A Treatise of Original Sin, Part 3 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Of the Subject of Predication; Shewing that every one of Mankinde (Christ onelyonly excepted) is involved in this common ſinne and miſery.
SECT. I.
The Text opened and vindicated.
LUKE 1. 35.
Therefore alſo that holy thing, which ſhall be born of thee, ſhall be called the Sonne of God.
WE have at large (though not according to the deſert thereof) deſcribed and amplified the ſubject of original ſinne, wherein it is ſeated. By which it appeareth, that man all over is become corrupted, both the totus homo, and the totum hominus, the whole man, and the whole of man. The next thing to be conſidered is the omnis homo, or the Subject of predication, as Divines call it; The former being called the Subject of Inheſion.
Our work then is to ſhew, That Chriſt onelyonly excepted, every one of mankind is involved in this common ſinne and miſery, there is none that can plead any exemption from it; For ſeeing it is made the peculiar priviledge of Chriſt to be ſo born, becauſe conceived after a miraculous manner, it therefore neceſſarily followeth, that all others are comprehended under this guilt; Though you may ſee ſome men from the youth up, leſſe vicious then others, more ingenuous and civil then others, yet even theſe are by nature all over ſinfull; ſo that there is no ſuch thing as a natural probity and goodneſs, of which the Socinians diſpute, as in time is to be ſhewed; That it is the prerogative of Chriſt only to be freed not only from all actual ſinne, but alſo original and birth-ſinne is evident by this Text, which containeth an anſwer of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, who with ſome trouble and amazement had queſtioned, how ſhe ſhould conceive a Sonne, who knew not a man? The Angels anſwer conſiſteth in the information of the manner, how it ſhall be, and the conſequent iſſue, and event thereof; The Manner is expreſſed in the efficient cauſe, and his efficacy. The Efficient cauſe is ſaid to be the holy Ghoſt, and the power of the Higheſt. A perſon not the vertue only of God, as the Socinians blaſpheme, as appeareth …n that we are baptized into the name of the holy Ghoſt, who is reckoned one of the three with the Father and Sonne, as alſo by the perſonal operations and characters attributed to him, which cannot be cluded with the figure of a Proſo-foreign, as ſome endeavour: It is true, The works of God ad extra, are common to all the three Perſons, yet there is a peculiar order and appropriation, and therefore the preparing and forming of Chriſts body out of the Virgin Mary, is peculiarly aſcribed unto the holy Ghoſt.
The Efficacy is ſet down in two words, foreign, which is to be underſtood of the operation of the holy Ghoſt, not his eſſence, for that is every where; The like expreſſion, though to another purpoſe is Acts 1. 8.
The ſecond word is foreign, concerning which there is more difficulty; The word in the New Teſtament is applied to a Cloud covering a man, with a Dative Caſe, though Favorinus and Stephanus make it to have uſually an Accuſative, Matth. 17. 5. Mark 9. 7. and Acts 5. 15. ſuch an overſhadowing, as they expected virtue and efficacy thereby; So Heyſichius foreign. In the Old Teſtament by the Septnagint it is often rendreed for defence and protection, becauſe in theſe hot Countreys the ſhadows of trees were a great preſervation againſt the extream ſcorchings of heat; And in this ſenſe rather then in any other, we take the word in the Text, that the holy Ghoſt ſhould protect and defend her, not only in the inabling of her againſt nature to conceive without a man, but alſo againſt all accuſations and dangers ſhe was to be expoſed unto by this means; Thus Virgil uſed the word, Et magnum Reginae nomen obumbrat. Others which may be additional to the former, render it, The holy Ghoſt ſhall fill her with glory, therefore ſhe is ſaid to be highly favoured; And thus alſo among Poets the word is ſaid to be uſed, Olympiacis umbratur tempora ramis, Stat. Some make it to be as much as foreign, as if the meaning were the holy Ghoſt ſhould (as it were) pourtray and draw the lineaments of the body Others make it an alluſion to the hen, which by covering her egg, doth by the heat thereof produce a live young one, to which alſo the Scripture is ſaid to allude, Geneſ. 1. 2. when it is ſaid, The Spirit moved (or was incumbent) as the water; Thus by the power of the holy Ghoſt in an unſpeakable manner, the body of Chriſt was formed of the maſs, and fleſhly ſubſtance adminiſtred by the Virgin Mary; But this we are to take heed of, leſt the mind of man ſhould apprehend any indecent thing in this great myſtery; Therefore Smalcius the Socinian, his aſſertion is to be rejected with great abomination, that feared not to affirm, That by this expreſſion is ſecretly and modeſtly implied the work of the holy Ghoſt, as ſupplying the place of a man, his blaſphemous and abominable expreſſions, I ſhall not relate (Smal. refut. Smigl. cap. 17, 18, 19.) We ſhall then keep to the firſt interpretation underſtanding it of Help and Protection in this wonderfull work.
The ſecond particular is the conſequent and event thereof, which is expreſſed;
1. By note of Inference.
2. The Subject. And
3. The Predicate.
The Subject is, That holy thing which ſhall be born of thee, foreign, the Preſent for the Future, though ſome apply it not ſo properly to the conceiving, foreign, ſo Chriſt is called; the Neuter gender is emphatical, for though it be ſometimes put for the Maſculine, as 1 John 5. 4. yet here it is emphatical to ſhew the extenſiveneſs of Chriſts holineſs, that he is all over holy, having not the leaſt ſpot of ſinne, and that not only as God, for ſo he is eſſentially and infinitely holy, nor only by the perſonal Union with the Godhead, but in his humane Nature, both originally having no natural ſinne in him, and habitually and alſo actually, in which ſenſe he is every way holy.
The Predicate is, He ſhall be called the Sonne of God, that is, he ſhall be indeed ſo, and alſo famouſly and publiquely declared to be ſo. And
Laſtly, There is the note of Inference, foreign Therefore alſo. At this the Socinians greatly catch, for they denying Chriſt to be the Sonne of God by eternal generation, ſay, That he is called the Sonne of God for many other Reaſons, whereof one is gradual to another; ſo that he was not compleatly the Sonne of God, till after his Reſurrection, when he was indowed with that glorious power God had given him, ſitting down at the right hand of God.
