The Anatomy of Arminianism, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
That all mankinde is infected with Originall ſinne.
I. SInne is either Originall or Actuall: I vſe the accuſtomed words for cleareneſſe of ſpeech; for if one would deale ſtrictly, he ſhou d abſtaine from theſe tearmes, ſeeing it is certaine that Originall ſin is in act, and therefore is actuall. But vſe hath obtained that that ſinne ſhould be called actuall, which is committed in action or in deede; and that originall which we hauehave from the birth, that hereditary blot which is ſent into vsus, from our Parents.
II. Of Originall ſinne Saint Paul doth treat, in the fifth and ſeauenth Chapter to the Romanes. In the fifth Chapter, how it hath paſſage into all mankinde; in the ſeauenth Chapter, how it doth remaine in him, in whoſe minde the law of God is perfectly written.
III. That no man is free from this blot, the Scripture doth cry, and experience doth witneſſe; Whatſoeuer is borne of the fleſh, is fleſh, ſaith Chriſt, Iohn 3. And there he doth plainely teach, that all men are defiled with Originall ſinne, when he ſaith, that it is neceſſary to be borne againe, and to be formed anew. We are by nature the children of wrath, Eph. 2.3. Who can bring forth a cleane thing out of an vnclea…e? there is not one, Iob 14. Dauid acknowledgeth himſelfe infected with this contagion. Pſal. 51. Behold (ſaith he) I was formed in iniquity, and in ſinne my mother conceiued me. He doth not ac…uſe his father, nor expoſtulate with his mother, but although hee was adorned with fingular prerogatiue, and repleniſhed with benefits, yet hee doth confeſſe himſelfe to be defi ed with that vniuerſall contagion: he fetcheth the cauſe of his ſinne from that originall, and in this common lot, he doth lament his owne: Circumciſion ſigni…ied this; for by that externall ſymbole, …e Church was warned, that there was ſomething …n man … ſoone as he was borne, that ought to be cut off and …r… ted. The end of Baptiſme is the ſame, watch … the Sacrament of our cleanſing in the bloud of Chriſt, by which our naturall filthineſſe is waſhed away.
IV. Not onelyonly the progenie of Ethnicks and Infidels, or euill Chriſtians, is borne in this Originall ſinne, but alſo the off-ſpring of the godly and faithfull: No otherwiſe then he that was Circumciſed, begat one that was vncircumciſed; and as a graine of Wheate well cleanſed, and receiued in the lap of the earth, afterward growing, doth bring forth Wheate with chaffe. Then was Adam iuſtified, then did hee by his faith cleaue to the promiſe of his ſeede, that ſhould bruiſe the ſerpents head; when he begot Cain the heire of his naturall wickedneſſe, and not of his faith or repentance. Piety is not hereditary, to be deriued to ones heires; neither doth holin…ſſe come into vsus by nature, but by grace: not generation but regeneration, doth make men holy and good. After the ſame manner that Ariſtotle, lib 2. Phiſic doth teach, That artificiall formes (as the forme of a ſtatue or image) are not begotten, but onelyonly naturall formes: Therefore in the children of the beſt man, as ſoone as they beginne to ſpeake, you may ſee a crafty and lying diſpoſition, and prone to reuenge, ſtubborneneſſe againſt thoſe that admoniſh them, prickes of glory and ſporting vanity: alſo that great honour wherewith they proſecute their puppets and babyes, are no obſcure ſeedes of their inclinableneſſe to Idolatry: For as puppets are the Idols of infants, ſo Idols are the puppets of thoſe that are growne in age: And therefore when any man hath children of euill manners, he ought to acknowledge his image in them; when he hath good children, he ought to admire the worke of God in them: For theſe are they of whom Saint Iohn ſaith, Chap. 1. who are not borne of bloud, nor of the will of the fleſh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
V. The ſecond Canon of the Mileuitan counſell is expreſly to this thing. It pleaſeth vsus, that whoſoeuer doth deny little ones that are new borne, to be Baptiſed, or doth ſay that indeede they are Baptiſed for the remiſsion of their ſinnes, but yet they drew no originall ſinne from Adam, which is to be taken away by the lauar of regeneration; whence it followeth, that the forme of Baptiſme in them is to be vnderſtood not to be true, but falſe, be an Anathema.
