A Treatise of Original Sin, Part 2 · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
Reaſons demonſtrating the Poſitive Part of Original Sinne.
SECT. I.
HItherto we have been informed out of this Text, what is comprehended in the word [Fleſh] attributed to every one that is in a natural way born of mankind. We now proceed to that Truth, for which it was deſignedly pitcht upon, viz. That Original ſin is not only a Privation of Gods Image, but doth cannote alſo a Poſitive inclination, and an impetuous propenſity to every thing that is evil. For this Queſtion is agitated between ſome Papiſts, and the Proteſtants; They aſſerting, That the whole nature of original ſinne lieth in the privation of Gods Image: But the Orthodox, they ſay, That although original ſinne is privative, yet it is not meerly privative, but doth include in it, as the materiale, that habitual crookedneſs and perverſnes, which is in all the faculties of the ſoul; And thus the Proteſtants do almoſt in effect ſay the ſame with Aquinas, who calleth original corruption a corrupt habit, not a meer privation, for privations are of two ſorts, either ſimple, that imply onelyonly a privation, as blindneſſe and death, or compounded and mixed, which beſides the meer privation, do denote ſome materiale or ſubſtratum with it. Thus Aquinas compareth original ſinne to a ſickneſs or diſeaſe, which doth not only ſignifie a privation of health, but alſo the humours exceſſively overflowing, and thereby diſſolving the due temperament of the body: Such a privation is original ſinne, a mixt, or compounded privation, that beſides the abſence of what righteouſneſs is due, denoteth alſo a propenſity and violent inclination unto that which is evil. It is true indeed, if we come punctually to examine, how the will is diſobedient, and how the affections are ſo diſorderly, we cannot reſolve into any thing, but this privation, the underſtanding is therefore darkneſs and erroneous, becauſe without its primitive light; The will is crooked and perverſe, becauſe without its primitive rectitude: So that Calvin ſaith well, He that cals it the privation of Gods Image, ſaith the whole nature of it, yet when we ſpeak of the privative part of it only, we do not ſo fully and ſignificantly expreſſe the dreadfull pollution of it: Even as concerning vicious habits in morality, intemperance, injuſtice, it is not enough to ſay, they are the privation of thoſe virtues, which are immediately contrary to them, but they do denote alſo ſuch an inclination in a man, that thereby he is carried out to thoſe vicious of ſuch habits conſtantly, and with delight.
SECT. II.
Why Divines make Original Sinne to have its Poſitive as well as Privative Part.
THe Reaſon, why our Divines make original ſinne to have its Poſitive as well as Privative part, is to obviate that errour of the Papiſts, who ſuppoſing original righteouſneſs to be only by way of a bridle in Adam to curb and ſubjugate the inferiour part to the ſuperiour of the ſoul, when Adam loſt this, they conceive mankind, hath not any further pollution upon it, but that meer loſſe; Inſomuch that they ſay, Man is now as if God had created him in his pure naturals without any ſupernaturals. The Socinians likewiſe, they deny any ſuch pollution, and make us to be born in the ſame condition Adam was created in (death as a puniſhment only accepted) meerly without either ſinne or righteouſneſſe, like Ariſtotles, Obraſa Tabula, in a neutral indifferent way. Now to confront ſuch dangerous opinions, we ſay, That by our birth-ſinne, we are not only deprived of Gods Image, but are in an habitual inclination to all evil, which is alſo active and repugnant to all good.
SECT. III.
Reaſons to evince the Poſitive part of Original Sinne.
NOw that we are to judge of it thus, will appear from Scripture, upon theſe grounds:
Firſt, The names that the Scripture attributeth to it, compell us to think of it, as more than a m…er bare ſimple privation, for in the Text it is called Fleſh, in other places Luſt, the Old man, the Body of ſinne, which emphatical expreſſions are for this end to make us conceive of the deep and moſt real pollution it bringeth upon us: Inſomuch that we are not to extenuate and diminiſh the nature of it, but as the ſcope of the Scripture is to aggravate it under the moſt ſubſtantial and powerfull names that are, ſo we alſo are accordingly to judge of it. It is true, Illyricus out of a vehement oppoſition to Papiſts and Synergiſts, did wring the Scripture till bloud came out of it in ſtead of milk; for he would underſtand theſe places mentioned about original ſinne almoſt literally, as if ſinne were our very ſubſtance and eſſence, whereas if he had gone no further, then to ſay, that the Scripture by theſe names doth intend not onelyonly the meer privation of good by this original pollution, but alſo a poſitive proneneſe, and a continual activity unto all evil, than he had hit the mark. The Scripture Names then are only conſiderable, for the holy Ghoſt doth not uſe them in vain, but thereby would ſtartle and amaze us, that we may conſider that we are without, and what evil doth abide in us.