Now the firſt reaſon, why Chriſt is called the Sonne of God, is (ſay they) not becauſe of any eternal generation from the Father, as if he had been God before he was man from all eternity, but from this miraculous and wonderfull production in time; And they affirm, Nothing can be plainer, becauſe when he had ſaid, The holy Ghoſt ſhould over ſhadow her, then is added, Therefore he ſhould be called the Sonne of God. The Remonſtrants they do (or at leaſt ſeem to do) hold Chriſt to be the Sonne of God by eternal generation,Apol. Confeſ. c. de Trin. and alſo to be called ſo for other cauſes alſo, as (viz.) by this miraculous production; And it may not be denied but Maldonate the Papiſt doth plead for this, as the reaſon in the Text, why he ſhould be called the Sonne of God: So that (ſaith he) if Chriſt had been a pure man, yet by this miraculous production, he would have been made the Sonne of God. But Gontzen his fellow Jeſuite doth anſwer his reaſon; Zanchy alſo is too liberal in this point, acknowledging that Chriſt is here to be called the Sonne of God, becauſe of this miraculous communication of an humane being to him. But his is no wayes to be received, for the note of inference is not from the holy Ghoſts overſhadowing, as a cauſe of his filiation, but as from the ſign; It is (I ſay) an argument not from the cauſe, but the ſign; ſo that the meaning is, This extraordinary way of conceiving without a man, is a ſign that he is the true God, who was before promiſed by the Prophet Iſaiah, Chap. 9. That a Virgin ſhould conceive, and his Name ſhould be called Immanuel, God with us; For that there is a reſpect to that Prophecy, appeareth plainly by Mat. 1. 23. And indeed it muſt needs be ſo, for Chriſt is never called the Son of God, becauſe born of a woman, though in a miraculous manner, but the Sonne of man alwayes; And if this Expoſition ſhould be granted, Chriſt would have two filiations, one as whereby he was made the Sonne of God, and another as whereby he was made the Sonne of man. It is alſo abſurd to ſay, Chriſt may be called the Sonne of God for ſeveral cauſes, when there is one true and proper one, he that is a Sonne by natural generation, cannot be by Adoption, or any other adventitious cauſe.
Again, That particle foreign, is urged both of old and late, That alſo which is born of thee, &c. implying, that he had no other being, though now he aſſumed this.
Thus you have the Text vindicated, only one thing more is to be obſerved, the expreſſion uſed by the Angel, foreign, Which ſhall be born of thee, doth fully demonſtrate, That Chriſt had a body framed by the holy Ghoſt of the ſubſtance of the Virgin Mary, that he had not a phantaſtical body, neither did he bring a body from Heaven, and ſo paſſe through the Virgin Mary, as ſome of old and late have dreamed; Therefore Marcion who denied the true body of Chriſt, and thereby alſo his Conception and Nativity, did wholly evade this Chapter of Luke, and would not receive it as Canonical, being called by Tertullian, Mus ponticus, becauſe of his corroding and gnawing out of Scripture, as he pleaſed, when he ſaw any place make againſt him. The words thus explained, Obſerve
That Chriſt onelyonly is born holy, and that all the reſt of mankind is polluted with ſinne. It is a ſaying, Exceptio format regulam, if then Chriſt be exempted, ſo that it is his peculiar priviledge, then certainly all the reſt are included: As there are ſome, who make all men pure by nature; So ſome have blaſphemouſly vented, That Chriſt had original ſinne: Yea a Remonſtrant writeth, That the humane nature of Chriſt had that fight and conflict in it which is between the reaſon and the appetite, which we ſay muſt neceſſarly be ſinne. The Socinians they affirm, That Chriſt had a holy of ſinne, but then by ſinne they mean onelyonly infirmities and weakneſſes, not that which is truly ſo, for this alledging, Heb. 7. 27. Heb. 9. 28. The true meaning whereof we ſhall give anon, But with Chriſtians we need not long to inſiſt upon the proof of this, That Chriſt was without all ſinne, either original or actual, typified therein by the High Prieſt in the Law, who had this written upon him, Holineſſe to the Lord, and therefore he is not onelyonly holy foreign, but alſo foreign, He that ſanctifieth and maketh us holy by his bloud; And therefore the Apoſtle demonſtrateth his preheminency above all the Prieſts of the Law, That they were to offer for their own ſinnes as well as for the ſinnes of the people, but ſo it was not with him, if he had had ſinne in him, he could not have been our Saviour, but he would have needed a Saviour himſelf; yea Dan. 9. 24. he is called Sanctum ſanctorum, the Holy of holies, or moſt holy: And to this truth the Scripture ſpeaketh clearly, not onelyonly when it ſaith, That be knew no ſinne, and that no guile was found in his mouth, which happily might be thought to be limited only to actual ſinne, (but alſo as to the original and radical evil of mans nature,) that though he be a man of like nature with us, yet ſinne is ſtill exempted, Rom. 8. 3. He ſent his own Sonne in the likeneſſe of ſinfull fleſh, not in the likeneſs of the fleſh, for he had our true fleſh upon him, but in the likeneſs of ſinfull fleſh, he had not the ſinne of our nature, though he had the nature it ſelf: As the brazen Serpent was like a Serpent, but it had not the poiſon and venom of a Serpent; And certainly ſpeaking this as the peculiar commendation of the Sonne of God ſent into the world, it plainly evidenceth that all other are indeed ſinfull fleſh, and not onelyonly in the likeneſs of it; Now he is ſaid to be in the likeneſs of ſinfull fleſh, becauſe he was ſubject to miſery and death, which is the reward due to ſinners; We have likewiſe a comfortable place, Heb. 4. 