VI. Chriſt alone was free from this blot, he deriued not Originall ſinne from his Mother. Saint Paul indeede, Rom. 5.10. ſaith, that all men ſinned in Adam; neither is it any doubt but that Chriſt was in Adam, as being one of his poſterity; but that ſentence of the Apoſtle doth not concerne Chriſt, becauſe the perſon of Chriſt was not in Adam, but onelyonly his humaine nature: neither is he from Adam, as from the agent principle, and from the ſeminating power, but thence he tooke that matter, which by the ouer-ſhadowing of the holy Ghoſt, was freed from the common contagion.
VII. Now if you ſhould aske me, whether Originall ſinne is done away by Baptiſme, or whether that blot doth yet remaine in thoſe that are regenerated by the holy Ghoſt; it is readily anſwered out of the Scripture, and experience, which is ſo certaine here, that there is no place left for doubting. Dauid was circumciſed, and plentifully inſtructed with the gifts of the holy Ghoſt, and yet he doth confeſſe, that he was not free from this ſtaine, but was polluted in an equall contagion with others. And Saint Paul, Rom. 7. ſpeaking (vnderunder his owne perſon) of eueryevery man, in whoſe minde the law of God is faithfully imprinted, doth acknowledge that ſinne doth dwell in him, which he …aileth the law of ſinne, becauſe it doth ſtirre him vp to ſinne. We ſee infants dye as ſoone as they are baptiſed; and death, the Apoſtle being witneſſe, Rom. 6. is the wages of ſinne. I demand, for what ſinne doe thoſe Baptiſed infants dye? is it for actuall ſinne? but they hauehave committed none: therefore it is for Originall ſinne. Whence it appeareth, that Originall ſinne doth remaine after Baptiſme, wherein ſinne is remitted, as touching the guilt, although it remaine in the act, as Saint Auſten teacheth at large in his firſt Booke againſt Iulian, concerning Marriage and concupiſcence, Cap. 25. and 26. The concupiſcence of the fleſh (ſaith he) is forgiuen in Baptiſme, not that it ſhould not be at all, but that it ſhould not be imputed for ſinne.
VIII. But ſeeing the regenerate doe afterward ſinne, whence are theſe ſinnes, but from their inward corruption? For that being taken away, the effects alſo, which doe flow onelyonly from this cauſe, would be taken away.
IX. And what ſhall we ſay to this, that the beſt men beget their children tainted with this blot, and therefore ſtanding in neede of Baptiſme? Now if the parents begetting children, were without originall ſinne, how could they ſend this blemiſh to their iſſue, and giuegive that to their children, which themſelues hauehave not?
X. Therefore, ſay you, marriage is euill, ſeeing by it children of wrath are begotten, and ſinne is propagated, which ought rather to be pulled vp by the roote, and to be choaked in the very ſeede. I anſwere, that marriage is more ancient then ſinne, and inſtituted by God himſelfe; the ſinne that came vponupon it, doth not hinder, but that marriage is naturally a good thing: No otherwiſe then meate and drinke, are things that are good, and to be deſired, although thereby the life of wicked men is ſuſtained. Beſides, marriage doth bring forth ſonnes to God, and doth ſerue to fill vp the number of the Elect. I let paſſe, that the faithfull couple doe ioyne their prayers, doe ſtirre vp one another to good workes, doe cure one anothers incontinency, and in ſlippery places doe ſtretch forth the hand one to another. Neither are there wanting examples of wicked men, to whom, by Gods benefit there hauehave happened good and godly children; euen as God doth ſend ſeaſonable raine on thoſe ſeeds which were ſtollen and ſowed by a theefe.