A Treatise of Original Sin, Part 2 · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII.
The various Opinions, Objections, and Doubts, about the manner how the Soul comes to be polluted.
SECT. I.
THe next work is to conſider of the manner how we come to bear this Image. As for the body, to have a mortal and a corruptible one from Adam is eaſily to be conceived, becauſe the body is cauſally and ſeminally in the firſt man, ſo propagated from man to man but this hath deſervedly been acknowledged the hardeſt knot to unty in all this doctrinal truth about original ſinne, how the ſoul can come to be polluted if created from God. In this Argument, The Pelagians did much tryumph, and Auſtin was ſo puzled with it, that he many times confeſſeth his ignorance at leaſt his doubt in this point, yea (he ſaith) That he could neither legendo, erando, or ratiocinando, find out how the propagation of original ſinne, and the creation of the ſoul could be defended together, But of this more in its time.
SECT. II.
The great Objections that are againſt aſſerting the Souls Creation.
IT is certain that here are dangerous rocks on both ſides, for if we ſay, the ſoul is created, then ſeeing God cannot but make every thing holy, he cannot make a ſinfull ſoul, how then can it be infected with ſinne? Again, if the ſoul be created, then it was not virtually in Adam, then it could not be ſaid to ſinne in him, becauſe it was never in him, for why did not Chriſt ſinne in him, but becauſe he was not ſeminally in him, and if the ſoul was never radically in Adam, how can it be polluted, is it juſt with God to puniſh that with Adams ſinne which never ſinned in Adam? If it be ſaid, that the ſoul when united to the body, doth from that receive infection, as if pure liquour were powred into a ſtinking veſſel, This will not ſolve but increaſe the doubt, for a veſſel indeed may pollute liquour. becauſe they are both bodies and ſo act by a corporall contact, but the ſoul is a ſpirit, and its a rule (ſay they) received by all, that a body cannot act upon a ſpirit, Beſides, ſinne is properly in the ſoul, and muſt from that be conveyed to the body: The body, whie without a ſoul, is not capable of ſinne no more then a bruit beaſt; It hath no reaſon, it is under no law, how then can that communicate ſinne to the ſoul, when it hath none at all it ſelf? Thus you ſee what ſtrong cords here are, even that a Sampſon can hardly break.
SECT. III.
Objections againſt holding that the Souls come by Generation, Multiplication, &c.
THen on the other ſide, if you think that the only way to maintain the propagation of original corruption, is to hold, that the ſouls are not immediately created of God, but either by generation or multiplication, or ſome other way. Then here alſo are more dangerous rocks, for if we hold this, we ſeem to contradict ſome ſtrong Texts of Scripture, that maketh God the immediate giver of the ſoul. Beſides, we muſt then neceſſarily make it material yea though they who hold the traduction of the ſoul will not grant that conſequence, yet it cannot be avoided, but what is generable is corruptible, and ſo the ſoul muſt be mortall, and that rule of Aquinas ſeemeth to carry much evident light with it, Quod dependet a materiâ quoad fieri, dependet quod exiſtere. This rule holds true in every thing elſe, and why ſhould it be denied about the ſoul, if the ſoul in its beginning depends upon the body, it cannot continue ſeperate from it, and ſo be immortal.
SECT. IV.
THus you ſee there is a veil upon the face of this Doctrine: But although modeſty and ſobriety be neceſſary in this point, as alſo in the Doctrine of the Trinity and Chriſts incarnation, yet as in them its neceſſary to ſearch the Scriptures, and ſo farre to improve the light ſhining from them; that we may be able to convince heretical gainſayers; Thus it is alſo in this truth, ſo much knowledge as is not forbidden yea as is revealed in the Scripture, let us thankfully acknowledge, and humbly, yet with diligence and conſtancy improve againſt thoſe, who by reaſon of theſe difficulties would overthrow the fundamental Truth it ſelf, we muſt not for ſome ſeeming Objections forſake the clear Texts of Scripture; It commonly falleth out, that almoſt in every great and fundamental truth in Religion, as the Doctrine of the Trinity, the Doctrine of Juſtification. There is ſome Objection above all the reſt, that hath more difficulty in it then ordinary, and ſo it is here; but let us not be afraid to get Canaan, becauſe of ſome Anakims in the way.
SECT. V.
The ſeverall Wayes that learned Men have gone to remove the aforeſaid Difficulties.