15. for Chriſts holineſs is the foundation of all our conſolation; This is that which we muſt reſt upon under the accuſation of the Law, under the ſtrict demands of juſtice, when God ſhall require, that righteouſneſſe we once had or call for that purity, which the Law doth command, our ſupport is this, though we have not a perfect holineſſe, yet Chriſt our High-Prieſt and Surety hath; and to this end is that place, when the Apoſtle had ſhewed, we had an High Prieſt who was touched compaſſionately with a ſenſe and feeling of all our infirmities, and that he was tempted in all things like unto us, he addeth, but without ſinne; That temptation is not meant of enticing to ſinne, but it is as much as exerciſe and affliction, he was ſubject unto the common miſeries of mans nature; yea the Apoſtle meaneth more, not only the ſubſtance of mans nature, but the affections and qualities thereof, he had grief and fear upon him, onelyonly all theſe were without ſinne; And this is to be our comfort, that in all the miſeries, all the oppoſitions he conflicted with; yea in all thoſe ſoul-affections and agonies, even when he cried out, My God, my God, why haſt thou for ſaken me? yet ſtill there was no ſinne, now all this was for us, we needed a Saviour that could in an holy manner work out our redemption for us; So that it is not our inherent holineſs, but Chriſts holineſs that we muſt truſt to, when we have to do with God. We have the Apoſtle alſo again conſidering this property of our High-Prieſt, becauſe it is ſo uſefull, Heb. 7. 26. It behoved us to have ſuch an High-Prieſt, who is holy, harmleſs, undefiled ſeparate from ſinners, How many glorious properties are here? The Socinians (Schlitingius in locum.) would apply this to Chriſts condition in Heaven, his immortality and glory there, expounding this holineſs and harmleſneſs not in reſpect of grace inherent, but freedom from infirmities and miſeries, becauſe it is added, Made higher then the Heavens; But theſe properties do belong to him while on earth, with relation to what he ſhall have hereafter, for that ſheweth Chriſt is above Angels, and that no Angel could be our Mediator; Now thoſe ſeveral properties in Chriſt ſignifie the ſame thing, only the laſt is very emphatical, Separate from ſinners, not that he was not among ſinners, while he was in the world, but this ſheweth, that he was ſegregated, or divided from all men in reſpect of the ſinne of their natures, though he communicated with them in their natures; and therefore, though happily ſome High-prieſts, as Aaron might be holy and unblameable, yet none of them was ſeparate from ſinners. Theſe places may abundantly confirm this fundamental Article, That Chriſt only was pure from original ſinne, and that all thoſe who deny original ſinne, make Chriſt to have no priviledge in this reſpect, but that we are all alike, pure in reſpect of nature; Well then, How ſhall we underſtand thoſe places, Heb. 7. 27. where it is ſaid, Chriſt needed not to ſacrifice firſt for his own ſins, and then for the peoples, for this he did once, when he offered up himſelf? The Socinian Expoſitor Sci…laingius maketh this to relate to both the particulars going before, He offered up himſelf once for his own ſinnes, and for the people, and at the firſt ſight it would ſeem ſo. But you muſt know that the later clauſe (viz.) This he did once, doth relate to the laſt paſſage only, He once offered himſelf for the ſinnes of the people, for if it ſhould be connected with the other paſſage, it would be contradictory to the Apoſtles ſcope, which is to ſhew, that he was ſeparate from ſinners, and therefore had no cauſe to offer for any of his own. The other Text is, Heb. 9. 28. where it is ſaid, Chriſt ſhall appear the ſecond time without ſinne, which might ſeem to imply, that he had ſinne in the firſt coming; but the Text doth not ſpeak of any ſinne of his own inherent in him, but of ours which was laid upon him, as the Apoſtle ſaith, He who knew no ſinne became ſinne, 2 Cor. 5. 21. And indeed to ſay with the Socinian, That Chriſt offered for his own ſinnes, that is, his bodily infirmities, is a moſt abſurd expreſſion, for all Sacrifices were for ſinne properly ſo, or legally, and in a typical ſenſe, not for what was a meer affliction or bodily miſery; So that from theſe things we may undoubtedly conclude, That Chriſt and Chriſt only of all mankind, is not polluted with this original contagion.
Let the Uſe then be to humble every one under this truth, thou heareſt none is free; Therefore let every one ſay, I am the man that am by nature the child of wrath; I am the man that was conceived and born in iniquity; This particular appropriation ſhould aſtoniſh and amaze thee; In thy breſt hath the ſpawn of all evil, there is a fountain of all impiety; What miſerable objects are thoſe perſons who have cancers and wolves breeding in their breſts, that live to ſee themſelves dead (as it were) that do behold themſelves as ſo many carkaſes, yet thy condition is farre more miſerable, who haſt this original ſinne conſuming ſoul and body alſo; Think not that any greatneſs of birth or nobility doth deliver thee from this univerſal pollution, as ſure as thou art a man ſo ſurely a polluted and ſinfull one.
SECT. II.
CHriſt (we heard) had this peculiar prerogative alone to be the holy one, the contrary in the Text is true of every one born in a natural way; To every mother, we may ſay, that unholy thing which ſhall be born of thee, ſhall be called the child of the Devil, for it is by nature the child of wrath, only it may ſeem difficult to give the reaſon why he is exempted; for ſeeing he is a man ejuſdem ſpeciei of the ſame nature with us, and though he had his humane nature in an extraordinary manner by the over-ſhadowing of the Holy Ghoſt, yet that doth not hinder but he is a man as well as we are: Even as Adam was made a man after a different manner from his poſterity, they by generation but he by wonderfull production out of the earth in reſpect of his body, yet we are men of the ſame kind with him; ſeeing then Chriſt was a man though he had a different original from us, will not that neceſſarily involve him in Adam's ſinne? And if it be ſaid that the power of the Holy Ghoſt ſanctified that corpulent maſs of which Chriſts body did conſiſt, that may happily free him from original inherent ſinne, but how can it from original imputed ſinne? Muſt not Chriſt be ſaid to ſinne in Adam though he had no inherent defilement becauſe he was a man? yea the Scripture doth not only make him a man, but calleth him the ſeed of David and of Abraham, that he came out of their loynes, and which is more, Luke reckoning the genealogy of Chriſt by his humane nature doth carry it up to Adam making him the ſon of Adam, and if the ſon of Adam how could he not but ſinne in Adam by imputation, though he had none by inheſion. This conſideration hath ſo much ſtrength, that Bellarmine though he is laborious to prove that the Virgin Mary was exempted from original inherent ſinne, that ſhe had an immaculate conception, yet be confeſſeth ſhe had original imputed ſinne that ſhe ſinned in Adam, becauſe ſhe was in Adam.
