The Anatomy of Arminianism, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
How the ſinne of Adam may belong to his poſteritie, and how many waies it may paſſe to his of spring. And firſt of the imputation, and whether the ſinnes of the Grandfather, and great-Grandfathers, are imputed to their poſterity.
I. THe ſinne of Adam doth paſſe to his poſterity by two meanes, by imputation, & propagation.
II. The puniſhments which all men ſuffer in the name of Adam, doe argue that the ſinne of Adam is imputed to vsus: This the Apoſtle teacheth, Rom. 5.12. Death paſſed on all men, by one man, in whom all men ſinned, foreign.or becauſe all men ſinned in him: For the ſinne of Adam was not onelyonly perſonall, neither did hee ſinne as a ſingular perſon, but as carrying all mankinde in the ſtocke and originall; no otherwiſe then Chriſt ſatisfying for vsus on the croſſe, hath not ſuffred as a priuate perſon, but as ſuſtaining and repreſenting the whole Church in the head. Saint Paul, 2 Cor. 5.15. ſpeaketh thus: If one dyed for all, all likewiſe were dead. And Rom. 6. doth affirme that we are dead and crucified with Chriſt. If therefore we dyed in Chriſt dying, and were crucified with him, it is no doubt but that it may likewiſe be ſaid, that we ſinned in Adam: For if the ſatisfaction and righteouſneſſe of the ſecond Adam be imputed to vsus, why ſhall not the ſinne of the firſt Adam be imputed to vsus; ſeeing that therefore the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt is imputed to vsus, that the ſinne of Adam might not be imputed to vsus?
III. Reaſon it ſelfe doth conſent to this: for if Adam had receiued good things, not for himſelf alone, but for his poſterity; it is no maruell, if being ſpoiled of theſe good things, he loſt them for himſelfe and his poſterity. If any one be capitally puniſhed for treaſon, and brought to extreame pouerty, his children alſo, with him doe looſe their Nobility. Nor is any thing more equall, then that the ſonne ſhould pay his fathers debts, and that as they are heires of their eſtates, ſo they might be heires of their debts.
IV. But in this ſimilitude there is one, and that a notable difference, that is, when the debter hath waſted the inheritance, and there is more in debt then in goods, the ſonne may renounce the inheritance, and leaue his fathers goods: But here this yeelding vp cannot be made; becauſe to the guilt by the ſinne of Adam, there commeth alſo the naturall deprauation, and contagion; like as he that is borne of parents infected which leproſie, which contagion cannot be put off when they pleaſe.
V. Although theſe things are grounded vponupon the word of God, and the very rule of iuſtice, yet they ſeeme to be charged, and followed with great diſcommodities. Firſt, that in Ezekiell, Chap. 18. v. 20. doth offer it ſelfe; The ſoule that ſinneth ſhall die: The ſonne ſhall not beare the iniquity of the father: Whereunto the law of God, Deut. 24. is conſonant and agreeable; which law doth forbid children to be puniſhed for the ſinnes of their parents. Why then doe we die for anothers ſinne? Why is the ſinne of Adam imputed to vsus? Or is it credible, that he that forgiues vsus our ſinnes, will impute to any one anothers ſins? What? that the puniſhment is greater then the ſinne? For when we ſinned in Adam onelyonly, in potentia, in power and poſſibility, yet we are puniſhed in actu, in act: And that ſeemeth moſt cruell, that Adam, which ſinned in act is ſaued, and for the ſame ſinne many are damned, who ſinned in Adam onelyonly in power and poſſibility.
I anſwere, the place in Ezechiel muſt be taken thus; the innocent ſonne ſhall not beare the puniſhment of his fathers ſinne: So when God ſaith in the law, that he will viſit the iniquity of fathers vponupon the children, he ſpeaketh of children which walke in their fathers ſteps, and are partakers of the ſame fault: But the ſonnes of Adam cannot be ſaid to be innocent, as they which not onelyonly ſinned in Adam, as in the ſtocke and roote of mankinde, but alſo themſelues are borne ſtained with the ſame deprauation, and prone to the ſame ſinne. Secondly, I ſay that that place in Ezechiel makes nothing to the preſent matter: for hee ſpeaketh of the ſinnes of the fathers, whoſe ſinnes are perſonall, and who in ſinning doe not ſuſtaine the perſons of their children: For Arminius is deceiued, in ſetting downe the cauſe why thoſe Infidels are reprobated, who hauehave not refuſed the Goſpell, viz. Becauſe (ſaith he) they refuſed the grace of the Goſpell in their parents, In Perkins p. 92.grandfathers, great-grandfathers, and their fathers, by which act they deſerued that they ſhould be forſaken by God: For I would hauehave them ſhew me a ſolid and ſound reaſon, why Infants hauehave not ſinned againſt the grace of the Goſpell in their Parents, to whom the grace of the Goſpell was offred, and by whom it was refuſed; ſeeing in Adam all his poſterity ſinned againſt the Law, and by it deſerued puniſhment and forſaking. For the reaſon of the couenant of God is perpetuall, that children are comprehended in their Parents.