TO guid you therefore in this wilderneſs to it, let us conſider what are the ſeveral waies that many either of learned or of corrupt judgements have ſaid to the clearing of this, And
Firſt,Origen and Plato's opinion There are and have been ſome in the Church following Origen, who alſo followed Plato, deriving many opinions from him, who did thus think to make this truth eaſy, By holding that the ſouls were created long before the bodies, and that upon their evill, and ſinne committed, they were adjudged to be put into bodies, and ſo from hence it is, that they ſay, man is ſo propenſe to all evill; Therefore they will not ſay, That the ſouls of men are either by traduction, or immediate creation and infuſion into the body, but that they were created long before the body, and while preexiſtent before it, they deſerved to be put into this dark priſon of the body, There was one Vincentius Victor, according to his name, bold and audacious, who diſliked Auſtin for his cunctation and deliberation in the point of the traduction of the ſoul, which occaſioned Auſtin to write four Books De origine animae, Now this Vincentius he affirmed, That the ſoul was created before the body, and did deſerve to be made part of that man, who is a ſinner, yea that it did deſerve to be made peccatrix a ſinner. Some have alſo thought, that this was a general received opinion amongſt the Jewes; and they proove it from that queſtion propoſed to Chriſt,The Jews. concerning the man born blind, yea they were Chriſts Diſciples that did make that queſtion; ſo that it ſeemeth they were ſtill infected with that vulgar error, for Joh. 92, They ſay, Maſter, who did ſinne, this man, or his parents, that he ſhould be born blind? They ask, whether the ſinnes of the mans parents, or his own ſinnes made him to be born blind, now he could not have any ſinnes before he was born, unleſs his ſoul did preexiſt before his body, and it ſeemeth the Phariſees concluded, that they were his own ſinnes, for they ſay ver. 34. Thou waſt altogether born in ſinnes. They did not (happily) mean original ſinne, for they ſay ſinnes, which muſt be actual ſinnes, either his own, or his parents.
But this opinion is ſo wicked and abſurd, that to name it is enough to refel it; and for this monſtrous figment might Origen be called Centaurus, as well as for others. Only two things are to be ſaid to it.
Firſt, If ſouls for ſinnes acted were adjudged to their bodies, how is it that the Scripture giveth that command of, Increaſe and multiply? how is it that children, and life are made bleſſings? certainly to be kept in a priſon, or adjudged thereunto is a curſe not a bleſſing, But
Secondly, This opinion doth not at all heal the wound, that the mentioned Objection giveth; for the doubt is how our ſouls are infected, becauſe of Adam, if they were not cauſally in him? And this ſpeaketh to another matter, that they ſinned before they were incarnated, and therefore have ſuch a troubleſome and noiſome lodging.
Again this contradicts the Apoſtle, and doth indeed take away the ſubject of the queſtion, for Rom. 5. The Apoſtle maketh Adam's diſobedience to be the cauſe of all the ſinne that we have as ſoon as we are born, It is not then the ſouls ſinning before its union to the body, but Adam the firſt man, and the common head in whom we all ſinned; and ſeeing the ſouls of men were … Adam, as their bodies are, the ſtone ſtill remaineth unremoved.
In the next place, Therefore there are thoſe, of a later hatch, but few, yet would be, if not in the number of the firſt worthies, yet of the ſecond, Papiſts I mean; Pighius and Catharinus, againſt whom the Papiſts do as largely diſpute in this controverſie of original ſinne almoſt, as they do againſt the Proteſtants. Theſe lay down their opinion in two things.
Firſt, Some Papiſts.That the ſoul of a man cometh into the world pure and holy without any inherent filth of ſinne, and that till there be actual ſinnes, there is nothing in man but what is of God, and for this they bring all the Arguments, which the Pelagians of old uſe to do, But then
In the ſecond place, That they may not be anathematized as pelagianizing. They ſay, Adams actual diſobedience is made our ſinne by imputation, ſo that they deny any original ſinne inherent in us, only all the original ſinne we have is Adams firſt ſinne of diſobedience, which is made ours, hence they deny that every one hath his proper original ſinne, as if there were as many original ſinnes as perſons born; but they ſay, Adams actual diſobedience, being made ours, is the one original ſinne of all mankind. Thus as one ſun ſerveth to inlighten all the ſtarres, and as ſome Philoſophers ſay, that there is one intellectus agens, common and univerſal to all men, ſo they make one original ſinne to be common to all, and this only Adams poſterity is guilty of. This opinion they preſs, as hereby making every thing eaſie and clear; Then there needeth no diſputation about the original of the ſoul, or how it can be infected, if this, be true (ſay they) then here is no occaſion for theſe intricate diſputes about the propagation of original ſinne, To which the moſt learned are never able to give a ſatisfactory Anſwer? Although this opinion of imputation doth no waies remove the