The Plain Mans Senses Exercised to Discern Good and Evil, Chapter 7
CAP. VII. Errors about Originall Sin.
That no man shall ever perish in Hell for Adams sin, Lond. Test. pag. 8.yea, men have no more reason to blame themselves, for what Adam did before they were born, than an Heire hath to blame himself, because his Father spent his Inberitance before he was born.
That if we had been to suffer in Hell, in relation to Adam or the Law, then Christ also should have suffered in Hell, for us, which he did not.
AGainst this grand Error, I lay down this fundamental Truth (namely) that Adam, by his transgressing of the first Covenant of Life and Obedience, did plunge himself and all his posterity, into a state of Sin and Death, under which they all lie and perish, untill they be redeemed by Christ the second Adam.
In this Doctrine there are three Branches distinctly to be observed:Three Branches of it.
First, That God made with Adam a Covenant of Life and Obedience.
Secondly, Adam brake that Covenant by his Disobedience, and so did bring himself and his posterity into a state of Sin and Death.
Thirdly, That we lie under that state of Sin and Misery, till we be regenerate and planted into Christ, by whom alone we have deliverance from it.
Of the first Branch: Sect. 1 The happinesse of man in his created estate, was established in way of a Covenant, and it stood of two parts; the one shewing what God commanded and required of Adam in way of Duty, and what he would do for Adam upon the performance thereof; the other shewes the Creatures duty, binding himselfe to obey the will of his Creatour in all things: It was a Covenant of works, wherein Life was promised upon condition of Adams perfect and intire obedience, and Death threatned in case of his disobedience. In this Covenant there were some things required, and some things forbidden, with promises and threats annexed, and outward seales added for confirmation: The thing required was intire Obedience: the Promise thereunto annexed, was the Promise of everlasting life; and in token hereof, God gave Adam to eat of the tree of Life. The thing forbidden, was to eat of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evill: The threatning annexed, was Death, In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die; die everlastingly; and that Tree did serve as a warning to our first Parents, of their mutable condition, and of the danger that would follow upon their transgressing; so sealing the threatning of that Covenant, Gen. 3.11. said God, who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? There needed nothing else to condem them, they were forced by the only guilt of their own Consciences to hide themselves from Gods presence, ver. 8.
You see then, first,What life was promised in the first Covenant. here is a formal Covenant of Life and Death: Secondly, you may observe also, that the first Covenant had Promises of life eternall, Luke 10.25. The question was concerning life eternall, how he might inherit it; Christ bids him keep the Commandements, Levit. 18.5.and he should have his desire; from whence the Inference is clear, that the Promise of Life made to the keeping of the Commandements, was eternal life: And so much the Lord himself expresseth, Gen. 3.22. when he drove Adam out of Paradise, lest he should put forth his hand and take of the tree of life, and live for ever. The life then which that Tree did signifie & seal to man, was Life everlasting. And it is used to express that eternal life, which the redeemed of the Lord shall enjoy for ever in Heaven: Rev. 2.7. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. Lastly, in this Covenant there was some kind of grace, because God might have required Obedience at his Creatures hands, without any such promise: Secondly, because that reward to live for ever, was above the merit of Adams obedience: Thirdly, especially considering that Adams ability to perform that condition of Life, was of Gods own donation; and this is almost as much Grace as some men allow in the new Covenant. Howbeit, this Covenant was a Covenant of works, a conditional, legal Covenant, because the terms on which the Promise of Life was grounded, was Adams own personal, perfect Obedience; whereas in the new Covenant of Grace it is grounded on, and made good to us for the righteousness of the Mediatour. This was the Covenant of mans Creation, made with all mankind in Adam their head, and by it all the world are bound to be holy and perfect, as God made them at first. It was in Adams own hand and power to have continued happy by it. This Covenant he brake, and forfeited the life therein promised, and brought himself and his posterity under the Curse, as in the second Branch is to be declared.
Secondly,2Branch. You see how Adam by transgression, brake and forfeited that first Covenant: Sect. 2 Let us now consider the effects of his Fall, and first upon himself; for he did plunge himself into a state of sin and misery, which is expressed by that threatning: Gen. 2.17. Thou shalt surely die. This threatning taking hold of Adam, doth comprehend three things:
First,1His Losses. The loss of his felicity, pack and be gone, no place for a Rebel: Secondly the loss of the Image of God, instead of knowledge,Eph 4.18. 1 Cor. 2.14. Ephes. 2.1. Rom. 3.23. his Ʋnderstanding is darkned, not able to discern the things of the spirit of God; instead of holiness and righteousness, he is dead in sins and trespasses, he comes short of the glory of God, he doth alwaies in all things offend God, being able to do nothing that can please God. Adam is now to be driven as an Exile out of Paradise; he must not taste of the Tree of Life.Gen. 3.10. Thirdly, he lost his sweet Communion with God; he was wont to talk with God, and not to be afraid, but now he flies from his presence, he was afraid when he heard his voice, the voice of his God: Guilt, and shame, and fear took hold of the sinning Creature: And thus Adam dies in his Spirit, he hath neither power, wisdome, nor will to do that which is well-pleasing to the Lord; he lost the favour of God, and is now in a state of enmity against God; God and Adam were now two, as we say, without any desire or sufficiency on mans part, to make reconciliation, if the Lord had not looked upon them in the blessed Seed: he lost also his compleat and sweet dominion over the Creatures: These are his losses.