To anſwer then this Objection about Chriſt. The Arminians (as you heard) glory in their invention of Arminius, as if he only had found out the true anſwer to this, and not the Reformed Divines; The reaſon (ſaith he) of Chriſts immunity from all ſinne by Adam, was becauſe Chriſt had his being not by vertue of that original bleſſing, Increaſe and multiply, but by a ſpecial promiſe made after Adam's fall; ſo that Chriſts being is not ſuppoſed till Adam had fallen, and then upon a ſpecial promiſe (viz.) The ſeed of the woman to bruiſe the head of the Serpent, Gen. 3. 15. Chriſt is to become man; Thus Chriſt could not be any way included in him. This hath ſome truth in it though the anſwer be not every way cogent; for Iſaac was born (as we argued formerly) by a ſpecial promiſe, there being no poſſibility for his exiſtence in a natural way, yet he was born in original ſinne; and although to me it ſeemeth moſt conſonant to Scripture, that Chriſt would not have been made man, unleſs Adam had fallen, becauſe the end of his coming into the fleſh is ſaid to be a Saviour and a Redeemer; yet there are men of great learning that hold, Chriſt would have been made man howſoever, though Adam had ſtood, and to ſuch this reaſon would be of no great validity. But it muſt be confeſſed, that Chriſt could not be included in Adam, for the Scripture maketh him a publique perſon, and head to believers as Adam was to all men; hence he is called the ſecond Adam, ſo that Chriſt was a publique perſon and head as well as Adam, and one publique perſon eſpecially in an oppoſite way could not be repreſented by another; Though this be ſo, yet we ſhall adhere to the Anſwer that is commonly given by Reformed Divines, That Chriſt therefore was free from ſinne, becauſe conceived in that miraculous manner, and though he had his being in reſpect of his corpulent ſubſtance from the Virgin Mary, yet this was materially only, not by way of efficiency, and any active diſpoſition; ſo that Chriſt could not be ſaid by imputation to be in Adam, ſeeing there was no efficient diſpoſition in Adam's poſterity to cauſe his humane being. That is juſtly rejected as a fond conceit of Galatinus and others, who that they might maintain the fleſh of Chriſt to be free from ſinne, as well in himſelf as parents, affirm, That God did in Adam deſign and ſeperate as it were ſome part of his ſubſtance, that it might be preſerved from the law of ſinne, and that this was ſucceſſively tranſmitted even to the Virgin Mary, that ſo of it Chriſts more pure body might be formed; of which abſurdity ſee Ferrins Sckolaſtic. orthodox ſpec. cap. 21.
Let us now conſider this Doctrine as it is excluſive of all other of mankind, only Chriſt (we ſay) is free, all the reſt born of mankind in a natural way are all over defiled with this native pollution. To clear this I ſhall proceed by ſeveral Propoſitions.
Firſt, That the only way by which original ſinne as inherent is communicated to Adaems poſterity is by natural generation; Not indeed by generation ſimply, for that is by Gods inſtitution, and a good thing in its kind, but by the generation of a man that is fallen and corrupt; ſome few have thought that if Adam had not fallen, Adams poſterity would have been multiplyed not by generation but by ſome other way, which is a moſt irrational conceit: If then Adams children abiding in integrity had been by generation, then thereby would have been conveyed original righteouſneſs, and an holy nature, as there is now a ſinful and impure nature; original ſinne cometh then to us by generation from ſinful parents; ſo that if God ſhould miraculouſly create ſome men de novo, make children to Abraham out of ſtones, theſe would have no original ſinne; neither if they ſhould beget children would original ſinne be tranſfuſed to them, becauſe theſe would not be in Adam as a corrupt root; as for ſuch a Queſtion, What if God ſhould make a man or woman out of the rib, or ſhoulder, or any other part of man now fallen, as Eve was at firſt made of a rib, whether ſuch a perſon would have original ſinne? It is a queſtion of needleſs curioſity, and ſo no Anſwer is to be formed to it: This is enough, That the ordinary way and meanes whereby we become polluted in ſinne is, becauſe we are begotten and born of ſinful parents, as David acknowledgeth, Pſal 51. Auſtin indeed limiteth it to the libidinous diſpoſition of mankind in begetting of children, he ſeemeth to lay the whole cauſe upon that, but he is carried out too immoderately in that point againſt the Pelagians; for though parents ſhould have no ſinful actual luſt, yet becauſe they are ſinful originally, this is enough to infect their poſterity; and if this were ſo, it would follow, That godly parents the more ſanctified and mortified they were, they would have children leſs infected with original ſinne, then the children of thoſe who are groſſely wicked and unclean; It is then becauſe we are born of parents polluted by Adam, that we alſo are polluted; as for that famous Queſtion how original ſinne ſhould be communicated to the ſoul of a man by generation, ſeeing that is created? we have already ſpoken to that: The ſumme whereof is, That though we are to conceive of the ſoul, as pure, while coming from God, yet conſidering it in termino, as the part of man who deſcended from Adam, ſo it is polluted, not by any phyſical cauſe for that ſinne cannot have, but a moral one, which is the firſt trangreſſion of Adam; for although that hath had no being theſe thouſand yeares, yet it is not requiſite that a moral cauſe ſhould exiſt to produce its effect. Becauſe then the ſoul in the ſame inſtance it is created, it is alſo united, as a forme to the compoſitum, which is man, Therefore it is deprived of its primitive purity, not by any poſitive efficiency, but meerly negatively, God denying his image to it, becauſe the ſoul is part of a man, it is corrupted; therefore if the ſoul were only an aſſiſtant form not inwardly compounding man, it would not receive pollution by generation. Hence
The ſecond Propoſition is, That the children even of holy and ſanctified perſons, who have their original ſinne in the guilt of it quite taken away, and in the filth and power of it much ſubdued, yet they beget children in original ſinne, and ſuch children are by nature the children of wrath as well as of the moſt profligate and wicked men. It is uſuall with Papiſts and Lutherans to charge upon the Calviniſts, that they deny original ſinne in part (at leaſt) becauſe they affirm, That the children of believers are holy; but herein they do either ignorantly or maliciouſly calumniate, for they ſay no more then what the Apoſtle ſpeaketh in that famous place, 1 Cor. 7. 15. Elſe were your children unclean, but now are they holy; on the ſenſe of which place I ſhall not here inlarge, having inſiſted upon it before; The ſumme of which then delivered is, That they are called holy, becauſe of that external Covenant, whereby God takes believers and their ſeed into his family, ſo that they have not that uncleanneſs upon them which the children of Heathens have, but have a right of admiſſion into Church-Communion; ſo that this outward Covenant [holineſs] may and doth conſiſt with that inherent natural pollution that they bring with them into the world. And although parents be never ſo eminent in holineſs, yet their children are full of ſinne, and ſo obnoxious unto the wrath of God; and the reaſon is, becauſe they are fathers to their children, not as godly, but as men, and original ſinne is the conſequent of mans nature, whereas the parents grace is a perſonal excellency, and ſo cannot be tranſmitted: Even as learned parents do not conveigh learning to their children, but they are born in ignorance as well as others; Thoſe known ſimilies of Auguſtine are full to this purpoſe, A Jew that was circumciſed, be begat children not circumciſed, but uncircumciſed and the ſeed in the ground, though ſewen without huskes, yet it produceth corn with huskes; ſeeing then holineſs is a perſonal qualification of the parent, and original ſinne the common conſequent of mans nature inſeperable from it, no wonder if parents, who are the children of God by grace, beget children of wrath by nature. Hence
The third Propoſition is, That if any Infants ſhould be converted even in the womb, yet we may truely ſay of them, that they are by nature polluted with ſinne, and deſerve the wrath of God, for what they have by meer grace, doth not take away, but ſuppoſe they have ſinne by nature: There are two inſtances in Scripture of Infants, that might be thought to be freed from original ſinne; The firſt is of Jeremiah cap 1. 5. where the Lord ſaith to Jeremiah, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before then cameſt forth out of the womb I ſanctified thee, and I ordained thee a Prophet to the Nations. But