Secondly, This is proved from Scripture-affirmation, about the ſtate of all men. It doth not onelyonly deſcribe man privatively, that he is without God, without Chriſt, but alſo peſitively, that he is an enemy to God, and cannot be ſubject to him, Rom. 3, 10, 11. to the 18. verſe. The holy Apoſtle applying ſeveral paſſages out of the old Scripture to all men by nature, inſtanceth both in privatives and poſitives alſo; Privatives, There is none that underſtandeth, there is none that ſeeketh God, there is none that doth good, there is no fear of God before their eyes: But is this all? No, he addeth, Their throat is an open Sepulchre, the poiſon of Aſpes is under their lips, their feet are ſwift to ſhed bloud, &c. Here you ſee, the nature of every man is abominable, loathſome and ready to commit the fouleſt ſinnes, if he be not ſtopt; yea the Scripture is more oftener expreſſing this Poſitive part of original ſinne then the Privative, Geneſ. 5. Geneſ. 8. 21. The imagination of a mans heart is ſaid to be onelyonly evil, and that from his youth. Eliphaz alſo in Job 15. ſaith, How abominable is man who, drinketh down iniquity like water? Thus you ſee the Scripture repreſents us in a farre more loathſome vile and poiſonous nature than we are apt to believe concerning our ſelves. When Auſtine maintained this Doctrine, Pelagius would ſay, This was to accuſe mans nature (Lib. 1. de Naturâ & Gratiâ.) But this is indeed the onelyonly way to ſet up the grace of Chriſt our Phyſician, for the whole need not a Phyſicias, Neither (ſaith Auſtin) are we ſo to exalt God a Creator, as to make a Saviour wholly ſuperfluous. It is true therefore, which the ſame Author ſaith, That when we have to do with ſuch who deny the neceſſity of grace by Chriſt, making free will of it ſelf, ſufficient to what is holy, and all becauſe they deny any ſuch thing as original ſinne, we are not ſo much (ſaith he) to deal in Diſputations with them, as prayers for them, that their eyes might be opened to know themſelves, and that the ſtony heart may be taken from them, for if once they had the ſenſe and feeling of this, they would quickly confeſſe both original ſinne, and Chriſts grace.
Thirdly, Original ſinne is poſitive, Becauſe the Scripture attributes poſitive and efficatious actions to it, which meer and bare privations are not capable of. The ſeventh Chapter of the Romans ſpeaketh fully to this, what expreſſions, and that in alluſion to military affairs, doth the Apoſtle uſe concerning this ſinne inhabiting in him? For verſ. 23. he complaineth of this Law of ſinne, that it doth warre againſt him, and bring him into captivity, which phraſes denote, That this original ſinne is not a ſluggiſh, idle privation, but withall it connoteth an impetuous repugnancy to any thing that is holy; This alſo the Apoſtle confirmeth, Gal. 5. 17. where the fleſh is ſaid to luſt againſt the Spirit, ſhall we think then, that the holy Ghoſt ſpeaketh of this activity and working of ſinne in us, that we ſhould apprehend no more than the abſence of Gods Image within us. Let us then aggravate the hainnouſneſſe of it, as we ſee the Scripture doth, and deeply humble our ſelves under it: Shall it be a ſmall thing to have ſuch an impetuous active principle in us againſt what is holy? That which we ſhould imbrace and cloſe with as the moſt excellent, that we flie from, and are moſt averſe to, as if it were the greateſt evil, and would be to our utter undoing.
Fourthly, If vicious habits that are acquired by cuſtomary practice of evil. are not meer and ſimple privations, but do alſo include in them a propenſity to evil, then it followeth, that original ſinne likewiſe is not a meer privation; For we are to conceive of original ſinne, as an innate and imbred habit, as the other are acquired: Now it's plain, That all vicious moral habits, they are not a meer negation, or abſence of ſuch virtues, but do… alſo incline and diſpoſe the ſubject to vicious actions, eaſily and with delight; So that we muſt needs attribute as much Poſtiveneſſe, if not more to original ſinne, then to vicious acquired habits; And the truth is, This is a cloſer Leproſie infecting of us, then ſuch habits, for this we have as ſoon as we are born, this is twiſted within our bowels; this can never be wholly ſhaken off, whereas accuſtomed ſinnes, they are perfectly overcome by the work of Regeneration. For this is the difference between acquired habits of ſinne, and original corruption: In Regeneration, ſeeing the Image of God is put into us, which is the ſubſtance of all holy habits, the contrary habits are preſently excluded, and the ſinnes the godly afterwords commit, are not from their former habits of ſinne, but from the reliques of original corruption, whatſoever the Remonſtrants ſay to the contrary; But Regeneration doth not totally exclude original ſinne, onelyonly diminiſheth the ſtrength of it: So that this original corruption will abide in ſome meaſure in us, even while we carry this mortal body about with us: And if the Prophet made it ſuch an impoſſible thing for men habituated in ſinne to be converted, as when he ſaith, If a Leopard can change his skinne, then may you learne to doe well, who are accuſtomed to doe evil, Jerem. 13. 23. What then ſhall he ſaid of us who are borne in evil? Cuſtomary ſinnes are but the Leopards skinne, original ſinne is like the Leopards nature.
