural, as the Apoſtle expreſly ſaith, 1 Cor. 15▪ 46. That was not firſt which is ſpiritual, but that which is natural; Thus it is alſo in reſpect of Adams ſpirituals and his ſoul, although all that holineſs which was neceſſary to guide him to happineſs was natural, yet there were other things that might be of meer grace, and ſuperadded favour to him; And under this we may comprehend the grace of God, which Adam needed, though qualified with original righteouſneſs to do that which is holy; as alſo the reward which God would give to Adams obedience, for to be the Sonne of God in reſpect of a gracious enjoyment of God, and to have received that life promiſed to him, if he did obey (though here be great Diſputes about it, what it would have been) yet it would not have been of merit, though of works, but of grace, for works and that grace in that ſtate were conſiſtent, though Evangelical grace and works do immediately oppoſe one another; Adam then was not without ſome ſupernatural ſavors.
SECT. III.
IN the third place, that which will much tend to the magnifying of this Image of God, is to conſider the Integrity and univerſality of it; ſo that he was made holy and righteous all over, with light and wiſdom in his mind, with all kind of holineſs in his will and affections; ſo that Adam had both the perfection of parts, and alſo of degree of grace within him: One ſingle habit was not ſufficient to give perfection to all the active principles in a man, yea there were ſeveral habits in every faculty of the ſoul; So that original righteouſneſs is an aggregation or collection of many habits. That Text Eccleſs. 7. when Adam is ſaid to be made right, inferreth ſo much; for he is not right, rectu, that doth want any eſſential or neceſſary part, and the very expreſſion of the Image of God denoteth as much; an Image conſiſting not in one, or ſome few parts, but in the harmonious compoſition of all; How admirable was it then to have thoſe commands of God, Thou ſhalt not luſt, and Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy ſoul, with all thy heart and ſtrength, fulfilled perfectly and without any difficulty? If we do compare our ſinfull and carnal hearts with this glorious temper, that are carried out to luſt inordinately all the day long, and love every thing before and above God, What ſhame and confuſion may it bring to us? But in that ſtate of integrity, there was no part of holineſs, or degree of holineſs wanting. It is true, if we ſpeak of the Image of God repaired in us: We find a godly man doing that now which Adam could not do, as to repent, and to believe in a juſtifying manner in Chriſt; for the actings of theſe graces were incompatible with that ſtate, and ſuppoſe an imperfection in the Subject, and therefore even now cannot be ſo well called parts of the Image of God in a ſanctified man; and indeed there is ſome difference between that Imago Creationis, and Imago Recreationis, as Bannez expreſſeth it, or Imago conſtituta, and Imago reſtituta, the Image of God in our Creation, and the Image of God in our Recreation or Renovation, when we are made new creatures by the Spirit of God.
Now becauſe Adam had not juſtifying faith in his glorious eſtate, it hath occaſioned that diſpute, VponUpon what terms, or with what juſtice God can require of every man to believe in Chriſt, ſeeing he never gave the power to do this in Adam? Therefore the Arminians plead from hence a neceſſity of a new univerſal Covenant of grace, and this hath been an hot diſpute: The Orthodox, though they eaſily grant, That Adam could not actually believe with juſtifying Faith, yet they ſay) this was potentially and habitually in him, he had a power and habit for many things, the acts and exerciſes whereof were yet inconſiſtent with that preſent eſtate of felicity he was created in; and certainly we may gather good and ſound poſitions for this truth, out of ſome of the choiſeſt Schoolmen; They have laid down good Rules, by which we may ſee, that the firmament was not more filled with innumerable ſtarres, than Adam's ſoul with all choiſe graces.
SECT. IV.
FIrſt, Thoſe graces (the Schoolmen call them virtues) which do not import any imperfection, theſe were in Adam both habitually and actually, as to love God, to be thankefull to God, to delight in God; For theſe graces will alwayes continue, even in Heaven it ſelf, and therefore were no wayes repugnant, but neceſſarily required to Adam in that ſtate of felicity.
Secondly, Thoſe graces which denote ſome kind of imperfection, which yet were not repugnant to that ſtate he was created in, were alſo in Adam, both according to the habit, and alſo the act, ſuch are faith and hope. By faith we do not mean, the particular act of relying on Chriſt, as a Mediatour, but the general aſſenting unto every thing as true, which God ſpake or promiſed unto him, and according to this faith; ſo alſo Adam had hope depending upon God, and expecting ſuch things as God had promiſed. Now theſe graces of faith and hope, even in the general nature of them, have ſome imperfection, if compared with viſion and fruition; Faith is oppoſed to viſion, and hope to fruition, as the Apoſtle plainly argueth, 2 Cor. 5. 7. Rom. 8. 24. But this imperfection did not repugn that ſtate Adam was created in; For although we ſay, Adam was made right and perfect, yet that is not to be underſtood abſolutely, as if he were as perfect as God, nor comparatively in this ſenſe neither, as if he could not be made more perfect, or as if he had ſuch perfection, as the glorified Saints in Heaven ſhall have, but he was thus farre perfect, that he wanted nothing for that ſtate and condition God made him in.