Firſt, Every one may eaſily ſee this is nothing to the Prophets conception or birth in ſinne, for what is ſaid here in the Text, is attributed to Jeremiah before any of theſe; ſo that all that could be prooved from hence would be, that Jeremiah had no original ſinne, either before he was conceived or born, and who ſaith a man hath original inherent ſinne before he hath a being? But
Secondly, There is a two-fold ſanctification, the one by ſetting a part to an office, and the other by making internally holy through renovation: now the Context is clear, that this Verſe ſpeaketh of the former ſanctification, (viz.) That God had from his very beginning, while in the womb, purpoſed and decreed, that he ſhould in time be a Prophet to preach to the people of Iſrael, for that is expreſly added, to ſhew what kind of ſanctification he meaneth, I ordained thee to be a Prophet to the Nations; we have two expreſſions like this, one to the Prophet Iſa. 49. 1, 5. which though in an eminent manner is to be applied to Chriſt, yet was in ſome ſenſe alſo true of the Prophet, The Lord hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name: And again, The Lord formed me from the womb to be his ſervant: This is ſpoken of the office he was ſet apart unto; The other inſtance is, Gal. 1. 15. Paul ſaith of himſelf, That God had ſeperated him from his mothers womb, that was not ſurely from original ſinne, for he ſpeaketh immediately before of the ſinfulneſs he had once been guilty of; but his meaning is, he was ſeparated from the womb in Gods Decree to be an Apoſtle of Jeſus Chriſt, though for a long while he was a perſecutor of his Church; Thus you ſee it is the former ſanctification the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of, and not the latter, and if we do ſuppoſe that Jeremiah even in his mothers womb was then alſo ſanctified in the later way (for none can deny, but that even then God might renew his nature by grace) yet that will not exclude him from ſinne but neceſſarily ſuppoſe it, for he that needed to be made holy in the womb, it is plain he was ſinfull in the womb; Ludovicus de Tena. who handleth this Queſtion about Jeremiah (lib. 2. Iſa. ſcrip. diffic. 12a) concludeth, That by this expreſſion is meant the cleanſing of Jeremiah from original ſinne in the womb of his mother, and in debating arguments pro & con, doth refuſe that interpretation of the deputation of the Prophet to his miniſterial office, becauſe otherwiſe here would be no more peculiar thing promiſed to Jeremiah: And making an Objection to himſelf from Auſtin, Renaſci per gratiam ſupponit naſci per naturam, whereas Jeremiaeh is thus ſanctified before he was born, therefore we cannot underſtand it of regeneration; He anſwereth it thus, That their is a nativity in the womb, for the perſon hath a being before his local egreſs, and ſuch a birth is enough for regeneration; by which it appeareth, that if this ſhould be interpreted of Jeremiah's purgation from original ſinne, (which is not probable) it doth not incommodate us. And ſo we come to the ſecond example, and that is, John the Baptiſt, while in his mothers womb, of whom we read this admirable thing recorded by the Evangeliſt Luke, cap. 1, 41. that when Elizabeth was ſaluted by the Virgin Mary, The babe leaped in the womb, which is repeated again, v. 44. Aſſoon as the voice of thy ſalutation ſounded in my eares, the babe leaped in my womb for joy; now you muſt know, that this great motion of the child was not in a meer natural way, as ſometimes children may do in the womb, when the mother is greatly affected, but it was in a divine and ſupernatural way, even as Rebeckah, when her twinnes did ſtrive in the womb; this was an extraordinary prognoſtick cauſed in a ſupernatural way by God. And although Calvin on the place ſaith, That it is natural to the fruit of the womb to leap or move, when the mother is moved with joy, yet he acknowledgeth that Luke doth here note ſome extraordinary thing, and that this leaping was by the ſecret motion of the Spirit of God; which doth detect the horrible impudence and ſlander of Maldonate, who is not aſhamed to ſay, That Calvin doth own nothing beſides what is natural in this, for which (in deriſion) he calleth him pius autor, we ſee by this, how little we may truſt ſuch men. We muſt then conclude even the babe at that time was affected with joy upon the Virgin Mary's coming to his mother; and this ſuppoſeth, that the child alſo was filled with the Holy Ghoſt; yea v. 15. it is expreſly ſaid of John, That he ſhould be filled with the holy Ghoſt from the womb: But if this be granted, then it is greatly controverted, Whether the babe did this with ſenſe and knowledge that Chriſt was preſent; or whether it was by the motion of the Spirit of God in the child, that knowing nothing at all? There are probable arguments on both ſides; The Lutherans they do greedily imbrace that opinion, that maketh the child, while in the womb to have actual faith and knowledge of Chriſt, and from thence they do peremptorily conclude, That Infants have actual ſinnes, and that they may have actual faith and other graces; but this is againſt experience, and if we do grant, that John had ſuch actual knowledge of Chriſt, yet this was extraordinary and miraculous, and muſt no more be attributed to all children, then ſpeaking to all Aſſes, becauſe Balaam's once did. Many Authors conclude that John did rejoyce with ſome ſenſe and apprehenſion, and for this reaſon he is ſaid to be filled with the Holy Ghoſt, and joy muſt ariſe from ſome knowledge and apprehenſion: neither (ſay they) will it follow from hence that he did not looſe this actual knowledge afterwards, but had it alwayes while an Infant, for we ſee the Prophets (though men grown up) yet had not the ſpirit of prophecy at all times. But come we to our buſineſs, Let it be granted, that John had actual faith, that he was filled with the Holy Ghoſt, that doth not hinder, but that by nature he was a child of wrath and full of ſinne; for this grace is beſtowed upon him when by nature ſinfull, and doth no more argue he had no ſinne in him before, then perſons grown up have not, when the Holy Ghoſt was poured on them: And although it be ſaid, He was filled with the Holy Ghoſt, that doth not imply, that all ſinne was wholly taken out of him, no more then the Apoſtles and all others were quite purged from ſinne, when they are ſaid to be filled with the Holy Ghoſt. Beſides the Scripture (as Calvin conſidereth well) doth not ſay, John was filled with the Holy Ghoſt in the womb, but from his mothers womb, which he thus expounds, That John the Baptiſt did betimes, even from his Infancy manifeſt what an excellent Prophet he was like to be, becauſe the Spirit of God did even then give many Demonſtrations thereof, and thus (though not ſo extraordinarily) God ſometimes doth give to ſome his ſanctifying Spirit even from the cradle almoſt, they begin betimes to put forth many excellent ſigns of that grace, which will flouriſh more in their elder yeares. Timothy from a child is ſaid to have the knowledg of the Scriptures from a Child, 2 Tim. 3. 15. And ſome have the fear of God planted ſo early in their hearts, that they cannot know any remarkable time of their converſion, yea they cannot remember but that alwayes they had ſuch a tenderneſs about ſinne, and love to good things, yet we muſt not think for all this, they were not born in ſinne; we muſt not ſay of them, as was ſaid of Bonaventure for his hopefullneſs in his youth, In hoc homine non peccavit Adam; No, theſe have by nature the ſame ſeed of all impiety, and their younger yeares would have demonſtrated this poiſon, as well as it doth in others, but the grace of God doth prevent: Oh let ſuch Obadiah's that can ſay, They feared God from the youth, admire the goodneſs of God to them! he might have ſuffered that original ſinne in thee, to make thee wallow in ſuch mire and filthy luſts, as other young perſons do: Oh take heed of thinking thou haſt a better nature then they, that thou haſt not ſo much original ſinne in thee as others! but walk humbly, leſt God ſometime or other leave thee to let thee ſee what is in thy heart, that all the ſparkes of original ſinne are not put out, and then, though to thy great grief thou be convinced there is a ſuch a thing in thee.