doubt about the Creation of the ſoul, for if the ſoul be by Creation, how cometh Adam's ſinne to be imputed to man born of Adam, if his ſoul was never cauſally in Adam? ſo that the difficulty doth ſtill continue as great notwithſtanding this opinion. But as this opinion hath ſome truth in it, ſo alſo much more error, and therefore though it be ſweet in the mouth, yet it proveth wormewood in the belly: The truth is this, That Adams actual ſinne is made ours by imputation; this muſt be conſtantly affirmed, becauſe denied by thoſe, who alſo deny the imputation of Chriſts righteouſneſs, as if thereby we were juſtified; we grant therefore, that Adams one ſinne is made all mankinds: Hence the Apoſtle doth ſtill ſpeak of one man (though there be many immediate parents) by whom we are not only made ſinners, but in whom alſo we did ſinne; and this doth ariſe wholly from Gods ordination and appointment of it: for although Scoto, and others, do call the Covenant in this reſpect, fabula, a meer fable, yet Suarez doth confeſs the neceſſity of it; and indeed it muſt be, for though Adam had a thouſand times over, wil…ed that his ſinne ſhould be the ſinne of all his poſterity, yet they could not have been guilty of it, had not that Covenant involved them: ſo that if the patrones of this imputation had not ſtayed here, but acknowledged alſo an inherent pollution, they would not have been ſo juſtly cenſured. But we have already proved by Scripture, reaſon, and experience, that mankind is involved in an inherent pollution of their own, as well as guilty of imputed ſinne: and indeed, how could man be obnoxious to eternal wrath, if there were not damnable matter within, as well as without? can they go to hell with ſouls pure and holy?
But if this imputation be granted, then the pelagians Objection ſeemeth to be of force, That as Adams ſinne could hurt thoſe that have not actually ſinned, ſo Chriſts righteouſneſs may profit thoſe that do not believe.
This Objection … rather to be anſwered, becauſe the Antinomian thinketh from hence, … anſwerable argument, to prove, that we are juſtified before we … That the elect are accepted of, having their ſinnes pardoned, … they do repent, yea before their ſinnes are committed, becauſe we are in … the ſecond Adam. To this Argument, Auſtin anſwered of old the Pelagians, That Chriſts righteouſneſs did not profit any but believers, and therefore Infants they were ſaved alienâ ſide by the faith of their Parents, Even as we are condemned alieno peccato by the ſinne of another, although it be ſo alienum, as that it is alſo proprium; but this is not ſatisfactory.
Therefore to the Antinomian we anſwer, That although we are all ſaid to ſinne in Adam, and his diſobedience is imputed to all, yet the condition, or the medium by which we come to partake of this imputation, is naturall generation; and therefore till we have an actual being, we cannot be ſaid to ſinne in him: potentially indeed we may, but natural generation (ſuppoſing Gods Covenant as the reaſon of the conveighance of it in this way, Even as in the ſtate of integrity, the Covenant would have been the cauſe of transmitting original righteouſneſs to Adams poſterity, though natural generation would have been the way of communicating of it) is that only which maketh us actually to participate of his guilt, Therefore it is a feeble thing in a late writer, (Eire) to oppoſe the natural generation or diſcent from Adam, to the Covenant, for both are requiſite, the latter as the cauſe, the former as the medium. And thus it is in regard of Chriſts righteouſneſs, that is the cauſe of our juſtification, in Chriſt we are made righteous, as in Adam ſinners, yet the medium to apply this and to make it ours, is faith, ſo that none are juſtified till they do believe, as none are condemned for Adams ſinne till they have an actual being, faith is the ſame in a ſupernatural way to partake of Chriſt, as natural propagation and diſcent from Adam is to be made a ſinner in him, Although we may ſay truly that Chriſt doth profit the non-believers, who belong to grace, for by him they are brought to believe, they are brought out of the bondage of ſinne, only Juſtification and ſuch Goſpel-priveledges are actually beſtowed upon none till they do beleive, we have not time to proceed in the diſcovery of other waies and opinions of the learned to anſwer this doubt, only thus much we have heard, that may make us therefore to bewail original ſinne, that we are in ſuch a dark ignorance, that we do but grope about the propagation, had Adam continued in integrity, he would not have only communicated righteouſneſs to his poſterity, but they would alſo have certainly known the manner how, but now we are wholly miſerable and know not exactly the manner how, we know little about the ſoul, ſo that the ſoul which only is knowing in man knoweth very little of it ſelf, of its nature, of its original, like the eie that ſeeth other things but not it ſelf. Let us then be more ſollicitous about our going out of the world, then how we came into it. Be more deſirous to come out of this pit, then to ſtand wondring how thou didſt fall into it, doſt thou not obſerve more, ready to inquire curiouſly about the one, then daily to pray about the other.
