The Anatomy of Arminianism, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
What Originall ſinne is, and whether it be truely and properly ſinne.
I. ORiginall ſinne is the deprauation of mans nature, contracted and drawne from the very generation it ſelfe, and deriued from Adam into all mankinde; conſiſting of the priuation or want of originall righteouſneſſe, and the proneneſſe to euill.
II. Theſe two things, to wit, the priuation or want of originall righteouſneſſe, and the inclinableneſſe to euill, are in originall ſinne. For as ſickneſſe is not onelyonly a priuation of health, but alſo an euill affection of the body from the diſtemper of the humours: ſo this hereditary blot, is not onelyonly the want of righteouſneſſe, but alſo the inclinableneſſe to vnrighteouſneſſe.
III. The laſt of theſe proceedes from the former. For the ſoule, which by originall ſinne hath ceaſed to be good, is neceſſarily euill; and the ſoule being inſtructed by the will, which cannot be idle, holines and righteouſneſſe being loſt, muſt needes turne to the contrary part.
IV. This corruption brings blindneſſe to the minde, peruerſeneſſe to the will, perturbation to the appetites, the loſſe of ſupernaturall gifts, and the corruption of thoſe that are naturall.
V. And although in Adam the minde was firſt ſtained with errour, before the will was infected with peruerſeneſſe; yet is the corruption of the will farre worſe, and that blot more foule, becauſe wee are not made good or euill by the vnderſtanding, but by the wi…l, for whatſoeuer euill is committed, it is the ſinne of the will; the committing of wickedneſſe is a greater ſinne then the ignorance of the truth.
VI. The guilt or obliging to puniſhment, cannot be any part of the definition of Originall ſinne, Lombard. lib. 2. diſt. 30. Th…mas t. 2 Queſt. …2. art. 3.ſeeing it is the effect of it.
VII. Lombard, and Thomas, and the other ſchoolemen, who ſay that originall ſinne is concupiſcence, doe not attaine ſufficiently to the nature of concupiſcence: For Originall ſinne doth infect all the faculties of the reaſonable ſoule, and concupiſcence is the diſeaſe of the will and appetite; alſo concupiſcence, is contrary to one commandement of the Law, and Originall ſinne, is contrary to the whole Law: Neither by it, doe men ſinne more againſt the ſecond table of the law then againſt the firſt. What? that concupiſcence is forbidden by a proper law: But I know not whether Originall ſin may be ſaid to be forbidden by the law; for God doth not command, that wee ſhould be generated or begotten pure & without ſin, for ſo God ſhould ſpeak to man before he were born. Surely man is not bound to obey the law, before he be man; and ſeeing the law doth not ſpeak, but to them that heare, & are partakers of reaſon, to think that the law commands a man that is growne to age, to be born without ſin, is a ridiculous thing, & well nigh a dreame: For ſo the law, ſhould command him to be born, that is already born, & him to be begotten, that is already grown a man. The law doth not command, but preſuppoſe Originall righteouſnes & doth ſpeake to man, being conſidered in the ſtate wherein he was before the fall, requiring that old debt and naturall obedience: Whence it is manifeſt, that Originall ſin, is condemned by the law, but not forbidden.
VIII. Of this ſinne, although the Scripture ſpeaketh ſo expreſſely, and ſenſe it ſelfe and experience doth abundantly teſtifie it, yet there hauehave not beene wanting ſome who did deny this ſinne, and would not acknowledge mankinde from his firſt ſtock, and originall, to be infected with ſinne. Cyrillus Ieroſolomytanus, or whoſoeuer elſe is the author of thoſe Catechiſmes which goe vnderunder his name, in his fourth part of his Catechiſme, hath theſe words. Thou doſt not ſinne by generation, thou doſt play the adulterer by fortune. And a little after. Wee come without ſinne, but now we ſinne by our owne election.
IX. In Saint Auſtins age, Pelagius & Celeſtius did deny Originall ſinne, and did contend, that ſinne did paſſe from fathers to their iſſue, onelyonly by example and imitation: They did deny that ſinne was remitted to infants by Baptiſme, becauſe they had none; and did affirme, that by it onelyonly, the kingdome of heauen was opened to them; whoſe hereſie is long agoe hiſſed out, and ſtrongly confuted by Saint Austin.
X. Saint Hierome (or whoſoeuer elſe is the author of thoſe briefe comentaries vponupon the Epiſtle of Saint Paule, which are put in among Saint Hieromes works) doth fauour Pelagius: For thoſe words of the Apoſtle, Rom. 5. in whom all hauehave ſinned, he reſtraines to example, and doth take them as ſpoken of the imitation of the ſinne of Adam.