SECT. III.
IT is the peculiar and incommunicable prerogative of Chriſt alone in reſpect of his humane nature, to be exempted from original ſinne (as you have heard) And therefore it's an inſeparable and inevitable property following every one of mankind: As it is ſaid of Juſtification by Chriſt, Bond and free, Jew and Grecian, all are out, Gal. 3. 28. So there is neither rich or poor, Chriſtian or Heathen, Noble or ignoble, civil or prophane, male or female, but all are one in original ſinne, becauſe all are of Adam by natural generation, and thereby original ſin is propagated to all, which Doctrine is to be explicated in more propoſitions. And
Firſt, Though our natural generation from corrupted Parents, be the means by which we all are born polluted and depraved, yet this doth not exclude the juſtice of God, and his righteous Decree, that from a ſinfull fountain ſhall ariſe ſuch polluted ſtreams, from ſuch a bitter root alſo bitter fruit, but doth neceſſarily preſuppoſe it. So that the juſt judgement of God in puniſhing of all mankind, for Adam's firſt tranſgreſſion muſt alwayes be acknowledged, and we muſt not ſeparate the natural propagation of ſinne from the ſentence and Decree of God; For if this were the only reaſon, that we became guilty of Adam's ſinne, becauſe in his lions, then all Adam's other ſinnes ſhould be made ours, as well as that firſt act of diſobedience in eating of the foridden fruit, and the ſinnes of our immediate parents in whoſe loines we were, ſhould be tranſmitted to us, as well as Adam's; yea happily, if this were ſo, then the longer original ſinne hath been propagated, it would ſtill grow more evil, and thereby men in the later age of the world become more polluted with original ſinne, then men in the former age; but Cain and Abel, who were the immediate off-ſpring of Adam, were as deeply plunged in this native defilement, as any are now. Therefore ſome learned men, though in this Controverſie they do allow the phraſe of the Propagation of original ſinne, becauſe commonly uſed, yet would gladly have a more commodious and fit expreſſion; Hence they do more willingly uſe the word Traduction, or happily tranſmitting and transfuſing; for the ſinne is not properly propagated, but the humane nature to which original corruption adhereth, becauſe we have not that ſo properly from our parents, though by them, as of Adam; for the reaſon why upon the conjunction of ſoul and body an Infant is immediately defiled with ſinne, is not becauſe born of ſuch parents, but becauſe of Adam; and therefore though they be the cauſe of being a man, yet Adam is of being a ſinfull man; So that as all the lines from the circumference do equally meet in the center; Thus do all mankind in Adam, and he that is now born, doth as immediately partake of Adam's ſin, as Cain did, though ſo many thouſand years ago born immediately of Adam; Original ſin then doth not in length of time either increaſe or decreaſe, but we all have our polluted natures, as polluted, directly from Adam, and immediately, though as nature from our parents, and ſo adminiſter the ſubject to which original is applied, and ſo in a remote diſtance from our common parent; Let not then any man think, what ſhould we trouble our ſelves with Adam's ſinne, and complain of him, who lived ſo many years ago? What is his tranſgreſſion to us, who live ſo many generations after him? For thou haſt this natural pollution, as immediately from him, as if thou hadſt been his immediate ſon, neither is thy parents ſinfulneſs communicated to thee, ſimply becauſe thy parents, but becauſe Adams, who was the common parent; This rightly conſidered would affect us as much as if we had lived immediately upon Adam's fall, neither would the ſpace of ſo many years ſince his tranſgreſſion at all abate our ſad and aggravating thoughts of it.
SECT. IV.
Whether the Virgin Mary was born with Original Sinne.