A third Rule is, Thoſe graces which import an imperfection repugnant to the ſtate Adam was in; They were in him habitually, but not actually; They inſtance in the virtues of mercy and repentance; Beſides others, we may alſo adde, the grace of juſtifying Faith; So that although the Arminians judge ſuch a poſition as this abſurd, yet almoſt the common current of Schoolmen go this way; And if the grace of mercy, of liberality, of fortitude and patience were in Adam habitually, why not of juſtifying Faith? Neither is it any Argument at all, to ſay, That theſe habits are given for their acts, but the acts are inconſiſtent with that ſtate he was made in, for theſe habits were beſtowed by way of perfection and ornament to mans nature in the general, and the want of the habits of them would have been an imperfection: Even as Adam's knowledge did extend to the medicinal virtue in herbs and plants, which yet could not in that ſtate of integrity be put in practice: So that thoſe habits, though not reducible into acts, yet were not in vain, becauſe they were for the perfection of humane nature. When therefore Adam after his fall did repent and believe in Chriſt, the ſeed of the woman promiſed; He did not put forth thoſe acts from the habits of faith and repentance he was created in, as ſome have ſaid; but the whole Image of God being loſt, every gracious habit or act, was then ſupernatural to him, which before was natural Yet Suarez in his Diſputations concerning the Creation of man, ſaith, That even the habits of repentance and mercy were in the ſtate of integrity reducible into ſome acts, though not into all; as if I ſhould ſin, I would abhorre it, and bewail it; if there were any miſerable, I would relieve him, which (ſaith he) are not meer conditional acts in the underſtanding, but preſuppoſe a purpoſe in the will. Again (ſaith he) Adam from thoſe habits had a complacency in his mind, and an approbation of ſuch acts, when they could be performed by him in a ſutable ſtate; But I preſſe not theſe things.
Now although the habit of juſtifying Faith and Repentance were in Adam, yet we cannot ſay, They were in the Angels, or in Chriſt, becauſe theſe were in a condition that did repugne the very habit of ſuch acts, as well as the acts themſelves. Thus by theſe Rules we ſee, there is no kinde of grace imaginable, but Adam's ſoul was adorned with it one way or other: Oh then take up bitter lamentation, and like Rachel refuſe to be comforted, becauſe our loſs is unſpeakably greater than hers! There remaineth not one grace of thoſe glorious ones mentioned, now in us: and in ſtead of a power to any thing that was good, we have an utter impotency thereunto, and a proneneſs unto evil.
But you may ask, Object.How can original ſix be ſaid to conſiſt in this privation of original righteouſneſſe, ſeeing that ſeemeth to be Gods act, to deprive us of it, and not ours?
To this the Anſwer is,Anſw. That we are not to conceive of God taking away this righteouſneſſe from us, as if one man ſhould ſpoil another of his garments; but man by ſinning did exclude and ſhut it out from his ſoul; and having thus provoked God, then God doth not continue and vouchſafe that grace to him, which Adam had thus repelled; ſo that God is not as an efficient, infuſing wickedneſſe into Adam's heart, but he denieth that holineſſe to him, which by ſinne was repelled; as if a man ſhould ſhut out the light from him, and keep himſelf in the dark: But I have ſpoken more fully already to this Objection.
CHAP. XIII.
Reaſon to prove, That the Privation of Original Righteouſneſſe is truly and properly a Sinne in us.
SECT. I.
I Shall adde that there are four Reaſons, why this Privation of Original Righteouſneſſe is truly and properly a ſinne in us. And
Firſt, Becauſe the ſoul is a Subject fit and prepared for to receive this Righteouſneſſe. This rectitude you heard, was a moral perfection neceſſarily required in man: The ſoul of a man cannot be in a neutral condition, it muſt either have holineſs, or ſinne in it; As the air doth neceſſarily receive either light or darkneſs; The body is either ſick or well; if then the ſoul be ſuch a fit and capable ſubject of holineſs; when it is deprived of it, it wants that which is ſutable and connatural to it: Inſomuch that for the ſoul to be without this holineſs, it's againſt the nature of it; Why ſhould ſuch a ſpot and a blemiſh be in ſo glorious a creature? How came ſpots in this Sunne? As Idolaters are condemned, becauſe they turned the glory of God into the Image of a beaſt that eateth hay: No leſſe is done by Adam's Apoſtaſie upon us all, for we who were made Gods Image, are now become like beaſt without underſtanding, and yet this conſideration will not debaſe and humble us.
Secondly, This Privation is a ſinne, Becauſe it is againſt the Law of God which requireth habitual holineſſe in us. It requireth the continuance in that ſtate, which God created us in. This Definition of original ſinne, that it is a Privation of that rectitude which ought to be in us, was firſt aſſigned by Anſelme, and Occham thought it inſufficient, unleſſe there was added … the Deſcription, a Privation ariſing from the ſinne of another, Becauſe (ſaith he) Adam upon his ſinne loſt this Righteouſneſſe, which ought to be in him, yet we cannot ſay, he had original ſinne, becauſe it did not ariſe from a ſinne of another, but from his own tranſgreſſion. This is a needleſſe ſubtilty, for it was original ſinne in Adam, yea and in Eve, though they did not derive it from one another, becauſe they did actively communicate this unto all their Poſterity. This Privation then of all glorious holineſſe being againſt the Law of God, as we have formerly ſhewed, therefore it makes a man truly ſinfull.
Thirdly, It is a ſinne, Becauſe Adam our Head and common Truſtes once had this Righteouſneſſe; So that it is a Righteouſneſſe, which we were once actually poſſeſſed of in our Head; God did not only ſay, Let us make man after our Image, but he did put it into execution, he did make him after his image; So that it's a righteouſneſſe that we once had, which now we have loſt.
Laſtly, It is a ſinne, Becauſe by Adam our Head we were deprived of it. The Apoſtle ſaith poſitively, Rom. 5 That by one, ſinne came upon all, inaſmuch as all have ſinned, viz. in him, and by him: Hence it is, That his loſing of this Image is our loſing of it, as really, as if we had actually and perſonally deprived our ſelves of it. And thus much ſhall ſuffice for the Doctrinal part of it; but becauſe it's good to have our affections wrought upon, as well as our judgements informed. The next work ſhall be to give the Aggravations of this loſſe, that ſo we may make a full improvement of this Truth.