Laſtly, This poſitive inclination doth neceſſarily follow from the privation of this Image of God; if the due ſummetry and excellent Harmony which was at firſt in the ſoul be taken away, then all the faculties and powers of the ſoul muſt neceſſarily move ſinfully and inordinately. The ſoul of a man is alwayes working one way or other, if then it hath loſt original righteouſneſſe, it cannot but be hurried on to what is evil; as if you take away the pillar on which a ſtone liethh, preſently that will fall to the ground; If you ſpoil the ſtrings of muſical inſtruments, immediately they make a jarre and ingratefull noiſe upon every moving of them: The ſoul of a man is a ſubject immediately ſuſceptible of righteouſneſſe or corruption, and if it loſe its righteouſneſſe, then by natural neceſſity corruption cometh in the room of it, and ſo when the underſtanding acts, it acteth ſinfully, when the will moveth, it moveth ſinfully; So that we may well ſay with Auſtin to the Pelagian, demanding, How this corruption could come into us, for God was good, and nature good, Quid quaeris latentem rimum, cum habes apertam jannam? Not a cranny, but a gate or door is open for this corruption to ſeize upon us.
SECT. IV.
Application.
BEfore we come to anſwer the Objections, Let us affect our hearts with it, and labour to be humbled under the conſideration of this poſitiveneſſe and efficacy of it.
For firſt, Hereby we ſee, that if it be not reſtrained and ſtopped by God, we know not where we ſhould ſtay in any ſinne; What Cain's, what Judas's would we not prove? Who can ſay, Hitherto I will goe in ſinne, and no further, for there is a fountain within thee, that would quickly overflow all? This active root of bitterneſſe, this four leaven within thee, would quickly make thy life, like Job's body, full of ulcers and noiſome ſores: If thou art not plunged in the ſame mire and filth, as others are, doe not ſay, Thou haſt leſſe of this corruption than they; Thou art borne more innocent than they, onelyonly God ſtops thee, as he did Balaam from doing ſuch wickedneſſe, as thy heart is forward enough unto; No Serpent is fuller of poyſon, no Toad of venome, than thou art of ſinne, which thou wouldſt be conſtantly committing, were not ſome ſtop put in the way.
Secondly, In that ſinne is thus poſitive and inclining thee, thou art the more to admire the grace of God, if that work a contrary inclination and propenſity in thee; If thou art brought with Paul, To delight in the Law of God in the inward man; If thy heart pants after God, as the Hart after the waters, which once delighted in ſinne, which once longed after nothing, but the ſatisfying of the fleſh: Oh admire this gracious, miraculous work of God upon thy ſoul, who hath made thee to differ thus from thy ſelfe! The time was once, when thou rejoycedſt in thoſe ſinnes, that are now matter of ſhame and trembling to thee. The time was when thy heart was affected with no other good than that of the creature; Thou didſt know no other, deſire no other but that, but now God hath made iron to ſwimme, he hath made the Blackmoor white: Oh bleſſe God for the leaſt deſires and affections, which thou haſt at any time for that which is good, for this cometh not from thee; it is put into thee by the grace of God.
Laſtly, Conſider that this poſitiveneſſe of ſinne in thee, doth not onelyonly manifeſt it ſelf in an impetuous inclination to all evil, but alſo a violent reſiſtance of whatſoever is good: The Apoſtle (Rom. 8.) calleth it, Enmity againſt God; and Rom. 7. he complaineth of it, as warring and fighting againſt the Law of his minde; And certainly this is a very great aggravation, not onelyonly to be without what is good, but to be a deſperate enemy, and a violent oppoſer of it, both in others, as alſo to that which the Spirit of God by the Word would worke in our own hearts, not onelyonly without the remedy, but full of enmity againſt it; Doth not this make our condition unſpeakably wretched? Certainly, this is the higheſt aggravation in original ſinne, that we are not onelyonly unable to what is good, but we are with anger and rage carried out againſt it, as if good were the onelyonly evil, and ſweetneſſe the onelyonly bitterneſſe.