IT being thus the nature-ſinne, Propoſ. 2.and not a perſonal individual one, it is very abſurd, either from a prepoſterous admiration, or ſome other reſpect to exempt any born in a natural way from this birth ſinne. In this way we find the Papiſts greatly offending concerning the Virgin, out of a ſinfull admiration of her, thinking thereby to honour Chriſt: Some of them do peremptorily conclude, That the Virgin Mary was born without original ſinne, and thereupon they keep the feaſt of her Immaculate and undefiled Conception: Yea ſome have gone ſo farre as to ſay the Virgin Mary's mother, was alſo without original ſinne; And if we proceed upon their principles. Why ſhould they not affirm ſo? For as they ſay, It is for the honour of Chriſt to have a Mother without original ſinne, ſo it would be for the honour of the Virgin, to have her Mother without ſinne likewiſe. Now (I ſay) ſome of the Papiſts determine, That the Virgin Mary was conceived without ſinne. Trithemius his great zeal and devotion in this point, is abundantly declared by him in his Tractate of the praiſes of S. Anna, eſpecially Chap. 7. yea he is ſo confident in his aſſertion of the immaculate Conception of the Mother of Chriſt, that he ſaith, Si erramus pietas (imo Deus ipſe) eſt in causâ; Piety, yea God himſelf is the cauſe of it. It hath been a very hot Diſpute between the Deminicans and the Franciſcans. Bellarmine goeth a middle way, he will not have it an Article of Faith to believe ſhe was thus pure, but yet he ſaith, It is a moſt pious opinion, and therefore, he giveth ſeveral Arguments for it: But Eſtius ſaith in Rom. 5. the Scriptures and ancient Fathers ſpeak excluſively, that none but Chriſt was freed from original ſinne; as if it would be an high offence in him to depart from them, though he doth not judge others. The late heretical Writer D. J. T. (as Auſtin would call him if alive, for he maketh every one that thinketh not all mankind, except Chriſt, to be born in original ſinne, ſo as the fleſh of Chriſt and of other men ſhould be of equal purity, to be Detectandus Haereticus, Lib. 5. contra Julian. cap 9.) gloryeth in this; (Vnum Neceſſar. cap. 6. Sect. 6.) Concerning the Diſpute between the Papiſts, which could never be ended upon their accounts, that he Alexander-like hath cut in pieces this Gordian-knot, Therefore he affirmeth, not only her, but all her family (and why not all mankind?) were free from it: but it is a Thraſonical boaſt, and withall full of falſhood, for hereby original ſin is wholly removed, made to be a meer Non ens; The Subject of the Queſtion is quite taken away, ſo that by his principles, all the Diſputations about original ſin will be de non ente, as he acknowledgeth in ſome ſenſe, a ſtriving about a ſhadow; yea, and which is the moſt horrible, every one ſhall now be born as pure as Chriſt, in reſpect of his humane nature; There is no difference between Chriſt and all the reſt of mankind, as in reſpect of their natural immunity from ſinne. His Clemens Alexandrinus would have informed him better, when he ſaith, Stromatum lib. 1, foreign, The Word (that is, Chriſt) is only without ſinne, for in all men it is imbred to ſinne, whatſoever Clemens at other times may deliver about this original ſinne, here he acknowledgeth it, and indeed it is eaſie out of the Ancients to bring contrary paſſages that ſeem to ſavour oppoſite Doctrines; But concerning this poiſonous opinion, we ſhall have conſtant occaſion to treat of. As for the Franciſcans and other Popiſh Writers, that plead for the Virgin Mary's purity, they can bring no Scripture, but urge ſome plauſible reaſons, as thinking thereby to give her the more honour, eſpecially revelations and miracles are ſtrongly urged in this point; But the Scripture is to be our Rule in this matter, and there we ſee none exempted. Beſides the Virgin Mary cals Chriſt her Saviour, which implieth neceſſarily, that ſhe had ſinne, yea ſhe had alſo actual ſins, as might be proved, although the Papiſts will not endure to hear of it; Neither doth this make to the diſhonour of Chriſt, to be born of a mother that had ſinne in her, for ſeeing he is ſeparated from it, it is his greater glory that he alone is exempted: And beſides, we ſee that the more Chriſt was debaſed and made low (but without ſinne) hereby is he the more honoured as a Mediator: Hence it was that he was born of one that was very poor and mean, not of a rich and great perſon, as appeareth by the Sacrifice offered of two pigeons for her purification, he was alſo born in a ſtable, laid in a manger, all which demonſtrate the lowlineſs of Chriſts humane being; Hence the Evangeliſt Matthew in recording the Genealogy of Chriſt, doth name Thamar and Bathſheba whoſe uncleanneſs was famous, and yet hereby there is no diſhonour to Chriſt, becauſe the lower he humbled himſelf for our ſake, the greater is his love demonſtrated; and ſo his glory of a Saviour more exalted: This opinion of honouring Chriſt in an humane way, hath brought in ſeveral errours into the Church; for it was becauſe of this in part, that the Marcioniſts denied Chriſt to have a true real body, they thought it ignominious to him to be born as other children are, and ſo in Popery there are marvellous legends, and wonderfull miracles feigned about Chriſt while an Infant; The ſureſt way then to honour Chriſt is to keep cloſe to his Word, and we ſee how one error begetteth another; for from the opinion that ſhe was without original ſinne, they have proceeded to horrible Idolatry, attributing that which is proper to Chriſt unto her, ſhe is called the Mediatrix, ſhe is called their hope; There is a Roman Pſaltery full of blaſphemy in this kind, turning Dominus into Domina, what is ſaid of the Lordunto her the Lady: It is true, we do as ſhe fore-told, acknowledge her bleſſed, among women; There was an high dignity beſtowed upon her in being the mother of Chriſt, but ſhe was more happy in having Chriſt in her heart by faith, then conceiving him bodily in her womb: It is well obſerved by Cartwright in his Harmony, That whereas the parents of John the Baptiſt are highly commended as righteous before God, walking in all the Commandments of the Lord, Luk. 1. 6. there is nothing recorded of the holineſs of the Virgin Mary, that hereby ſhe rather then other women had this priviledge vouchſafed to her, as if thereby the holy Ghoſt would prevent that horrible Idolatry, which he foreſaw would creep into the Church concerning her: As the Papiſts, ſo the Turks they do fondly and fooliſhly boaſt of the impeccability of their Mahomet, inſomuch that one of their learned men was forced to flie for his life, becauſe he held Mahomet might have ſinned a venial ſinne if he would. (Vide Hornbeek ſumma. cent. de Mahumediſme.) And although they do not ſay, Mahomet was born without ſinne, yet they have a prodigious fable concerning him, That when he was a child of four years old, ſome Angels laid hold on him, and carried him into a mountain, where they diffected him, waſhed his guts clean, took out a black drop, which (they ſay) is in every man, as the ſeed of the Devil, and all this without any grief, and by this meant he was freed from ſinne. It is moſt dreadfull to conſider, what impieties and impoſtures are in that Mahumetan Religion, and yet how greatly the propugners thereof have prevailed, and that where Chriſtian Churches were plant…; They have alſo their religious perſons, which they call Nefeſogli that they held are without ſinne, yea that they are not born in an humane way of generation, of whoſe extaſies they do relate very ſtupendious things; by which we ſee how greatly the Devil can prevail by bodily devotions, and ſuch extatical raptures, as well as by traditional ſuperſtitions; The Devil doth not only by hereſi and Idolatry, but alſo by devotions and ſtrange bodily raptures prevail, and inlarge his Kingdom. But theſe are ſo fabulous they are not worth inſiſting on. Theodoret (as Sixtus Senenſis relateth, Annot. in c. 5. Rom) ſpeaketh as if Seth, Euceh, Noah, and ſuch eminent men were free from original ſinne, as the Rabbins of Beaz, and others, that they were without evil concupiſcence: But though theſe had the grace of God regenerating them, yet they were by nature full of ſinne; and although when it is ſaid, That the imaginations of mans heart were only evil from the youth, it is ſaid of Noah, But he was a righteous man and feared God, and ſo found favour with him; This doth not inferre, that by nature his imaginations were not as evil as others, but only by the grace of God he had obtained a mighty change and tranſlation from that natural condition.