Secondly, Another effect of his Fall upon himself,2His Corruption. was that universal Corruption of his Nature in all the powers and faculties of his soul and body: Adam now was not like Adam, he was not the same man; he was comely, though naked, before the Fall, but now uncomely, as a dead corps is gastly to be beheld, though it were lovely and delightful to us when it was living. They knew evil now experimentally; Adams Fall did bring, not onelyonly a privation of goodness, but a contrary evil disposition upon the whole man; as Sickness is not onelyonly an absence of Health, but a malignant quality seizing on the Spirits, bringing an evil habit of Body: Mans sin is not onelyonly that transgression of Adam, whereby he sinned against God, and we with him: but another which ariseth out of this, even that infection of all the powers and members, both of soul and body, whereby we are inclined to evil, and that continuallly, which as Poyson put into a cup of Wine doth make it deadly, dispersing it self throughout the same: In like manner Adams first Sin did poyson his whole Nature, so that no sound part is found in him, from the crown of the Head to the sole of the Foot. His Understanding is filled with blindness, and darkness, and savoureth not the things which are of God. His Conscience is wounded with guilt, having lost both its Purity and Peace. His Will is captive, and of no strength to do good, &c. And from this corrupt Fountain, did issue a stream of actual Sins in the course of their lives: How many sins did presently appear in their carriage towards God? they excused and cloaked their sin; Adam puts it upon his Wife, and she upon the Serpent: They hide and flie from God, they alledge a false cause of their feare (namely) their nakednesse; whereas it was their eating of the Forbidden Tree, that made them afraid; they betook themselves to false Coverts, they sewed Fig-leaves to hide their nakednesse; But how to recover the favour of God, they had no knowledge. Thus it was with our first Parents when they had sinned.
There is yet a third effect of their Fall,3Death. and that is Death: By Sin an entry was made unto Death, to the dissolution of Nature.1 Before our dissolution. Gen. 3.19. Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return; under which sentence of death are comprehended all the sorrows and miseries of this life, the fore-runners of death, as may be gathered from the Lords proceeding in his sentence against Adam and Eve; Gen. 3.17, 18, 19.Cursed is the ground for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the daies of thy life, thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field (as the Beasts of the earth did) and shalt no longer eat of the Fruits of Paradise, in the swet of thy face thou shalt eat bread, till thou return to the ground for out of it thou wast taken.
From whence I gather,2At death a sad parting. that the fearfull and horrible plagues, which God threatneth and executeth in the world, are a part of that death, which God threatned for their transgression, Gen. 2.17. for we die daily.
Yea lastly,3After death. For Sin, he became subject to miseries after death, the wrath of God for evermore, which we call Death eternall, signified by expelling them out of Paradise from the presence of God, and from the tree of Life; and whereof the remedilesse feares,Heb. 10.27. and deep doubts, and fearful expectations of vengeance to come, are sure signes and tokens: By reason of which Terrors that follow Death, the unreconciled Soules are all their lives long subject unto bondage; if mans misery were ended with his life,Heb 2.15. they would eat, and drink, and be merry, while they may, they would not be in bondage under feare of death; but those stroaks of fear and sadnesse, those inbondaging thoughts, which the serious apprehension of death doth imprint upon the soul, whether men will or no, do shew the effect of the law of Nature upon their hearts, and that the sentence of death is extended beyond our bodily dissolution at death;Rom. 2.15. the sting of Conscience is a fore runner of Judgement to come, of Wrath after death, even as our outward miseries are of our temporal deaths.
Thus of the effect of the Fall upon Adam himself, it follows that we consider,
Secondly (Helvet. Cenfirmat. cap. 8.2Upon his Posterity. Qualis factus est à lapsu, tales sunt omnes, qui ex ipso prognati sunt, peccato inquam morti, variisque obnoxii calamitatibus) The same effects upon Adams Fall are upon all his Posterity, whom with himself, he plunged into a state of Sin and Misery; all those sad effects before mentioned, wofull mankinde lieth under; for look in what case Adam was when he had sinned, such is our case as soon as we are born of him; wherefore that cursed estate of mankind is in Scripture called the Old Man, Eph. 4.22. the Flesh, Rom. 8.7, 8. the Law in our Members, Rom. 7.23. the Image of the First Adam, 1 Cor. 15.49. as we have born the Image of the Earthly, &c. This is the state of Man by Nature.