SECT. V.
HItherto the expedients thought upon, to eaſe that great difficulty about the propagation of original ſinne, have appeared very improbable, and in ſome reſpect very abſurd, like unwiſe Chyrurgians, not healing, but vexing the wound worſe: We ſhall now proceed to ſome more probable ones, and diſpatch them with convenient ſpeed, leſt you ſhould think theſe are ſuch … upon which no grapes can grow, of more difficulty then uſefulneſs; although you ſhall find, that even in this wilderneſs we may meet with M…ona; The truth diſcuſſed will not only be for doctrinal Information, … doctrinate Application: The next therefore that I ſhall inſtance in, is … of thoſe who hold, The ſoul is not by the immediate Creation of God, but …, or multiplication; and this they are ſo confident in, That they … Doctrine of original corruption cannot be maintained, unleſs we affirme ſo: Thus you heard Auſtin affirming, That neither by reading, praier, or diſputing could he find out, how one could be defended without the other, It is true Bellermine ſaith, That the opinion of the traduction of the ſoul from the parents doth no way at all either advantage, or incommodate the Doctrine of original ſinne; but that the difficulty will ſtill be as great: ſo alſo Arminius (Theſ. pri. de primo peccato.) maketh the diſpute about the original of the ſoul, in the matter of the propagation of this hereditary defilement, unuſefull and needleſs; But certainly, the clearing of the ſouls original is very influential into this point, eſpecially becauſe we are forced to it by the adverſaries of this truth; for it ſeemeth very probable, that Auſtin would readily have believed the immediate creation of every of every ſoul, but that the diſpute about original corruption was the remora: for he regarded not any other Objection. This opinion then, That the ſoul cometh originally from the parents; as well as the body, hath had its grave, and learned abettors. Tertullian of old, who wrote a book (De animâ); And as for Auſtin, it is true, he did not defend this opinion, neither did he deny it, he wrote four Books, (De origine animae,) againſt one Vincentius Victor, who blamed Auſtin for his heſitancy in this point; and in thoſe Auſtin doth ſtill perſiſt in the ſame doubt, and doth anſwer thoſe Arguments, which are uſually brought out of the Scripture, yet ſo as that he doth not determine againſt the ſouls Creation, but deſired ſtronger Arguments, and therefore doth rebuke that young man for his bold preſumption, in determining that controverſie ſo confidently. Auſtin alſo (in his tenth Book upon Geneſis ad literam) doth ſhew the ſame doubting mind within him, as alſo (in his Epiſtle to Hierom) wholly about the original of the ſoul, wherein he doth earneſtly deſire of Hierom, that he would teach him and ſatisfie him in this point by ſtrong and ſure evidence, likewiſe he maketh the original of the ſo…, the ſubject of this Epiſtle to Optatus. It appeareth that Auſtin did more incline to hold the Creation of the ſoul, therefore he ſaith to Hierom, That although none can by wiſhing make a thing to be true, yet if it could he would by wiſhing have the Doctrine of the Creation of the ſoul to be the truth: No wonder that Auſtin thus doubted, ſeeing Hierom ſaith, the greateſt part of the weſtern Doctors were for the traduction of the ſoul; But the eaſtern the greek Fathers, they did generally hold, the immediate Creation of it. In the latter daies of the Church, ſince the Reformation, there have alſo been eminent and able Divines, aſſerting the traduction of the ſoul from the parents, and thereby original ſinne: Voſtius mentioneth Johnius, and Marnixius: The Lutheran Divines ſeem generally to be of this opinion as appeareth by Brechword and Meiſner; The latter whereof relateth of Luther, that he ſhould ſay, He would never trouble the Church about any opinion about the original of the ſoul, yet his private opinion was, that it was not by Creation; and they do pitch on this, as holding it moſt convenient to remove all doubts; although Meiſner confeſſeth, there are even unanſwerable Objections, if they do hold the generation of it from the parents; But I muſt tell you, that thoſe, who affirm the ſoul to be from the parents, as well as the body, differ amongſt themſelves, for ſome ſay, it is by eduction out of the matter, that it is generated, as the body: Others, they ſay, by traduction, that the ſoul is not corporally begotten, but the parents ſoul doth multiply the infants ſoul; even (ſay they) as you ſee one candle doth inlighten another.
In the confeſſion of the Aethiopick Faith, as Hornebeck (ſumma Cont. de Gracis) relateth, it is affirmed, Omnes ſine ullâ heſitantiâ in hâc ſententiâ verſamur, &c. All of us are in this opinion without any heſitancy, that all our ſouls come of Adam, as well as our fleſh, and that we are all Adam's ſeed both in fleſh, and ſoul.