SECT. V.
How abſurd it is to exempt any from this Natural Pollution upon any ground whatſoever.
THirdly, Original ſinne being thus a ſinne of the nature, as it is abſurd to exempt any from it upon Theological conſiderations, ſo likewiſe from any Philoſophical niceties; For there are ſome that bring forth ſtrange and paradoxal opinions about the nature of man, and theſe will not have all men involved in Adam's ſinne, for there is an anonimous Author (truly nullius nominis) hath a written book De praeadomitis, his whole ſcope is to ſhew, that there were men before Adam, though the Scripture doth not mention them, and he ſaith, A negative argument in matter of fact doth not hold; There were none, becauſe the Scripture doth not name them; no more then we can ſay, Melchizedech had no father or mother indeed, becauſe they are not mentioned, But Moſes relateth what was in the beginning, and thereby doth exclude any before Adam, yea in the Scripture Adam is expreſly called the firſt man, 1 Cor. 15. 45. There are others, and they would from Philoſophy prove, That all men are not of the ſame kind, no more then birds and beaſts, and therefore they did not all come from Adam; They inſtance in the Antipodes, in thoſe that are in the other world or Hemiſphere. The ancient Clement in his Epiſtle to the Corinthiant, pag. 29. ſpeaketh of foreign, worlds beyond the ſea. But theſe all come from Adam, for Act. 17. 26. it is expreſly ſaid, That God hath made of one blend all Nations of men that dwell on the earth; Therefore we need not matter theſe fancies, no more then thoſe that hold a world in the Moon, and men there; Paracelſus that gloried he would reform Luther, as Luther had the Pope (Vid… Ludev. Crec. Syntag. cap. 28. pag. 811.) telleth us of men found in mines, and that there are Marini homines and Satyrs, who are capable of bleſſedneſs, and that Chriſt died for them, as a certain Satyr is ſaid to the famous Ermit Anthony. Some alſo ſpeak of men begotten in that unnatural way with beaſts, that are beaſts and men, have theſe original ſinnes; But we are to deſpiſe all theſe niceties; Neither are fancies to be minded againſt the clear Doctrine of the Scripture, whereſoever there is the nature of man in a natural way, there the Scripture pronounceth all obnoxious to this ſinne.
The laſt Propoſition is, That this original ſinne is communicated to all mankind, although they have not ſinned after the ſimilitude of Adam's tranſgreſſion; For you may happily think, it is indeed juſt with God to puniſh all ſuch who ſinne like Adam, that imitate him in his wickedneſs; But as for others, how doth that appear becoming the righteouſneſs and mercy of God? Now for this we have a clear atteſtation, Rom. 5. 14. Death reigned over them that had not ſinned after the ſimilitude of Adams tranſgreſſion; But what is meant by this deſcription is controverted. Thoſe that leave out the negative, making it to runne affirmatively (viz.) Who ſinned after the tranſgreſſion of Adam, and alſo thoſe who read it thus, Death reigned after the ſimilitude of Adams tranſgreſſion, upon thoſe who did not ſinne. As Verſtius following Eraſmus and Chryſoſtom, are not to be regarded; neither is that Expoſition to be endured of that late Writer, with whom we have ſo often to do; As if the Apoſtle meant, That death relatively to Adams ſinne had no effect further then to Moſes, and there it ceaſed, for this doth palpably contradict the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 15. 22. where by Adam all are ſaid to die. Therefore by thoſe who ſinne not after the ſimilitude of Adams tranſgreſſion; Some underſtand it thus (viz.) not ſo capitally and atrociouſly as he did, for he ſinned againſt an expreſs Law; but the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of ſuch, who ſinned without ſuch a declared Law, as Hoſ. 6. 7. They like men have tranſgreſſed (in the original) like Adam. Many Expoſitors make it the proper name of Adam, hereby the Prophet aggravating their ſin, That as Adam in Paradiſe did voluntarily tranſgreſs Gods Law; So the Jews in the good Land God had given them, did treacherouſly againſt him. But Mercer rejecteth this, becauſe in the Hebrew it is not C…hadam with foreign emphatical, as it is commonly applied to Adam. There is ſuch an expreſſion in Job, which ſome underſtand of Adam, Job 31. 33. where it is tranſlated, If I covered my tranſgreſſions as Adam, or as in the margin, After the manner of men: This interpretation may be admitted as part; but 2. we are to underſtand it more largely of all thoſe who ſinne without a Law revealed; for the Apoſtle had ſaid, That ſinne is not imputed, viz. (to a mans conſcience) where there is no Law, men are apt to be ſecure in ſinne, when there is no Law expreſly threatning them; Now ſaith the Apoſtle, let none think ſo, For as death ſo ſinne was in the world before Moſes his time, though there was not ſuch ſevere precepts againſt it; and therefore thoſe who had not ſuch an expreſs command as Adam had, yet death and ſinne was imputed to them; So that by this is underſtood, That all thoſe who live out of the Church, all Heathens and Pagans, who have not the revealed will of God to walk by, even thoſe who never heard of Adam, and ſo could not imitate him in ſinning are in this clauſe comprehended.
Laſtly, By this alſo is declared, That all Infants, though they cannot actually ſinne, yet becauſe of original ſinne, death reigneth over them likewiſe, Though Calvin think the former ſort chiefly aimed at, yet he confeſſeth Infants are herein included.
Thus we have finiſhed this Text, the Doctrine whereof ſhould make the world a valley of tears in reſpect of godly humiliation, as it is indeed in reſpect of miſeries; As the ſhadow followeth the body, ſo ſhould holy ſorrow the truth of this point; Believe it and tremble, for it is every ones caſe, ſhe out of thy ſelf to that Saviour who delivereth from original ſinne, as well as actual. This is moſt properly the ſinne of the world.