Now that all mankind doth take part with Adam and Eve in their Fall, & in the woful effects thereof, I shall prove,
1. By the very words of S. Paul, Rom. 5.12. By one man sin entred into the world, and death by sin: Sin and Death are come upon all mankind, we find and feel it by experience: But how came this Mischief upon us? By one man (sayes the Apostle;) nothing can be spoken more plainly with the tongue: Yea, but how can that be, that all should be undone by one man, seeing at that time all were not? Would you fain know the reasons of this? Can you not content your selves to know, that it is so, unlesse you know the manner how it is so? Well, Paul tells you that too: Death passed upon all, for that all have sinned, or in whom all have sinned. foreign in quo, (namely) Adamo; so Beza, and many others, render it, shewing, that foreign is oft taken for foreign, as Mark 2.4. Hebr. 9.17. And so our Margin doth allow it to be read, in whom all have sinned: And this reading does best agree with S. Paul's scope and argument; for here the Apostle doth render a reason not nakedly, why all men die (for then it had been sufficient to say; because all have sinned) but signally, why from one man Sin and Death entred upon all the world, and the reason thereof is, because in that one man (as being the Root, and having in him the Nature of all men that ever were to be in the world) all have sinned. But take the word (foreign) causally, for eò quod, inasmuch, or because all have sinned, the force of the Apostles Argument is still the same; for how have all that die, sinned, if not in that one man? No man dies that has not sinned (Nemo potest subjici poenae, nisi qui reus est culpae) but many thousands die (namely, Infants) which never sinned at all, if they sinned not in Adam; therefore in that one man we all sinned; for we that are men were subject to death when we were Infants, as well as those that die in their infancy. So that foreign (inasmuch) as all have sinned, must be understood in that one man, for else many thousands die, which had never sinned, which is contrary to the expresse words of this Text, and of the verses following, where the Apostle proves that all sinned in that one man: Observe the Apostle's reasoning, v. 13. Ʋntill the law (namely of Moses) sin was in the world, and therefore a Law which was transgressed, because where there is no Law Sin is not imputed, there is no transgression: Again observe, that the transgression of that Law brought Death; so ver. 14. Death reigned from Adam to Moses; if there were no Sin, nor a Law broken from Adam to Moses, there would have been no Death: Now what Law was that? It was the Law of our Creation, which Adam brake: And what Sin was there from Adam's time that caused Death? Answ. Not onelyonly Actual Sin, which is called a sinning after the similitude of Adams transgression, but Original Sin, wherein Infants are born, and for which they die; for so it is said, Death reigned over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression (that is) actually; they never sinned by their own Act in their own Persons, yet they die; What follows of that? Therefore they sinned in Adam, in whom all mankind received the sentence of Death, according to that of the Apostle, 1 Corinth. 15.22. In Adam all die, therefore in Adam all sinned.
Lastly, Rom. 5.15. It is delivered as an undoubted truth, Through the offence of one, many be dead: Are these empty sounds? Are they not plain words of truth? Then let us gather up this Argument. The thing to be proved was this, That Adam did plunge all his Posterity into a state of Sin and Death: This is proved by the words of the Text, By one man sin and death entred into the world: How so? Because in him all sinned: How does that appear? because no man dies that has not sinned; yet Infants die, that never sinned in their own person by their own act. And is that just? Yes, because the Law of their Creation was broken by their Father Adam; therefore through the offence of one, many be dead.
This clears that Objection of Anabaptists; Object. Infants are under no Law, therefore Sin is not imputed to them.
Infants have Transgression imputed to them, Answ. and Death for Transgression, therefore they are under some Law, though not under Moses Law, yet under Adams Law, in whose loyns they were.
How were we in Adam? Object. And how may it appear to be just that all mankind should be involved in sin and misery by that one mans offence?
We were in Adam two manner of waies: Answ.
First, Legally, as head of that first Covenant,All were in Adam legally. with him and his Posterity that were to come of his loynes; God entred into a Covenant of Life and Obedience; Adam was not a private man in this business, he and his children were to stand or fall according to the tenour of that Covenant: he received the grace, the mercy, and promises of that Covenant, and strength to perform it, for all, and so he forfeited the same for all: Even as in our Law, a Landlord does contract with his Tenant for himself and children, to hold such and such Lands, under such and such Conditions; the which, if the Father forfeit, he forfeits the whole Estate that was granted both from himself and children. Thus we see also, that God doth imply Children with their Parents in other Covenants and Promises, as he promised the Land to Abraham, and to his seed after him for a Possession, when as yet he had no child, Acts 7.5. So Deut. 29 14, 15. God made a Covenant with Israel, with the Captaines of your Tribes, your Elders, and your Officers, with all the men of Israel, ver. 10. and with your little ones, ver. 11. and not with them onelyonly that stand here with us this day before the Lord, but also with him that is not here with us this day, that is, with the Children that shall be born. And if Parents may contract for their Children, yea, seeing God himself doth take into the same Covenant, the Fathers and their Children, why should it seem strange that he should do the like to Adam and his seed, especially considering, that he was the Root in whom all mankind was created, and out of which all mankind was to spring in their generations, in him we all had our beeing, as in the seed, and the principles of our future existence; forasmuch then as Children are parts of their Parents, and seeing we were parties to that first Covenant, which is broken, we are born rei debendi, though not agendi; we owe a debt of Obedience, which we cannot perform, and so may blame our selves for breach of Covenant, and God is just.
Secondly,2Naturally. We were in Adam naturally; we were in his loyns, as a part of him, when he fell, so that whatsoever alteration befell the Humane Nature, it is common to us of which Nature we are apart: All the seed of man was in Adam, and therefore that seed being wholly corrupted, we that come of him must needs be corrupted also: All the branches of an Oak, all its leaves and boughes were in the root, though when the tree was first planted, not any one of them did appear.Rom. 11.16. Esa. 1.4. Mat. 3.7. Now if the root be holy, so are the branches; But if the root be sowre, and poysoned, so are the branches; we are a seed of evill doers, a generation of Vipers, young Serpents of the old, and young Serpents are worthy to die, because of their kind, and the poysonsomnesse that is in them: God looks upon all mankind, he sees not in them his image which he first stamped on them, but the clean contrary, even of the seed of the Serpent: And we have reason to blame our selves for being such vile and unclean creatures; and God is just in casting away the young Serpent with the old, the Children of Whoredomes, Hos. 2.2.with their Adulterous Mother.
Yea, Obj. 2 but there was nothing of us in Adam, but our bodies, and the body is sinlesse, it hath not sinned, till it be infected with the soule by transgression of a Law; and the soule coming from God is innocent, till it meet with a Commandement, and break it; therefore in Adam we sinne not, all sin is by our owne Act.