XI. Saint Chriſostome in many places, doth ſeeme to creepe into this error. In his Homily vponupon new Conuerts, he denyeth Baptiſme to be profitable only to the remiſſion of ſinnes: For (ſaith he) wee Baptiſe infants, although they are not polluted with ſinne, that holineſſe, and righteouſneſſe, adoption, and the inheritance, &c may be added to them. And in his tenth Homiſie vponupon the Epiſtle to the Romanes, expounding that of Saint Paule, Rom. 5. By the diſobedience of one, many were made ſinners, by ſinners, hee would hauehave vsus vnderſtand, thoſe that are guilty of puniſhment, and mortall, and not thoſe that are defiled by the blot of ſinne.
XII. Lombard, lib 2. diſtinct. 30. litera E. ſaith, there were ſome that ſaid, Originall ſinne was no vice in vsus, but onelyonly the guilt of puniſhment, euen of that eternall puniſhment, which is due to vsus, for the ſinne of Adam, vnleſſe we be freed by Chriſt. The Arminians doe not much differ from this opinion, who doe not care who they imitate, ſo they inuent ſomething that may make for the ſafeguard of their errour. Pag. 388. in Tilenum.Arnoldus after Arminius doth teach, that Originall ſinne, hath no reſpect of vice, or ſinne, properly ſo called, for nothing is ſinne or vice, vnleſse it be committed by the free-will. In the ſame place hee denieth that Originall ſin deſerues puniſhment, but ſaith, that it is a puniſhment. And he doth confeſſe, Pag. 389. & 390.that Arminius doth deny that Originall ſinne, is ſinne, properly ſo called. Arminius himſelfe, Reſp. ad 9. Quaeſt. P. 174. hath theſe words, It is peruerſely ſaid, that Originall ſinne doth make a man guilty of death.
XIII. The reaſoning then of Saint Paule the Apoſtle, doth fall to the ground, Rom. 5.13.14, where ſpeaking of ſinne which hath flowed from Adam, into his poſterity, when he had ſaid, That ſinne was in the world vntill the Law, hee afterward proues it, by the death of the infants, who were dead before the daies of Moſes: Death (ſaith he) raigned from Adam to Moſes, euen ouer them that had not ſinned after the ſimilitude of Adams tranſgreſsion, that is, ouer infants which had not ſinned actually: Hee thereby proueth, that ſinne was in thoſe infants, becauſe death is the fruit and puniſhment of ſinne. Seeing therefore the death of infants is a puniſhment of Originall ſinne, if this Originall ſinne were not truely ſinne, but onelyonly the puniſhment of ſinne, then this death of infants would be the puniſhment of a puniſhment, and not the puniſhment of ſinne; but to ſay that God doth puniſh puniſhments, and not ſinnes, is vncomely for any, eſpecially for thoſe who profeſſe themſelues to be maintainers of Gods iuſtice.
XIV. And if the Originall blot of infants is not ſinne, but onelyonly the puniſhment of ſinne, they are baptiſed in vaine: For, baptiſme is not profitable to waſh away puniſhments, but to waſh away ſinnes. In vain are they waſhed, that are without the filth of ſin. Why is it neceſſary men ſhould be borne againe; but becauſe they are dead in ſinne? Whence is that peruerſenes, by which naturally men are prone to euill; but from vice? and what is this vice but ſinne?
XV. But (you ſay) it is not ſinne, vnleſſe it be voluntary. I confeſſe it, if you ſpeake of actuall ſinnes; but if you ſpeake of the naturall ſtaine and blot, it is not neceſſary, that this naturall blot be procured by eueryevery ones owne will; it is enough if it be contrary to the Law: For this is the beſt difinition of ſinne, that Saint Iohn layeth downe, that ſinne is, foreign, the breach of the Law: And it cannot be doubted, but that that is contrary to the law, which doth ſtirre vp a man to rebell againſt the law. For although Originall ſinne hath not yet ſtirred vp the infant to ſinne in act, yet is it apt and prone to ſtirre him vp: No otherwiſe then the Snake which hath not yet infected any one with her poyſoning biting, hath yet an engrafted poyſon in her, and a naturall readineſſe to hurt. Originall ſinne alſo, may be ſaid to be voluntary, becauſe by it we ſinne voluntarily, and alſo becauſe we ſinned in Adam, and therefore in him wee were deſirous of this corruption. Finally, wee muſt rather beleeue Saint Paul, that teacheth vsus that ſinne is in infants, then theſe men, who ſtrike themſelues with their owne ſtings, and entangle themſelues.
XVI. For, ſeeing that the Arminians teach, that by the death of Chriſt, all mankinde is reconciled to God, and that remiſſion of ſinnes is obtained for all men: I demand, for what ſinnes are infants puniſhed, and doe fall into torments of body, and doe ſuffer the aſſaults of Diuels? Is it for the ſinne of Adam? that, the Arminians affirme, is forgiuen them. Is it for any actuall ſinne? they hauehave committed none. It remaines therefore, that they are puniſhed for Originall ſinne, Vide Aranſic. Concil. ſecund Chap. 2.vnleſſe we will brand God with the marke of iniuſtice, as he that torments the innocents and they that are guilty of no ſinne.