VI. Let therefore the Schoole and followers of Arminius learne the cauſe of this difference, and why the ſinne of Adam ſhould be imputed to his poſteritie, but the ſinnes of other fathers ſhould not be imputed to their children. Theſe therefore I ſay, to be the cauſes of this difference. 1. Becauſe, by the ſinne of Adam, we loſt originall purity; but wee hauehave not loſt it by the ſinnes of our Grand-fathers, or great-Grandfathers. 2. Becauſe Adam receiued gifts, which as he had for himſelfe, ſo hee ſhould hauehave conueyed them to his poſterity, which ſeeing hee loſt, it iuſtly comes to paſſe that his poſterity ſhould be depriued of thoſe gifts. But my Grand-father or great-Grandfather receiued no ſupernatural gifts from God, which by an hereditary right they ſhould deriue to their poſterity. 3. Then alſo the ſinnes of my Grand-father and great-Grandfather were perſonall ſinnes; neither did they in their ſinning ſuſtaine the perſons of their poſterity, which cannot be ſaid of Adam. Vide Tho. 1.2. queſt. 81. Art 2.Surely I think that it cannot be ſaid that Ezechias or Ioſias, who were the poſterity of Dauid, did in Dauid murther Vrias. 4. I will ſay ſomewhat more; Adam while hee liued committed many ſinnes, yet I thinke that onelyonly that firſt ſinne of Adam was imputed to his poſterity, becauſe onelyonly by this ſinne he violated that couenant which was made with him, as with the author of mankinde. 5. And if any one at this day is depriued of the light of the Goſpell, becauſe ſome of his anceſtors a thouſand yeeres ſince refuſed the Goſpell, as Arminius thinks, there is no cauſe why on the other ſide, one may not be called effectually to ſaluation, becauſe ſome one of his anceſtors beleeued the Goſpell. For why ſhall the infidelity of the great-Grandfather be imputed to the great-grandſonne, and his faith be not imputed? But that the faith of one is imputed to another, Arminius himſelfe is not of opinion, when he ſaith out of Habacuk 2. The iuſt ſhall liue by his owne faith, and not by anothers: Nor becauſe Adam beleeued the promiſe of his ſeede, that ſhould breake the ſerpents head, is this his faith therefore imputed to any of his poſterity. Arnoldus doth ſeeme to conſent to this; but I cannot be brought to thinke that the other ſectaries doe beleeue the ſame. 6. To beleeue that any one is reprobated, becauſe hee reſuſed the Goſpell in his greatgrandfathers, or their Fathers, is plainely conr…ary to the opinion of Saint Paul, 2 Cor. 5.10. where he ſaith, that eueryevery one ſhall receiue the things done in his body, whether it be good or euill; therefore not according to thoſe things which he hath done in anothers body. 7. I let paſſe he abſurdities, into which Arminius by this meanes would plunge himſelfe. For it may come to paſſe, that ones Grandfather by the fathers ſide hath beleeued the Goſpell, & his Grand-father by his mothers ſide hath refuſed the Goſpell. It may come to paſſe that ones Grandfathers or greatgrandfathers & ſo vpward, part hauehave beleeued, and part hauehave not beleeued. I demand of which of them, in the purpoſe of God, ſhall reſpect be had? Shall the faith of the one, or the infidelitie of the other be imputed to their poſteritie? Then alſo, as often as the Goſpell is offred to any Nation or Citie, there is nothing ſo likely, as that ſome of thoſe people were borne of Anceſtors that were Infidels and that ſome of them were borne of faithfull Anceſtors; yet is the Goſpell offred to all without any difference. Alſo it will come to paſſe that ſome one proceeding of faithfull Anceſtors, may refuſe the Goſpell; and on the otherſide, one proceeding of Inſide…s, may be conuerted. 8. And if one may be an Infidell by anothers infidelity, and may be ſaid to hauehave refuſed the Goſpell in his Anceſtors, becauſe ſome one of his progenitors refuſed the Goſpell a thouſand yeares before, there will ſcarce be any of the godly, that after this manner hath not refuſed the Goſpell. 9. But what will they ſay to this? That it is found by experience, that the worſt and moſt wicked progeny of very wicked Anceſtors, hauehave beene conuerted to the faith, and as the Apoſtle ſaith, Rom. 5.20. Where ſinne abounded, there grace abounded. What were the ancient Romanes but theeues, depopulating and waſting the world, and a ſcourge in the hand of God? What was Corinth, but the ſtewes of all Graecia, and the Mart or faire of moſt foule luſts? yet neuertheleſſe, in thoſe cities, God by the preaching of the Goſpell, raiſed vp moſt flouriſhing Churches, and there were very many in thoſe dregges, which did belong to the election of God. 10. But if at any time the poſterity is puniſhed for the ſinnes of their Anceſtors, Arminius ought not to extend it to ſo many ages, ſeeing the law doth not extend the viſitation of the iniquity of the fathers vponupon the children, beyond the third and fourth generation: And that becauſe a man can ſcarce liue ſo long, as to ſee his iſſue beyond the third or fourth generation: For therefore are children puniſhed, their fathers beholding it, that griefe might thereby increaſe to their parents, and that the fathers might be puniſhed by the miſ…ries of the children; which is a cauſe to me of ſuſpecting, that this viſitation of the ſinne of the fathers vponupon the children, ought to be vnderſtood of temporall, and not of eternall puniſhments.
VII. But to that which was ſaid, that the puniſhment was greater then the ſinne, becauſe they which in Adam ſinned onelyonly in power, are for his ſinne puniſhed in act; it is eaſie to anſwere: For wee ſo ſinned in Adam in power, that alſo the ſinne was in vsus in act: neither doe we onelyonly beare the puniſhment of anothers ſinne, but alſo of our owne: nor is it any maruaile, if God hath pardoned Adam, and doth not pardon many of his poſterity, for Adam beleeued and repented, but theſe refuſe the grace of God offred, and perſiſt in impenitency.