First, Answ. God gave to Adam an ability to encrease and multiply his kind by Generation; Gen. 1.28. Be fruitfull and multiply, and replenish the earth, as he did unto other Creatures: and so man doth beget man, the whole man begets the whole man consisting of Soul and body.
Secondly, So likewise for the seate of sin, we say, that neither the Soul alone, nor the Body alone, but the whole man (which consisteth of both, and differeth from both) is the subject or seat of sin: The soul was not Created out of the body, but in the Body, Zach. 12.1. God formeth the spirit of man within him, and so Soul and Body make one man, so that the Body without the Soul,Ainswort against Anab. pag. 43, 44. nor the soul without the body doth not commit sin, but both together, as they make a Son of Adam, are infected with sin (that is) with that inbred inhabiting sin and wickednesse, which cleaves to all the seed of Adam, like a leprosie. It is an idle fancy, to say, that the soule is infected from the body, or the body from the soule; but both are infected from Adam, from whom, by the Law, or decree of Propagation, and natural Generation, the whole man hath its beginning: Gen. 5.3. Adam begat a son in his own likenesse; a Son consisting of soule and body, in his own likenesse, that is, in his sinfull likenesse; for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one: Job 14.4. To conclude, we receive three evils from Adams Fall (namely) first, Imputation of his Sin; secondly, Corruption of our Nature; And, thirdly, Death.
First, For imputation of Adams Disobedience:1Imputation of his Sin. The Text is expressed, Rom. 5 16. The judgement was by one (offence) to condemnation. In this place Adam and Christ are compared together, as the two head-men of mankind, in their different estate of Nature and Grace: Adam was the naturall head of all men; Christ is the head of the spirituall offspring. They agree in this property of communicating their conditions to those, who are theirs; Adam is the head of Sin and Death, Christ is the head of Righteousnesse and Life, as in the present Text, Judgement was by one to Condemnation, that is, that one Offence was imputed to all to Condemnation; so the free gift is of many offences unto justification: Christ takes away the condemnation which that sin brought. O then, but what shall we do for all our Actual sins? The Text shews you, Christ doth take away not only that offence, but all our personall sins too, The free Gift is of many Offences unto Justication; many offences are freely forgiven, and all our other sins shall not be imputed to us. The comparison is this, As Adams offence is ours by imputation, it was imputed for Condemnation; so Christs righteousnesse is ours by imputation, it is imputed unto Justification, see ver. 18. As by the offence of one, judgement came upon all men to condemnation; even so, by the righteousnesse of one, the free gist came upon all to justification of life. Siegm. pag. 149.Quemadmodum ergo in Christo obediêrunt, & obediendo facti sunt justi, ver. 19. ita in Adamo omnes peccaverunt, ver. 19 All that be in Christ partake of his righteousnesse, and all that be yet in old Adam partake of his Guilt.2 Corruption of our Nature.
The second Evill received from Adams Fall, is, the corruption of our Nature, the which, what it is, and how great, you may see above in the losses and depravation, which the committall of that first Sin brought upon our first Parents, the same poysonous effects doth it work in the souls of their posterity, as the losse of Gods Favour, and of Gods Image, the corruption of all the faculties of our souls and bodies; in a word, we are dead in sins and trespasses, wherein, before the Grace of Christ renuing and delivering us, we walked according to the course of the world (a bad pattern to walk by) according to the Prince of the power of the aire, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, (we are under the power of the Devil, acted by him to do his will) amongst whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, Ephes. 21, 2, 3.and of the minde; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. This is a sad description of our corruption by Nature. The three enemies of our Salvation, the World, the Flesh, the Devil, were our guides: The lusts of the World, the lusts of the Devil, and the lusts of our own hearts, these are the things we would do, and did delight to do them, it was naturall to us. In this wofull, dead, rotten, poysoned, corrupt estate, we were all born, and must confesse with David, Psal. 51.5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my Mother conceive me, David sinned not in being conceived and borne, for these being the works of God and Nature are good: But David and we all are sinners from the Birth; he and we were conceived and borne in sin, a seed of evill doers: This is the naturall condition of all mankinde received from our Father Adam: By one mans disobedience many were made sinners, in our owne persons: So by Christ our corrupt Nature is renued, and we are made holy, and righteous. Rom. 5 19. We are sanctified in Christ, the second Adam, and Quickned to newnesse of life. Ephesians 2.1, 5.
Before I passe to the third Evil received by Adam, two Objections come to be cleared:
First, How could Adam lose that which he never had? Object. 1 The Image of God in Adam was an humane perfection onelyonly, say some. Adam was made a reasonable, wise, and understanding man; He was in a perfect, morall, sinlesse condition; but if we could attain the perfection that was in Adam, it would be no more than a morall and humane perfection; they that have but the first Adams wisdome, are still of the earth, earthly. It was not that Wisdome and Ʋnderstanding, nor that Purity and Righteousnesse, which the second Adam was endued with, and which all Believers are made partakers of in the daies of the Gospel; be was not partaker of the Divine nature; it was a condition free from pain & sorrow, a condition of humane perfection, not a spiritual perfection. Thus that famous Seducer, Tho: Marrow of Christianity. p. 3.5.8.Collier (in his Book called The Marrow of Christianity, and dignified by an Epistle commendatory of Mr. Saltmarsh, as discovering some principles of truth meet to be known of all Saints) doth vent his poysonous Errors, which are as rottennesse in the bones: And thus poore Christians are gulled and bewitched by such false Lights, whilst they read their Books with greedinesse and admiration, wherein is mixed a poysonous cup of dangerous and wicked Errors, with some precious Truths, which the simple drink up altogether, for want of having their senses exercised, to put difference between Sugar and Ratsbane, between Truth and Falshood.
But to answer the Objection, the Scripture is clear, that the Image of God in Adam did consist chiefly and properly in a Conformity to the Nature and Will of God in holinesse and righteousnesse, as the Apostle teacheth, Eph. 4.23, 24. Be ye renued in the spirit of your minde, and put on that new man, which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse; with Col. 3.10. and have put on the new man, which is renued in knowledge, after the Image of him that created him. Note three things:
First, The old man to be put off with his deeds, is our corrupt Nature in Adam, the Flesh with its affections and lusts: The new man to be put on, is the new Creature, or the Graces of the Spirit; it is that universall purity, which is begun in the souls of the regenerate, by the working of the Spirit, whereby our naturall corruption is more and more subdued, and our souls indued with holy qualities, according to the Image of Christ.
Secondly, We are said to be renued unto this Image, which gives us to understand, that sometime we had it: That which is renued, is the same that was at first bestowed; the spirit of Renovation doth restore us what we received in our Creation, and was lost; whatsoever is renued was once had, and lost: Now our renovation by Christ stands in knowledge in the spirit of our mind and in righteousnesse, and true holinesse; therefore in those qualities stood the Image of God in our first creation
Thirdly, Which is yet more plain, by the words of both Texts,Eph. 4.24. Col. 3.10. which say, that the new man is created in righteousnesse and holinesse after God, that is, after the likenesse of God himself, who did create him; God created Adam, we are renued after the Image of the Creatour, and that was in Knowledge, Righteousnesse and Holinesse: Adam could not lose that which he never had; Adam lost spirituall Life, Holinesse and Righteousnesse, therefore he had them.
By Adams Sin all of us have weak Natures, Obj. 2 but not corrupt Natures from the Birth: some speak of Originall sin, as a great infelicity, not a sinne: As for a Child to be borne with one eye, or withered arme, we say it is his infelicity, but not his sin, or fault: Are we to think so slightly of Originall sinnes?
No; the Text saies not, we are weak, and therefore die, Answ. but that all have sinned, and through the offence of one man are made sinners (which is more than a weaknesse and proneness to sin) and therefore all die. This indwelling Sin is that poysoned Fountain, out of which does arise all that Rebellion, that is in us, against the will of God. Rom. 7.20. And it is that Law in our members, which warreth against the law of our minde, and bringeth us captive to the law of sin and death; by which every one is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed; then when Lust hath conceived, Jam 1.14, 15.it bringeth forth Sin, and death at last, as S. James teacheth, James 1.13, 14. Indeed, carnall men make light of this corruption of Nature, because they do not feel it. Paul was alive in his own conceit; he was sinfull, though he knew it not, sinfull by nature, before the Commandement came,, but discerned not his wofull state and spirituall bondage, under corruption, till the Commandement came to his knowledge; then he played Rex and slew him, ver. 8. And in this respect, we all have cause to bewaile, not our Weaknesse, but our Wickednesse, and to pray, not onelyonly for Strength, but for Mercy, to pardon and cleanse us from our Birth-sin, as David did;Psal. 51.7. and to strive, not onelyonly to keep our selves unspotted of grosse sins, but to be regenerated and born again, else we are undone for ever.
Of all the Sons of Adam, Christ alone needed no regeneration, because he was not conceived and born in sin, as all others are: But except we be born again, we cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven.
The third Evill, which came upon us by Adams Fall,3Death. is Death, as hath been largely shewed in our first and generall proof of this point, from Rom. 5. c. 12. v, and I will not repeat.
But what death? That's the Question:
My Adversary's Position is, Quest. that no man shall ever perish in Hell for Adams sin: The Anabaptists hold, that Adam brought Vanity and Corruption upon all his Posterity; the earth,Rom. 8.20. and every creature in it, is subject to vanity, yet those that die, and have corruption by Adams sin, shall not be cast into Hell;Ains. against Anab p. 32.33. for the Lord saith, The soul that sinneth, it shall die, the Son shall not beare the iniquity of the Father, Ezekiel 18.20.
No man is cast into Hell for Adams sin, Answ. 1 himself being innocent, but in Adnm we all sinned, as hath been proved: No man dieth of anothers disease, but if we be infected with the same, we die of our own disease: The Prophet Ezekiel saith, that the just Child of a wicked Father shall live, if he seeth all that his Father hath done, and considereth, and doth not the like, he shall surely live, ver. 14, 18. but if the Son commit the like sins as the Father did, then they shall bear their owne iniquity, ver. 13. This is our case in relation to Adam, we are all wicked Sons of a wicked Father, there is none of us that doth good, no not one: All Adams Sons are inwrapped in his sin, all are under that common guilt: bring forth a clean Son out of Adams loyns, and he shall live: there is duplex reatus, proprius, & communis, I am guilty of some sins, which another is not, and another is guilty of sins which I am not; we have our proper faults. But this one offence, of which Paul speaks, Rom. 5.12, 16, 19. doth involve us all in one common guilt; by it all of us being in Adams loyns, are alike guilty; and therefore even by that rule (The soule that sinneth it shall die) we must all die, because we all have sinned. Sicut omnium hominum natura, ita etiam omnium voluntas originaliter fuit in Adamo.
As for the kind of death which God threatned to the transgression, Answ. 2 we see it is First, a temporall death, for infants die daily; And grant that Adams sin brought but a temporall death on his Children, yet this proveth that they were sinners, and guilty in Adam, else they should not have died: And unlesse you confesse, that Infants are sinners in Adam, ye cannot maintaine the justice of God for killing Infants with temporall death, according to that rule, Ezekiel 18.20. But
Secondly, If you grant Infants to be Sinners in Adam, then it will follow, that the same death, which is the wages of sin, is their due, unlesse they be redeemed by CHRIST.
Thirdly, Againe, consider what death it is that Christ doth deliver us from, that kinde of death must be confessed to be due to sin, as its wages: But Christ doth deliver us not onelyonly from a Temporall death in our Resurrection, but from Everlasting death in Hell, as S. Paul teacheth, 1 Thes. 1.10. Even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come, so Ro. 5.9. Being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him: After Death now comes the Judgement: Now to what end should Christ judge the dead, if there were no other death than the dissolution of our soules from the body? But there is another Death, which is an everlasting separation from the presence of God. 2 Thes. 1.8, 9. He shall come in flames of fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. To conclude, Adam, by his Sin, deprived himself of Paradise; it is true, but not an earthly Paradise onelyonly; he did plunge himself into a state of death, not onelyonly temporall, but in Hell: And they that can dispute against this truth now, shall be forced to confesse it hereafter, and to bewaile themselves for what Adam did before they were born, unlesse Christ redeeme them:
Adam was not condemned for his own sin, Object. 1 therefore shall any of his posterity be?
Yes, unlesse they be redeemed by Christ the second Adam; Answ. Adam deserved condemnation, but God hath mercy on whom he will; all that are sinners alike, deserve the like condemnation; but God of his free Grace doth pluck some out of the fire, and gives them remedy by Faith in Christ.
Mr. Hurd thus argueth, Object. 2 Gods love. pag. 77.Threats are denounced alwaies against actuall sinnes, we never read that they are thundred against us for Originall sinne, they intimate therefore, that the sinnes, for which men goe to Hell, are their Actuall sinnes (onelyonly.)
Originall sin is the greatest of all others, the seed, the sink, Answ. the source, and spring of all other sins: This Flesh is of so damnable a Nature, that unlesse our old man be crucified with Christ, Rom. 6.6. Gal. 5.24.unlesse that body of Sin be destroyed, unlesse we crucifie the Flesh with its affections and lusts, we are none of Christs, and if none of his, then we are under the Law, dead in Sins and Trespasses; our flesh, our unregenerate Flesh carries more soules to Hell, than all our Actual sins, for there is no repentance nor mercy for any Actual sins,R…m 6.6. nor victory over them, till this old man be crucified, till the body of sin be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Now what can be spoken more sad to any soule, than this, Thou art none of Christs?Rom 8.13. J…hn 3.3.6. If you live after the flesh ye shall die, therefore flesh brings death; That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and Except ye be born againe, ye cannot see the Kingdome o… God: our being in the Flesh in our natural state, excludes us from the Kingdome of Heaven: These things we read thundred against Originall Sin; our Old man will kill us, unlesse it be crucified; our Body of Sin will destroy us, unlesse it be destroyed by the Body of Christ; our Flesh will shut us out of Heaven, unlesse we be new born; And yet do we never read, that threats are thundred out against us for Original Sin? Are these empty sounds? Do they not threaten death against us? Surely, unlesse men were dead, they could not choose but heare and tremble at these thundrings against this original, inbred, indwelling Corruption, and in due sense thereof, cry out with the Apostle, Who shall deliver me from the body of death? Rom. 7.24, 25.I thank God for deliverance by Jesus Christ, else it would undo me for ever.
If we be fallen into the guilt of the first Sin, Object. 3 and the corruption of Nature only: Mr. Hurd, Gods Love, pag 54.because we were in Adams loyns when he sinned, and derive our beeing from him, then it will follow, that we stand guilty of all the sins w…ich Adam committed from his fall to his lives end; for we were in his loynes as well after his fall, as before, and in every passage and variation of his life; he was still a principle of mankinde. But where do we read that we are guilty of any other of his sins? therefore not of the first: And if we are guilty of Adams first transgression, then much more of the sins of our immediate Parents, Ezek. 20.7. Ezek. 18.14.in whose loynes we were, when they sinned: But Children are not guilty of their Parents faults, therefore not of Adams.
The Scripture doth intitle that sin and misery, Answ. which entred into the world, and invaded all mankind to Adams first sin onelyonly, as ye may see Rom. 5.15, 16, 17, &c. The judgement was by one offence unto condemnation, and herewith we should rest content.
The Lord thus ordaining and covenanting with Adam, the head of all Mankind, that all should stand or fall with him: wherefore, when he brake the Covenant, he forfeited all,Rom. 5.12.19. 1 Cor. 15.22. and so brought all under the imputation of his Sin: The which is not unusual in Covenants and Contracts between men, as hath been shewed before. We were legally in Adam, as parties contracting in that first Covenant. We see, by experience, the truth of our Doctrine (namely) that all Adams Posterity, even Infants, die; we wonder at the cause, the Apostle tels us, because in Adam all have sinned, in whom we all were: This we cavil against, and are loath to believe it: As for Adams other Actual sins, the standing, or fall of mankind did not depend on them, the Lord not imputing them unto us, because upon them the Articles of the Covenant did not depend. Even as we see a Conquerour grants some Castle or Town to be held by the besieged upon certain Articles; upon breach of the Articles, the Castle or Town is forfeited, and is imputed to all that be in that Castle; But their other particular evil speeches, or actions against him that granted their Articles, are not considered: So in this case.
But doth it agree with the goodnesse and justice of God to punish Adam and all mankind so fearfully, Object. 4 for eating a little fruit?
That transgression of our first Parents, Answ. Usher sum. pag. 134.was an horrible departing and falling from God the Creator, to their Archenemy, the Devil, whom they believed and obeyed, rather than the voice of their God; they were not content with their blessed Condition, but despising it, they withdrew themselves from the power of God, from his Law and obedience, and wilfully brake that easie Commandement given unto them, and so rejecting God, were justly rejected of God, and brought upon themselves that death, which was threatned.
It was not so little an offence, as most men think it to be; Reverend Bishop Ʋsher shews the hainousnesse of that Revolt, and that it did in some sort, contain within it the breach of all the Commandements: See summe of Christian Religion, pag. 134.
The last Objection is here rejected by our adversaries, Object. 5 as a reason of their opinion, that we are not in danger of Hell for Adam's sin,Lond. Test. p. 8. for say they, if we had been to suffer in Hell, in relation to Adam or the Law; then Christ also should have suffered in Hell for us, which he did not.
That does not follow, Answ. He that delivers a Debtour out of Prison, needes not himselfe lye in Prison, it is enough that he satisfie the Law, and discharge all the Debt: So in this businesse, Christ is our surety appointed of God to beare our sins,Gal. 4.5. Gal. 3.13. he entred into our Bonds, he was made under the Law to redeeme us, that were under the Law, he was made a Curse for us, to redeeme us from the Curse of the Law, he did bear our sinnes in his owne body upon the Crosse, Col. 2.14, 15.blotting out the Handwriting of Ordinances, that was against us, which was contrary to us, and tooke it out of the way, nailing it to his Crosse; and having spoiled Principalities and Powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it, Hell is the Prison into which all are cast, which doe not agree with their Adversary, and there they lye, because they cannot make satisfaction to the Law, because they cannot pay the utmost farthing; if they could have satisfied the debt, they need not have gone to Hell, the which seeing Christ our surety did, it was no way requisite, that he should suffer in the place of the damned. And therefore I passe by as frivolous, those Questions; Whether Christ did discharge this debt by way of Solution, or by way of Satisfaction? Whether his Suffering were the payment of the very Debt, or of something else in its stead? It is sufficient, that he hath Cancelled the Hand-writing, that was against us; that he hath born our Griefs, that he was wounded for our Transgressions, that the Chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed, and that in him God is well pleased with us, having laid upon Him the iniquitie of us all: And I conclude this third point, (namely) that seeing the Lord did threaten Death to Adam's transgression, and the Scripture tells us, Death is the wages of Sin, Rom. 6.23. 1 Thes. 1.10.and that Jesus delivered us from the wrath to come: Therefore that Covenant did threaten a future wrath to all sinners, under which they lye, till they be redeemed by Christ, which is the third and last Branch of our Doctrine, briefly to be touched.
You have seen, First, How God made a Covenant with Adam; Secondly, How Adam by breaking it did plunge himselfe, and all his posterity, into a state of Sinne and Death.
The third Branch followes (namely) that all men lye under the Breach and Curse of that first Covenant,Third Branch of the Doctr. till they be actually Regenerated, and planted into Christ the second Adam, by whom alone we have deliverance from it. This is evident by our Saviours words, Joh. 8.36. If the Son shall make you free, then are ye free indeed. The naturall man,Rom. 6.17. howsoever he thinketh himselfe free, yet in truth he is in Bondage under Sin, in the Gall of Bitternesse, and Bond of Iniquity, the very Servant of Corruption, and in that state shall for ever remain, unlesse the Son doe make him free.
For alas, what else can relieve you? Reason. 'Tis not the Wisdome of Plato, the Learning of Aristotle, nor the Justice of Aristides, &c. Nor all the Honesty, and seeming Vertues of those Heathen Worthies; 'Tis not all the morall Honesty, and Civility of Christians, nor their outward priviledges in Christianity. 'Tis not any or all of this can serve the turne, whatsoever is short of Christ, whatsoever is short of Regeneration, is short of Salvation: 'Tis nothing but Christ the second Adam, in whom the new Covenant of Grace is established, that can deliver a man from the state of Sin and Misery, in which all are borne.
It doth offend the Eares of many, especially Scholars to heare us say, that those antient Philosophers and searchers of Wisdome, that all that ever be born of Adam, whether Turks, Pagans, or Christians be under Sin and Death. They cannot conceive that men of such Honesty, and Devotion in their way should be Damned; They cry out against this Doctrine, as harsh and uncharitable. But whats the reason hereof? Surely because they doe not well understand, or not remember the Nature of the Covenant of workes, and the state of all men under it, till they be actually planted into Christ: Men doe not consider under what Covenant they are, they doe not heare the voice of that Covenant, shutting up all under wrath, who doe not performe absolute, perpetual, personal, and sinlesse obedience; the Covenant of workes, knowes no Mercy, it curseth every Transgression; it accepts not of Repentance, nor of doing our best, all men out of Christ are under the Law, (that is) under these strict termes, to doe it, or dye. Indeed if Salvation were disposed and bestowed according to mens good Intentions, or morall Honesty, or the like good workes, then there were hope of moral Heathens, Turkes, Papists, and meerly civilized Protestants; But poor Souls all this while, ye look for Salvation in the Covenant of works;1 John 5.12. Rom. 8.1. know therefore for certaine, that He that hath the Son hath life, he that hath not the Son, hath not life. There is no Condemnation to them that be in Christ Jesus, and nothing but Condemnation to them that be out of Christ: A man may really be under the Law, and but seemingly under Grace; many thousands doe apply to themselves the promises of the Gospel, and of the new Covenant, when as they are not gotten one step out of old Adam, when as they are still under the Law; you must look to it, that your state be changed, that ye be translated from the Covenant of Nature to Jesus Christ effectually, and then you are under Grace, then are ye free indeed, Christ restores us all that we lost in Adam.
By the first Adam, I told you we have three evills. First, Imputation of his transgression; Secondly, Corruption of our Nature;Three good things by Christ. Thirdly, Death. Answerable whereunto, we have three good things by Christ; First, Imputation of his Righteousnesse; Secondly, Renuing of Nature; Thirdly, Life. These things are evidently set forth in that Comparison, which S. Paul makes between Christ and Adam, Rom. 5.14.
First, For imputation of Christs Righteousnesse, v. 16.18. The judgement was by one offence to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences to justification; and ver. 18. As by the offence of one, judgement came upon all to condemnation, even so by the righteousnesse of one, the free gift came upon all men to justification of life.
Secondly, for renuing of our Nature, Christ makes new Creatures; We are circumcised in him, 2 Cor. 5.17.with the Circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh; and you being dead in your sint, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickned together with him.Col. 2.11, 13.
Thirdly, Lastly for Life, Rom 5.17. Much more they which receive abundance of Grace and of the gift of righteousnesse, shall reigne in life by one Jesus Christ; And again ver. 21. As sin hath reigned unto Death, even so might grace reigne through righteousnesse unto eternall life by Jesus Christ our Lord: In which comparison of Christ and Adam, ye see that we gain in Christ what we lost in Adam: Grace is as powerfull to save, as Sin to destroy: Guilt by Adam, Righteousnesse by Christ; Corruption by Adam, Regeneration by Christ; Death by Adam, Eternall Life by Christ: where for conclusion, I would have this one thing diligently noted in this comparing of Christ with Adam (namely) that our Redemption by Christ, is a sure proof of our undoing by Adam: Now take away the former, the transgression of all men in Adam, and ye overthrow the latter, to wit, the Redemption of the world by Christ: if any did not fall in Adam, they need no redemption by Christ; but seeing all need to be redeemed by Christ, therefore all fell in Adam, which is the substance of the truth delivered against the Hereticall Position laid down in the Lond. Test. above.
That which remains is by way of use, to humble every soul of us under the sense of our cursed estate in Nature; Ʋse. To make us to observe the crossings, the rebellings, the untowardnesse, and indisposition that is in our hearts against the will of God: It is evident, that we are born in sin, because we need not be taught to sin, as we are taught every Art, that is not naturall, we must be taught to read, to write, to work in this or that Art, but we sin without teaching, as the young Snake doth hisse and sting.
We should repent and bewaile our Originall corruption, especially the lustings and workings of our old man, with the several aggravations thereof:
1. In regard of its Universality, and spreading over all the parts and faculties of our Soul and Body, the Mind, the Conscience, and Heart, the Will, the Memory, the Affections: All the members of the Body, are instruments of it, all Parts are infected with its poyson.
2. In regard of its Closenesse, and Adherence to us, as close as our Flesh, as our Members; It doth cast a contagion and defilement upon our best actions.
3. In regard of its Strength, and Power to hinder Good, to incline to Evil.
4. In regard of its Policies and Compliances, of its Reasonings and Temptations.
5. In regard of its Fruitfulnesse, continually it worketh in us to bring forth fruit unto death.
These,3Treatise of the sinfulnesse of Sin. and such like Aggravations, of this Birth-sin, are excellently drawn by that learned man Doctor Reynolds, who hath with much spiritual skill and observation, dissected that Body of Sin, whereby others may be brought to see and bewaile their wretched estate in Nature: How light soever many reckon of this sin, it is that which doth cost the children of God more sighs and groanes, more shame and bitter conflicts, than all their Actuall sins; you see how S. Paul mourned and struggled under it, Rom. 7. It is it which doth cost the Ministers of Christ more pains to convince people of it, to make them sensible of their state in it, than of any of their other Actuall sins: Men are not easily convinced of their naturall Blindnesse, Ignorance, Unbelief, Hypocrisie, Security, hardnesse and deceitfulnesse of Heart, and that Bedroll of lusts and wickednesse, that is in the best civiliz'd unregenerate man or woman in the world: O that God, which raised Christ from the dead, would by the same mighty power of his Spirit, quicken every soul among you, that is dead in sins and trespasses, and make you to lay it to your hearts, that if you be not better than Nature made you, you are undone for ever, that if you be not regenerated, you are under the Law, and must answer for your selves, and have no Mediatour.
1. That you may see your selves in a state of Death and Condemnation.
2. In a state of Enmity and opposition to God, and every thing that is holy and good, even the Wisdome of the Flesh is Enmity against God.
3. That you are in a state of Unsufficiency every way to help your selves, that so you may more seriously, with hungring and thirsting, seek unto Christ for help. Of Redemption by Christ, we are to speak in the next Chapter.
By this that hath been said; First,Application. many vulgar mistakes about the Image of God in Adam; Secondly, and how all sinned in Adam; Thirdly, what death was threatned for Sin; And Fourthly, mans wretched estate by Nature are discovered and cleared.